The forest's whispers faded into silence as Nug and Daku approached the wreckage of a traveling caravan. The twisted remains of carts and broken wagons were scattered among the ash and blood. Bodies lay sprawled on the dirt, men and orcs alike, torn and broken. He beheld the grim tableau of chaos. Nug's senses sharpened, studying the scene, searching for survivors.
Daku's face twisted in horror as he stared at the bodies. His eyes widened, and he took a step back, then froze. Without hesitation, he pointed a trembling finger at one figure, half-buried beneath rubble: a heavy-set human merchant, trembling with terror. Daku's voice broke as he whispered, "That's… that's the one I saw." He immediately paused, "Where is my uncle?"
Nug crouched, checking for signs of life, but the merchant suddenly lunged at Nug with frantic desperation. The man's eyes flickered with raw fear, and he attacked with a shaky dagger. Nug sidestepped deftly and disarmed him, pinning him to the ground.
Nug Disarms Merchant
"Who are you?" Nug demanded, voice steady but cautious. The merchant's trembling eyes locked onto him, filled with terror and despair. "Please, I don't want to die," he begged. "There was an orc, an injured one. They called him Gabbas. My brother-in-law, my family….. We're just traders. We didn't want this....Any of it."
Nug's gaze sharpened as he examined the wreckage. His eyes fell on a bloodied figure nearby, an orc, badly wounded, clutching an arrow wound. The moment Daku saw him, he recoiled, eyes wide with shock and terror. Without hesitation, Daku turned and ran, voice trembling, "It's him… It's my uncle."
Nug sprang to the injured orc, examining him carefully. The orc, Gabbas, was bleeding badly, his breathing shallow. Nug could see the poison on the arrowhead, some dark venom that had sapped Gabbas's strength. The wounded orc's eyes fluttered, pleading silently.
The merchant's trembling voice broke through Nug's focus. "If you're going to trust anyone, it should be me." He asserted himself, wiping his dirty yet expensive clothes. "You'd better kill him now. He's a monster. I wouldn't trust him if he begged." His face was twisted in fear and hatred.
Nug hesitated. His heart ached at the sight of Gabbas, knowing he was near death and that the poison was spreading. This was a moment of choice: save the injured orc's life, or fulfill the merchant's demand and end Gabbas's suffering forever.
Which path will you choose?
Before Nug could act, he noticed something glinting on Gabbas, a necklace, oddly intact. Carefully, Nug cut away the remnants of Gabbas's torn clothing to reveal it: a necklace adorned with a simple, carved stone. As Nug held it, he felt a surge of strength, +4 Strength, the necklace's blessing. Gaia's voice whispered in his mind: This is my gift. Use it wisely.
Nug Gains Necklace of Strength
Nug quickly began healing Gabbas, carefully removing the poison from his wound. As he worked, the merchant's fear morphed into anger. "You're wasting time!" the merchant shouted. "If you don't kill him, I will. Trust me, you won't get away with this."
In a flash of rage, Nug grasped the merchant's collar, but then he caught sight of Gaia's voice echoing in the wind: Daku is in trouble. You must save him.
Nug's rage cooled. He chained the trembling man to a fallen post, securing him with vines and ropes. Gabbas's breathing was shallow but steady, yet he was dying. Nug's hands trembled as he finished stitching the wound, realizing that if he didn't act now, the orc's life would slip away.
Gabbas's eyes fluttered open, faint but sincere. "Thank you…" He rasped, voice weak.
The poison's grip was too strong, and Gabbas succumbed, slipping into unconsciousness. Nug's fists clenched in helpless fury, rage simmering beneath his skin. He wanted to kill the merchant, wanted justice for the innocent lives lost. But Gaia's voice, calm and firm, echoed once more: You have passed your test, Ranger. Trust in yourself.
Nug gently placed Gabbas's necklace in his satchel, feeling the weight of the gift. He looked at the chained merchant with cold resolve. "You're lucky Gaia's voice speaks through me today. But next time, you won't be so fortunate."
As Nug turned away, the forest's voice whispered in his mind: Daku needs you. Find him now. Without hesitation, Nug set off, knowing that this same forest, Gaia herself, had shown him what it meant to trust, to sacrifice, and to become more than just a ranger.