PREVIOUSLY ON NORTHERN MARKETS:
Just before the Justice Arrow’s Heaven’s Wrath squad blew up the Kerning City Police’s headquarters building,
the young cop, Rusty Miller, along with street magician Meeko Starla and her dead friend’s baby, escaped the Justice Arrow’s wrath and fled into the night. After joining up with other rogue cops including Miller’s friend Chuck, they escaped Kerning City in a stolen van.
During a rest break in Perion, Meeko was almost captured by the JA but was saved by Perion’s brave locals. On their way out of town, the crew was stopped by the local warrior guards and handed a top-secret package to give to the Ellinia Mage Union. Taking the package, the group speeds away in their van; destination: Ellinia…..

NORTHERN MARKETS
Episode 76: Icy Welcome

Eluneday, Winter 25
(Monday, Jan. 14)
8:32 AM
The highway was an endless suspended bridge built out of carved logs, hung by vines from branches of the enormous trees above. The bridge was hung 20-100 feet above the dense rainforest, and stretched for 160 miles.
The road was built like a suspended bridge for two reasons; to protect the forest from damage, and to protect travellers from the dangerously intense magic radiation below.
In the winter, especially when it was freezing, the road was covered in frost and ice and driving was a dangerous venture. Extreme caution and going slow was the only way to avoid crashing into other vehicles or going off the edge.

It took nearly 4 hours to drive accross this boardwalk highway from MoonGlow River all the way to Ellinia.
Joe wrestled the steering wheel to keep the van from turning and swerving. There was too much snow and crap on the road. Chuck turned the radio dial, but there was nothing but static. The people in the back hardly said anything while some slept.
“Hey Joe, how come this piece of crap isn’t working?!”
“It doesnt have a magic transistor so all the magic radiation around here is blocking the radio signals-“
“I know that, you idiot! What I meant was why the hell didn’t you put a magic transistor on it!”
“It’s not mine…” Joe muttered.
“Idiot! You shoulda bought one back at Perion!”
“I have no more money! The credit card’s maxed, thanks to you!”
“Hey, don’t get mad at us. You’re the 6itch, remember?”
“Screw you, asshole! At least at my job people weren’t trying to kill us- hey, check it out, a checkpoint!”

Up ahead where the bridge was connected to a giant tree, a group of powerful Archmages established a checkpoint.
Five of them stood on the road, their staffs up and ready. Three of them held their staffs high, implying the van should pull over. The Arch mages were all clad in dark Varuna robes, black Oriental Fury caps, and their staffs looked all mysterious and frightening.
Joe pulled over and stopped. He rolled down the window, and nearly choked on the cold morning air. “Um…Hi?” he said nervously.
“Where are you coming from?” asked the Arch Mage wearing the BossHunter face guard.
“Uhh we’re coming from Kerning~no wait I mean…I mean Perion.”
“How many are in your vehicle?” the mage demanded.
Joe turned around and counted the people in the back. “There’s eight of us here.”
The guy wearing the Bosshunter cap peered in but it was too dark. The other arch mages surrounding the van had their staffs up and ready.
“Give me your Maple name tag, now!” the man demanded in his harsh deep voice.
Joe reluctantly took off his name tag and handed it over.
“You too!” the red haired fire poison mage snapped, pointing at Chuck.
There was a few tense moments of silence. Given how much the JA hates Ellinia they would try anything to have a spy sent in or a bomb smuggled in or something, Ellinia’s all powerful mages set up checkpoints on Victoria Road on both sides of the city. They had orders to destroy any percieved threat/ Needless to say, deadly force IS authorized.
Joe felt sweat dripping down the back of his head. He already messed up-
“Oh, by the way officer, this guy knows some people who rape magicians for a living and he has a stash of noob porn in the back!” Chucked joked.
“You asshole what the hell?!”
The mages got pissed yanked open both the driver and passenger doors, grapped both guys and pulled them.
“Stay down, keep your hands on your head!”
The side door was opened. “Everyone out!” the bishop demanded. “This is a full inspection!”
In minutes, all of the van’s occupents were outside lined up against the van. Rusty and Meeka shivered in the cold.
The other woman held the baby tightly.
“So you’re a city cop eh?” the mage asked Miller. “Former cop, sir. I deserted-“
“That’s enough! Turn around, hands on your head!”
Miller did as he was told, and the mage bound his wrists together with cuffs made from ice!
A priest was onsite examinung Meeko. She was pale white, her eyes were bloodshot, and her skin started cracking and bleeding.
“She’s deprived of mana.”
Soon, everyone was back in the van but this time the arch mages were driving. Chuck, Miller, Joe and the other guys who were cops were all tied up and wrapped in ice. No one said anything as the arch mages drove into Ellinia. Nobody was sure what was going to happen to them now
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
om.g im not feeling good today. got a bad cold and my brains are fried -.-
sorry its so short