[IC] The Narrow Path

[Skinner35]

"The family tree is a little off." He chuckled. "But she holds onto the sour. Can't say I'm much different. But, she still holds the tome. Anyways. I need to get supplies. I am leaving at dawns break to head to town." He says, relaxing. "It's honestly been too long since I've been able to sit like this."

[Gardevoiran]

"I talked with Abigail while you were asleep. We have food and shit that we can take for the journey ahead," Brock calmly says before stopping, as a knock was heard on the door. You hear a low roar from the other room before Brock pulls out his sword, looking over in the other room to calm what just roared. "Charlie, shh. Toby, get the door. If things go awry, I'll get your back."

[Skinner35]

"On it." He said softy as he pulled his pistol and kept it begind him as he approached the door. He then positioned the pistol against the door, pointed outward. He opened the door. "Hello."

[Gardevoiran]

You see Nigel's smarmy face there, but it's definitely been more alive.

"'How's it goin', Toby? You're gonna die now!' said Nigel if he was actually alive."

Holding up the head of Nigel by the hair stood Yashar's hitman, Westley Stride, with a smarmy look on his face.

"I came to talk, mate. And I brought you the gift of my failure to hire a proper hitman."

[Skinner35]

"If we're going to talk, you are not going to move a damned muscle." he said, immediatlely extending his blade. "You also stole my kill, asshole."

[Gardevoiran]

"Fair," Stride says as he stands there, putting his hands in his pockets as you can see the stitches of a scar along his neck.

"Listen mate. I don't like you, you don't like me, but I was recently fired by my employer because I couldn't hold up my end of the bargain. Instead, he hired a hitman to replace me. Now, I might've stolen your kill, but I can guarantee that the news of my unemployment doesn't spread as quick as the blood of Nigel. You have my word on that."

Stride smirks before you see his pupiless eyes and his dark scowl. "Ever heard that expression 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend'? Just know that Yashar fired me and became my enemy. Y'followin' along well so far?"

[Skinner35]

"As long as you pull your weight and don't cause trouble, you're good." He said, realizing that he needed the help. "Anyways, suns coming up and I need to head to town. You're coming with me."

[Gardevoiran]

"Fair shit. Go get your bird, as well. She's fun to hang around, or so I've been told by my replacement before he met my patron deity." Stride kicks by the door, waiting for you as he stares over at the rising sun.

[Skinner35]

"She's asleep. I won't wake her. She needs the rest." He says while he grabs his backsack, then walks out of the door. "Do you still have connections with Yashars people?"

[Gardevoiran]

"Very few that I actually trust. Y'remember that orc y'killed near Magdalene's house. He was my second-in-command enforcer, right behind the skeleton I've called 'Loud'. Otherwise y'have Bob the suicidal Goblin, the grunt I called 'Wizliz', and this... new thing that I met, said his name was 'N' or somethin'." Stride walks beside you before a small saucer flies up to his side, his hand petting the beast before he talks again. "Oh, and meet Flyboy. He's m'pet."

[Skinner35]

"Well then. What ever information I can get on Yashars men is valuable." He says, seeing the saucer. "Flyboy? Could be helpful." As they enter the towns market place, he looks around for an arms dealer.

[Gardevoiran]

"Hm... oh damn, is that... OI! GRODLAR!"

You see a stout, but broad dwarf, setting up his market stall before he looks up at you and Stride. "Westley? I thought you had died years ago, chap!"

"I did, but that's besides the point, mate. Mind helpin' out my friend here with some good armaments?" Stride pulls you over and shows Grodlar your arm, carefully dislodging it from the socket before Grodlar stares at it, stroking his mighty beard.

"How'd he lose the arm? Very important for me to know, chaps."

[Skinner35]

"How'd I lose my arm? You should know, you just took it." He said, wiggling the empty socket. "I didn't even know that that was possible." He said in slight amazement. "Well, it was blown off my a shotgun, if you know what that is."

[Gardevoiran]

"Aye. Shotguns do a lot of damage. 'seen plenty o' men taken down from a point blank blast..." Grodlar takes the thing before he turns it off completely, placing on his workbench and turning back to you. "I'll return this to you shortly. The day is still young, my friends, and they don't call me the Iron Fist for nothin'! Bahaha!" You notice Grodlar's own metal arm as he chortles, beginning to work on the arm while you and Stride walk off to find other things.

"That's Grodlar the Iron Fist, the man who once wrestled a giant n'won. He's my main supplier of illegal goods outside of Yashar, and honestly, I trust him more than the smarmy fuck of Yashar. Pretty soon, yer arm'll be shootin' more than just fireballs."

[Skinner35]

"Well okay then. I totally consent." He says as he turn around. "In the meantime, we need to gather basic supplies. Bandages, scrap, and other things." He says while looking at Westley. "Also, you can pick up whatever you need. If we're working together, then I need to trust you."

[Gardevoiran]

"What can ev'ryone in yer' squad do, exactly? If we get a grasp on that, we can use it t'get appropriate things." Stride immediately asks a question before he fidgets with his head, spinning 360 degrees around before it's secured tightly.

[Skinner35]

"Well, we have Jen. She is a formidable melee fighter, as well as a blacksmith. She has some mage like properties. Then we have Gobbo, not the smartest, or strongest, but a healer in training. There's Maggie, a skilled mage. Maggie's father, Aithwale, a werebear, slightly unstable, but our strongest member. Then there's Eve, a Phoenix, extremely skilled with fire spells and skills, mentally unstable. Finally, there's Brock. A skeletal mage and swordsman, as well as a professional necromancer." He says, looking for a shop.

[Gardevoiran]

"I know faintly about Brock and Magdalene, but the rest of yer' friends I have no association with," Stride says as he walks, pulling out a spell tome and studying it closely. "Blasted tomes. I have to rely on 'em since m'own magical ability was taken away from me. That's what happens if y'aren't prepared to meet Death, though, and she doesn't exactly like you either."

[Skinner35]

"Yeah. No one enjoys meeting that one. Jen is keeping the tome of Necromancy guarded from me." He says, walking towards a general store.

[Gardevoiran]

"Pro'lly for the best. I was the only man ever successful in returning to Yashar after seeing the book's pages with m'own eyes. I said I had to get rid o' the cursed thing before the Order caught me snoopin' around the crypt you found it in."

The General Store is freshly opened, and the store owner stands behind the counter, ready to sell you what you need for your journey.

While browsing, Stride looks over at you. "Yer' tone changed when y'said Eve's name. Is somethin'... goin' on between y'two?"