"That's a fine argument, but do you think that'll work alone? Justice without power are simply wishful words. Convincing people who are convinced in their belief that there's no co-existence possible will be akin to convincing a rock." Yang said without hesitation and a more philosophical side she hadn't shown to others. She wasn't tutored officially but she learned from monks who studied scriptures their entire lives. "Sometimes, you have to use force to fight against force. And you have little of that."
Yang sighed as she simply shook her head at that, utterly disappointed and lightly slapped the back of Ozzy head. While it was merely a tap with two fingers, to Ozzy, it felt more like a palm instead.
"Alright, if you're so insistent..." Yang was going to regret this decision so bad, but yet had no other choice. "We're going to dress you up."
"Uh, Haley, you got any make-up or clothes that can hide our appearances?" Yang asked the siren even as she considered her own change of clothes. This makes her stand out too much, perhaps getting some disguise and more darker skin-tone helps? Or maybe some armor to hide her face or complete appearance.
"For the record, I'm going to take Ozzy out for a walk in making sure he doesn't do anything dumb for the day. Okay?" She muttered to Haley and a tight grip on Ozzy neck, her eyes narrowed he felt a strong and tense body through his body. "Get it?"
Yang will be accompanying Ozzy, simply under different appearance. Yang also looked at the symbol that Ozzy created at the notice board and quickly erased it.
Ozzy must have gritted his teeth. She made him kind of feel like some stupid kid who didn't get how the world worked. He understood more then most, but the point was not to sink to their level. If he wasn't ready to defend his word and actions with his claws, then what kind of man would he be?
He looked above him, relaxing for just a moment before before he kicked off the ground and wrested his arms free and began to fly. His harpy physique was somehow suited for carrying humans. And so Yang would be lifted airborne, potentially hitting a beam on the flight up if she didn't let go.
Either way he was free and landed with fists clenched. "I can fight! I will fight! If its to protect people like you!" He shouted back, trying to defend his ideology but coming up with a more direct statement of what was more important.
Yang bopped him and he made a little noise of discomfort before rubbing his head. Then she mentioned he was going to get a disguise. He tilted his head, wondering what she meant. Yang took command and decided how they were going to do this, makeup and disguises. Ozzy actually seconded the idea. "Yeah, I can pass for human." his wings looking more like a cape. "A few more scarfs of cloth and hiding my eyebrows and I'll be indiscernible." He then crossed his arms. "Maybe I should get some padding. A male harpy would stand out, but if I can look like a girl..." He was thinking outloud.
Yang made it very clear that she was not going to deal with him being dumb and he raised his hands. "You're in charge. Recon and Guidance. That's it. Every little's a gain." He was whole heartedly willing to play it sneaky.
Hearing Neil's recollection of what happened last time made a look of disdain cross Sylvia's face. "Well, it sounds like we're obviously dealing with an amateur or a quack," she said, "Now I'm really glad I'm coming, maybe I can put a stop to this madness." The sisters offered their thanks when Neil offered to push their cart, and allowed him to do so. Being pushed allowed the sisters to not have to worry about navigating themselves and so they focused more on the scenery of the environs which they didn't have the luxury of doing during their arrival. As such, they were oblivious to Neil's ogling.
When Neil asked if the sisters were herbalists, Vivian's face darkened. "We have different interests, you know?" she said sarcastically, but Sylvia put a hand on her sisters shoulder, getting her to stop. "I'm an herbalist, yes, but my sister is a cook. Alraune aren't very mobile, as you can tell. When we sprouted, we did so in the garden of our parents, well, adoptive parents. They're humans, Dad's a baker, Mom's an herbalist. Unable to move, we just sort of picked up their craft. Not that being immobile limited our options, nor do we have any resentment about it. Mom and Dad did ask us if we wanted to get on a wagon and go learn other trades but..."
"Sylvia. You're rambling," Vivian interjected.
"Oh, yes well, that's the long and the short of it. I think that answers your question."
Upon arriving, Neil mentioned his sensitivity to Huwana, prompting Sylvia to try and remember what she knew of the plant. She wondered if the incident he described earlier with the other guildmember was a result of said guildmember's hubris, thinking that just because a human was sensitive to something, that a monster surely had greater tolerance? Sylvia made a mental note not to commit such an error. As the alchemist spoke, Sylvia realized why she had never heard of such a plant, it was the alchemist's own invention. yet the more Darren spoke, the more worried Sylvia was. She shot a quick glance at Vivian, who proceed to plant her face in one of the leaves the way someone would cover their face with a wet rag to prevent from breathing in smoke. This was not quite the same mechanism, but it was a way for the sisters to 'trigger' in their minds the switch from animal respiration to plant respiration, to breathe through her leaves instead of through her lungs, since lungs were large and cavernous, and much worse at filtering out toxins, whereas leaves would accrue toxins, usually visibly so, and could be torn off once they've become saturated with contaminants. This way, if Sylvia faints or otherwise loses control, Vivian could still control their collective body to escape. Thus secured, Sylvia began her questioning, "What ingredients do you use to make this 'Huwana'? Why did the Alchemist's Guild ban it? As the authority on medicinal safety, they must have had good reasons. How will we know that your anesthetic works unless pain is inflicted upon us?" With the last question, the liliraune's tentacles brandished defensively, worried that Darren might attempt to injure them to test his product.
PS: For anyone that is not familiar with FF lore, Viera names use an Icelandic-esque alphabet. In this case, J has the sound of 'y'. The female viera mentioned by Nera, reads 'Yote'.
Luckily enough, neither Ditzy nor Nagare reacted to the female viera badly, instead quickly trying to explain themselves to the female Viera. While it was clear that she was hearing them, she still had her bow drawn.
"Lonely? It was his own choice to leave the woods, hobgoblin. He left his race and the Woods behind. This is the price he has to pay for his choices." the female viera replied to Ditzy.
"You are really far from home, ice dragon Nagare. Regarding speaking with the elders, it depends on his reasons to come back here." the female viera said, turning to Nagare, who had presented herself and was trying to explain why they came.
"And you... How did you get here, Freyr. You abandoned your duties as a wood-warder and your place in the woods. You are no longer able to hear the Voice of the Woods. You know that this is not your place anymore." The female viera asked, lowering her bow, but still looking to Freyr with distrust. The second the female viera mentioned Freyr's name, it was clear to both Ditzy and Nagare that they knew each other, but it was also clear that she resented him for leaving the Vieran woods and abandoning them.
"The Wood longs for it's lost child, Nera. I can hear it's voice as well as you do." Freyr said, lowering his arms and looking at the female Viera.
"The Vieran Woods, the Viera themselves and our way of life might be in danger... The old traditions need to be broken, Nera. The world outside the woods move and we can't just ignore it... Lest we want to be swept away by the tides of time." Freyr completed, waiting for Nera's reaction.
Nera was silent for a while as she looked to Freyr's serious expression, her internal conflict clear in her expression. After a long moment, she silently walked forward, going to the portal and gently touching it. After a brief moment, the trunk that was 'closing' the portal bent itself inside, revealing a pathway, naturally carved inside the tree, spiraling upwards until it reached to the top of that huge tree.
"Humans wearing thick, brutish iron suits started coming to the woods a few months ago..." Nera said, without looking back to the group.
"If you know anything about them, you should talk to Jote. As the Elder, her will and the will of the village is the same." She finished, pointing towards the pathway that opened in the tree trunk, letting them pass.
The Vieran Village
After climbing the spiral pathway for some time, they finally arrived on the Vieran village, emerging from inside the tree. After a long journey through the woods, Ditzy and Nagare were finally able to see what very few outsiders were able to see. Built around the trunks of those gigantic trees, using their own branches and trunks as a support, instead of a mere village, almost a small city stood high above the forest, hidden away from prying eyes.
Freyr, Nagare and Ditzy, after exiting the pathway they used to climb, found themselves in the middle of a peaceful plaza with a water fountain, decorated with delicate and intricate patterns, even the pathways they walked on were carved and decorated. In the very middle of the plaza, female Vieras who were resting, sitting either on the border of said fountain, on benches around the plaza or simply walking around immediately stopped everything they were doing upon seeing them, looking to Ditzy and Nagare with curiosity. Amongst those Vieras, there were some whom instead of wearing the normal, revealing clothing that all female Vieras wore, instead wore less revealing armors, together with a full helmet covering their faces. Despite having their faces covered, their cold stare towards them could be immediately perceived.
"Those are wood-warders. Nera, despite not wearing their armor, was also a wood-warder. Their duty is to protect the city from the dangerous beasts that dwell in the forest and patrol the woods. Unlike females, who are allowed to live in this village, male Vieras upon becoming adults are destined to become wood-warders. Unlike females though, they cant return to the village and instead live in full isolation on the small camp they created for themselves." Freyr explained, whispering to both Ditzy and Nagare. Despite having not mentioned anything about why and how Nera and Freyr knew each other, it was clear that there was some history behind them. The resentment Nera had when she first saw him seemed to be more than simply the cold stare the other wood-warders were giving to them.
She huffed at that even as she felt a headache coming to her head, Bart was not going to like it.
"If you can disguise as a human, better." Yang muttered in between even as she tried and figured what disguise would work best with her.
"Male? Sure, you look a bit tom-boyish and less endowed but I think you'll be fine." Yang muttered without much thought either before lifting her head at her words. "No offense."
"Yeah, we make sure no one see or recognize us." Yang sighed as she readied herself for their trip, putting a bandanna on her hair to sweep it back. Her traditional eastern clothing being swapped to a more generic brown robes wore by travellers and long clothing, and skirt. It'll restrain part of her upper limbs movement but give her enough freedom on her legs.
Hearing what the female Viera had to say, and in a more unkind way made Ditzy puffed his cheeks in annoyance.
"If Freyr abandoned the wood, he'll never come back but Freyr did, so he never abandoned it!" Ditzy was mildly annoyed and angry at the lady harsh words as he crossed his arms. He didn't exactly have a nice impression of her already. Not to mention she was dumb too.
Forest are forest, they can't up and leave. Besides, why would they leave someone as nice as Freyr?
Still, Ditzy pushed his annoyance away as Nera opened the door for them after listening to Freyr explanation. They climbed the wooden stairs for awhile as Ditzy wondered how they made one inside a tree. His father never made something like this before.
When they finally arrived at the village, all his negative feeling was replaced with awe, astonishment, and curiosity as he looked at the surroundings with a wide eye and mouth agape.
Freyr village was so large and huge! With so many people as well that live among the trees that he never knew was possible. It was similar to a treehouse that he saw other goblin built but this was beyond anything he imagined.
He left the stairs and step outwards from it, tripping once in his step before he stumbled a few times, steadied himself with both hands outstreched. All the while, his smile never dropped at all.
"It's such a large treehouse!" Ditzy admired with stars in his eyes, he always wanted to see one and he had the chance to see the biggest treehouse ever in his life! "Oh look, look! There's even a fountain! So cool!"
So engrossed with it, he never cared or paid attention to the looks that others were giving him. More interested in the knowledge that there's a fountain here and trying to figure out how the water got there.
He turned back to Freyr as he explained a wood-warder is. Ditzy nodded along as he tried to understand what it meant and entail before he saw who they're referring to. Without much thought, he waved back at them in greetings in the middle of Freyr explanation.
"But why can't they come back? Isn't it lonely? Won't their mama and papa miss them?" Ditzy asked as he wondered why male Viera can't come back. That sounds...lonely. No wonder Freyr left if that's the case.
"Should we visit the elder first? It's important to do so." Ditzy suggested though he never figured out why, maybe because they're old? No one does it for Ditzy though. "Or we can see your mama and papa first!"
Titanica was moderately surprised that the boy was able to reveal himself so bluntly. She thought she was going to have to pull teeth from him, or chase him around the deck, but thankfully it didn't turn to be the case. Still, that didn't mean Forde had the most friendly of personas and he tried to shoo them away. But before the titan could respond with a somewhat negative essence, she realized that they were followed by the tiny harpy, Haley. How they didn't notice her presence earlier however, didn't matter to Titanica, as she only gave a snort of acknowledgement before proceeding to listen.
Turns out Forde hated humans - something that Titanica can reasonably empathize with - and all because of his partner having stolen half of a map. Whatever that map lead to definitely seemed extremely important to him, even to the point where he admitted into going 'half-insane' and not having washed himself for six whole months.
At least he seemed honest about how utterly loony he had become. And the pungent smell, well, it wasn't a joke either. Not as bad as one titan she fought - one that reeked with rotten corpses and toxic sulfuric acid - but this was still blatantly noticeable. After explaining the last bit on how his map got stolen, the Siren began to consult with both her ad Vara on the next course of action.
"I'm not keen on helping a deranged grave robber but we need him, right? Do you two think we should help the guy out?"
Vara definitely announced her feelings loud and clear - absolutely abhorring the boy and his deranged personality - however she was completely on board with just finishing this mission and getting it over with. Titanica seemed to feel the same way, only she was a bit less revealing than the demoness. However, she did empathize with Forde's hatred of people, although not nearly to the point that could drive her to madness like what he's in. Really, she was ready to take him by force - picking him up and tossing him over her shoulder - and go from there. But after hearing such a tragic tale befell this pitiful husk of a mere boy...
She issued another low-pitched irritable sigh before turning her attention back towards Forde.
"Where?" the titanic lady responded bluntly towards the point, "Who is he and where did he go?"
After traveling a considerable trip, Morgan and the others finally reached the small town of Ambran and began to walk their way through the bustling path. The moth girl was quick to gather much about her new surroundings, excitedly glancing over at the wondrous shops Ambran had to offer. She even took quick stops by local produce stalls to look at their exotic vegetables and fruit, almost being tempted to buy a few interesting specimens. Alas, she kept her funds controlled and continued to make their way towards their destination.
Upon entering the secluded apothecary shop, Morgan and the others were greeted by the owner and proceeded to let them in. Neil, however, was quite content in staying where he was, as he claimed he was extremely sensitive to the 'Huwana' and heavily advised them to be careful in there. Even though she felt confident that she would be fine, still Morgan didn't take that without some concern. Truly it couldn't be that bad as an anesthetic, but regardless she must still be on high alert. The alchemist inside did at least mention the event that took place during their prior visit.
But he did mention how he had made a new and improved strain of the anesthetic to be more 'conducive' to monster kind. However, Morgan still had to ask what exactly this 'Huwana' is, just to be safe and certain.
"And what exactly is this 'Huwana'?" she asked curiously.
Indeed, it was confirmed to be an anesthetic - one that had the same properties in calming the specimen down when in extreme pain. Apparently this stuff was banned by the Alchemist Guild, which Morgan couldn't help but to be somewhat curious as of why. However, being knowledgable in over 300+ different kinds of medicinal and toxic foliage, she ought to truly decipher the agents saturated within with her sensitive antennae. If they detected harmful substances within the air, she would be alerted as soon as the first waft hits them and can combat them through her own magic. Still, her natural resistance towards said toxins made her slightly less vulnerable to such chemicals, but that didn't mean she was completely invulnerable.
Once Morgan sat down to have the smoke waft come over them, she was going to ask the alchemist several questions about the product. However one of the attentive Altissima sisters was quick to ask nearly all of her questions in mind.
"What ingredients do you use to make this 'Huwana'? Why did the Alchemist's Guild ban it? As the authority on medicinal safety, they must have had good reasons. How will we know that your anesthetic works unless pain is inflicted upon us?"
And they were all good and valid questions to ask, as Morgan prepared for first contact with this mysterious substance.
"My partner! My boy, my man!" Forde cried. "Mordus Jain."
"I don't have the facility to tell you what I would have done for that man..." He lamented. "...and what I would do to him now!" The tone was suddenly angry.
"Why?" Haley piped in.
"Because he stole half my damn map!" Forde impatiently answered. "The map, girls. The map that tells me where it is. Heeheeheehee." Whatever 'it' was, it made the boy giddy.
"Where what is?"
"I ain't telling you that. I ain't, heh. Don't make me tell, girls." Forde refused to reveal, hiding behind the gravestone. "Hehehe! It's mine! It's mine, all mine! Hehehehe."
The Siren rolled her eyes. "Okay, sure. Now like what the large fella asked, where's this 'Mordus' guy?"
"He's at Coldstep Pass. Escorted by some knights, caught him for exhuming." Forde answered seriously and honestly. "Some people, they feel differently. Not Mordus. He and me... are the same. The self same."
Haley sighed. "Then stop hiding and let's get Mordus. And maybe you'll help us."
Forde, surprisingly, was agreed to the offer. "Alright, girls." He stood up from behind the gravestone. "Let's go."
------
The small party was heading towards Coldstep Pass. The road began to incline and the very air that was inhaled grew cold. The snow-capped mountains were close and the winds that blew chilled even scales and feathers.
"You said you needed me, girls. What for?" Forde asked from atop his horse. And by 'horse', it was really a sickly mule with legs as thin as sticks. "And how did you come to know me? I worked real hard hiding myself from the world."
"What ingredients do you use to make this 'Huwana'? Why did the Alchemist's Guild ban it? As the authority on medicinal safety, they must have had good reasons. How will we know that your anesthetic works unless pain is inflicted upon us?"
"Those are all very good questions, miss." Darren replied. "But before I answer, let me warn you first." The fragrance finally reached the monster girls' noses. The aroma was nice and soothing as was advertised and began to relax the nerves. "There may be strange entities abound but don't pay them much attention. Now then, to answer your questions--"
It was then that Morgan and Sylvia would hear Darren's voice become incoherent grumbling. Their surroundings distorted and warped, becoming too overwhelming for the eyes forcing them to close. Meanwhile, Vivian was also affected but not as much, having taken protective measures. Even to her, Darren's words were murmurs but the room was still intact and she had control. Then Morgan fell heavily on the Liliraune and Vivian lost her grasp on the petal.
------
Morgan and the Altissima sisters then woke up in a grassy clearing surrounded by thick, impenetrable fog. As they regained their senses, the fog would recede a bit before a whistling sound was heard coming closer and closer. The monster girls would narrowly dodge a strange-looking, red-feathered bird that was flying at them at a quick speed. The bird lands on the grass and exploded into a flurry of red feathers.
The fog receded more and revealed a quite elevated area with three huge slingshots sitting atop it. Around them were more strange birds of varying colors but one thing was common, they all glared at the monster girls angrily. Three red birds mounted the slingshots and their fellow birds prepared the avian shots.
With the decision firmly made and in their disguises, Ozzy and Yang made for Sonarra and into the dangerous realms of Varjan territory.
Surprisingly, the trip to Sonarra was without incident but the duo could feel the air slowly darken the closer they got to Varjan lands. The sun itself, though bright back at the Guild, appeared to dim the more Ozzy and Yang went further south. After a couple of hours trudging through the desolate landscape, the town of Sonarra was in sight.
With just one glance, one could tell that the town was poor and probably dying. The buildings were out of repair and look to be crumbling, ready to fall down at any moment. Some structures and houses were simply ruins and the smell of smoke and burning wreck was in the air.
"What do you want, you two? What are you doing here?" The warrior asked you as he was flanked by two other warriors. "Have you heard? There's a war goin' on." His tone was not welcoming, threatening even.
"Male? Sure, you look a bit tom-boyish and less endowed but I think you'll be fine." Yang muttered without much thought either before lifting her head at her words. "No offense."
"Yeah, we make sure no one see or recognize us." Yang sighed as she readied herself for their trip, putting a bandanna on her hair to sweep it back. Her traditional eastern clothing being swapped to a more generic brown robes wore by travellers and long clothing, and skirt. It'll restrain part of her upper limbs movement but give her enough freedom on her legs.
At the tom-boyish remark, he tilted his head, his feathery eyebrow flopping over across his face. "Hmm?" He didn't get what her meaning was. "None... taken?" Whatever, it wasn't exactly the most important thing in the world.
He gave it more thought and his brain was already considering all of the options. "Hey, Haley?" he asked the Siren. "Do you mind if I get some of your makeup?" She being a rather attractive Harpy herself had the blush and foundation that he felt he could use. Within reason anyway.
He had to rush it a little in the washroom, hoping not to hold Yang up for their journey. Appearing back in the common room. He had his head also wrapped in a bandanna that hid his eyebrows, adjust his coat to constrict his waste and make his hips look more pushed out, and used a belt around his chest wrapped in cloth and sweaters. This gave him atleast the illusion of a feminine chest, even if it was an A cup.
His complexion however was the most start change, the foundation smoothed his skintone and a peppering of blush gave him a rosey look with a pencil providing a lash. He looked like he could pull a girl off. He even tried it with his voice, hitching up his backpack full of things. "All ready. I can be Ari, your bag carrier!" He even had the pitch correct.
Ozzy was secretly pretty good at disguises, mostly cause of his eye for detail as a researcher. If they were in disguise, go for broke.
The trip was spent making sure they got their stories straight, and talking strategy... but who knew what they would come across?
As they approached the town, Ozzy, eeerr Ari, somehow managing to sound the part the whole time. "Are we too late?"
They were approached by a man in armor and Ari whispered to Yang before they approached. "I can lie through my teeth if we need too."
Mordus Jain - what an odd name for a simple human. Apparently he was the one who stole half of Forde's map. Yet the secrecy of its contents still held behind the boy's creepy demeanor, giggling to himself loudly like an insane person, whilst repeating "It's all mine - mine!". His ramblings were already beginning to waste Titanica's time, as another blatant snort blared through her nostrils. However, Haley had intervened just in time to ask where this Mordus person is.
According to Forde, the other thief was last seen at Coldstep Pass with a couple of knights - who also got caught for digging up graves. Perfect. They're going to have to thaw yet another creepy gravedigger from the ice. Thankfully their person was able to cooperate with them just fine as they made their way towards the mountains ahead. Whilst she and the other guild members walked on foot (or flew if your name is Haley), Forde rode on a sickly mule, one heavily malnourished and near-starved. Titanica tried to ignore the poor creature, but even she had to admit that its owner should pay for the act of animal abuse - whether he did so or not.
Just then, Forde asked the girls something quickly.
"You said you needed me, girls. What for? And how did you come to know me? I worked real hard hiding myself from the world."
The titan sighed as she forced herself to respond.
"George Costava." she answered directly, "He needs you for a plan to break into Ravager's Rest. We were sent to collect you."
Once the scent brushed upon Morgan's furry antennae, the moth girl was soon overcome by such a powerful anesthesia as she tried to listen to Dr. Darren's response. The fact that her senses didn't seem to pick up any immediate disturbances seemed like a sign that this stuff was genuine. Then within seconds the twin appendages suddenly stiffened, warning the moth-girl that something was wrong. However, their attempts to alert the body were but several mili-seconds short, as Morgan found herself loosing conscious, falling onto the lap of one of the Liliraune and blacking out completely.
When Morgan suddenly opened her eyes, she found herself laying upon a field of lush-green grass. Her mind was still fuzzy, but she found herself physically touching the sweet grass underneath her dainty palms. She lurched up to assess her location, only to find herself surrounded by a thick blanket of fog that obscured her vision. Where was she? Surely this wasn't the apothecary's shop. Is she dreaming? It certainly felt like she was dreaming. Then again, she did feel like she was also truly awake. If this is what his anesthesia was capable of doing - putting someone to sleep - then this was a completely new experience to her.
But as the moth-girl continued to walk aimlessly around the fog-hidden background, her ears suddenly caught wind of an incoming object. Her eyes suddenly began to glow - sensing immediate danger - as they told her to jump out of the way as a swift red-object whizzed right by her.
"Wha~!" she yelped before colliding with the ground.
She got up again and quickly looked for whatever shot that poor bird at them. And once the fog began to recede some more, Morgan quickly caught sight of not one, not two, but three giant slingshots! And beside them, more angry birds of all different shapes and sizes, scowled at her, as they began to man their stations and prepare to fire.
What in Titan's name was in that Huwana?
Morgan's eyes continued to glow a bright yellow as another red bird began to fly towards her. Once again, the moth-girl's small stature and quick reflects made it easy for her to dodge the shot, before seeing a tiny blue bird squeal towards her. About half-way, the bird suddenly multiplied into three, forcing poor Morgan to duck for cover.
As she glanced over to her right, she immediately found Vivian and proceeded to come to her aid.
"Get up! Get up!" she yelled in a panicky notion as she shook her to get up, "We must get to cover!"
Vivian and Sylvia woke with a start from Morgan's urgent prodding. Without questioning it, the liliraune extended their vines and roots in an effort to shuffle as quickly as they could, but it wasn't very fast. Sylvia pondered on the situation. Did they faint and have their bodies smuggled to some strange location? But the existence of exploding bird heads suggested something else. Perhaps this a a bad, huwana-induced dream? Besides, there were no such thing as exploding bird head monsters, all monsters were humanoid, and almost definitely female. But if it was a dream, then was Morgan jsut a figment of their imagination? On that note, were the sisters figments of each other's imagination? Regardless, the sisters tried their best to follow Morgan, but at some point, Vivian had to speak up, "I don't know if we can get very far like this."
"George Costava. He needs you for a plan to break into Ravager's Rest. We were sent to collect you."
"George? Ravager's Rest? Looks like that drug pusher finally found a crew crazy enough to deal with that place for good." Despite the words, it appeared Forde respected George somewhat.
"What's your story with Ravager's Rest?" Haley asked.
"I was one of them before. I fled Varjo as part of a group and made Ravager's Rest our temporary refuge before we strike out to the east, maybe get an Order city to give us a home in exchange for our swords. But it turns out, ain't nothing more permanent than temporary." Forde told his story. "I keep reminding them that we couldn't stay in the old fortress, that we had to do something. But no one listened and they began bothering the nearby homesteads which painted targets on their backs. I bailed out of there not long after."
"And now you rob graves south of an Order city?"
"What? Are you saying it's better to steal from the living?" Forde was offended by the question. "They're corpses. They don't care. In fact, I'm doing them a favor by keeping them company. I talk to them when everybody else have forgotten about them." The grave robber defended himself with questionable reasons. "I tell them it's alright to be scared an alone. I embrace them even if they're stinking and rotten. Thing is, people are cold and heartless all their lives. To me, they get warmer when they're actually cold and heartless."
Haley decided not to press the issue and only looked at Titanica in disbelief.
------
The ascent into Coldstep Pass was not difficult. The slopes were not that steep and the party kept a steady pace. Still, the temperatures have dropped significantly and the surroundings were now all snow white instead of grassy green. "Gods damn. Should've brought something for the cold but then again, I didn't think we would be going to Coldstep Pass for the quest."
Soon, a smoke trail heading upwards could be seen. "See that? That must be them. Come on!" Forde led the way further into the pass on his increasingly-weakening mule.
Forde led the party behind a small snow mound. Peering over, the party would see a small encampment of knights and their horses. There were four tents and about six knights. A campfire burned in the middle and provided warmth for the encampment. There were lights inside the tents too so it was likely there were candles inside. "I'll bet Mordus is in one of the tents. We need to find a way to get rid of the knights."
"Maybe we can scare 'em off?" Haley suggested. "You can transform, right Titanica? Just go all 'You have disturbed my sleep!' or something and I guarantee you these guys will be running."
The monster girls narrowly evaded the bombardment of birds. The fog receded further and Morgan and the Altissima sisters found that they were in some sort of basin and surrounded by the hostile birds and their giant slingshots. Birds of varying colors have taken their places in the slingshots and ready to unleash another barrage on the monster girls.
But Morgan and the Altissima sisters were not without aid. On the grassy ground were blocks and pillars of stone and wood that looked that they could be erected to perhaps form some sort of shield or barrier against the hostile avians. There was no foundation, however, and any walls that are put up might get knocked down even if they could withstand the birds. But they were all the monster girls had.
Still, these block of protection were but a temporary measure. They would be besieged by the birds until they find a way out of there.
Without a reply from the pair, the warrior and his men slowly reached for their weapons. It seems the guild members had a fight in their--
"HAAAAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!" The warrior and his men suddenly burst into hearty laughter, pointing fingers at Yang and Ozzy.
"Relax, aking mga kaibigan! Relax!" He told the guild members. "Welcome to Sonarra, kayong dalawa! Let's come, eat, drink! And then we'll talk." The warrior then motioned the duo to follow him leading them inside the dreary town. The streets were barely clean and there was a slight stench of decay and refuse in the air.
The warrior motioned Yang and Ozzy to sit with him on a table in front of a shoddy, poorly-built bar. "My name is Felipe de Santa Anna. A proud warrior of Emilio Hari's rebellion against the iron oppression of the Varjans." He introduced himself. "Perhaps you have heard of him, mga ate? Emilio Hari?"
"Anyway, what are the two of you doing so deep into Varjo? Who are you?" Felipe asked, he and his men still oblivious to the the guild members' disguises. "Are you two from the guild? I posted a request there, you know?"
Vară took the streak to their destination as best she could, not expecting the sudden chill and snowy trail they had to take. She used a bit of fire magic in order to aid Haley and herself in keeping warm. She couldn’t help but feel sorry for the poor excuse for a mule that the crazed boy was riding. Honesty with how skinny the creature’s legs were Forde should be the one carrying it. But she digressed, Vară reluctantly listened to Forde’s explanation of events passed, understanding that it may be important for the quest.
After some more walking, they happened upon a smoke stack in the distance. Seems they’ve arrived at a camp of sorts. Good, she thought, Vară didn’t do well with heights and steep slopes. Haley suggested that Titanica transform into her kaiju form and clear out the hole camp.
“Well, having seen the might of your form first hand as well, I agree with Haley that you’d be able to clear all of the louts out rather quickly. However, if you feel a different approach would be more effective, I’m all ears.”
While the demoness wanted to get this resolved asap, she won't actually mind a bit of a tussle. As a form of 'venting' so to speak.
After Freyr was able to convince his fellow Vieran to allow them passage, the group made its way up a spiral pathway. After sometime, they made it to the exit, and Nagare bore witness to the Viera village – Freyr’s birthplace. Highly curious, she took in as much of the scenery as she possibly could. The buildings and even the very pathways seemed as though they were intricately crafted. Nagare was about to move a little closer to the fountain to get a better view. She stopped, however, when she saw the stares of the village natives.
She was understanding of their glares; outsiders have more than likely never been within the walls of this village. They probably haven’t seen a creature quite like Nagare either, at least not often. Some of the stares were that of simple curiosity, others were that of disdain. She made a note to not let it bother, though. After all, by all accounts they shouldn’t be here, they were only granted passage by the good graces of the guardsman.
Nagare listened closely as Freyr explained to them that the men in their society patrol the outside and guard the village from threats, calling themselves Wood-Warders. She thought it was odd that they weren’t allowed to live in the village unlike the females.
“Um, Mr. Freyr? If I may ask, why aren’t the males allowed to live in the village? Also, I’d like to ask if you were a wood-warder before you left your home as well? If I’m not overstepping my bounds, that Vera person seemed to know you personally. She also didn’t seemed very happy to see you again…”
Yang initially stand in front of Ozzy first when they're met with the warriors, her breathe increased and arms tensed underneath her disguise robes.
A moment passed as she struggled to think of any good excuse that doesn't involve someone being knocked out and saw them moving for their weapons. She nearly swore under her breathe when she saw it happen.
"Just wai-" She said before they changed their tune, laughing at them boisterously as she readied herself for the worst.
Then the next words uttered by them, made her sigh both in relief and exasperation. Entering the town, her nose twitched at the scent, it wasn't the worst but it certainly showed the conditions of the town and its people.
She took a seat across them and bowed politely, her hands moving to the proper respect but she held it halfway to not give her identity up.
"Yes, I heard of him briefly." Yang inclined her head at that, she was part of the rescue team after all. Though its best not to let it on.
"No, we're just wanderers and passer-by." She waved her hands dismissively at that but turned her eyes to Ozzy to help her for the next bit. "But after seeing the state of what Varjo did to others while coming here, I think we should do something to help the people."
She winked at them in good nature with a slight ribbing to Ozzy to help back her on this.
It was clear that Freyr had mixed feelings coming back to his village after so much time. In one hand, he was truly happy to hear the voice of the woods again and to a certain extent, to see others from his own race, but on the other hand, he knew that he wasn't welcome anymore. Watching Ditzy and Nagare's reaction after seeing the village. It wasn't that surprising that they were curious about it, after all, not many outsiders even got close to the village's entrance, let alone enter it.
"It's the traditions. The Laws of the Woods that remained unchanged for long... Too long..." Freyr replied to Ditzy and Nagare, who had both asked why males couldn't come back. Notably, when Ditzy mentioned his parents, Freyr's expression immediately became a bit darker as he clearly tried to avoid talking about his parents.
"As a male, it was my duty being a wood warder. To live a life of complete isolation, protecting the woods. The reason for this is that the Viera is a female predominant race. Males are too few and isolated to even be relevant in the society. Less than 20% of the Vieras that are born are males. Due to that and the fact that most males do have a different... 'temperament' than females being more competitive, antisocial & etc. Males are seen as incompatible to live together with female Vieras." Freyr continued explaining as he looked around the plaza, situating himself in order to locate where Jote's house was.
"Nera was... Very close to me when we were kids. When I became old enough to well... become a Wood Warder, in other words, be exiled from the Village, and decided to leave the woods, she probably saw that as me betraying not only the woods and the race, but herself..." Freyr completed.
"Yes... We should probably go see Jote soon... Just follow me." Freyr said, as he looked towards a bridge linking the plaza to another tree nearby, going towards a rather large building. Due to the way he simply started walking towards the bridge, it was clear that he didn't want to draw any more attention than they already were. The hostile stares from a few Vieras were incredibly obvious.
The Vieran Village
Excluding the hostile stares from some of the Vieras, the walk towards Jote's house was a pleasant one. From the top of enormous trees, they were able to see the entire forest floor if they looked down. Beautiful and peaceful, truly, all worries from the outside world wasn't be able to reach so deep inside the forest... At least not until now...
The moment they arrived in front of the Jote's house, which was almost indistinguishable from other houses other than being slightly bigger, much for their own surprise, they didn't even need to knock, as Jote got out of the door the second they arrived.
"Unsought guests in our woods, yet... Nera has allowed your entrance." Jote replied, with a harsh, but curious stare. The second she saw Freyr though, she went quiet for a second, looking at him with a surprised, almost alarmed expression.
"Why does the voice of the woods still..." Jote started, clearly surprised but interrupted herself.
"No matter. Why have you came, bringing outsiders with you? No matter what happens, you know you are unsought guests in this village..." Jote said. Despite Jote's serious expression it was clear by her reaction when she saw Freyr that something was different. She had a small bit of doubt in her voice. Maybe it has something to deal with Freyr, his exile and the so called 'Voice of the Woods' that the Viera were apparently able to hear?
John looked through his bag for a piece of parchment and writing utensils to start drawing up some schematics for the barn. "I'm not really sure why Neil was upset. I saw some woman with wings and black scales talking to him though...or maybe she wasn't talking to him. I'm not really sure. Wasn't close enough to here the conversation and it's not my business at the end of the day. I asked if she was rude to him though. He said he was fine but that kid seems to be a poor liar." John found what he needed and pulled them out of his bag. "Not sure what kind of monster she was but she certainly didn't look like something I'd want to confront. To be honest, your only the second one I've seen up close. Wasn't really sure what to expect when I was told a cyclops was here. I figured it would be someone who could step on me."
John stopped and thought for a moment. Realizing what he said was rude, he turned his head to face Talia. I'm sorry, that was rude of me. You are much more attractive than I thought you would be. John picked up his backpack without noticing what kind of reaction Talia would have made. He started looking for a better place to put his stuff as he didn't want it to be thrown about in Talias' work area. Yea I guess you could say I'm some kind of engineer. I grew up into it and did it most my life. I even joined some kind of artisans guild to broaden my knowledge. It was nice but they seemed a little too narrow for me. Bart invited me here though..I guess my knowledge is worth something if he thinks so. I thought he invites for my blacksmithing though. John couldn't really find a better place for his stuff at the moment and so he simply held onto it.
To be completely honest, when I heard there was a cyclops here...which was about five..maybe ten minutes ago, I figured I was already out of a job. Looking at your work, I admire it. You certainly have talent I wish I could have. Dont get me wrong, I have faith in my work but I wouldnt say I'm the best. John began to walk toward the exit of the forge. Would you mind showing me where you plan to build the barn? I literally just got here and have no idea where I'm going.
Titanica listened to Haley and Forde's conversation, taking only a limited notice to it. However, she could still hear the maniacal rambles that the latter was blurting out at random. With Haley looking at the titan in utter dubiety, all Titanica could accomplish was a glance followed by a sudden snort. It was clear that it wasn't the best to engage with the gravedigger for long...
As the group began to transition into the bitterly cold environment, Titanica didn't seemed to be at all phased by the sudden change of temperature. Her body acted like a mobile furnace, as it released a warm heat that encapsulated around her companions nearby. Mana expelled from her core, flowing throughout her body and radiated a faintly blue light from her jagged spines upon her back. While the heat was faint, the travelers could still get reasonably warm the more they huddle up to her. For the Titan however, she wouldn't be affected by the chilly weather at all. After all, its what helped keep her warm when she slept at the bottom of the sea, as well as traversing through such cold environments like this.
Once they witnessed a smoke trail in the distance, the group hastened before piling upon a large mound of snow for cover. According to Forde, that encampment should house Mordus within one of those tents - if only they could get rid of those knights that is. Haley then suggested that they scare them off, before turning directly to Titanica herself.
"You can transform, right Titanica? Just go all 'You have disturbed my sleep!' or something and I guarantee you these guys will be running."
But by the time the harpy had finished, she would find that Titanica was lumbering towards the camp by her lonesome. It appeared that the Titan had already made up her mind, one that shared a similar mindset, as her body once again began to morph into her massive bestial form. Her clawed feet punched through the thick snow like massive pillars, as she muttered a low-piercing growl followed shortly by an ear-splitting roar that echoed throughout the mountain. She took her time to approach the encampment, merely relying on her huge size and intimidation factors as she looked for anyone that could resemble this Mordus fellow.
Perhaps she should've asked what this Mordus looked like, now that she thought of it...
Morgan stopped to look over at the Altissima sisters struggling to move, worried about how they may not get far in their position. However, she wasn't going to just leave them. The moth-girl ran over and began to push their cart with all of her strength. When that wasn't enough, her membranous wings extended out and provided enough rapid flapping to allow her to move them, all while attempting to avoid getting socked in the face by these wacky birds.
The more they traveled, the more the fog cleared. And when they ascended down what appeared to be a large basin, she could suddenly see large pillars of both rock and wood jetting from the ground. However, they didn't seem as if they naturally belonged there - rather if they were just placed their by their lonesome in such random locations. Morgan doubted that they would provide them with much cover, but alas some cover was better than none at all. Facing no other option, she was forced to push the sisters behind the nearest wooden pillar. However, it would suddenly be destroyed right before her eyes as an explosion of black feathers and splinters made short use of it. She squeaked surprisingly before suddenly jolting the cart away from the flying debris, rocking the cart dangerously to the left before continuing onwards.
Then they finally stopped a hut made of stone and Morgan planted the cart down. She panted rapidly as she attempted to gain her breathe amongst the chaos around them. She then turned to the sisters and began to express her thoughts.
"This..." she began within the panicked breaths, "This isn't real! None of this is real, right? The anesthetic must have trapped us within a dream. We need to find a way to break out before our physical forms will become compromised!"
The two spherical objects on her head began to vibrate profusely as they began to release a faint blue light, seemingly as a measure utilized in stressful situations...
Morgan had committed the mistake of calling this a dream, because obviously this was Vivian's dream, or so Vivian thought, which means Morgan wasn't real, and was therefore, bringing doubt to her own existence. "B-but if this is a dream, th-then you're not re-"
Vivian had committed the mistake of calling this a dream, because obviously this was Sylvia's dream, or so Sylvia thought, which means Vivian wasn't real, and was therefore, bringing doubt to her own existence, unless this was Morgan's dream, in which case, neither Sylvia nor Vivian were re- "Look! Let's just drop the whole dream bit, alright? But Morgan's still right, dream or not, we have to protect ourselves."
Fortunately, Morgan had wheeled them into a small stone hut, which should provide decent cover for the time being. But if there was one thing that was quite good at protecting from explosions, it had to be layers and layers of sediment. The liliraune's vines and roots pulled the twins out of their pot. Getting Sylvia's idea, Vivian aided in coordinating. "Stand back," she directed Morgan. Their roots and vines then began furiously burrowing at the dirt beneath them. This was a practiced technique for whenever the liliraune needed to plant themselves to absorb nutrients from the soil, only this time, they didn't stop at just planting themselves. Instead, the kept going, displacing a great deal of soil, the plan being to dig a deep enough, and large enough hole for the liliraune and Morgan to hide within, while possibly covering the entrance with a stone slab.
As soon as Titanica showed herself in her towering, bestial form, the knights panicked and hurriedly fled with their important belongings, leaving behind their tents and the campfire. "It's a Dragon! Run for your lives!" Some mounted their horses while others simply fled with the armor on their backs. Not one ounce of resistance was shown.
Once the coast was clear, Forde emerged from the hiding spot. "Good job gettin' rid of them clowns." He congratulated Titanica. "Now keep an eye out in case they get back. Let me find Mordus in one of these tents." He told the monster girls as he inspected the tents.
"What? You're just gonna leave us here?" The Siren spoke up.
"There's a campfire to keep yourselves warm."
"Ugh!" Haley gave up as she approached the still burning campfire to warm herself. "Oh uhh, thanks Vară. For keeping both of us warm. Do you think you can make this fire burn hotter?"
"Ah! There you are, Mordus! You little--" Forde could be heard in one of the tents along with some minor scuffling. Haley paid a bit of attention before returning to warming her feathers in the campfire.
The interrogation took longer than expected and the monster girls were likely getting bored. Haley certainly was. She inhaled and a smirk appeared on her face. "You know, girls." She began, attempting to draw Vară and Titanica's attention. "We monsters have this ability... to smell- sense the energy of others. Other monsters, men, especially men." Haley stifled a chuckle. "That lets us know that we have... partners." The chuckle finally got out.
Haley's eyes turned to Vară and Titanica. They were playful as was the smile that was her mouth. "I'll admit though, some monsters are better at this than others."
The Altissima sisters dug the hole as their temporary shelter were blasted to smithereens by the hostile birds. The hole was soon big enough to fit the Liliraune and Morgan with a stone slab for a roof. The angle of the new shelter made it difficult for the birds to hit it reliably.
However, the sounds of exploding birds could still be heard above the hole. They were relentless in their assault and may soon find a way to breach the hole. But with this brief moment of reprieve, perhaps Morgan and the Altissima sisters could now devise a plan to escape this predicament unharmed.
"No, we're just wanderers and passer-by. But after seeing the state of what Varjo did to others while coming here, I think we should do something to help the people."
"Ahhhh, I find that hard to believe, ate. That you two are mere travelers, ignorant of the land that is Varjo." Felipe was skeptical of Yang's claim but then he shrugged. "Normally we would have you captured since you might be enemy spies but I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. We shall see if your words are true, ate."
A waiter approached and wiped the table clean. "Bring us some ale." Felipe ordered.
"The Varjans have seized the poor Sonarrans by the throat... and trying to destroy our way of life." Felipe began. "The people are scared, confused. Some of the Sonarrans think of joining Varjo since they have no hope for the town." He then firmly declared. "We must show them that Varjo is not invincible. That Sonarra can be free from its reign of terror!"
"We've received word that there is a small contingent of Varjan troops heading to the garrison to reinforce it." The waiter from earlier came back with two mugs of strong ale. "We must not let it be. We must show that the Varjans can be broken and that the Sonarrans are strong." Felipe then grabbed a mug and raised it towards you, inviting you to toast.
"I'm sorry, that was rude of me. You are much more attractive than I thought you would be."
"Oh? What did you think I would look like?" Talia teased. "A hulking monstrosity twenty feet tall? A fat and ugly being with a horrible one eye?" The Cyclops giggled before resuming.
"Anyway, I believe Neil was talking with Nephele. She's a Dragon and a member here. However... she told us she would be leaving for personal reasons." Talia sighed. "Must be why Neil's upset. Those two were close." The Cyclops said wistfully.
Would you mind showing me where you plan to build the barn? I literally just got here and have no idea where I'm going.
"Next to the fenced in field, behind the guild." Talia gestured with her thumb. "Come, I'll show you."
The Cyclops led you outside and to the grassy fields behind the main guild building. There, you found a decently-sized field surrounded by poor but workable fences. Within the fenced area were two brown horses lazing about under the sun. "I want to build the barn next to the fence. Well, into the fence so things would be more convenient. What do you think?"
"I have no illusion that we're gonna do this in one day. And I'm not gonna make you keep helping me until the barn is completed so if you want to do another request the next day, it's alright."
She nodded to Felipe explanation, Yang never really knew the full story except that the Varjans was being bad. Her previous experience had been a sour experience but further information from them made her distaste for them grew. She resisted the urge to tightened her fist and Yang used controlled breathing exercise to calm herself, ensuring her poker mask wasn't broken.
Hearing what was needed to be done, she glanced towards the drink, then to Ozzy, and reached for the mug. She let the bitter alcoholic beverage touched her lips but she mimicked the gulping sound, placed it down and licked her lips.
"Sounds fun, let's do it." Her hand wiping the foam away and a grin on her face present.
While they cheer at her answer, she turned her head towards Ozzy and whispered to him. "This is it. If you can convince them, do it. I'll serve as your bodyguard. Just remember, we're not related to the Guild."
"So what's the plan? We hit their reinforcements? How many we're talking about?" Yang turned her attention back to Felipe for further details on their plan.
Ditzy was having a pleasant time even as he explored around but he slowly walked alongside Freyr as he listened to his side of the story.
"That doesn't seem fair, why boys are seperated from girls? What if they get lost? Then there's no boys to play with the girls!" Ditzy remarked, his eyes wide and then his brow furrowed at what they meant. For Ditzy, born to a goblin and hob-goblin village, everyone stayed together tightly.
It was almost like the opposite of of his own village.
"Maybe Nera wanted to follow you? Nera seem more mad that you didn't ask her to go along your trip." Ditzy postulate as he listened to Freyr as he walked with a skip in his step, his two arms outstretched to balance himself. "I'm sure she'll play with you again if you talk to her!"
Ditzy nodded when Freyr said they needed to look for Jote even if he didn't know who or what a Jote is. Still, he didn't said anything else and just enjoyed the scenery as they moved along.
It was when they arrived to a housing area, that Ditzy got a look at Jote. Ditzy tilted his head at that in curiousity as he looked at the elder bunny rabbit girl. They didn't seem anything like what his father told or described, but maybe it's a different species?
Oh well. Ditzy rolled his shoulders at that and smiled at Jote with a wave of his hand in greetings.
"Freyr came back to tell you about the bad people who wants to do bad things to monster girls!" Ditzy stated obviously, not to mention thequestion of forest abandoning others doesn't really make sense to him. "So that's why we're here! And he's still part of the forest, since he never abandoned it!"
Ditzy was not familiar, and perhaps, would never understand the deeper link of connection between the woods and Freyr species. Such question and understanding is far beyond his comprehension, though he does understand action.
And so far, Freyr hadn't done anything to be warranted to be left behind. He just took a trip outside the forest in Ditzy eyes. Like how he left his village to see the world, that certainly didn't count as abandoning the forest.
As the campers fled the scene, Titanica only watched them flee for their lives into the trees as she stood over their puny tents. A loud snort ruptured from her nostrils as she looked back to see the rest of her allies come to the scene. Forde congratulated her on getting rid of them and for her to keep watch for any other intruders, however the titan barely took notice of him. However, she did not proceed to return to her human form. Instead, she simply plopped down on the snow-covered ground and watched the forest beyond.
As she laid beside the campfire, her mana continued to radiated outwards, providing more warmth amongst the heat that the fire demoness brought with her. But as they continued waited, it became apparent that the interrogation was taking a bit longer than usual. Whatever was taking the creepy grave-digger so long to interrogate this Mordus fellow? At least it confirmed that Titanica didn't scare the person off - which was rather odd considering how she issued a bellowing roar and how the others were yelling to fall back. In the meanwhile, the harpy seemed to have come up with a mischievous plan...
"You know, girls." She began.
Titanica merely turned her reptilian head down at the tiny girl.
"We monsters have this ability... to smell - sense the energy of others. Other monsters, men, especially men. That lets us know that we have... partners."
Another blatant snort rifled from her nostrils as she shook her head as if a bug was flying close to her ear. She didn't seem interested in what the girl had to say, let alone what she was talking about. She might be an ancient titan from thousands of years ago, but she was never too interested in mere gossip about lovers or what not.
"I'll admit though, some monsters are better at this than others."
She glared over at Vãra inquisitively, wondering that the Harpy meant by her statement.
Morgan and the sisters were able to dig a hole to shield themselves from the coming exploding birds that whizzed above them. Yet they needed to figure out how to get out of this nightmare of a dream that they were in. It felt so real, yet at the same time... they knew it wasn't. The question simply boiled down to...
If this was a dream, then surely... surely they could do whatever they wanted right? Or at least whatever they could at this particular time. This is what rummaged through Morgan's mind as the blue hair-pins on the sides of her head continued to glow ever-so-brightly. It would take her a minute of concentration and thinking before she came at a conclusion in what to do. She looked over at the two flower ladies with a calm, yet confident look.
"Stay here." she motioned calmly with her hands, "I have an idea... Pray to the gods that this works!"
Morgan took a deep breath before she slowly began to climb out of their hidey-hole. She felt her world become somewhat slower, as her perception focused upon what was beyond the fog. The birds continued whizzing by her, yet she didn't feel too fazed by them. In fact, in her mind, the birds were going at least a quarter of how fast they really were. She could hear their screeches and squawks whistle by in a slower pitch and see their maniac-eyes lock onto her petite form as they flew past. But the Titan was not phased. She felt calm - eerily calm - against the raging storm beyond.
Morgan then slowly closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as she spread her arms outward. At first, it wouldn't appear as if it would do anything, until she began to slowly float into the air. The wind around her began to shift, circling around like a vortex around her. Any bird that directly flew at her would find themselves engulfed by the rapidly strengthening winds, putting them into a loop around the moth titan. At the same time, Morgan felt herself gathering a strength she hadn't felt in a long time, one which surged through her body.
Suddenly, her eyes open, which were now glowing brightly against the fog. Then Morgan issued an echoing cry, one which extended her wings to their full length and proceeded to remove a massive chunk of the fog around them. Now she could see the slingshots that were in the mere distance, but more importantly...
While her base form was rather short in stature, her wings were utterly massive - easily stretching over twice the length of her body alone. They were coated in a beautiful pattern of light oranges, crimson reds, white stripes, greenish-blue bases, and sported two giant "eyes" around the tip of her wings. It was a form she hadn't taken - let alone had the use - for thousands of years. Even if this was a dream, all of this felt exhilaratingly real. And Morgan was going to make use out of this.
As she flapped her wings in place, she eyed the slingshots and proceeded to hasten her flaps. The faster she flapped, the stronger the winds that she produced. No doubt they would be able to blow both the birds and their slingshots away. However, if that didn't completely work, bolts of holy electricity surged from her wings and proceeded to strike near the base of these wooden structures - threatening to rip their foundations down to their roots.
It appeared that the tides had finally turned in favor for Morgan and her allies... and they will surely get out of this dream alive and well.
Yang protecting the smaller waifish 'girl' that Ozzy assumed. He kept his mouth shut when the man proved to be just a defender of the town. Or proved was a strong word, more like, very welcoming and trusting. In fact, too trusting for what should have been a battle zone. They could have been spies, thieves, assassins, but overt terror tactics, brute force, terror tactics appeared to be the Varajans weapons of conquest. Yang seemed to be going along with it but Ozzy was observing, watching for inconsistencies, listening for information that might have been contradictory. He was taking everything in, eyes, ears, smells. Yang said they were travelers and this got Ozzy to developing a plan to back it up.
The bar, the mugs of ale, the reinforcements and the vote of confidence by Yang. He figured out a story for them, they weren't the guild member, and they were to help this poor town.
"I'm proud we came. The Sonarrans are brave to fight back against this." His voice was soft, feminine. He could easily be considered to be a girl with his already softish features. He took the mug and whetted his lips, cautious of poison and watching Felipe's reaction. "Its the same story I've seen often. The Varjo's expansion brought this kind of horror to dozens of villages. Including my own." She looked up at him, dead eyes to show her convictions. Thank goodness he studied towns throughout the region when he first decided to head in this country's direction. "So, helping you reclaim what is yours is not entirely out of the kindness of my heart. You winning means they lose." The amount of venom in her voice was completely uncharacteristic of Ozzy.
"Please if you have information do share." she leaned forward, hands folded. "And we can offer you a few things to assure your success. Namely, Sonarra is not alone in this."
