FFM 2023 12: The Road to Freedom – Take II

No prompts used. This is a continuation to FFM 2023 10: The Road to Freedom – Take I.

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At daybreak, Bereth took in the group he was being held by: four mages, all except one more battered and withered than him. Only one was fluent in a language he understood, but, fortunately, they all shared a language with at least one other member, so they would be able to communicate rather effectively.

The one with a hoarse voice — the one who had, apparently, been trapped for the longest — turned out to be the local (now former) archmage, Nedyom. He did speak plenty of languages, but Bereth knew none of them. He, based on the translation that Merlina gave Bereth, had taken charge of directing the group to a hiding place following the explosion. It was also thanks to him that Bereth had gotten out; he had insisted on taking him with them and managed their energy usage to keep them safe and to aid Bereth’s healing.

As the sun climbed higher, Nedyom told them of the cult that had taken over the village and captured every outsider mage to fuel their rituals. Nedyom himself had been outnumbered and struck with a dagger fashioned to paralyze when he had come to investigate, a story that each of them echoed.

At that point, Bereth’s consciousness started to slip again. Nedyom made him lie down and rest, focusing on both trying to figure out how they could get food and gentling him into sleep.