To say that Magnus' face was one of shock wouldn't do justice to the impressive all-time record he set for how low his jaw could hang as the holstaur described that the horse was the "lover" that Jeb had spoken of. Did...did that mean he kissed his horse? Was he going to have kids with it? He could certainly see someone taking great pride in that horse though, given that it was exceptionally well groomed and fit. It could very clearly be a racing horse of some kind, or just a stallion intended for breeding with other horses...but still, THE HORSE!?
"E-Err...well, um...I-If you're sure that this is his "lover", then...I suppose it'd be best for me to go get him from his farm. I'm a bit too big to ride a horse to begin with. Thank you though, ma'am! I-I'm sure he'll be happy to have Sally returned to him. Do you mind keeping her here a while longer? I'd just be a few hours," the minotaur said, saying something that sounded relatively impossible, given the distance from here to Ambran on foot. But, he seemed physically fit, and could probably be back at Boreal before nightfall at the latest, though how he'd get Jeb there at the same time was a mystery. Taking note that his partner had been gone for a while, Magnus timidly asked: "T-That um...Salamander...s-she wouldn't...hurt anybody too bad, right?"
He'd feel awful if a new adventurer got themselves hurt...or worse under his watch. Now he was starting to worry.
[Who Are You To Judge?]
A9A9A9
For Nephele, the request at hand was one that made sense, and hearkened to her own heritage, given that her mother sought to shelter the town she would grow to protect within the fog. A soft sigh escaped Nephele's lips before she nodded, smiling slightly at Felipe as he gave his rallying speech to the relatively filled bar, with his men all around. Her expression softened ever so slightly as she grabbed the mug of ale in her claws, raising her mug to clank against his.
"I'm with you." Nephele said, before CHUGGING her ale, and then forcefully slamming it back down on the table, just enough to make the table rattle, but not going all out to break it. Even as a weaker dragon, any monstergirl probably had enough strength to smash a table apart if they really meant to. Wiping the foam from around her lips, Nephele relaxed a smidge. "So, what is your plan, then? If need be I can have this entire town covered in fog within an hour. she would say as she traced the rim of her mug with her left index claw.
"E-Err...well, um...I-If you're sure that this is his "lover", then...I suppose it'd be best for me to go get him from his farm. I'm a bit too big to ride a horse to begin with. Thank you though, ma'am! I-I'm sure he'll be happy to have Sally returned to him. Do you mind keeping her here a while longer? I'd just be a few hours,"
"Ah, don't worry about that, sir. I'll just get my husband to ride Sally to Jeb. He's an old friend of ours, anyhow. Is he still at his farm in Ambran?" The Holstaur offered a more convenient approach. "We'll just deliver any reward to you in a day or two. Ah, may I ask who you are and where you live?"
Noticing your disbelief at the revelation, the Holstaur added a remark. "Yeah, life in Ambran does these kinds of things to people. I should know, my uncle-in-law raised goats."
"T-That um...Salamander...s-she wouldn't...hurt anybody too bad, right?"
"Eh? Your friend is actually looking for a fight? I thought she was just--"
Magnus and the Holstaur's conversation was interrupted by the arrival of a fearsome warrior clad in hellish armor resembling that of the Hellhound monster. The smell of of sulfur made it seem like that the armor really was forged in the deep depths of Inferno itself. The sudden appearance was enough to scare the Holstaur as she fell silent beholding the newly-armored Annalise.
"Jesse!" The man who found Annalise earlier emerged from behind the Mimic Slime. "I-I'm not sure what to make of this. I found her clad in armor near a well and then she threw herself in it and then she came back out like this and then she made her way here. It's all so weird." The man quickly told the Holstaur, named Jesse.
"What?! Nero, I don't understa--" The Holstaur stopped herself before finally realizing who the apparent newcomer was. "Oh, I see. Looks like you're ready for a fight." Jesse remarked, still a little afraid but she had now understood the situation. Eyeing Nero, she continued. "Why don't you fight Nero over here? He's a warrior, a former knight of the Order and has seen many battles in his tenure."
"Wha? Jesse, please. I've left that life behind. I'm a simple assistant now. Besides, I'm a little rusty now."
"So, what is your plan, then? If need be I can have this entire town covered in fog within an hour. And, how broken do you want the Varjans to be?"
"No, if they reach the town, it would already be too late." Felipe shot down your plan. "We must take them down at the pass that is south of Sonarra. Come, ate! We shall take you there."
-----
Embarking on a wagon, you rode to the south. Your fellow passenger was a surprise, a Joyful, like the one you fought and killed while protecting the armless Ian. But this one was on your side and so sat across you idly. Should you stare at his grotesque mutations, the Joyful would not mind. It even appeared he was also fascinated by you but his helmet hid his eyes.
Soon you were out of Sonarra and into the Varjan countryside. The land was dark and foreboding. Bones and skeletons could be seen waylaid across the fields. Those that still had flesh left were pecked on by crows or nibbled by rats and other such vermin. Riding alongside you were a large group of Sonarran rebels, warriors and horsemen. You soon realize that their gear resembled Varjan gear heavily, being part of Varjo and all, so you might find it difficult to tell friend from foe.
Soon you were at the pass and the Sonarrans have begun digging in and setting up the ambush. Over yonder, just further south, you saw Varjo itself. Its high walls could not hide the dark spires and towers that jutted out of the blasted capital. The place radiated malice and hatred, madness and indulgence. A monument of Man surrendering to the devils in their hearts.
"Ate, you say you can produce a fog? I'm not sure if an ability is useful since it will also obscure our rebel warriors' sights." Felipe spoke to you. "Is there anything else you can do? Perhaps breath something else? If not, that is okay. I'm sure your strength alone will be a great asset in our ambush."
Where's the key, where's the key?! She thought in between strikes, even as her eyes searched around for it.
That's when the prisoners shouted something to her and she whipped her head towards them. They pointed and gestured to the red-knight desperately in a broken language, but it was obvious as to what they meant. Her eyes fell onto the large knight and studied her target.
"He's the one? Alright, just sit tight." She smiled as she slammed both of her fists together and cracked her neck. "I'll get you all out soon."
Seeing that person block an ice and arrow and discarding it so easily, made a small part of her laced with worry as she recognized that it was no greenhorn. Even as the man tried to reorganize the party, he noticed her and roared a challenge.
Yang smile turned into a large grin, the blood in her was boiling and heart raced. Yes, this time, she was fully in her element. The past few days of mistakes and failures weighed on her heavily. Somewhere in her heart, she was never more happier.
"Beheader? You're in luck then." Yang slammed a foot down, taking her stance as she brought her arms together. Ready to take on the man with nothing but her body and impromptu knuckle duster beads. "I'm a monk, and I'll be reading the rites soon."
"Yours, that is." She stated coolly and calmy with a smirk even as she fist-pumped to herself mentally. Congratulating herself on such comeback. In between, her foot latched onto a fallen soldier discarded sword.
Then like a viper, she shot out her leg and sent the sword flying forward. Spinning wildly as it aimed squarely towards Krik, Yang took the opportunity to move like a flash with the distraction and head straight forward to Krik.
When she was close enough, she used the wagon close to them as a foothold and propelled herself upwards. With that, she shifted her center and kept her legs tucked together. Teeth clenched tightly and her body filled with Ki as she performed one of the signature moves.
Like a wild tiger pouncing on its prey, Yang aimed her powerful leg towards his head. From Krik view and perhaps, the trick of the shadows with the sun behind Yang, her eyes became predatory and slit as her silhoutte fell on him.
"Okay!" Ditzy followed the two man as they led the way. Ditzy didn't manage to see much this time as he was on the job, but everything looked the same. At least, if the blur around him was an indication. He was still wondering what the job actually entails throughout the entire journey.
That's when they reach some house that look bright and colorful, Ditzy wasn't sure what exactly it was but it seemed like a fun place to be.
Ioseb then shouted something and pointed at something. Ditzy followed at what it was and saw a trio of Zipangu people, with some sort of weird instruments alongside them. When he was asked to stop them, Ditzy blinked for a moment before an idea popped to his head.
He raised his sandbag weapon, gave it a twirl with one finger and then snapped it forward like a slingshot. His sandbag then lurched forward quickly, arced down and then slammed into one of the Zipangu people, knocking him forward and into his other compatriots as they tumbled down like a pile of dominoes.
"Done!" Ditzy smiled innocently to the two as he ran forward to catch his quarry. Years of practicing in throwing his sandbag at trees or rocks had paid off, and he hadn't used all his strength like last time. He was also partly inspired by how Freyr and the arrow competition that he had seen previously as well.
I can't use a bow, but I can throw things well! Ditzy thought with a skip in his step. Once he was caught up to the three Zipangu people, he waved at them as he stood at their side.
"Hello, want to help me in making Ambran number one!?" He said, completely missing the point of his mission and job. "Oh, and these two wanted to talk to you."
If they tried to run, Ditzy would simply hold one of them by the wrist gently and it would be impossible for that one to escape from his grasp. It would be akin to being clapped in iron manacle as Ditzy grip will not budge no matter what.
As they arrived at the mansion, Bast took a moment to appreciate the architecture. It was indeed a beautiful mansion. The design had a remarkable difference from the Barensia manor but it was beautiful nonetheless. This time it wouldn't be as easy though. The garden was probably on the back of the mansion and if he wanted to put it on fire, he would have to actually get in.
"Hm... Yes, it will be a bit more complicated than the last one..." Bast said after hearing Eilidh.
"I would really appreciate some help, my dear." he said, agreeing with her suggestion to distract the guards.
"But I do have one more favor to ask..." Bast said, taking out a piece of paper from inside his suit, a pen and an envelop he had prepared earlier, before leaving the guild.
"As I said before, I intend to end this pathetic display between the two houses..." Bast said, writing something in the paper before putting into the envelop and closing it. Even though Eilidh wasn't able to see that much about what he was writing, she was still able to take a glance at his impeccable calligraphy.
"As a part of your... Distraction, deliver this letter to the guards, ask them to hand it to the head of the family." he said, handing her the envelop.
"It's merely a letter asking for them to meet with the Barensia family near the watchtower, both the lady and her husband. It's short, but I'm sure that it will be enough to spark their interest..." Bast said, with a wink. In that situation, where neither of the sides wanted to give the first step in order to try and solve that conflict, Bast simply had to fake a letter...
"As soon as we're done here, we're going to the Barensia manor, to deliver them the same letter, only signed by the opposite family." he continued explaining.
"And then, we're going to simply watch how the situation will unfold from the top of the watchtower. Why there, you ask? Oh, no particular reason. I only heard that we have quite a view from there." He said, with a chuckle.
"It will be quick, try to look as innocent as possible with your distraction. As soon as you start it I'm going to get in, put the garden on fire and get out." Bast said, as he waited for Eilidh to do her part.
Titanica's attack, was incredibly effective in drawing their attention. Unfortunately, they were far too organized to be completely wiped out by it. Things were going moderately well though. Despite the surprise they had when the caravan members showed themselves to be much more organized than they had previously thought, everything was still ok. Yang was confronting one of the armored warlords in order to get the key to free the prisoners while Titanica was distracting the rest of their forces.
Unfortunately, both Nagare and Freyr wouldn't stay unnoticed for too long. Haley, who was looking at the fight from above, was quick to warn them that they had enemies going for them. Five knights, going towards them with their lances high. They had to do something right now lest they wanted to be hit by them.
"Nagare, run!" Freyr shouted as he put the bow on his back. Even though he wanted to take her to safety himself, he didn't have time to think too much as the knights were quickly approaching them. Unsheathing his two daggers, Freyr dashed towards the group of knights, hopefully to give Nagare enough time to reposition herself.
When the lances were about to hit Freyr, he twisted his body, dodging them as he redirected one of them to the ground, making it sink on the earth and catapult one of the knights off from his horse due to his momentum. Using that same lance, Freyr stepped on it, jumping high and kicking another one of the knight in the helmet with his powerful legs. Even though there were five knights going for them, he had already knocked two of them out of their horses. While they could still fight, it would probably take some time for the knight whom Freyr had kicked to regain his consciousness.
The second the second knight's body hit the ground with a loud thump, Freyr stood up on his horse, pouncing towards the other knight who had fell on the ground, with both of his daggers in a reverse grip, almost like a snake's fangs pointing to it's prey. Using the opening from the knight's helmet, he was going right for his eyes.
In Freyr's expression, there was no hesitation, no emotion, only the cold calmness of a hunter who was about to take his prey down.
The fact that they had just carried an armored man and now were dealing with some rather vicious looking dogs. Varjan. Ugh, even the animals had a chip on their shoulder. He wanted to ask why the heck they were this far north, and in a swamp, but the moment it was decided, Ozzy kept low. Kept quiet...
And being quiet was something he was not used to. Everyone could see his feathers bristling and quick jerky movements of his head and hands. He fought against his natural urges and managed to stay the course, holding his breath save for long shallow breathes. He calculated some alternatives in his head, but being unable to really articulate it, it was pretty much worthless.
Finally, he sighed aloud. "Why in a swamp of all places?" He finally asked before they went about their work. "So what are we looking for?" He confirmed with both of them before he went about cultivating the herbs and flowers. Ian kept talking and Ozzy half listened. Alot of his attention went into making sure he was doing the job right. Making sure he didn't crush the leaves or waste the petals.
He only managed to get up the plant from the roots in a handful of dirt when he noticed the rather beastial and not so pleasant face. There was a moment of pause from each side. As if both were just letting the moment sink in.
"CRRRRRAAAAW!!!"
It was the sound of a crow and a parrot squawking in surprise as Ozzy reflexively jumped back and flapped his arms, his wings jumping to life and trying to take to the air, away from the lunge. His foot reached out, the parts of his feet unfurling into four owl like talons that kicked out and raked at the creature to keep it away. It would be an awkward sight, seeing essentially a dog pounce a large bird of pray as it started to fight for its life, and those claws were sharp.
"It will be quick, try to look as innocent as possible with your distraction. As soon as you start it I'm going to get in, put the garden on fire and get out."
"Very well. Be careful, Bast." Eilidh took the letter and went off to do her part.
Once Eilidh begun to talk and distract the guards at the front, the Archanean garden was open to infiltration. You moved and easily entered the garden without being seen.
The garden was lush and full of exotic and foreign plant life, placed accordingly so as to give the garden a uniform and orderly look. There were beds housing flowers of differing colors, there were posts that were host to vines you have never seen before. It might be a shame to burn all this to a black crisp but alas, it was the job you had to do.
There were a myriad of ways to burn the garden down. You could find a point in the garden where, if a fire were to start, would engulf the entire field. Or you could simply run around and start a fire anywhere you see. Your imagination was the limit.
Krik blocked the launched sword with his shield and was unable to react to your lightning-like speed. He watched in awe as you leaped into the air and came crashing down on him. The Warlord was able to raise his shield in time to block your leg but the power behind it was immense, the shield shattered and you sent Krik to the ground with you standing on top of him.
"Please! Please! Don't hurt me!" Krik pathetically begged. "I surrender! Here, take the keys! Just let me go, please!" He produced the keys and dropped them. "I don't even enjoy this. I just do it because I have no choice. Please don't hurt me. Just let me go and I'll leave without a word."
The prisoners in the wagons cheered at your victory. They probably shouldn't since that might alert the remaining enemies that you have the keys.
You successfully dispatched one of the knights, plunging your daggers into his eyes and killing him. The other knight you dismounted stood up and faced you with a newly-brandished sword. Meanwhile, one of the three knights circled around and let the other two go after Nagare.
He did not charge you though, he dropped his lance and dismounted from his horse to face you on foot. Like the other knight, he also brandished a single blade. Now, it was two against one.
You may have the advantage of speed but your two opponents were well-armored. They may not be as fast as you but they can take hits and if they catch you, you would be in a world of hurt.
You traded swipes with the Varjan Wardog but neither of you really scored a hit. The wardog was about to pounce again before Ian drove a sword into its back, slaying it instantly. "So much for stealth." He remarked as he removed his sword from the dead creature.
"Well, I'm done gathering. But..." Ian looked to the distance. "I do hope that the wardogs from earlier don't--" He was interrupted by the sounds of quick rustling and ravenous growls. The other Wardogs have heard your cry and were coming. "Well that's not good. I'd say we have about ten or twelve seconds before they get here. Do you wanna make ourselves scarce and hide it out again?" The mercenary asked. "Or do you have like a quick escape out of here?"
"Although the ingredients and the reward money might get rustled either way." Ian glanced at his pouch. "Do you have some lube on you by any chance? Not a high amount just you know, enough. Although I would really appreciate high."
"Hello, want to help me in making Ambran number one!? Oh, and these two wanted to talk to you."
One of the Zipanguese men looked at you in disbelief. "What?"
"Very nice, Ditzy! Respectful but firm." Your two clients caught up and apprehended the foreigners. "We'll handle it from here. Ioseb, hand Mister Stoneclub his just compensation." He then addressed the, hopefully legally, arrested Zipanguese. "Now as for you, we're taking you to the authorities so we can verify if you really are allowed in Ambran."
"Oi, oi! Nanda kore? Where are you taking us?" The Zipanguese replied as they were led away.
Ioseb gave you a small pouch before going away as well. Your quest is done. You can either head back to the guild or stay in Ambran for a while.
@Enkryption FF5353 A smile crossed Magnus' lips as the holstaur woman spoke. Well, at least now Magnus could be confident that this was indeed Jeb's horse; He supposed that today must have been his lucky day, though at the answer to his question about his armored companion, Magnus felt...guilty. He'd just let her storm off, without stopping her, or even trying to. He would first respond to the holstaur before he went to go looking for her, saying: "I'm Magnus Eissenheoff, and I work for the guild to the east of here. Its um...Just called "The Guild." Kind of confusing, but its the only one of them around that area. Thank you so much for your help Miss...um...what is your name, if you don't mind me asking-" he said before someone familiar to the Holstaur called out to her.
Looking at the armored figure, Magnus could only conclude that it was his yet-unnamed-to-him-partner, donning a new set of armor...was she a Hellhound? The armor certainly made her appear as such, but...she seemed so reserved, usually. He'd known the hellhounds that roamed his home labyrinth to be incredibly impulsive, loud, and a lot more "on-fire" usually, but the armored lady before him seemed like she was just...filling out the shape of a hellhound, rather than being one. At the mention off her fighting the man called Nero, Magnus approached his partner, patting her on the shoulder. "Was wondering where you got to! Hehe...w-was a little worried that you were leaving the guild. A lot of people seem to do that...w-when they come on jobs with me." he said glumly, looking down. "W-Well, anyways, we can head on home since the horse was found, thanks to Jesse. Let's head home, um..."
God that pause was awkward. Awkward beyond measure as Magnus froze up, nervously sweating. "U-Um...what was your name again?"
[Who Are You To Judge?]
A9A9A9 Nephele drank her ale quickly before departing with Felipe and his compatriots, appreciating the pro-activeness of his plan.
Her fingers were netted as she rode in the wagon, periodically looking over at the Joyous that was across from her. He was...grotesque, obviously, but also unnervingly calm, and seemed to possess an almost childlike curiosity towards her. What were these creatures? Were they men made into twisted forms, or were they grown like this, as twisted, ugly things forced to the whims of their masters? She would have to question Felipe after this was over, and, given the terrain, she felt that her natural ability to climb rocks and cling to walls wouldn't come to be of use. She knew the power the Joyous possessed, so if push came to shove, she could lead Varjans to him to be dispatched. She didn't like the idea of it, but for all she knew this Joyous was far more...pleasant than its brother that she had slain.
Standing on the pass, Nephele stepped forward, before looking back at Felipe. "My plan was to use a fog bank to sneak in close, then to strike at them from behind. I can perhaps thin out a quarter of them in the confusion, but after that I fear for your men. Your gear is all similar to their's so...I do not want to strike without thinking. As for what else I can breath, my breath can send men into paralytic fits, so long as they are weak enough. I could strike them with a cloud of it, but...that too would make approach difficult. What do you suggest?" The dragoness looked down at her claws, the black hardened matter glinting slightly in the light of the sun, sharp as any sword. She didn't need a weapon to find points to strike at in their armor, and seemed to have no qualms with slaying Varjans. What would prove more difficult would be making sure that Felipe's men didn't get hurt by mistake.
Titanica fired her atomic breath straight into the enemy, already burning several of the unfortunate soldiers still within her wake. Yet as he begins to advance, she notes several knights and paladins circling around her as they've begun to prepare their next move. The titan notes their presence, glaring at them with venomous eyes as she exhales a brunt snort. She was not scared of horseback riders. And as they charged into her hide, their lances were unable to penetrate through her thick scales. Titanica simply grunts at their pitiful attempt as she lifted her leg and stopped at the ground, producing a miniature earthquake to stun the nearby opponents.
Yet as she's about to stomp them into oblivion, she notes a swordsman running towards her with a blazing sword to boot. Once swung, it was finally able to crack a scale-piece off her right leg. Titanica issued a surprised "urk" before glaring down at him and kicking him away with her massive foot.
Then, as soon as one of the paladin's got distracted by a stray arrow flying fast his face, the titan earned her chance to counterattack. With a powerful heave, she stomped the ground as she issued a 360 degree spin that launched her long tail into the circling horseback riders. This should allow her to get some movement within the battle and to continue her assault.
"SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOONK!" she bellows loudly to continue intimidating her opponents.
Once the wardogs began to leave the area, Ian motioned them to quickly gather the herbs in front of them. Morgan responded as they began to careful extract them from the ground and into their small packets. As the armored knight did his thing over in one area, the mothwoman decided to move slightly away in order to scout out for other stray ingredients. Perhaps it was a good thing because she can vaguely overhear him rambling on and on about something. Something about making a name for the guild or something. She had no idea what he was saying in particular, but all she wanted was to get these ingredients and move along. Yet as she peeps around a log to grab another one of those grasses, she looks up only to turn white in absolute fear. There, just a feet from her was the snarling face of a lone Wardog glaring hungrily at her.
Maybe it was better to stay with them after all.
Morgan screamed as she dropped the pouch by the log as she attempted to escape. However, before she could get any farther away, the hound pounced on her.
"HELP!" she cried helplessly as she attempted to avoid getting mauled by the wardog by squirming underneath him and covering her face.
Thankfully, her calls of help would be answered by his comrades who immediately came to her aid. Ozzy would attempt to distract the creature by kicking it before the dog was slain by Ian's sword. Morgan was breathing quickly as she attempted to catch her breath from that terrifying episode.
"T-Thank you..." she replied as she coughed twice, "I-I thought I was done for..."
And indeed, as soon as Ian made her statement, they can all hear the growling of the rest of the pack coming from what seemingly was all around them. They were in absolute danger now. And with the dogs having tracked their scent, they can't simply hide away anymore.
"We need to go!" she answered panically, "They have our scent!"
She looks around for a quick exit before seeing a large tree behind her. That tree can easily house the three of them and from what she has heard, these wardogs were not good climbers. It was their only chance.
"There!" she called out as she points to the tree, "That tree! We should be safe once we climb it!"
Nagare's heart was about to pop out of her chest at the sight of the knights closing in to attack, she turned to Freyr who shouted for her to run before quickly turning back to see the knights. Freyr actually managed to kill one of them, felling him with his twin daggers. However, two more remained for him to vanquish. But what really got her attention were the two knights heading straight for her.
Her body wanted to run for the hills, but her mind knew the right thing to do would be to assist Freyr. Knowing that in her current form she could do little to the two knights, Nagare decided to follow suit with Titanica.
"I...I have no choice!" Shouted Nagare as she began to be enveloped in a bright blue light. The column of light began to grow in size as large, brilliant wings sprouted from in. Soon after, a large dragonic body began to form and shattered the light column. The two armored warriors would find themselves face to face with a large ice dragon, cold air seeping out of its large jaws and wings.
With a large roar matching Titanica's, Nagare began emitting a powerful beam of ice to freeze her foes alive, hoping to assist Freyr in the process.
Barely having time to assess the situation, Vară quickly got back up on her feet after Neil saved her from a near fatal wound. The shock in her body further increased seeing Neil about to be skewed by their attacker.
Panicking, Vară could only think to blast fire to solve the problem, as was her usual approach to most things.
"G..Get off of him you neanderthal!! Shouted the fire demon as she shot a lotus-shaped flare attack at the soldier.
Annalise’s “stomach” grumbled; a twisted sound that reverberated in the armor, and came off as a deep-seated growl from her core. It sounded like a dog growling in anticipation of fighting. Really, she was just hungry as hell -- two full Reflects, and barely anything to snack on. Still, she needed to focus on the matter at hand... but, which matter; the fight with some washed-up nobody or the mission that she’d been sent on?
Sitting back, her tail wagged lazily, as she thought about what order to go in... ‘Name... Name is a good place to start. So, my name is...’ Annalise scratched her her phantasmal right ear, “Madame Lin Daw.” There was something about that name, the way the words rolled off her “tongue”... they burned and distorted, warped around themselves, and became lost.
As if, they words were a labyrinth in and of themselves.
Unfortunately, unless one spent many a year in a dungeon, learning the oldest of langauges, there was little she could do to properly translate the word into the surface dwelling tongue. After a fair struggle, it would sound more like she’d said, “analyzing,” to fill the void she’d accidentally created. “Wait, why would anyone leave you? A Minotaur is invaluable upon any quest, against any foe,” she says, “Such power, presented and hidden. Only a fool would surrender it. This old woman won’t leave you.” Magnus could feel something of a gentle, kind smile behind the hellish visage.
‘Alright, next order of business... I addressed the name, and the worry, so, now...’ Annalise stood up, and stretched out; her back arching towards the floor. Sure, she’s no spine to relax, but the idle was incorporated into the spirit of the armor. “So, the horse is the target of the mission? How curious. At least, it should be...” she yawned, “In any case, shall we take it back? I have... equestrian training.”
Annalise set up to walk out the room.
Pausing, she looked back. Nero was the warrior she was supposed to fight, right? He didn’t look like much. A normal adventurer; one of dozens that she’s seen, stripped of armor, and left to their devices at whatever level of Madame Lin Daw’s lost dungeon she’d ambushed them at. However, her stomach was the deciding judge in her future of combat, and Nero, dressed in nothing but a average, plain clothing, and armed with nothing more than a wooden bucket...
“I doubt you have anything worth eating on you,” Annalise says, before turning away, and heading out of the room. “I’m going to go change, so I can ride the horse.” Her stomach growled sharply, and turned away. ‘Ugh.... I’m so hungry... I need something metal... jewels... something...’ Annalise’s tail fell flat, sad, and she spared a final look back; spying Magnus’s axe, and licking her “lips” with a flaming tongue. ‘Delicious...’
Yang felt the satisfying impact of her foot landing, the warlord shield buckled under the impact and it shattered into pieces. With that, her continued momentum sent the man to the ground painfully.
A slight shift of her weight and follow up, it'll be over for him. Her blood was boiling and she felt her heart pumped ever faster than before. A single exhale of breath was loosed from her mouth but she maintained her focus.
Hearing the words of Krik sickened her, that someone named the beheader would be so cowardly. The urge to just end his life came to her briefly but she quelled that thought immediately.
Hers was a path that doesn't travel the path of carnage. Giving in to these urges was to go against everything she was taught.
So she slowly knelt down and placed a knee on Krik chest firmly, further pining him down.
"Fine," Yang said even as her hand reached for the keys, her eyes never leaving Krik movements as she kept her guard up in case he tried anything funny. "Go, become a farmer, merchant, whatever. Don't make me catch you doing this again."
With that, she leaped from him and grabbed the keys. Keys in tow, she walked backward until she reached the wagon and handed the keys to the prisoners. Yang's attention was never away from Krik, she was being cautious of these types of people. You would never know if he decides to suddenly attack again when he was the upper hand.
---
Ditzy Stoneclub
"Bye bye!" Ditzy said even as he waved to them, looks like they know exactly what to do. Probably also better since he didn't really know how to make Ambran the best, so maybe the Zipangu people know better?
Ditzy did felt a little bad and he didn't know why though. Perhaps he had misunderstood what was to be done?
But that was the job done and he was given a treat, something his mother and father do from time to time. So he did a good job surely!
Ah well. Ditzy wondered if there was anything he could do. Then an idea came back to him.
I want to go back and play with those goblin tribe! Ditzy smiled and beamed at that, he never really got to play with them afterward. They had to leave because it was getting dark, but since he finished his job early Ditzy was free to play until then!
With that, he set out and tried to recall the steps to finding them again.
After correcting Annalise as to what will be done with Sally the horse, both the Minotaur and the Mimic Slime went back to the guild headquarters.
It was already nighttime when Magnus and Annalise reached the Guild. The hole at the entrance was still there and it almost felt like it was normal. Speaking of the entrance, Talia the Cyclops could be seen examining the hole. Likely wondering how she could repair it herself.
Talia noticed you approaching and was first to greet. "Oh. Welcome back, Magnus and... what was your name again, Miss Metal Eater?" Talia took a moment to remember. "A-Anna was it? Yes, I do believe it's Anna. Are you going to be eating some of the steel in the forge again?"
"My plan was to use a fog bank to sneak in close, then to strike at them from behind. I can perhaps thin out a quarter of them in the confusion, but after that I fear for your men. Your gear is all similar to their's so...I do not want to strike without thinking. As for what else I can breath, my breath can send men into paralytic fits, so long as they are weak enough. I could strike them with a cloud of it, but...that too would make approach difficult. What do you suggest?"
"...Hmm, that is a problem. We've no way to distinguish ourselves from the Varjans for you. Us Sonarrans know each other so we'd know who's who but for you..." Felipe wondered for a bit for a solution. "Ah, I know! Every Sonarran here knows who you are so they will not attack you. So, you just need to attack those attacking you. Makes sense, di ba?"
Whatever your thoughts about that plan was put aside as Felipe immediately ordered for the operation to begin. "Now then, ate. You breathe your fog and confuse them while we follow up." Felipe ordered you. "Lahat kayo! To your positions.
------
It did not take long for the Varjan group to arrive. You and the other rebels were well-hidden behind boulders and rocks that dot the stony landscape and ready to spring the ambush.
The Varjan group was not large but they are filled with warriors armored in the dark steel that was the standard of Varjo. Though, there were several that wore little more than fur pelts and leather, looking a lot like the rebels. At the fore was a orange-haired woman with seemingly impractical armor and wielding an axe and shield. However, she appeared as fierce as the warriors behind her.
Beside you was Felipe who nodded at you, telling you to begin the ambush.
Your tail whip hit the Paladin and sent him and his horse flying for a few feet. While an average human would have been severely bloodied from that, the Paladin was still mostly intact although it was enough to seemingly kill him for good.
Your roar brought everyone's attention to you and seeing that the Paladin has been felled, the Order soldiers and knights faltered and the sight of the prisoners being freed was the final straw. The Order forces routed and retreated, giving you and your allies the victory.
Your sudden transformation startled the charging knights. Your icy breath easily froze the knights and their horses on their tracks.
You look back to the prison caravan and saw Yang freeing the prisoners. The sight of that, as well as the Paladin being felled by Titanica and the Varjan Warlord running for his life, made the Order forces rout completely. Victory was yours.
Krik ran away without a word, embarking on a horse and riding off to the distance. You get a feeling he was not going to heed your words.
Once you've freed the prisoners, the Sonarrans cheered and quickly grabbed some arms to fight the Order troops and assist the Guild. But the Order forces quickly routed once they saw their charges freed and their leaders defeated, ending the small battle.
You blasted away the Footman, leaving quite singed with your fire. Neil still lied on the ground, catching his breathe and staring wide-eyed at the sky.
You see the prisoners were freed by Yang and once the Order troops saw that and their leaders practically gone, they routed en masse seeing that there was no way to salvage the situation. The battle was won.
The guild group safely escorted the prisoners to Boreal Port, reaching it by dusk. There, they were immediately greeted by Maria Corazon.
"Ah, there you are! I knew I could count on you!" The rebel girl then greeted the liberated prisoners. "Aking mga kapatid! Aking kapwa Sonarrans! Tingnan niyo! May sumasagot sa ating sigaw ng saklolo. Hindi tayo mag-isa sa ating pag-alsa laban sa Varjo." She then goes over beside Titanica. "A cheer for The Guild!"
The liberated prisoners cheered and clapped for the the Guild members, attracting some attention from the locals. "Mabuhay ang Sonarra!" The other Sonarrans repeated Maria before they went inside the town, likely at some rendezvous point.
"Guild, I thank you once again for assisting us. I hope you continue helping us. You will be saving a lot of lives." Maria then handed Yang a heavy, leather pouch. The sound of gold within indicated there was much within.
The quest was done. The Guild members can head back to the headquarters or do something else for now.
Before the Wardogs could get their hellish jaws at the Guild members and Ian. Morgan and Ozzy carried Ian to the trees' branches and watched as the Wardogs tried to climb, clawing at the bark of the trees in a futile attempt to get to their prey. They barked and circled the tree for quite a while but their patience soon ran out and vacated the area.
"Well then. That's not how the last time went but this is pretty nice." Ian remarked, sitting on a branch and embracing the tree. "Although, why didn't we just fly straight back to Mahigan instead of waiting here for the Wardogs to leave us alone?" The mercenary knight said. "Well whatever, I've got your reward money right here. Should be a hundred and fiddy in there."
Ian then hopped from branch to branch with surprising agility and grace, getting back to the ground without flaw. "Welp, we should haul ass before the Wardogs come back. You guys go on ahead. I still have some business here that does not concern you." Ian then took off to a direction. "Oh and, tell your friend Nephele the Wyvern that I saw a bunch of knights heading for Tulisan Forest. She might want to look into that."
The quest was done. The Guild members can head back to the headquarters or do something else for now.
You went back to the forest where you, Neil and Eilidh found the Goblin tribe. Unfortunately, the tribe of the petite monsters was no longer there. Only some pieces of wood and some pieces of fabric remain. Likely materials that were left behind or forgotten when the Goblins set up camp.
However, you also found several gold coins scattered along the grassy ground. Probably also left behind and forgotten by the Goblins. You could pick them up to add some more gold to your reward from your last quest but you could get a feeling these coins are not entirely forgotten.
The second Bast got in the garden, he couldn't help but to stop for a minute to admire it's beauty. The garden was undeniably beautiful. The exotic plants, all the colors and the myriad of different fragrances created a truly unique atmosphere. Calm and peaceful, it was truly a place that Bast enjoyed, in a personal level.
"Whoever was the one responsible for this garden, has my admiration." Bast said to himself as he calmly walked through the garden.
It would be a shame to see it burning. He knew that if he wanted his plan to work, he would still have to do it.
As he calmly walked around the garden, appreciating the flowers and the exotic plants, making sure he remembered every fragrance and color, Bast simply dropped a few cards imbued with fire magic on strategic points, on a brief timer. After a few minutes, the cards would erupt in flames, completely engulfing the garden.
Before walking away though, he went to the very middle of the garden, where a few Narcissus flowers were. Kneeling down near the flowers, he carefully drew a magical glyph on the dirt, around the plants. This glyph would protect them from the fire and make it so the earth on the entire garden was still fertile despite the fire.
"A small gift..." Bast said with a discreet smile, putting a small paper note on top of the flowers, handwritten with a beautifully stylized font. On the note, a few words were written:
'It pains me to see such a wonderful garden destroyed. The fragrances, the colors and the wonderful atmosphere will forever remain in my memory. Compared to a mere carriage, a garden holds incomparable beauty to those who know to appreciate it. Not all is lost though. The ground is fertile, maybe even more than it was before. The Narcissus, in flower language means amongst other things, rebirth and eternal life. It's a small gift from me for you who was responsible for such a beautiful garden. I hope you will be able to create an even more beautiful garden to surprise me.'
After the job was finished, Bast got out of the garden and made a discreet signal (while being careful for not being noticed by the guards) for Eilidh to know that the job was already done. In a few minutes, the garden would be engulfed in flames, saving for the few flowers he had protected. Now they just needed to hand over the second letter to the Barensia and wait on top of the watch tower to watch how the situation would unfold.
While the plan didn't go exactly as they planned, everything went well in the end. Thankfully, no one from the guild got hurt. Not the same could be said from their enemies though... Despite what Bartholomew said, that quest would definitely attract attention to them. They were really taking sides now...
Being thanked by Maria Corazon and seeing how thankful the liberated prisoners were and the cheers coming from the locals was indeed a good feeling. Not only that, but the reward was really big too, as it got evident by the weight of the bag of gold Maria handed to Titanica.
"With this we will be able to help in fixing the guild wall." Freyr said with a smile, looking to the group.
"It was risky, but I'm glad to see that everyone is ok." He finished, looking to Yang and Nagare specifically.
For the journey home, Annalise had been as quiet as a breeze, and yet bore forth sheer anger that better matched her Hellhound armor.
Why?
How long had she been asking herself that simply question? Why couldn’t she take back the horse? It was her mission, wasn’t it? Why did the Holstaur get to make all the decisions? Who was she to decide how they would handle their mission? More importantly, who was she to CORRECT Annalise in how to go about doing HER task? Was it even their mission, once she decided that she’d the right to take over at that point?
Why didn’t Magnus stop her? Why did he just let her did what she pleased? Would she get there reward, now? Surely, Jeb, whoever the hell he was, wouldn’t think about them, since someone else returned his horse to him.
Annalise dug her claws in the ground, as these questions burned in her head. It was burning through her time in her armor, yet equally binding her to it. However, it was not to last, as they trod back upon the grounds of the Guild. Her only memory of the cyclops that was looking things over was her leaving on her first day; they hadn’t spoken a word, hadn’t meet eyes, even. So...
WHY!?
Annalise resisted the urge to scream, as the cyclops’s tongue fumbled over the syllable, settling on the common tongue name, “Anna” -- which wasn’t even close to the only proper pronunciation, which would have been, something like, “Annal”. However, that wasn’t the point -- mostly -- at the moment. “Why? Metal Eater... But, you... shouldn’t... know...” she growled, as her flames started to increase with a hissing output of sulfur. “I DIDN’T GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO CORRUPT NOR SPEAK MY NAME!”
There was a sudden eruption, as her flaming accoutrements went from crimson with golden roots to sapphire with violet roots, and lost their shape; becoming mere spouts of flames. Even Magnus would be forced to a defensive side, as Annalise trembled in place. He could feel rage explosively rippling off her, and... an undercurrent of sadness? Before he could attempt to do anything, he heard a massive cracking, and a section of Annalise’s armor shattered like shrapnel, and fired at him -- only to return to slime at against his skin.
‘Calm down! Calm down!! Calm down!!!’ screamed the Mimic Slime at herself. ‘No! I won’t! Why does she know my name!?Who told her!? Find them! Silence them! Protect us!’ she screamed back, at herself. ‘I can’t! We can’t! I don’t wanna fight to survive anymore!’ Annalise cried back. ‘WE HAVE TO! THEY’LL KNOW! THEY’LL KNOW WHO WE ARE!’ Annalise barked. ‘No... let’s run away... relax... before we burn up in anger...’
...it’s so hot... my anger is.... calm down... need water... find food... need sleep... hide and survive... like always...
Instinct took over, and Annalise rushed down the cyclops -- only to launch beyond her, surging through the hole, and into the Guild. Her flames disappeared as she hit the ground, and rushed to the bathrooms; remembering where the dragoness, Nephele, had led her before, as her armor continued to shatter from the heat it was enshrouded in.
We... We... are Annalise Xing... Madame Lin Daw Zhou... Slime... Lich... Afraid... Again...
Terribly burned, emotionally, and psychically, Annalise reached out, and turned the cold water on full blast to douse her armor, and flood it.
She sniffed at Krik getaway, no doubt that the person was just talking nonsense to save his own skin. Yang cracked her knuckles at that and turned her attention back to the battle. With her joining in the fray, the battle was as good as won.
Not that she did much anyways, Yang thought to herself as they moved the escaped prisoners to their agree location meetup. That's when she met with Maria again and the former was absolutely delighted with their efforts. The cheers that erupted from them made her felt awkward but it helped her mood and morale.
At least, I did something right. She smiled and bowed to the everyone around them politely, taking in the praise humbly even as Maria gave her the pouch of gold.
"Thank you." She accepted with both of her hands respectfully, Yang took a brief look at Maria and smiled. She didn't know why, but she felt a kindred and familiarity with her despite meeting her only twice. Without thinking, she reached out and pat Maria head affectionally. "Stay strong, alright?"
That being done and as they walked back home, a pouch full of gold as Yang toss it up and down. She listened to Freyr and grinned at that.
"Hah, that Krik guy wasn't that strong." Yang shrugged it off with her shoulder but her thoughts wondered briefly if whether the knights she fought just happen to be weak rather than her being strong.
She'll have to self-meditate over this, confidence can easily translate to arrogance at times. Not to mention knights have been presenting a problem for her, particularly their armor and shields.
"But I'll have to take some physical conditioning," Yang muttered as her mind settled to strengthening her body. "I wonder if our Guildmaster would allow me to purchase some metal armor for me to train on."
"Anyways, since we're done early, think we should head back with all this gold?" She smiled to the rest of them, including their new additions of Titanica, Vara and Neil. "Oh, by the way, where were you two last night? I didn't see you made your way to the guild."
"Also Neil, did you left early this morning to fetch them?" Yang made a few small talk to them.
---
Ditzy Stoneclub
Ditzy took some time to find the place, retracing his steps slowly from his memory. Soon, he did found the place but it was devoid of anyone and it was in a mess.
Aw, they left. He pouted at that. Ditzy had been wanting to play with them, he didn't even manage to say goodbye to them.
Dejected, Ditzy looked around to see where they went and noticed something shiny on the ground. He bend down to picked it up and brushed the dirt aside before he realized what it was.
A shiny coin. Eyes studied the pretty glint it had when it reflected the sun as fingers traced around it. Ditzy wondered what's it doing on the ground since his father often panicked when he drops the coins. Now that he stopped to look, he noticed that there was a fair amount of them scattered around.
He cooed briefly as his brian slowly worked and brightening up like a lamp when an idea struck him. He'll help them pick up the coin and keep them safe when they come for it.
With that, Ditzy went ahead to pick up the coins. He looked around and saw a perfect place to keep it safe as his eyes fell to the large sandbag he carried around.
The leather hide around it was good enough to act as a large purse, and it'll never get lost since he often carry it.
He was a genius! Ditzy proudly thought as he removed the inner weight and stuff the gold coins at the bottom of his sandbag. Once he done, the sandbag weight a bit more but Ditzy barely felt the weight change. Though if he smacked someone with it, there'll be a few imprints of coins showing.
Though another conundrum came to him, how was he going to tell them he was holding their coin? He hummed as he looked at a tree, then to a rock, and to the tree again. A single light tap to the rock which shattered in half, Ditzy took the sharper points and slowly carve a message to be left behind.
I got your gold, find me at the Guild and I'll give it back. -Ditzy Stoneclub.
He felt proud at the message and with thatm journey back home to the guild. Hopefully he can play with the goblins soon.
Getting saved by Ian, he immediately went to get ahold of Ian whilst in flight, but first he looked to Morgan to make sure she was not in- and sure enough she was okay, or well enough to take to the sky. Her thank you made his heart flutter just a little bit but there were more important matters.
Getting safely to the heights, Ian was jabbering non stop and asking for a number of things. Ozzy had to sadly ignore may of his comments and request, looking done at hungry barking creatures. "My question is why there so many dogs all the way here? Its a bloody swamp?" He reasoned that maybe this was just the patrol of maybe some kind of raider camp using the swamp as cover. Figures, monsters bother him when he comes through but actual monsters are able to set up shop. It made Ozzy clench the tree a little bit.
And just as quickly as it started, it ended, the dogs running off. Ian made a very reasonable comment and frankly, yes they would have went back, if it wasn't for the fact that they didn't know how much the guy needed. Suddenly he said he needed to. Ozzy nearly groaned, the adrenaline and annoyance finally being outwardly shown.
And then he was off, after paying the money, a heavy pouch of coin. And a warning...
Oh and, tell your friend Nephele the Wyvern that I saw a bunch of knights heading for Tulisan Forest. She might want to look into that.
"Oh- Okay, Bye... Ian, what strange man..." Ozzy had nothing but questions. "Pretty spry for an armored man... makes you wonder why he needed us- No can't think like that. We got the job done. Yay us." He half heartedly announced, still sitting on their perch. He wondered what Ian meant by 'buisness', what the Tulsian Forest was, why knights were there, and the other members of the guild, it was only mid-day, would the others need assist. Ozzy's questions were very open on his face.
While you were drawing the glyph of protection on the patch of soil where the Narcissus flowers were planted, you interrupted yourself when you noticed that there was a young boy, likely seven or six years old, staring at you. He had scruffy brown hair but from the way he was dressed, he was probably part of the noble family living here.
He quickly panicked as he ran back into the residence. "Stranger!" He yelled. "Stranger in our backyard! There's a stranger in our backyard!" His screaming alerted the entire home and the guards were quick, arriving at the garden at almost breakneck speed. Several, almost a dozen, surrounded you and ready to take you down.
"BAST!" Eilidh called out to you as she burst forth from behind of the guards. "We have to get out of here!" The Centaur began fighting off the guards with two swords, kicking away one of the guards with her hind legs. "Also, I've got some bad news but we need to get out of here first!"
While the guards were of little danger even if they outnumber you, lingering any longer was still dangerous. After all, the garden itself was to burst into flame any minute now.
"My question is why there so many dogs all the way here? Its a bloody swamp?"
"They're probably the Wardogs that were released from the Varjan refugees in Ravager's Rest." Ian responded. "Wardogs are useful in a fight but taking care of them when resources are low is a pain in the ass. When Varjans escape from Varjo with some Wardogs in tow, they usually just release them to ease the burden and stuff."
------
With little else to do, you and Morgan went on home with the quest's reward. Encountering no more incidents on the way.
“I DIDN’T GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO CORRUPT NOR SPEAK MY NAME!”
Talia recoiled from the outburst. She was alert yet not completely prepared, more confused instead. "W-What?! I only know your name because of Bart!" The Cyclops attempted to retort.
She was taken by surprise when you lunged at her and sent yourselves barreling inside the the Guild headquarters. "Gah! What the hell?!" Talia could only watch as you went straight for the bathrooms.
As you cooled off, you heard more differing voices from inside. The other guild members have probably returned.
The guild members reach their headquarters to find Magnus the Minotaur and Talia who was just emerging from the hole in the entrance looking like she had just been attacked. "Talia? Wha-- What happened?" Neil was the first to speak, approaching the Cyclops.
"It's that newcomer girl! The one in the armor from last night." Talia said. "She tackled me inside and went to who knows where. I think she went to the bathroom." She continued. "I have NO idea what her problem was. I think she was mad that I said her name or something. Honestly, can someone talk some sense into her?"
"Yeah, she kinda came in here looking all shifty and everything. I just didn't say anything 'cause half of use all look shifty and everything" Haley dryly remarked.
"Well, I'm not hurt or anything. Just... surprised. At being tackled." Talia then shifted to another topic, probably not wanting to dwell on that any further. "So! How'd your quests go? Some of you went on that Varjo-related request right? Did any of you get hurt?" She then suddenly turned to Neil. "And where did you disappear off to? You suddenly vanished this morning."
"Uhh, umm..." Neil was blushing again, flustered since Talia got quite close as she questioned the boy.
With the enemies routed and the prisoners feed from captivity, the ice dragon's large form began to dissipate into icy mist as Nagare's humanoid form took shape. She let out a large sigh of relief after the battle, her heart still pounding and body still throbbing with adrenaline.
Thank goodness. I was afraid we weren't going to make it for a moment. Nagare thought to herself. This was the first time she participated in a battle of any kind. She had to say, she wasn't a fan. The smell of blood, the sound of metal piecing and slicing through flesh, all of it made the young ice dragon sick to her stomach.
Nagare then turned to the prisoners freed by Yang, she couldn't understand their language but she could tell they were cheering. If fighting can sometimes lead to similar outcomes, perhaps it was worth it. She smiled lightly at the scene.
Meanwhile, Vară had thankfully been able to save Neil from being skewed by the foot soldier. The boy seemed to be unharmed albeit a little shaken. Having recovered, the two met up with the others and escorted the prisoners back to the port. Maria and the freed captives gave their heartfelt thanks to the group, in addition to their much needed payment.
They made their way back to the guild later that night. Vară had kept silent when Yang asked about last night, fearing for her life if anything were to slip. She shot a glance at Neil before leaving for her quarters, there were some things she needed to mull over for the night. A lot has happened in the past few days.
Nagare seemed to be in high spirits, having successfully completed another quest and receiving ample payment for the job.
"I'm glad everyone is fine as well! And we finally have enough money to pay for the hole in the wall." Said the ice dragon with a cheer.
"Um, Mr. Freyr? I actually wanted to thank you personally. You were willing to defend me from those attackers all by yourself, all to buy me time to escape. I was able to fend off the knights, but I shudder to think how it would've turned out had you not been there. Thank you very much." Nagare gave a bow to extend her gratitude to her fellow guildmate.
"Hey guys, wassup?" She said informally to them, and Talia. Hearing what the one-eyed monster girl said, she hummed a bit before shrugging her shoulders. "Let's leave her be for now, perhaps she just needs some time for her own."
"But the mission went better than expected, but like what Guildmaster Bart said, we'll need to lie low for a bit." Yang rubbed the back of her head bashfully and shrugged her shoulders with a sigh. "I kind of...let one of them go, Krik the beheader or something so yeah, the Vajros definitely knows who I am now."
"None of us got hurt, but we're lucky that we had reinforcements. If our comrades hadn't been there-" Yang pointed her thumb to Vara and Titanica. "Things would have gotten a lot uglier and harder."
"Here, should be enough to fix the wall." Yang tossed the gold pouch to Talia before she walked outside. "I'm going to train for a bit. This experience has been...enlightening."
"See ya, later Miss Freyr." She tapped Freyr shoulder, and then to Magnus, a hand clenched on his longer before leaving. "You too, Magnus."
"I'm going to miss this wall though, much faster to get inside. Haha!" She jested as she tapped the open and exposed masonry.
With that, Yang went out to the outside and trained herself once again. This time, focusing more on how to attack through armor. She closed her eyes and focused on her old master lessons, impact and Ki training, with that she took a lower stance and recalled those moments again.
Here goes.
Yang will be available for talking during training and dinner later.
He finished picking the coin and then headed back to the guild, happy and delighted as he skipped in his step. Resulting him tripping and falling few times in between during his journey home.
Despite that, it didn't stop Ditzy good mood even as he returned to the guild.
"Hello!" He greeted everyone the moment he reached back and smiled. "I finished my job!"
"Oh, did you went out to play, Neil?" Ditzy realized when he saw Neil, he hadn't seen him from the morning till now. "I went back to see if the goblins would play with me but they left."
Ditzy looked away briefly as he recalled some of the few times where he was often left behind simply because he was slow. He pouted and felt disheartened before he smiled again. "But I got their gold! If they come back and ask for it, tell me okay? I'll give it back to them."
Ditzy lifted his sandbag for Neil to see before he slung it over his shoulder. He then looked to Titanica, Neil and Talia innocently and asked. "Hey, wanna play tag with me? I'm bored."
"Well... That will make things just a tiny bit complicated..." Bast sighed after he realized that he was being watched and hearing the boy screaming about a strange on the backyard, followed shortly by Eilidh calling his name, stating that obviously things were starting to go wrong.
Bast quickly finished the protection circle before he started hearing the sound of the guards running to the garden. In just a few minutes, the garden would be in flames and he wasn't really in the mood to fight against those guards. Without a second to lose, Bast ran away from the garden to the street outside. As soon as he got there, he saw Eilidh.
"It would be a smart decision to run now." he said, gently taking her hand and pulling her away towards a small, dim lit street in the back of the mansion.
"We can hide ourselves in one of those dark alleys, at least until they stop searching for us." Bast said, as he continued to run. While Bast was really curious about the 'bad news' Eilidh mentioned, he could wait at least when they were already hiding to ask her.
Finally arriving at the guild, Freyr was greeted with a rather strange scene. Talia was getting out of the gigantic hole on the side of the guild, but the strange part was that she looked almost like she was attacked by something judging by her clothes and her expression. Neil was the first to ask what happened. Upon hearing from Talia that the one who tackled her was the newcomer girl, the one that was wearing an armor, Freyr got even more confused. Not only he didn't understand what was happening, but he also made no idea why she would have a reason to attack Talia.
"Did I... Miss something?" Freyr asked, looking to Talia and Neil, confused.
"Oh, yes. Regarding the quest, luckily, everything ended up fine. Nobody got hurt despite things not going exactly as we planned..." Freyr replied after Talia completely changed the subject, asking them about their mission.
"At least everyone is fine... We should keep our eyes open though... We're definitely going to attract a bit of attention from the Varjans after this mission." Freyr reminded, sighing after he heard what Yang said.
"Especially you, Yang... You should be careful now that they know who you are..." Freyr said, looking to Yang, before she tapped on his shoulder, going inside, probably to train a bit more.
"You should rest a bit. Don't overexert yourself." Freyr said before she entered through the gigantic hole.
Not everything was bad though. Just like Nagare had mentioned, despite everyone being fine and nobody getting hurt, after that mission they finally would have enough money to pay for the hole. That statement made Freyr smile a bit. Hard times might be coming for the guild now that they would probably start attracting a bit of attention from Varjo, but for now, everything was fine.
When Nagare called his name though, Freyr turned to her, curious. When she bowed down, personally thanking him for protecting her, he couldn't help but let out a kind smile towards her.
"You don't need to thank me. I said I would keep you safe before, didn't I?" he said, with a kind smile.
"I wouldn't let a guildmate get hurt without doing anything about it. So you don't need to be so formal about it." he concluded, still with a kind and warm smile towards her.
"It would be good for you to rest a bit too. The mission today was pretty tiring." He finished, looking to Nagare.
