Given how hard she would have ordinarily expected learning a new skill to have been, Misaki was actually pleasantly surprised by the result of her attempts. The intensity of the light proper did leave a little bit to be desired, but for a first attempt, something like this was actually perfectly acceptable in her eyes. The coloration was, admittedly, a bit odd, but ultimately it was something she could live with for the moment. If it was ultimately something to have to look into, she'd do so when it became relevant.

It was at this point that she began to toy with controlling the magic, though; pushing and pulling it from its position, rotating it, and everything in between... Once the sphere had stabilized in shape, that much was at least worth looking into.

Before she could get very far on that front, though, the foxgirl had noticed a glowing light from the side; a brief glance was all she needed to figure out that the source was a proper ball of fire and not simply some semi-amorphous ball of light. The moment that it grew in size, though, she instinctively took a step back, shaking her head as if to signal that the problem should be stopped.

Needless to say, that wasn't going to happen. The subsequent flash of light and loud noise would have easily been on the same level of a flashbang grenade (or, at the very least, what she assumed being on the receiving end of one would have been like), and given her recent encounter with disorienting noises, well...

While the others might have come out just a little worse for wear, she had not been so lucky. Being thrown back into the various artifacts that had just been organized had also been coupled by being unable to see or hear, and the pain ringing in her head caused Misaki to simply crumple over after landing, her hands covering her ears out of instinct. It was nothing that wouldn't go away with time, as past experiences had shown, but it wasn't something that could just be ignored so simply.

Needless to say, she was already disliking the one responsible for her current pain, and it hadn't even been that long since they had met.

@VitaVitaAR@Click This@Crusader Lord@Rune_Alchemist

The white haired fellow's attempt to get the fox to drop the bag was to command it to do so. Normally even Novak, someone who was making a fool out of himself to try to talk to a fox, would've found it silly and a bit odd, but there was something strange about his words, something oddly compelling about his command. Was this some form of magic? Was it the ability that the goddess had given him, just as she had given to Novak?

It didn't really matter, the fox was unaffected. It did, however, respond to Novak's offer, except it dropped the fish instead of the bag, then darted through a hole into the building. It was very clear at this point that this fox was far more intelligent than a regular animal, and its actions were definitely not those of a simple beast seeking sustenance. What Novak didn't understand was what a fox would want with a leather bag of tools. Fortunately, with the animal having retreated into the building, it'd be a simple matter to corner it and extract the stolen goods from its maw.

"When we get in there, we need to make sure it has way to escape until we get those tools back," Novak advised his companion as he walked up to the door. He picked up the fish on his way there, intent on giving it back to the villager, assuming they wanted it after being dragged around town in a fox's mouth.

Novak opened the door into the building and stepped inside, intent on getting those tools back. He was actually a little surprised that the fox didn't bolt out as soon as the door opened. Much more surprising, however, was the scene that awaited the two inside. At first glance, it appeared to be a storage shed for the fisherman, lined with nets and smelling strongly of fish. The fox was nowhere to be found, but residing within the shed was a very strange sight. A fox woman, similar to Misaki but with black hair was lazing atop some boxes. Judging by the smell of alcohol emanating from her, she was likely drinking.

For a moment Novak was unsure what was going on, until he noticed the color of her eyes and the white fur on the tip of her tail, same as the fox they were chasing. Was this fox-woman the fox, having changed form? He knew almost nothing of what sort of magic existed in this world, but after everything he had witnessed in his flight from the place of their rebirth, shapeshifting didn't seem so impossible. Or perhaps it was an ability tied to the woman's race. Either way, this would explain why the fox seemed so much smarter than a typical animal.

When the woman finally spoke, she didn't deny that she was a troublemaker, but insisted that she was not the least bit suspicious, which only made Novak think that she was in fact suspicious. Her insistence that they not tell anyone about her squatting in here, and her rather specific query as to whether or not they were looking for something, only made her look even more suspicious. Novak wasn't sure what sort of powers the fox woman possessed, but he was pretty sure that if they did go inform on her, she'd be gone without a trace as soon as anyone came looking.

"Yes, we are in fact looking for something," Novak replied, having opted to play along. "We're looking for a leather bag of tools that a black fox with a white-tipped tail and green eyes stole and ran in here with. I don't suppose you know where it might be?"

@Cu Chulainn@Rune_Alchemist

So it didn't seem like the girl knew terribly much more about the creature... at least for the moment. Regardless of that, Nobunaga was deeply intrigued by the idea of magic, opting to observe first before making any attempt at undertaking it herself. It only made sense to mentally take stock of all the possible successes and failures given the fact it was such a new skill completely impossible within the realms of her original world.

And so, the petite black-haired girl simply observed for the moment, large red eyes taking in every motion, every activity. It was fascinating, to see these things actualized rather then simple myth. The ability to manipulate light like that, and it was surely just the tip of the iceberg. It was quite a performance already... at least...

Until that cat-eared girl caused a small explosion.

When Nobunaga's ears were ringing a little less, and her eyesight returned properly, her first action was to immediately check on Misaki. The fox-eared girl had previously suffered from a similar experience, and to be hit so hard once again... she placed a slight hand on the other girl's back, trying to do what she could to comfort her.

As her only point of familiarity and the like, it was important to try and maintain a good relationship and ensure the other girl's wellbeing.

The other matter on her mind was to immediately label the cat-eared girl as a liability.

@PKMNB0Y@Click This@Crusader Lord@Rune_Alchemist

"Where the hell are they?"

Octavia dashed for the stick, leaping into the air to catch it but then landing into a patch of soft snow. The pup quickly sank into the pile with her lower body sticking out. Octavia wriggled and struggled to get herself out to which Nick chuckled.

He was close enough to Augusta when she asked the question. Nick wondered too, where were Isidore and Donovan? Did something bad happen to them? If it did, Nick didn't doubt that they could handle it. They escaped two titans fighting each other, after all. Maybe they ran off without them? "I can look for them later, if you want." Nick suggested to the Elf. "Hopefully, I don't run into anything bad. I'm not exactly a fighter like you guys."

Soon, the demon pup finally wriggled herself free from the snow. She shook to rid herself of the snow before taking the stick with her mouth and heading over to Nick and dropping it in front of him. "Good job! Who's a good girl? Who's a good girl? You are! You are!" Nick showered Octavia with praise, rubbing her head and stroking her fur. "Ready for another, Octavia?" He picked up the stick and wiggles it in front of the pup.

If Octavia wanted another round, Nick would oblige and hurl the stick once more.

@Rune_Alchemist @Cu Chulainn @Crusader Lord @PKMNB0Y @VitaVitaAR

Narkissa paid attention. She’d put honest effort into learning her entire life, and she wasn’t going to stop now that she had a new one. Especially when the topic was as esoteric and fantastic as magic, even if she had a book for it.

She nodded attentively; since trying to ‘put’ magic into running earlier did seem to have an effect, did that mean her body was natural source? As it turned out, she didn’t need to ask, as Lazhira interacted with her own mana. It was a strange feeling, if not a bit uncomfortable, but Narkissa could get the idea. It was almost as if it were its own invisible appendage, in a way.

Since it made sense to her, she began playing with it more actively, now that she had an actual chance to practice. Pushing and pulling said extra invisible organ was how it was done, right? She tried to flick up a little flame of light, in fact, trying to put in some flair doing it to, by mimicking the operation of a lighter. She needed brownie points with everybody for coolness, of course.

What wasn’t cool was Leannah doing it wrong and blowing up her spell. The force of the bang nearly knocked her over, and she could feel the heat hit her face and nearly singe her hair as she reflexively looked over at her to see what was going on. The sudden explosion had blown over all sorts of things, and a piece of debris even smacked right into her shoulder, which was particularly painful. It didn’t break her skin or even her clothes, but she was pretty sure she would be bruised and sore tomorrow. She shot her companion an unamused look.

At the very least, Leannah had embarrassed herself before she had her own chance to cock up her own magic.

“Ehh… are you alright? It’d probably be a better idea if we practice outside. Since we’re all beginners, it would look poorly on us if we destroyed your home,” Narkissa finally said, with an apologetic look on her face. Despite the setback, she really wanted to learn more about magic.

Team Nippon
@VitaVitaAR@PKMNB0Y@Click This@Crusader Lord

---

Lazhira had made her way over to Leannah, helping the other girl back to her feet as gently as possible and giving her a quick look over for any major injuries. Seemingly satisfied it would most likely only her ego that was going to be bruised slightly, she took a few steps back after seeing if Leannah could stand.

“Sorry, sorry.” Lazhira pouted apologetically. “Its my fault. I didn’t realize you guys were all so...uh, good at this? I should have started with um…‘how not to blow yourself up’ first I guess.” She quickly rebounded, however, switching back to her previous energetic demeanor. “Is everyone outside this village really good with magic?” She questioned, her tone curious. “All of you seem pretty good at just...having it work. I’m the only one here with any sort of ability with it so its weird seeing you all so good with it.”

By now however, night was currently falling over the village. The long day the group had was probably catching up to them, and even if they wanted to practice a bit, it might be best to wait for tomorrow considering the lateness of the evening.

“I’d be happy to help more though, if you all want! Tomorrow, anyways. Assuming old man Enli doesn’t drag me off somewhere so he can ramble about some old stories...or...lecture me about work…or how dangerous the forest is...” She grinned. "And don't worry too much about my home! I destroy it on a regular basis, heheh. Not like anyone but me ever really comes here anyways..."

The Roma Mob
@ERode@Pyromania99@Guy0fV4lor@PaulHaynek

---

Isidore’s face remained stony as the boar struggled in its final moments, blood running down the blade and staining his hands with that familiar sensation. At death, it was strong enough still to tear open his skin, but that was all. He lowered the beast onto the ground, pulled his sword out of its body, and flicked the blood off his blade. Even in his most desperate of times, he never had to skin and gut an animal; it would be an enlightening experience to take part of, once he returned to the others.

But first off, there was the matter of that creature. A deer, almost redundantly imposing in its size, had announced their presence. The boss of the horned beasts within this forest, was it? Isidore could understand that. The man hefted the boar on his left shoulder, held his sword in his right hand, and as the deer approached, steps rousing a storm, so did Isidore, his trail marked with blood.

He breathed in, but no thoughts came to mind, so he breathed out, white fog escaping into the darkening skies. “I’ve no quarrel against you and yours. But I and my allies are outcasts, and we, like all others, must eat.” That was all there was, and that was all there would ever be. To go into the night with no food, after all that they’ve gone through, was simply a slower death than one upon the horns of a monolithic deer.

Donovan stood slack-jawed as he laid eyes on the creature approaching Isidore. Sure this may have been a world of magic, and it would be foolish to not suspect the existence of innately magical beasts to be commonplace-- this animal seemed far beyond just being a giant of a deer. Between the intelligence in its eyes, majesty in its movements, and it's somehow immaculately groomed fur; this was likely one of the 'Elder beasts' the goddess had mentioned.

The large man chewed his lip in absolute silence as he watched Isidore's response to the creature. The lad had chosen wisely to not attempt fighting the colossal deer-- but Don had a feeling that the Elder Beast wouldn't take kindly to being told off so casually. For now, all Donovan could do was watch; ready to intervene for Isidore's safety at a moment's notice.
No words came from the Deer, if it was one of the beasts the goddess spoke of, it deigned to keep silent as it stopped a few yards away from Isidore. If it had heard his words or not, it didn't acknowledge. In fact, it barely even acknowledged Donovan's presence. There was something regal, airy, and distant about the way it carried itself.

Yet, it definitely knew they were there. The breeze suddenly shifted directions, centering itself on the beast as a ball of energy formed within the deer's horns. Fast as the wind it seemed to be controlling, a blast of wind was aimed towards Isidore.
Isidore kept his pace steady. The telegraph was obvious enough, but the intent? That was unclear. No response, not even any sense of a threat, but the wind gathered all the same, a vacuum that stole his own breath away. Only a few yards away now, and still, Isidore walked, closing the distance between the two. In his right was the sword. In his left was the boar. And in his pocket was the seed.
The ball of energy burst, and Isidore leapt to the side, body bending to compress and then release to evade, his feet kicking against the snow-dappled ground. He had not yet demonstrated his speed while under the surveillance of the great deer, only his strength and his endurance. It would be good if he could evade.

But what after? Would he kill this one too?

An electric chill shot down Donovan’s spine as the air shifted unnaturally. He wasn’t sure what the hell this thing was doing-- but based on it’s lack of response, it likely wasn’t good. Everything in his mind was screaming at Isidore to make a break for it. To drop the boar and run like hell. But kids these days just always had to act invincible. In a swift motion, he drew forth his warhammer; his teeth gritting as he launched himself into a dead sprint, aiming to flank the colossal animal. Don still thought that trying to fight this thing was damn suicidal, but it’d be a cold day in hell before he abandoned his fellow man out of cowardice.

Isidore dodged, the blast of air slamming into the ground behind him, impossibly fast, compressed razor-like wind cutting into his clothing as it slammed into a tree some distance away and cracking, warping the wood. Without even turning its head to even glance at Donovan, the beast stamped its hoof against the ground. A blast of air shot from the ground, a violent gale exploding upwards and outwards, slamming into Donovan and completely halting his steps before he could get closer.

The beast turned its head slightly in Isidore's direction. Between its antlers air whistled as it was accelerated to dangerous speeds near instantly, multiple smaller wind blasts aiming for Isidore, seemingly in an attmept to prevent him from dodging all of them.
Donovan? Shit, why the fuck was he there? Isidore’s eyes widened at the man’s reckless charge, his sudden appearance, then narrowed at the effortless magic used to halt him. Whatever this creature was, it was something far beyond them, capable of splitting its attention against two superhumans and fending them off without having to take a single step. Did he make the wrong decision?
No, he didn’t. The boar would have attacked him anyways, and Isidore would have cut it down anyways. He held onto that thought, recalled his own cold fury, back when those fuckers broke in and knifed the wrong guy. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, but calm enough not to kill one who attacked directly. In which case…
“Donovan, get the fuck outta here!”

Leaping backwards, Isidore shifted himself to where the concentration of the wind blasts were the lowest, before shrugging the boar off his body and using it as a rudimentary shield. The initial blast had been forceful enough to almost snap a tree in half, and impacts like that went more than skin-deep. The armor may protect him from cuts, but were his organs made of the same stuff?
Didn’t matter much. Even if the blow blasted him backwards, Isidore planned on running. Away from Donovan, away from the camp. This deer only wanted him, after all. He could figure the rest out once some good-two-shoes weren’t in range to eagerly sacrifice themselves for him.

Even for all his strength and weight, Donovan staggered from the force of the beast’s gale. Elder beast or not, this giant creature clearly wasn’t something the two men could handle. The large man scowled at Isidore’s remark as he quickly regained his footing, ”An’ what, leave ya tah bleed tah death while ye run fer yer life? I oughta beat some sense inna that skull o’ yers lad!”

Twisting the warhammer clenched tightly in his grasp, Don slammed the pointed end of his weapon into the ground, anchoring himself near the side of the deer. Both he and Isidore were hopelessly outmatched by this creature; meaning there was only one way to avoid certain death. Kneeling at the side of the deer, head bowed, and shield braced against his ‘anchor’, Don made one last plea for the Elder beast’s mercy. ”Please! Aye beg ya oh great one-- let the lad go! Neither he nor aye knew we was trespassing’ on yer domain! Aye swear in the name o’ all things holeh, we’ll do whatever it takes tah repay the debt we owe yah! Just let tha’ poor boy go!”

The smaller blasts of wind slammed into the flesh of the boar, beating against its hide, the force enough to cause Isidore's already tired body to strain to withstand the force. A few blasts would cut into his legs, painfully tearing his flesh as his armor began to fail at its job of protecting, it finally seeming to wear off after its usage.

The beast, if it was one of these fabled 'Elder Beasts' indeed seemed too much for their current strength to handle. It likely wasn't even using whatever abilities it had at its disposal, either. It took a light, airy step towards Isidore, displacing more snow and dirt that had dirtied its path. Another vortex of wind began to form.
however it paused

A slight tilt of its head towards Donovan.

Its legs swayed, body moving as though a soft breeze had been blowing it. It inhaled…

“You seek not to trespass, yet...the wind carries the scent of the moon. What reason does the Blessed of the Storyteller have with this forest? If she seeks to turn me or my kin into a feat for tragedy or heroism, she will find I am not one to play along with her capriciousness.” The voice which passed its lips was neither hostile nor-violent. It was close, yet almost felt as far as the skies themselves, and as wispy and light as the wind the beast seemed to command.

Isidore’s armor decided now, of all times, that one hour had elapsed, and searing pain shot through his legs. More blood stained the snow, strips of flesh flayed off his body. He stumbled, knees quaking as the limits of his endurance neared. What caused him to pause was not pain though, nor exhaustion. It was Donovan’s prostration. The man wasn’t going to run. Wasn’t even going to fight. He was going to...throw his weapons down and beg for forgiveness on another’s behalf? And, more amazingly, for a creature that had been the subject of Donovan’s attack mere moments ago, this act was enough to coax language out of its mouth, rather than simply a hoof through the head.

Isidore breathed. He did not run, after all. He walked, instead, tracking blood in the forest until he stood beside Donovan. Fucking idiot shieldbearer. The apathy in the voice of this creature meant that they were both, quite literally, at the whims of some alien creation. What sort of gamble would it even have been? How many deals with incomprehensible monstrosities would they have to broker before this day could end?

“If,” he spoke, meeting the monolithic deer’s eyes, “you could speak, then you have listened. I killed this boar to feed my...allies. We are outcasts. We know nothing of this world, and we possess nothing but what we stole or found.” Isidore struck his sword into the ground, planting it there. “If there was crime, it was rooted in my ignorance. I don’t care for stories. I care for food and shelter, which would be harder to find in the mountains or on the beach.”
A breath.

“Now that the ignorance of both sides have cleared somewhat, let’s talk. What do I pay for food and a place to sleep?”
Donovan paused to level a deathglare at Isidore before turning back towards the Elder Beast before them. ”Pardon the lad’s rudeness--” he began with an exasperated sigh, ”He’s young, prideful, and lost quite a bit o’ blood… As et so happens, we ain’t from around here… Nother’ world entireleh in fact. Th’ moon goddess plucked our souls from th’ hands o’ death and tossed us intah this world head first with little explanation bout’ what we’re here tah’ do. Sure, slayin th’ Elder Beasts may shape a good yarn; but aye could care less about writin’ a storeh.”

Slowly, Donovan rose to his feet. A confident light filling his eyes as he continued to speak.

”Me onleh concern is buildin’ a better world fer mankind. There are plenty o’ tales bout men slayin’ creatures such as yerself where aye come from… And et near always causes calameteh. I’ve no intention of bringin’ such a fate on me fellow man, nor to cause yerself or your kin harm. Aye think the lot o’ ya exist fer a reason. We might not understand it. But ya do. An’ I’ve no problem acceptin’ that.”

“...does one trust the word of a stranger that has intruded upon their home, blade drawn to their neck?” The deer replied coolly towards Isidore. “And...you...speak respectfully, yet acknowledge that you humans bring destruction in your so called 'progress'. Pleasantries will fade when either side is irreconcilable.”

The beast exhaled.

“But, If you do not intend to cause harm...then travel south. This forest shall become swallowed by the sea, a prison for something beneath if events continue as they are. If you seek civilization, you will find more of your kin, across the mountains.” It pawed the ground, a hoof making a line in the dirt. “...or perhaps you would find the Mountain Folk and those of the Shadow that live in those mountains more amicable...stay for the night, if you wish upon the treeline, but that hound that is with you - do not bring it into the forest. Even as a pup, no longer connected to its nursery will prove...difficult to deal with, should it grow."

Young? Prideful? Under different circumstances, Isidore may have been coaxed into a smile by such an evaluation, but not here. He should have expected it, really, that one’s physical appearance would have been the lens through which all actions were judged. But he kept quiet, regardless. Donovan had spoken of Elder Beasts, but was this creature truly one such being? Memories of the moonlit waters washed over his thoughts. A hunter or an object of worship? If the former, there was no reason to stay their hand. If the latter, there was no reason to refuse the opportunity to demand an offering out of trespassers far beneath it.

Indeed, out of this exchange, itself had offered more than it had gained. The meat of its subordinate, shelter for the night, knowledge of where other, ‘civilized’ beings could be found, and the latent threat that laid within Octavia. Curious, the amount of mercy and benevolence granted. Had it been Donovan’s prostration? Isidore nodded, only the slightest of grimaces warping his otherwise carefully neutral expression. “Thank you. I will remember this.” It was all he could do with what he had. Demon flowers, deer gods, and the Storyteller who charged them with rebuilding this unnatural world. Time would be good. Time to absorb all this.
Isidore turned, and trudged off. Blood trailed his steps once again.

Donovan sighed as he watched Isidore head off, the lad needed medical attention-- but was too damn stubborn to admit it outright. Heaving what was left of the boar onto his shoulder, he turned toward the elder beast and gave a short bow. ”Thank yah fer yer benevolence o great one… Ya said this place were gonna be underwater soon, there anythin’ me an’ mah fellows can do fer yah before then?”

The deer watched Isidore leave, airy gaze following it as it replied to Donovan.

“If concern is genuine, there is a small village upon the shore towards the north. One I had, at a time, a close relationship with.” It turned, its long legs gracefully moving across the snow laden ground. “Some there seek what was drowned by the Moons tears, driven by the one who seeks knowledge above all else.” And just as quietly as the deer appeared, it began to quickly disappear into the forest, its coat and overall form soon becoming lost among the myriad of trees.

Nothing else would find Isidore and Donovan on their way back to the small camp, and with the Kyrnith’s leaving, the forest seemed to return to normal as it was. At least, small animals could now be seen and heard moving about, and by the time they had reached the treeline the sun was finally dipping over the horizon.

Night would fall soon, and it would likely be best to settle down for the evening, though no one had yet to make any sort of shelter from the elements but hopefully it wouldn’t prove too dangerous. At least they may find the sight of Nick playing with Octavia slightly amusing.

The pup leaned into the pets, eagerly accepting the praise. She let Nick give her as many pets as she wanted, but soon she wanted to run around some more. Backing off a bit, she ran in a circle, barking and seeming like she wanted him to throw it again, and so he did.

The stick sailed....

And dropped almost right in front of Isidore’s feet. The pup, too focused on the stick again, nearly ran head first into Isidore’s legs, but managed to stop before just before doing so, ending up right in front of the boar carrying man. She sniffed the air, hungrily eyeing the deceased boar he was carrying.

---

Send Feet Pics
@Cu Chulainn@Crimson Paladin

“Eeeeh, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were looking for me.” The fox mused with a cheeky smirk. “Heh, not that I can blame you if you are. I’m about the only interesting thing that visits this little middle of nowhere village.” She sat the bowl on a crate, hopping up from her seat and languidly yawning and stretching her arms towards the ceiling.

“Wait…” She blinked, seemingly surprised. “You’re not insinuating that I stole it are you?” She twirled the pipe in her hands. “What a silly idea. I’m not a fox. Well, I am, but not that kind. Foxes can’t turn into people, fufu. That’s just an absurd idea.” The impish tone she was taking didn’t do any favors for her believability. If anything, as Novak was thinking it was just making her seem likely more suspicious. “Or...are you going to tell me that you believe that foxes can turn into people?”

As she got up and talked, they would perhaps notice a few more objects of interest that had been hidden behind her. A black and red mask fox mask, a pair of what seemed to be sheathed blades, a stack of what seemed to be gold coins and...a leather pouch. Full of leather working tools. She knocked the ash out of the pipe, stowing it in her clothing somewhere as she waited an answer.

Isidore stared down at Octavia, standing at his feet. He raised his sword up and swung down.

Shnnk.

The hind leg of the boar was severed from the rest of its body and struck the snowy ground softly. There would be a time to dispose of the creature, but not tonight. He stepped around Octavia, leaving the puppy to enjoy her meal. Augusta and Nick, thankfully, had gotten a fire started, even if there didn't look to be any shelter in place, nor a stockpile of wood to keep the fire burning through the night. Isidore let out a breath, watched it rise into the sky. More things to deal with, later.

He sat down, cross-legged. He did not acknowledge his injuries, and focused only on cleaning up the boar as best as he could. The fur came first, pulling at the parts already flayed by wind, cutting into it from the side to separate it from the meat. The organs went next. His sword was sharp enough to disembowel the corpse, and though it was a curious sensation, digging through the still-warm, still-bloody organs of a dead animal, it wasn't too unpleasant. Nothing like watching a body dissolve in a chemical bath. Nothing like the stench of smoke and body odor in an unventilated basement. He pulled them out, cut them out, and laid them out on the snow. They steamed there, rancid but appetizing. It was nice, that all four-legged beasts were fairly similar, from big pigs to little rats.

Some time after his work began, Isidore spoke up.

"There's humans south, beyond the mountains. In the mountains, there are 'those of Shadow' and 'Mountain Folk'. Non-human, but possibly hospitable." He furrowed his brow. A sword was good for slicing flesh, but less good for the fine work of butchery. With a grunt, Isidore cracked the front legs out of their joints, ignoring the pain that flared up from the cuts on his shoulder and neck. "There's a deer that owns the forest. We can stay the night, but Octavia can not be let into the forest." The fire was warm, but it looked insufficient for cooking. He started regardless, setting a leg on the ashen coals. "Should gather more wood."

Or cut down a tree. Would that invoke that deer's wrath again?

Augusta was sitting around camp, waiting for Isidore and Donovan to come back. Eventually, they did. It felt longer than it probably took since she was just sitting there waiting. When they did come back, though, she was excited to have food. Though something caught her eye a bit more than the food. Her vision stayed on Isidore as she gave him an almost tired look. He was going about things rather casually, cutting a leg of the boar for Octavia and then starting to cut it up. "Umm... Isidore. You look injured." He seemed to ignore that, focused on his work or perhaps thoughts and started speaking some time later. A deer? People in mountains? Non-human village? "Non-human is probably more interesting anyway. No, no." She pushed such thoughts from her mind.

"Isidore, you're injury. Let me..." The elf woman cut herself off and cast a healing flame on Isidore's wound. "Seriously, did that deer give you these wounds or was it the boar?" She asked. The man should be able to continue working on the food if he so wished, though he might get a couple of irritated elf complaints. "Stop moving." or "Hey". Still, soon enough she finished when at least a number of his wounds seemed to be much better. With a sigh, she turned to Donovan. "And you, how are you? Any wounds?" She asked, trying to look the man over for injuries.

The drunk women hiding away in the village masquerading as a fox would definitely be something interesting to Malphas. He'd love to ask for her opinion on the magic he had attempted to do, as well as if she could teach him any tricks as well. Perhaps he could learn to turn himself into a fox as well? So many questions and propositions, so many mysteries within her den...

It was a shame Malphas had chosen not to follow the fox after all.

Instead, Malphas had spent the time cleaning off the stolen fish discarded by the fox. One of the many lessons Malphas had learned during his previous life ws to choose his victories. He was a bit tired of chasing a fox around, especially after spending the last few hours running for his dear life. For now, he'll let Novak chase after the furry thing, while Malphas would tend to cleaning the mess it left, as well as returning the fish it had stolen. Someone's livelihood was at stake!

Whether the fisherman accepted the stolen fish back or not, Malphas scratched his head, wondering just where Novak had gone. Perhaps he went deeper into the woods and got lost on the way? As much as Malphas wished to go and find him, he still needed at least a nice hide cuirass, if not a couple arrows, before he made his trek onward. Malphas could also report to the craftsman and let him know what had happened... but they might just get upset, and also forfeit Malphas's reward.

What to do, what to do...

Maybe Malphas will grab a snack. See what the local food tastes like. Yes, that sounds like a wonderful idea! He closed his eyes and allowed his nose to guide him, following any scent of food he could pick up. If this were a cartoon, he would be humorously floating off following the visible aroma of food.

---

Fire go boom. Dizzy. Hell. Leannah could now see that for a moment that becoming a flaming rocket cat was possible to some extent, but not withstanding an unintentional fireball to the face. Then again this was a learning moment rather than an application of desperate 'I don't want to die" effort. It was enough to make the catgirl feel a bit humbled in regards to magic in the wake of it all, more so in the fuzzy but dawning retrospective that she'd imagined a 'light source' rather than simply 'light'. The burns were also nothing new to her in comparison to other injuries she'd sustained back on Earth, the simple fall from knocking herself down was itself worse, but even so they did hurt. They were also still injuries that would need to be treated. Not the best thing, especially when having just met this fox and Nobunaga-looking person...even Narcissa only some time ago. For the love of her own sexy catgirl ass, she didn't want to be the next person around here that no one wanted to be around.

"I-I'm...ok. Yes, o-outside would be better. Call it trial and error," the skimpily-clad catgirl said in the direction of Narcissa from where she lay, doing what she could to shake off the bit of pain and brief disorientation after hitting the ground like that. It was like the first day of Bajiquan class all over again, landing flat on he ground, but at least she knew how to cope somewhat due to that.

Once Lazhira helped her up, however the catgirl looked to the human girl as she spoke once more. She then lightly shook her head back and forth once the girl stepped back and Leannah felt she could stand well on her own.

"No need to apologize, Lazhira, my mistake was not doing it correctly. I was imagining a light source to produce light, rather than forming a simple ball of light itself. It seemed to be working fine for a moment too, but then...how can I describe it? Something lurched out of the blue and shoved more mana into it than I was putting in," she said, thinking deliberately on what had just happened as she made visual cues with her hands, "It wouldn't let me stop it. Then just...boom. Angry, pulsating, exploding fireball point-blank."

The sun-touched girl let out a long and deep sigh. Even the exhaustion from earlier was seemingly setting in more alongside the darkness. Ugh. She'd just been born today of all things, she wanted to learn! But at least they didn't have to grow up all over again. Plus they didn't die back in the fortress, had somewhere to be for the night, etc. That much she was grateful for at the very least.

"I'd be happy to accept your help though! Ah...maybe outside as Narkissa said though, to avoid 'that' again. I'll help you clean things up before I leave as well, though, since it's only fair to own up to what just happened."

She wasn't a slob, of course she'd help before leaving! Then hopefully she could catch up with Narkissa to room for the night, depending on how things went down. Blargh. But it was a start, one had to take baby steps to learn a new field of knowledge and its applications. Martial arts was especially keen on getting you to learn to take the hits and put in the blood, sweat, and tears to maintain it. Magic would be no different, though...one thing lingered in her mind. Just what had that surge of magical energy been from? Lack of control on her part? Something else? Ugh.

For now, just one thing at a time.

The fox girl continued to profess her innocence and dismiss the notion that a person could shapeshift into an animal. Her augments didn't come off as convincing in her arguments, and her mischievous tone only further undermined any chance of it alleviating Novak's suspicion. If anything, her nonchalant, playful denial suggested that she wasn't making any real effort to convince him of her innocence.

She's playing around, just like before. She's clearly not the least bit worried.

It was at this point that Novak noticed the items behind her as she moved. The leather bag was there, as he expected, but what really caught his notice were the fox mask and a pair of bladed weapons. Together with the woman, these items spelled out a concept that Novak could recognize.

This woman is dangerous, no wonder she's so calm, Novak concluded, alarmed. The blades were enough to worry about- people didn't usually carry weapons unless they knew how to use them (with obvious exceptions like himself), but together with the mask, it cast the impression that she was fighter or...what was the word...ninja? The point was that fox transformation or no, the woman had nothing to worry about. It was also only at this point that he realized that his white-haired companion had not followed him in at all, meaning he was alone with this potentially dangerous fox-girl.

"I'm not accusing you of anything," Novak responded, not quite able to mask his alarm, "But that bag there appears to be the one that the fo...err, the animal had run off with. If you would allow me, I would like to return the misplaced item to its owner." In truth he had already resolved to play along in this manner, to politely and non-confrontationally talk her into allowing him to return the bag, but it had suddenly seemed very unwise to deviate from this approach.

@Rune_Alchemist

---

@Rune_Alchemist@ERode@Pyromania99@PaulHaynek

"Aye." Donovan nodded at the elder beast. "Aye'll see what uh can do for em."

Giving the creature a polite bow, the large man took his leave, following Isidore out of the forest quietly. Though the hostilities had been dealt with, there almost seemed to be a remnant of unspoken tension in the air; causing him to stay completely silent for the journey back to camp. Once he and Isidore had rejoined the others, Donovan breathed a sigh of relief; though he knew full well that the group was likely still being watched, it was reassuring to know that they were no long trespassing on that creature's land uninvited. While Isidore got to work carving apart the boar, Donovan set to work hauling whatever fallen trees he could over to the fireside before snapping the long pieces into short logs using a decently sized, vaguely pointed rock, and the heel of his boot. As he made a pile of the newly prepared firewood, Augusta finally seemed to finish patching up Isidore, and had come over to ask Don if he was injured as well.

"Aye'm fine lass." Don turned to her with a beaming smile. "Preciate' yer concern though."

Eyeing the rather damp pile of logs before him, Donovan could tell that their current stockpile wouldn't last the night. They needed more wood, and the light was quickly fading. "Say, would ya mind usin' yer magic tah dry this batch a wee bit? Aye'm gunna see if aye can find summore dead timber fore' et gets too dark tah see."

Donovan eyed the forest's edge. The man knew that if he wanted to find more wood that was salvageable for the fire, he'd need to step back into the Elder beast's domain. Glancing back at Isidore, Don stewed on his thoughts for a moment as he considered what to do. Even though Isidore's actions had seemingly angered the creature, he himself seemed to be on at least relatively good terms with it. If he went back in alone, would the beast's attitude be more amicable? Could he perhaps even get it to elaborate on the vague prophecies it had mentioned? Maybe it could tell him a bit more about the world? So long as he took care not to anger it, there wasn't much likelihood that he would be in danger.

"Aye shouldn't be long. An be sure tah save meh some o' that hog if the lot uh ya eat without meh!"

Leaving his shield by the fireside, but keeping his hammer on his belt, Donovan entered the woods once more.

Once he was a fair distance into the wood, Donovan slowly began to gather any suitable lumber into a pile. Only partway into laying the second log, he paused; calling softly into the woods around him.

"I got a few more questions fer ya-- if yah wouldn't mind meh askin."

Team Nippon
@VitaVitaAR@PKMNB0Y@Click This@Crusader Lord

---

“Hm...I don’t think its not that you did it incorrectly.” Lazhira replied to Leannah, frowning slightly in thought. “Unless there was something or someone else trying to mess with you, it shouldn’t do that. A beginner can’t even draw out that much.” She nodded. “I could barely even make a tiny little light when I started, and I even had much better help!” She smiled, quickly taking an assertive stance, hands on her hips. “Anyways, don’t worry about it! I’ll get everything squeaky clean later. You’re my guests after all, and if there’s anything Enli has managed to get through, its that I have to be hospitable, mhmhm!”

Any attempts by any of the group to help with cleaning, was met with a swift bonk on the head by the lively girl with a soup ladle. She seemed fairly adamant about not wanting them to help, and after everyone would finish eating she’d let them keep perusing the artifacts in her house, or head off to wherever, making sure to note to try and be back before it got too cold out, though also stressing she’d keep a fire going regardless.

Now seemed as good of a time to rest if they wanted, or perhaps it was also a good time to train or practice more of this magic stuff. Lazhira also mentioned she’d be happy to help with anything if they wanted. Maybe deciding what exactly they wanted to do tomorrow, would also be a good idea.

The Roma Mob
@ERode@Pyromania99@Guy0fV4lor@PaulHaynek

---

Eagerly, Octavia snatched the leg and ran off to where Augusta was sitting. Rather disturbingly, and perhaps showing her still demonic nature, the pup’s mouth opened far too wide, jagged teeth ripping into the meat and swallowing an entire half of the thing, bone and all.

The boar was fairly easy to dissect. Pigs, after all, were not too dissimilar to humans, and no doubt Isidre had some experience with the more gruesome aspects of such a thing at points in his life. Still, even though he was beaten and bruised he’d carry on despite such wounds even as his body complained. Thankfully, at least, it seemed like Augusta was at the ready with some medical attention if nothing else.

Donovan would successfully find wood, perhaps not the best for burning but some at all was better than none. The perpetual snow wasn’t doing them any favors though. The wood as he said, was damp and ill suited. Perhaps with a little effort though, and some magical tricks they may be able to dry it. Or maybe they could just use so much fire it’d burn regardless of how damp it was.

Regardless of what they did, Donovan would head back into the forest, to find more wood and hoping to get more answers...

@Crimson Paladin
The Fox and the Skillseeker

---

“Pfft, ahaha, if I didn’t know any better I’d say you’re scared by something.” She laughed amusedly. “What’s the matter? This little fox give you a spook? I can assure you the only thing I harm are people's coins.” The fox reached for the boots that were apparently hers, lazily putting them on, not in much of a hurry to comply with Novaks request, likely under the belief he’d stay put since he seemed adamant on returning the supposedly pilfered goods.

“Speaking of...” She continued, slipping on a boot. “What are your thoughts on this little...village, stranger?” An innocent question, perhaps, as she fastened the two blades to a belt and the mask under her cloak. “They seem quite...shall we say, unprofitable recently.” An odd choice of words, perhaps, but she finally seemed like she was ready to follow Novak, tossing him the obviously pilfered goods.

“Not that I really care, probably be the last time I come and pay a visit. Have to make a living somehow.” She would leave, taking the lead as they headed back to the workshop seemingly forgetting her earlier demand of telling no one she was here. Novak was free to talk, reply, and ask questions if he so desired himself if he wanted too. If not, the fox girl herself seemed to be more than amicable enough to speak if spoken too.

Perhaps he’d find it suspicious she seemed to know exactly where the items were stolen from, and if nothing else, she didn’t seem like she was about to harm him, either. Eventually though, they would indeed arrive, though for all her talk of not telling anyone she was here, she’d follow him inside and give Novak the opportunity to return the stolen goods.

---

Send Feet Pics
@Cu Chulainn

Indeed, it was a shame Malphas would never get to see the luxurious, fluffy tail of a certain fox. She might have even let him fluff her tail, or even get a good long look at her feet. Alas, though, he had chosen the humanitarian route of returning the fish the fox had stolen to the fisherman. The man in question, at least seemed amused and grateful, not having thought much of losing one fish. In return he gave Malphas a handful of what seemed to be five silver colored coins. They weren’t much, but perhaps it was what served as currency here? They were roughly circular, with a square shaped hole in the center.

As he moved through the village, much of the sights were the same as his previous trek, though now it was much later in the day. It seemed as though people were winding down for the day. Eventually his nose would lead him to what seemed a communal gathering of some sort - a large building without a door, several villagers were gathered inside, sitting around a large fire. A pot with some sort of stew, a number of vegetables and game hung on the walls. A number of men seemed to be hunters, with only a few others not being there. None seemed to object to his presence, and it seemed most of the food, as one might have assumed, was fish from the ocean.

Didn’t seem like one might mind if he took some, though it’d likely be a good idea not to take too many.

As he observed, someone grabbed his wrist.

“A coin, for my troubles, you pretty thing?” A raspy, high pitched voice spoke. They had been sitting on the floor. Had they been there before? He had given everything a good look over the moment he entered, correct? Or had he just overlooked this person? Whoever it was, definitely wasn’t making an effort to stand out. “I know you have some, keheh. I can hear the shiny things clinking. Be a kind soul?”

They released Malphas’ hand, holding out their own. It was covered in dirt, with long, thin, spindly fingers that seemed malnourished and skeletal. The rest of them was dressed in a long, ragged and dirty cloak over what seemed to be an old, dirty, frayed white dress. A hood was completely obscuring their features, and it was difficult to tell their gender.

Malphas was pleased that he could help the fisherman, but also... insulted. For saving his livelihood, all Malphas got in return were quarters?! And only five of them, as well. Well, if that's what his work amounted to, then so be it. Smiling and nodding curtly, Malphas stepped away from the fisherman and began his quest to mend his ailing stomach. He had finally settled on the local gathering, the pleasant aroma of a hard day's work fluttering within his nostrils.

Malphas was pleased at this outcome. It seems that the hunters, and perhaps the other hard workers of the village, all gathered together to partake in the spoils of the day. Malphas surely felt like he contributed as well, what from chasing after that fox and retrieving that fish. Perhaps such a meal was truly the reward that awaited him after such a hard day's work! His tummy aching with gleeful anticipation, Malphas approached the feast, prepared do take what was due to him!

However, before he could, a dirtied hand grasped at his wrist. He turned to see a beggar most foul, asking for his hard-earned cash! To think someone, something of this caliber, would think they're worthy to grasp Malphas's beautiful form? Absolutely disgusting! If they weren't in a place so public, he'd probably recoil in outrage. Instead, his eyebrow was only raised in surprise as he saw this thing grab at him.

Scoffing uncomfortably, Malphas feigned a smile as he looked upon the begging old woman. Wanting to leave this situation as quickly as possible, Malphas quickly procured about two silver pieces, not bothering to count or separate them, before placing them in the beggar's hands. Hopefully this was enough for her to leave him alone.

"Don't use it on anything that will make you even more destitute" Was all Malphas could say under his breath as he stepped away from the feast, his appetite spoiled. The nerve of such people, being poor in front of him?

Given that she had no adrenaline pumping through her system like she had earlier, Misaki was at the very least able to take a few deep breaths in an attempt to ignore the pain running through her body. Though she was no longer deafened by the makeshift flashbang, the ringing in her head still seemed to remain. Shakily rising to her feet, the foxgirl gave Nobunaga a slight nod in return before turning to Lazirha with a half-smile.

"A-ah... I feel about leaving that to you, but if you insist..." she trailed off, glancing at the soup before slowly moving to seat herself in a place closer to the fire.

And, of course, away from the walking fire hazard. Even if the incident was an accident, Misaki was not particularly inclined to associate with a scantily-clad catgirl with the inability to prevent the equivalent of a stun grenade from blowing up indoors.

Once the meal had concluded, the foxgirl quietly excused herself from the house and stepped outside, making sure to take a deep breath of the cold evening air to shock herself slightly more awake than she had been before. The headache had all but left in the time it had taken to eat her meal (which, while impressive given what she had tasted, was still immediately lacking in the wonders of modern seasonings), which gave her more than enough time to consider what to spend the night on. Given that Lazirha would not allow her to help fix things up again (the small spot on her head where she had been smacked by her ladle showing as much), the foxgirl considered focusing on her newfound magical abilities before night took over anyhow.

Taking care not to stray too far from Lazirha's house, Misaki quietly began to focus as she held her hands out in front of herself. Despite ending up as collateral damage, the foxgirl found at least one positive takeaway from that debacle: the ability to manipulate the 'type' of magic cast.

For starters, then, she would attempt to see to what extent that theory held firm. Fire and light were obvious, but what of water? Stone? Could she generate electricity from nowhere? Given that 'gift' that the 'goddess' had given her, being able to use electricity would be a major boon, should it prove to be manageable.

Of course, she would not go so far as to test her limits; small quantities of whatever it was she was trying would be more than sufficient for the sake of trying.

@VitaVitaAR@Click This@Crusader Lord@Rune_Alchemist

The fox-woman assured Novak that she was not a violent sort, and even gave him the stolen bag. Unlike her previous assurances, this one was more...convincing to Novak, and caused him to relax a bit. She even handed him the bag, after having posed a question to him.

"I haven't been here long, so far they seem like decent, hospitable folks suffering from misfortune," he replied to her query as she pulled on her boots. "You may have noticed the remains of the beast that attacked the town. From what I've heard, it sounds like their woes stem from a compact or covenant with an elder beast going sour."

Novak had made a few more observations about this woman. First, from the way she spoke, and from the way a stolen bag found its way into her possession, carried by a fox with the same features as her, she appeared to be a thief. Second, while she certainly stood out as much as Misaki or Nobunaga or the white-haired man, she seemed too...settled and familiar with the village to be one of the goddess' recent arrivals. Assuming she was a native of this world, she was clearly well-traveled, and Novak might learn something conversing with her.

"If it's possible to communicate with this elder beast, I'm sure it'll have its own side of the story, and its own grievances," he continued as the walked through the village "But whatever the case is I hope that reconciliation is possible, before the village is pushed to its breaking point."

Perhaps it was unwise to disclose this to a stranger, especially an unscrupulous one, but if she had been squatting here for any period of time, she probably already knew of what was going on. If she could shapeshift into a fox, perhaps she even may have even been able to "hear" the Kyrinth's anger and its inciting of beasts to attack.

"How about you?" he asked. "You seem to have some familiarity with this village. What do you think of them? And do you have any idea why this Kyrinth might have become angry with them?"

In any case, Novak would eventually arrive at the workshop and return the bag of tools to Bolcha.

"Here are those tools back," he stated, not remarking on the assuredly not-suspicious fox-woman accompanying him. "I'm afraid I lost track of that other fellow, however."

@Rune_Alchemist

Collab with @ERode

“I’m fine,” Isidore said as Augusta busied herself with using that healing flame of hers again. He didn’t offer too much protest after those words, however, focusing instead on the continued dissection of the creature. It stank, but the snow was plentiful, and after doing a fine enough job with butchering the hog, he stood up, kicking around the snow until he uncovered a large enough stone to use for less-direct cooking. Uprooting it carefully, the man scrubbed the surface of it with snow, before setting it close enough to the fire to begin soaking up heat. With that, he set the organs onto. The liver was slippery, but it’d be most important for himself, while the heart, pierced by a sword as it was, promised to be a hearty treat as well. Some fat from the boar’s stomach was placed on top as well, releasing a heavy oil as it began to cook. The fire occasionally spat and sputtered when the juices flowed off the rock, but everything was looking alright, and soon enough, Isidore’s task was done.

Abruptly, he spoke. “Octavia, grown up, will be dangerous. More dangerous than the deer that guards this place.” His eyes lifted to meet Augusta’s. “Do you think we can tame her?”

Augusta had finished up with Isidore’s healing when he started to speak about Octavia. It seemed fine so she gave a test tap to see if he reacted… Surprised. “Octavia, dangerous?” If the deer was smart enough to tell him and Donovan about the nearby settlements and to not let the mutt into the forest, it should be guessed that it might have told other things about her. How much did he actually know? That was to be determined. The elf woman met Isidore’s eyes and let her special one glow. “Yes, well. I can see things others can’t. I’m aware of what special little secret that plant left us. That said, if I can apply magic as I have been, I’m quite sure that I can do something. There are many things I would love to try. For example, perhaps there’s something akin to a familiar contract. I just need to be careful of any other surprises that might arise.”

There was a grand sense of confidence exuding from Augusta, though it might be hard to tell if it were truly an attitude of surety in herself to do as she said, or bluster. “Worst case, we get that man to cast his purification stuff on Octavia, though I’d be loath to do so. I very much do love that beast, despite her… Darker nature.”

“If you’re confident, that’s fine. I trust you.” No he didn’t. But the former statement was true, at least, and Isidore had his own form of confidence too. When everything else was equal, it was the physical range that he had that would grant him a deadly advantage over the dog, if Octavia ever bore her fangs towards them. “If you see so deep, we’ve got a demon seed. The nature of their bondage may be reproducible through our powers too.”

A tendril of fire licked out from his finger, before slowly weaving itself into a chain. “And from there, this ‘familiar contract’ is made. If Octavia is not of concern then...” Isidore pulled the ribs out from the fire. He blew off the ashes, then tore half of it off to hand it to Augusta. “...Donovan is.”

“Yes, I was considering what to do about the demon seed inside. I thought I may be able to study it and repurpose it if possible but…” She took the food Isidore handed her and gave a testing bite. It was about as one expected. Not the most flavorful thing that she was use to with their lack of seasoning, ashes aside. “Donovan?” She asked, curious as to the man’s meaning. Realistically, she should only trust these men as far as one could throw them, but desperate times. “Please, explain. Or, are you perhaps talking of that amulet he found?” She can barely remember if she even looked at his status lately and she would do it now except for him going back into the woods.

“He’s a good person,” Isidore said, taking a bite out of his own rib. It was hot and greasy, and that was all the comfort he needed. “But too much. He’s self-sacrificing to self-destructive ends. During the encounter with the deer, he charged and attacked first, when it had nothing to do with him. After, when I told him to run, he prostrated instead, and begged for mercy.” The man grasped the rib bone, and snapped it in half to slurp at the marrow inside. “Don’s a religious man, willing to do what he believes is right regardless of what others say. I’ve never seen someone like that. But Octavia is a devil in the making.”

“Nick’s normal. You’re selfish. Both are easy to understand and work with. Don though? Righteous, driven, and inconsistent.” He tossed those bones into the flames. “Makes one wonder, where he lived his past life.”

“I’d rather not think of me as selfish, just… looking out for my own self interest.” Augusta teased before taking a bite of her food. “And if you think Don’s anything strange, you’ve not spent much time in politics. Regardless, I think you speak the truth of it.” The woman mentioned. If what she said was true… He might not fit well into her future plans, pawn or collaborator. A pawn that can surprise you is worthless. A collaborator… Well, nothing would work out. She ate as she thought on the matter.

Soon enough, she spoke up. “Do you have thoughts on what you want to do about Don?” She was going to let the question float until she thought about how that sounded. “Or, rather perhaps I should say… Do you plan to split from him? Eventually, and not in the short term. I think you’re trustworthy enough for now, so I’m willing to go along with your ideas so long as they aren’t…” She gave a shrug, “Bad?”

“Bad?” Isidore smiled, or was that just a trick of the shadows? “Unlawful, or irrational?” He wiped his hands on the snow, before drawing out his sword and slicing the boar’s liver into small cubes. It parted easily, and he popped the first one into his mouth, mashing it against his palate. Warm, soft, and full of iron. It’d do well, considering the blood he lost. “Eat up, Augusta. For your lost blood.”

He chewed on liver for a bit longer, staring into the flames. The meat was beginning to warm his body up again, an internal furnace that raced through his veins, from his heart to the tips of his fingers. His clothing, at least what remained after the shredding it received from the monolithic deer, began to steam, finally shedding the damp it had absorbed during the day’s work.

“I’ve no intention on letting Donovan die on my behalf.” Something was stuck between his teeth, and he sucked at it before continuing. “It would be ideal if we could part amiably.”

Isidore, though, was accustomed to settling for the unideal.

It had almost slipped her mind that she took a stab earlier in the day. If Isidore didn’t mention it, Augusta wouldn’t have thought of it. She shook her head at Isidore’s words encouraging her to eat but took his advice anyhow, biting into the hunk of meat. Eating was good. As she did so, she thought on Isidore’s words as he spoke, what few there were. “Ideals are good and fine, but ideals get you a knife in the back.” Those words seem to be from experience especially with the biting sting that seemed to be on the woman’s tongue. “Of course, not being aware of those closest to you has the same result.”

The elf went silent as she bit into the meat again. She broke off a piece and chewed it, finally swallowing it some seconds later. “As for my thoughts, if he wants to die on my behalf, I shan’t say no. Perhaps, if that happens, I’ll make a monument for him.” Her tone indicated a joke, though it would be obvious that her real thoughts were soaking through.

“Unless the men of this world are blind, there’ll be many eager to,” Isidore replied. “Good for employment though.”

“Hmm? What do you mean?” Augusta questioned. “What about the men of this world?”

“Beauty inspires self-sacrifice. More so when it’s as transcendent as yours.”

“Ehh?” This took Augusta by surprise. Perhaps more the deadpan look that was alway on his face while saying it. “Transcendent beauty? That’s a new one.” She hadn’t seen her face since coming here, so her only real thought was on her slightly above average looks from back on Earth. She could only laugh. And so she did. “Couldn’t you at least say that with a look of sincerity?”

Isidore raised a brow. “And what does sincerity look like?”

“I’ve been working in politics too long, so I don’t think I can say for sure.” Augusta smirked with a giggle. “Certainly not what you do with your face.” She teased, taking a bit more of a bite from her food.

He reached for his jaw, feeling for how his own expressions have been changed by this new body he inhabited. Indeed, one could only see others’ faults easily. “Close your eyes then,” was Isidore’s suggestion. Can’t be affected by expressions that you couldn’t see, after all.
“That just sounds dangerous.” Augusta mentioned. “But I’ll consider something of the sort for the future.”

“And our direction of travel tomorrow?”

“You mentioned non-humans.” Augusta reminded the man of what he told her earlier. “I was thinking that maybe that might be our best course of action. Mostly because I’m curious about what is out here.”

“Should set off early then.” Perhaps the question was a bit silly, now that Isidore thought about it. Both forms of civilization were southwards, after all. They’d encounter both in time. “Goddess didn’t grant us resistance to frostbite, did she?”

Augusta’s eye started to glow and she seemed to stare into empty space. Her eyes wandered like she was reading a novel. “Yes, I can guarantee that you don’t have it, at least.”

“Unfortunate. Suppose self-immolation will be the way.”

Augusta gave a soft laugh as she finished off her food. “Yes, well. You can get on that if you desire. Though, this may be one of those bad ideas I mentioned earlier.” She took it as a joke, regardless of what Isidore’s face would have said. “Now, I’m fed and you’re healed and we have a plan of action. I think I’ll practice my magic a bit more. Hopefully, make my firebolts hurt a little bit more.”

“Practice on that pile of wood then,” Isidore said, tilting his head in the direction of the damp firewood. “Don’t knock yourself out.”

They had a long day tomorrow, after all.

Before Augusta replied to Nick, Isidore and Donovan returned emerged from the forest. Right where the stick landed, in fact, and hauling a dead boar with them as well as some tree logs. Nick was relieved, but not surprised. These kinds men were, after all, hard to take down. What was more surprising was when Donovan started slicing up the logs into firewood with just a rock and his boot. Whoa. Could all of them do that?

Isidore began cleaning their dinner while Donovan returned to the forest to collect more firewood for thr night. Nick wanted to offer to clean the boar but it seemed Isidore had taken care of that. In the meanwhile, the two brought news that the woods around them was owned by a deer. Presumably some sort of forest spirit that forbade the presence of Octavia. Nick could see why. There were also apparently humans to the south, beyond the mountains inhabited by 'Shadow-folk' and 'Mountain-folk'. Sounds like a lovely bunch of people.

Things were beginning to relax and there was time before the hog's parts, put on a rock as a makeshift grill, were ready to eat. Nick decided to take this time to relieve himself and leave Isidore and Augusta to make their conversation. He returned just in time to hear their plan of action.

“And our direction of travel tomorrow?”

“You mentioned non-humans. I was thinking that maybe that might be our best course of action. Mostly because I’m curious about what is out here.”

Alright, then. Looks like they were heading south. It's gonna be a long trek, Nick didn't doubt. He sat beside Isidore and took a small portion of the hog parts for his meal. "Hey man, I heard you guys ran into a deer spirit in the forest. While I can see why it doesn't like Octavia on its turf, is there anything else it told you two besides the humans beyond the mountain?"

"You know, I'm surprised it let you keep the boar. Typically, these kinds of guardian spirits don't like outsiders hunting in their domains. But this ain't Earth so what do I know?"

After his questions were answered (or not), Nick would spend the rest of the day resting for the journey tomorrow.

A fox and a Skillseeker
@Crimson Paladin

---

"Is that so, hm." The fox woman replied with a hum. She didn't sound like she entirely believed that story. "If that's true, then this place isn't going to be profitable any longer." She said with a sigh. "It was a good idea to not have everyone come all the way out here. But as for what I think," She chuckled impishly smirking and making a display of walking backwards, arms stretched out so she could face Novak. "Elder beasts don't work the same way humans do so is it really angry? I've heard this one here protects the forest here and the sky, it probably doesn't care about the humans at all. It might not even have the capacity to."

She turned forward again as they entered the building.

"But if you want a reason...maybe its not the Kyrnith. Maybe something else is riling up the animals here and its just a convenient lie given by someone." The fox soon fell silent as Novak returned the tools, electing to stay a cool distance behind him.

"Ah, thanks traveler." He replied, inspecting the tools. "Well, that just means I only have to reward you here ahah!" He chuckled heartily as he placed the tools on the counter. It seemed most of the beast had been carved by now. "Tell you what, since I'm going to have to work late tonight if I want to finish this before-" He finally glanced to Novak's companion, eyes widening in seeming surprise.

Novak's companion loudly cleared her throat, but if Novak glanced she'd be idly playing with her pipe again.

"-er, if I want to finish this before tomorrow, so I'll just go ahead and give you something for your trouble. You wanted armor from this guy right? I don't have it made yet, but here," He placed a handful of coins on the table. "Its not much but that's about as much as I can give you for now."

Should he accept the small payment, it seemed he had the rest of the evening to himself.

Send Feet Pics
@Cu Chulainn

---

As Malphas passed the coins to the seemingly destitute, they once more firmly grabbed his wrist - a grip that did not belong on someone so ragged and scrawny looking holding him in place.

"Foolish boy, your eyes and brain are better than most. Mother gave you great ones! Use them! Or I'll take them back and put them in a moose!" A hoarse cackle followed by their grip tightening, dirty fingernails digging into Malphas' skin. "You want something? I know. I always know what people want. And I know what you want, Scion of humanity." Finally, they released their grip, but something was instead placed in the palm of Malphas' hand as it was released. A single, smooth, black stone with a white engraving upon it. A long, vertical line ending in a semi-circular fashion near the top with a second above, with three more lines off shooting that one, curving around the top of the stone to the back.

"You should join the others in the temple. You might find something you're looking for, boy." Whoever they were stood, making for the exit of the building. "Keheh...just look for my image and don't be an idiot and you'll find it yes...yes..." Before he could stop them, they'd be gone. One of the hunters asked if he was alright - he had apparently been standing quite still, almost dazed looking for a few minutes after he had walked in.

Had they not seen this seemingly raggedy person? Regardless, though, it seemed as he had the rest of the evening to himself.

---

Lazhira's words made the catgirl think a bit more about what might have gone wrong with her attempt at magic. Perhaps it was imagining the sun? Was it her 'cheat' skill kicking in to affect it somehow? Was there a sun deity-...wait. Wait wait wait. Moon goddess, those comments about overstepping bounds way back to right after she died, fantasy world with magic, yeah a sun deity was a possibility. Maybe not the cause, but it was another train of thought she'd need to get back to at least. Either way, she would find herself bopped a good few times with a soup ladle before ultimately giving up and deciding that she needed to go and do some practice. It was something that she could do at least, martial arts that was, and yet as soon the catgirl thought this she felt an idea come to mind as she immediately turned to Lazhira. No time had passed at all, so she wanted to get on top of this in a heartbeat! Perhaps this could work out both ways!

"Hey, Lazhira," Leannah said, a small smile on her face, "I'd like to practice magic some more, if you're still willing to help! Don't want to...ah...cause another mess if I can learn how to. In return, I can help try to teach you something I know as well to show my thanks!"

It was an idea for a gift at least. Martial arts that was. With that beast that she'd seen dead in-town, it felt only right that learning to protect one's self could be used as a gift! Basics that were easier to remember, good to drill in, and practical in application. Nothing too fancy if she was a newbie, the operative word there being 'if' and if the other girl wanted to learn at all. But aside from Earth history knowledge that wasn't so practical, all else she had was stuff like mathematical and other general education knowledge drilled into her in her old life that might be of worth. Sure that could be used, but it wasn't the first thing that had come to her head either.

If Lazhira accepted the help her with magic, she'd spend as long as the other girl was willing to continue to practice magic and try to refine her usage of it. This would include a better attempt at making light of course, this time without the mental image of fire and a sun. If Lazhira was willing to learn martial arts, though, she'd use some of the time to also begin training her in the basics and such. A win-win either way, though Leannah hoped she'd be able to repay the kindness of this girl with her own offer. But if Lazhira didn't want to accept the catgirl's own offer, then the whole free time would be used in magic learning/training/practice in its own right before Leannah would go about some solid martial arts practice alone before going back inside and finding Narkissa and going to bed.