Out of Their League - Part 7/7 (D&D story)

Hello, Everyone!

Last time, our heroes arrived in Pamagos via teleportation circle and found the city way bleaker than they remembered it from only a few days ago. Before they were able to get to Dynatos Perres and find out what’s been going on, they were ambushed by none other but their old foe Nurvureem. This time, the dragon didn’t want to talk. She wanted to kill them.

Her power and ferocity were so overwhelming that the group had no other choice than to flee via some weird magic that Mundus (Agatha’s sentient wooden dagger) offered.

But just before she was able to join the others in their escape attempt, Mary got cut down by Nurvureem’s sword. The girl felt her life force quickly fading away.

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“Hey, Mary! You’ve wrapped yourself pretty well."

Mary jolted up. She'd been standing in front of the mirror for quite some time, absentmindedly stroking her neck. The newly acquired scarf was wrapped around it very neatly, but she had the feeling that the bite of the undead was still discernible through the layers of the fabric.

"Oh, hey, Tesaya," she said and turned around to meet their hostess' smiling eyes.

"You look like an old lady,” Tesaya chuckled. “They wear scarves even when it’s warm outside."

"I'm trying to decide whether I should buy a few more, to be able to switch them easily. I might even get them in different colours, it'll look like I'm doing it for fashion reasons."

"You could do that. We can go shopping together."

Mary beamed. She jumped up from the armchair and dug her coin purse out of her bag. When she turned back to their hostess, Tesaya was leaning on the door, playing with her amulet. Mary made a pause, suddenly thinking about something.

"How do you cope?" she asked.

"With what?"

"Your… um, your scar." Mary made an ambiguous gesture towards Tesaya's chest. She quickly added, feeling self-conscious. "I'm sorry if it's a sensitive matter!"

"Oh, not at all," Tesaya said. "It's very simple, actually. My scar is in a place where I usually don't show off to people.”

Mary blushed. "Oh, yes," she said. "I have a few of those, too. But haven't you thought about the moment when you might come about a person whom… um… you want to show this part of your body?"

"I expect this person to be glad I got away with a scar but am still alive," Tesaya said firmly. "And I expect them to have scars of their own."

"Saying 'no' to simple family-life, eh?"

"I wouldn't get together with a bureaucrat or some powdered noble."

"Of course not." Mary paused, looking back at her reflection. "I was just thinking about my… about Lilly and Bramble. They're just regular people – no horrible bites from Undead or other scars like that… They found each other in really peaceful circumstances, and they are so happy together..."

"They'll be really grateful that you're alive."

"Of course they will!" Mary blurted. "I… I wasn't thinking about them..."

Tesaya raised her eyebrows and Mary felt her ears start to burn. Oh, no! What if she thought she meant Aurum?! After that time with the blanket, was she still thinking that they had…

"I don't think about anyone in particular!" she said quickly. “It was just… Hypothetically, if one day… You know.”

"When the time comes," Tesaya said with a smile.

"Yes, yes. When I cease adventuring and go back to… um… Frinkeltong."

Even while she was saying that, she felt it ring false. What would she do in Frinkeltong, after all that she'd been through? Would she get a small house in 'The Bricks' and spend her life keeping it clean and tidy, and taking care of a husband and some children?

"It might not turn out that way," Tesaya said, taking her out of her thoughts. "You might get to liking some Dzabrasian sultan."

Mary laughed grimly. "I'm sure sultans don't like girls covered in scars."

"Mary." Tesaya suddenly got very serious. "Scars are for those who have survived. For the strong. The weak simply die. In the forest, there's nothing more frightening than a one-eyed, limping wolf. Nothing more dangerous than a wounded boar. Scars are experience, not a loss."

She paused, composing herself. "But you can wear a scarf if you want. And if somebody says something, just blast them."

Mary laughed, a bit hesitantly.

"Come on, cheer up!" the elven woman said. "We're going shopping."

Mary gasped into consciousness. Her whole world was a bundle of excruciating pain. She looked above herself and saw the dragon's sword sticking out of the ground…

No.

Sticking out of her.

It was struck in her stomach, and it had almost sliced her in two. The flame had cauterized the giant wound, preventing it from bleeding out onto the cobblestone, but it had done nothing for the pain.

Bruno's voice sounded in the distance, coming closer and closer with every moment. He was running towards her, finishing a healing incantation. As if inside a dream state, Mary felt him take her off the dragon's sword and carry her towards Agatha.

She was alive. She was ALIVE! After the acid, after the lava, after the giant sword, she LIVED!

The memory of Tesaya’s words echoed into her head. She was the limping wolf! She was the wounded boar!

She began to laugh, unable to stop herself. It hurt like hell, but she laughed. Her insides felt like they were tearing themselves up, but she kept on laughing.

Mary was still laughing when they reached Agatha and grabbed onto her. She was still laughing when the tabaxi twisted Mundus and the rift opened. And she was still laughing, when the whole world turned sideways, like a lock around a key.

She was alive.

Oh, my goodness! I felt so good writing that last bit! And it was just as exhilarating when this moment happened on our D&D table.

Sorry if the flashback in the beginning confused you. It was from a whole different scene that I played one-on-one with our DM, but I thought this was the perfect place to put it. Even though we now know that Tesaya is a traitor, there’s a lot of truth and inspiration in her past words. No wonder Mary still misses her!

Well, see you next time when we get to find out where Mundus took our heroes!
Take care and be well!

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Episodes of Mary Windfiddle's story come out every Monday and Thursday.
(Also, here's a link to the Chapter Guide, the Glossaries (Part 1 and Part 2)
and the Map for the series. You're welcome!)

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^{An important disclaimer: Mary Windfiddle's story is my notes from a D&D game turned into a narrative. All the worldbuilding and NPC encounters belong to our DM, and all the actions of the other main characters (Aurum, Bruno and Agatha) belong to my co-players. My contribution to the story is only everything Mary-related (actions, reactions, inner thoughts), as well as the writing itself.}