Foreboding

I am running. The ash is thick and I can only smell smoke. I am coughing but it doesn't seem to make a difference. In breathe in ash. In and out. Over and over. It is dark and so hot. I can hear my footsteps on the stone beneath me but that doesn't help me figure out where I am. I am afraid. I hear several loud thuds behind me. I am running from something. Or someone? The thuds speed up and someone grabs my hand. It hurts. It hurts so much I stop breathing. My nerves are on fire. I hear a voice in my ear. "Gotcha!"
 
I woke up smelling smoke. After quickly checking my surroundings for fire I don't find anything. I make eye contact with a pair of yellow irises. Neolani looks like she had a bad dream as well. I invite her to breakfast to talk it over. While getting ready I see Sam laying on the floor. I smile a little and see that he has fallen asleep with Boris's axe. How sweet he's that worried about him. I think he was having a bad dream. He kept saying "help" and "get this off of me." Sounds like yet another stressful dream in our party. I'll ask him about it when he joins us at the table. Boris is back. Idiot. Glad he's alive.
 
Neolani found a waffle maker. That was the biggest thing at breakfast. Oh and there was a guy called Caz. Wouldn't tell me his name until he had an ale. I'm used to this kind of person. They frequently gravitate towards the taverns I perform at. Sam was alarmed but I don't think he's really been around people like this before. Talking to Caz, I smelled that smoke again. I should probably be more concerned but Caz's focus was on finding his drinking buddy Keenor York. Weird name but its not my business. Sam decides it is our business. I want to like him but he can also be invasive. His sense of right and wrong is so strong it doesn't allow for the grey. The world is in different layers of grey, not black and white.
 
We overhear a large crowd in front of the bulletin board in the lobby. We approach the board and see three slips are left. One is for killing rats, one silver apiece. Another is requesting a live troll for research. The final one was kittens for sale. The idea of running with a tiny animal army of a horse, dog, and several kittens made me laugh. We decided to go troll hunting. The college of mages is stuck up but who would be surprised by that? Not me. They require an endless series of unnecessary appointments just to get in. We convinced them to let us in.
 
Raymond Keenly is one of those people who looks interesting. You'd expect him to be full of information/stories. He was honestly one of the most boring people I met. He had a smell of lollipops and had no reason for it. However, when I introduced myself to him and offered him a handshake I was concerned. I smelled the smoke again. Am I having a stroke? He just emphasized to not kill the troll and gave us the cage we would need for catching it. Caz thought he saw one in an alleyway but I'm not sure of that. I like drunks, I think they are great fun but their memories can be shit. Sam wants to gather information about trolls.
 
Before even discussing it he takes off. He's not that fast but its entertaining to hear the pitter patter of his feet on the stone. We decided to follow him but took a wrong turn somewhere. I hear strings in the distance. My people! We accidentally arrived at the bards college. I met Middlefink Puddleblast, the leader of the bard college. I feel like we could be really good friends. She taught me Akeen's Big Foot, something I am eager to try out. I would have spent longer with her but our group needed to get the troll. Sam suggested under the bridge. A bit basic but why not?
 
He was right. I saw the eyes peering out underneath the water. Knowing it doesn't like fire, I set a fake blaze around him. He sank into the water and disappeared. Sam went on the bridge and drew it out with gold. Bad idea. He got beat up. Poor guy. I though maybe I could distract it from him while it while the others beat him up. All he would say is "Talking food?" I think he was too distracted to hear me. One broken knee later and the troll was unconscious and in the cage. From underneath the bridge Keenor emerged.
 
He is able to get us access to the mage's college as long as we let him partake in the credit for it. No problem for me, I make up tales all the time. Caz finally seemed to regain a little bit of his memory. Greenhorn is a hotspot for trouble currently. He saw the tall one raising an army of the undead and knows an army of 100,000 orcs are coming here. We need to leave ASAP. Sam wants to warn the prince but surely he already knows. I smell smoke again and decide I need to get to the bottom of this. I have to write a letter to Idris. Hopefully she'll reply soon. I'm not sure we have time for delay.