---

Having been alerted by Theresa, Ben's eyes shot to the crashing noise not far from them. He shook his head.

"Whatever it is, it's not our buisne-"

Almost as soon as he began speaking several men came around the opposing corner dressed in that very standoffish, but rather easily identifiable clothing.

"Find the reptile! He stole a good deal of profit!"

Ben immediately grabbed Theresa and pulled her away, ducking lower than what most probably thought he could bend to and moving into the tavern with a fluidity that a creature his size shouldn't possess... Right into more of them. Fifteen men in similar clothing or so were inside the tavern. Some were groaning from being thrown against a wall and others were up in arms, drawing their weapons at a young man in the center who seemed very much worse for wear.

There was a slick sound of metal against scabbard as Theresa drew her own sword at the sight. Ben made no movements. There was silence in the bar for a hot minute as the armed men turned their heads to address them. Theresa seemed ready to go, quiet and focused. Like she had been when she met him not long ago.

"Oi! That's the one that raised the ruckus earlier! At the shopkeep! Took 'very thing! Made fools of us!"

"Fucker's ruinin' our reputation!"

And just like that, the bar erupted into chaos.

Theresa charged inward, her red hair like wildfire and her voice loud and untamed in a battlecry. She lunched forward, her sword held in two hands being swung upwards in a diagonal cut at one man's torso level. The sword cut true, and nearly cleaved the man's arm from his body. The dying man collapsed on the floor, and Theresa was immediately attacked by another man- this one wielding a butcher's knife. She stepped backwards, just out of the weapon's reach as the bandit swung it forward, and then drove her sword directly forward through the man's chest. She lifted upward, cutting the man further and then pulled backwards. The sword ripped from the bandit's torso, and was replaced by Theresa's foot as she kicked the man's body over. She flicked her wild red hair out of her eyes and snarled at another incoming man, preparing herself for another combative encounter.

Ben on the other hand was moving in a battling style completely different. Unlike seemingly everyone else around him who were very intent on moving out of the way of strikes, Ben accepted them.

The first man ran at him with his sword above his head and swung downward. The blade cutting into Ben's shoulder but lodging in his armored exterior. The man tried to pull free only for Ben to grab him by his arms and effortlessly lift the man off the ground. Ben snarled at the man before tossing the poor fool up against the ceiling. He reared upward and took a deep break inwards, his chest and neck blaring an angry red through his tunic as fire built up in his throat. He turned his face to a particularly large man that Theresa was struggling with and shouted a warning.

"Move!"

Theresa turned to look at Ben, before pushing off of the confused bandit just as Ben's jaws opened and powerful jew of magnesium-fire tore through the air, taking the poor man off of his feet and burning the flesh from his bones. The fire exploded through the man's torso and continued, with the body, into the tavern wall. Ben's jaws shut and he breathed out a plume of smoke.

The man was very much dead, a large portion of his body had been turned to charred flesh, bone, or had been reduced to ash entirely. A large blast mark remained on the wall as evidence, if the smell wasn't enough.

Ben pulled the sword from his shoulder and tossed it to the ground. Theresa moved closer to his side, her sword in a defensive but readied position. Ben stood stock still at his full height, his chest and neck glowing red again and his arms taught. His hands were clenched, but his fingers weren't quite curled into fists.

"Glad you're on my side." Theresa said, angling her head and looking up at Ben, who puffed more smoke out of his nose and looked to the damage she had done.

"...Likewise." he said, genuinely impressed at her combat ability. He was no swordsman, so he couldn't judge Theresa on her ability to slice and dice, but she was a warrior. No doubt about that.

Five men in total had been neutralized or killed between the two of them. Three from Theresa. Two from him. He knew that the boy or anyone else who had been at odds with the bandits had no doubt taken out a few themselves if they hadn't been killed during the scuffle.

Hopefully that's all it would take to send these goons running. He didn't think killing fifteen men would be necessary to get the point across, but he was ready regardless. For himself and for his friend.

It had been a while since he had used that term.

Ben smiled in spite of himself.

Huh. Friend.

---

_{@Mag Lev}

Saaria looked between her companions. It appeared she had the duty of leading them. She stood still for a moment. Inebriation Station? she thought to herself, but quickly dismissed the thought. Gerald said no inebriation. She would have to improvise.
"I know a place!" she exclaimed suddenly. "I will take us there!" She promised, and walked directly south, as far away from her home as possible. She had no idea where she was going, but she lead her companions down a southern path. She would have to improvise along the way.

@SepticGentleman

@Cuccoruler

Brunhilde was shocked to see an all-out brawl in the tavern. Fists were flying, weapons were swinging, and blood was getting all over the fine (probably stolen) carpetry. At the center of the brawl was a large group of men in some kind of uniform - perhaps the local authorities?

She stepped into a corner of the room for a few minutes to observe, as a large reptilian creature pulled a much taller, red-haired woman than herself into the room. One of the uniformed men shouted, "Oi! That's the one that raised the ruckus earlier! At the shopkeep! Took 'very thing! Made fools of us!", and the two new ones started fighting as well. The redhead's sword, coated with the blood of her first victim, slung a stream of blood droplets across the room, some of which landed on Brunhilde's cloak, alongside the previous blood stains from the attack on her ship.

Brunhilde was about to leave the tavern when she saw one of the uniformed men kicking an older gentleman who had apparently gotten in the way - it was clear these were not the authorities, and on top of that, they were all thugs. The air grew thick with murderous intent as she focused her will on combat, and she joined the fray.

Not knowing she was a combatant, the thugs paid little attention to the cloaked bundle of fury flinging herself through the air in their direction. Three of them were standing over another bar patron who had joined the brawl and was quickly cut down.

"An' THAT'S wot ye get fer interferin' in Red Bannah busine-"

A boot hit the side of his head mid-sentence and he went down instantly. The other two reflexively swung their weapons at Brunhilde, who was floating through the air like a feather in a tornado. Both missed. She thrust the palm of one hand towards a wall, and a blast of wind came in through a window, shattering it, and slammed them head first into the wall.

Having had her fill of fighting for the minute, she sat at a nearby table that had not yet been overturned, shoving the now-dead occupant of the seat out of the way. Might as well not waste the food he paid for. Delicious steak and some foul-smelling brew that really didn't seem safe for human consumption. She wolfed down everything on the man's plate as blood, beer mugs, and stools flew through the air in the background, until a gauntleted fist landed a blow on her cheek. She hit the table from the force, and the meal was scattered about the ground. Final straw.

She hated doing this, but this bastard had ruined her (stolen) lunch. The air drained from his lungs and a vacuum formed around his head, and he flailed as he tried to catch his breath. She funneled a massive air current down his throat while he was off guard, and he fell to the ground, clutching his chest and screaming silently. Both lungs had erupted from the sudden spike in air pressure.

She looked around the room and was surprised to see a bar fight, with a massive reptilian and a very tall red-haired woman in its midst. There were scorch marks everywhere. A young woman was on the ground - alive, but unconscious, and a young man with shortish hair was sending people flying with his fists. A red bird was circling the room, diving at the other men. Impressive. Almost picturesque. But the people they were fighting were all in uniform. The authorities, perhaps?

She looked down at the man on the ground and fear filled her mind. She'd killed someone and she didn't even know his name - did he even deserve it? What did the man do to her? It was too dangerous to write in her journal without risking it being destroyed, so she started going over the events she could remember in her head, over and over again, still sitting at her now ruined table. The side of her face hurt like hell. Why was this strange mark on her left hand?

@Mag Lev
@UrbanEvolution

The wind seemed colder than it usually was.
And usually it was freezing.
Lilliandara Morgossa stood at the castle window, staring out at the foggy horizon. Talii was laying at her feet, the crystal city glowing slightly as the sun rose. It was quite a beautiful sight, all the buildings glowing. Old lizards would tell you the source of the light was fairies who blessed certain family's homes. The most intelligent of the snow elves would tell you it was because of a fluorescent chemical suspended within the crystals.
But Lillia was neither race. She turned away from the window, her thin tail dragging along the floor and leaving a small trail of ice. Her teacher Miss Wila was an old Laerosi witch (although she preferred the term 'sage'), and she had told Lillia she had an ingrained aptitude for magics, and that if she wanted, she could go to school for it some day. Her father quickly shut down that idea, and Miss Wila was escorted out of the castle soon after that. Lillia's father would never let his prized daughter leave his sight.
Lillia left her bedroom and wandered through the halls to the Great Hall. Some rooms, like her bedroom, were made of an opaque crystal, so that allowed her minimum privacy at least. But some rooms had simply clear walls, not leaving much to the imagination. Most of the castle was made of the same luminous crystal as the rest of the city, the walls breathing with a cold iridescence. Lillia entered the Great Hall, and all heads turned to her. She immediately smiled at the sight of her family, the Council. Lillia had an honorary membership as the harbinger of peace, and would become a full council member when she came of age. The council consisted of six Laeros and six Kirkos, representing the ancient treaty. Lillia took her seat beside her father as the meeting began. He gave her a stern nod. Her father was King Jarvos of the Kirkos Legion, and he was a heavily built red lizard getting into his older years. His eyes glowed a low orange incandescence, and he breathed deeply as he talked.
"Members of the High Council, Laeros and Kirkos," he began. "My wife has taken ill and the demon of Talii has escaped. The Laeros fear she will attack the city, and the Kirkos fear her escape has unleashed the dark fairies from underneath the city, upsetting the cosmic peace." He explained, referencing the Kirkosi fairy worship. The lizards were brutes, and yet they believed in fairies that blessed or cursed houses. Lillia was a strong holder of this faith, she had a fairy stone that always hung around her neck. She didn't think her sister had released any dark force, though. Her father continued.
"My city is at risk, and this demon has rained down this hell upon us. It will not stop until she is dead." He stated bluntly. Lillia couldn't believe it. He couldn't kill his own daughter. She was the only one like her on the entire Continent.
"We will send a team of beast hunters. The Sept will surely contribute." He said. The Sept was the church of Talii, but they ran an underground beast hunting service. They were practically assassins. Lillia couldn't listen to this any more. She stood, and bones snapped as everyone looked to her.
"How could you say these things!?" She began, addressing her father directly. He gave her a wide eyed look of surprise. "Saaria isn't just some demon! She's like me! She's your daughter, and my sister! Who are we to hold her here!?" She screamed. She has never disobeyed her father before, and had certainly never yelled like this before.
"You are nothing like her." He said flat out, a certain sadness and anger in his eyes. "That demon is no child of mine." He declared. The room went silent.
"Then neither am I." Lillia promised, and turned again, leaving the room quickly, a trail of frost gracing the ground she walked upon.
And the peace was broken once again.

Vent/Anne

Two

Vent was tiring quickly from his combat with two bandits who had rushed him with daggers after they recovered from his first attack. Blood was dripping from his left shoulder after one of them dodged to the side of a punch and slashed across. He could feel the heat from the flames that the lizard man had spewed out of his mouth at the Red Banners and the blood of other bandits splash against him as the girl with red hair and another female in a cloak defeated them. Many of the remaining seven or so bandits were backing off, wary of all those who had joined Vent in the fight. The young man turned his attention towards Barrow who stood behind the bar with his whip readied and his hatchet in hand. A look of sheer anger was pasted onto the man’s face he it almost looked as if the man might explode from it.

”You.. come to my town, disrupt my businesses, kill my men, and now you have nerve to fight back! Oh just how much I’ll love killing you boy! Get over he..” Barrow said before feeling the force of Vent’s magical push and was jolted back against the wall. Vent coughed up some blood but moved quickly and jumped over the bar and landed with a stomp right into Barrow’s stomach. He pulled the pirate up and started to hammer him in the stomach, jaw, and ribs. In what felt like an hour, Vent shattered four of Barrow’s ribs, his jaw, and had caused the man to cough up almost an equal amount of blood he had lost from the cuts Vent had on his body. Barrow had lost consciousness and was eventually tossed aside by the angry Vent who turned towards the remaining bandits.

They ran out of the bar and could be heard making a racket outside as they shouted about Vent’s battle with Barrow and their leader’s defeat. As the exhaustion of going past his limit caught up with him, Vent fell down behind the bar and onto the floor. He felt like the muscles of his body had been through a climb of two thousand feet and he could feel the burning pain in his arm as blood leaked onto the floor. At this point, he would welcome death simply to sleep and not feel the pain anymore but he couldn’t accept such a death. Not until he had brought Callie to her people. Vent rolled onto his stomach and started to crawl out from behind the bar with as much energy as he could muster.

It took a few minutes but Vent reached his goal through the sheer willpower he had in him. Anne lay on the ground with blood covering her left temple. It was obvious that the Red Banners had used pure force to try and take Anne but Vent was unsure how injured she was. ”Hey…wake..up sleepy head. Vent managed to say as he pushed against Anne’s left side. He was too focused on trying to get Anne up that he failed to notice Barrow standing back up. The pirate leader advanced towards Vent, hatchet in hand and primed to land it right in the man’s back.

”Ya should have just joined me boy. How much of a waste you are!” Barrow said as he swung the hatchet down only for it land with the deep thump into the wood of the floor. Anne had managed to wake up just in time to move Vent out of the way of the hatchet and save them both. Barrow stood in the tavern without any of his crew and surrounded by plenty of people will to kill him. He tried to remove the hatchet from the wood only to find it buried too deep for his injured body to even manage to yank out.

”This town… is… done playing your games...ya bastard!” Vent managed to say before coughing up more blood. Anne stood up and held a knife in hand while Vent was propped up against the legs of a table. The wounds he had gotten that day were painfully present in the back of his mind but the look on his face betrayed only derision towards Barrow. It was obvious that the situation had turned for the better when the three strangers appeared and Vent was thankful for their help. ”Let’s… make a deal. You… pay for.. the damages and… you get to live. If not… you die and… the money will be taken… to help everyone in this town.” Vent managed to say as Anne pressed her knife against the man’s neck. Even if Barrow resisted Anne, he would be killed by others if he tried anything. At least, that was what Vent was hoping.

”Fuck off!” Barrow managed to say before it turned into a gurgle and blood spilled from his cut throat. Vent lay inches from the man’s body as the blood pooled and leaked through the gaps between the wood. The last breath of consciousness was uttered by Vent in this moment has he slipped into a sleep caused by his exhaustion. Anne approached him and sat by him as Callie landed on the table above. She was deeply grateful for the man who had only known her an hour at most but had saved her life and the lives of others in Rockvale that day.

”Thank you. All of you for helping him. I’m sure he would have told you the same thing I say now. He couldn’t have done it without you.” Anne said as tears streaked down her face. She quickly ran up the stairs and put the blanket Vent had readied for her over him before she went to look through Barrow’s pockets. Inside one of them was orange jewel which she threw to the barkeep and inside the other was his coin pouch. Anne untied the strings and poured out the coins ranging from coppers to gold onto the table. ”Please, take only what you feel you deserve. Vent… he would have given you it all without taking any for himself.” Anne said as she sat back down with Vent. She placed his head on her lap and sat there, waiting until Vent would wke up.

Brunhilde

Brunhilde collected her wits after watching the younger ones' chat with the apparent leader of the thugs, and stood up. She worked out from the grisly scene that she'd been involved in some sort of fight. Nobody else was doing anything useful just yet, so she opened the tavern's back door. "I second that notion. I'll be back shortly," she said, and dragged the unimportant Red Banners' corpses out of the tavern.

A couple minutes later, she returned, dragging one of the Red Banners' jackets as a makeshift bag. It was filled with their weapons, valuables, and undamaged clothes, all bundled up and folded neatly. She took whatever daggers and knives she could find for herself, stuffing them into her travel pack, and left the rest of the loot on the floor for all takers. Out the broken window, one could see the bodies had disappeared - presumably into the ocean.

She sat down again and motioned for the tavern owner to come over, and readied her journal and pen. "Could you please tell me, in detail, exactly what happened here?"

---

"Thanks." Theresa replied, "We won't take much. We've got plenty of-" She turned her head towards Ben, who was attempting to stealthily swipe the coins off the table all for himself.

"Ben!"

"What? We could need it!"

"Ben."

He groaned, a bit of smoke escaping his nostrils. And he proceeded to collect a much more reasonable portion of the money. Theresa turned towards Anne and said, "Glad we could help. Take care of yourselves." She made a gesture towards Ben, and they both left the tavern.

...

They were outside of Rockvale now, away from the aftermath of the ruckus. Ben was still hauling his bag of supplies, seeming enough to last them a fair amount of time, until they found another settlement.

That reminded Theresa of things. And she spoke up.

"Ben..." She said. The saurian turned his head and replied, brow raised, "Yes?"

"We only just met but, already we're getting into bar fights like we've been at it together for years. It's really just starting to... to hit me how sudden this all is." She looked up at him, her own brow raised as well, and asked, "You feel the same?"

"When I was first taken from my home, I was struck with the same feeling." Ben replied, "Of course I feel the same."

"It's like this constant rush that tells you how to handle situations like this... it feels so weird to actually acknowledge it now of all times..."

There was a brief pause.

"Look. I have to tell you something important."

"Of course. I'm listening."

"Back there, in Rockvale, an old man told me... something strange. There's a curse on the Continent that keeps foreigners like us from leaving it. It has something to do with those horns we heard before and, these things called Vigils. And I don't know about you, but I've seen enough in my life to take stock in strange things like that."

She put on a bit of a worried look as she said her next piece.

"So... you still want to do this?"

"Getting home was what I told myself when I got in that boat." Ben said, shifting his feet a bit. "Not sure if that's why I actually got in. But I'm here, and I'll happily stay here, if you'll have me."

"I came here because I was just done with everything going on in the northern countries." Theresa replied, "I don't know if I want to stay here yet, but I certainly don't want to waste my time doing nothing. So... for the time being... partners?"

She raised her hand for a shake.

"Well that one's easy. Partners."

Ben offered only his finger, knowing better than to almost crush someone else's hand in his. Well, someone he liked, at least. A bit awkward but, Theresa shook it anyway.

And after that, they were off. The duo officially formed.

@UrbanEvolution
@Mag Lev

---

---

Gerald paused for a moment as Cia performed her little spell. He stood there for a few seconds before, surprise, an enormous clump of licorice strands popped onto his head. He reared back a bit and felt the wig with his bony fingers.

"WHAT SOIGHT A PISS IS THIS?" Gerald said, "NAH, NAH, OI'M NOT 'AVIN' ME PRESENTABILITY SABOTAGED BOY THIS, EHHH... COIFFURE A SUGAH-STRANDS. OI DON'T EVEN LOIKE SWEETS!"

He proceeded to peel and tug the licorice off his skull, it having done nothing to erase the mark. It hid it well, but still. Licorice.

Gerald tossed the massive clump aside. "OI GOT A BETTAH IDEA." He said, proceeding to tear off a strip of red fabric from the edge of his robe, remove his golden circlet, wrap the strip around his head, and put the circlet back on.

"THERE." HE SAID, "A MUCH MORE DIGNIFOYIN' SOLUTION, FAIRY-RICHARD. NOW..." He raised his finger and began marching forward, following Saaria. "LET US CONTINUE TAH FOLLOW JUNGLE-RICHARD TO THE PROMISE LAND."

@Cuccoruler
@luclovers

Cia

Cia gave a sigh as Gerald ripped off her licorice wig. To be honest it was a bit too messy for her anyways. "So long as that solution of yours works." Cia said as she followed the others. She was quite curious as to what their new destination would be. Cia flew up behind Saaria a bit curious about where they were going. "So what's this place called anyways?" Cia asked Saaria curious about where they were going.

@Luclovers
@SepticGentleman

Tavern Owner

The man who owned the Tavern had been cowering in the corner for nearly the entire time the battle went on and bore a look of sheer terror at the beat down he just watched four people give to the Red Banners. He knew it was unlikely that the Banners would ever get back to their old glory but he still feared them coming back to find the assaulters gone and him having given them food and beds to sleep on. It took the man a few moments before he saw a girl in a cloak motion for him to come over. She was the woman who had killed Red Banner without even touching him and she was calling him over! The man approached out of sheer terror, hoping that she didn’t not kill him like the man whose corpse had been dragged out a few minutes ago.

”Y-yes milady? You.. you don’t already know what happened here? The man asked, a little stunned that she had killed a Red Banner without realizing that she had walked right into a fight. He rubbed his hands on his dirty apron out of sheer nervousness and realized that she was also most likely new to the Continent. In a short moment, the man steadied his breath and readied himself to speak.

”Well this uh sir,” the Tavern owner said as he motioned towards Vent, ”had apparently fought a Red Banner on the docks and beat them. Ya see, the Red Banners happen to run Rockvale. Well, ran Rockvale now that Barrow is dead and the kid will probably set things straight here. But, uh.. Barrow came in to kill the girl the kid had saved and offered the kid a uh.. choice you see. Kill the girl and join him or die with her. The uh.. kid decided to fight back and this fight started. Then those two, the lizard and red hair girl happened to burst in and join the fight. And, well you saw the rest miss.” As the Tavern Owner ended the story he looked over and noticed some stirring from Vent. He wasn’t awake quite yet but it would only be a few more minutes until the man was awake. Though, he would no doubt find difficulty in moving about after how much he had extended himself.

@Azereiah

--------------
Saariandara Morgossa
--------------

Saaria processed Cia's question. She thought about a response, slowly piecing the English words together. She was really getting the hang of this English language. Now, what would be a good name for a good place?
"Ummm..." Sia started, going very serious suddenly. Her voice hushed to a secretive whisper.
"It is called.... Good....Land....Place....of..." Saaria paused, beginning to sweat while she thought of an ending. Then it hit her.
"INEBRIATION!!" She shouted, loud enough for anyone around their general area to hear.
@Cuccoruler
@SepticGentleman

-------------------
Lenkai Toberius
-------------------

A man was kneeling in a dark temple. He wore grey robes, and his long brown hair fell, touching the floor in his kneeling position. In his hand he held a chain made of fairy stone. Slowly, candles flickered to life, revealing three cloaked priests. One in red, one in blue, and one in yellow. Voices called out from the dark, and it was unclear which of the hooded ones were speaking.
"Will you, Lenkai Tobarius, become our champion?" The voice asked. It had no discernible gender nor race.
"I will." The man swore.
"You will hunt down the demon Saariandara, and any dark creatures she has risen from beneath the city." The voice demanded.
"I will." The man said, barely looking up.
"You will be given Straumkus, the Northern Light. May it guide you." The voice said. A shimmering light at the man's feet slowly shifted into a pale silver bow. He placed his hand on it, and said his last words.
"The Sept Holds."
Suddenly, all the candles flickered out, and the man took Straumkus, rising, and leaving the temple. Outside, the air was cold, but a beast's warm breath awaited Lenkai.
"Hey, Feiris," he called. A large catlike reptile crawled from the crystalline alleyway.
"Let's go hunt us a demon."

Thunderstorm Tent

“Wake up,”

Piper’s eyes slid open. The side of the tent she was looking at was somewhat blurry. Why was she awake? She liked sleep so much more...

“Huh? What’s going on?” she said, groggy and a little bit too loud.

“Two more signatures. They’re both much, much smaller, but they’re hostile. Angry. Outraged,” Chumi said, in a worried whisper. Any trace of sleepiness instantly vanished from Piper’s head.

“What are they? Where are they?” she whispered back. Angry monsters? She couldn’t think of anything they’d done to anger anything. Were they trespassing? Was the clearing they were in already occupied?

“Can’t quite tell where they are. They’re either floating above the ground or really tall, and they’re moving towards us,” he answered. Flying angry monsters? Were they dragons or something?

“How close are they?” she asked. She wanted time to change out of her pajamas if she was going to be fighting dragons.

“Too close. I say we have a minute before they’re upon us,” Chumi said. Darnit. No time to change, then. She immediately got out of the pile of blankets she was rolled up in, and grabbed her hat. Her wand, as always, was strapped to her right arm to prevent it from being stolen. She slid it into position in her hand. Beside her, Chumi was doing similar. There was no point in remaining as though they were ignorant to these intruder’s presences if they were already so hostile to begin with. That thought brought something else to her mind.

“Hang on, what about the big bored monster?” She asked.

“It’s still there. It’s not as bored now, though. Come on, let’s go meet these angry flying monsters,” Chumi said, and stepped out of the tent. Piper followed.

The night outside was deafeningly dark. What little moonlight made it through the overcast sky was barely enough to give off the rough shape of the trees. The water, however, was bright and reflective- Almost inviting.

“Behind you!” Chumi hissed at her. She whirled around. Before them, barely visible in the dim light, were two figures. They were vaguely shaped as men, but there was something wrong about them. Maybe it was that they stretched far over a human’s height, or maybe it was the horrific, terribly incorrect shape of their heads. Beyond that, she couldn’t make out anything- Except for the way that they were slowly, steadily strutting towards them. Her eyes were drawn upwards, and looked rapidly between the heads of the two of them. Somehow, despite the utter inhibition of her perception, she could feel, no, she could taste utter hatred and malevolence, a desire to corrupt, to condemn, emanating from the invisible hellholes that surely existed upon the tall monster’s faces.

Piper didn’t even realize she was backing up until she suddenly noticed that her behind was very wet and cold- She had tripped and nearly fallen into the pool. The waterfall’s deafening roar served only to drive her terror to greater strength- It was as though the monsters, the not-men were screaming out at her, as though they were exclaiming their desire to hurt, to maim, to perform such vile acts of cruelty that they could have no name.

Chumi stood before her, wand raised in a desperate act of defiance. He screamed at her, at the monsters, but she couldn’t hear him. She could hear only the horrific roar of the waterfall, the sound that came from every direction at once. He shot bolts of light, of lightning, of gorgeous white fire, but nothing struck the not-men. They faded and fizzled long before then. The tall, strutting monsters were invincible- Even the light of the magic failed to illuminate them. They remained dark, shadowed creatures of impossible horror, of a type that no demon could compare.

The monsters soon stood mere feet from Chumi, as he held a glowing, blue orb within his hand, and before they could strike him, crushed it with his bare fist. He vanished in a flash of azure light, all that remained of him was the shards of the broken orb.

The creatures paused for a moment, and began strutting once more, directly towards her. They moved faster this time, as though they wanted to prevent their new favorite torture subject from escaping as the other had.

Piper’s body couldn’t move. She couldn’t lift her wand, couldn’t reach for her sword. She could only move back, in a terrified, scrambled way. It was enough, however, to send her slipping into the waterfall’s pond. She broke the surface, and the terrible noise of the waterfall’s distorted roar suddenly became softer, calmer. She still wasn’t safe. She desperately tried to swim downwards.

As she sank deeper into the waterfall pit’s darkness, the horrible forms of the monsters loomed over the surface, distorted and wavy. They watched her as she sank deeper, deeper, far deeper than she had gone in her previous little swimming session. Eventually, they grew darker, darker, until she could no longer see the surface, no longer see even the bubbles of the waterfall’s upside-down fire.

Safe. She was safe here, she was in her element, and the monsters couldn’t follow her here. She laid there for a long time, slowly trying to calm herself down. She was blind, but she was safe.

She didn’t notice the slow, steady pull of the current, which lead only downwards.

Brunhilde

"Mhm."
She was nodding and writing down everything the tavern owner said. "And what did I do?"

The innkeeper's jaw dropped. Was she interrogating him? Trying to keep his mouth shut, maybe?

"Uh... I'm not sure what you mean."
"Exactly what I asked. What exactly did I do?"

The innkeeper was flabbergasted. His tavern was trashed, the remaining Red Banners were probably going to murder him in a week, and here he was talking to some kind of crazy monster who could kill people with a glance. He was sweating bullets, and he couldn't see any way out of it, so he tried to keep her as happy as he could.

"Well... erm... You came in just before the lizard and the sword lady, and stood around for a few seconds before joining the fight."
She tilted her head and tapped her foot a bit, scribbling more on her journal scroll. "And?"

The innkeeper was squirming uncomfortably and shifting back and forth as if he were about to run away. "...And you attacked some guys who were beating up on one of my regulars. Then you sat and... ate lunch. In the middle of the fight. Listen, I really have to get back to work."

He was leaving something out, she felt, but he should probably take a rest anyway. She was sure she'd remember to come back and ask for the rest later. Maybe. ...actually, she was lying to herself there, but she felt bad for the guy. She nodded. "Alright, that's enough. You can go back to your work. Erm... Sorry about the mess. I cleaned up what I could, right? Well, whatever."

The innkeeper rushed back behind his bar and started putting the unbroken bottles back on the shelf fervently, trying to get his mind off the day's carnage. Brunhilde tossed a gold coin marked with the royal crest of Sorvir to the innkeeper to pay for whatever damage she caused, then approached the man the innkeeper mentioned, who was finally waking up. He sounded like he at least knew his way around the town, if nothing else, and he'd probably need some help with... Something. She wasn't sure what.

"Hey. You okay? You seem a little banged up."

@Mag Lev

Cia

Cia flew infront of Saaria with her arms crossed. She wasn't exactly happy about Saaria having lied to them. "If you didn't know where we were going you should have said so." Cia said with a pouty look on her face. "We may as well follow this path though, should lead to somewhere." Cia added looking back to the path they were currently walking on. "Maybe somewhere with a map would be nice." Stated as she flew along the path.

"I certainly can't go back to Sweetmeat County yet anyways, haven't had a good enough adventure yet." Cia said quietly to herself. Though if someone were trying to eavesdrop at that moment they would have heard her. She had no idea where to go herself. She just hoped that they would get to some kind of town sooner or later.
@Luclovers
@SepticGentleman

On a ferry that took passengers, be they travelers, archaeologists, scholars, visitors or just people looking for somewhere to hide, was an unlikely duo: a human scoundrel, Ulysses or 'Padlock', and a Shafari warrior, one of the last of his kind, Usgoh. Both were here for one reason, and that was to hide from one of the men that they cheated out of a shipment of alcohol, which was illegal in the country they were in, who then put a fifty-thousand dollar bounty on their heads, double if they were dead. Once the ferry docked, Padlock and Usgoh got off and headed to the shore, before running off into the forest, much to the confusion of other passengers.

Once they felt they were far away enough, Padlock and Usgoh stopped and talked. "Thank God I only cheated Artie once, did it again and he would've-" Padlock was cut off by Usgoh roaring, "Roooooooourgh."
"What? Four times? I didn't cheat him four times!"
"Huuuuuuuuuuooooooooourgh."
"Okay, maybe I left out some of the booze bottles a few times, but that's not cheating if he doesn't find out!"
"Hurrrr."
"Yeah, it's cheating if you never deliver it, but still!" The two continued to bicker for a few minutes before stopping and sitting down on a fallen tree.
"Hurrrrr?"
"You tell me what now, you're the native to this place!" With that, they both went silent as they thought about what to do next.

(Anyone is free to bump into Padlock or Usgoh, if not then... Well, they'll just stand in the forest forever)

After a few minutes of pondering, Usgoh stands up exclaims: "Huuuuuuuuuuuuuurugh!"
"Rockvale? Where the hell's that?" Padlock asks, intrigued by this place that Usgoh mentioned. He stands up as well, before Usgoh says:
"Hurrrr, urough, urrrrrrrrrough! Ourrrrrugh, urrrrgh, hurrrrr!"
"If what you're saying is true, I think we found ourselves a new home."
"Ouuuuuuuuuuuourgh!"
"Well what the hell're we waiting for?" With that, the two walk off in a seemingly random direction for a few hours and eventually find Rockvale. They follow along a dirt path to find wooden houses, and Padlock asks: "Where the hell can we get a drink?"
"Hurrroughuh!" Usgoh says, meaning 'Follow me.' Padlock does so, and soon they arrive at the tavern.

Inside it was busted up, and there was one man on the ground and a woman talking to him. An innkeeper was cleaning things up, and Padlock's eyes went wide. "Holy shit! What happened here?"

@Azereiah, @Mag Lev

As the trio wandered down the path, they noted that it slowly turned into cobblestone. The wild became thicker around them, and suddenly, there was a figure on the road. It was cloaked in black robes, with some kind of symbol covering the figure's torso. It leaped at Saaria, and skeletal hands reached out, slashing across her face. She screamed, and sent a barrage of fire at the creature, flying away into the air. The creature let out an inhuman shriek as it leaped through the air, gliding speedily towards Saaria, and lathing onto her arm. That's when she caught a glimpse of its face. It was a skeleton, like Gerald, but it was covered with strange symbols, scratched into the bone like an art piece. It's mouth was missing, and a strange dark light pulsed within its eye sockets.
Suddenly, an arrow flew through the air, and the skull of the creature exploded. Saaria fell back down to the ground, clutching her arm, where deep gashes had formed from the creature's fingers. The source of the arrow was another hooded figure. The man had a mask on, with different kinds of strange symbols all over it. He regarded the trio, and spoke in a deep, commanding voice.
"Coke to the stronghold, or die." He demanded. "I will give you a moment to discuss, however the sun is setting, and the dark will soon rise." He told them, waiting on the path ahead for the group to make their choice.
@SepticGentleman
@Cuccoruler

---

Gerald reoriented himself after the attack had come to a sudden halt. "WOT IN FILTHY BLAZES JUS' HAPPENED?" He called out, this time seeming to genuinely yell.

He looked ahead at the robed figure, going off on a nonsensical tirade.

"FIRST OI LEARN I CANNY DRINK NONE ANYMORE, THEN WE GET ACCOSTED BOY SUM UNCOMFORTABLE LOOKIN' CRIMINAL SCUM, AN' NOW WE CROSS THE PATHS A SUM KOIND A... HOIGHWAYMAN!" He stepped forward and pointed a bony finger at the robed figure. "I'LL NOT TRUSSAH WEHD OF A HOIGHWAYMAN UNLESS 'E PROVOIDES A DAHN GOOD REASON TO, EHHH... ABSCOND FROM THIS PLACE MOST VUHNERABLE."

He realized that last bit made little sense, but he stood by it anyway.

@Cuccoruler
@luclovers

---

The continent was a very strange place.

As they moved out of Rockvale back into the forest, taking the path less traveled by, Ben and Theresa found themselves at the face of a vey steep incline. And I aint talking chicken and gravy, bitches. I'm talking like, an 87 degree incline. A steep wall of just... Stone going upwards into a tall plateau.

They also found themselves at the mouth of a particularly large cave.

"I dont like it." Ben stated, his arms crossed, glaring at the cave's entrance. Despite it all the cave seemed fairly well lit. Small crystalline structures could be seen along it's walls that actually provided light. And while he very much wanted one, he was still his regular stubborn and hesitant self.

"Ben there doesn't seem to be any other way besides climbing. And I don't want to try that yet. Not if this way is easier." Theresa retorted, shooting him an equally stubborn glare. Ben glared back at her harder and for a moment they stood stock still looking like they were about to kill one another. Suddenly, Ben's expression changed and he submitted. His head tilted upwards and his back slumped backwards, his arms hanging loosely.

"Fiiiiiiiine." he sighed, and Theresa's smirk was just as, if not more humiliating than any victory dance she could've done.

When they entered the cave, Ben broke off a crystal and held it upwards as they walked like a torch. The two were silent as they walked, Theresa seemed distracted, and rightfully so. The cave was beginning to look stranger and stranger. Artifacts lined the cave walls and as they came to a fork in the cave's path, he noticed that some of the dead ends they took were actually rooms. He held the crystal up to the cave wall and saw paintings and art. Framed and otherwise, was hung up or positioned in different spots. There was even a map of the cave system on one of the walls.

The one thing that that stumped him was that everything seemed perfectly intact. Old, but intact. The beds were ruffled as if they had been recently left. Some were made, cutlery in their sink equivalents, items that looked like they were recently in use. The only issue was the thick line of dust that lined every object.

No one had touched these items in a long time. It was as if everyone who had lived here had just... Up and left.

Eventually he came across a large room with an equally massive painting. One that sprawled across the cave wall. It was a picture of a mountain, but the tunnels depicted sprawled across like an anthill's. The painting depicted stick figure like drawing of the inhabitants going about their every day activities.

It was amazing.

Ben held up the light emitting crystal up to the painting as he looked closer for more details.

"Theresa,", Ben called. "Are you seeing this?"

---

_{@SepticGentleman}

---

"Yeah, I see it!" Theresa said, her eyes wide and her mouth agape.

She wasn't seeing what Ben was seeing. She wasn't seeing an abandoned hovel.

She was seeing life.

The cave was well-lit by the crystals. Nothing was covered in any sort of dust. Everywhere, there were these tall, scaly... mole-people, dancing about, eating assorted bugs from jars with their long tongues, drinking from carved out gourds. Some were playing drums and string instruments, others even engaging in fisticuffs for fun.

Everywhere, it seemed like... these people were happy. Alive.

"It's a pretty lively festival of all I've seen!" Theresa called out, over the chatter. Ben simply looked down at her and replied, "Wait... what?"

"What is it?" Theresa called out in reply. A brief pause happened before Ben continued, "Theresa, I don't see anyone else here, this place is..."

Her smile dropped a bit.

"This place is dead. Abandoned."

No. She was seeing it, all of it, right in front of her. This was no hallucination.

The two of them were seeing two different versions of this cave.

How?

Cia

Cia watched in shock at the battle that had just happened. She would have tried to help if it weren't for it being so fast. Though there wasn't much she could have done anyways. "I'm not seeing any better options than doing what he says." Cia said looking at the cloaked figure with the crossbow. "I suggest we go with them. I think it would be safer for now." Cia added flying towards the stronghold they were told to go to.

As Cia flew she unknowingly dropped a vial from her satchel. This was the one with ehr medicine in it. If she didn't take her medicine then chances are the group would see an entirely different side to her. One that isn't meant to be seen by anyone unless they were an enemy.

@Luclovers
@SepticGentleman