Prisoners of circumstances

Journey to Waterdeep

Garrett Halloway, a steadfast guard of Leilon, had set out alone on a long and perilous journey to transport a dangerous criminal to Waterdeep. His companion, Samson Greaves, had fallen ill the night before their departure, leaving Garrett to escort the rogue Derrick Blackthorn on his own. The two were an uneasy pair: Garrett, a man of law and duty, and Derrick, a cunning thief with a taste for independence.

Their path took them along the treacherous Sword Coast, skirting the edge of the Mere of Dead Men, a swamp as infamous for its deadly terrain as for the horrors lurking within. On their first night, as they camped beside the road, a sinister, inhuman scream pierced the darkness, echoing through the mist. Garrett’s hand instinctively went to the hilt of his sword, while Derrick, chained in the cart, remained silent, eyes scanning the shadows.

With little sleep and a growing sense of dread, Garrett continued the journey the next morning. The wind carried the stench of decay from the swamp, and by mid-afternoon, they reached a crossroads where two hanged men swung from a tree. Their bodies had been partially devoured, the gruesome sight sending chills through Garrett. In the distance, more unnatural screams echoed from the swamp, as though something malevolent was watching.

That night, exhaustion caught up with Garrett. He sat by the fire, barely awake, when one of the creatures struck. It was fast, grey-skinned with long limbs and wide, hungry yellow eyes. The creature’s jagged teeth sank into Derrick’s shoulder, causing him to cry out in pain. Garrett leapt to his feet, struggling to fend off the attacker, but weariness dulled his movements. In a desperate bid, Garrett threw the keys to Derrick.

Fumbling with the chains, Derrick finally freed himself, his sharp reflexes taking over. With a pair of swift strikes from hidden daggers, Derrick killed the creature. Two more emerged from the shadows, but Derrick, fully rested and deft with his blades, swiftly dispatched them. The eerie silence that followed was broken only by Garrett’s labored breathing as he stood over the bodies of the grotesque creatures.

As dawn broke, Garrett, unable to fight his exhaustion any longer, reluctantly handed the reins to Derrick. The rogue took control of the cart, guiding the horse along the coastal road as Garrett finally drifted into an uneasy sleep.

Bandit Encounter

The next day, the journey took a darker turn. As they neared the outskirts of Waterdeep, two men on horseback blocked the road ahead—bandits, their intent clear. John and Greggory, armed and brazen, demanded that Garrett surrender and lock himself in the prison cart, a mockery of justice. Garrett refused, his hand gripping his sword, ready for a fight.

Tensions quickly escalated. Derrick, now unchained, made an attempt to drive the cart forward, but the bandits gave chase, their horses catching up swiftly. The confrontation turned violent. Greggory fell first, his life ended by Derrick’s deadly precision. John, seeing his partner slain, fought desperately but was badly wounded by Garrett’s blade. Crumpled and bleeding, John called for mercy, and Garrett—though hardened by the road—granted it, locking the wounded bandit in the prison cart where Derrick had once sat.

The Plan

By the time they neared Waterdeep, the journey had left its mark on both Garrett and Derrick. A silent understanding had formed between the two, forged in blood and survival. As the gates of the great city loomed in the distance, Garrett made a decision. He offered Derrick his freedom in exchange for his silence. In return, they would present John as the captured prisoner to the authorities in Waterdeep, a convenient substitute for Derrick’s identity.

Derrick accepted without hesitation, eager to slip away from the reach of the law. As they parted ways near the city, Garrett and Derrick exchanged a final look of understanding. Two days later, they would meet again at a tavern in Waterdeep—neither man certain what that meeting might bring.

For now, Garrett rode into Waterdeep, and Derrick disappeared into its winding streets, a free man once more.




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