~Senna~

@Hammerman@13org@Lugubrious

---

Senna, for the most part remained silent for their travels. She'd speak if spoken too of course, in her somewhat catty and flirtatious manner...but for the most part the demoness didn't seem keen on conversation. Not that she was trying to be purposefully rude, of course. She was simply trying her best to adjust. It seemed some of her class perks were getting a tad bit too...real, for her. Most notably the anger and agitation she felt simply from doing nothing. The other two traveling with her likely would have noticed her slightly agitated state as they walked.

She'd just brush it off as boredom though...which wasn't far from the truth.

Traveling through the forest managed to keep her mind at ease, though. She had never really liked forests - she preferred the hustle and bustle of the city. Noise was comforting, helped keep her mind distracted and drown out any negative thoughts she had. Probably explained why she moved right to the middle of the noisiest apartment building she could find...but that was a thought of a different life, wasn't it?

Thankfully, the trek down the mountain wasn't a very difficult one, and after a bit of walking it seemed they might get some...company, as well.

As Senna walked down the worn dirt road, she heard the caravan before it even got there. Merchant of some sort? She liked to think she had good ears, especially considering her abilities. It sounded like there was merchandise or at least a lot of items rustling around in the back. She turned her head towards the man, most of her armor covering her entirely and likely very easily concealing most of her figure and gender.

...and her race.

The demon horns protruding from her head could easily be marked off as decoration for the armor, and her eyes were invisible beneath the helmet. The only thing that could possibly give it away is her tail, but she was fairly certain she could charm her way into an explanation about it. She smiled beneath her helmet. Well...perhaps this would be a good time to test whether or not how welcome 'demons' were here? It'd be better to do it out in the middle of a road than reveal herself in the middle of a city then have the entire city guard after her. She would have said something herself, but selena was quick to pounce on their introductions.

"Hello! Nice morning, isn't it?"

Hmm, she supposed it was.

"Yes, we are! We're now going back after finishing a quest actually!"

A little white lie...amusing, at least. It'd be nice to see where exactly this line of questioning went. For the most part, She'd remain silent still, resting her hands on her hips and gazing idly at the man from under her grey colored armor as her tail flicked idly in impatience. No doubt this man would be sensing some form of anxiety or uneasiness from being around her, while at the same time not entirely able to look away.

She was a demon, after all. It was only natural. Perhaps...she should gauge this mans reaction to a demon? See exactly what she'd be in for if she headed into town? She had half a mind to keep walking, honestly.


@drewccapp@Spanner@Lugubrious

---

For the duration of their venture north, Tania and Lena would stay with Vander and Cain. Despite the demons insistence otherwise, Lena found both of them to be rather pleasant company, unlike a certain fairy who made a point to constantly pull the Demon Lords ears in a mischievous manner every time and use Vander's head as a bed to lay on occasionally. It wasn't until the weather clearly turned colder that the fairy decided to return to Lena, and take residence with the Elf's armor.

"Achoo!"

There was a tiny muffled sneeze that came from under Lena's breastplate.

"AAARGH why's it so cold not even Lena's great bosom can keep me waaarm~"

"Would you please keep my bosom out of this?" Lena's face reddened slightly, but didn't linger on the topic. "I told you it was going to get colder if we traveled in this direction, Tania."

"I knnnow. Argh, why does winter even exist? It's silly and stupid and my wings are about to freeze oooof."

"Hmm..." The Elf frowned. As much as Tania was childishly complaining, the Fairy wasn't likely just doing that. She had never liked the cold and being as small as she was, she didn't entirely handle it all too well. They could have turned around before now, she supposed, but the Fairy had been insistent that they travel with the others. As well as Lena knew her...she'd say the Fiary was extremely lonely and more than a little terrified. Of what, the Elf wasn't sure, but it wasn't her place to ask questions. She just had to make sure Tania was taken care of and as comfortable as she could.

"I think...I see smoke from a home not too far away." The elf pointed her free hand towards the direction of the smoke.

"E-eh? R-really!" Tania made the mistake of poking her head up from Lena's armor the moment a chilling gust of wind blasted them, sending the fairy shivering back into her shelter. Thankfully, it didn't take them long to reach the small village.

Whiteside, the name of it was.

"...needs more trees. Maybe make a garden. Would be better than this I-I-achoo!" Tania sneezed again, bravely sticking her head out from the armor again to peek at the village. Lena gave her a small pat on the head, but before she could say much else, someone who rather was in quite a bit of a hurry nearly plowed over all of them while riding a horse. The nerve! Lena barely had enough time to move out of the way - it'd have been bad for the horse to run face first into her shield.

"Someone is in a hurry..." Lena frowned, though for the most part ignored the horse unless her companions decided to do something.

“If you have men who will only come if they know there is a good road, I don't want them. I want men who will come if there is no road at all.”

The distant silvery peaks rose no more than a thumb’s width above the horizon and their foundations disappeared hazily behind it. The Katze Plains stretch seem to stretch endlessly in every direction. Absent were the common fog banks that casually roll down from the mountain and into the flatlands. The gentle sloping foothills flattened dramatically; the hilltops sunken and the low-lying lands were neatly broken around jagged lines, much like puzzle pieces awkwardly fitted together. The earth was hard and cold, and frigid water fills the crevices in between.

The permafrost had begun to thaw.

Beyond the grassy field of strangely earthen wedges is a long winding road. Wooden milestones poke out of the ground unevenly, marking the sprawling length of highway at regular intervals.The road disappears around the long foot of the mountain to the south, and bends northwest to a fortified town. It sits perched atop a lone rocky crag jutting from under a blanket of ripe green grass. The towers of a keep peer over the low walls surrounding it, and command a clear view of the switchback road that has been hewn into the stone face leading up to the gates. A smattering of wagons and travellers dot the road.

The unlikely duo need only to brave the ice and mud to reach the highway in the distance.

---

Cain couldn't help but snicker as his fairy companion once more sneezed from inside her guardian's armor. It had been a while since they had started to travel with the fairy, her guardian and the watcher, but it was more than enough for the now disguised Cain to be bullied by the mischievous fairy that seemed to have some kind of obsession with his ears, using every single opportunity to pull and play around with them - something that made the demon truly annoyed. As such, it wasn't surprising that he may have been enjoying her suffering from obvious lack of resistance to cold a bit too much, showing a satisfied grin whenever the fairy sneezed - a fairly mean reaction, he admitted, but the fairy totally deserved it.

"That's what you get for lacking cold resistance, brat. Relying on tankers doesn't save you from the allmighty mother nature. Pfft." The devil said, forcing himself to look towards the road as he taunted the fairy, a reaction born from his previous mistake of turning towards her to talk in despite of her... peculiar choice of resting place, that resulted in the fairy teasing him due to "staring Lena great assets" - something that he totally didn't wish to repeat, as even if he felt his personality changing to turn considerably more cold and calculative he still hadn't gained the ability to act boudly and ignore the fairy's teasing. "Besides, you're the one who agreed with Vander when he decided to travel by feet to know more about this new world. I would've used fly to scout the area and then gate to transport the rest us." The devil said, looking surprisingly satisfied with the environment in despite of the grumpy words. He simply couldn't deny that the opportunity to use the surprisingly high physical specs of his new body made him somehow satisfied in despite of being relatively slow as a way of traveling.

"Lena is right, there seems to be some smoke nearby." The devil announced after constating that there was, indeed, some smoke in the pointed direction."I'd even used sense life to confirm if there are people there, but we still don't know if there is someone capable of detecting my spells around here." He quickly adjunted, justifying his unwillingness to cast any kind of detection spells. Even if all the humans they encountered up till now were pretty weak and hardly posed a threat to their high leveled group, it was better not to act all high and mighty until they were sure about the level of this world's powerhouses. After all they didn't just respawn after dying now, and he wasn't specially tempted to gamble with his own life in the stake.

"Still, I'm pretty sure Vander can do the same in a more inconspicuous way with his scout s-..." He started to talk just to be suddenly interrupted by the sudden appearance of a rider, that passed dangerously near him before his passive aura managed to completrly frighten the horse, forcing him to change directions in the last second to avoid the devil - thing that didn't really help placating the rage that the devil felt due to how the preposterous act of the rider, that managed to directly flip the switch of the not so mentally stable Devil. "I believe you own me an apology, mongrel. " He instantly said, his normally easygoing persona changing to the cold, menacing one that his character was supposed to have in the game as he stepped in to confront the rider, his aura instantly overpowering the horse and forcing it to stop - it was more than clear that the seemingly minor offense managed to provoke the devil into forgetting about being cautious.

---

@drewccapp@Rune_Alchemist@Lugubrious

@Rune_Alchemist@Spanner@Lugubrious

Vander felt more alive than ever as they trekked across the mountain range. The freshness of the cold air invigorated him. Most of the time they traveled through land that was untraveled, so his Watcher's Eye only spotted animal tracks and the occasional beast track. After a couple days of travel was when he first noticed the first set of humanoid tracks. Since they were booted it was impossible to tell which race specifically. Then he noticed a few horse tracks of varying ages.

Vander tolerated Tania's complaints about the cold. He could focus on the things that really mattered while her companion ran damage control. He found it amusing whenever she used his head to sleep on. Overall, he found enjoyment in their journey. He had been quite good about hunting for them and found to his surprise the hunting skill he gained through his classes and leveling provided the unconscious knowledge of properly preparing an animal carcass. Even so, a properly cooked meal over a fire-cooked venison would be wonderful. He had a couple animal hides he could sell or trade too and the cold air made preparing them easier too. He felt very eager to learn what life was like in this world.

He found he had been so focused on who was going where that he had not seen the smoke. Before Warrick became Vander he could not see very well. Now he was so much more capable and he found himself hyper-focusing on one thing just to see all the tiny details he could not have seen before. He had noticed the rider though and while he was curious as to why the rider was going at full charge he had no reason to stop him. If the rider was going to inform them then he would and otherwise they would find out more in the village.

Vander did not anticipate Cain's reaction to the results of the rider's horse being affected by the fear aura. He was used to working with people of every alignment, however new teammates always came with growing pains.

"Cain," The Watcher stated warily. "Are you sure this is the best way to introduce ourselves to the locals? Wouldn't you rather enjoy a hot meal and a good warm drink?"

[Somewhere]

Azoth trudged through a dense, sunlit forest, along a winding, beaten path. Every step was laborious, and though his face was shaded by a hood sweat ran down his face. He panted, feeling feverish, almost unaware of his surroundings. The past few days had been a hell unlike any he had ever imagined. He fled the destroyed guildhall northward, fleeing into the rural lands surrounding it. Pasture had turned to wilderness, and so he had become hopelessly lost in the intervening days. He had not eaten, as he had no ready way to catch food, and his sleep was utterly without rest, as the Masters of the Void tormented him endlessly in his dreams. Even during his waking hours his mind was not his own, as Stormsorrow needled him constantly, her presence like a blade in his brain. He assumed he was only alive because he had taken to drinking from streams he had come across, but a burning in his gut made him think that the water had been unclean.

His armor, thankfully, did not weigh him down. The first day he had traveled while wearing the Scales of Tiamat in all of its regalia, oblivious to the presence that it gave him. Bandits had accosted him in the night, Stormsorrow waking him to the threat, thinking that he was a noble lord lost in their territory. After that, Azoth made the effort of hiding his armor away in his private dimensional storage, and conjured himself some simple robes to disguise himself.

While those efforts had been somewhat tedious, and managing to stay alive thus far had been greatly unpleasant, killing the bandits... it was so very easy. Ending their lives had been as effortless as extinguishing a match, and as he tore them asunder with the arcane power that coursed vigorously through him, Stormsorrow pleaded to taste their blood. He had meant to deny her, without his realizing he found that he had plunged the cursed runeblade into the heart of the bandit leader, who stared back at him in wide-eyed terror. He hated to admit it, but those brief moments. when he was a god of destruction among mere mortals, had been the most alive he had felt in his entire memory.

Since then, though, he had not seen another living soul. He had caught sight of a hare once, and sought to kill it for food, but not knowing his own strength he utterly obliterated it past edible form. It seemed that even animals kept their distance from him after that. He would have laughed if he wasn't so exhausted; despite being so gloriously alive for those few moments, it seemed like his life was about to end.

As Azoth continued to walk onward to his unknown destination (most likely his grave), the trees nearby rustled with activity. If he even noticed it in his exhausted state, he didn't bother to acknowledge it. This was the only indication given before the ambush was sprung. Dropping from the branches and rising from the brush were a dozen archers and other such warriors, with their weapons all trained on him. Azoth looked up, trying to discern their identities despite his hazy vision. As far as he could tell, they were some manner of forest tribe. Simple clothes, hand-made weapons, dark skin.

"Interloper!" A female voice called out at him, "We have followed you for some hours now. Your aura is black as night, and we do not take kindly to trespassers in our territory. Identify yourself or die!"

Azoth rubbed his eyes blearily, and lifted his head to get a better look at whoever was speaking to him. He pulled his hood down from his face, an action that was met with some audible noises of surprise and confusion from those gathered. He squinted at the figure directly in front of him, a bow-armed woman, and was able to make out the amber color of her eyes, her golden hair, her dusk-colored skin, and her fey features. Elves. Dark Elves. Judging by the number, this forest was home to an entire colony of them. Azoth laughed, an action that drew the ire of the elves gathered around him, who trained their weapons on him once more.

"Blood of my blood," he began, slurring his words as he ranted deliriously, "My forgotten kin, who have fallen so far from their inheritance of the Immortal Empire. I am of course none but the forsaken Witch-King, who is to return the Children of Naggaroth to their rightful places as kings and queens. Rejoice, Druchii, the Phoenix is reborn!"

And with that, Azoth collapsed, falling unconscious directly onto his face.

Nyna flinched visibly as she heard Spooky scolding her, but she didn't blame him. Well... the circumstances were indubitably different between them... Mainly the fact that he was an undead... Was that the reason why he was angry? But it wasn't only that. He sounded very... confused, was he all right? Maybe the fall messed up his memory a little bit? Or maybe it was the fact that he turned into an undead? Nyna didn't know... In fact, she knew very little about undead. Only that they were annoying to deal with, since many of her attacks didn't worked that well on them...

"I have to get... home?" He said after a short while.
That word made her think a little bit. 'Home'... Would she really miss her home? Thinking a little bit about that, she wasn't that sure... Did that made her strange? Weird? Probably. But the fact that she felt almost nothing for her parents, friends or home was a fact. But that wasn't the time to think about that. She now wasn't Ha-Yun anymore. Those things were Ha-Yun's problems, not Nyna's problems.

While she was lost in her own thoughts, Spooky was saying something about something that could help with his concealment, but Nyna wasn't really paying attention. The only thing she perceived with the corner of her eyes was him swiping the air, almost like if he was trying to bring up the game's console or something. Of course, nothing happened, or at least that was what Nyna thought. Suddenly a dark flash swarmed Spooky's body, interrupting her thoughts. After a brief while the dark flash subsided, revealing a strange cloak, covering almost his entire body, showing only his gauntlets and sabaton feet. He still had a very, very big and imposing figure, but he would at least he looked a bit more like a human... A very suspicious human, but a human nonetheless.

"I think this will be sufficient. Lead the way." Spooky said after wearing the cloak.

"You still look a bit... suspicious, but I don't think that it would be a problem... Lets go then!" Nyna said, grabbing his hand and pulling him through the forest giving little jumps, almost running.

Getting out of the forest, they arrived on the Katze Plains. Extending endlessly in almost every direction, it was clear that it would be quite the walk until they arrived somewhere. Their best bet would be to follow the highway.

"Oh! There it is!" Nyna said, pointing to the highway on the distance, after looking around a little bit. Although it was quite foggy, almost unnaturally so, Nyna was still able to see the highway in the distance, although very barely, maybe thanks to her enhanced vision.
"Come, we have no time to lose!" Nyna said, pulling Spooky once more, almost falling when she stepped on the cold, frozen ground.

The ground was hard and cold, cracked due to the cold. The sharp cold sensation when she stepped on it was almost like a needle, making her jump, startled. It would be annoying to pass through that field of mud and ice, but it was the only way to reach the highway.
"This might be a little annoying... Especially because I don't wear shoes... the ground is very, very cold, and this fog is really strange..." Nyna said, giving small little jumps as she tried to get used to the cold.

"We just need to keep heading straight towards that direction and we won't get lost. The highway is marked by some wooden milestones, so we will know when we are near it." Nyna said, smiling to Spooky.

"But I won't lie... This fog is really strange... Stay close... ok? I don't want to get lost..." Nyna said, looking around. The visibility was very bad due to the fog. Strangely enough, it didn't seem to be that foggy near the highway, it was like that dense fog was only concentrating on the Katze Plains...

@BurningDaisies @Thecrash20

---

As Yasha, Selena and Senna walked down the mountain trail, it was obvious that it was rarely used. The signs were covered in rime and timeworn, the road itself was very badly kept, it was clear that people there rarely traveled that road. After a while, the road led them to an old forest. The air was heavy and stale, the trees, devoid of any foliage, together with thin pillars of light illuminating it, gave the forest quite the unique appearance.

"Aaaaahhh... The pleasant smell of the forest... This kind of thing is really rare on the real world and here we can enjoy it in abundance..." Yasha heard Selena speaking, just ahead of her and Senna. Selena's company was quite refreshing. She was indeed very happy and talkative, differently from Senna, which kept quiet for the most part of the travel.

It was indeed pleasant, walking down the mountain together with Selena and Senna was indeed the right choice. Sure, she could have just used her fly spell to get to her destination faster, but she would lose that pleasant scenery. The taste of mulch and loam in the air, the streaks of light passing through the branches, illuminating the forest... It was a scenery worthy of a painting. If they weren't currently going somewhere, Yasha would certainly have stopped for a little while to appreciate it. She used to live in a big city, but she always loved the tranquility and the silence of living in a traditional house on the beautiful villages, hidden amongst the mountains. That was one of the reasons why Yasha wore a classic, traditional Japanese style kimono.

"It is really a scenery worthy of a painting, isn't it?" Yasha answered, after a little while.
"The trees, the pillars of light passing through its branches and reflecting on the snow..." Yasha said, breathing in deeply with her eyes closed. She wanted to enjoy that scenery, even if it was only for a little bit.

Just after the forest, they arrived on a more traveled road. Differently from the trail down the mountain, this one was obviously well kept. The trees were trimmed down, almost creating a natural tunnel around the road, the many wagons that passed through that road marked the ground. Shortly after getting on that road, the distinct sound of a wagon interrupted Yasha's thoughts. The conductor was a large man, with a stocky frame, which seemed to be very capable of supporting his own weight and to carry the barrels and cloth sacks beneath his wagon. He was rather nervous as he stopped behind them. Yasha could feel his calculating eyes studying them, the man's face marked with suspicion. Selena was the first one to talk to him, with an amicable greeting, which didn't seem to do much regarding the man's anxiousness.

“Are you folks by chance from the Adventurer’s Guild?” the man asked.
Although the man had a polite voice and relaxed shoulders, it wasn't enough to hide the subtle movement he was making with his right hand, reaching for something under his cloak. By the way he was moving, Yasha quickly deducted that it was either a knife or another kind of short blade, hidden beneath his cloak.

Getting into trouble right now was the last thing they would want, especially because they were trying to gather information. The best choice would try to be friendly with the locals, and not the opposite.
"Adventurer's guild? That might be a good place to go..." Yasha thought to herself, just as Selena answered the man, saying that they indeed were from the guild. Differently from Selena, Senna kept quiet, instead studying the man's reactions.
That little lie may prove to be quite beneficial for them. Maybe it would be a good idea to contribute to it a little bit... If she played the right cards, it would be quite easy to convince that man that she was some kind of noble or something. It was the only way to explain her 'unique' clothes and the rifle she was carrying.

"Its a pleasure to meet you, we are indeed heading to the guild." Yasha said, with a formal bow and a smooth and refined voice.

"I must say, I'm quite relieved... For a second I thought you were a bandit or something, but that's clearly not the case." Yasha said, with an incredibly innocent and kind smile.

"I'm terribly sorry for thinking that. Travelling alone, especially when you're a lady, is quite dangerous. I was lucky to meet these two on the road." Yasha said, maintaining her innocent expression. The formal way she was talking and moving would further contribute to the façade she was putting, looking more like the daughter of a noble than an adventurer. Both Selena and Senna would quickly realize what she was trying to do, especially after she looked to them with a very discreet smile on her face.

"I know it may be asking too much, but would you mind accompanying us until we get to the city? It will be safer if we go together." Yasha asked, smiling at the man and glancing to both Selena and Senna, waiting for their approval.

@Rune_Alchemist @Hammerman @Lugubrious

After thinking about it for a while, HideYourMen finally decided on a name to call himself, or more precisely, herself. Deciding to keep it as close to his actual name as possible, so he wouldn't forget, Daniel decided that from now on he would go by the name of Danielle. It would also him him keep his sanity as being called HideYourMen was definitely not a good name to be called in the real world.

So after clearing that issue up, Danielle found herself with a rather strange assortment of individuals and soon they decided to head toward the most populated city in the area. First they had figured out the direction to go to get out of the mountains as quickly as possible. Then once they had got onto flat ground, they had met who appeared to be a traveling farmer who at first, had been frightened by their strange appearance but thanks to some unnatural charm from HideYourMen, they quickly were given the direction of the largest city in the area, the capital of the Dragonic Kingdom, Brightwing. Apparently it was named after the Brightness Dragon Lord who was actually the great-great grandfather of the current ruler, Draudillon Oriculus.

Of course without knowing the locations history, this was all pretty much just trivia to them.

Thankfully there were at least some decent roads around to follow and progress from then on had been swift. At this point they could already see the large city of Brightwing, it appeared to be built around somewhat of a large hill, with a rather strong looking castle at the top. As they got closer it was easy to tell that castle was mostly made from solid stone, which made sense if it had indeed been the home of an actual dragon for a time. While the castle was of decent size, it was small in comparison to the city that surrounded it.

If one looked at it from above, one could see that the city had a good civil engineer behind it. There were a decent amount of grounds, the city plan was neatly mapped into various sections, from housing, to markets, even a small park here and there. The city may not have been grand in design, but it was neat and certainly had its more impressive areas. There was little doubt that a great many people lived there.

From the outside one could see a medium sized wall around the city, while by no means one of the biggest it looked sturdy and defencible. There was a good deal of traffic heading into the city and a little less coming out. While a good portion of the travelers were merchants there also appeared to be quite a few refugees who appeared to be fleeing from the east. Many looked worn out and more than a few appeared to be dead inside, their eyes soulless and empty.

While it had been some time since the initial transition, HideYourMen, now known as Danielle, was still having trouble coming to terms with her transformation and was having a bit of an identity crisis. It had not helped matter that pretty much every bit of clothing the young woman now owned was rather skimpy. This made any admiring glances or downright lecherous gazes from the residents of this world feel all the more gross. While he was now a gorgeous woman, he had been a man and certainly had no interest in other men. Role playing in the game world as a seductress had been hilarious fun but now it was real and no longer age restricted. His game build was coming back to bite him in a lot of mental ways.

"The first thing I'm going to do is to buy some decent clothing. Good heavens I know the stats are good on these things but now that its real, it's just downright embarrassing!" Danielle shivered a little when she felt a passing gaze from someone heading the other way.

"If we ever return to our world, I will never use skimpy equipment on a female character ever again."

@BurningDaisies @Stern Algorithm @Baraquiel

@hivekiller



After days of travel and besting all the wilds have to offer, a lone traveler emerges from a deep morning fog into a clearing littered with the remnants of long-forgotten temples.

Several aged marble columns have stood the test of time. Their deep colors have been weathered and choked by clinging vines. Little more than the bones of some grand edifice long since crumbled to dust, but these noble archways remain, curved and broken like the ribs of a leviathan with jagged stone steps leading into its maw.

Cloying silver mists thicken the air within these ancient ruins and fill its dark corners with a sense of gloom and mystery. Several small pools of water are scattered throughout the overgrown courtyard, and wherever darkness lingers over them, the water’s surface is pitch dark void from which the light of distant stars faintly emanates. The eerie black pools occluded by shadow reflect nothing and are strangely mesmerizing to behold. The more one focuses upon on them, the more it seems that the night sky reflected on their surface is real, despite the sun’s blatant insistence that its actually mid-day. Brilliant golden light cuts through the fog in a wide swath, as if a wedge of sunny warmth were sliding through the cold misty veil of night. The sunlight illuminates a weathered bas-relief carved from the side of a half-crumbled temple wall.

A lone minotaur finds itself staring at the surreal view before it and the relief sculpture curiously depicting a stout bull-headed creature much like itself. Each eye is an empty socket and easily could contain an object roughly the same size and shape as a marble.

The driver was briefly stunned silent by Selena's quick, matter-of-fact reply; her cheerful confidence and Yasha's disarmingly sweet words left him slightly flustered. Justifiable paranoia had caused him to expect the worst, but this was a good start, even if he was still wary of the trio. His features softened, but he kept his hand firmly gripped upon the hilt of his concealed blade.

"A-Ah yes... Good morning!" He managed to haphazardly grumble out. His accent was heavy, earthy, and fraught with the long drawl only a layman could effect flawlessly--obviously not one educated in the upper echelons of society.
"The name is Lessig. Lessig Rhoun. I'd be troubled to leave you girls all by your lonesome. I have daughter your age. Can't help worrying sometimes." He cleared his throat before continuing. His guarded posture seemed to relax and his previously concealed hand came to groom the tip of his mustache in a sagely manner. He had sized up each of them at a glance, and knew he wouldn't have a good chance of escaping, let alone winning. As the wheels turned and he came to a decision, he silently recited a prayer to himself.
"May the gods and saints preserve me."

"You have the right of it Miss," he said at last, nodding towards Yasha. " There's plenty of room in the back, so you won't be fighting for space. It'd ease my mind, if you'd join me 'til we at least reach the fort at Wolf's Run. I'll wager you girls are heading to Arcos no?"

Despite trying to keep a eye on all three of them, his gaze kept wandering towards the armored fighter of their group. He knew it was a woman; even the female knights carried their weight and postured differently than the men. Lessig was no stranger to mercenaries or warriors, but the prodigious horns and flicking tail had obviously caught his attention though.

"I beg your pardon miss-" His gaze was locked on Senna. "-but it's my first time seeing a dragon-blessed. I know the stories, but it's different seeing it in person. I heard about the horns, but never heard of one growing a tail. The dragon priests must be tripping over themselves to have you join the clergy."

Lessig's ignorance about demonkind was almost encyclopedic. Few merchant's ever survived an encounter with a demon and lived to tell the tale. Rumors of dragon-blessed humans, some with curious draconic features, living out in the world were much more common. It was something of a good omen to meet one, and there were a few who became folk heroes in the southern lands.

---

The rider had noticed the travelers approaching the road, and expertly guided his horse to narrowly avoid them. However, a terrifying presence stopped the horse in its track. While the horse may have came to an impromptu stop, gouging trails into the frost-bitten dirt as it slid sideways, but the rider did not. His right leg snagged the stirrup of his saddle and his shoulder hit the ground with a sickening crunch. He let out a terrible cry muffled by pain as momentum carried him further still. His hat and satchel flew from him as he rolled down the slope of the mountain trail in a wild tumble. He flailed helplessly to slow his descent but the steep grade was too much. He struck soundly against one of the lantern posts marking the trail, and very nearly fell off the ledge not more than a foot or two away. Another scream ripped from his lungs as his he caught the post with his injured arm, yanking hard against broken bone. His legs dangled dangerously over a sheer drop to a rocky outcropping dozens of feet below.

The post groaned against the man's impact and leaned precariously towards the ledge. An obvious crack had weakened it near its base.

The horse stood perfectly still, dreading what would happen if it moved even an inch, Its entire body was shivering in panic. Its eyes were wide as dinner plates and seemed as if, at any moment, it might simply fall over and die of fright.

---

This new YGGDRASIL certainly felt like reality, but Chau had a hard time coming to terms with it. She was determined to escape, but somehow she still couldn't believe it, rather she wouldn't accept that YGGDRASIL was real. Not even her own bestial transformations, strange magic, and heightened senses could shake her determination that it was all a hallucination she had yet to snap out of. Some sliver of herself clung blindly to that possibility, hoping against hope.

It was the vivid technicolor dreams that finally diminished her resolve. No player could dream in YGGDRASIL. But in this new world, it was all too easy wander through the halls of her own memories and find solace in them. Every night the people and places she knew and loved outside the game fluttered through her mind. However, it was always a bittersweet nostalgia that accosted her when she awoke. She had many wonderful memories she wanted to reconnect with it, but her dreams seemed to exist solely to taunt her with what she could not have in this world. It filled her with an unbearable longing. Perhaps if she weren't so fixated on it, she might have noticed sooner that the longing she felt wasn't just for her previous life.

In the few days since she and the others started their travels, her thoughts seemed more and more preoccupied with the weather and snow. She could smell it nearly a kilometer distant and could feel every tiny change in the boreal winds gusting across the mountains on the horizon. Anytime a cold wind blew past her, December felt light, airy, and serene; she yearned to burst into clouds of pure white snow and drift along with it. The more it happened the more she found herself wanting it. Just this morning, a frigid wind captivated her attention and before she realized it, her left hand had disintegrated into tiny motes of snow and ice, wafting in the air as if to join it. They reformed after her fascination was quickly replaced with sheer panic. Luckily, no one was around to see it. If it happened again, she wasn't sure if should could stop herself and simply be carried away on the wind, never to be seen again. Some part of her desperately wished for that. Which scared her more than anything else she had experience so far.

In YGGDRASIL's lore, the Winter Tyrant was quite literally a force of nature personified, and which often manifested as terrible blizzards and storms. December was slowly beginning to realize what she was becoming, or perhaps what she already was.

Wearing her heart on her sleeve would only cause the others to worry, she thought. They were all dealing with their own problems, so letting hers trouble them would only add fuel to the fire. Hiding her fear and anxiety behind a convincing facade of smiles might be unhealthy, but it seemed necessary, at least until there was a better time and place to deal with it.

~

Brightwing was no doubt the most urbanized sprawl she had yet seen in this world, but it had none of the glamorous appeal and liveliness she expected of a big city. Despite the pretty architecture in certain districts and the utilitarian layout of the city itself, something was missing. It seemed that everyone's morale had been worn down; the refugees especially, who hopelessly trudged along the sides of the road. There was an acrid tension in the air that drifted into her sensitive nose.

Fear... is it? How can I even smell that?

December wrinkled her nose, having obviously caught a whiff of something unpleasant, and narrowed her eyes at a few of the passer-bys wearing haggard and vacant expressions.

"The first thing I'm going to do is to buy some decent clothing. Good heavens I know the stats are good on these things but now that its real, it's just downright embarrassing!" Danielle shivered a little when she felt a passing gaze from someone heading the other way.

"If we ever return to our world, I will never use skimpy equipment on a female character ever again."

"You poor thing. We'll buy you something a bit more... modest." December chimed in quickly, all too happy to be distracted by Danielle's complaints. She really did pity her circumstances, and placed a comforting hand on her back. It was no doubt difficult to adjust to the opposite gender.
"If you like, I can transmute your equipment into something else. We'll have to find a safe place for you to changes clothes though. I can't work on it, while it's equipped to you."

A stray thought popped in her head. "Oh! Speaking of buying things... Do they still use the same currency as YGGDRASIL? I wonder how much the raw crafting materials I have are worth?"

She plucked a small piece of rough orihalcum from between the folds of her thin sash and held it to the light, eyeing it thoughtfully. The valuable shard of metal in her hand was one of dozens just like it. Only other players might guess that her sash functioned identically to an extradimensional storage box.

"I am yours to command, my lord." Revenmar stated to Emile before they began their journey.

---------

Revenmar followed the group of his choosing. Grateful that they had decided to let him follow them on their journey. The towering knight walked behind his Gods, occasionally glancing behind to make sure they weren't being followed. Was it paranoia that compelled him to do this or something else entirely? Perhaps his instincts to protect his Gods? Or was it personal choice? Yes... maybe it was his choice to look behind them to make sure they weren't being followed. They certainly didn't tell him to do it, but Revenmar still felt a sense of pride swell up inside him. He wanted to do it, that was good. The small freedom was precious to him.

As the hours went by without pause, the only news came from Lord Carreau who had the ability to fly. The news caused some alarm to Revenmar, he was after all, a human and beasts were eating his kind. However, at the same time, he was confident in his abilities that he could kill some lowly beasts and his mind began to wander again.

It wasn't unknown to him, flying, but he was very impressed with his God's abilities in the air. Lord Carreau was a natural of course. He even felt a pang of jealousy, something that was alien to him before, over the ability to fly. Revenmar found himself daydreaming about what it would be like to fly and be free up above in the great blue skies. Little frightened him, but falling to his death was one of them. There was no control, no ability to chose how to die. Whether it be in combat or dying honorably on a battle somewhere, that he could do. Simply falling though, that was inexcusable. What would his creator think of him?

Throughout the journey, he took note of the God's he accompanied. Lady Kallahar was a proud figure and most likely a formidable opponent. Best not to be trifled with. Lord Carreau took to the skies more often then naught, so he did not seem him a lot besides the occasional report me made to them, but he sure to always be watching them from a distant when he could. After all, Lady Lenore XIII was related to him, but he couldn't see the resemblance. The Lady Lenore XIII was a mystery to him, she was a God but seemed to abhor her very presence. When they first started out, she hid her head in shame. For whatever the reason, Revenmar did not know and when he glanced at her now, he could see tears at times. The Knight pondered what might be troubling her, but came to no sound conclusions. She was a God after all, they weren't supposed to be so... emotional? No, that wasn't right. What was it then? All the same, he felt he was doing a poor job at protecting his God's if one of them was crying.

So Revenmar silently made his way to her, taking his stride and matching her speed. He cleared his throat.

"My Lady, I could not help but notice that something has been causing you distress throughout the journey so far. I apologize for not coming forward sooner. Is there anything I can do to help you? Anything at all? Just ask and I will not hesitate to act." His intentions rang pure in his mind, he only wanted what was the best for her. It was one of the only things he could do.

Soon after, Lord Carreau broke through the sky, and headed for them. When he arrived, he without pause he told them of the village up ahead. A human village. His own kind. Interesting that they would be in a place that seemed infested with the beasts that ate them. Curious indeed.

He spoke, "Lord Carreau, this I believe is a good idea. If it is at all helpful, I am human as well. This is all I have to say I think."

Feeling satisfied with himself, he would wait for what would happen next.

@TheFake@Lugubrious

@BurningDaisies @IceHeart @Baraquiel

For days they traveled, and whenever the gods slept, Lexus Dominiel, the sleepless machine stood sentinel. It did not question their need for sleep, assuming that it was merely part of their ploy to act and behave as mortals. For the most part, Lexus Dominiel did not speak unless spoken to, though it offered assistance and servitude occasionally.

Many of the gods' conversations were above Lexus Dominiel's ability to comprehend, phrases like 'game', 'menu', 'builds', no doubt referring to some metaphysical allegory. Though Lexus Dominiel was immune to being charmed, 'Danielle's' presence made Lexus Dominiel uncomfortable, only because she was a god of the darkness. Lexus Dominiel pondered on the necessity of evil, but acquiesced that the wisdom of the gods was not to be questioned.

Upon arriving in Brightwing, Lexus Dominiel turned to December and Danielle, "My Mistresses, if you have no immediate need of my servitude, it would be my desire to investigate the religion of these mortals to ascertain whether they follow the True Path or not. If they do not..." Lexus Dominiel clenched it's disguised, mail-gloved fists in righteous indignation, "...I will refrain from punishing them without your permission. I will leave them to their folly and hope they repent in due time. Mistress Himiko, as a priestess, I'm sure you, no doubt, would also like to know about the religion of the land."

---

"Then we will be in your care, Sir Lessig!" Selena replied cheerfully once the man gave them his permission to ride on his carriage. It wasn't because she was tired that she was glad to have a carriage to ride on, since she now had superhuman strength and endurance after all, but it was because it's a nice change of pace. She always wanted to hitch a ride on a carriage just like a real adventurer would.

After that was settled, Selena became the first to climb the carriage on the back. Like the man had said, there was indeed plenty of room in the back, though there were no seats so they had to sit on the floor of the wagon. Selena took the spot nearest to the exit, just so she could feel the breezes.

So we're heading to Arcos, huh? It should be a while until we arrive at Wolf's Run. I could take a little nap now.

And so she did eventually, sleeping in a sitting position as the breezes slowly but surely carried her to dreamland. Unfortunately for her however, without her knowing, she lifted her legs and brought it closer to her chest. And with her skirt's hem being above her knee, she ended up displaying her pink panties to whomever was sitting opposite of her.

Indeed. This habit came from her former self in the real world. She just couldn't stop moving around while sleeping.

---

"Th..That way..." A man raised his hand up, pointing at the direction where he just came from. It felt like fear just found him and spoke to him in its cackling voice. It told his legs to go weak, his stomach to lurch and his heart to ache. Any human would freak out just like he did whenever they saw a minotaur, not to mention that it was a minotaur with almost twice of an adult human's height. Although that SilverCoffee was just asking the guy for a direction to the nearest civilization, but somehow it looked like SilverCoffee was robbing the poor human from other's perspective. SilverCoffee was surprised that they both somehow shared the same language. "I'm just a traveler...P-Please have mercy." The guy called himself a traveler, but the equipment suggest a total different story. His breastplate seems to be made from several separate pieces which were layered on top of each other. It covers everything from the guy's neck down and ending at the groin and his upper legs were covered by a skirt of diagonal layers of leather and fur reaching below the groin. He even had a small, slim, warped blade made of bronze, held by a grip wrapped in lavish, bronze scaled leather. Despite the fact that it looked like a daylight robbery, SilverCoffee thanked the human and continued on his way towards the direction he was given just now.

Two days had passed since SilverCoffee last saw the adventurer he accidentally frightened. He started to wonder if the guy gave him the wrong direction or just too frightened to give any informations. Wandering alone in a strange new world, SilverCoffee found himself lost in the middle of a forest. SilverCoffee could not move without a plant hitting his face. There was no familiar sight, no sound other than the waterfall in the distant and bird chirping. In the morning fog there was no way to know which direction to go, the usual landmarks were hidden behind the thick white that swirled so densely. Thanks to the "realism patch" the game Yggdrasil got few days ago, SilverCoffee was unable to bring up any sort of useful tools such as the world map.

When SilverCoffee was still finding a clear path for himself to leave the forest, he stumbled across a ruins. A fallen building in a murky forest marks the entrance of the ruins. SilverCoffee's curiosity got the best of him and so he decided to went inside for a look. The light shone through the wintry branches, shadowy arms stretching across the ancient ruins. What was left stood in spite of itself, defying gravity in its precarious way. Yet, this place, kept secret by the trees, was safe. He can't say for the others but he felt a strange aura when he first stepped inside. The columns and those statues were the only complete thing, most of the structures had worn and crumbled.

SilverCoffee was moving very slowly, trying not to disturb anything that might be lurking in the ruins. Since SilverCoffee had no chance to try out how the combat or magic works in this new world, he would try his best to avoid any unnecessary fight. As he was getting closer to those statues, he was able to recognized those faces and structures on those statues. A bull-head beastman just like himself. Under those supposedly minotour sculptures were a line of weird looking pictographs and words that were roughly carved, alongside them were piles of ashes and some rotten foods. They were being worshiped, they were their gods and this ruins looked like a ruined temple or graveyards for the beastman.

~Senna~

@Hammerman@13org

---

Oh...well, now this was an interesting development? Dragon blessed? That would make things easier for her, though she wouldn't really be able to take off the armor in public. Small price to pay for not being ousted as a demon. Senna smirked under the helmet, shrugging in a dismissive manner as the man mentioned something about a clergy. Something she'd need to look into if she was going to play the part in any cohesive manner. It'd be fun to see how long she could keep the charade up, wouldn't it? Heh, she wanted to play with him a little...

"Heh, well they haven't gotten me to join yet." She replied with a light chuckle. "It's not really my thing, unfortunately for them. I get...restless if I'm not traveling." She walked to the back of the carriage, "Thanks for the lift~" Senna giggled in what was definitely a flirty manner as she passed him. The demon climbed into the back of the carriage easily enough, considering her ample strength, it was easy enough...though considering she was now only going to be sitting, she might need something else to distract herself with.

Unlike Selena, The demon sat near the front of the carriage, near Lessig. Acros, huh? And a fort before that! Heh, it sounded like so much fun, didn't it? She wondered if the fellows at the fort might say anything about her...though it might be best to make herself scarce, just for simplicity sake...but that sounded difficult, and she didn't feel like dealing with anything difficult right now.

For now though, she'd focus on something to keep her boredom levels down.

Like playing with Lessig.

"So, Lessig...I can call you Lessig can't I?" She spoke in a seemingly friendly tone - definitely a bit overly familiar, perhaps. "So what do you do, hm? Rather dangerous to be traveling alone isn't it?"


@drewccapp@Spanner

---

Well, that happened about as Lena expected it.

The Guard was the first to react, practically leaping into action despite her heavy armaments. The elf dove, sliding a bit of a way down the slope herself before slamming the bottom of her shield into the side of the ground to slow herself to a halt just within the reach of the man. Using her free hand, she grabbed the man by his uninjured shoulder, roughly pulling him up over the slope and giving him something to cling to other than a rickety lamp post.

"OOOW." A tiny voice could be heard inside of Lena's breastplate. "Note to self - banging your head against cold, heartless, armor Armor not as soft as Lena's own heartless, cruel, and loveless bosom." The fairy fluttered out from Lena's armor, observing the situation from a few feet above the Elf. Lena didn't reply to the fairy, only grunting with a bit of effort as she pulled the man up the slope and onto his feet, using her shoulder to support him. The arm with the shield, she used as a pick of sorts to help them climb the slope back up to solid ground.

"There we are," Lena said softly with a friendly smile, as she let the man go once they had climbed back to the road. "Try not and go so fast on such a dangerous road next time. That could have been terrible if something worse happened." Lena almost sounded like she was a concerned parent giving a child a scolding. "Let me see your injuries - I may not be the best healer in the business but I can at least do this much." She placed a gentle hand on the mans injured shoulder, a soft glow covering the injured area.

"Hehe, so modest unlike your bosom Lena." The fairy giggled from over the elf's shoulder. Before the fairy could react, her face met Lena's shield hard enough to send the fairy on a crash landing over the cliff. "B-but that was a complimeeeeent!"

"Ahem...now where were we?" The elf turned her attention back towards healing the mans minor injuries.

---

Cain was utterly mad. How could a being as feeble as the rider, who couldn't even handle such a small fall dare to dirty his clothes? It was simply away too preposterous! A weakling like him should prostrate a beg him for mercy before even daring to do such an unsightly thing as crying in his great presen-... What in hell is happening with me!? The human-turned-devil couldn't help but scream internally as he noticed how devious his own thoughts were for a second, horrified by how he actually felt that what he did with the poor hider was not only completely justified but even lacking in severity for a second. This isn't me. I'd never... For a second he couldn't help but shiver, terrified by this newfound side of himself. What was going on with him? Were did he take such an overwhelming pride and shocking brutality come from? Since when was he such a monstrous being!?

"Are you sure this is the best way to introduce ourselves to the locals? Wouldn't you rather enjoy a hot meal and a good warm drink?"

"I-... I didn't meant to." He said, his skin getting even more pale as the shock received by the sudden loss of temper was clearly shown in his face. "It just... I just..." He couldn't help but lift his hands, horrifiedly staring the now human-like apendages - lacking the claws of his true form - for a moment as he tried to make sense of what was happening with him. "I think there's something wrong with me." He said in a low voice - though hardly low enough to pass by unnoticed by his party - clearly unsafe about the reason behind his actions. The aura of brutality that was previously released by his body completely vanishing as he once more seemed to be just a normal elf - as his demonic characteristics were hidden by the illusion.

---

@Rune_Alchemist@drewccapp

@Stern Algorithm@BurningDaisies@IceHeart

There's a difference between being tired physically and being tired emotionally, and I think I'm feeling both.

Not that I'm complaining, but I would've arrived at Brightwing hours earlier before these snails. December can change into whatever freaking animal she wants, Lexus can fly and make Danielle (picking a nickname that's close to his true name isn't helping me forget he was a man before) fly as well, but no: they decided to take their leisure time in exploring by walking.

On the other hand, I don't blame them: the environment in this world feels more... full of life. Maybe it's because magic is rampant in this world or its residents all have green thumbs. The sky is magnificent, the rivers and lakes pristine, even the grass is greener here too. It's definitely cleaner that Earth, that's for sure.

Another thing I'm sure of is that I'm very homesick. I'm pretty certain we would arrive at Brightwing if we have a car, our phones have GPS so we can always know where to go, heck we can even make a drive-thru at Mcdonald's (oh that's right, I'm half-bird. Sorry cousins). My laptop, the love of my life, where art thou? I'm fairly certain I was just done with OHSHC. I'm also definitely missing the Internet right now. How I miss those days where I can just plug in my earphones and listen to Mrsuicidesheep so I can ignore people whenever I commute.

Alas, those days are gone and the only music I can hear now is the sound of Danielle complaining of wearing skimpy clothes. They say you can judge a person's personality based on the clothes he's wearing. Well, that's that.

You might be thinking, Gee, Himitsu, why are you so cold towards Danielle? Let me just say that I had an experience once when a guy dressed up as a girl to get into the ladies locker room after our Phys Ed class. Needless to say the event included two bloody noses, tons of flying underwear, and a spatula. Perhaps I'll tell you later.

I watch as December pat Danielle's back and say some reassuring things. While I do think the guy is still creepy for me, the situation we're in is drastically different and we can only survive this world if we stick together.

"Well, I'm pretty sure the money we always use in buying stuff here before it was just a game would still be applicable to this world's IRL economy, but that's just me though", I said. "To be really sure, we need to ask one of the store owners about it."

I turn to Danielle. Oh my god, when up close, her clothes are really, really sultry. These creepy guys who keep on looking at her like they're devouring her in their minds are so ew. I spread and put my wing across Danielle's back so I can at least cover her back. "Geez, Danielle, this is a lot of unwanted attention. At least I know what celebrities feel like when they go out in public."

Upon arriving in Brightwing, Lexus Dominiel turned to December and Danielle, "My Mistresses, if you have no immediate need of my servitude, it would be my desire to investigate the religion of these mortals to ascertain whether they follow the True Path or not. If they do not..." Lexus Dominiel clenched it's disguised, mail-gloved fists in righteous indignation, "...I will refrain from punishing them without your permission. I will leave them to their folly and hope they repent in due time. Mistress Himiko, as a priestess, I'm sure you, no doubt, would also like to know about the religion of the land."

How the heck do I answer that question? It didn't even say my name right.

"Dear Lexus, first of it's not Himiko, it's Himitsu. Second, while it is interesting to know their religion, I do believe there are much more important things that we have to discuss first, like a place we can sleep in and a place where we can eat 'cause I'm really, really hungry right now. If you really want to though, go ahead. Just please stay close to us so won't lose each other, yeah?", I say to Lexus.

God, I hope we won't go into trouble because of him.

@Spanner@Rune_Alchemist

Vander started moving shortly after Lena dove to assist the endangered rider. He held no anger towards Cain. He simply disliked a messy first impression with a new people. The Watcher stepped in to assist where needed, but Lena appeared to have everything under control for the most part. He felt some surprise at how calm he was under pressure. Warrick would never have been this calm in any real life situation. Maybe it was because he was in the game? He always had incredible focus while playing.

"Perhaps," Vander responded to Cain's last statement. "Either that or we are exactly what we are."

He scanned the horizon for anyone else that may have seen this situation unfold. Unwanted guests would only cause more problems. The rider had been traveling at a quick pace, so either he was running from something or he was delivering something urgent. He had no responsibility for the rider, however if anything happened to his team there would be hell to pay. He trusted Lena to handle the rider well enough and for Tania to add some levity to the situation. He could tell Cain would be fine for now.

"At least he isn't dead," Vander commented neutrally. "It's possible he didn't even hear you, Cain."

Vander picked up the satchel and hat of the rider and returned them to him. "Here, this must be important."

He could care less what the contents were. The only objective here was the gather intel and goodwill. "We can get you to the village safe and sound. However, we are new to the area and find ourselves without a map due to unfortunate circumstances. We need information about where we are. Would you be bothered if you told us while we make our way to a warm and safe place to stay the night?"

 

Kallahar put her finger and her thumb in her mouth to let out an eery, bone chilling whistle. A dozen paces away the earth exploded upwards and outwards as a gaunt horse burst forth. It's dessicated, leathery skin stretched tight over bone.

Well, that was certainly more impressive than usual.

---

The undead steed made no sound save that of it's steps on the trail. Kallahar was likewise silent behind her mask. She was thankful for the aid provided by Emile, invaluable in the unknown area. The Death knight had travelled the entirety of what had been thus far explored of Yggdrasil but all the had been seen so far was unknown.

She took the news about the beastmen with a characteristic stoicism and that of the village equally. Under the mask though, there was some excitement. This was an area in conflict and such areas always brought her some entertainment.

"You would do well to perhaps observe Ravenmar from a distance. Your features might not be seen as friendly if what you say is true. I have no problem staying here."

@Lord Zee@Lugubrious

The rider let out a muffled groan as Lena pulled him away from the edge and began tending to his wounds. When he finally opened his bleary eyes to behold the regal elven beauty and her refreshing smile, for a moment, he believed he had already died, and some holy saintess had come from heaven to collect his soul.
The spreading warmth from her healing magic brought him back to reality however. While there was no pain, the bones and sinew stitching itself back together was a strange and uncomfortable feeling, like rocks grinding and snakes wriggling under his skin.

He shuffled back on instinct when the small fae creature fluttered out of his savior's armour. He was about to protest and begin reciting a protective chant, but the little fairy seemed more fixated on the elf's ample bosom than cursing him. If he were a little less sober, he'd probably be loudly praising them too. He was left speechless when his savior casually batted the fairy away like an annoying insect. He snorted a laugh at the comedic scene.

"And here I thought I was done for. Elves, fairies... If you're willing to risk yourself to save me, you can't be too bad." A slight grin tugged on the edge of his lips. "Strange maybe, but not bad."

"It seems you little fairy friend is a live one. I appreciate you saving me, so I'll give you some advice: Don't let anyone around here see her. There's evil fae in these mountains who are all too happy to lead travelers astray and harass them until they starve or freeze to death. To tell the truth, I thought she was one until she opened her mouth." He winced a little as he let out a quick chuckle; the nerves around his shoulder still ached. "The evil ones aren't that talkative, but the people around here are the cautious type, and tend to stab first and ask questions later."

He leaned back groggily and took in a few deep breaths, still trying to calm the adrenaline rush. "I'm Rath by the way."

Before he could continue introductions, another elf approached, calmly retrieving his hat and satchel for him. He squinted up at the fellow, trying to look past the whitewash of sunlight shining through the heavy clouds and obscuring his features.

He looked over his satchel, inspecting it for damage. A few glances across the slope thankfully revealed nothing had fallen out of it.
"If you're looking for someplace safe and warm, then you've come to the exact wrong place. Everything near the Frostfell is cold and barren. But... If you don't mind fighting someone for one of the good floor spots, the adventurer's lodge at Whiteside over there has a nice big fireplace." He pointed with his chin at the wooden log house perched in the center of the gully ahead.

Rath curiously looked over the two elves and at their other party member standing a distance away.
"You know... I'm a bit amazed you made it out this far without a guide. Maps are useless here. When the seasonal ice melts and the glaciers shift, everything changes. The safe paths disappear, and others open up. This trail is the only reliable path in and out of the mountains. It leads from Whiteside to the Giant Downs in the foothills below."

Rath caught sight of his mount and narrowed his eyes suspiciously. Odd. For being the most rebellious stud in the stable, something has gotten him so scared he won't move.
He hadn't noticed the fear magic at all really. His innate talent made him immune to magical fear effects.
"I appreciate the help, but... if you don't mind my asking, what did you do to my horse? I've never seen him act like that."

Split into two groups, the intrepid foursome makes first contact with the people of this world



Nobody disagreed with Emile's assessment and following suggestion. It was with some surprise that the Comet Chaser noted this; had he really been so lucky to land himself a couple of companions who didn't try to assert themselves at every opportunity in the vein of so many players? That said, not everyone explicitly approved of the idea, either. Emile's words served as another painful reminder to his niece about her new, monstrous form, and her relative amorphousness almost allowed her to actually shrink down in unhappiness. Her uncle wasn't the only one who noticed her discomfort, however. Revanmar had addressed her a brief time ago, and now -after a few moment to collect her thoughts- Lenore opted to respond.

”Um...thanks, sir, but...I don't think you can help me with this. I just have to get...get over it, I guess.” Knowing what had to be done and doing it were two different things, and even though the thought of coming to terms with this nightmare did not lift her spirits, it was plain that the knight's genuine desire to help had brought her some reassurance at least. Nobody was showing disgust with her, as she feared, but at the moment she counted her company a cadre of special cases. When an average person showed up, she woefully knew, she would be treated to all the horrified repulsion a Shoggoth realistically deserved.

Once again, Emile's hand came down on her shoulder, but this time he pulled her into a brief hug. “Don't worry 'bout it, Li. Brave little lady like you can do it no problem.” He turned to Revenmar, and gave him a discrete nod of thankfulness before addressing the group. [color=5D8AA8]”Alright then, let's check out this town.”

As much as he wanted to further indulge in the incomparable sensation of flying, Emile kept himself grounded as he and Revenmar began their expedition in order to avoid drawing attention. Feeling maybe a little too confident from the high of soaring through the air, he did not prowl forward with a hand on the hilt of a sword, but instead strode at a brisk pace. The grass underfoot, though wild, was kept from growing too thick by the lack of consistent sun filtering through the roof of leaves above, but while the underbrush wasn't too profuse either, the trees certainly were. A rich, ruddy shade for the most part, they grew in greater proximity to one another than one might expect, and their gnarled roots curled and clawed at the soil like giants' fingers.

The pair continued for a short time, navigating the thick forest without any real difficulty, until a shout reached them through the trees. “Good morning! Pray identify yourself.” Not too surprisingly, Emile could tell with nary a second's delay where from the sophisticated yet reedy voice originated. Owl ears coming in handy already. He looked toward the voice's source, but was not prepared for what he saw.

Standing to the pair's right, on top of a fallen log, was a lanky man in what appeared to be scholarly robes with pointed ears, pale skin, what appeared to be eye shadow, and a mint-green pompadour of all things. An open book was clasped in his left hand, and the fellow appeared to be in some sort of stance. A mage? While Emile stared, a readout appeared on his visor.



More noise told the strigiforme that this bizarre individual was not alone. In an instant Emile's mind was racing with how to best deal with the situation. A number of thoughts flew by, more than a few drafted earlier while he was flying. He didn't want to step on Revenmar's toes, but he needed to take initiative here in order to assuage the fears of whomever these people were. As he began to speak, Emile kept two points in mind: the obvious human-beast conflict in the region, and the secret nature of the town. If he messed up on either front, he'd give himself away.

“Morning. Emile, mercenary.” He gave his companion a chance to introduce himself as well. ”You caught me off guard there! Thought you were one of those damn beasts for a second. What're you doing out in the middle of the woods?”

The strange magician's eyes were nothing but scrutinizing, but they held little hostility. After a moment he lowered his hand a touch. Being an enemy of his enemy was, evidently, good enough for a smidgen of trust. “Mistook me for a beastman? What, you haven't been confronted with Bunnies as of late, have you? If you have, I confess myself devoid of envy. Furry freaks.” He only seemed to acknowledge Emile's question after a moment. “Oh! In pursuit of a Vulp scouting party. Cleanup duty, if you will. What, may I ask, brings you out to this remote neck of the woods?”

Lot of questions. Makes sense for someone trying to hide his activities. Trying to figure out how much I know, but I don't even know what a Vulp is. Beastmen, maybe? It struck him that he hadn't gone over any sort of plan with Revenmar. If the two of them told different lies at the same time, just like in the movies, their new acquaintance would know something was amiss. “Traveling, looking for work,” he replied, quickly as possible. “If you couldn't tell from our gear, we're not from around here.”

A chuckle escaped the mage's lips. “I supposed as much. Your armor in particular, sir knight, is nothing short of incredible. Even the highest order of knights under our Empress don't have such dazzling equipment. I would have thought you were some sort of lord were it not for the sparseness of your company. I, ah, hope you'll forgive my manners. Around here, we maintain a high alert. My name is Randall.” He turned his head to the side and called in a louder voice, “All is well. You may reveal yourselves.”

From on either side of Revenmar and Emile there emerged another man, one with an axe and another with a bow. The axeman was a muscular old man with voluminous white hair, a stern face with kindly eyes, and dark skin. His counterpart was short, stocky, bespectacled, and balding. The former was dressed in light brown and murky red workman's gear, while the latter bore worn, dity clothing of a style perhaps befitting a noble, and of the two the axe-wielder was the first to speak. “Good mornin'. I hope our precautions didn't offend ye, sirs. I'm Effin Ualiel, and this here's Oswalt. If yer lookin' for work, there's a village very near here that can always use more help, but it is impertinent to keep it a secret from the beastmen. Even if ye don't, I reckon ye could use some food n' rest before ye carry on.” He did not flash an unnecessarily familiar smile, but the generosity that his words implied spoke enough about his kindly character.

Emile glanced at Revenmar to see if he had any questions or concerns about accepting the strange trio's hospitality. They didn't seem dishonest, but even if they were, what could they really do? The thought was a strange and worrying one—not having to care about the consequences of bad judgment because of one's power. It also occurred to Emile that he could not afford to take off his helmet in public, or if he did, to try and make a big deal out of having abandoned his kin, since for all intents and purposes he was a beastman, too. It would be tricky going.



For all their barbarity, beastmen weren't stupid. Their animalistic cunning combined with intelligence resembling human, more so in some races than others, to accomplish such things as winning as the war against the Draconic Kingdom. As such, when the 2nd Order scouting group of the Vulp Tribe's warriors spotted a pair of strange figures standing upon an old dirt path that separated hill from woods, the foxmen lay hidden to observe.

One appeared human, though clad in menacing armor that the foxes knew would confound their short swords, knives, spears, and even arrows unless they managed to sneak them in through chinks in the plate. Based on that alone, and the ominous feeling that radiated from her, the beastmen did not feel inclined to attack. Yet, when they looked closely at the second figure, they could not help but to feel a rage boiling inside them. The fleshy being before them was a loathsome abomination, a disgusting thing that made them want to slaughter her and burn her to cinders. Her very existence was an insult, a mistake that they longed to correct.

In a few minutes, a conclusion was reached. Two of the foxes retreated to find reinforcements, and the remaining six fanned out before moving in. They rushed from cover to cover, low to the ground and difficult to detect, getting closer all the while. Finally, when the squad was in range, the beastmen burst from their cover and charged. One remained behind to shoot arrows, while the other five surged toward Lenore as one.

”Huh!?” The sudden noise and commotion startled her, and by the time she turned an arrow had already lodged itself in her midriff. ”Agh!” Yet, the noise she made was one more of fear than pain, for the next moment the arrow fell out and landed in the dirt. Lenore stared at it, then at the incoming foxmen. ”...Huh?” She said again, quieter this time. Two assailants leaped toward her at once, causing her to flinch.