[IC] Defiance

[Polaris North]

Interacting with: Jack, Fauve
Mentions: @Valkon @Candy

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So, Fran and Jack. Just like him, they gave no family name - or perhaps they didn't have any? Perhaps they shed it off them as they started their own journeys in life? Gabriel knew people like that, and they were certainly interesting as they were driven. He was about to say something when someone bumped into him - well, more like it felt like the person ran into him full force as they both fell down. "Ah..." Gabriel was pretty much shocked, not hurt, but simply shocked.

"Hey, are you-" Gabriel looked towards the person who bumped into him whose books were all over the place. But when he looked up, the person was already scurrying away with his arms filled with the books that had fallen. "-alright? Okay, they're gone." He finished his sentence as he watched the person run away from them. The male stood up and dusted himself off. The person seemed really nervous about what had happened, though he did guess that slamming into someone would be a correct reason for embarrassment. Still, the guy didn't even say 'sorry' about it all. Perhaps that was what really irritated Gabriel, but he wasn't sure as his attention was taken by Jack as he brought up a paper.

There was a town with a cross on it and the forest near it with a circle. "Isn't the town Nadska and the forest outside is the one encircled?" He asked, as if to make sure, and pointed at the symbols as he spoke. Leaning back and placed both his hands inside his pockets, he began to think. Now what did that mean? The only possible answers did spell dark things about what would happen. He began humming as he continued to think before finally sharing what was on his mind. "There's a lot of possible answers. It might be that they're already done looting this place so that's why there's an 'X', but it might also mean that this place would be their target and they would be coming from the forest. Or maybe there's treasure here." He then gave him a small shrug. "I really don't know."

From a distance, it was like he could hear two roars. This did cause Gabriel to look around to attempt to search for the sources of the sound, but it yielded nothing. Considering how early into the morning it was and the dark area around him, it was understandable he wouldn't be able to see too far. The lights coming from the houses had been extinguished as well, but he wouldn't doubt someone would wake up thanks to that. Now that he thought about it, he should have already gone to sleep. Shame, that tavern was the only place he could sleep at but now he couldn't go back because the owner was dead and there was what amounted to a crime scene upstairs as well.

He then turned back to the two. "Think we should follow the guy?" He gestured towards where the stranger had disappeared to.

[Candy]

....

Fauve had to laugh when the runner ran right into Gabriel, nothing like a moronic incident to get a giggle out of her. Cheap thrills, that’s about the sum of her life. The incident did ring true from one perspective though, this running bookworm had some important matter going on to be in such a hurry, especially at this time of night. Honestly, she didn’t give two damns about what important matters the guy had going on, but since Fauve, as usual, had little better to do, she leaned in against Jack to view the map.

The map wasn’t really anything special, and resembled one made by those dumbass pirate types who were stupid enough to mark off the location of their treasure on a piece of parchment. Nothing like being so blatantly dumb that you need to make a drawing to remember where you hid your wealth. That of course didn’t mean this was a treasure map of any kind, especially since crossing off an entire town and circling a nearby forest didn’t exactly mark a specific spot, but it did amuse Fauve’s mind just a little to entertain the thought of it for a passing minute.

“You are right about one thing, Gabe,” She said, taking her weight off Jack and looking in direction the runner had gone, “this map could mean anything, and it’s because of that I’m not too overly keen on traipsing after the guy. Hell, he might have just been running because he’s late getting to bed with a whore for the night, and the map could be no more than his recently expired travel plans. Nadska’s been done and done, so to speak.”

She reached up and plucked a small twig from the tree, stuck one end in her mouth to chew it while mulling the situation over a tad more. She looked up the road. She looked down the road. She looked back at the tavern. She spat the twig from her mouth.

“You know what?’ She said, gave her crotch another hefty scratch. “I don’t really give a shit either way, but I haven’t got nothing better to do either. That’s my life in a nutshell, to be perfectly honest, so I’m up for a little mosey around if you two are. Might even turn out to be a bit of fun.”

She chugs back a few swallows of wine and tosses the empty bottle aside.

....

[Seraphin]

@Hokum
A tinge of dread shot through Ren upon catching sight of the bumbling thief who managed to bump into another person before vanishing into the shadows of the village outskirts. Anything that went out of Nadska's routine almost always spelled disaster for more than just one reason. There was something sacred with the daily rote of everyone's task in the village: the bakers heated their ovens at five in the morning; the guards changed their shifts at six; and the monks chanted their Reshud at seven. This synchrony of activities meant that everything was going fine, that nothing was wrong. Thus, once something is out of place, like random theft at dawn, meant that everything else in the town was going to follow (like the murder committed in the tavern, for one). With the guards too busy investigating the tavern, no one was there to catch the thief, and it was only a matter of time before this things escalated.

However, all of these doubts somewhat melted when the woman beside him held his arm and met his gaze with hers. At that moment, Ren wondered how can pale lavenders be so comforting when there were so many questions dangling in the air with regard to the future of his village. When the jolt of purple electricity ran through the nerves of his skin, Ren's eyes widened as his mouth opened in a look of pleasant of surprise. The tiny violent fork mesmerized the musician who began to laugh in a voiceless fascination before looking at the woman again.

She had already begun talking about the town hall, and Ren only nodded in agreement. The town hall stored a lot of information with regard to the village's status. If anything, they might contain records of any sightings in the area. But, Ren gulped in doubt when he realized that Devlin had the social communication skill of a babe. Her choice of words were not exactly friendly or... normal, should he dare place it. She also had that righteous temper she needed to keep track of. Diplomacy was important in the field of politics, and, perhaps, he can help her out in that area should she decide on it. After all, he certainly did not want her reducing another person to an ashen heap with those purple electric surges of hers.

But, that can be topic for another day (or, a few hours later).

He placed a reassuring hand on top of hers which gripped his forearm. He then began to weave a series of signs which expressed the message of 'you can always expect my help; and this church will be your home as well'. A heavy silence already curtained the temple which served as the sign that the monks of Heren already slumbered on after an exhaustive night of prayers.

When Devlin expressed her intention to rest as well, Ren lit up as he began to lead her down the stairs where they could retire to his quarters for some well-earned rest. But, the dreary quiet made the surroundings of the village all the more clearer. The winds carried with them an ominous sound, almost like a cacophony of roars reverberating in the forest opposite of Nadska. Another breach of routine. Ren's neck snapped in the seeming direction of the noise like a prey sensing a predator. His gaze hardened as it swept over the blanket of darkness shrouding the woodlands, and his teeth bit at his bottom lip in worry.

He opted to turn his sights on Devlin before giving her a worried smile. He began to create his signs again.

'Did you hear that, too? I heard a roar.'

The musician turned his sights up to the night sky slowly being pierced with dawn's light. The red streaks of the sun forking out in wispy streams as it illuminated the shadows. He breathed in a fresh scent of air as if relishing the last few sights and scents of normalcy before everything goes into madness. He really wished that he was wrong, but with the trend of things, the world just wanted to keep proving him wrong.

'That is not what you are looking for, right?' Ren signed.

After a moment, Ren shook his head before offering a weak grin. He raised his hands again.

'My apologies-- burdening you with such thoughts when we should be resting, right?'

[Jensoman]

Corc began to step out of the forest, hoping to be able to spend the night in a tavern. More loud thumps could be heard throughout the forest from behind, causing the orc to stop immediately. He turned around to see what it was, but he was unable too. A load roar suddenly echoed throughout the forest, making Corc raise his guard. The darkness of the night made it difficult for him to see what was coming, and whatever it was had chosen to take caution in it's approach. The orc seemed confuzzled for a moment. "Corc no longer roaring and stomping...IS CORC HAVING DEJA VU?!" He muttered to himself.

That's when Foeldar appeared from the darkness of the night, his arms raised. The orc rose his arms immediately in response, catching Foeldar's arms firmly right before they smashed into his head. Despite catching it, the orc began to slide back further and further from the sheer force of Foeldar's strike. Corc seemed surprised and seemed to be having some trouble. "Urk...!" He'd fought many enemies in the past, but only very few had enough physical strength to push him back. The orc dug his feet slightly into the dirt, taking a more sturdy stance. He stopped sliding backwards. He began to use the strength of his own arms to try to push both his and Foeldar's arms towards their side. Corc frowned. "Why do trees keep attacking Corc?...Corc did nothing wrong!" He blurted out in response.

Both Corc and Foeldar's physical strength seemed on par with one another, causing it to essentially turn out into a power struggle between the two monstrosities. Corc had no intention of losing! He'd show this new tree opponent what for, too! "Corc will SMASH..." He huffed angrily, but then another roar emerged. But this time, it did not come from Corc or Foeldar's mouths, but from below. "CORC HUNGRY..." He muttered in a sad tone, as his stomach continued to growl. Corc had been travelling for several hours without eating.

[ArkmageddonCat]

A low growl emanated from Foeldar's throat as Corc caught both of his mighty arms in it's hands. Foeldar pressed down with all of his might, but to no avail, as the orc had found its footing. Weakling. The growl became a low roar, building with his frustration at the orc's refusal to die. A rumble from below, and the orc kept yelling. The colossus took a deep breath and forced himself down upon the resilient creature with all the strength he could spare. Make it squeal. Foeldar's mouth shot wide open and released a raspy howl. A thick, cyan cloud poured out from within, the hallucinogenic spores quickly infiltrating Corc's lungs with every breath. It would only take a few spores, a few seconds to take hold.

The low roar slowly began to shift into a devilish chuckle as Foeldar retrieved his arms from the hands of his foe and delivered a swift but shallow kick to push the orc away, backing off slowly and watching intently for signs that the spores had fulfilled their purpose. Lily watched as the once gentle giant donned the face of an expectant murderer, standing emotionless by a distant tree. You're having too much fun. Foeldar's eyes drifted to her, attracted to the light glinting from her eyes. She was never there. He turned his head slowly back to Corc, expecting to see the orc struggling to comprehend the hallucinations that should've already begun. Foeldar had been holding back for as long as he could remember, but now he found an enemy worthy of his full might. Tonight was a night for fun. And he would have his fill.

[Jensoman]

Corc coughed for a moment as Foeldar's cyan cloud entered his throat, but lowered his body low enough for his chest area to take the brunt of the kick, sliding back slightly. It did not hurt him much. "Tree man tough, but not Corc tough! C..Corc..." He mumbled, as the hallucinations began to take hold. He suddenly relived some of his past memories. But all of it seemed incredibly real. He saw several kids appear out of nothing near him, and begin to throw rocks at him. "Boo! Dumb Orc! You stink!" One of the kids cried. They continued pelting the Orc with rocks, until their mother showed up and hastily grabbed the children by their arms. "No, don't get close to him! They're dangerous monsters!" She hissed, and pulled them off.

Corc staggered further back in a panic. "C...COOOORRCCC!! STOP!!" He shrieked. This was one of the memories that he hated most. What was going on? He'd already seen this happen. It went the exact same like back then. The orc, slowly but surely, began to realise what was going on. Corc had been in many battles, and illusionary techniques wasn't something new to him. If he were just an ordinary, simple-minded Orc, he would have certainly gone on a rampage. Corc began to calm down, but it didn't improve his situation much. He still constantly saw heavy illusions, from people that he'd fought up to duking it out with ferocious animals that terrorised towns long ago.

Corc glared around to see where Foeldar was, but he failed to see him. His position was completely obscured by the illusions. The orc pulled his mace from his back out of sheer instinct. He calmly waited for the illusions to wear off. After all, attacking blindly would not help him. He'd often been targetted with poison gas attacks during his many missions, as it was an easy way to take down a giant, slow orc from a distance. As such, he'd gained a strong immunity system against poison, which made him incredibly good at resisting it. He focused on the ground now, listening for any sudden movements like Foeldar's feet thumping or his growling to discern his foes' location. He would be ready to strike if Foeldar came close. 'Corc not think he would have such good fighting now...' He thought. Despite having a strong immunity against poison, the hallucinations were a different story.

[tex]

Leaving Lui and Aelih behind in the middle of the night didn't sit well with him. But sharing his room with an unstable magical construct with a cursed gem in her head, and a semi-mute elf from God knows where seemed far less preferable. He knew very little about Lui or Aelih after speaking with them for such a short period of time. Though there'd been some comfort in their company, Dannisus wasn't about to trust two complete strangers, even if they weren't human. His mind was much clearer when he was alone anyway, how much work could he get done with Lui prattling on and on? His mouth curled into a subtle grin at the thought. It reminded him of the Nursery, where his little sisters would flock to him with all kinds of silly questions. An aching pang pulsed through his tail and cut his memory short, almost like something had taken hold of it tightly. He shook the thought and pushed his way through the center of town. Hopefully that Inn he'd mentioned was just as nice on the inside as it was at a first glance.

"Շﻉซɼﻉซ?" Dannisus mewled under his breath. He twisted his ears towards a series of roars that bellowed across Nadska one after the other, separated by short intervals of silence. He spun his head towards the noise after the second roar. It was distinctly different from the first, somehow nostalgic. He looked back down the path he'd taken quietly. Those noises were close, and frightening. Could it be those nasty monsters that he'd heard of? If the town was about to fall under attack, Dannisus wasn't going to flop onto his stomach and pass out like a bloated forest mouse. "๓ѻฝչ." He turned back towards where the roars were coming from. "๓ѻฝչ, ץﻉٱค ๓ѻฝչ!" The Myti hissed the profanities to himself over and over and spun in place like a lost cat. What the hell was he going to do? Go investigate? Fine Lui and Aelih to warn them? Run in the opposite direction as quickly as he could? His mind was abuzz with anxiety and peril. Those roars did not come from a few harmless animals.

"МФЩZ!" With a violent pivot, Dannisus began marching down the path before him. A few moments later, he made a sharp left turn and began making his way towards the two freakishly gut wrenching roars. What a brave little Myti he was!

[ArkmageddonCat]

As Corc succumbed to the hallucinations Foeldar proceeded to wrap his hands around the trunk of a tree, taking a firm hold and stomping a foot down on the trunk before twisting his body and wrenching the trunk free from its stump with a loud crack. Look what you've done. The branches rustled as the entish being raised the tree up and prepared to throw it like a massive spear. Open your eyes. Two steps, two soft thumps. A glimpse of blonde hair. Foeldar thrust his arm forward and the tree left his hand, flying through the air towards the orc like a missile. A flash of red. LOOK AT WHAT YOU'VE DONE. Lily's head hit the ground with a crack, the tree trunk digging deep into the earth. Foeldar was taken aback. "Lily?! No!" He cried, taking a step forward only to watch her disappear again.

The colossus looked around as if it were for the first time, squinting his eyes as he peered through the darkness of the night. Where was he? A town? These trees weren't familiar, but he remembered having seen them before... had he crossed the river? Now how could he have done that without knowing it? Wait... some of these trees were broken. Chunks of wood, splinters, and leaves littered the ground all around. Foeldar's eyes crossed paths with the orc, and he visibly jumped. "Who... who are you?" He asked, having already forgotten the altercation between them. "Where is Foeldar? What happened to the trees here?"

[Hokum]

@Seraphin

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A Golem’s Bluff

---

The hardened gaze of her friend’s smile was met by a very different reaction. While Ren went on to ask further questions about resting, one specific thunderous cry that dominated the discord of wind-carried roars caused Devlin to shutter violently. The already paled tints of her complexion faded to white, her eyes tightened as if in view a ghost, and her chest expanded sharply as images of her childhood friends, her parents, family, and the former glory of her home town of Despiun flashed across the screen of her mind. She remembered –

…There’d been rumors of a strange creature haunting the local woods of Despiun. The villagers referred to this creature as a Hechin (The Despiun name for Forest Golem), and was said to have been akin to a guardian of the forest; exacting punishment on anyone who sought to damage the natural balance of life in the woods. Yet, the folks of Despiun considered themselves safe from the virtues of such a creature, for they did live in harmony with nature. While there were those in the village who considered the Hechin to be little more than fable, others claimed to have actually laid eyes upon the beast. Of course, for the younger generation of Despiun, such tales provoked their fascination and conjured the need for forbidden adventure beyond the realm of safety.

Devlin must have been no older than eight when she, in the company of two older children and against permission of the village elders, embarked on an adventure to the deeper areas of the woods where the Hechin was said to reside.

The day had been long and they had almost given up their search for the Hechin when Devlin herself, while straggling behind on their trek, stopped to observe the outgrowth of a tree moving in a less than treelike manner. It was then, when the other two children turned back to see why Devlin had ceased to follow, that they all became aware of Golem’s ominous presence. Stepping out from the sanctuary of its covert position, it displayed no hostility towards the children. It simply brewed dauntingly at a small distance watching with scrutinizing curiosity until one of the older children – the son of a local blacksmith – snapped a branch from the flowering tree beside him. It had been the boys intention to offer the Golem a gift, and somehow felt like a flowering branch was befitting of the cause – but the Golem didn’t see eye to eye on the matter. No appreciation at all.

In a sudden eruption of rage, The Golem released a procession of mighty roars and charged ferociously at the young trio. Naturally, the other two children screamed in mortal terror as they fled back to the village, but Devlin did not. She stood her ground. She was fearless. Solidified in what could only be described as intense admiration, she watched until the Golem came to an abrupt halt within inches of her position. It loomed over her like a tower of strength. Its warding roars fell silent.

Looking up into the eyes of the glaring beast, the little girls face scrunched into a precious smile as she extended one tiny hand to touch it….

Devlin wasn’t aware it was happening; her stony expression was compromised. While conforming to the joyous smile of that little child she used to be, her fingers extended to touch the hand of Ren while her lips parted to release the smooth, rasped quality of her voice;

“Don’t let the Hechin scare you….” She consoled the musician, as the smile then ran from her face. “Sounds like someone disrespected the forest.”

While the distant roars faded with the winds for the moment, she regarded the dawning sky, then looked down at the street below where the Lamplighter was already starting his morning rounds. Returning her focus to Ren, she said;

“It’s later than I thought. No point in resting now. We’ll eat then start our journey. What time do the market food stalls open?”

[Jensoman]

Corc did not feel any vibrations or shaking in the ground nearby, and did not hear any fast thumps coming his way besides one loud thump and a loud crack from further away. Which meant that Foeldar had either jumped, simply waited, or had chosen to perform some kind of ranged attack while staying on a distance. The loud crack from the tree stump however, made Corc able to tell reality apart from the hallucinations and just where his foe was at. He turned towards the direction of the sound immediately and jumped further back with a mighty hop to increase the distance between himself and Foeldar while holding his mace at the ready.

As the tree trunk was headed for Corc at top speeds, the hallucinations began to dissolve and the orc could see it heading for him. He responded immediately, grasping his mace firmly with both hands. He swung diagonally at it, smashing the trunk into hundreds of pieces. Corc glared at Foeldar, somewhat angered now, but he kept his mouth shut. He was aware of Foeldar's cyan cloud now, and he wasn't going to let it affect him twice. The giant charged forwards like a train, rising his mace as he aimed to swipe at Foeldar's feet in a large horizontal arc from left to right. As Foeldar suddenly jumped and looked shocked, Corc suddenly stopped his attack and his feet slid to a halt at the last moment. Was it some kind of trick? Was it truly worth trying to put up an act towards a raging orc that could have just followed through with his attack?

Corc gave Foeldar a confused look. Was he trying to get Corc to speak, so he'd have another chance to shoot a cyan cloud in his mouth? Corc remained on his guard, but Foeldar's action was strange. He seemed just as confused as Corc was. He took a few steps back so he could shield his face from Foeldar's technique if nessecary, and spoke. "Corc confused...Does tree man not want to hurt Corc anymore?" He asked, lowering his mace to appear less threatening.

[Seraphin]

@Hokum
A sigh of relief escaped from Ren's lips as his shoulders slackened and the grim look in his eyes vanished. While Ren was also a traveler himself, he never really made it a point to traverse the woodlands or the more secretive parts of Akripola. Since Devlin seemed to be confident in her knowledge, Ren resigned his worries to the winds. He nodded with her idea of just going down to the stalls, and while it was still an hour early for the merchants to start unpacking their goods, Ren decided that there was no harm in giving her a tour around the village. Sure, they would need to watch out for some of the guards, but ultimately, there was little to fear. However, Ren would need to come back to the temple after the reshud is finished in order for him to assist in feeding the children.

They could be quite antsy if their food was delayed.

Ren walked towards the door before going down the spiral staircase which led to the main assembly hall of the temple. In the assembly hall, crimson-colored rugs sit on both sides of a central isle paved with a white cloth. It ultimately led to a towering statue of the God of Life and the Harvest, Heren. With his arms outstretched, the god of the harvest was believed to have been merciful when it comes to the crops and to the safety of all who deserved it.

The lad walked to the center before falling down to his knees and bowing to the earth. After a while, Ren stood up before going over to Devlin once more. With scarred hands tucked inside the sleeves of his habit, the lad took one last look at Heren before nodding to Devlin to follow him. The outside of the temple housed a rickety stone fencing with some of its parts falling to rubbles. A lone tree stands in the middle of the church courtyard with a few stone blocks keeping the loam soil within the tree's boundaries. The tree itself looked desolate with all its leaves except for one dangling at the top all but withered with no hope of flowering once more. The legend of the tree goes that when the last leaf falls to the ground, a great evil would fall upon Nadska.

Ren laid a gentle hand on the tree before backing off and sauntering towards the general direction of the stalls. He purposely took the long way towards the conclave of vendors who were just starting to prepare their goods for the day. Amidst the chilly breeze of dawn, the lad introduced her to the Town Hall while informing her of the recent case of a bank burglar due to dangle from the gallows for stealing a chest of gold pieces from the town treasury. However, the chest remains unfound to this day. Ren shook his head at the denial of the accused thief since there should be no case without evidence.

As they arrived at the town square, the lad took off the hood as he relished in the soothing winds sweeping around them. Scarred hands ruffled at his hair before combing it back with his fingers for him to get a better view of the merchants of whom he knew some well. A few guards came about from time to time in their daily patrols, and Ren tried for normal though unnecessary. However, as the last minutes ticked by, he grinned at Devlin before motioning towards the stalls. There were still some merchants bickering and even threatening each other over the spots of their goods. Still, his thunderous companion would have to make due with the limited (albeit highly competed upon) selection since tomorrow would still be the primary marketing day. A few merchants still vying to earn more opted to open business in order to garner as minimal competition as possible, though at the expense of fewer buyers.

'Well, most of the merchants are ready, but the townsfolk will be coming soon.' Ren signed to her with a boyish smirk alongside bouts of suppressed chuckles. 'Believe me, the underworld has no fury like a townsfolk hunting for bargains, or a merchant fighting for a spot.'

[Hokum]

@Seraphin

---

Disturbing

---

Devlin’s aversion to social interaction wasn’t so much a callous or deliberate decision, more a conditioning of her inherent wounds and dearth experience in social matters. No point in the maimed partaking in a footrace with the enabled. Nevertheless, her social infirmity did little to serve as a barrier to the feelings of desolation. She did, though rarely self-evident, have a full range of human emotions, which could be the reason why she let her guard down with Ren. In a way his disabilities were commensurate to her own and provided a sense of affiliation. It was, in this regard, a convenient opportunity to find union with another.

While she quietly followed Ren’s tour, her mind was at play with many prospects this unprecedented relationship could facilitate. Companionship, intimacy, even intercourse were all things she had previously waived as possibilities. The idea that these things were now even conceivable provided her a whole new spectrum of intriguing thoughts to set her attention on; a sundry diversion from her primary directive in life…. At least for a while.

When Ren drew back his habit and ran his fingers though his long, matted hair, she was reminded of the fleeting arousal she felt back in his room at the church. There it was again, and somehow, for reasons aloof, the rugged mat of his hair and the scars on his hands and face seemed to accentuate the feeling. This sensual sensation, however, had Devlin more confused than anything else.

Stop that!

She almost spat out the words, and the notion of her rebuke would have gone unnoticed beneath her calm exterior had it not been for a slight, widening glare, conflicted by an unconscious moistening of her lips, and the faint pink hue that blushed her cheeks.

Her lack of control over these feelings was disturbing to say the least. She couldn’t even look Ren in the eye while he went on to convey his sentiments, but she did spit out a small and unexpected laugh at the humor behind his silent words. Unfortunately, this laugh may have been seen as more of a snooty derision as she turned away abruptly, yanked the hood over her head, and marched over to the nearest merchant.

“Bread, butter and honey!” She practically growled the words at the full-figured lady behind the stand. Realizing her uncalled for delivery, Devlin took a moment to breathe and compose herself, then repeated the order in a more congenial manner.

“I’m sorry, my dear,” The lady replied kindly, apparently taking no offence to Devlin’s ornery attitude as she waved one hand over her product. “This is a fruit stand.”

Realizing her flustered condition had compromised her basic ability to pay attention to the obvious, Devlin grit her teeth as she pivoted, found a merchant selling a variety of goods better suiting her needs, and then marched over to that stand instead. The owner of this stand was a slender, tall man with dark sunken eyes and lips that seemed far too full for his face.

“Two slices of bread, buttered with honey.” She said, producing a small Sapphire from her pocket and offering it to him.

The man accepted the stone, turning it with peculiar interest in the palm of his hand before lifting a lamented look to her. “I have no chan –“

“I want no change.” She interrupted, and directed her eyes at the requested items. “I only want what I asked for. Servings for two people…. Please.”

Again, the man’s eyes fell to the gem in his hand, scrutinizing it for a minute before shrugging with a brightening smile and proceeded to prepare her order. While he did so, a small group of merchants within earshot of both Devlin and Ren – previously discussing the matter of the stolen gold – were now engaged in a different discussion; speaking despairingly about a terrible crime that may have taken place in one of the taverns during the night. Apparently, if only upheld by the rumor alone, a guard and a barman by the name of Queno had been gruesomely murdered by a yet unidentified assailant.

It was probably inevitable that Ren would find out about Queno’s death eventually, but Devlin had hoped to avoid the issue as long as possible. Despite Queno’s less than sympathetic interaction with Ren, the young musician had somehow still regarded the stout little man with an obvious amount of esteem, and it was therefore doubtful that news of his death would be taken lightly. It was even possible that discovering what had happened to Queno would subsequently cause a rift between herself and Ren. This new and unexpected friendship she had stumbled upon… could have very well been murdered before it ever really got started.

Still, considering the slight possibility that perhaps Ren wasn’t overhearing the conversation taking place nearby, Devlin took her order from the merchant and turned from the food stand to face her friend. Looking out from the hood with her usual impassive persona and fresh honeyed bread presented neatly in both open hands, she offered him a slice.

“Hungry?”

[Zyngard]

Aelih's head turned sharply towards the sound of several roaring noises from outside of town, and the grip on the spear tightened.

"I suggest you stay close to me" Aelih said with a glance at Lui "Because I don't know about you, but those noises didn't exactly seem friendly." One of those noises seemed... somewhat familiar, although Aelih couldn't place it. Mostly, probably a better idea to focus on not being where they came from. A step back, away from those noises, eyes still looking around warily for anything possibly threatening.

Aelih sighed shortly "I just want a damn nap..."

The hand not holding the spear, the left one to be specific, reaches out for Lui. "We should go." Another step, away from the direction of the roars.

[Dartbored Fairy]

Lui waves as Dani leaves the duo alone. She enjoyed his company because he always had fun things to tell her, but she understood why it was better for him to do what he was going to do alone. After all, it's hard to work when someone keeps asking questions.

So, she turns her attention to Aelih. Nodding in response to their suggestion. It's not like Lui was curious enough to wander away from people she trusted anyway, because Lui knew that there were more untrustworthy people around than trustworthy ones.

Then came the noises. They startled Lui, and apparently put Aelih on alert as well, judging by the way they gripped their spear.
"Where should we go? Should we go to the Inn already and wait there?"

[Dartbored Fairy]

---

As the sun slowly begins to rise over the town of Nadska, it's inhabitants start to wake up and begin their peaceful, daily routine.

Though, that peaceful routine is soon shattered almost before it can start, as a strange noise can be heard near the Eastern Wall. Moments later, a loud crash can be heard as something slams into the town wall. After a few seconds, the sound can be heard again. And Again. And then, with the fourth impact, something breaks through the wall entirely, causing debris to crush the unlucky few that were standing on the town side of the wall.

A massive boar-like creature, almost two stories tall and reeking of rotting flesh, has forced it's way through the wall. Having used it's armoured head to break through the wall, it now uses it's massive size and strength to trample people and crush buildings that get in the way of the creature's slow journey towards the town's church. Riding on top of it are skeletons, armed with bows. From their advantageous position they use their weapons to attack people who try to fight or flee, attacking even harmless civilians as they try and get to safety.

Following the creature through the hole it created in the wall are even more monsters, most of which appear to be undead. They make their way to the gate and force it open, allowing for even more monsters to invade. A few brave villagers have taken up arms to try and fight back, but they soon meet a gruesome fate at the hands of the undead hordes.

As all this is happening, the church bell tolls. However, it's not the regular bell, instead it's the alarm bell. It alerts everyone in the town of the present danger, and wakes even those fast asleep. As it tolls, the people start the panic. Fearing for their lives, they flee towards the nearest gate. Merchants abandon their stalls and run away, taking with them only their most valuable possessions and leaving behind the vast majority of their wares. The local garrison, aware of the fact that they can't possibly hope to defeat the threat, focus their efforts in getting those barely capable of saving themselves to safety before putting up a last-ditch effort to delay the monsters and buy the fleeing civilians more time..

However, in a stroke of bad luck, most people flee towards the North Gate, for they know it to be the fastest path to the nearest safe city. Oblivious to the fact that the gate is stuck, hordes of people gather at the gate and try to force it open, to no avail...

---

[Zyngard]

Aelih makes an annoyed grunt at the crashing sounds "That sounds like something that is not our problem. We should definitely go."

A step towards the Western gate. Aelih let go of Lui, and holds the spear with both hands for increased grip. "Could it be an undead attack?" A skeleton then rounds the corner, wielding a rusted sword. Aelih sighed, and says dryly "Well I guess that's that question answered." The spear stabs forward out at the skeleton, then downwards at the skeletons arm, shearing it off, its sword falling to the ground. Aelih spinned counterclockwise, and used the spearpoint to cut through its spine, then stomps on its hips, and stabs through its head.

"Good a time as any to do this..." Aelih sighed, taking a forefinger and thumb and running them on the edge of the spearpoint, leaving a thin silver shimmering line behind "To-Om-Yi-Ni... Ni-Ku-Fa-Ni...To-Om-Yi-Ni..." Aelih chanted that quietly as the process continued, eventually finishing up the entirety of the spearpoint and smiling. "That should help out for a bit. I suggest we keep moving away from whatever hellbeast is at the Eastern gate"

[Jensoman]

Corc kept a close eye on Foeldar's movements. He didn't trust him at all. That's when he heard loud crashing noises in the distance, followed by screaming. "CORC...what's going on?!" He mumbled, looking behind him. He turned back at Foeldar and frowned. "Corc have to leave now, need to protect people! Tree man...Or Foeldar? Corc not sure if Tree man's name is Foeldar or if he looks for a person named Foeldar. Me is Corc, Corc the orc. Corc respects tree man's strength...but must leave now!" Corc stated.

Corc turned towards the commotion and advanced into the city immediately at great speeds through the western gate. "COOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRCCCCCC!!!" He roared. It was his battle cry! The orc placed his horned helmet on top of his hea. He spotted some quick skeletons who had already rushed deep inside, and smashed them to bits with horizontal swings of his mace. The weapon was made for orcs and was larger than usual, giving him more reach than the regular undead with their rusty smaller weapons. Some undead began to fire arrows at him, but they simply bounced off of his rock-hard skin. The beast tilted his head downwards if arrows came towards his eyes, using his helmet to shield them as he crushed the archers.

He began to break through towards the North Gate where the majority of the screams were coming from, heading for the forces who went after most of the people. He glared at the incoming foes. He may have an easy time dealing with them, but they outnumbered him by many. If he wasn't careful, he would get overwhelmed. Not only that, but that giant boar was bigger than Corc himself! And even bigger than Foeldar! He would have a rough time taking that thing on on his own. Regardless, the people were more important to Corc now, than the town itself. 'Corc can say bye-bye to his meal now...' He thought sadly.

[ArkmageddonCat]

The forest golem looked down at Corc with a raised brow, shifting his weight to the sound of gently creaking wood. "Hurt... Corc? Why would Foeldar want to hurt Corc?" Asked the tree-being, as much to himself as to the orc that stood before him. His voice possessed a certain tinge of disbelief which seemed to be shared with the rest of his face. Perhaps this "Corc" might not prove himself to be any help in answering the questions that Foeldar had. The weight of the darkness around the two of them seemed to have lessened, as the sun's light began to peek up over the horizon.

The big tree man opened his mouth to speak once more when he heard the strangest sound. It's sudden arrival caused him to recoil in surprise, his head swinging back and forth in a fruitless search for the cause. "Does Corc know what that was? Foeldar has never heard that before." Foeldar asked under his breath, unaware of the volume at which his question was asked, and calmly pacing around as he looked in all different directions. A loud crash echoed through the air, followed by another and another, until finally the air filled with the crashing of falling chunks of stone. He could hear the screams of people, but through the nearby gate he could only see blurs of color and movement from around the corners of buildings. Foeldar extended his roots into the ground, exhaling not-so-quietly in response to the uncomfortable feeling caused by the process, closing his eyes to focus on what he could feel. The sounds of calamity faded into background noise, and then into nothingness.

Foeldar was met immediately with a complete and utter sensory overload. Vibrations had swallowed the town whole, from what he believed was to be both the panicked villagers and the attackers that broke through the wall. His body started convulsing as his mind was being overtaken by a sharp pain, one which he also felt to a much lesser extent in his roots. He drew his roots back out of the ground before stumbling back and holding his head in his hand. A quick shake to clear his mind, the sound of the chaos beyond the walls came flooding back. Help them. He moved towards the west gate as a loud bell rang out. You're a protector. Foeldar looked on through the arch of the western gateway a few of the people attempting to flee, looking back at him with untrusting eyes. Help them!

Foeldar proceeded onwards into town, but it wasn't until a short while later that he realized he was alone. It appeared that the orc, Corc it was, was already gone. Now where did he go? Come to think of it, where had all the people gone? Foeldar slowed to a halt in the middle of the street, distant screams calling out in desperate need of help. Protect! He started forward once more when he heard a shrill cry from around a nearby corner, and decided to investigate.

What he found was a little boy being chased by skeletons, running back towards where Foeldar had come from. He let out a roar and ran at the undead pawns, another skeleton running out into the streets only to be crushed under Foeldar's feet. The undead which had been chasing the child stopped to look at what was now chasing them, and abruptly turned to run back and disappear off in the buildings. The colossus glanced to where the boy had ran but saw nothing, and so he headed further into town.

[Valkon]

"Well, one thing is clear," Jack says, stuffing the crudely drawn map into his pants pocket, "It certainly means something. As for chasing the man down..." His statement was interrupted by the sound of several roars emerging from the forest outside of town; roars that Jack couldn't place as being that of any kind of beast he had encountered. "Well," he continued, "There's also that. Anyways... I don't expect there's much to gain by chasing him down, though I am curious what the meaning of the map is."

It was then that he picked up the sound of the crashes from the boar-like beast, and the ensuing commotion its attack caused. "The hell...?" He stepped away from the tree, moving to see what was going on. His confusion was answered as a skeleton attacked the elf on the hill nearby, who quickly dispatched the undead creature. Jack turned to Fauve and Gabriel, stating, "Well, it would seem conflict has decided to come to us."

A skeleton wielding a flail covered with rusted spikes approached behind Jack, moving to attack; before the strike could connect, however, Jack spun around, slamming his spiked gauntlet into the skeleton's ribcage and shattering its torso. Whether it belonged to the living or undead, bone broke all the same. Holding down the monster's flail-wielding arm with his foot, he ripped the weapon out of its hand before stomping on its skull to finish it off.

"A bit shabby, but it'll do," he stated, inspecting the weapon he had obtained before looking back to the two nearby. "You two can do what you like, but I'll be joining this fight now." He removed the map, tossing it to Gabriel. "I'm beginning to think I might know what the town being crossed out was supposed to mean..." With that, he walked back to the tavern, grabbing the handle and ripping the door off of its hinges. With stolen weapon and makeshift shield in hands, he moved east to engage the main horde of monsters.

[tex]

Not halfway to the edge of Nadska, and Dannisus was torn from his path once again by a series of thumps that shook the earth at his feet. It was subtle. He paused and glared at the ground quietly. 'Earthquake?' Another thump, and then another. His heart began to race. There was a small period of silence, but it did little to curb his worry. His good ear twisted 'round and he buckled backward, putting all his weight on his left foot.

Crash!

Crack!

It was faint. The sound of stone crumbling and wooden supports snapping in two. Screams from the townsfolk rung out, ranging from blood-curdling shrieks to desperate shouting, just loud enough for his ears to pick up. Dannisus spun around, glancing back towards the western gate only for a moment before making a clear decision without a second thought. His Tail whipped the ground violently and he took off into a sprint. 'What the hell? What the hell!?' His feet dug into the path as the intrepid little Myti tore across Nadska's street without delay. He leaned into his run carefully while his blade jostled back and forth without much restraint, occasionally smacking against the base of his tail.

'ץﻉٱค'

Suddenly he dropped forward, slamming his hands against the ground. But rather than sliding clumsily into a tumble, Dannisus pushed backward, propelling himself even faster still and breaking into a four-limbed dash. Part of him didn't get it. *safety was in the opposite direction*, after all. As the clattering of bone and iron grew louder, it dawned on him. He was moving towards something far more imposing than he'd initially thought. What help could he be? Why should he even help these people? With every step, his doubt grew. Turning around now didn't seem like much of an option though. If the town was under attack from one side, who's to say there weren't more attackers lying in wait elsewhere? Dannisus skirted to a halt and flattened his ears as the church bells began to chime. He covered his bad ear with his left hand and took a gander at the horizon. He could see the bell tower from where he stood; the church couldn't have been more than a minute away. Something else held his concern much tighter than the alarm bells, though.

'what is that thumping!?'

Dannisus scanned his surroundings quickly, looking for beasts and civilians alike. He poised himself for combat, keeping his sword hand perched in front of his right shoulder to draw at a moment's notice. The air carried tones of rotted flesh and fresh wounds, blended together into a single maleficent odor. That's when he spotted a whitish blur passing through the marketplace stalls. His pupils widened and the darkness of the night crept away, but he didn't see where it went, or where it came from. His ear twitched. Bones rattled. Something was coming, but he was ready.

One of his feet pivoted in place, and he drew his blade into a circling slash. With a surprising amount of force, his entire body circled round, and the heft of his weapon tore through his assailant's wristbone. The skeleton that darted out at him reeled back as his hand, and his weapon, hit the ground at Dannisus' feet. The Myti stood up straight and hopped backward slightly, grasping his blade with both hands. "Undead!?" He gagged, reaffirming his grip. Without regard for its own safety, the hollow creature rushed him without any weapons, aiming to use its jagged forearm to impale Dannisus. He didn't stand still, shifting his weight to the right, while parrying, the skeleton's harpoon-like arm to the left. He pulled his blade downwards, while pushing the skeleton's arm further away from his body along the entire length of his sword, and sweeping his left foot across its footing. The skeleton's weight was successfully manipulated in the opposite direction of Dannisus' escape, sending it towards the ground. Dannisus let his body's natural momentum pull him back slightly, but quickly stamped his left foot into the ground, and pulled himself into a full clockwise 360 spin. As he turned to face the skeleton again, Dannisus brought his sword into an overhead swing and cleaved the skeleton in two a split second before it hit the ground. As its bones went limp, he let out a sigh of relief and pulling his weapon from the dirt with a hefty tug. A quick look at his surroundings revealed many more skeletons making their way across the town. They didn't seem too numerous at first, certainly nowhere near what his ears were telling him, but it wouldn't be long before the town was overrun.

"COOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRCCCCCC!!!"

...

"What is that?!" Dannisus hissed, turning towards the battle cry behind him. Further down the path, he spotted an armored creature, standing nearly twice his height. It smashed through some of the skeletons that flanked him like it was no big deal and continued towards the center of town. His tail went limp and he took a deep breath before running away from Corc's brutish approach. He'd never seen an Orc before and wasn't too thrilled about coming face to face with Corc the Orc.