Character Event: Marooned in Mushrooms pt3

 William and Mozza set their sites on the spaceport off in the distance as they made their way through the mushroom forest. Overhead was still dark as the larger fungi blocked most of the sun. The green-haired mouse got a little excited to be so close to civilization again and ran ahead a bit. As she wasn’t watching where she was walking, it caught Mozza by surprise when a snare snapped around her leg and flung her up into the air.

 

“What is going on,” Mozza squeaked in surprise as she hung upside down, “Help!” Now aware of traps in the area, William carefully made his way to where the mouse hung upside down. The folf safely set off several bear traps and uncovered a few pits on his way to his companion. With his talisman dagger, William cut the rope that held Mozza in place before gently lowering her to the ground.

 

“Might want to step carefully,” William advised as he set off another bear trap. “The poachers might still be in the area.” 

 

“You think they are poachers,” Mozza asked, concerned as she undid the rope around her ankle. “What if they are just hunters trying to catch food to eat?”

 

“It’s been a moment since I was last on Faedin, but if I remember right, hunting is illegal here,” William stated as some sounds came crashing through the bushes. A warning shot sounded in the air as if on cue before eight poachers stepped into view. The three with guns aimed them forward while the rest carried taser clubs and rope.

 

“A bit far from civilization for a romantic walk, aren’t we,” the lead poacher laughed as he charged his club. “Mine telling us what you’re doing messing with our business?”

 

“When I was a child, my father caught some poachers on our clan lands,” William told the poachers as he surveyed their weapons. “He burned their eyes from their heads before they were bloodied and set loose in the lands where the linnorm hunt. I’m not a law keeper in these lands, but I’m sure they won’t mind if I rough you up a bit.” 

 

With a quick jab, William incapacitated the first poacher with a throat punch. Guns immediately set their sights on the folf, but he ducked and weaved to ensure they couldn’t get a clear line of sight of him. One of the gunmen was hefted into the air by William and thrown into another. Mozza used her magical crossbow to explode the remaining guns and incapacitate the last gunmen. William blocked a taser baton on his forearm, but one struck him in the back. Luckily the fire-infused armor absorbed most of the shock. With a growl, William spun and drove his elbow into the stomach of the one that hit him. The folf grabbed the other by the arm and struck his shoulder with devastating force. As the pop of an arm disconnecting sounded, the poacher flipped over his head and on top of his comrade. Mozza fired one last burst of darts from her crossbow that struck another poacher and electrocuted him. A lasso fell around William’s shoulders, much to his annoyance.

 

“Come here,” William yelled, giving the lasso a firm tug. The poacher flew through the air towards the folf who headbutted him out of the air. “Anyone who doesn’t want to become a blood eagle stays on the ground,” William barked out the order before turning to Mozza. “Hey, you got any wire or something to keep them tied up with?”

 

“Better,” the mouse girl happily replied as she fumbled around for something. After a moment, she pulled out a strange gun that she fired at each poacher. A dart struck each of them and caused their eyes to glaze over. “Here, put this on, and you can give them simple commands to follow,” Mozza instructed as she handed William a ring.

 

“Stand and line up,” the folf gave a test order with the ring. All the poachers leaped to their feet before lining up in an excellent column. “March,” came the following order as William turned his sights back on the spaceport. Mozza and the Arctic folf walked their captives to the spaceport gates, where a law marshall took custody of them. A Guild representative bought William and Mozza lunch so he could debrief them. The grey folf gave the much-appended story version as he wanted to get off the planet. Unfortunately, the portal energy around Faedin wouldn’t be stabilized for about eight hours.

 

William activated a rune stone and then found a bed to sleep in. When he awoke, his runestone was all the way activated. Mozza was eating a bite in the bar when the folf found her. Out the window, they watched as the spaceship The Harlock appeared in the skies over Faedin. When offered a ride, Mozza enthusiastically agreed. Thus the two travelers that were once lost amongst the mushrooms escaped the fungus planet, hoping never to return.