[IC] Kings and Killers: A Classical Fantasy Adventure (Chapter 1)

[Fetzen]

Fyr

Fyr was on his way to turn around and leave the large stone cavity when the greatest pirate of all time inevitably came into his view. It was fairly obvious that Dalious was not only searching for something, but also found something that might prove to be useful in the future. A prudent idea that Fyr followed suit, starting so dig through the mess the fight had created with his giant hands soon being completely drenched in demonfolk blood.

Perception roll

1d20 = 17 -> Success.

Most of their now dead opponents appeared to have been outfitted with fairly basic gear only, nothing that was begging for Fyr's attention. He turned their dead bodies around with his feet not even wanting to touch them anymore, and beneath one of the corpses there was a good looking spear of some sorts. A bit of a weird design he had not really seen before and, given the small dents and scratches lititered over the weapon's metallic surfaces, not exactly new anymore either. It looked sturdy though and some subtle testing by transferring a part of his body weight onto it confirmed this impression. He would keep it, but only after rubbing the blood off the leather straps used to carry the long weapon on one's back!

Fyr then hurried up to follow the others on their way out. Luckily it seemed that nobody had picked up onto the meaning of his runes and tried to remove the scratchings in the meantime.

[Timemaster]

Ashe walked forward, leading the group on. Fyr and Dal finally catching up to her. Each having something new in their hands but questions could wait. They needed to escape and do that fast. Eventually, strong light could be seen from further away from their position.

Eventually the group finally stepped out of the cave into the desert, the midday sun was beating down upon them, casting harsh shadows across the vast expanse of golden sand. The air was dry and arid, causing their throats to feel parched and their skin to tingle with the heat. The contrast between the cool darkness of the cave and the blistering heat outside was striking.

As they surveyed their surroundings, their attention was drawn to a collection of mining equipment placed just outside the cave entrance. Pickaxes, shovels, and other tools were scattered about, bearing signs of recent use. The desert wind blew faint traces of sand over them.

"I like adventure as much as the next guy but let's not repeat that again, alright?" said Ashe she shielded her eyes from the sun with one hand.

With the other hand, she opened Gywn's journal, trying to make sense of it before the others reached up to her.

[Cyrania]

@Timemaster

Within the journal, the pages were filled with scribbles and writings, all rather neat but almost frenzied in their design. Among the notes could be found drawings of things connected to the pages, some of monsters, some of spells, some of magical artifacts. The very pages had a thrum of magic as if Gwyn's very essence had infused her writing.

At the start of the notebook were a rough table of contents.

2- Spells

45- History & Old Legends

120 - Personal Notes

Can find specific subjects by asking the book.

[Timemaster]

@Cyrania

Ashevelen skimmed the book a bit before stopping on a few drawn pictures of monsters making small comments when she'd reach one based on their looks, how good they'd look in armor or simply making jokes on how they must perform in bed. Eventually she stopped wasting time and decided it was time to get some answers.

"Book. Who was the dark mage and why did it capture Gwyn and Cicero? Who's Rhakkar? " said Ashe.

Looking behind her as she finished talking, she saw that the two others finally caught up to her.

[Samara]

Lapis stared wearily at her blurry destination. The cave entrance wavered with heat shimmer; it was a bit out of their way, but her poor camel could use the shelter from the sun. The detour off the trail would be worth it for an hour or two of blessed shade for Helah.

As she made her way across the dune, the heat waves began to reveal a strange sight. A small group was gathered at the cave mouth, wearing strange garments and covered head to toe in gore. They all wielded weapons and Lapis’s first instinct was to pull back on the reins, cooing to her mare.

Whoa! Arthur, do you see those people up there? What do you make of them? She could hear her companion put down the boots he was shining and poke his head out of the wagon behind her. She leaned forward to stroke Helah’s rump as she considered the group. They definitely seemed like they could be dangerous…but as she continued to study them, her nerves settled. They looked just as weary as she was, if not more. Evidently they had just survived some terrible battle, and would be in need of respite. A single eyebrow quirked up at the thought of the kind of coin such warriors must carry. And if she could see them, they could surely see her wagon as well. She may as well meet these battered people. Goodness knows she could use the money.

She turned to Arthur, however, to get his decision first. She'd come to trust his quiet opinions in the short time he'd worked for her. He had a straightforward way about him that she admired, his religion notwithstanding. Should we offer them assistance?

[Cyrania]

Gwyniera's Journal

@Timemaster @Fetzen @Sol Grim

"You really should get better at answering questions. A shimmering avatar of light rose from the book in front of them, arms crossed in obvious frustration. "I can only answer questions that my writer had the answers to herself and could write down. I have no clue who that dark mage was nor why Gwyn and her new friend were taken. On the question of Rhakkar though, I can actually answer." The pages started flipping below the avatar into far into the journal section. "Rhakkar was the name of demon born opponent Cicero was fighting in the arena when the sudden rain fell. Within the fight, Cicero sent his sword flying, and it was suddenly teleported up to the king of Avalon's booth and struck him down dead. From that, Cicero was falsely accused of being behind the king's assassination and the two had to quickly escape to leave from there. All indications lead then to Rhakkar being connected to the people behind the king's death and to that black cloaked mage that Cicero kept seeing but also kept mysteriously vanishing. Their main goal has then been to find those two and figure out why they killed the king.

The Merchant's Caravan

@Samara

Arthur peered out from where he sat, pushing his dark auburn bangs away from his eyes. "They certainly seem like they've been through something...They probably are dangerous to get on the wrong side of, but they don't seem inclined to do anything rash at the moment. More just exhausted. He turned to Lapis. "I am new to these parts and so can understand if you'd rather not stop, but I would like to see if they could use some aid. I would be an unworthy example of my order if I did not try to offer assistance to those in need.

[Sol Grim]

Dalious walked side by side to Fyr as they followed Ashe out of the caves. They were both covered in blood and walking at a somewhat frantic pace.

"It is a fantastic looking axe, by the way," Dal said, admiring the design of Fyr's weapon as they walked. He observed the potions he took from the ghastly man's corpse not knowing what either of them were, then quickly skimmed through the dead man's journal briefly only seeing a bunch of nonsense in writings. "Hmmm, no pictures. The hell is the point then!?Dalious put it all away again back into his satchel.

When they approached Ashe, she had taken a pause and began asking the book Gwynaria had dropped a question. To Dalious' surprise, a magical avatar formed from the pages and started to answer her. Dalious raised a brow as he listened to the avatar of Gwenaria speak. It clearly explained the story of Cicero and Gwen's problems, but more importantly to the pirate it said that it could answer only things that the real Gwenaria knew.

"Ok we clearly need to ask it questions as if it were Gwenaria, and so forth it shall speak her truth!" Dal spoke. "So book, what truly does Gwyn think about my singing voice?? She's never answered me outright and honestly I think she's avoiding me when I ask her."

His gaze shifted as he spoke, noticing a caravan of travellers approaching them in the distance. He put his hand to his blade, using his free arm to nudge Fyr.

[Fetzen]

As they approached the exit of the cave system, Fyr felt unable to deny the fact that he really would have liked to have a good wash. The blood was fresh still, but what once it had dried ? Back home, after slaying a large bear or so, there would have always been more than enough snow around to rub over one's skin and get rid of the mess while it was still easy. Here in the desert however... He had to switch to whatever alternative was around -- and if there was anything a desert didn't lack, then it was sand. He started to dig it up with both hands and just tossed it onto his naked skin, rubbing so the individual grains would expose their entire surface to the blood he wanted to get rid of, causing it to stick to their surface instead of his body.

A very makeshift approach it was, of course, and it failed to rid him of the entire mess just as he had expected. At least however the amount left clinging to him was significantly reduced and he could give it another try once it had tried, then trying to use the sand as a peeling agent.

Meanwile, it very much seemed like the greatest pirate of all times couldn't be bothered with such unimportant tasks. Fyr had to suppress a chuckle upon Dal's comment about the journal being pointless without pictures, but didn't say anything. Maybe the pirate would like the old runic language of Fyr's people ? One could regard it as both alphanumeric and hieroglyphs at the same time, maybe...

Anyway, there was no need to prevent Dal from doing what he seemed to like the most, even if it was asking magical avatars fancy questions. The problem was... if this avatar could only answer what Gwyn had written into the book before, then maybe it could not step out of its creator's behavioral patterns either ? Or, in other words, why should the avatar now suddenly and openly tell the truth when Dal himself claimed Gwyn hadn't done so before yet ? Not that Fyr had heard Dal's singing voice himself yet, but maybe it really was just abysmal! And a magical avatar could rest assured that there'd be no point in trying to slap its cheeks upon believing that it had just lied about something!

While watching both somewhat amusedly about Dal and very impressed about the magical avatar itself, he noticed the caravan and the pirate nudging him, too. Not yet having any question to ask the book himself yet, Fyr proceeded with slowly stepping away towards the caravan. Maybe they could be convinced to offer them a few seats in the back ? Would have been so preferable to walking in the desert.

[Timemaster]

@Cyrania@Fetzen@Sol Grim@Samara

Ashe took a step back as the hologram appeared and her hand instinctively dropped to her sheath before realising what happened. She listened closely to fake-Gwyn and took a few mental notes.

"New friend" - Cicero and Gwyn seemed to know each other for a long time which probably means that either the entry in the book was an old one or Gwyn and Cicero just "clicked" and they didn't actually know each other for a long time.

Upon hearing about the regicide that Cicero apparently committed, Ashe let out a string of swears that would've made a sailor blush.

"This is bullshit. We've been travelling with a massive target on our backs. A fuckin' king's assassin. Even if Cicero didn't actually do it, it's irrelevant in the eyes of those who matter. Fake-Gwyn, if you've got any memory of your own, please remind me to stab real-Gwyn if we see her again. Now-" stopped Ashe as Dal asked his amusing question before Ashe turned to him, looking very annoyed.

"You son of a courtesan! You knew they're being hunted down for killing a king and didn't say ANYTHING! You're lucky you're going to be useful otherwise I'd kill you where you stand! " shouted Ashe in a burst of anger but before continuing, she noticed the caravan approaching.

"Fuck. That's the last thing we need now. Reinforcements. Everyone, weapons at the ready. Just in case they're friends with our "benefactors''. Don't attack them if they're nice. " said Ashe, her tone slightly calmer as she took her sword out and stepped forward but before she took two steps, she turned around towards Dal and pointed her sword towards him.

"We ain't done here.".

[Sol Grim]

Dalious

Dalious' mouth dropped open in shock as Ashe yelled at him for not informing her of Cicero and Gwyns secret. After all, he had only just met the woman a very short time ago. He literally knew nothing about her other than the fact that she could kill well, which was oddly enough. Still, he had been with his fair share of women long enough to know which battles to avoid. If it wasn't clear this was one of them from the beginning, her holding out her blade made it clear as a crystal.

"Probably not the best time to tell her I'm wanted in three different kingdoms," Dalious whispered toward Fyr. "...possibly four."

Even with the short time span that he knew this company, it somehow felt like they all knew each other much longer. Killing together did that sort of thing sometimes, especially killing well together. This world was nothing more than just kings and killers anyway.

This was a new chapter's beginning in the pirates mind. Before he was just a survivor, a ruthless hooligan that did what was necessary for himself. Things were different now after seeing that demon lord try to enter this realm. The stakes were higher. They had to somehow bring Cicero and Gwyn back and stop this evil from coming. They were to be...heroes. The thought gave Dalious a smirk as he decided to obey Ashe's command.

He pulled out his metal spear and slowly made his way by Ashe, heading toward the rear of the incoming caravan. "I was going to give you this spear, but now I'm keeping it!" he said to her as he passed by.

There was just a woman, local to Roh by the look of her, and a kid in the back. Seemed to be a normal travelling caravan by all accounts. Dalious waved them in as he peered inside from the back.

"Hello friends, you've seemed to answer our prayers,"he spoke loudly for all to hear. "We are in dire need of assistance, as none of us are quite from these parts. A ride and some food, water if you can spare it? Perhaps you could take us to a safe place for a rest? We are heroes, you see, and we've just liberated that slave camp over there. It's what we do, save the innocents and what not. It's our journey, our quest...our duty. Unless of course you work with the slavers, then we'll have to kill you both and take all of your shit."

Dalious jumped in the back with the kid and started immediately rummaging through their things. "I'm just kidding lad, I'd only kill you 'cause I don't kill women...except Ashe might kill her so...nevermind. You look like a reader, you like books? Here, knock yourself out." Dalious tossed the ghastly man's journal in the boy's lap for him to keep. "Fyr!! Come on mate, get on the camel and lets go!"

[Samara]

As Lapis drew closer the group took shape. A masked woman and two men stood outside the mouth of a cave. Blood and gore dripped from them, trailing back into the tunnel. Lapis unconsciously wrinkled her nose, anticipating the stench. She heard the woman yelling at the two men briefly, but her outburst was over by the time the caravan was near enough to make out her words. A book occupied one gesticulating hand, a sword the other. Lapis eyed the book curiously and the sword warily. Perhaps approaching these people had been a bad idea.

When the caravan finally came to a stop before the group, however, what appeared to be a pirate waved at them rather cheerfully. Lapis stared at the strange man, nonplussed, as she listened to his outrageous speech. She did finally bristle and dismount when he hopped in the back, bold-as-you-please. She raced around to watch him as he tossed a book at poor Arthur and started rooting through their meager belongings. Pottery, tin and copper pans, and a single large rug toppled from their neat stack onto the floor of the caravan. His comment about Helah went unheard as she raised her voice indignantly.

Excuse me! Sir! We would be happy to assist you and your...party, but please do not disturb my wares unless you mean to buy the lot!

She jumped into the caravan after him, selecting one of the several large canteens of water from one of the interior shelves. My name is Lapis Dustwalker. My companion is Novice Arthur Travers. You may take this water to your companions and drink your fill. Please allow me to rearrange in here to fit you all.

She waited for him to jump down from the caravan before murmuring to Arthur, It seems we may have to keep an eye on that one. Rather bold, isn’t he? Before she could ask Arthur about the book the pirate gave him, she heard a nervous bleat from the front of the caravan. Grumbling under her breath, already exasperated, she hurried back around to see the taller man approaching her camel.

If you are thinking to ride my camel, you’d better offer her a tasty bribe first. She doesn’t take kindly to strangers on her back. Just ask the last street urchin she spat on. Poor boy stunk for a month.

[Cyrania]

Gwyniera's Journal

"I do not know why you wouldn't tell her so, where is-" Then the book was slammed shut as the caravan came up.

The Merchant's Caravan

Arthur whispered back to her. "I'll be sure to." Then he spoke out to the others. "You all clearly have gone through much hardship. We can give you what aid we can here. It must have been quite the struggle you went through." He moved to watch Dalious, glancing at the book he'd handed him. His skin paled, then he looked back up at the pirate. "Where did you get this?

[Fetzen]

Fyr's facial expression briefly, but nontheless seriously derailed as his ears picked up how the self-proclaimed, greatest pirate of all times named Dalious did take less than a minute to get them all into trouble. If it hadn't potentially made them all look like a band of ragtag idiots who couldn't stand each other, he would have pulled the man off the cart and introduced to a rant. With that option ruled out for aforementioned reason however, the giant had little other choice than to just wait anxiously for the reaction of whom seemed to be the leader of the small caravan.

The latter turned out to be rather modest however. How would he himself have reacted if he had been in charge of these traveling party ? Given Dalious the kick-in-the-ass of his lifetime maybe ? Or not maybe, but certainly! On the other hand, Fyr had to admit silently to himself that he was not entirely free of guilt himself at this point, but at least he so far had merely looked at the camel from close on. Despite the fact that he had lost quite a few pounds due to malnourishment during their involuntary stay in the cave, he still doubted the animal would be up to the challenge of carrying him.

"I have to apologise for Dalious' behavior, but unfortunately it's not really under my control. I think it's fair to say we are rather desperate at this point for..." Fyr did not consider his address so far to be particularly good at all, but he also knew that the really weird and ugly part was only to come right now. More ugly than their current, bloody appearace that was. "... erm... we've just fought our way out of this slave camp." and Fyr pointed towards the cave's entrance. His tone was perhaps a surprisingly calm, but he also knew that the slavers were all dead at this point and couldn't pursue them anymore.

What about the other slaves though that had helped them ? Would they find their way out of the desert ? None of them had show up at the surface yet, so Fyr briefly wondered where they had gone. Over all the fighting, he had kinda lost track of them.

"I ask for your kindliness to take us with you until we are out of the desert, even though I have to admit that certain members of our party seem to take that already for granted. If there's not enough space in the cart, I could ride on the camel ?"

[Timemaster]

Ashevelen shook her head at Dal and muttered out a string of swear words that would make a sailor blush. If he wouldn’t have been useful for the future, Ashe would’ve killed him at this point. Too big of a target. Why did she ever get involved with these people? Why did she have to find Manzur in the first place? Big disappointment he turned out to be.

“We’ve fought some slavers down below in the mines. I suggest we’ll leave and leave fast before they come out seeking retribution and a few more additions. Unfortunately, these two are the only ones I managed to save but better than none. ” said Ashe with a charming smile. She just had to picture herself as a hero.

“Name’s Ashevelen, these are Dal and Fyr. Pirate and…warrior. I’m the resident luck mage of the group. If you’ve got questions for us, I suggest you ask them on the way…seeing that Dal already decided for you that you’re going to take us to the closest city. ” Ashe replied before going inside the caravan herself.

Looking at Fyr, she burst out laughing. "I'll pay you 5 gold pieces if you can get that camel to hold you, Fyr. "

[Samara]

Lapis eyed the pirate suspiciously for a moment before turning her attention to his companions. She smiled graciously at Fyr and Ashe, finding them leagues more palatable at first introduction than Dalious. She told them her own name, accepting their request for a ride with a simple nod.

I have given your Dalious…Dal…a canteen of water if you’d like to share it. I’m sure you all have a mighty thirst after your ordeal in the caves. I would like to hear the story on our way if you’re inclined to share it.

Turning to Fyr, she reached into a hidden pocket and held out a dried date.

Here, feed her this before you mount her.

Helah snuffled a bit, then lipped the date greedily. She seemed not to mind Fyr swinging a leg up over her back, chewing placidly as he squirmed a bit, getting comfortable. When he’d settled, she let out a long, blustery fart, the only protest she gave.

Lapis raised her eyebrows, a bit nonplussed for a moment. Abruptly she spun on her heel and clapped her palms together once.

Alright, I think Helah’s ready to get moving, so we will go. Everyone please find your seats on the wagon. Mind the wares. Perhaps after you’re all rested a bit more, we can discuss payment.

With that she hopped up into her seat at the front and picked up the reins.

[Fetzen]

It seemed that Ash was sharing his own approach of not sharing Dalious' approach, Fyr noticed gladly as he got himself ready on the camel. Also a bit to his own surprise, the beast didn't buckle. It seemed to be strained quite a bit though because why else should it have felt the need to release the exquisite gases it had held in store for so long already just now ? They were moving forwards however, and the odour had been blown out backwards, so he was not affected by it really and left to enjoy the desert sun. He would have found it quite too hot under normal circumstances, but the many days below surface had taken its toll on pretty much everything -- including his muscles! That was to change quickly once he had enough access to real food instead of mushrooms, or at least so Fyr hoped.

"I'd say these are the 5 gold pieces most quickly earned in my life so far, Ash!" Fyr called back happily. "Or did you have any time limit in mind we need to go on before this challenge is completed ?" he double checked for any nasty backdoors she might have added to the bet silently. "Or does my current constitution not count really ?" Fyr laughed before looking back ahead again.

In front of them seemed to be nothing but sand, blue skies and a layer of fluctuating air stuck somewhere in between. No other caverns at least, it seemed. The worry was real as experience dictated that caves tended to come in clusters and why should the slavers have stopped with just one source of their preferred export item ? That was assuming this idiotic mushroom mining operation hadn't been just a coverup for something much more sinister he still didn't truly understand.

"So how long do you think it will take to get out of this place ?" he asked, not addressing anyone specifically.

[Cyrania]

"It depends on where you want to head." Arthur raised his head from the book Dalious had given him. "Our original destination should not be more than two days away. If you have some other destination in mind though, the desert is far and vast." Then his eyes went to skimming through the book, his skin paling.

What sort of person wrote in this journal?! So much in here was dark and unholy, and all the detailed rituals...This couldn't be the pirate's doing. For all his odd behaviors, he did not seem to have the knowledge and intelligence for such acts. And the luck mage and the warrior on Helah didn't seem the type either, nor would likely allow their pirate companion to hand over their journal. But looks could be deceiving...

He couldn't help but watch them all carefully as the wagon clattered as it rode on, keeping close to Lapis. She seemed capable of holding her own, but if one of these three was really a dark wizard, he certainly would not want either of them to be caught off guard.

[Timemaster]

Ashevelen looked at Arthur and shook her head as she saw him looking at the journal.

"Don't mind that journal. We've taken it from the wizard that lead the slaves we defeated. You can keep it if you pay for it, if not, hand it back, please. " said Ashe before turning towards Dal as she poked him with the tip of her sword, gently, in the shoulder.

"And Dal. Don't give our loot to random people! I swear to the Gods, how were you a pirate?! What did you do, rob the rich and gave it to the poor?"

Two days later - The Village

A small village emerged like a mirage in the heart of the scorching desert. This oasis of life was known as Zephyr, a haven of respite amidst the harsh, unforgiving landscape.

Zephyr nestled within a natural depression, shielded from the relentless desert winds by towering rock formations that seemed to rise out of the sand like ancient guardians. The village was a marvel of engineering and adaptation, a testament to the tenacity and resourcefulness of its inhabitants.

Huts and buildings were constructed from sun-baked adobe bricks and were painted in earthy hues that blended harmoniously with the desert surroundings. Intricate mosaics and hand-carved wooden accents added splashes of color and character to the otherwise simple architecture. Narrow, winding pathways snaked through the village, leading to hidden gardens and cool alcoves where weary travelers could find shade and solace.

At the heart of Zephyr lay a shimmering oasis, a tranquil pool of crystal-clear water fed by an underground spring. Palm trees swayed gently in the breeze, their fronds casting dancing shadows on the water's surface. The oasis was a lifeline, providing sustenance for the villagers and a haven for exotic desert creatures that gathered to drink.

Zephyr was more than just a physical sanctuary; it was a cultural crossroads where merchants, nomads, and travelers from distant lands converged. A bustling marketplace came to life in the cooler hours of dawn and dusk, a vibrant tapestry of colors and scents as exotic spices, precious gems, and intricately crafted goods were bartered and exchanged.

Ashevelen stood up as the village appeared in view.

"Beautiful village. Let's go over to the tavern, after breathing sand for the past 2 days...I need a drink and we need to make some money. " declared Ashe to the group, trying to leave quickly in the hopes on not having to pay the merchant.

[Sol Grim]

Dalious

Dalious choked when he heard that payment was needed. He just uncomfortably twitched and then passed the water jug on to Ashe. He assured himself it would all work out later, or they would quickly ditch these guys and run. Regardless, they needed to leave this place.

When Ashe stabbed him in his shoulder he raised his hands in a confused manner as if to say, the hell!??

"She's just that cranky sort...you look like a good lad," he spoke to Arthur. "Don't worry bout it, if you want it it's yours. For fun. Just don't become some psychopath reading it, oherwise I'll snatch it right back!". The boy reminded him of himself in a sense, as Dalious had started his journeys long ago as a ride along novice to a ship crew.

...

Dalious fell to sleep along the way and dreamt of horrible things. The faces of every single person he had killed were dominant in his nightmares, from the first person he killed to the latest.

He woke upon reaching the village they were travelling to and made a quick observation of his surroundings. The scenery was vastly different than he was used to, but more or less it all felt the same as every other place he had been.

"Lapis, we thank you for bringing us to safety," Dalious told her as he stretched. "Can I buy you a drink? Oh wait, that's right, I'm broke...and we owe you coin anyway. And also we're still covered in dry blood and guts. Damns we really should have planned all this out better on the way. Ashe, buy Lapis a drink for me...and then buy me a drink too...that mask you're wearing should sell for enough right? Right! Let's go."

[Fetzen]

Fyr

It seemed that, in spite of what Fyr could only hope had already been the pirate's best efforts, Lapis and Arthur had not become fed up with their humble party quick enough to toss them out into the desert before reaching Zephyr. An interesting name that was by the way, having an ending very similar to his own name. And, looking at the architecture, Fyr also couldn't help but feel reminded about his own homeland even though the latter was thousands of miles away by now, probably.

Harsh, neverending winds ? Where he came from, this was an common challenge, too.
Lethal temperatures ? The cold could kill just as well as the heat, the primary difference was in the means necesary to protect against it.
The need to find water ? In theory, water was a quite ubiquitous resource in his homeland, but in practice this resource was often frozen rock solid and heating by means of firewood was a lot of effort. Finding a reliable, steady source of liquid, clean water was just as important for the foundation of a settlement there as it obviously was here in the desert.

So things really weren't so vastly different if one looked below the surface, Fyr thought. Of course the culture very much was as none of the carvings told him anything except that they looked odd and probably took some serious effort to make. So these were not some barbaric, nomadic tribes as some not so trustworthy figures claimed at times. Somewhere around the mental formation of the word 'barbaric' however, Fyr's stomach growled. It had done so for weeks of mushroom diet already, but now that some proper food was just a toss of a coin away the craving really surged. He needed meat, no matter what kind of meat but a lot of it. And he needed it now. But... but... he also knew he shouldn't even bother to check his his pockets for any coin for he knew just too perfectly there wasn't any. He was as broke as Dalious as this point, he just didn't say it as loudly.

"Couldn't agree with you more, Ashe. I just don't know how we're supposed to do that quickly." Somewhere else there was always something to do for an ad hoc mercenary, but here ? This place looked just too civilized or people were just way too good at hiding the evil boiling underneath. Fyr didn't follow Ashe as quickly however for she made a run for it just a tad too quickly for his mood. Weren't they supposed to, let's say, at least express some sort of gratitude ? Fyr made a quick gesture towards Ashe trying to indicating that he'd follow her soon, but not right away.