Two Tieflings and a Frost Giant

Population Migration / Travel

Natalya and Fenneck find Killion and Lenni in the mountains.

Natalya looked out over the mountains. It was a clear day and the sun beat down down on the snow making everything extremely bright. She looked over at Fenneck. He was focusing on something, Natalya assumed he was using magic. Suddenly he became very alert and his eyes filled with fear. "Hurry!" he exclaimed as he slid down to the ledge below them. They were farther west than they normally venture but they decided to check out the other passes since Dimitri didn't have any refugees for them this month. Natalya followed Fenneck as he quickly made his way through the mountains. In the distance Natalya heard what sounded like a scream and the roar of a frost giant. They moved quickly and finally they came to a ledge and Fenneck slowly lowered himself below it before cautiously looking over. Natalya followed suit. Below them, in the pass they saw a purple tiefling and an large elk with giant antlers cornered by a large frost giant. The tiefling had a rapier drawn and the elk was baying loudly at it. Fenneck nocked three arrows and moved to the top of the ledge. He shot and hit the frost giant squarely in the back with all three arrows. He tried to lower himself back behind the ledge but slipped and fell into the pass. He landed in a pile of powdery snow directly behind the frost giant. Natalya moved stealthily along the ledge and drew her rapier. The giant turned around and made a move toward Fenneck lying in the snow. Natalya jumped from the ledge, graceful as a bird, and stabbed her rapier into the frost giants back as she fell. The sword went in deep and she held onto the hilt and braced herself on the frost giants back. The frost giant angrily slammed his great axe across the side of Fenneck's thigh. Fenneck let out a cry and the frost giant brought the axe back down into the same spot causing a huge gash to cut through the soft elvish chainmail Fenneck was wearing. Fenneck let out a painful shriek. Natalya noticed the elk preparing to charge and as he charged the frost giant Natalya pulled her rapier out of the giant's back and kicked herself off of the monster doing a backflip as she landed on the ground. The elk ran his large antlers into the giant knocking him to the ground. The tiefling ran up and stabbed the frost giant in the leg. Fenneck, sitting up in the pile of snow sent another three arrows into the frost giants butt. Natalya took her rapier and drove it into the frost giants shoulder. The frost giant pushed himself off the ground and swung his axe at the elk but the elk gracefully side stepped his blow and the frost giant slammed his axe into the ground where it lodged into the stone. He pulled it out of the ground and stumbled back a couple steps. The elk reared and batted his hooves into the frost giants side. He roared in anger as the tiefling rammed his rapier into the frost giants side. The frost giant yelled in anger. Fenneck shot another volley of arrows into the frost giants neck and back. "Be gone from here you foul beast! Leave these creatures be!" Fenneck told the monster in giant. The frost giant turned to him. "Puny little elf." He started taking a couple steps toward Fenneck. Natalya spun and rammed her rapier into the frost giants knee causing him the stumble. "He said be gone beast. Or would you like to meet your gods today?" Natalya told the beast aiming her sword at its face. The frost giant spat on her. "You weak little rangers don't have the will to kill. I've encountered this one before. You're all talk." Natalya felt her heart beat angrily as she saw Fenneck clutching his leg in pain. "Clearly you haven't met me," she told the creature harshly. The frost giant started lifting his axe to swing and the elk came up from behind and slammed his hooves into the back of the giants head. The tiefling behind Natalya went to fatally stab the giant when Fenneck stopped him. "No! Don't. Let him go. He knows to run." Natalya wanted to finish the beast but Fenneck's eyes met her own. "He knows his place my love," he told Natalya in Elvish. She slowly lowered her sword. Fenneck glared at the frost giant. "Run. Flottenheim will respect your people if you respect ours," Fenneck told him in giant. "These tieflings are from Lenisily! They deserve to die! I won't allow them to hurt my people," the giant told Fenneck. Fenneck glanced at the tiefling and the elk suspiciously. "Then I'll take them to Flottenheim and they can face the wrath of Baegla and give us any useful information they might have. Can you walk?" "I'll be fine. Make sure Baegla teaches these roaches a lesson." The frost giant stood and started walking back down the ravine. Natalya ran toward Fenneck. "Are you okay?" He motioned for her to stop and turned his attention to the tiefling and elk. "Show yourself," he told the elk. The elk bowed it's head and slowly transformed into a lime green tiefling with smaller, antler-like horns and darker green hair. The purple tiefling had dark, beautiful plum colored skin and had long curly black hair and elegant white horns. Fenneck continued taking through his pain. "You're Lenisilian?" he asked them. They slowly nodded. "You do speak don't you?" he asked them in Lenisilian. "Yes." The purple tiefling spoke. "Are we in Glitterfjell?" he asked hopefully. "Yes. Are you running or spies?" Fenneck asked him. The tieflings shared a look and the purple one continued. "Running, we um... we were captured and they were going to... well." Natalya spoke. "We understand. What are your names?" "I'm Killion, this is Lenni," the purple one told her. "My name is Natalya, this is Fenneck. We're out here looking for refugees like yourselves. I'm from Lenisily too," Natalya said. She looked at Fenneck to ask if they could trust them. He smiled at her and gave her a small nod. "Welcome to Glitterfjell," he said. He turned to his severed leg and touched the wound. Natalya saw his magic seep into his leg and saw his wound start to close. It was a big gash though and Fenneck was tired. Natalya helped him up and helped him walk as they led the tieflings to the closest check point. They traveled slowly and by the time they made it to the first check point it was nightfall. It was a small alcove that was safe enough to build a tent in. There was a lock box they kept there with supplies and Natalya pulled the tent out, built it fairly quickly and helped Fenneck inside. The tieflings followed and they ate some rations as Natalya tended to Fenneck's leg. Killion spoke as he watched her carefully bandaging Fenneck. "Are you two married?" He motioned to Natalya's ring. They had been getting that question often enough now from refugees. "No, we're together though," Natalya answered him. Fenneck smiled up at her lovingly. "Yes, we are," Natalya blushed from Fenneck's affection in front of the tieflings. They didn't seem bothered by it though. Killion asked. "Are you two... tera... torr... therum...?" "Thiramin," Fenneck helped him. "Yes, we are." His voice was full of admiration and love. "So it's real?" Lenni asked. "In Lenisily they treat it like a myth. A legend." "It's real," Fenneck said looking endearingly at Natalya. She wondered if the pain was making him a bit loopy and all airy headed. "So when you two met, you knew?" Killion asked. "Yeah," Natalya said, "I thought he was putting a curse on me." She smiled at Fenneck. "I might as well have," he said jokingly before pulling Natalya into a very sensual kiss. "We have company," she told him pointedly before pulling away. "Oh please, don't stop on our account. He almost died today. I would be acting the same way," Lenni said meeting Killion's eyes briefly. Fenneck smiled at them. "How long have you two been together?" They looked startled and both exchanged worried glances. "It's fine," Fenneck told them. "You're in Glitterfjell now, our duchess is a lesbian halfling. You'll fit right in," he said, laughing softly. They relaxed and Natalya saw their eyes fill with happiness. Killion spoke up. "Only a few months. We never really had the courage to leave until we met one another." He looked at Lenni and smiled. "You almost died today too, just kiss already," Fenneck told them. They blushed nervously and Natalya tightly pulled on the bandages causing Fenneck to complain and break the awkwardness he had caused. The tieflings laughed and eventually laid down together to sleep, holding each others tails. Fenneck smiled at them and Natalya noticed tears in his eyes. "Are you okay? Can I get you anything else for your leg?" she asked him, concerned. He smiled up at her. "Thank you. Thank you for everything. Without you I never would have been able to help all the people we've saved over the years," he told her adoringly. Natalya smiled. "These two make seventy-five." Fenneck saw a tear slide down Natalya's face as she smiled to herself. He took her face and pulled her in for a kiss. Seventy-five. Finally, her ledger was a little more balanced. She cradled her wounded thiramin in her arms as he rested and wondered how she was able to have so much good in her life.