Snippet #2744593

After an hours walk, they could hear the bustle of Market Day as vendors from the surrounding farms gathered to sell their wares. The streets were filled with Wight and Ivlisar who all chatted and examined various fruits and livestock available for purchase. The children grew excited as they drew near.
"Alright boys," Isias said, "you know what to do. If you get anything good, bring it back to me." With a quick kiss, her took the boys deep into the bustle, their little fingers eager to dip into the pockets of the unsuspecting Ivlisar. Nina and Mirisa made their way into the center of the square to sell the Dawn's Roses, who were frozen in their blooming states. When they found the perfect spot Nina dropped down and handed the basket over to Mirisa, "Alright beautiful, you know what to do," and smiled, pinching her cheeks with her fingers and taking a seat next a fountain to watch.

"Oh, how pretty," an elder Ivlisar said, crouching down to Mirisa and touching the white flower with her fingertips. She handed over a coin and Mirisa removed a rose from the basket, handing it over. She smiled softly and returned to Nina's side. The trap was set.

Dawn's Roses are a key ingredient in an elixir only used by wealthy Ivlisar to maintain their beauty and youth. In addition, they are very easily spotted in a crowd. Nina retrieved the coin from Mirisa and handed her another rose, then peered through the crowd to catch Isias' eye and gave him a quick nod. After the first rose sold more and more of the wealthy came to purchase them from little Mirisa, who silently smiled and took their coin. Nina kept back, instinctually touching her ears through her cloak, ensuring that their tips were always covered and watched as the boys made their way underfoot, targeting those who carried the white flowers. They weaved through legs and stealthily dipped their little hands into pockets and baskets taking anything they could get their hands on and disappear back into the crowd. Isias walked about, his short sword hidden beneath his cloak, to ensure that the children stayed safe. When their own little pockets were full they would run back to him and empty their haul into his satchel. The boys loved their game and had become very good. Tarek and Doyle were still quite new to the group but had picked up the skill quickly. Now that he was older and could no longer move as undetected, Hamza used his charm to distract young women and his physical prowess to strike up a conversation with the men, creating perfect little diversions for his brothers. As usual this went on for hours, the more roses sold, the more pockets were picked, the heavier the satchel grew.

Then the ground began to shake. Nina's ear perked to the south as she locked eyes with Isias. They knew the sound all too well. The Drougue were coming. Fear grew in the town square as the Wight and Forrest Ivlisar began to pack up whatever they could and ran, leaving behind carts and livestock. What was a peaceful market day was drenched in panic, "Mirisa, let's go," Nina shouted taking her quickly by the hand and rushing to Isias' side. Hamza and Doyle stood with him, but Tarek was nowhere to be seen. With everyone running about in panic he was impossible to spot, "Tarek!" they shouted. The shaking of the earth intensified as hundreds of Drougue approached, breaking through the forest line.
Isias removed his satchel and shoved it into Nina's arms, "Go," he shouted, "Take the children and go, I will find Tarek, I'll be right behind you" Doyle sobbed, "Where are you, brother?" The army moved quickly toward them and Nina herded the children away and toward the sanctuary. She stopped at the edge of town, "Hamza," she said sternly, looping the satchel over his head and pushing Mirisa's hand into his, "Take Doyle and Mirisa back, I'm going help Isias find Tarek." He took both firmly by the hand as they pulled away from him, Mirisa reaching out to her and crying, Doyle sobbing harder than before, "Nina, don't go," he cried. She crouched down and looked them sternly in the eye, "I need you to be brave, listen to Hamza, follow the path. When you get there barricade the door and extinguish the fire. You need to hide. I will come back with Tarek, I promise." She pulled a dagger from her waist and turned to run back into town as Hamza dragged them back through the forest.

"Tarek," she shouted, weaving through the panic as the Drougue began flooding the streets, snatching up Wight men and boys and tossing them into a large cage, "Tarek!" Isias spotted her and a look of horror overcame him, "I told you to go with the children," he snapped. Drougue surrounded them, "I'm a woman, they won't take me. GO! I will find him." Isias looked her in the eyes, "No, I won't leave you." Before she could respond they heard him, "Nina, Isias! Help," little Tarek shouted as he was lifted by his hair by an ugly drougue with a curved blade. They watched as he was flung into a cage filled with men, their hands shaking the bars as they cried out to their wives and children.
"No," Nina gasped, lurching toward him. Isias grabbed her wrist, his skin searing as her blood boiled. He winced, "Nina we will save him. You go around, I'll distract him." He ran toward the drogue and lifted his blade high, the monster laughed blocking the blow with his own, kicking Isias back. Nina ran as fast as she could, around the tavern to sneak up behind the cage. Tarek met her in the corner, "Nina, I'm so sorry," he stammered, tears running down his cheeks. "Shhh," she hushed him, "I'm going to get you out of here," she said, using her blade to saw away at the ropes binding the side of the cage. It took so long to get through, seconds felt like hours as she watched Isias fight with the guard. He was strong, but the drougue are massive creatures who move rock and live in the mines, he was no match. She sawed and sawed at the ropes, the men trapped inside helping push the panel. The ropes snapped and the wall fell, she snatched Tarek and looked up to Isias. He smiled when he saw that she was successful but let his guard down, then with a final blow, the drougue pushed his blade into Isias' chest. His smile was replaced with shock as blood poured from his lips, Nina screamed and dropped to her knees, clutching Tarek in her arms. The men in the cage poured out and pulled at her shoulders, "Thank you, but they're coming, you need to run. Now!" The drougue noticed the cage began to fall apart and started to swarm around them. Nina stood with tears rolling down her cheeks, clutching Tarek to her chest to block his view and ran without looking back to see Isias fall lifelessly to the ground. She ducked a blade swinging for her head and spun around its wielder. Her feet pounded the ground as she ran, the distance between her and the army growing larger and larger until she broke through the tree line. Tarek cried in her arms, "Nina, stop please, you're hurting me," he wailed. For a moment she stopped, setting his feet down and looking him over, a large blister formed on his face where he was pressed against her, "I'm so sorry Tarek," she cried, calming herself down, "but we need to run, can you do that?" He nodded, the salty tears stinging him wound, "I'll put something on it when we get back, but we need to go now." She took his hand and they ran together, through the forest and back to the sanctuary.