---

---

"I'll keep it in mind." Katherine answered. Really now... She didn't want to go back to that accursed place. She needed to meet with the woman she made a promise with though... Well, it wasn't too amazingly late. Maybe a drink, rest her legs and play it by ear. She joined Livia and took the seat next to her. "Give me something too, though not too strong. She's paying for me like the good sister she is." Katherine said. Ohh boy did her legs hurt. She was glad to sit at all really.

"But yes, let's agree not to go down there if we don't have to though I think I have a good feel for the place now." The woman added, making a mental map of what she could remember. "That aside, maybe we should drop off what we have now so we don't lose them between tonight and tomorrow somehow? This town is all sorts of messed up if you ask me and I wouldn't put it past someone to try and screw with us."

---

---

Once the girl was stable, Antaeus breathed a sigh of relief. Now all they had to do was figure out how to take back some form of proof--it would probably take him and the orc both to carry the girl, but there was no way they could carry the stag as well. But other deer hunters always kept trophies--the horns, the pelts, things like that. If only they had something to dress the deer with in the first place, though...could he use his javelins, or his pick? Probably not without making a much bigger mess than necessary.

While he thought about this he walked around the edge of the White Stag's trail, and easily found a stick that would serve as the other side of the stretcher frame. But he also saw, almost as if by chance, a glitter of something metal in the bushes. Blinking curiously, he leaned down and picked it up. It was some kind of steel object, incredibly well made...and as he grabbed one side of it between two fingers to lift it, it folded open on some kind of hinge! There was a blade inside! Antaeus had seen a folding pocket knife before, but somehow this one seemed much more...complex? The blade wasn't just on a hinge, it looked like it had a tiny spring, and the handle seemed to require a kind of flipping motion to open. Where had something like this come from? Did it belong to the girl? Her clothes had seemed somewhat odd, after all.

But, now that they had this knife...

"Hey, mister!" Antaeus called to the orc as he returned with the knife in one hand and the wooden stick in the other. "If you'll use this to finish the stretcher and help me take her back to Frontier Town, I'm going to try and dress the stag. We need to take back proof that we brought it down for the reward!"

The orc had been very helpful thus far, which brightened Antaeus's spirits and gave him hope that they'd make it out of this yet. He hated to waste food, coming from a rather poor family that sometimes struggled to make ends meet--especially when his younger sister had been born--but if they left the meat of the stag here, maybe whatever wild creatures were here would be drawn to it and not to the three two-legged targets trying to get back to town. All they needed was the pelt of the stag. The boy was sure its distinctive silver color and texture would be enough proof. If he had the time or skill, he might try to take at least one of its horns as well...but the pelt was his priority.

After all, he wasn't even a hundred percent sure he knew how to do this in the first place...

There was no one to hear Ethan. As he would approach the village there was nothing but an empty chair and the brazier. Even those torches he saw from afar was nowhere to be seen. The village was quiet. As he would go through he would not spot a single soul as the mudstone buildings had their windows shuttered, their doors locked, and not even a whisper if Ethan tried to listen inside. It was quiet. Too quiet. There was, however, some rustling in a distance. The source was uncertain but it came in the direction of a large two story building. From the sign that showed a fat sack, perhaps this was a general store. Logically, this would be where Ethan has to pick up his supplies. But just like the rest of the buildings the store was closed up for the night. This was the final place for pick ups. Perhaps it's not too late to turn back now having obtained 2/3 of what he was suppose to have obtained. After all he had arrived here late at night.

What will our hero do?

@Searat

---

Livia would be served personally by Sips, who takes the vouchers and puts them underneath the counter. "Righty there miss, one Magic Hammer coming right up." Sips hops off his stool and goes grabs a metal bottle and lightly shakes it. When he opens it glowing blue fumes come out of the bottle as he mixes up the drink for Livia, douring the vibrant translucent blue booze along with a single candied cherry. By the time the cherry floated to the top it almost looked like it was floating on blue mist, but as the drink settled it would become clear and almost invisible. "Magic Hammer. A minty magic mead. Enjoy." Sips says with a nod as he goes to the kitchen to handle some orders.

By this time the tavern was starting to fill up with other patrons, mostly townfolk and a few militiamen. Some noticed Livia and spoke in hush whispers, one who even had the courage to come sit next to her. He seemed a young man; likely younger than Livia herself. He ordered a Pegasus Ale as he worked up the nerve to say something. "Ah, hi there. You must be new in town, right? I'm Petr, a soldier in the militia. What's your name?" He seemed polite enough. His mates were watching from another table to see how successful he would be in charming the foreign beauty.

@Rune_Alchemist

---

The older gentleman chuckled. "Not like we just founded a new nation here. Most of the items we have was brought back from home, and this is just the surplus. We're still expanding and hopefully before long we'll get more regular customers to buy up old inventory." When Jo tried to spook the man, he was certainly frighten. And if Jo would've looked carefully, he would've noticed the man was so frighten that he already had a knife pouted directly at Jo's groin. It was a small hooked knife, like a talon. Easy to hide and liable to rip and tear instead of stabbing. Even after Jo explained his case, the older gentleman simply moved the knife away from his private regions as it vanished up his sleeve.

"Hmph. Well, depends on the type you want to scare. Suppose any sort of young ruffian would be fearful of a blade even if it's not a large one. For intimidation alone, I suppose you'll want a serrated dagger and an open scabbard. Alternatively, the orcs by the mining barracks make some rather brutal looking blades themselves." The man showed Jo the serrated dagger, though it was the only one they had. "This is an old one way before the town got started. A flame dirk they called it since it has a flame shaped blade. It's the only one in stock and not many liked it; the edge pattern made it awkward to cut with and unless you put a lot of strength into it, stabbing with this weapon is strange too. The way I hear it though knives like these were common among witches and the like as ritual knives. So if you want an intimidating weapon by look and history, this might be your best bet. Two gold coins."

@Expolar

---

Just like Livia, Katherine was served up a Magic Hammer mead. Unlike Livia, no one seemed to approach her. In fact many of the patron's didn't seem to notice or avoided her entirely. The only ones who gave her any looks were the workers themselves. They seemed somewhat worried but carried on with their business. The only one who kept an eye on her was the masked elven bouncer Revas. Though it was hard to tell since his mask covered his face, even Katherine could feel his piercing stare as if he was trying to analyze her. Aside from looking however, Revas did nothing and life went on. Though Katherine could feel as if she needed to do something... That there was some business in Underhaven she needed to take care of. The ribbon in her hair felt warm, comforting even. And in Katherine's eyes it seemed to have a soft soothing glow.

@Pyromania99

---

Following Antaeus' direction, the stretcher was made quickly enough. The orc carefully laid the wounded girl onto it and lifted it up. It was difficult on his own but the stretcher was definitely going to hold. However things weren't looking too good on Antaeus's end. The knife he was using was not meant for this sort of work, and the stag's hide was insanely difficult to cut through unlike the typical type of deer. By the time the orc was done with the stretcher Antaeus wouldn't even have finished cutting a single line through the Stag. The orc seemed concerned. "Oi chum, dis ain't da time fer dat. I get dat this must be a great bounty an all dat, but it's already nighttime. I don't wanna meet wotever is out an bout at night round ere, specially not if I gotta carry a wounded doll wif me. Could ye just... Cut off it's head or sumthin? Take it's horns? We gotta go."

@Zeroth

@Lucius Cypher

Dead silence was the only thing that replied to the young man. There were no sign of anyone in the village, not even guards to unjustly threaten him. This silence and peace unnerved Ethan. From what he had heard, this town should have been on high alert to the point that if someone were to even see a traveler approaching they'd call to arms to defend their homes...yet not a soul was present. "Silent and cold, like the first snow of Frost Fall." The man muttered to himself. At least the last town had the decency to acknowledge his presence. There was something that caught his attention though, a faint rustling from a large two storey building. Walking closer to the building, he looks for any sign or clue as to what caused the sounds; or better yet, the supplies he needed to pick up.

---

---

Katherine smiled as she was served her drink. Sharing alcohol with her sister like this? Pretty great. For the most part at least. The woman took a sip of her drink and noticed the room around her... Felt so distant. In fact, she was use to catching eyes whether it be people disgusted with her or enamored. Doubly so, she felt... An oddity flowing through her. An unconscious need. She also felt one specifically sharp stare. An... Elf? Perhaps. It bothered her, but not more than this feeling going through her body. She took another sip of alcohol before noticing the man talking to Livia. She chugged down... Whatever amount was there.

It felt like it hit her hard. A lot harder than it should have. Maybe it was because she was feel hot already? Whatever. She slurred slightly. "You're hitting on her?" She mentioned over to Petr. "Well, too bad. She's my woman already." With a smile, she turned Livia's head towards her own and gave her a good kiss "on the lips." After a couple of seconds of good work, she stopped, wiped her mouth and continued. "And all the woman will be. In time." After declaring her intentions... Real or just making stuff up, she stood up. She stood fine enough, probably. "I feel like there's somewhere I must go." With that, she started to walk toward the nearest entrance to the underground section of the city.

@Lucius Cypher@Pyromania99

---

---

"Thank you, Sips. Today has been...difficult." Livia sighed, taking the drink. Free alcohol, the best kind. High quality too, from the looks of it. Ugh, she was tired, and she just wanted to chug the entire thing in an ungraceful manner, but that would be a bit unbecoming. As Katherine took a seat next to her, she took a sip of the alcohol. "Ahhh...now that's good." She slacked her shoulders, leaning back in her seat. "A good feel? A good feel isn't going to save you from some demon child." Livia sighed. Why must her sister be so troublesome? "I'll do it first thing tomorrow morning before I head off to collect the soul." Would also be easier to explain the hash as well, instead of suddenly dropping this off tonight and then suddenly having it tomorrow morning. "Now why don't-"

She was interrupted by a young lad walking up to her. Livia's smile faltered for a moment as she turned to greet him, the corners of her mouth pursing in a light frown. For a brief instant she thought he might have been here to cause trouble, but no. Judging from his general demeanor he was just a young lad trying too hit out of his strike zone.

Ugh, she wasn't in the mood to flirt and was not particularly interested. Might as well be polite, though.

"...Hello there, petr. A pleasure." She replied coolly. "Livia-"

Once again, interrupted by her sister. Before she could react, Katherine had locked lips with her own, causing Livia to blush slightly from the suddenness of it. Of course, she should have expected her drunk sister would do something. In fact, she was mildly hopeful she would. More fun for her she was almost certain Katherine was about to drag her back to their room, but that hope was quickly dashed as she turned to leave, mentioning something about feeling somewhere she had to go.

It took about three seconds for Livia's mind to catch up.

"Uh, sorry about that Petr." She apologized, wiping her mouth with a sleeve. "My, uh friend, is a...weird drunk. Uh, look, I'll see you later. I'll be here for awhile." Well, that wasn't a no for Petr. She would have given him some dating advice herself but for the moment she had a bigger catch to make herself.

"And where exactly are you going," Livia hurried, catching up to her sister and giving her a hug from behind. "Leaving me hanging after such a passionate kiss? Didn't we agree we were done with that dirty place for tonight? Now why don't we head back to the room and retire for the evening?"

As Ethan approached, the rustling grew louder and more frantic. Then he would soon hear voices. Quiet, yet squeaky, like a child. But it was no child. "Wheres? Wheres the foods? We want to be eatings!" Carefully Ethan may peek around and notice, perhaps to his horror, that the ones here were not villagers or humans; it was goblins. Clad in crude piecemeal armor, wielding iron spiked clubs specked with rust and blood. These goblins obviously have been looting from the dead, as they smelled of waste and death. Ethan could count at least five of them. They haven't noticed him either. They were too busy trying to break into the general store, bashing their clubs against the doors and windows, but they were tightly boarded up. But he should move fast. One started to sniff around and spoke up. "Waits. I smell humans. Or maybe just a human."

@Searat

---

Kathrine would proceed towards the trapdoor entrance that was in the Drunken Dragon itself, with everyone giving her a wide berth. Even when Livia called out for her Katherine wouldn't have heard it. If it wasn't for Livia's hug, she might've not even known that Livia was following her. For a moment she would snap out of it, albeit in a daze. Katherine would have felt as if she had just woken up from a daydream. Perhaps she was just tired. It has been quite a harrowing day after all. Indeed, Katherine's eyes would feel abnormally heavy and her body was sluggish. Doesn't help that she drank that entire mug of Magic Hammer in one sitting, so she was also certainly on the edge of drunkenness. Whatever feeling Katherine decides to rationalize, she would at least know that she was tired in some form. Sleep might be good for her.

@Pyromania99

---

Petr just looked, stunned, while his mates also looked stunned but quickly began to rib and insult Petr for having his woman stolen by a girl, though Petr was just too surprised to even feel angry. In any case it would seem that Petr and his lads would leave Livia alone for now, and one thing she might notice is that everyone else seemed to leave Livia alone too, at least while she was with Katherine. Even as she hugged her sister from behind in the middle of the Drunken Dragon, as bustling and busy as it was, no one so much as glanced at her, not even Petr or his boys who had resumed drinking. Livia could certainly tell something was off with a little bit of thought, but the source or reason would require further investigation. She'd also notice that Katherine looked tired. Somehow it appears that she had bags around her eyes and her body looked haggard, though Katherine herself may think otherwise. It had been an exciting day after all. Arriving to the Frontier Town, meeting with new and familiar faces, being chased around Underhaven, a lot of things to take in. Livia's cat also made an appearance, having somehow separated from his caretaker to meet his new master. Creme mowed cutely, trying to get Livia's love and affection.

@Rune_Alchemist

---

@Lucius Cypher

As the older gentleman spoke about the serrated dagger, Jo was already thinking of ideas of how he could appear frightening with it. "I think this type of dagger shall do. Given enough time, I could use your idea or more to help increase its scare value to help reduce the chance of conflicts." Jo handed the man the two gold as priced and took the dagger. He held the blade in his hand, lifting it and spinning it around as he tried to get a feel of its weight before pocketing the dagger by his waist. He bowed his head as thanks as he began to leave, but would stop halfway through the door as he remembered something. Turning back, he rested a hand on his locked arcane book gestured his hand to the gentleman as walked back towards him. "Thank you for the assistance those short moments ago. But before I make my leave, I must ask another question. By chance, does this town have some wizard or spellcaster who is quite knowledgeable in their arcane field that I could speak to?"

@Lucius Cypher

His body seized up at the sight of the goblins. With such a large group of them in the town, he could only expect the worst had happened to the townsfolk. His heart raced. He was all alone faced against at least five goblins, probably many more scattered about in the silent town. This whole day had been terrible, likely the worst day of his life. Now, as if a cruel god enjoyed his suffering and plight, he was facing certain death at the hands of these psychotic midgets as one of them had seemed to smell him out. The situation seemed hopeless. The way back was littered with undead, the path forward was with goblins; anywhere else, the untamed nature was king. The stage was set. Ready for his fall into despair and inevitable demise. Such is a common occurrence in the wild and vast frontier lands...

'Horseshit...'

The look of utter defeat on his face is washed away as determination filled his very being. Many would have fallen in the face of this adversity, but not Ethan. Not today. The world pushed him too hard, and now it was his turn to push back. Calmly, he undid the strap of his satchel and placed the small bag into his durable pack. It may have not been the best material for the task, but it would suffice in this situation. He then tears a piece of cloth off his sleeve, and creates the cradle for the stone to rest in. Before, finally, taking a stone as big as a gold coin and twirls it around, spinning it faster and faster.

He spots his target, the one sniffing the air. Blood still oozing out of the fresh cuts on it's body. Letting loose the sling, the young man sends the stone speeding at the head of the goblin. Once the attack hits, Ethan then takes to the shadows of the buildings and rubs soil on his person to mask his scent as well as camouflage him to better blend in with the surroundings.

As Therai entered the Frontier Town, he couldn't keep a smile off of his face. His new life had finally begun, and his unassuming beginnings were behind him now. Therai was happy that his travels were over. The road to the Frontier Town had been long and uneventful, but thankfully, he arrived. Now he could get to work. The first order of business was to find a place of work. The obvious choice was the tavern. Therai could only hope that the owner of the establishment didn't already have someone that provided music for them. Worse comes to worst, he could always persuade the barkeep to allow him to take over as their primary source of art. Therai could use the practice, and the best type of experience was in front of a crowd. He needed to make a strong impression; Anyone who heard him sing and play the lute would need to remember him for the rest of their lives. It would be a difficult task to pull off, but hopefully the payoff would earn him a sort of standing in the village.

Therai snapped out of his brainstorming and began to find his way towards the tavern. He took his time with the walk, as he wanted to drink in the sights that the Frontier Village had to offer. While he walked, he slung his prized lute off of his back and admired it. It was a finely crafted piece of work, and the craftsmanship was impressive. Once he was bored of the lute, he put it in its usual location as he began to draw closer to the tavern. The Drunken Dragon. A fine name. He knew that this first introduction of his would be important, so he readied for the perfect entrance. First, he wondered if tieflings were common in these parts. He hadn't seen any as of yet, but it was night, so it was possible they had gone to bed. If they were uncommon, he would need to break past those stereotypes. Hopefully the tavern had some fine women, as Therai was not only looking for work, he also sought after companionship. The trip to the village had been long and lonely, and having someone by his side would make the evening that much more bearable.

Once Therai finally finished his pondering, he stepped into the tavern. Therai stood above most men, which attracted some attention. Sometimes the attention made him famous, sometimes infamous. The type of attention didn't matter, it was what he did with it that counted. Almost immediately after Therai entered the tavern, he sought after a random patron. "Hello, sir! Do you know who I should speak to about performing in this fine establishment?" Therai then leaned in closer. "And who I could seek for a...companion?" He winked at the patron, doing his best to be friendly towards the man. If he maintained a jovial attitude when speaking to those around him, it would be difficult for them to find themselves angry towards him. After all, friendliness is the best diplomat. Despite his outward confidence, worries began to creep into his mind. He could not afford to fail. This town was his ticket to a life of adventure and glory, and mistakes would have to be minimal.

@Lucius Cypher@Pyromania99

---

---

"Katherine...?" Livia released her sister upon receiving not reply, tilting her head curiously. Now, she might have brushed it off as her sister being tired. It had been a long day, after all. She was tired herself, and she had just chugged an entire bottle of alcohol in a rather ungraceful manner. It'd be easy to do that, but it just didn't add up. Katherine was an indecisive womanizer with a streak of getting herself into trouble flirting all the time. She disliked painful things and most certainly loathed doing anything 'bad' or getting into trouble, and messing with things most normal men would find abhorrent...and Katherine had never once turned away from her in all the years they had been together.

If it wasn't from tiredness, drunkenness or a combination of both...then what? It...Livia's shoulders slacked slightly, as she held her hands together behind her. Katherine was obviously under the effects of some sort of enchantment. The classic symptoms were all there. Unfocused attention and seeming lethargy, and certainly that comment earlier about feeling like she had to go do something, but what exactly was causing it? That ribbon on her head? She still didn't like the mention of this Nemuno person. Had Selena done something? This sort of thing was common among those on the path to becoming undead.

So many variables, but she could make an educated guess at least. Inhaling sharply, she couldn't let Katherine out of her sight, but if she was going back to under haven, it'd be difficult to follow. She got rid of her lantern earlier fending off that demon kid, damn it. Ugh, why could things never be easy?!

"...Creme?" The small kitten briefly caught her attention. "How did you...?" It didn't matter. She reached down, picking up the kitten and cradling him in her arms. Right, okay, don't get flustered. Quickly looking at her surroundings before Katherine got too far away, Livia focused back on Petr.

"...Petr." Livia quickly walked back over to the young lad who was previously flirting with her. "Look, I know uh, we probably got off on the wrong foot but I really need your help. Something is really wrong with my, erm, friend and I can't just leave her alone to go off on her own." She kept checking over her shoulder, glancing to make sure she didn't quite lose sight of Katherine. If he took too long to reply or seemed like he wasn't going to take it, she'd just have to take her chances with Underhaven again.

The old man took the coins and placed them into a box back underneath the counter, wiping his hands on a cloth as they were still a bit dirty from his work before. The man was about to turn and leave when Jo asked him about a any wizards or spellcasters. "Wizards huh? Let's see... I reckon the only person who knows much about magic here is Lady Medea, who teaches at the school. Getting rather late now however. Not sure if she'll be at the school or her home. She's a nice enough lass though I'd be careful around her, she's got a mischievous side." The old man chuckled as he went into the back of the shop and the young man came back out. He gulped nervously and nodded his head. "H-H-Hello. Um... Yeah, what he said. Lady Medea knows the most about m-m-magic here. Um... Well, there is s-s-someone else too, I think. Dormic, s-sorta a town healer? He knows magic. N-N-Not sure how much. I think h-h-he'll be by the tavern right about now."

@Expolar

---

And so the die has been cast.

As the goblins were trying to break into the home Ethan's stone sung through the air. The goblins barely knew what hit them; one felt the rock smash into the back of his head, knocking him over and causing him great pain. He howled in anger and flailed around as some of the other goblins laughed at his misery, though one at least seemed on edge and knew there was some sort of danger. "Stupid! We under attack!" The goblin who seemed to be the leader stopped laughing, chuckling as he hefted his iron club. "Good. No one since we got here! This will be fun!" The goblins rushed out from the alley in search of Ethan, knowing that he must be nearby. The only goblin he had wounded was especially furious, roaring and shouting for Ethan or anyone to come out, though he didn't really make any words so much as noise. The goblins looked for any humanoid figure in the night, and it was just then that the clouds covered the moon. Ethan, in his small spot in the shadows, would soon see nothing as darkness blanketed the area. But there was one thing he saw before it all went black. A red archer.

"Tiny devils!"

The cries of a goblin ran out as Ethan would hear the quick zip of an arrow strike into it's neck, but by now darkness has covered the area. He could feel the torches on his back feel heavy, but perhaps they could provide some assistance in this situation. Regardless the goblins have a target now and they move away from Ethan to chase down the archer, who herself was running away possibly to draw them away from Ethan, or just because she doesn't like the odds either. This is his moment to survive, running away to find safety elsewhere. Or shall he find some measure of courage again, and take the fight to the goblins?

@Searat

---

Therai's theatrics got some attention, though mainly by those who were surprised to see another newcomer. Most of the people here appeared to be human or elvish, however there was also a separate table consisting of orcs and half-orcs. But of all of Therai's luck, the patron he choose to speak with was no patron at all; it was the owner of this establishment, Sips. He looked to the Tiefling with a twisted grimace and a glare. "Oi. You want to preform in my tavern? Sorry bub, but we already got a musician." The halfling pointed over towards the stage where there was a large turtle man playing an equally large stringed instrument. He was in the middle of playing a song that seemed to have attracted the attention of various patrons including a few who were dancing to it. Sips wouldn't let Therai ogle for long as the halfling leaned over the tall tiefling with a glare in his eyes. "And if you touch any of my workers, I'm going to skin you and turn you into a stew!" One of said workers, a rather portly looking woman, was holding Sips so that he could be taller than Therai. She spoke to the tiefling as Sips continued to try and be intimidating.

"Don't take it too personally, he's just looking out for us." She let Sips back down onto his chair as he adjusted his outfit and looked back at Therai. "Anyways I already got someone to play music for the tavern. Granted, I don't pay him, he just gets to drink here for free. But two guys getting free booze in my establishment is one too many. If you really want the job go ask him about it but don't try nothing funny. He's a friend of mines and if I find out you've done him wrong I'll skip cooking and just trash you right where you stand." The halfling than cracked his bloodied knuckles audibly, making his bulging muscles more noticeable. He might've been a halfling racially, but he had the build of a dwarf.

@FineWine

---

As Livia was speaking to Petr, Creme patted her on the chin. As for the young militia man, he seemed to have found a renewed vigor as Livia came over to speak with him. "Oh of course! Uh what do you need exactly?" Petr glanced over to where Katherine looked, and Petr seemed surprised. Almost as if he just now noticed Katherine. The rest of his lads also turned to look and seemed just as surprised, a few mentioning how she looked but feeling uncertain about her. They whispered among themselves and seemed more concerned than attracted but Petr turned his attention back towards Livia. "If it's about your cat, I could take care of him. If your friend is sick or something, I think I might have some medicine that could help. Unless it's a hangover. Don't have anything for those unfortunately."

@Rune_Alchemist

---

---

"Y-yeah, I just...Sorry, I just want them to believe me!" Antaeus stammered. There was no way he could do this the way he wanted to...much like this entire Quest. It hadn't gone anything like he wanted. There wasn't a glorious story to tell about this. There was no way he could be a legendary Hero after this...but dammit, he had to bring back something!

Antaeus tried to twist the Stag's head so that he could get a better angle for taking off the horn...but as he did so, he heard a meaty crunching sound. That...didn't seem right. He looked to see dark spot under the fur at the base of the creature's neck, and suddenly remembered how the silver haired girl had repeatedly slammed this monstrous creature. Had she...fractured part of its spine?

Antaeus was seized by a wild idea. He hefted the knife up high in both hands. His arms hardened, coils of muscle standing out against bronze flesh, then he brought it down with the decisive power of a professional stone-breaker. The blade went deep, hit bone, and kept going. With a twist the boy wrenched vertebrae away, jerking the blade out through the flesh in a spatter of blood and severed tissue. Quickly pocketing the knife in his pack, then he grabbed the White Stag's head by both horns--

Antaeus's entire body swelled as he pushed with his legs and thighs, straightened his back, expanded his chest, and PULLED!

The White Stag's head, or at least the upper part of the skull and antlers, came off with a horrifying crackle, snap, and RIP! The miner held it over his head for just a moment, shocked by his own strength and brutality.

Then he hooked the horns into the loop of his pack alongside his pickaxe and javelins, and grabbed the other side of the stretcher.

"Okaywe'regoodlet'sgo!" he whispered in a hoarse, panicky voice. Time to, as his father often told him, get the fuck out.

---

@Lucius Cypher@Rune_Alchemist

After a long day of training with Ashe and the other militia trainees, nothing came close to the comfort of a hearty meal, accompanied by a good drink or two. So far, the militia had welcomed him with open arms; despite his status as a newcomer to the town. Honestly, having a place to belong felt good, and training alongside equally driven individuals made it even better. Though it didn't have all the comforts of home, nor any family to speak of.... Kael knew that he was going to like it here. Not long after reaching the tavern and redeeming his voucher for meal and drink, enjoying the rather strange music of the turtle man and the company of his peers, something caught the young half-elf's eye. Call it what you will; instinct, intuition, a gut feeling... Like a sixth sense Kael noticed a somewhat familiar looking girl talking to Petr; one of the other trainees he had sparred with earlier when he had been practicing grappling techniques. Though it was hard to pick up on, Kael could tell something was wrong, and that she seemed to be asking Petr for help (which he seemed all to eager to provide).

"I'll be right back guys, save my spot." he said softly to the others as he rose from his seat. Just as Kael was about to make his way over to offer whatever assistance he could, he noticed a rather strange white haired girl with a devil's tail walking out of the tavern. Quizzically he looked the strange girl over, trying to discern her race, but quickly shrugged it off and continued what he was doing (ANALYSIS SUBJECT TO CHANGE, WAITING TO HEAR FROM LUCIUS). Thinking nothing of it, Kael approached Petr and the girl, "That was an excellent bout we had earlier Petr!" Kael chuckled as he gave his fellow trainee a friendly slap on the back, "In fact, I'd say I owe you a drink!" Though it wasn't his main reason for coming over to them, the last thing Kael wanted was to appear as if he meant to 'cock block'; as some might say, his fellow militiaman. Besides that, Petr certainly had been an excellent sparring partner, and deserved a drink regardless. Kael's smile dropped to a neutral expression as he glanced between Petr and the rather well dressed girl he had been talking to, "Is there something wrong? Anything I can help with?"

@Lucius Cypher

The young man tucked his walking stick into his pack and drew forth a torch and a tinder stick from the bundle given to him. Before the darkness engulfed the village, he saw a familiar figure. A red archer. 'Lady Atisha? What in the nine hells is she doing here?' He thought to himself while filling his pockets with ten stones fitting for slinging before climbing up a 15-foot building and igniting his torch. The dark was an an advantage to the goblins against Ethan. Their eyes were used to the low light conditions of their homes and they had little issue seeing in complete darkness. Though things will change soon and Ethan would level the playing field, no matter how small the change would be. Ethan would take that advantage away from them. With a single tinder stick struck, a blazing star, a beacon of hope is born. The torch produced light in the inky darkness. The light bathed his opponents in it's radiance.

In a moment of clarity amidst the storm, he slung another stone that found purchase in striking a goblin square in it's throat. That singular and powerful strike would definitely gain the attention of the brutes away from the Red Chaser. The man wasn't close to considering leaving the village; not by a long shot. Not while those remaining goblins drew breath...even less so knowing that the red archer that had saved him twice now was also present in the village.

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@Lucius Cypher

As the two helped to answer the question, he decided to find Dormic as he would be the easier one to find at this time. "Then I hope to meet him there soon." and with a nod of thanks, Jo left the store and made his way back towards the tavern. He was surprised how much time had already passed with night already here, but seeing in the dark isn't a problem with Jo's vision.

Once he stepped into the inn Jo tried looking around for Dormic. He remembered the man introduce himself when Jo and some other people first arrived in Frontier Town, so at least he already has a face to the name for who he was looking for. But if couldn't find Dormic, he was just going to take a seat where he could have an easy view of the entrance as he waited for Dormic to arrive.

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Katherine... Well, she was really out of it. She couldn't really think much at all. Her head was spinning but her body moved on it's own at this point. Unconsciously, her legs carried her towards and soon enough down the stairs towards the Underhaven. Her eyes were half opened and one hundred per cent drowsy looking. She mumbled some incoherent words as she moved away from Livia who hopefully noticed her sister walk away. Each step was carelessly made but nothing unsafe. It would seem as if she wasn't doing this by her own volition at least.

@Lucius Cypher@Pyromania99

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"Can you not see her, you idiot!?" Livia seethed, quickly losing all pretense of civility. This uneducated country bumpkin! "Some hag named Nemuno put her under some enchantment spell after she went to underhaven! I need a lantern or light source!" Glancing back to Katherine, Livia grimaced. She was already walking off again. This was bad. Very bad. There was no telling what would happen if Katherine went! Urgh, if only she had noticed sooner she could have taken her to Maeda immediately! Damn it damn it damn it! Livia's eyes turned towards the elf who offered assistance.

"You there, elf, I need your eyes! I'll explain later! Come with me and follow my sister!" In fact, she was already getting too far away for her liking. Ugh! She couldn't do anything to dispel it either, lest Katherine be injured or worse! Damn it, why did Katherine have to come here in the first place!? Why couldn't she just keep her cushy life at the estate so she wouldn't have to constantly worry about her!?

Before Kael could reply, Livia was already making her way to follow Katherine. Light source or not, she had to do something.

The orc was rather shocked by Antaeus's ability to sever the elk's skull cap off, but now was not the time to gawk. Once Antaeus and the orc grabbed onto the stretcher they ran away from the clearing and made their way back towards town. It was a fairly long hike but thankfully a peaceful one. Aside from a few missteps and getting lost here and there, the three managed to reach the gates before they were shut. Two guards were on watch at the time and initially seemed suspicious until they noticed Antaeus, then they looked concerned. They'd ask the usual questions about what had happened and who the girl was, but aside from that they wouldn't stop the two and simply tell Antaeus that they should take her to Maeda's cottage, seeing that she was the only person in the village who had some medical knowledge. Antaeus would also know Dormic is a skilled healer however he didn't have a home in the village so there was no telling where he might be at.

@Zeroth



As Petr and Livia spoke, Kael came into the conversation. Petr didn't dislike Kael, simply didn't know him very well since Kael was an outsider. He held his own decently well during their sparing training so Petr figured that the man was at least capable. He seemed slightly relieved even; Petr figured that Kael was doing the "wingman" thing his friends talked about before. Unfortunately things weren't looking good for Petr as Livia exploded at him. Petr only then noticed Kathrine going into Underhaven, though he didn't seem to react to the name of Nemuno. Didn't seem like he knew who she was, but seeing them head towards Underhaven made Petr reach out to Livia. [b]"W-Wait! If you're going down there, take this at least!"[/color] He handed Livia what appeared to be a long but thin glass tube filled with a translucent yellow liquid. It was about eight inches long. "That's a s-sunrod! Just shake it and it'll create some light for you. It doesn't need any fire so it won't burn if you hold onto it."

Meanwhile Katherine would feel herself pulled deeper into Underhaven, her steps growing longer and faster as if she was being commanded to run, though she would never go faster than a brisk walk. As she continued to walk that same blond girl of darkness appeared, floating upside down and approaching Kathrine. She seemed eager to eat once more, but when she came close to Kathrine she seemed to have smelled something wretched, twisting her face and moving pass Kathrine to continue her hunt. The two boys who also bothered Kathrine also spotted her, however they seemed nervous. They whispered to one another while glancing at her before vanishing around a corner, only to return again and walk beside her. They didn't interfere or bother Kathrine, in fact it seemed like they were trying to escort her. Unlike before their mischievousness was gone and replaced with subtle fear.

@Guy0fV4lor@Pyromania99@Rune_Alchemist



The stone flew, and another goblin fell to the ground with a sickening death cry. With a blazing light behind them the goblins stopped for a moment to see Ethan, their original target, and snarled at him. The three remaining survivors thought to approach him but an arrow flew pass, nearly striking one of the goblin's and reminding them that the red archer was still within their range. Two of the goblins, the rather puny ones, turned back and chased after the Red Chaser, while the largest of the goblins went after Ethan. He had to run to the rooftop Ethan was on and took some time to climb up, but soon Ethan was barely five feet away from the sallow skinned gremlin. He had managed to hold onto his wicked spiked club while climbing, and now brandished it intimidatingly at Ethan while crackling a vicious chuckle. The goblin doesn't expect Ethan to put up much of a fight.

@Searat



Dormic was already in the Drunken Dragon as one of the many revelers who were dancing and singing to the tortle's music. He was... Passionate, but not skilled, but still his familiar attire would be easily seen by Jo as he danced and pranced between the various patrons and entertainers. But life had a ways of complicating things. As Jo sat and took a moment to rest, a rather drunken looking orc approached him. He reeked of booze and had a lurid smirk on his face. "Oooooi. Ain't you lookin horny, eh!" The orc laughed at his own poor joke as he joined Jo at his table. "Aye ya lassie, why not spend a time with me, see your tail too eh!?" The orc appeared to have mistaken Jo as a female. The orc himself was quite big and burly as many orcs are, and he seemed a pureblood one as oppose to a half-orc. His knuckles were bruised and calloused as if he had fought earlier today, but he also had a blacken eye and a cracked tooth, also as if he had fought earlier today. "How bout a drink? Wine? Beer? Maybe some good old grog, guwa ha ha ha ha!"

@Expolar

@Lucius Cypher

Blood surged through his veins and time seemed to slow down to a snail's pace as the goblin pack's leader stood in front of him and cackled.

To most adventurers, a goblin would be nothing but a nuisance; a pebble on their path. Though things are vastly different in the eyes of the commoner. There are numerous 'boogeymen' that prowled and hunted in these wild and untamed lands, and goblins are no exception. Small as they are, goblins are vile and sadistic creatures that rarely deserve any form of mercy. There are stories of hordes burning small villages and torturing their captives and victims. Some tales even describe in detail to what evils they could do, from simple vandalism and thievery, to burning families alive for the sake of a good laugh. Tragic as it may be, tales like these are all too common a story in the frontier lands.

The man could see it in the goblin's eyes. It didn't think Ethan was going to put up much of a fight. It was mistaken. Sorely mistaken. At five feet away, a ranged weapon would be at a disadvantage and the sling is no exception to the rule. Though no matter the disadvantage it had, Ethan had to try at least. The young man quickly loading a stone into the sling and sends it flying to the creature's face. Not letting up, he lunges forward and swings the torch with all his might at the goblin.