Chapter One: Back in Town.

The sweet smell of pine assaults you as you come over the last bridge. Rich's Falls is off to the left, the trail along the mountain-side having nearly taken you right underneath it not too long ago. Williams' folly spreads out before you, the peaks on either side of the canyon stark against the evening sky. This far out into the wilderness, you can't even see the signal fires of the Ottoman Empire; it's almost as if you've truly gone beyond the reach of anyone at all.

The autumn air is sticky, and is getting more humid as you descend into the valley, tromping along a well kept path; It's hardly the most direct route, and it's almost evening by the time you get down into the town proper.

As you get closer, you think you hear shouts in the distance. A new smell fills your nose, and just out of sight, an orange glow beats back the night.

A young woman, runs past you, red hair and burgundy skirts flying, a bucket of water soaking her bodice as she runs, panicked, towards the noise. She double takes and nearly tumbles head over heals in the dirt she realizes that you're strangers, then simply yells "Please Help Us, the Inn is on fire!" Without waiting for a response, she's gotten her balance back and is off again.

It had been so long since he had been home. He desperately wanted to know what had happened in the years he was training, and he finally had the opportunity to do so. Megara's travels up until now had been primarily a learning exercise, and it was a nice aside to simply visit for once.

As he traveled the worn road he remembered so well, the young woman he came across startled him slightly. Maybe not her presence so much as her yelling for assistance. That was all he needed to hear; without second thought, he charges towards the village to see what could be done.

@Megara:
Following the young woman, Megara rounds the corner to burst onto a busy scene. There are probably a hundred people there currently, and more gathering every moment. A quiet ring of helplessness surround a flurry of activity, as a few people are dragging the wounded to a safer distance, gathering buckets of water, or manning the nearby structures, keeping the flames from spreading.

Among the confusion of people trying to organise one another, you hear people shouting
"are there any left?!"
"I don't know, I didn't see the gypsy woman leave!"
"Did anyone see where she went!"
"Oh god Alica! HAS ANYONE SEEN MY DAUGHTER?!"

The young woman you followed in is trying to badger people into working together in a bucket brigade from the nearby river. She deftly moves among them, delegating quickly to the apparent leaders, and the brigade is soon passing buckets to runners to spread out among the posts. However, it's obvious from the start that the best they'll be able to do is keep the fire from spreading.

This was not the kind of scene Megara wanted to see when he returned, but that was a fleeting thought. Something needed to be done. With the bucket brigade going, he had some time to deal with the more pressing matter of people who might not have escaped. Reckless heroics. Truly my bane.

Dropping his gear, he rushes over to the building while chanting two familiar spell. He grabs a bucket from one of the men, splashes it on himself, and heads for the door of the fiery inn, dodging as many flames as he can.

An old man in rags sprung and swung from tree to tree towards the hot glow. He was heading towards it before, but after noticing a small girl running with a large man towards it as well, he got the feeling he should put in more haste as well.

When he arrived it looked like everyone had the fire under control at least, and he was about to ask for a bucket to help out with when he saw the large man strip off his armor and dash into the flames. He jumped happily and clapped at the sight from his perch, "Haha! No tarry!"

Slinging himself down from the branches he rushes past the bustles people and into the flaming building. He searches both to find a path through and to find any creatures inside.

Running into the building, it's as though you've been pulled into a different world. Heat blasts your faces, and you have to stop every few moments to put out your clothes when they burn. Everywhere, furniture and broken beams have crashed down from the floor above: for better for for worse, there isn't much left to search.

@megara
Spells weaving a magical barrier from the searing heat, you plunge into the room. You can't see much, but there seems to be a staircase leading upstairs, and a doorway wreathed in flames leads behind the bar, probably to a kitchen or similar. There were clearly more exits from this room at one point, but now, there is only fire. You Listen as best you can over the din, but don't hear anything but the flames.

@Dalt
You run into the building, dodging deftly around a large portly man trying to stop you. Hard to hear him over the laughter, but he may have been calling you a crazy old coot...
Inside, the fire is worse that you had imagined. quickly looking around, you spot what you think are the sturdiest looking beams, and take care to walk under them. Looking quickly around, it's plain that the fire has destroyed any chance of tracking people through here. You can see two ways out of the room. One up, and one towards the back.
You pause for a moment, reflecting on the possibility of fire as a life form, then decide that because it isn't born, nor does it feed the rest of the life cycle... the thought trails off as you peer around the burning room.

Covering his face from the smoke, Megara quickly glances around in hopes of finding some evidence of anyone's presence, or the lack thereof. Making his way as safely as he could through the inferno, he tries his hand at the stairs up, bracing himself against what he can to avoid making the burning wood collapse under his immense weight.

Catching sight of the large man from before rushing to head up the burning stairs, Dalt smiled with glee at the man's courage. With respect to the man's bravery, he allows him to forge ahead by himself, and instead the old man jumps through the flaming door leading to the back.

@ megara: You charge up the creaking stairs, hoping that they hold and trying to keep to the less burned parts. As you ascend, you hear a particularly loud snap and crack, and the bottom third of the staircase gives way. You manage to catch yourself and climb up the rest of the was, but you suffer from some minor burns as you are forced to grab onto a flaming piece of wood or two.

As you get to the top of the stairs, you spot movement in the first room, different from the tumble and crash of beams and thatching. Taking a step or two closer, you see the panicked face of an elderly halfling woman, pointing at something. Finally the warning you had missed before reaches your ears
"Behind you!"
ooc

@Dalt
never being one for moving with the pack, you head towards the kitchen, wondering as you go why you're not thirsty... or on fire. You put the question aside, and casually leap over the wooden bar, and through the stone door.

The voice, high pitched with fear, comes from somewhere in the room, but you can't tell from where - it's message is clear enough though "Watch out!" You turn in time to see a patch of fire detaches itself from the wall and jump out at you. Leaping back, you manage to avoid it, though the stone counter behind you jams painfully up against your back. Your adversary screams in a challenge, and when it does there's something about it's face... but there's no time; you ready yourself
ooc

-AFTER THE FIRE-

The fire burn out over the course of a few hours. The two of you watch tensely for any sign that the elementals trying to escape, or keep the blaze going, but it would seem that they died out with the last of the fire.

As the last few townfolk stand around the still smouldering remains of the only inn in town, the young woman who first met you in the street approaches. Now that you've gotten a better look at her, you suspect that under the grime and soot, she's quite a beauty. Short blonde hair is tied down with a ruined handkerchief, and under a soaking wet dress and a layer of grime the hardy tan of a farm girl shows through

"Thank you both so much for your help! My name is Lily..." having calmed down, she turns to survery the damage; nothing is left of the building, though only one other was damaged much in the fire. The innkeeper and his family were long before taken away from the scene to the headling lodge to be treated for burns. She turns in a slow circle, then back to you.

"Are either of you injured? I'm afraid we've run out of the magical variety, and we only use it in emergencies in any case, but the healer on the edge of the river is competant in her craft, and she makes a good polyuice for keeping the rot away. If your just tired, I'm afraid there's no inn in town anymore, but if you go downriver a bit, closer to the Byrdan farm, you'll find the caravan of the Varisians. You saved their Auntie I'm sure they'd put you up for a bit. or you could check at the farms, they always need an extra hand in the fall. Or... "suddenly she turns to you "omygosh! I haven't even gotten your names!"