The jungle continues to wear on our numbers and strength, and our morale isn’t much to write home about either. While the faction against Don Kelprys is the vast majority, the Don is quick to remind everyone that he is the one paying. All of the guards and the Tabaxi trackers have all received payment in advance, and the Don even promised to pay for the University to hold a funeral to Pieros. This kept most people in check, but it was obvious that it was just a question of when the desperation and the situation, would turn against the Don.
Meanwhile my effort into making anti-venom have proved fruitful in terms of keeping almost anyone friendly with me. I’m no healer, but one of the guards came up to me the other day, on his own accord, to show me a scar on his wrist, that he got while scavenging for herbs and food. While nothing in the scar tissue indicated infections or poisons, I cleaned it with sterile water and a piece of cloth. I then applied a salve on and around the scar, and told the guard to avoid covering the scar until it had healed. The young man offered me a bottle of De Cabaniro wine, that he and another of the guards had smuggled along. Captain Merra had been strict against alcoholic beverages, even before we began losing people, but a real De Cabaniro wine would cost a fortune under normal circumstances. I told him to come again around midnight, under the excuse of letting me see how the scar was healing.
The two guards opened the bottle as quiet as a mouse, originally, they had intended for me to get the entire bottle for myself. But when I offered that we’d share it, for the sake of friendship, it didn’t take them long to comply. The crimson liquid that flowed into my cup had an enticing and enchanting scent. I took a gentle sip, and the rich savoury flavour poured into my mouth, embracing my throat on it’s way down. Despite the jungle’s humid and hot climate, the warmth that I felt inside from that bottle, was incredible.
The next day, Don Kelprys got a reason to keep the expedition going; while scavenging for food, Captain Merra came across a small stone totem, it looked like a snake, but with four heads. Each head had three gemstones lodged as “eyes”. On Don Kelprys demand, the totem was carefully examined and studied, as much as we scholars could gather, this was a real artifact, perhaps from one of the ancient Dragonborn cities, that was said to dwell in the depth of this jungle. A guard, the friend of the one I had applied salve to, asked if he should dislodge the gemstones with his dagger. Don Kelprys slapped the guard with the back of his hand. “You fool, items like these are the most valuable, if they remain intact.”
Now and then we came across remains of other expeditions, mostly skeletal remains, halfway covered by the wild undergrowth. It made me wonder on how many failed expeditions the jungle was hiding. It was impossible, apart from a single skull, probably Human, to tell how most of the skeletons perished. The skull in question had a very large fracture on the top, suggesting a blunt instrument was used with considerable force. Here and there, rusted and broken equipment could be found among the vines. If there was an ancient civilization here, their roads and paths had long since been swallowed by the growth of the forest.
Qa'Rajh Creations 