LXXIX. Mysterious Disappearances

The party returned up the stairs to the kitchen. Adam and Troy quaffed Healing potions, while Fiora, Graves and Zzyggy related the tale of Battle Calzone to Gendrew.

Suddenly, Andolyn appeared, with a big bag of groceries!

Gendrew rushed to take her in his arms and explained what had happened, including his rescue by the adventurers. "If I had only known," said Andolyn, "I would have put off shopping!"

She turned to the party and thanked them profusely for rescuing Gendrew. "And I’m sorry for the attacks by my little servants," she continued. "Quite alright," said Troy. "No real harm done," added Zzyggy. Adam just grunted his agreement.

"You deserve a reward," Andolyn insisted. She went to the bedroom and returned with a box of potions: bull’s strength, cat’s grace, cure moderate wounds, endure elements (fire), jump, and vision. She also offered to teach Zzyggy a new spell. After a few moments’ thought, he chose arcane lock.

"And I’ll throw in a free feast after the festival, no charge," added Gendrew. The party readily accepted his offer. "As long as it doesn’t fight back!" laughed Fiora.

So the five companions, together with Gendrew and Andolyn, proceeded to Cryllor, where the man and wife got the festival catering going. And after the Festival of Tomatoes and Meat had concluded, and the party had eaten their fill, they rode back to Longspear.

Nothing of interest occurred during the first day of travel.  On the following day, the adventurers were riding through a forested area along the path back to Longspear. Suddenly, Troy held up. "Listen!" he whispered. The others heard nothing.

"Stay here," Troy told the party. He then turned to face the woods in the direction of the sound.

Out of the woods, a mass of fur, feathers ands claws rushed to attack Troy. An owlbear!

The beast slashed Troy and grappled the fighter, pulling him off his horse. But Troy managed to break the grapple, and stepped away from the creature.

Adam, Fiora and Graves all dismounted and advanced on the owlbear. Adam flew into a rage and slashed at the creature. The beast screeched as the barbarian’s sword pierced its vulnerable underbelly. But the owlbear’s claws ripped at Adam in return, severely wounding him. He barely managed to escape the creature’s grapple. Graves’ arrow missed the creature. Zzyggy was more successful with a scorching ray attack. The monster screeched again, now badly wounded.

A blow from Troy’s mace battered the owlbear. Adam did even more damage. The monster was now barely alive. But it retained enough vitality to rip into Adam and then grapple him!

"I’ll get it, Adam!" shouted Graves as he drew his bow. Unfortunately, his shot hit Adam instead!

Again, Zzyggy was more accurate, and his magic missile attack struck the beast. "Good shot, Zzyggy!" cried Troy. The fighter landed a heavy blow with his mace. Fiora added to the assault. The monster bled profusely and staggered, but still maintained its hold on Adam and inflicted more damage. The raging barbarian was visibly weakening.

"Leave this to me," said Zzyggy. The gnome fired another round of magic missiles at the owlbear. The creature let out a final shriek and fell dead to the ground, releasing Adam as it fell.

But Adam fell too, as his rage subsided and the massive injuries inflicted by the owlbear took their toll. Luckily for him, his companions supplied sufficient healing potions to restore the barbarian to vigor enough to mount up again.

In the meantime, Troy skinned the owlbear’s hide. "An owlbear-skin rug will look great in my house," he observed. He took the creature’s claws and beak also.

"Must be a lair around here somewhere," said Graves. He searched the surrounding area with Troy and Fiora, but found nothing. "Probably didn’t have any booty anyway," the disappointed Graves remarked.

And with that, the adventurers resumed their ride to Longspear. On the third day of their journey, they reached the city.

Three days later, at the Gargoyle Tavern, the adventurers were having a few rounds and enjoying the company. Their ears were alert to any interesting news items that might be mentioned by other guests. An hour went by, but they heard nothing. 

"Let’s see what I can find out," said Troy. He got up from the party’s table and began circulating around the common room for a while. Soon he found what he was looking for.

He returned to the rest of the party. "It seems a number of citizens have disappeared over the last week or so," Troy reported.  The missing included a blacksmith’s assistant named Alois; a tavern girl, Senna; a farm hand, Ezzard; the miller’s assistant Garn; and Festus, the town drunk. Two local toughs had also vanished; perhaps not coincidentally, there had been a slight dip in the crime rate.  "And the missing citizens all came from the southern parts of town, or were known to travel south frequently."

"I think a journey south may be in order," said Zzyggy.