Almost two centuries have passed since the mysterious tragedy of the Poseidon's Fury left its entire crew slaughtered without a trace of the assailant. Only a single shred of evidence remains - a cursed scroll clutched in the captain's severed hand...
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With the task done, Themistonoe turned her attention to the rune stones, which were surprisingly beautiful in their natural state. "Let's take these blue stones to the village blacksmith," she said, sounding cautious.
She paused, thinking about the blacksmith's safety. "To keep the blacksmith safe, we should also make a gemstone necklace for him," she said, looking at Dex. "Do you have another piece of leather string in your bag?"
Dex nodded and pulled out a piece of leather string as asked. Themistonoe turned to Chrysomallo. "Mallo, can you please look away from the stones for a moment?" she asked, and Chrysomallo did as she was told. Themistonoe took off her own protective necklace and picked a few gemstones to add to the new string.
"By including these gemstones, the necklace should provide enough protection while the blacksmith works," Themistonoe said, securing the makeshift necklace. Then, she turned to the others and put her own necklace back on.
"With these precautions, I think it's safe to destroy the stones without putting the blacksmith at risk. Once the cursed parts are gone, we'll make sure there's no trace left to harm others in the future," she said, seeking agreement from the group before collecting the ominous stones.
Taking a moment to collect herself, Themistonoe spoke calmly. "Now, to finish our quest as quickly as we can, we need to go to the village blacksmith without any delay."
The group stood up and gathered their things in silence. Mnesarete carefully put the rune stones in her bag while Chrysomallo lit the torches again.
Themistonoe led the way as they slowly left the ruins. Their footsteps echoed through the long, quiet passages as they made their way through the crumbling ruins.
Finally coming out into the open valley, they squinted in the pale moonlight that suddenly seemed harsh after the flickering torchlight. The quiet forest and sloping hillsides seemed eerie under the cold gaze of the stars.
A chilly wind rustled their cloaks as they descended the fading path. They caught glimpses of dark shapes among the bushes, unsure if they were tree trunks or something more sinister.
Without needing to say anything, they walked closer together, finding strength in each other's presence. Ahead, lights from the village shimmered like a sign of safety on the dark horizon.
Their footsteps stirred up silver dust as they walked along the old road, the only sound breaking the silence of the wilderness. Their eyes stayed fixed ahead, hoping that the village blacksmith could finally put an end to the nightmares that haunted them.
As the friends walked through the quiet streets, a feeling of unease settled over the village. People watched them from behind closed curtains, tracking their movements with suspicion.
When they reached the village square, they found a few locals still hanging around despite the late hour. Themistonoe politely approached an old woman and asked where the blacksmith's cottage was at this time of night.
