[IC] The Narrow Path

[Skinner35]

"Well. That means that we don't have to ask." He said, turning away, and retreating back to his spot against the wall. He was ready to get it over with. Due to the travels and events so far, he saw it best to not become emotionally open to any of the team, but to not become a problem to be around. He didn't see the point in becoming too connected to anyone. He was on a mission, and the realization of Athe's passing proved that to him.

[Gardevoiran]

You return to the spot on the wall, and a ghastly voice calls to you from the nether.

"You know, only becoming more closed just means that you're not willing to trust others, right?" The voice was the familiar voice of Aithwale, in his more sane and civil form, and sure enough, the transparent body of him was available for you to see off to the side, in the demonic fires you noted earlier. "Shame, really. Two others took death with open arms here."

[Skinner35]

"Athe? I thought that you were gone? And, don't start with that. I don't even know if these guys still trust me since you died." He said to the voice. He honestly didn't know how the team felt about him. He didn't want to make anything worse, so he saw it better to sit on the side.

[Gardevoiran]

The Narrow Path!

Chapter 3 - It's Been A While

---

"They don't trust you because you've closed yourself off from them, Skinner." Aithwale said as he stepped forward slightly, his body still being turned towards you. "As for me being dead and how that plays, again, there are two people here who are quite familiar with death." The grizzly old man raised his arm towards Westley Stride and Brock, their bodies being cloaked in an ethereal light, almost as if they were being highlighted. "If what I've been told was true, Westley died quickly after his big adventure for Yashar started, and you've already met the skeleton."

The old man then turns his hand to Jen, where she glows slightly. "On top of that, there's the Paladin over there. You've already been acquainted with her, though, so there's no need to tell her story, is there?" Aithwale lowers his arm to his side and breathes a deep breath of gusto before returning to the topic at hand. "Death is something that everyone here is familiar with, except for the goblin, though he'll be remembering everything here in a very short amount of time, if what lady Death rumored is true.

[Skinner35]

"I suppose you're right. We have a mission, and I'm letting this stand in my way. Even then, I have no idea who actually trusts me. But, moping on the side isn't helping, is it?" He said, slowly standing, and looking at everyone. "We have a job, and we need to keep going. Thanks, Athe." The last part, he said a little too loudly. He now realized that he couldn't let this stop him. He is ready to go, again.

[Gardevoiran]

"There's no need. Just make sure you take care of my little girl, eh?" Aithwale chuckled slightly as he faded away, allowing the world to return to normal once again as the wagon's entrance opened. It's time to face the world again, it seemed. Though, everything ground to a halt when Stride shouted out into the void-filled tent.

"Shite! Someone, gimme a hand! The goblin is havin' some kinda spasm!" Looking over, it was pretty clear Stride was having a hard time keeping a currently-seizing goblin down as he underwent some kind of weird phase. All along the goblin's arms were strange blue runic symbols, and his skin was starting to change from its leafy green complexion to something a bit more sinister.

[Skinner35]

As he heard Stride's cry for help, Toby leapt to his side, and looked at the symbols. "What is happening? Brock, do any of these look familiar?" He yelled out as he tried to understand what was going on.

[Gardevoiran]

"It's no magic that I'm used to seeing... hm..." Brock watched intently as the goblin seized, with them having minor fits to large flinging around of their arms. Ever so slowly, the goblin started to char to a blackened version of it's skin, the blue runic symbols on his hands slowly changing into tattoos.

Then, as quickly as everything started, it ended, as the goblin laid there, passed out completely and rather tired from the spasms. He seemed to be unconscious for the time being, then his voice rang out, but it wasn't the goblin you knew before. This one seemed... different.

"Uuurgh... what... what's goin' on here...?" The goblin asked, his voice starkly different than it was before. He no longer had the lisp, interestingly. Did something weird just happen to the goblin you once knew?

[Skinner35]

As the violent changes occurred, Toby backed up slowly. If this new Goblin were to lash out, he didn't want to be in the blast radius. "Um... Hello? Who are you?" He asked hesitantly as he prepared his arm blade, if anything goes down, he needs to be ready. He also realized that it may take him a bit to remember everything about his arm. Maybe make some upgrades...

[Gardevoiran]

"... AAAGH! HUMANS HAVE TAKEN ME HOSTAGE! OBERON! TORRENT! I NEE-GACK! Within the span of a minute, the goblin had climbed to his feet, started running around wildly like a madman, and then slammed his head into a nearby table.

Everyone but Maggie reacted with a flinch. Maggie, on the other hand, immediately rushed to the aid of the goblin. "Goodness me! We're not going to hurt you, mister demiblin!" Demiblin? That's a fancy new term you were unfamiliar with. Though, Brock definitely did speak up when he heard it. "You mean to tell us we're in front of a demonic goblin?"

Maggie nodded, taking another look at him and noticing there was a rare flower in his hair. "It's definitely a demiblin, but I don't think he's as demonic as we're led to believe." Maggie patted him on the head and began to channel a small spell in her hand, putting her hands on his head right where he hit himself. Interestingly, her hands looked quite blue.

"... y-you all aren't goin' to beat me up? T-the System said you guys would easily kill me!"

[Skinner35]

As soon as he heard the word Demon, his arm blade fully extended, but he kept it hidden behind him, and began retracting it. "Okay. Can you explain what a Demblin is? What the hell happened to Gobbo? What's the system?" He asked, he needed information. He didn't want to hurt this Demblin, but he wouldn't hesitate if it tried anything. "To hell and back if I have to hurt Gobbo..." He whispered to himself.

[Gardevoiran]

The goblin looked at you and spoke, though his body language still conveyed his timidity. "A demiblin is a goblin that had been swayed to go down a dark path through doin' some form of evil act. I-I threw a flamin' rat corpse and that was enough to get the path." The goblin tilted his head at the mention of how you didn't know who/what System was. "The System is... kind of my, uh, Mourningstar called it 'micromanagin'' thing. You guys don't have it?"

"I've heard of monsters growing stronger through experience... maybe that's how it manifests for this demiblin?" Brock said, his sword raised to block Jen and make sure she doesn't run right for the goblin and beat it into the next life. "Does it know where Gobbo is?"

"Who?"

"There's your answer," Maggie bluntly said as she looked down at the Demiblin. "Do you have a name that we could call you?"

"... D-Digbie. I'd prefer to not fight anyone, if that's okay..."

With a reluctant sigh, Jen lowers her mace.

[Skinner35]

Toby walks over and puts a hand on Jens shoulder. "Be calm. He isn't a threat... But now we've lost Gobbo..." He says as he realizes that his little Gobbo is probably gone. He then whispers to Jen, "Let's roll with Digbie for now. If he proves a threat, don't hesitate." Toby, after losing a few great friends, has realized that he needs to step up and try to actually lead, and finish this Gods forsaken mission. He then walked to Brock, "Okay. We need to move. We all need a bit of fresh air, and I don't want to risk wasting time here."

[Gardevoiran]

"This tent is a wagon." Brock said as he looked to the entrance. "I think Eve's out there guiding it. She's got the sharpest eyes of anyone in this crew, unless Digbie has better eyes." Brock thought for a moment before stepping towards the entrance himself. "I'll actually go with her. I would prefer to not see my Basilisk be burnt alive, and with how unstable her magic is, it's likely bound to happen."

As Brock walked off towards the entrance, you notice Digbie looking around the area and summoning a small ball of blue light in front of him. It seems to be shoddily constructed, as if he doesn't know exactly how it's going, but you can slowly see him start to mold its form into a more oblong oval before it shatters into sparkly blue dust. "I-I chose to be a Demiblin 'cause it gave me a good amount of magical power, honest! I'm not a bad guy at all!" Even if you're inclined to believe it, there's still something off about him...

Eh, maybe not. Maggie seems to like him, in any case. It may also be a good idea to see what he's actually capable of doing, since he'll probably be sticking around for a while, at least until you find Gobbo (if you do).

You can't help but feel your destiny has become yours once again, as the area calms back to what it once was.

[Skinner35]

"Okay..." He said as Brock walked away. Now that things are somewhat back in motion, may as well kill a little time. "Digbie, what exactly can you do? As far as magic." Toby said as he sat in front of the Demblin. He honestly isn't expecting too much as far as power, but he may be surprised. If this guy used to be Gobbo, then Gobbo has to still be in there... Right? Gobbo can't really be gone... No... No way...
Thinking of this made him a little sad, honestly...

But, while he tried to distract himself, he worried about everyone and everything. He worried the most about Jen... He knew that she was a little on edge, and has been for a while. He just hopes that she won't lose her composure. He can't lose anyone else... Not now...

[Gardevoiran]

"I, uh, gots a lot of Earth Magic. I can sense tremors and vibrations, create walls of rock, move soil with my mind, and even make large spices." Digbie said as he rose to his feet and kneeled, touching the floor in front of him as he tried to mend it. He gave it an actual effort before he realized something, a green flash appearing on his eye for a split-second. "This... isn't Earth. Material Analysis confirms that..." Yep, seemed like his magic acted a little different compared to yours.

"I uh... I got more tricks! I can create shields on people, spread healing ground, and do this!" He grabbed a small rock out of his bag (... surprisingly, it was made out of a hollowed-out, yet very large rat) and wound his arm back, preparing to throw it. As he threw it forwards, however, you can see the rock turn golden as it flies out of his hands, going much farther than something that you could even throw. In it's wake, it even left a golden trail.

"... that's... something I don't recognize, not gonna lie."

"It's called Stone Shot."

[Skinner35]

"Looks more like a Mortar shot. But still cool." He said as he watched the stone fly. "So you're like an Earth bender, right?" He then realized that Avatar: The Last Airbender doesn't exist here. Screw it.

[Gardevoiran]

"Yeah! Like an Earth Bender!" Digbie was kind of excited to say aloud to you, though you have no idea why he would know such a thing. Maybe he was someone similar to you? Regardless, Maggie was still horribly confused by what you all were calling an "Earth Bender".

"That's a funny nickname for Earthen Mage." She giggled a little bit as she looked towards the door, Brock stepping in again with Eve. With nobody outside, you can only assume that you've made a stop.

"We've stopped in a small town, only for the rest of this evening and the night. We need to let Jen's horse and Charlie rest, so if anyone needs to get any last-minute preparations, now would be that time."

Immediately, the harpy flocked to your side, hugging your arm tightly. You could feel the heat from her body just ooze onto you. It was almost overwhelming, but only just so. "Are you feelin' better?"

[Skinner35]

"Earthen Mage? That's a thing? Whoa." He always realizes that the Magic of this world just keeps getting cooler and cooler. As he heard Brocks announcement, he felt the new presence on his arm. "Oh hey, and yea, I'm feeling better." He said with a smile. Her body heat was almost intoxicating. All he needed from the town is maybe some food, and to find if he can find a possible upgrade for his arm. He knows that his arm has great potential, he just needs to get it there.

He can also say, for a fact, that things are starting to get better.

[Gardevoiran]

(Wow I thought I posted here earlier. Apologies for that and for me not sticking super well to the 3 day thing I had.)

"Good, I was getting worried about you." Eve hugged you a little longer before she remembered something. "Oh shoot, uh, there are some bad guys in town that I think are looking for you and Westley."

Stride's head raised from his table as he got up and walked over to you guys. "Wait, him and me? What'd they look like?"

"I was flying overhead, so I could only get a few details, but they were a big orc, packrat goblin, and... uh... a really big skeleton, I think? He was cloaked, but I saw his bony hands."

"Grox, Bob, and that fucker, shit. Yashar didn't spare any efforts after I went rogue." Stride rummaged through his bag as he pulled out a small box emblazoned with a small marking of the moon and a grey cloak, giving both to you. "If you're going into town, wear these. I'll try and distract the mercs looking for us in case you get into trouble."