The Old Crew pt. 1

Trenian’s Burgh, Kru’ll. South of the eastern Mizarian border

5 years prior to leaving for Arcadia

Tarmen stalked through his favorite hunting ground, an area of the jungle that had just enough light to encourage big game to pass through occasionally. He had learned most of the beast paths through here, but today was special in that he had finally found recent signs of a more elusive creature. He had seen tracks for a month or two now, but nothing fresh and not even a shadow of the actual creature.
Having earlier looked at the prints pressed into the damp soil, he wasn’t surprised why. The wild boars of Kru’ll were a cunning breed, which made their meat an uncommon delicacy. Hence why Tarmen had spent much of his day now hidden in one spot, waiting for it. Many of the usual passerby left unscathed as a result, him not wanting to ruin such a rare opportunity.

He couldn’t see the position of the sun through the small clearing above him, but the heat and humidity told him it was sometime after midday, though not late enough for the light to dim. Still nothing and worse yet he could swear he heard thunder in the distance.
Hours had gone by with nothing but the usual jungle birds, and small game. Not even a pile of shit to mark the pigs passage and Tarmen felt he was going mad with all of the waiting. He figured he could wait till dark, but there were better things to be doing. He could still find a good job to take the crew on, maybe just find someone’s arm to twist to get some drinking money before sundown, but still something to salvage the day.
Calling it all the same he rounded up the supplies he had brought, only to stop at hearing a distant squeal. Just as his legs moved to hunt it down however, he felt frozen in place. His legs refused any command, same with his arms, and most unnervingly his mouth as well. The world suddenly seemed to crash in on itself, bringing Tarmen jerking awake in his little private quarters with a savage right hook in the air.

A strong handed rapping told him everything he needed to know. Another dream, same as the others he had been having. Lowering his fist and looking around to ground himself, he was comforted to see the same rotting logs that had covered his head for several years now. He also made sure his chest was behind him and that it contained the small fortune he had accrued. Everything in their place, the small room around him returned to being his sanctuary.
Slumping back into the furred seat he had been so comfortably slumbering in, he noticed that the small amount of wind from his sudden revival had sent a few papers fluttering to the floor.
Scooping them up, they reminded him of what he had been thinking of as a low voice called from the other side of his locked door.

“Boss, yu’in?”

“Still alive, Traps.”

The graveled grunt of his second let him know it wasn’t urgent, just a check up. A habit of his that had warrant around here. No lock would stop a truly dedicated dagger afterall. He knew that all too well.
Tarmen sighed as he continued negotiating with himself about his decision to leave his gang.
Not that he hated the people he had employed, nor the adventures they had been on over the years. He had just become… bored with it. So much of his life now was either the same dungeon crawls and brawls or the more menial tasks of running a crew. He couldn’t just do as he pleased anymore, at least not all the time, instead having to make sure he had leads, keeping the peace at times, having to decide who got paid what and when.
It had done him well, the thick wood box filled to the brim with coins attested to that, but it was a monotonous life now. More predictable.

He had also begun having the same dream over the last month, which he took as a sign that Zin herself was invested in this choice he had.

His gut told him to embrace the decision. To chase the boar and reap the rewards of living free again.
He also saw it as a warning to stay. In his dream the boar always cried out. What had made it so panicked, a worse predator than him or maybe just some disaster that would pull him in as well? Both had boons and losses, which didn’t make it any easier.

Either way, he stuffed those thoughts down and went to the door. Opening it, he found Traps waiting.

“How long you been standin’ here Traps?”

“Been banging for a minute, ca’ing for just as long. Another dream?”

Tarmen nodded to confirm. He hadn’t told anyone about his doubts, only mentioning bad dreams to Traps, but still wasn’t sure how they would take such news.
He didn't think it would go well.