At the question of braiding her hair, Steppe Archer was surprised. Mostly by how ridiculously hard that would be for someone to do. Looking back at her mess of silver hair she started wondering how long it would take someone to braid. Hours? A full day? Either way, that was far too long. Especially right now with all of this job hunting and turning in that needed to be done. Smiling, Steppe Archer would turn to her companion and say: "Ehehe...I don't know how cute it'd be, but you are right. It'd be a lot easier to keep out of the way. But, for now, its fine as it is. I'd cut it, but my tribe has a tradition for women. Its a bit weird, but we never cut our hair before we marry," she would explain, standing up once her hair was sufficiently dried.

The hurried trek to the town would get them in just before it would be shut off to them. Once the question of how to give a report was raised by her scaled friend, Steppe Archer would look back on her failure to complete the rats quest and hang her head a bit. That was...frankly more than a bit embarrassing. Being outclassed by big rodents. Even if she'd spent all her life hunting beasts, there was a very large difference between the terrain of a large plateau and the enclosure of a sewer. Any beast was more fearsome in its own den, she'd been taught but...

Rats? Really? Rats.

Before a look of melancholy overtook her face, the nomad girl would slap her own cheeks with her hands to perk herself back up. Right now, she had a quest success rate of 50%! That was...decent! "Let's go Big Red! You and me can do this! E-Even if the guild ladies look at us funny," she said, having had a bad experience coming back to the guild smelling like raw sewage to report failure and casualty. She was so caught up in wanting to do well she hadn't even confirmed if he liked 'Big Red' as a nickname or not. "Do we all have to go in to report?" Steppe Archer would ask, looking to her more bureaucratically experienced druid friend.

"I don't think we all need to take part, but the Guild prefers if we do. After all, if only one person gives an account of what happened, important things might be left out - unintentionally or otherwise." The druid replied to the archer's query about them all having to take part in the report debriefing.

As they walked along the dirt path, they soon came upon the eastern gate of Palisade Town. Two guardsmen, armed with spears, small bucklers and a each wearing a suit of ring mail, stood on either side of the entrance - looking rather bored and unmotivated. As the trio approached though, both of their heads perked up at the sight of the two, foreign girls - apparently being a sight enough to make their eyes sparkle just a hint... But, that was soon replaced by expressions of either revulsion or apprehensiveness, once they saw the giant red lizardman accompanying the girls. Didn't seem like these two were going to be trying to chat up the ladies anytime soon with their hulking friend tagging along.

The group passed by the gatehouse uneventfully, and walked on down the main street. The amount of people out and about had dramatically decreased, with only a handful of folks still hurriedly walking about. Palisade Town didn' have a high crime-rate, but people tended to stay indoors once the sun set, and as it was only mere minutes away from doing so, people were now preparing for the evening and supper. The windows of the houses along the streets were all alight with warm, yellow-y glow and small, translucent serpentine trails of smoke were seeping out of many chimneys. It was peaceful and mostly quiet, though getting to be a bit chilly with the soft evening-wind blowing.

"So, Big Red, you want me and her to join you in the reporting? It's usually the person who hands in the quest receipt who gets questioned the most, since they're usually considered the party's leader." She explained, looking up at the lizardman with a smile, just as they arrived at the guild hall.

Lizard Fighter paid attention to Druid Girl when she started to explain things. He nodded along to let her know he was paying attention as she told him how they were supposed to do reports. "That seems like a long process...I'm surprised they don't just take written reports for small jobs and verbal for big ones." He said as they walked. Her expression before her explanation though had got him curious, did she think he was a veteran or something because he knew how to handle dead critters and how to fight boars?

"Boars are common in swamps and not a lot of good wood for fires is available." He said to her, letting her know how he knew how to do the things he had been doing. Mushrooms and vegetation were plentiful in swamp areas, also boars liked to wallow in muck on hot days.

His ears flicked at the new nickname, but this one didn't bother him. It wasn't purposefully cutesy like 'lizzie-poo'. The Archer girl got a dejected look, had she failed before? Her self cheek slapping got a rather confused blink before he just shook his head. Humans, so damn weird. "My blunt manner and my kind not being common outside of the swamps is what earns me their 'funny looks'. You smelled like a sewer..." He said, was that a little joking jab from the serious one? Possibly, and if asked he'd never let them know!

The Archer Girl did ask a good question, which got him to look at Druid Girl as well while the group walked with no rush.

Steppe Archer would freeze at the truth and bluntness of the Lizard Fighter's mention of her smell, causing her to react as if she'd actually just gotten jabbed in her side, leaning to the right on one foot off balance, arms raised in the air as she expressed her shock. "I-I mean...People are just scared of the smell of adventure!" she would exclaim, looking actually a bit downtrodden at the idea of her permanently being labeled as "stinky" for her first job.

"Let's all go in together. Might as well, since it isn't like we have anywhere else to be until the quest is all finished up," Steppe Archer would say, offering a fair point. What, were they going to loiter around at the guild hall twiddling their thumbs? They'd all agreed to join up as a party for another quest after, so she didn't see much reason for anyone to sit out the briefing. Regardless of the decision made on who should report, Steppe Archer would be fairly satisfied with the divided pay. Smiling at her paltry sum of coins, she marveled at how heavy hard-earned coin really felt. No wonder she'd heard of many adventurers going broke or into debt after huge payouts. She'd get nervous carrying about a large sum, having never even seen a whole gold piece at one time all her life.

"Patrol time!" the nomad girl would declare, before heading over to the quest board eagerly to see if the quest had been taken up by someone earlier or not. If so then...guess that was it for the night.

Druid Girl shook her head at the lizardman's rather surprisign naievety.

"You can't tell if a sheet of paper is lying, can you? Seekers can only tell if you're lying if they hear you speak, so if people could just hand in written reports, they could claim to have finished a job even if they didn't do it." She explained. "Furthemore, not every adventurer knows how to read or write to begin with, some are just simple folks from humble homes looking to make money in some way other than plowing fields and herding sheep." She added.

At the comment of the archer's odor, and the girl's subsequent reaction to said comment, made the druid cover her mouth with a cupped hand, muffling a laugh and cleverly disguising it as a discreet cough.

"Don't worry, you don't smell like sewage... Well, not enough for any humans to notice at least." She tried, comforting the poor thing as best she could.

Once they entered the guild, the trio found the place to be more crowded than in the noon-ish period they had all met up. Though, apparently, evening-time was more inclined to be 'happy hour', rather than work. Most of the adventurers gathered were either eating, drinking, bragging or bickering - or all of the above, all at once. It was certainly more lively if nothing else, and spirits and mood were at an all-time high. The patrons didn't even seem to notice when the three-man group entered and made their way to the counter.

After Lizzie-poo Big Red handed over the parchment to the Guild Girl, and she glanced over the blood-stained piece of paper, correcting her glasses multiple times, she then nodded and waved for them to move to an area behind the reception desk. There, they followed the guild employee into a room that was very simple, with a table, some chairs and a carpet. Inside was a young, blonde man, wearing white robes - he greeted them politely.

After they all sat down, the entire procedure took less than ten minutes. Itt didn't seem they had too many questions - likely because this hadn't exactly been a high-risk, high-reward type of job to begin with. Still, they seemed to at least feign interest and ask some questions about both the lazy, cowardly guardsman's behavior, as well as the drid's decision to free the baby boar, rather than kill off the aggressor parents. They also seemed particularly amused when it was brought up that the archer had jumped onto and begun riding one of the giant pigs - eliciting snickering and head-turning from the two staff members. Eventually, things were wrapped up and they received a small, brown pouch with their pay - a paltry sum of 100 copper coins.

Once they left the room, the druid was quick to divvy up the dough, giving the lizardman and the archer each 35 coins while she herself settled for 30, explaining that it wwas her little way of thanking them for going along with her selfish request earlier. With money fairly divided and quest reported and officially complete, the archer exclaimed that it was time to go on patrol, making a bee-line for the quest board.

"She sure haas a lot of energy, huh?" Druid Girl said to the lizard, smiling in good-natured amusement and the little ball of liveliness.

It didn't take long for the foreign girl to nab the quest she wanted and return with it to her allies, holding up like one would hold a hunted rabbit - by its ears. Nodding, the group went over to the counter once more and handed the notice to the Guild Girl, who took it, made some scribbles and notes on some form and then spoke.

"Alright, party of three for patrol duty... Right, just head on over to the garrison over by the center of town and report to the Guard Captain. He'll fill you in on all the details you'll need." She stated, politely and professionally as usual.

While Steppe Archer was a bit reassured by the fact that she didn't stink, she was a bit amazed by the money split. Wouldn't it being a 33/33/33 split have been fairer? She didn't particularly mind the danger, since she got to do a sweet boar-back rodeo, but she figured that maybe the Lizard Fighter would appreciate it far more, given that he was actually trying to fight. Still, the feeling of coin in her hands was a pleasant weight, which was soon shifted to a simple coin pouch on her belt. A pleased smile crossed her lips, as she wondered what she could buy Torchfire for feed after this job. Maybe a bunch of apples would make her favorite girl happy, but she'd have to decide later. Right now though, she would puff her chest out proudly, and go get them that patrol duty for three.

She hoped that this guard would be a lot less of a...prick? Nah, no way she'd know that term. Stick in horse shit? Better. Hopefully the next guard would be less of a stick in horse shit, since if every guard was just a cynical coward, she'd start wondering how this town actually remained standing. Since if like all of them were scared of boars, one would have to wonder why they bothered taking up the job to guard a remote backwater little town like this. But, once they found the Guard Captain, she would proudly present the proof of their patrol duty enlistment, before saluting. "Steppe Archer, falling in!" she would proclaim, having learned from seeing a lot of the guards saluting and shouting when called to attention that generally, you wanted to be professional.

...However, her salute was being done with the wrong hand, her feet were just facing a bit away from each other, and one side of her hair was still only half dried. Despite her energy, she was a bit of a mess.

Lizard Fighter blinked at Druid Girl when she mentioned people lying. "Who would lie about cleaning a ditch? Sure I could have snapped the guards neck and taken the paper...but that's not productive." He stated while shaking his heads. Were humans that untrustworthy at times? Still, the Archer Girl looked a little...hurt, about what he had said. So in a gesture very far out of character for him he placed a hand on top of her head and gave her a light ruffling for comfort.

The group entered the Guild and turned in the parchment. Which was inspected and they started to fill out the paperwork before being brought into a room. He chose to stand considering the couch and chairs weren't built with a tailed being in mind. It was a quick procedure since there wasn't much to say about it. The group got a communal pouch of money, which the nature oriented woman divvied up strangely, taking the lesser amount. This got a blink from him before he leaned over and pressed the front of his snout against her forehead. Considering he didn't have real lips, it wasn't a kiss and it was clearly a lizardman gesture. Most likely a thanks without words.

Now they had another job, the patrolling one, and the Guild Girl instructed them on where to go. "Too much energy..." He muttered in response to Druid Girls very obvious observation of Archer Girl. They followed the energy bound girl to the meeting point, where she saluted and proclaimed, making him roll his eyes. Humans were so damn strange sometimes. Still he stood next to her with his arms folded across his broad chest. Giving the Captain a dull look while waiting for confirmation and orders.

When she received the little eskimo-smooch from the lizardman, Druid Girl smiled awkwardly and her cheeks flushed - she also let out a soft giggle at the sensation. Big Red's muzzle wasn't exactly moist or soft like that of a horse or mule, but it had a certain scaly feel, which was rare to touch, since reptiles like snakes and lizards weren't as comfortable or prone to letting you touch them as most mammals in the wild. Still, she decided it felt nice. Perhaps he was a big old softie deep down after all?

After the process of signing on for the quest was done, and instructions were given on where to go, the group's bouncy and boisterous archer led the way. Exiting the guild, they started heading for the center of Palisade Town, following the main road. The streets were even emptier now than thy had been back when they got back from ditch-duty, and a lot more lights shined and glowed from windows, doors and cracks in walls. As they walked, the road eventually turned from cobblestone to proper, flat stone bricks, and the houses grew progressively larger and more impressive as well.

It made sense though, they were in the heart of the town now, where the rich merchants, nobles and town officials lived. Obviously, those with power and wealth had larger and more impressive dwellings than those who worked the fields, were day-laborers or were otherwise lower on the hierarchical ladder of social status. Being rich also meant you lived closer to the garrison, which meant guards could respond more quickly to crime and villainy that occured here in the posh and wealthy part of time. Speaking of the garrison, they were rolling up on it quickly.

A large, rectangular stone building, reminiscent of a keep without towers. It had two small buildings adjacent to it though, but these were made out of wood - likely extensions or add-ons built as the town grew and the need for more men and more space increased. There was a black-iron fence, roughly seven feet tall, with spiked tips like spearheads, surrounding the structure. There also seemed to be a courtyard or other open area on the backside, but given that our heroes entered through the front door, they didn't exactly see.

A sign near the entrance, with two crossed swords over a kite shield, was the emblem for the guardshouse. The door was a thick, oaken and weatherworn thing, complete with an iron ring for knocking and a slidable slit for peeping out from the inside, in case you wanted to keep the door shut but see who was banging. Still, there was no fuss in getting inside, as the guard stationed outside let the trio in as soon as they mentioned that they were there to help with the quest.

Inside the garrison proper, things were rather.... Bleak... A very spartan interior, with no real wall-hanging, tapestries or even carpets. Dark, dull wood floors and grey, empty walls. Walking into the first main room after getting inside, they found a reception-like desk with haggard, middle-aged man (with a receding hairline) sitting at it. After introducing themselves and being told where the Captain was, tehy left to climb a flight of stairs to the second floor. Once there, they followed a hallway until they reached the room at the very end.

The archer wasted no time and burst into the room, giving a make-shift salute and declaration of her readiness to serve. The lizardman was... Less enthusiastic about the whole thing and had a look of boredom or perhaps apathy. Druid Girl entered last, standing next to her two companions and doing nothing in particular, except giving a soft, friendly smile and an affirmative nod towards their new employer.

The Captain of the Guard, as it were, was sitting at a heavy-looking desk, littered with papers, parchment, ink wells, quills, books, an hourglass, scrolls and other knick-knacks and office-type apparel. He had been busy scribbling something in a thick-looking book when the three adventurers had barged in, causing him to cease his writing and look up at them - half annoyed, half confused.

"Wha- Oh, right.. The patrol." He said, a deep and low voice with a surprising amount of base to it. He set the quill into one of the inkwells and straightened his posture. He was a man in his early-to-mid fourties, a glorious moustache and a well-groomed goatee. His hair was of a darker brown, though streaks of grey could be hinted here and there. His eyes were that of healhy hazel and his face looked like it'd been chiseled out of stone, with a jawline so square you could mistake it for a brick. His physique was rather average otherwise, strong but not overly muscular, nor exceptionally tall - rather average actually. He was wearing a uniform with the guards' emblem, along with two small gold brooches, one on each shoulder - shaped like stars.

"Well then, I take it you're the adventurers the guild sent over to cover the shift some of my boys are too sick to carry out?" He asked, rising from his seat, the wooden chair slightly screeching as it was pushed back.
"That's right. We saw and accepted the notice posted on the guild' bard." Druid Girl said. "But, if you don't mind me asking... What exactly happened to your men?" She asked quizzically, tilting her head sideways.
"Ah, well... Those idiots went and overdid it at the pub. Had a contest to see who could down the most flagons. The end result being that they all conked out, puked their guts out and are in such a sorry state now that they can't perform their duties." The captain said, almost cringing at his own words as he placed a hand over his face in both shame, disbelief and disgust. "Anyway, back to what I want from you three." He said, quickly regining his composure and turing to look each of them in the eye.

"What I need is for you to patrol the streets of the town, from now until the green moon's at its zenith. At that time, your shift ends and some of my lads, who aren't sickly drunk and hungover, will come to relieve you." The captain explained. "You start here at the Garrison, work your way clockwise through the town, and come back here at the end of your shift. Remember though, you'll be representing us Guardsmen here, anything and everything you do will come back and end up at my desk. So don't go doing anything you shouldn't!" The man stated dryly. "If you see a burglar, you apprehend him, you don't lop his head off. You find a pair of drunks dishing it out in alley? You break'em up and bring them back here to sleep it off. Only time you get to draw blood is if someone attacks you, or if they're a rapist or murderer. Otherwise, I won't accept any bloodshed from my guards, that understood?" The Captain finished, looking at each of them in turn.

He then pointed to one of the room's walls, on which hung a half-dozen or so round shields, each with the guards' crest on it.

"I think you got your own weapons, but you'll each be taking one of those shields with you as your 'uniform'. Sorry to say, but we don't have suits of chainmail for lending." The old fogey said, slightly smirking at his own joke. "Any qestions? Otherwise, pick a shield and get out and patrol my streets, guardsmen."

Steppe Archer would listen attentively to the guard captain, glad that he was a relatively swell sounding person. She felt a bit sad that his subordinates didn't know their limits on drinking, but as her father told her, "Sometimes men want to prove they're men, and only reveal that they are asses."

The job itself didn't sound too difficult. Just patrolling until the moon was at its peak, and making sure to drag any drunks or ne'er-do-wells back for a proper sit in a cell. She doubted that anybody would really be trying to cause trouble in a town where there was a huge population of armed individuals, but you never knew. Regardless, Steppe Archer was eager and ready to start, to the point that she would excitedly don a shield over her left arm, raise it in the air, smiling proudly as she bore the guards' crest on her shield. "We won't let you down sir! Only thing you're going to regret is that we don't sign on full-time!"

With that said, Steppe Archer would march out, shield on her arm, and sword on her hip as she got out to patrol the streets. She figured that since the whole town needed to be patrolled, splitting up might be a good idea. Of course, she hadn't really...asked anyone if they wanted to. It wasn't until about a few streets later that the archer returned, running at full speed and panting. "Sorry, forgot to ask...are we splitting up or sticking together for guard duty?"

If her brains weren't impressive, her hustle certainly was.

The reptilian man took note of the surrounding buildings as they walked through the better part of the small town. Impressive that they built so much so quick, unimpressive that they focused more on protecting the useless rich and not the people who actually provided for the town. He'd protect food over coins any day of the week. Then again he could improvise weaponry easily instead of focusing only on iron and steel like humans tended to do unless they had virtually no money.

As the made their way to the Guard Captains Office he took a brief glance around. No colors, no comfort, as a barracks should be. It was a place of work, not a tourist attraction. When they entered the Captain seemed annoyed at first then he remembered that he had posted a job. Then he explained why the job was even up, which got the Lizard Fighter to raise an eyebrow slowly. "A town in the wilds that needs protection more than a city does...and they get shitfaced?" He asked, clearly his opinion of the guards plummeted. The fact humans could barely function without alcohol was rather pathetic in his eyes but he'd keep that to himself.

Instead of having spare Tabards they had Guard Shields. Archer Girl snatched one up which got him to give the wooden shields a once over. Sturdy but it'd keep one of his hands occupied unlike the buckler strapped to his forearm. So he used an alternative, he picked it up and slung it over and onto his back where a hook was. It was actually specifically for shields, he hadn't always had a buckler.

Without further explanation he left with the others, and Archer asked if they should split up or not. "Stick together. We're not searching for anything we're just patrolling, and guards always go in at least pairs." He stated as he started to walk. "Besides, can either of you out-muscle a drunk? He asked, he wasn't making fun of them or calling them weak. Just that their classes didn't really boast a lot of strength. He was sure they could talk people out of a fight better than he could, they each had something that the others couldn't. It's why they would be a pretty good party if they stuck together.

At the lizardman's comment about his guardsmen being irresponsible drunks, the Guard Captain could say little except;

"Boredome and youth make for a poor pair, the town hasn't had any real trouble in the past six months." He said it in a way that seemed to indicate he was worried about something. "Of course, that's no excuse for failing your duties. But don't worry, after they've recovered, they won't be doing this kind of foolishness again..." He trailed off, and a very scary expression spread across his face, making at least Druid Girl feel a shiver run down her spine.

The man said little to the archer after she commented about them not being full-time guards, and he only wished them a polite 'good luck' as they left, obviously more concerned about his own chores and duties now taat the formalities and explanations were over. The druid grabbed her shield last, weighing it in her hands and then strapping it to her left forearm, moving it about a bit to see how it felt. It was a bit on the heavy side, even for a wooden shield, but it was strong and sturdy and of remarkably decent quality - as far as equipment for frontier town guards went. Noticing both her companions leave the office, she said her farewell to the Captain and rushed after the pair, only to find that Steppe Archer was gone.

At least, for a while... Soon she came dashing back, apparently having thought that going their seperate ways to patrol was a good idea. Which it wasn't, no matter how you sliced the bread. Big Red made this clear, and a snide misogynist comment about their physical strength. True, overpowering a fully grown man, especially if he was a drunken adventurer, might have eben tough if they only used their hands - but the druid could always give them a taste of her frosty spell, which would likely simmer down any rowdy ruffian in a snap. As for the archer? If she could leap onto a charging boar and clamp down on its back with her thighs, and remain on it, surely she could do similarily to a wobbly, slurring lush with fuzzy sight.

Still though, as they were just outside the garrison, the guard from the entrance came over to them, holding a set of three torches in his arms.

"You lot ain't gonna do much good patrollin' without 'ese." He said, in a thick accent. "Ain't none gonna be seein'em shield-crests if ya ain't got no torch to make'em visible, yeah?" The young fellow made a good point, handing the flammable sticks over before returning to his post at the front door.

"I think staying together is the best choice too." Druid Girl said. "If we ran into a bunch of thieves or a group of drunks, it'd be a hassle to deal with them by yourself." She expressed, finding that a group was more efficient when dealing with another group.

And so they set off, heading first towards the north end of town, where they would then circle to the east - clockwise, like the captain had instructed. The north part of town was where many of richer families lived, as well as where the temple was located - the one where Guard Lady had been left by Steppe Archer earlier the same day. It was also home to the mayor's manor and a few, higher-class establishments where a simple drink cost as much as a large meal, a strong drink and a fine room at your average inn. By the sheer fact that it was the district for the more wealthy and well-off citizens, chances were low that this would be an arae with any real trouble.

As they walked along the brick-laid roads, inbetween manors and two-storey buildings with embellished posts and ornaments, Druid Girl's eyes slowly scanned from side to side, looking down alleys or narrower paths to see if she could see anything. But, apart from a few nobles out late for either eating, drinking or socializing, there really wasn't that much going on. So, the girl took to first humming a tune as they walked, side by side. Then humming eventurally turned into a soft, low song though.

"Great Big Oak, full of leaves, won't you come and dance with me?
The wind blows kind, the skies are clear, the birds sing very happily.
At your roots, where acorn lie, the squirrels for tasty treats they spy.
And on the hill, not far away, the spring-born deerlings jump and play.
So dance with me, Great Big Oak, your splendor known to all forest-folk~"

At the mention of whether they could out-muscle a drunk, Steppe Archer had to earnestly think about that one for a second. She probably couldn't beat down a man the size of the Guard Captain sober, but someone who's drunk is not just uncoordinated, but also very, very easy to avoid. Pondering it as she stood there, Steppe Archer would nearly miss the garrison guard's kindly offer of torches for them to light their way. And make it known that they were, temporarily, guards on patrol.

Striking up her torch, Steppe Archer had to wonder just how much trouble the residents of the town got up to at this hour anyways. After all, if guards were regularly on patrol all throughout Palisade then it'd be hard to commit any crimes, even at night. But still, the nomadic archer would proudly walk forth with her comrades beside her, striking a strange image with their motley crew. If anything, someone might wind up trying to get them arrested for supposedly impersonating guards for some dubious purpose. The Druid girl's humming was pleasant at least, and Steppe Archer would hum along with her. She didn't know the words to the song all that well, but she could easily follow the rhythm with just a low hum.

Now that Private First Class Steppe Archer was in the motions of her duty however, the two with her would come to notice how sharp the girl's gaze was. Like a hawk searching for prey, her eyes would peer down alleyways that she stuck her torch towards. Each scan would be punctuated with a quick statement of: "Clear!" before she would resume walking. It wasn't until they reached the entertainment district that the sound of a shattered glass caught her attention.

From the looks of it, a drunk was arguing with what she could only assume was a tavern owner unfortunate enough to have a client without knowledge of their limits. Rolling up her sleeves, Steppe Archer would begin marching towards the middle-aged drunk; Half to fulfill her duty, and half to prove that she definitely COULD out-muscle some drunken buffoon.

Lizard Fighter didn't find the Captain's reasoning for the drunks to be very sound. If you had a job you did it to the best of your capabilities. If you made yourself sick being stupid you go in and suffer your own consequences. But he wouldn't tell the Captain how the guards should do their jobs. He left as quietly as he came with the other two members of their party.

Don't bring misogyny into this oh player of butts! The comment wasn't snide but he knew pound for pound men were stronger than women. He didn't bring the subject any further since he took note of the women's looks to him. A drunk may be uncoordinated, but good luck really making them feel pain if they drank enough. But another guard came over, bearing torches for the triplets. It was getting dark and none of the group had Dark Vision that he knew of. He simply nodded his head and took it in the hand that had his buckler strapped onto his forearm.

So clockwise through the town until the green moon was at its zenith. Shouldn't be to hard in this town. Druid Girl agreed with staying as a group, so off they walked. They didn't get very far before the magical girl was humming and then singing. Then Archer Girl joined in with humming making him quirk an eyebrow upwards. The pair could see his ears flick this way and that as they walked. Obviously searching for distressed sounds while they walked.

Archer Girl had way to much energy, like an illegal amount. She checked every alley and side road before returning with an all clear. It didn't take long for them to find trouble though, alcohol flowing freely tended to brew it. A drunk arguing with a tavern keeper in the middle of the road. With the Archer rolling up her sleeves and marching with purpose. Why did women have to try and prove themselves so much...

Still he followed along, he'd be the back up in case things went bad.

"Look, I keep telling ya, you've had 'nuff for one night! Go. Home."
"Sssscchhaddap, ye misschery sscchnot! Hic! I... I-I tellsscch ya when'sch I've 'ad 'nuff! Hic!"

Charming.

Apparently, a middle aged man who had inbibed a rather heroic amount of ethanol was now arguing with a proprietor of said bevarage about him being cut off from getting any more for the evening. A sane and sober person would agree with the barkeep that this lout had indeed had enough to drink for the day, but apparently alcohol made one incapable of seeing their own state of being... Or smell your own stink for that matter.

With the sun now fully set and the two moons beginning their climb, the sky was dark and only dotted by the small, glistening stars. The only lights in the street came from either windows or doorways where torches or candles were lit inside. Unfortunately, Palisade Town had yet to adopt oil-based street lanterns, which made the town rather gloomy and murky at the later hours of the day. Fortunately, with the torches provided to them, there was enough light to clearly see what was going on around oneself. And, for the time being, they could also see the scene unfold before them.

Druid Girl watched as her archer-friend rolled up her sleeves - which didn't have much to be rolled-up in the first place - and then proceed towards the bickering lush. Following her, Big Red tagged along - either out of concern, or because he wanted to introduce the belligerent drunk to his good friend, the paved street. Regardless, given that one was prone to hopping onto the back of charging boars and the other could likely wrestle aforementioned swine to the ground with his bare hands, Druid Girl decided that the possibility of this ending through diplomatic and peaceful negotiations were very, very slim... Not to mention the undesirable's own state of being.

Sighing and shaking her head, she followed after her companions. As they approached, both the tavern owner and the drtnkard turned their heads towards the new arrivals. The barkeep let out a relieved sigh as he saw their shields.

"Ah, finally. Thank the Goddess you're here. This one just won't take 'no' for an answer." The tavern keeper said in an irritated tone. "Been drinikin' non-stop since supper-time and now look at'im!"
"Pssch! An' what'scch wrongssch wif me, eh? Hic! I'sch tellin' ya I'm fi-Hic!-ine! But thissch cheapsschkin won't sscherve me no more! I gotssch the coinssch for it, lo-Hic!-ok!" The drunk protested, producing a small, filthy bag from his coat'¨s pcokets and jingling it about - the rattling of a few, lonely coins could barely be heard. "Sschee? I'm all goodssch, but he'ssch not givin' me no Hic! no Hic! no moressch!"
"Jeez, look at ya! Can barely stand or speak, and you're complainin' about not gettin' more drink? Oi, guards, why don't ya haul this one off so he can sleep it off, yeah?" The establishment's owner stated, forehead resting in the palm of his hand as he shook it in profound exhaustion at the antics of the lush.

Hoping to avoid Big Red or Steppe Archer performing a neck-swing on the poor, inebriated fellow, Druid Girl popped out from behind her lizard meat-shield and spoke softly and gently, but clear and loud enough to be heard.

"Sir, why don't you just head home and rest for the night? The tavern'll be open tomorrow as well. You can just come back an-"
"HOOoOOoOOoOOOooOoly sschaladassch!! You've gotssch ssschome huuuuuge knockersssch there, girl!"

...

...

...

...

...

What just happened?

"And yer lil' foreign friendssch lookin' fresscch 'n perky too! Hic! How'ssch Hic! How'ssch 'bout we go tumblin'n the hayssch, eh? Hic!" The polite gentleman requested. At this comment, the tavern keeper's jaw had somehow become slack and his eyes were comedically minimized as he stared at the oafish buffoon before him. Druid Girl's jaw wasn't slack, but her eyes were similarily de-scaled, blinking in confusion and agast surprise at the sheer outrageousness of this filth and his audacious cheek.

Y'know, when Steppe Archer was grateful that the guards weren't jerks, she didn't expect that meant that someone had to fill the quota for them. She had a feeling the lush was going to be a problem but...really? Talking about knockers the moment people with guard emblems rolled up while offering to shack up with them? Steppe Archer would cast one long, disgusted look at the man before one of her rolled up sleeves slowly unfurled down her left arm, her shoulders completely falling slack. That...might be the first time since the two had seen her that all enthusiasm from her face just VANISHED. Bad memories of the idiot she left home to get away from were surging forward, each one of them making a tiny vein on Steppe Archer's temple grow just a tiny bit more pronounced.

It would take her taking a deep breath to collect herself before the archer would point her finger accusingly at the man, being direct with saying: "Sir, we're members of the guard patrol. Any grabby-hands are going to be seen as not just illegal, but assaults on our persons. So, just...don't," she would say, giving fair warning. After this, any touching would mean that a swift kick to the dick would be an acceptable means of dealing with this kind of idiocy. "Anyways, like my friend said, it might be for the best if you head on home. Don't want a headache during your work tomorrow, right?"

Steppe Archer would make sure to step ahead of the Druid Girl, not wanting the perv to be staring at her "huuuuge knockers". Like, they were nice and all but...she could have sworn most of the guild girls were bigger. Not that Steppe Archer particularly saw the point in being envious of large breasts; For her, she'd always dreaded the idea of getting too big up top, since it made archery really hard. She'd had a friend back home who, after hitting puberty, had to start hunting with a crossbow since her womanly assets kept bumping her bowstring. ...Now, Steppe Archer was starting to see why she found a marriage partner so early. Were...were boobs all that men cared about? Didn't hunting prowess count for anything?

Steppe Archer would stop such thoughts before she started sounding like her mother. Or grandmother. Or grandmother's mother's mother. Jealousy was unbecoming...and besides, if THIS was the kind of attention such things garnered, she was glad she wasn't a buxom woman. She would however later on try and make sure that Druid Girl would cover her chest more, since she doubted one man was in the minority on staring at them. Big Red was thankfully not that interested in human girls it seemed, and treated them with respect that felt genderless...save for his comment on whether they could wrestle a drunk.

Was she still bitter? No. Definitely not. Absolutely not. Maybe. Yes. Yes she was.

"Anyways, its either your nice warm bed at home, or a cell at the guard house. Your choice." Steppe Archer said, proudly puffing her chest out with her shield in front of her, showing that she meant business.

Lizard Fighter was unsurprised by the slurred speech and the person sort of wobbling while standing up. Until he flailed about in his explanation that he hadn't had enough to drink. Why did humans drink? He had tried some before and it had been nasty, never mind the fuzziness of the mind and slothfulness of the body. It had an extremely undesired result and it wasted a lot of resources.

While he thought to himself, and made an imposing presence behind the Archer Girl, Druid Girl popped up from behind him to try and talk the drunk down. Were...were they trying to reason with someone not in full charge of his facilities? Did they not know how alcohol worked? Then the lush talked about Druid Girl having huge knockers, Archer being fresh and perky, then asking for a roll in the hay.

Glancing at the girls he sighed and shook his head, Druid Girl looked less than pleased while Archer Girl was slumped for some reason. Maybe to not show off her perkiness? Whatever. Talking wasn't going to get them places and they were wasting time here. But Archer Girl got her second wind, showing off her shield while puffing herself up some, so she hadn't been hiding her bust. Maybe a memory? She'd share it if she wished later.

"Honestly...you two are talking to a brick wall. He's drunk." He stated before looming over the drunk from behind Archer Girl. He didn't want to take the wind out of the girls sails, but he was about two seconds from knocking the drunk out so they could continue.

(I'm aware I didn't progress things, but he wants to see what the girls will do and I don't wanna hurt their feelins!)

"Whasschat, you talkin' Hic! You talkin' t'me, girlie?" The drunk slurred, swaying to and fro on his unstabile legs, replying to the Steppe Archer's comment about him either spending a night in his lice-addled bed at home, or on a cold stone floor in an equally lice-infested cell. "Yo- Hic! You dun sschare me! I ussched to Hic! ussched to Hic! ussched to fight... DRAGONSssch, y'kno'!" He blurted out, making a wild, overexaggerated gesture to signify the apparent importance of this blatant fabrication.

Druid Girl sighed. The Lizard spat out some comment about them talking to a wall, and in a practical sense, it was true. However, the lizardman didn't seem to understand how you were supposed to handle drunks or other living beings. He was far too pragmatic and efficiency-minded it seemed, wanting things to be done fast and without complaint - but sadly, human society didn't always allow for such a thing. Sure, they could have bonked the drunk over the head and hauled him off to a holding cell, but that wouldn't exactly give people a good impression of the guards. Even if talking to him was meaningless and didn't result in a desirable outcome, the fact that they took the time to try had marits, especially since the barkeep was right here along with them, watching the whole scene.

Regardless, as Lizard Fighter loomed behind the archer, towering over the petite girl, the drunk's eyes suddenly shot wide at the sight, apparently not having noticed the great big red repptilian until just this moment.

"A-a-a-a-a-a-a Hic! A dragooooooooooooooooon!?" He half-shrieked, half-vomited, half-questioned. The man went pale and his eyes became frenzied and panicked, like that of an injured animal. Stumbling backwards, falling and landing square on his butt, the man began shuffling and crawling backwards, until his back collided with the wall of a building. His breaths were quick and short, beads of sweat forming on his forehead and brow.

"Iisch a dragon!? Why'ssch there a dragon here!? Barkeep! Hic! Ssschave me!" The man hollered, having lost all bravado in an instant, now calling for help from the very person he had been pestering and arguing with mere seconds ago. Druid girl just placed her face in the palm of her own hand. This was just... Too sad... But, it did provide a way to resolve the whole ordeal without having to haul the stinking fellow back to the guard station. Walking past both of her allies, Druid Girl stepped forth, folded her arms infront of her and stared down at the man with a vicious sneer - which was very unfitting her usual demeanor.

"That's right, sir." She said, her tone dark and her words sharp. "And if you don't want us to let him have you for a midnight snack, I suggest you go home. Now." The girl said, eyes narrowing and a dangerous smile spreading across her lips. The man's mouth went agape and his eyes widened.

...

Then he wet himself.

...

Then he started crying and sobbing uncontrollably.

...

Finally he ran off, holding his moistened pants with both hands as he, with wobbly and uncertain steps, did his best to run down the cobbled street - at times crashing into walls or bumping into things as he went. Eventually, he disappeared from sight and the sound of his 'oofs' and clattering collisions faded into the dark depths of night. Druid Girl's arms went slack and she let out a long exhale of relief. The barkeep stood silent for a while, then burst into roaring laughter.

"Well, I sure didn't see that coming." He sounded incredibly amused. "Thought for sure that lug was gonna start throwin' his fists about, but just one look'it that big fellar of yours and he turned into a squealin' babe? That just made my night, gwahahaha!" The owner of the establihsment bellowed in good, high spirits - no longer annoyed or bothered by the previous events.

Druid Girl returned to her comrades and the bar's master, looking a bit sheepish, rubbing her left arm with her right hand and casting her eyes to the side. One might say she looked a bit ashamed.

"Sorry, Big Red... I didn't mean anything by all that. I just wanted the guy to go back home, without any trouble." She apologized, not sure if her comment about the Lizardman's possible taste for human flesh would be considered an insult or not.

"Ain't no need to apologize girl! Ya did good." The barman said, smiling and giving her a firm, friendly pat on the shoulder. "You tried talkin' the lout down, he didn't listen, so you scared him a bit. Nobody had to get rough with nobody, and nobody had to see ya drag off some knocked-out troublemaker from me establishment. Couldn't have gone better if ya ask me!" The man said.

She smiled a bit at this, but still looked slightly troubled. Her master had always said she had a knack for theattrics and being a mischievous little shrew, although she had always though he meant it in a playful, joking manner. Still though, apart from that drunk needing a new pair of pants, this whole mess was cleared up and over with for now. All tthat remained was to keep patrolling up to the western part of town, where the common residential district was, and then return back to the garrison once the green moon crowned the sky. Speaking of the sky, it was rather pretty tonight - clear and full of stars, with both moons almost full. It was surprisingly bright despite the late hour thanks to this. Hopefully no more incidents would happen, and they oculd just have a nice, quick and easy time finishing this job up tonight.

Steppe Archer was in absolute disbelief as the man wet himself. He really DID have no dignity, didn't he? Oh god, and now he was crying on top of it...

Steppe Archer visibly cringed at the sight of it all, starting to really, really wonder why men went to such lengths when it came to drinking. Did the man mistake himself for a fish? Because as far as she saw, he sure was better at running than any fish she'd ever caught. Hanging her arms in a mixture of disgust, contempt, and disappointment, Steppe Archer would raise one hand, then the other, before slapping herself on the cheeks to snap herself out of the instant funk brought on seeing...THAT.

"Erm...We did it...? Wait yeah, that's right Mister Barkeep, we didn't even have to take him in!" The nomad girl would say, regaining a bit of her pep. Smiling at their accomplishment, Steppe Archer would nudge The Lizard Fighter with her elbow, saying: "But, if it weren't for Big Red here, we might have had to beat him up a bit. So...guess you're a really good guard!"

Steppe Archer would smile widely, but, seeing that her druidic friend was looking a bit down, would come up beside her and pat her head. "And your bit about having him EAT the guy if he didn't go home was great acting! Oh, and don't let what that guy said get to you -- Men are really gross when they're drunk," she would say, trying to ease her companion's nerves over what she perceived as being the issue. After all, getting told you have huge knockers had to be humiliating. Not...not that Steppe Archer would ever get to know that humiliation. But she could assume it!

Now with her spirits raised back to full, Steppe Archer would lead them towards the residential district, looking up at the moon for a bit. "...Its really bright. Tonight's beautiful..." she would say, a smile tugging at her lips.

If this man had been an adventurer, then Lizard Fighter knew magic. It was a rather pathetic sight, why did humans do this to themselves? It honestly baffled him every time he thought about it. But it didn't take long for the man to finally notice the tall reptilian man who was glaring down at him with eyes that promised pain if he didn't get his ass going.

Of course the man, in his drunkness, thought Lizard Fighter was a dragon. Which got his eye to twitch as the man fell on his ass and began to scoot away until he hit a building. A sight so pathetic he didn't think he'd see another like it ever again. A full grown human male crying, snotting, and begging someone to save him.

Druid Girl got in on it now, threatening the man with being eaten by the 'dragon' if he didn't get going right now. Whatever self preservation he had finally kicked in and off he stumbled. You couldn't really call it a run, and it was more than a shaky walk.

The bar keeper started laughing, having thought the oaf would start swinging at the temporary guards. At least someone got amused by the situation. His attention went to the Druid Girl before shrugging. "It's fine. He stated neutrally, he had never tasted human but judging by the fact animals almost always refused to touch their corpses...they must taste bad.

A pair of slaps, and Archer Girls reddened cheeks let him know she...had done something to herself and seemed happy no one had to get into a scuffle because intimidation. But... why did she slap herself?! Why were humans so damn weird?! Instantly that all got shoved into the back of his mind before the group began their patrolling once more. "Watch your step for...puddles." He said, no need to step in drunken vomit or urine. The bright moons would easily reveal the glistening slop.

Archer Girl mentioned it being really bright out because of the two moons being nearly full. "Maybe that will keep crime down since it's so bright out." He commented, couldn't steal or break in if you were easily visible after all! Still he kept his eyes peeled for suspicious activity. Another thing that confused him about humans. Always craving what others have! Get some money and get it yourself! Or duel for it.

Happy to hear that her Lizard-friend hand't taken offense, at least not enough to warrant a complain, Druid Girl smiled again. Perhaps it was nice or empowering to be mistaken for a dragon? After all, they were some of the most powerful and ferocious beings alive, so being called a dragon was hardly an insult... Unless, of course, the Lizardfolk has some kind of contrived pride that lizards were in some way superior to dragons... Which the girl doubted very much.

Hearing Steppe Archer's comment about drunken men being scum and foul made the girl stifle a chuckle. True enough, they were a generally gross and unpleasant lot, but the same could be aid for almost anyone. Very few people, regardless of race or gender, were 'pleasant' drunks after all. Still, she appreciated her companion's attempt at cheering her up, and thanked her properly for it. The head-pat however... Druid Girl wasn't quite sure how to respond to that - usually, she was the one doing things like that after all!

As they walked and entered the residential area of the western part of town, the archer made a comment about it being bright and pretty out that night. In truth, it really was quite lovely, though it would have been more so if they had been out in the wilds, rather than walking around the cobbled streets of a dingy little frontier town like this. Still, one had to make do with what was given. Big Red, however, was as pragmatic as always, seeing the bright light not as something to appreciate, but rather just another tool with which to complete his job, and do so with less risk and effort. Really, the lizardman really needed to learn how to enjoy the little things in life... Or perhaps he could only enjoy things that mattered to his lifestyle and culture? The scaly ones were a different species after all, so values and priorities were bound to be different, but still...

Regardless, the trio patrolled along the houses and buildings, stopping a few times to peer down alleyways and narrow streets, peeking out around corners and over hedges or fences. Still, for all their sleuthing and searching for ne'er-do-wells, they ended up with nothing to show for it. It seemed that tonight really was a quiet time for crime, with no hoodlum muggers or back-alley burglars plotting to do ill doings with nefarious motives. Honestly, it was a bit boring, but after having had to clean a ditch of rotting animals, then bathe in a cold-as-heck river during sunset and then watching a grown, drunken man wet himself, perhaps they had all had enough excitement for one day?

Almost as soon as they finished their rounds in the residential district, they peered up to see the green moon hanging at the very crown of the sky, higher and more elevated than any other astral body.

"Looks like it's about time." Druid Girl said, having gazed at the moons, then glancing at both her companions. "We just needed to report back to the garrison, right?" She asked, not rememberign quite clearly if that was actually necessary. Though given their run-in with the drunk, it was understandable that her mind was a bit... adrift...

Given their current location, all they needed to do was head inwards, towards the center of town, and then a bit north and they'd be back at the garrison in very little time. Hopefully, no unfortunate business or random encounters would show up to block their path and impede their progress at completing this quest and getting the appropriate reward.