Chapter 1: Southsea

Plot
The heroins arrive at the port, Sodoku finds himself caught in a rival situation, Ea learns seducing isn’t always that helpful.

Summary
The start of the story begins with four heroins traveling from a distant land on a ship, and are about to hit shore. Ea, a smart woman with quick seducing methods, is traveling alone, sleeping, along with Sodoku Jojo (an elf with a questionable past), Showqu, a man with a horrid backstory and uneasy pleasures, and Jaeden Autumsnow (a man from a far away land who is hiding his elephant pet Popper).

The captain quickly wakens the four and the rest of the passengers, telling them to get off the boat. Jaeden, before anyone can see him, hides little Popper under his fur coat. During the departure, Jaeden starts to get uneasy feeling from the elf Soduko, and throws a piece of paper at him. Soduko does not read the contents of the paper.

After getting off the boat, Soduko and Ea ask the sailor if there are any places they can stop by, and he tells them there’s an inn just north of the docks (the Southsea Inn). After departing off of the deck, Jaeden takes little Popper out of hiding, letting him walk around freely beside him. Soduko is unease’s by the elephant on two feet. Afterwards, the four heroins decide to head to the inn. After a short and brief walk, Jaeden, Ea, and Soduko make it to the Southsea Inn, a small building suitable for travelers. They walk in and are greeted by the Inn Keeper (Southsea Inn Keeper). Each of the heroins pay five bronze for separate rooms and go on their way.

Before Ea goes up to her room like the others, she asks the inn keeper for some mead, using her seducing methods. He gives her some, and they chat before she goes to her bed. When the three wake up from their long and restful nights, they get ready to travel to a nearby village, a two days walk by foot. They grab their weapons and get ready to leave, but Jaeden feels he should stay behind and support Popper. However, the inn keeper declines, saying he must go home at once because his wife thinks he is cheating on her due to the fact he’s dedicated to his little inn. Soduko decides to try and pickpocket the inn keeper (stealing wine) when he is not looking, and succeeds. However, there is another thief sitting in the far background that notices him, but brushes it off and goes on with his day. Jaeden also notices and keeps it to himself, adding on his hate to Soduko. The four continue walking and then come across a wagon, and the man offers to give them a ride for ten silver each. Hesitated, they all nearly pay, but it’s only a two days walk, so quickly decline. The man riding the wagon is furious. Continuing on, Sudoku finds something hiding in the grass under a tree. To a close eye, he sees it. A beautiful ring (The Mystic Ring) with the most beautiful diamond in the middle. Sudoku wants to pick it up, but hesitates, and leaves it. When he groups back up with the other two, he tells them about the pretty ring. Jaeden gives him a look for not picking it up, and goes over to the tree to do so. Unknowingly, Jaeden picks it up and regrets it, as he feels sick and starts to feel dizzy. He drops it and refuses to do so ever again. However, Ea feels it’s a good idea to do so, as Jaeden points out it might have some value in it, or someone might be looking for it. Ea picks it up, feels dazed, and places it in her pouch for later reference. They continue on for a little longer, when ten goblins come out from nowhere and surround the three. Three of the goblins are archers, and the others hold swords and axes. Soduko was able to sneak away in a bush, leaving Jaeden and Ea behind. Jaeden draws his bow and arrow to one of the goblins and aims. Unfortunately, it hits one of their arms and fails to kill or injure him. Ea, being the clever woman she is, decides to seduce the leader, and fails, and he strikes her with his sword, leaving her to fall on conscious. Soduko quickly comes in from behind one of the archers and stabs his dagger in the back of its brains. Jaeden quickly raises his bow and arrow and kills one directly through its head. Also, Showqu attacks another and kills it. The goblins are now afraid and scared, as near most of their group has been taken down. Soduko quickly kills another wi5 his dagger, and it slides though his head. Some of the goblins are now running off, as they are scared that they’ll be next. However, there is a weird looking goblin both Soduko and Showqu try to take down, but it is strange, as it’s head is too hard to hit arrows or swords with. Jaeden then aims for its neck and misses, as it flies pass it and onto a tree. The strong goblin/leader decides to flee, running deep into the woods. Jaeden and Showqu have some information on what the creature is.

After they have ran off, Soduko searches the left over bodies and finds a bow and some arrows, giving five to Jaeden. Meanwhile, Jaeden revives Ea and she is still badly hurt. The village they are trying to get to is too far, and Ea needs medical attention, so Showqu suggests that they go back to 5e inn for the night until she heals. They arrive at the inn at nightfall, and the four rush in quickly, and the inn keeper notices, but does not bother to help Ea’s injuries. Ea asks for a mead kit, as she needs to recover, but he wants an outrageous amount of money for it. While she is doing this, Soduko quickly goes behind the counter and successfully steals a med kit, but the thief is still in the inn from this morning, and notices him stealing it, but does not do anything once again. Jaeden goes up to the inn keeper and asks for a room, and instead of it being 5 bronze coins, it is now 1 sliver. Jaeden goes right ahead and pays, takes Popper, and goes up to his room. Ea is concerned and asks the inn keeper why he changed the prices of the room and says it’s none of her business, so Ea pretends to cast a curse upon him, but he is use to the fake curses, so she stops as he is not bothered by him.

Everyone soon pays for their rooms and go upstairs to rest, and Soduko passes the mead kit to Ea, and she continues on. However, Soduko does not go upstairs, as he’s curious in the thief, so starts to walk to him. But he hesitates, and turns away to go upstairs.

Appearances

 * First appearance of Sodoku Jojo
 * First appearance of Ea
 * First appearance of Jaeden Autumsnow
 * First appearance of Showqu
 * First appearance of The Thief
 * First appearance of Popper
 * First appearance of Southsea Innkeeper
 * First mention of Cressida Autumsnow
 * First mention of Southsea Innkeeper’s Wife
 * First appearance of the Southsea Inn

Notes/Trivia

 * In this chapter, it is briefly learned that Sodoku as some type of mysterious past.
 * Jaeden briefly mentions his mother back at home, and his other pets.
 * Ea’s seducing method is a trait she lives by, and helps her get around.
 * This is the first time Ea is on conscious for trying out her seducing method.
 * This chapter marks the first kill(s) for Jaeden Autumsnow, Sodoku, and Showqu.
 * It is mentioned that Popper is disabled, as the elephant cannot walk on all fours, but can only walk on two.
 * This is the first major incident with The Mystic Ring.