On the way deeper into the campsite, Flicker kept glancing behind themself back towards the fight, a grimace slowly creeping over their face. The weird feeling that fire had given them, the fact the attackers were speaking Primordial, and the strange mutilations they had all was making Flicker feel more on edge than normal. It was only when they were far enough from the fight that the exhaustion finally hit them.

"Well, that happened," Flicker said, fighting back the urge to yawn as they returned their attention back to their companions. It was only then that the fire genasi realised that three of their group had already ran off and were currently near some stall, downing some kind of suspicious potion without a second thought. Flicker mumbled some elvish curse under their breath before reluctantly following after them. "Do you three have a death wish or something?" they hissed once they were close enough. "You don't just drink something that some random merchant is selling you. Especially..." They waved towards the sign. "Not from one who's spelling is that terrible."

Rala was still on edge when Cascade came to her with a gift, and she was now reeling from the guilt of responding with a dagger threateningly shoved at the bubbly genasi who had managed to catch the older woman off guard.
"It's...marvelous. Thank you, this is well worth the cost" She said between panting breaths.
As the group moved closer to the camp, Rala was beginning to wish she still had a drink left. The strange words those bizarre mangled brigands had shouted left Rala wondering if this was related to that wicked old woman they had dealt with only a few days prior. All these questions she had where getting to her, and with no answers in sight, she could only wish to drown her thoughts in liqour and hope that a warm belly full of mead and a tipsy head would help her sleep. She was far too anxious to let her guard down as she was now.

Rala had been studying her new sheath as they walked, lost in thought about the battle that had just taken place and what it might mean for Cascade's home and covering her distress with the facade of admiring the admittedly elegant craftsmanship. A thought occurred to her as the traveled, she had heard Jormund reply to one of the brigands in their tongue. And the others seemed to be aware of what was being said. Perhaps they had some insight she did not. Looking up for the first time in a while, she realized that she had wandered past the group. Rala turned around to see a familiar sight. Flicker was currently raving at the crew for another foolhardy decision. Seeing the stand, Rala walked up, assuming drinks where being offered, exactly what she needed. When she saw the goblins, however, the older woman recoiled, her face crinkled into a look of disgust. She had dealt with goblins before, in the sewers of her city. To say the least, her memories of them were far from pleasant.
"You've got to be the stupidest or bravest group of adventurers I've met if you're willing to drink anything made by a goblin" She said in a hushed tone to try to keep the goblins from overhearing her. Her thinly vieled anger showing in her fiery eyes.
"If you get sick, you'd better have some of that cleric magic left to cure yourself" She growled again.

@Guardian Angel Haruki
When Cascade drank her bottle of Zing, the taste was electrifying. A few moments after finishing the concoction, Cascade felt compelled to throw her head back and open her mouth wide, allowing three bolts of lightning to leap clear of her throat and soar off into the clouds. Thirty seconds later, Cascade began to feel like she had just gotten a full night's rest. Just as the sign had promised.

@Lurking Krog
When Jørmund drank his bottle of Zing, the taste was something he could only describe as hatred given liquid form. Shortly after Cascade's light show, Jørmund noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. Turning to look at this movement would reveal a spectral figure of someone very familiar to Jørmund. Haraldr Flat Nose stood ten feet away from Jørmund. His ethereal visage glaring at the earth genasi silently yet murderously. Despite his seemingly noticeable appearance and the fact that he made no effort to hide, Haraldr seemed to go completely unnoticed by anyone other than Jørmund. Thirty seconds later, Jørmund began to feel like he had just gotten a full night's rest. Just as the sign had promised.

@LostDestiny
When Aura drank her bottle of Zing, she couldn't quite find the words to describe the taste of the brew. And while she was somehow 100% certain that something had happened after drinking the potion, there was no way Aura or anyone else could tell what the effect was. Thirty seconds later, Aura began to feel like she had just gotten a full night's rest. Just as the sign had promised.

@XxFellsingxX @Birdboy
"Oh fuck off!" One of the goblins barked out in response to Flicker's words. "You know how hard common writing?! Almost hard as guessing if you man-thing or woman-thing!" The goblin then rounded on Rala. "And why bad if goblin make Zing?! Mixer good mixer! You think you do better than Mixer?! HA! Mixer like see you try! Mixer laugh when you mess up!"

The simic hybrid, her attention having been caught by the fuss Mixer was kicking up, turned toward the potion table and called out. "Mixer! Calm down!" The hybrid ordered. "And whoever riled her up to begin with, stop it! We have enough to deal with as is! We don't need anyone causing more problems right now!"

As the hybrid turned back to what she was doing, Mixer returned to her own work while muttering to herself in goblin.

The glow of Flicker's hair and eyes tinged red again when the goblin shouted at them, and they felt the strong urge to shout back. However, the simic hybrid's comment about how they had enough to deal with without infighting, as well as remembering their own struggles when they had first been learning Primordial, Flicker realised that, yeah, maybe that had been a pretty insensitive thing to say. Taking a deep breath, they raised their hands in front of themself. "Alright, alright, I'm sorry," they said to the goblin. "That was a shitty thing for me to say." They were about to say something else when Cascade suddenly burped out three bolts of lightning. "Err..." Their eyes darted between Cascade and the goblin. "Is, err, that supposed to happen?"

Cascade practically chugged her potion, but coughed at the electrifying taste. She started speaking, "Woah-! That-Wha-?!"

She didn't finished as she let out an electrified scream, threw her head back and the lightning bolts fired out of her mouth and into the sky.

When it was over, Cascade stood there with wide eyes, and her body trembled as though the electricity was still coursing through her body. Then she felt energized and she could use the blessings of Deep Sashelas once again!

She then speaks to the goblins and the others, "Wow! You guys weren't kidding when you called it a Zing! That was...Zing-y! Very Zing-y!"

Aura frowned after drinking her potion. Sure, she felt re-invigorated, but she was upset nothing seemed to happen to her after drinking it. Cascade got to shoot lightning out of her mouth. Though she felt a little better looking at Jormund who also seemed to not have experienced anything, though she could be wrong.

"Might as well give it a shot. I feel like I had a fantastic full sleep. Even though no cool random thing happened." She muttered the last bit to herself though she was sure it was still loud enough for the group to hear. She stroked Hawk's chest feathers as a way to make herself feel better. After a moment of stroking the bird she tunred to the group. "Should I send Hawk to see if he can get a good look at the numbers of the enemy?" This was directed at her party members. "Would you be up for that buddy? Might be dangerous, I might have to summon you back afterward." This was directed at the bird who was now perched on her extended arm rather than her shoulder where he normally sat. The bird cocked it's head at her and a moment later she nodded as if the two were having a conversation. This would be nothing new to the original party members, who would know that due to some of her pact abilities her and the bird could communicate with one another telepathically. However it might be a little weird for Cascade and anyone else around who was not used to this as she had clearly not cast a spell to communicate with the bird.

Cascade looks at the bird again as Aura just...casually talks to it. She looks to Aura, and the rest of the party each, with a clearly baffled look on her face. Not only was she baffled, but it was clear that she was thinking over this strange phenomenon.

If her mind was a hamster running in its wheel, the hamster was clearly running as fast as its stubby little legs could carry it in that wheel.

Once it seemed like Aura was done talking with the bird, she asked Aura, "Uhhh, Aura? Which God did you say you worshipped again?"

After downing the drink Jørmund nearly started to turn to Flicker and Rala to give his reason before the visage of Haraldr appeared ten feet behind them. Immediately the cleric starts to growl angrily in terran at the visage. "You dare show your face to me again you coward. Begone before I take more than your nose from you Haraldr!" Before he could step forward to confront what he thought was Halander, Cascade coughed up three bolts of lighting slightly startling Jørmund. He then felt the drunken stupor and exhaustion from battle leave his body. Looking at where Haraldr had appeared he could see more clearly that it was not physically the man who he had defended his home from. It was just an ethereal visage of him. Still unsettled by the appearance of his rival the earth genasi turned to his companions.

"Sorry about that. This "Zing" has a curious side effect. Probably not the best thing to mix with alcohol. I will say the benefits are nothing if correctly stated. Rala do you still have that platinum ring? I can use that spell again when we engage the enemy. Just need you to stay close however. If you get to far away it will have no effect. If you don't want it I would like to have the ring back in case someone else needs the protection." He looked towards the others. "I can also enhance a weapon or someone's armor. It will last as long as long as I live or until I sleep again."

Aura raised an eyebrow at Cascade and her question. "I never said, I don't think, though it is possible I said something to mess with you." She took a moment to think before shrugging. "I actually don't worship any of the Deities. Though I suppose if I were to worship one it would likely be one of the more tricky or mischeivious ones." The air genasi took a moment to think before focusing back on Cascade. "Why do you ask?" Aura finally asked raising an eyebrow at the water genasi.

Her attention breifly shifted to Jormund as he speaks angrily to something only he could see, presumibly an old enemy. He seemed to snap himself out of it shortly after so Aura looked back toward Cascade to awaite her answer. It seemed odd to suddenly ask who one worshipped but then again Cascade seemed...odd, in generally, not that Aura could say much.

With every word Aura spoke in her answer, everything seemed to make sense to Cascade. Pieces of a puzzle were connecting in Cascade's mind, anyone could see that on her face. Her gaze was focused on Hawk as Aura asked. She didn't even seem to notice that Jormund had gotten angry at thin air.

"I...get the sense you'll figure that out. At some point..." Cascade answered Aura. It was clear to Cascade that the God in Hawk form didn't want to reveal himself to the party yet.

She then speaks to Aura again, "This might sound obvious, but it still needs to be said: I am grateful to your...friend for their aid during battle earlier. However, if they want you to do anything you're not comfortable with, don't do it!"

It wouldn't do to insult a god. Nope! No insulting here!
But still...the fact that she didn't know which trickster god this hawk was made Cascade cautious.

She then looks to Aura and she holds up a hand, as though to block her words from Hawk, and she whispers conspicuously, "If you need help, stomp your foot three times!"

The tone could be attributed to "Are you being held hostage and coerced?"

Flicker looked alarmed when Jørmund started shouting, and glanced over their shoulder just to make sure this Haraldr wasn't standing right behind them. Nope, all clear. They looked back at Jørmund. "Ooookay, that's enough potion for you," they said, placing a hand on the earth genasi's shoulder. If they had any thoughts about trying the Zing themself, those were now well and truly squashed. Shooting out lightning bolts was concerning enough, but Flicker certainly did not want to have hallucinations of people they'd fought in the past. They glanced at the goblin. "Do you have a list of side-effects on that bottle? If you don't, you probably might want to look into that." They raised their free hand defensively, in case the goblin started shouting again. "I'm not meaning to offend, just... think it would be a good idea. For your business."

"Is, err, that supposed to happen?" Flicker asked as the potion's side-effects began to kick in.

"Of course that supposed to happen." Mixer confirmed with a dismissive wave of her hand, not bothering to look up from her work. "How else you know magic working?"

"Wow! You guys weren't kidding when you called it a Zing! That was...Zing-y! Very Zing-y!" Cascade commented once she was done screaming lightning into the sky.

This time, Mixer did look up from her work. "Oh thank you!" Mixer said happily. "Always nice know someone appreciates goblin work." The other two goblins working nearby were quick to voice their agreement with Mixer's statement as well.

"Should I send Hawk to see if he can get a good look at the numbers of the enemy?" Aura asked the party before turning to look at Hawk. "Would you be up for that buddy? Might be dangerous, I might have to summon you back afterward."

Hark cocked his head at her while telepathically communicating his confusion as to why he would ask if he'd be up for something dangerous. Of course he'd be up for something dangerous! Hawk was always up for something dangerous! Hawk and Aura then spent the next few moments going over the specifics of what Hawk was to keep an eye out for, only stopping when Cascade walked over and asked her questions about Hawk, eventually asking Aura to stomp her foot thrice if she needed help. Hawk was unsure of what Cascade had just said due to her whispering and covering her mouth. So he looked back at Aura in the hope that she had answers.

Meanwhile, Jørmund's reaction to his dose of Zing got Flicker questioning again. "Do you have a list of side-effects on that bottle? If you don't, you probably might want to look into that." Flicker said with his hands raised in a placating gesture. "I'm not meaning to offend, just... think it would be a good idea. For your business."

"Tried once. Failed." Mixer explained. "Too many magic things to count. List paper too small. Magic things not bad bad though... Usually... Just don't drink Zing bottle instead of sleeping more than three times and you be fine."

Aura looked at Cascade like she was crazy for half a second before shaking her head and letting out a nervous chuckle. "Um, Hawk has never asked me to do anything I am uncomfortable with, Hawk and I respect one another, which is why, even though I know he is usually for doing dnagerous stuff, I still ask him before and just send him out. Not that he dies, he just gets temporarily removed from this plain of existance but still, I am sure being shot or kicked or stabbed even for him doesn't feel too nice." She looked from the bird to Cascade and back again.

It took a couple moments before she decided that trying to figure out what the water genasi was infering wasn't worth the time or the brain power before shaking her head again and letting out a more genuine laugh. "And no I don't need help, neither of us are being held hostage by the other. If Hawk no longer wished to hang around he would simply either not come when summoned, or not listen when I asked him to do things. And If I no longer wanted Hawk around I simply wouldn't summon him. We have a mutually benificial relationship. Hawk gets to join in on all the adventuring fun and provides me with quite a few benefits in return."

She patted Cascade's shoulder with her free hand. "We appreciate your concern, but both of us are okay with our current relationship."

Aura smiled at the female and turned to the rest of the group, specifically Flicker and Rala who had seemed to opt out of the drinking of Zing. "Are you two sure you don't want to down a potion really quick, the effects are temporary, you might get lucky and have nothing happen like me. I think it would be good to have you both at the top of your game. Tired people make mistakes." This was one of the few times Aura's facial expression changed to serious rather than her normal jovial looks. These people were her freinds, her family even, even if they didn't see her in the same light. She was not about to charge into a fight without being absolutly sure everyone was prepared.

Cascade listened to Aura as she spoke about her relationship and how things are with her and the Hawk. After Aura finished, with a hand on her shoulder, Cascade answered pensively at first, "Is that so...?"

She then gave a smile and she directs her words to Hawk, "Well then, in that case...you're okay in my book!"

She then turned her attention to her other friends and she supported Aura's words, "If it's the lightning thing that's causing concern...I'll admit that it was surprising, but it didn't hurt me or anyone else,"

"I... see," was all Flicker could say in response to Mixer's dismissal. They decided not to push the point and risk upsetting the goblin more. If she was fine possibly getting into legal trouble - or worse - with disgruntled customers, well, that was her choice.

At Aura and Cascade's insistence that they try the potion, Flicker made a face. "It's not the lightning I'm worried about," they said. They nodded towards Jørmund. "I don't exactly want to have hallucinations of past enemies or people I've... harmed in the past." They lowered their voice slightly. "I think about that stuff enough without having hallucinations about it." They gave an awkward cough. While that mentioned their previous problems with their temper and powers to Aura, Jørmund and Rala, it still wasn't something they enjoyed talking about. Plus, with Cascade still being new to the group, this wasn't exactly how Flicker wanted to broach the subject. They quickly changed the subject. "Besides, you heard the goblin," they said, motioning to Mixer. "Apparently the side-effects are numerous, and I'm not a fan of leaving things to those kind of chances. Too many things could go wrong."

Rala grumbled to herself as the goblins started to call her out for her admittedly rude behavior. Luckily, the Simic was quick to separate the fight before it escalated. Rala had been stopped just as her hand instinctual rest on the grip of her blade. Goblins could be vile things, but these ones where harmless enough. Best not to add to her crimes. Still, Rala felt no less averse to the free potion. As her friends foolishly downed the drinks her scornful words turned to regret. Quickly she scanned the crowd, looking to see how others fared. The effects varied, but no one was dead, at least not yet. Her friends seemed to fair the same.

Aura once again offered up the drink to Rala, who was now feeling nauseous at the thought. She doubted they washed their hands, let alone the bottles. Not to mention the risks run by downing a strange potion offered by strange men. Flicker was quick to interject, and she was glad to know she wasn't alone in her defiant stance with further reasoning that only fueled her disdain for the concoction.
"I'll be fine. Not a scratch on me and I think Flicker put it much nicer than I would" She said as her cold stare briefly turned its ire to the goblins.

Aura sighed when Rala and Flicker both refused the potions. "Suit yourselves I suppose." It was not an unexpected result but it still worried Aura. They might need any edge they could get but she couldn't force them to take one. Speaking of any edge they could get, knowing the enemies numbers would be helpful, and maybe even the location of there leader.

"Ready to go check some stuff out for me?" Aura asked Hawk. The bird nodded and she sent him into the air in the direction of the enemy. 'Let me know if when you get out there and I will start looking through your senses.' She mentally communicated to the bird has he flew off into the night sky.

---

Hawk's Stealth Roll (dirty 20)
Hawk's perception Roll (22) Hawk does not have darkvision however he has advantage on perception that rely on sight so flat roll.

Voice of the Chainmaster allows Aura and Hawk to communicate telepathically with eachother as well as Aura being able to preceive through his scenses so long as they are on the same plain of existence, so there is no distance limit.

Hawk's instructions are to find the enemy and perceive as many as he can. Also to let Aura know if he finds someone he thinks might be the leader.

When Flicker gave his reasoning, and brought up the fact that something is plaguing him and he doesn't want it to manifest as a hallucination...well, nobody needed to be able to read a poker face to see that Cascade was both concerned and saddened for Flicker.

She bites the bottom of her lip, as she uses all of her mental fortitude to keep herself from giving Flicker a hug. They're probably not a hugger...

She did take the cue from the awkward cough, that that wasn't the focus right now. She nods to Rala and Flicker and she answers them after Aura, "We'll watch your backs then,"

She watches as the Hawk takes flight and while they wait, Cascade realizes that there is something she could do right now...

She lifts up the Holy Symbol of Deep Sashelas and she offers a prayer with her eyes closed,

"Deep Sashelas, I offer this prayer to you. Allow me to see through the murky waters and ascertain any friends or dangers that may be close by..."

She then opens her eyes to show that they are radiating light and she proceeds to look around.

It didn't take long after opening her awareness for Cascade to pick something up. The scent of fire and brimstone drew the paladin's attention to a tent roof about 30 feet away. After staring at the tent roof for a moment, Cascade would notice a small indent in the fabric that suggested something should be sitting there, yet nothing was. After a few more moments of staring, the faint sound of flapping wings met Cascade's ears, the indent vanished, and the fiendish presence moved swiftly and suddenly upwards until it ascended past the 60 feet mark and vanished from her senses.

---

Shortly after Cascade's experience, Aura began receiving information from Hawk. Whoever was leading the attack had brought a small army. The shield wall was holding for now, but it was only a matter of time before the press of bodies became too much.

With the attackers so focused on the battle in front of them, it was a simple task to fly right over their heads all the way to where Hawk could get a perfect vantage point on the leaders of the attack. The two of them were arguing with each other in their respective languages. The one who spoke terran looked to be a statue of a male drow that had been brought to life by magic. Meanwhile, the one who spoke ignan looked like a burning bipedal newt.

"You would let their insults stand, Ervdul?!" The newt questioned demandingly.

"I would not allow them to rob us of our sense, Yoseph!" The statue shot back. "If we fall, our masters' forces will have nothing to drive them forward! And with nothing to drive them forward, the battle will be lost!"

"And because of that you would let those who mock us go unpunished?!" Yoseph pressed.

"I would focus on winning the battle." Ervdul answered. "Then I would seek retribution for the insults. The will of our masters come first and foremost. And their will is that we take this campsite. Besides, I marked the worst offender for death, did I not? The Northman's head will be on a spike within the hour and neither of us will have needed to lift a finger to put it there."

Yoseph and Ervdul continued on arguing as Hawk flew past them and spied on the rest of the attacking forces, learning many interesting things that would give the highwaymen a comfortable advantage should they be informed of these things.

---

Once Hawk has scoped out all he can and reports that he is on his way back, you all hear the leader of the highwaymen call out to everyone in the area. "If you can't fight, take shelter in the camp's western reaches. If you can swing a sword, loose an arrow, or cast a spell, gather around me! The time to begin our counter attack is at hand!"

Aura took in all the Hawk had managed to see, having the bird seemed to have come in handy once again. While she peered through the bird's senses she verbally informed the group of what could be seen. As well as the argument the two were having. "Seems you struck a cord Jormund." Aura couldn't help but chuckle a bit at that, though she did not look in the genasi's direction, being blind to all around her. "For once it's not me pissing people off." She couldn't help but add. Then, Hawk started his flight back, and Aura once again gained her own sences.

"Just in time to be called to battle once again." Aura said looking into the sky to see if she could spot her bird, knowing he was likely still too far. She started walking in the direction of the leader, approaching him driectly. "Before we call this meeting officially I have a bit of information that might be useful to how we decide to attack. Managed to scout out a good bit of the enemy with the help of my familiar. If you would like to hear it beforehand if not I can wait." She waited to see if the leader of the Highway men cared to get the information from her. She was not about to simply blurt it out if the leader had no interest. Her group could always take advantage of the information themselevs if she wasn't heard out.