[IC] Avalia

[FunnyGuy]

【Ｔｉｍｅ】 Night
【Ｌｏｃａｔｉｏｎ】 North Pass
【Ｉｎｔｅｒａｃｔｉｏｎｓ】 None
【Ｅｑｕｉｐｍｅｎｔ】 Magic infused collar | Simple bow | Coin pouch | Various herbal satchels | Simple bone dagger

---

When the tables turned on the monkey man due to Cyrene’s craftiness, he did what he did best. Eros had a knack for being crafty himself. With bristled hairs, Eros rolled his body in one direction, freeing his torso before just as rapidly rolling his body in the opposite direction to free his feet.

With a grunt and a red glow to his irises, he hopped to his feet, glaring into Cyrene's eyes filled with desperation.

“Don’t. You. Dare!” Eros growled as the rope was being torn.

Cyrene looked up at Eros with the last strands of fibers in her mouth. Pausing as she thought about it, she ripped her head back with a jerk snapping the last of the fibers. Finally, she managed to free her hands as her wrists held the last bit of the rope around them. Standing to her feet she looked at the searing-eyed Eros “I will honor my agreement but I will NOT be held in chains.” Her eyes narrowed on the man as she attempted to size him up. “You help me. I help you. With mutual respect given. I will not be your captor or anyone else’s.” Her tone was firm as each word was enunciated slowly and fully to ensure he understood her words.

A snarl was escaping through Eros’ gritted teeth as his eyes illuminated in the darkness of night. The desire to beat Cyrene until she could hardly move crossed his mind. All it would take was a sudden pounce and a well-placed strike. As prepared as he was to do just that, a chirp from Beebee caused him to narrow his eyes. Another chirp filled the air, causing Eros to let out a low grunt as he straightened his posture.

Cyrenes eyes flicked between the small creature and Eros noticing his change of tune as the creature appeared to communicate with him.

“Fine! I’ll only tie you up when I need rest. But I am not helping you. I am helping myself get enough amas to… To feel like I’m free, I guess.” Cyrene’s brow raised slightly at his comment as he let out a second grunt. “You can walk ahead while I gather my rope… A rope that you ruined,” He grumbled as he gathered it up. She’ll pay for that. I don’t care what Beebee thinks.

Taking a few reluctant steps, she looked at him as he grathered the rope continuing to grumble to himself. Rubbing her wrists as she turned back around she followed his instructions and continued to walk the path that appeared to have been traveled a time or two. I could run.. Cyrene thought for a moment as her eyes darted around the foliage that engulfed them. However, Elrand snuck into her mind once more. His toothy grin and deep chuckle echoed as the hairs on her arms raised. She wrapped her arms around herself tightly as if a protective instinct took over her.

A friendly chirp came from Beebee as he hovered over her right shoulder. Cyrenes eyes met the small creature’s as she offered it a smile as his large black eyes peered upon her curiously. He chirped once more as he rotated his body to face behind her, almost as if to draw her attention to the fact that Eros was absent.

Seeing the small creature's reaction she stopped to look behind her, scanning for Eros as she realized that he hadn’t been following her. “Where’d he go?” she asked the tiny creature. Unfortunately, all he did was chirp again. Beebee was far below having the intuition and communication skills of other animals but for some odd reason, Eros didn't make it seem this way. Loneliness was a hell of a thing…

“Ha!” Eros’ voice boomed as he ran from his tent, causing Cyrene to jump slightly at the outburst. Now equipped with a few extra items. He was wearing a backpack, had a bow with a quiver of iron-tipped arrows, and a wooden spear in hand. Cyrene watched Eros jog towards her and yet again, Beebee chirped. Looking over at Beebee she smiled softly before it fell as Eros re-approched.

“That seems a bit excessive”

“Excessive? Tch.” Cyrene's eyes scanned over all the items he carried with him. If he thought of using any of those things against Erland he would be quickly humbled. “Planning on hunting game with that?”

“Hmm.” He gave a guttural hum as he poked his index finger right between her shoulder blades, against her spine. “Walk forward Siren. My tools are none of your concern. Focus on which you’ve been poor at. Walk!” Eros demanded.

Letting out a heavy sigh match with an eye roll, Cyrene began to move one foot in front of the other once again. “You know… I could have just ran when you weren’t looking. But I didn’t… So maybe a little more respect would be nice.” she said between gritted teeth as her eyes stayed focused on the trail in front of them.

“Respect? Heh… Hehehahahaha! Respect?! For a Siren?! A flesh eater? A murderer? Beebee, do you hear this?” Eros was finally smiling again. Beebee let out a chirp as he found his place over Eros’ right shoulder. “Right. I shouldn't commend a Siren for being bad at being a deceitful wretch. If anything, I’m only grateful for having such an easy catch to sell. You walk. I talk. My amas will stack high as the nest of a falk. Heh. That's how things-”

THUMP Before Eros could finish his sentence Cyrene’s fist met his face with a strong force, enough to knock him slightly back as it planted against his cheek. Her brows were furrowed in anger and frustration as she stood in front of him. “Kiss my tail, you stupid monkey boy.” She knew he would retaliate but she promised herself she would never be silent any longer. “I hope you choke on those Amas. You don't know me.” She turned back around and began to march off in the same direction, this time with more aggressive steps as she growled under her breath. She continued marching even as Beebee chirped repetitively from where she had left Eros to taste her wrath.

Quick and deadly the wooden spear flew. Its blunt base crashed violently into the back of Cyrene's head. As it made contact with her, Cyrene stumbled over her feet before swiftly turning back with furrowed brows. Her hand reached for the back of her head while she grit her teeth. She had to stop every fiber in her being from tackling the monkey boy but it wouldn’t get her anywhere. Instead, she reached down and grabbed the spear from the ground, taking a moment to admire the craftsmanship on it, she tossed it down towards his feet. “You dropped this,” she said before turning back around and continuing to walk as she huffed under her breath.

“You just can't help but lie. I threw this-” Eros picked the weapon up from the ground. “-at your big thick head. Strike me again and I'll show you my true strength. Two orcs, remember that. Two!” Eros trailed behind her with his hairs still slightly bristled. Cyrene was hard proof that acquiring wealth was never easy, no matter the method.

“Two small ones maybe….” She said in a snarky tone as she twirled her hand in the air with a flourish. She couldn’t help but hold back a grin as she could tell she was getting under Eros’s skin. They hadn’t even made it out of viewing distance of the shore yet and already she was testing him. This was going to be fun.

—----

Since the last spat, the trek to Roshmi had remained relatively quiet on the path going south. Sucking of teeth here, low grunts there, but all in all peaceful albeit only several minutes had spanned. The greater and lesser moon provided enough illumination for the two to not require a torch light.

But even low visibility was not enough to shroud the two from the desires of foul beasts. Eros’ ears twitched ever so slightly as he picked up the very faint sounds of steps. One, two, four… no. So many pattering feet! The steps were coming from the thick wooded area to the right of the dirt path.

“Halt, siren.” Eros’ eyes glared in the direction of the faint steps that suddenly stopped the moment he spoke. “We have curious friends or hungry adversaries.”

Cyrene stopped at Eros’ concerned tone, looking back she paused to see his expression focused on the surroundings around him. Her eyes darted slowly back and forth trying to catch a glimpse of movement off in the darkness.

Catching a glimmer of light in the corner of her eye she noticed a long stave shaped stick, if something was coming after them it was better than nothing. Reaching down she slowly grabbed it, careful to not make any sudden moves.

Eros let out a gruff grunt before stepping forth adamantly.

“Leave this to me. You won't be worth much if you're scarred or missing a piece.” Holding his wooden spear firm with both hands, he raised it overhead. “BRING IT ON FOUL BEASTS! I, Eros Amaris of North Pass will crush- will run you through! I said come! Come and face my might!” He had shouted suddenly.

Letting out a drawn-out sigh she looked over at the large stick she held. She tossed it off to the side as she took a step back to the famous Eros of North Pass to handle the situation. Perhaps if she was lucky, whatever was lurking out there would eat him and she wouldn’t have much to worry about anyone.

Walking towards a large tree she turned to lean against it, her eyes settled on Eros as he prepared his attack. Too bad the lurking beasts acted before he did and burst from the treeline with one flying over the two and placing itself closest to Cyrene. The other two beasts raised and spread their wings as they bared their jagged teeth. Their pale faces and red eyes could strike fear into the heart of the unprepared traveler, their antlers and talons tipped sharp enough to gore or slash the most formidable of prey, and their wings gave them the ability to move swiftly to avoid those daring to fight back. Eros and Cyrene found themselves being pincered by three fierce perytons!

[Pink Khione]

ᴛɪᴍᴇ | Sunset
ʟᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ | Northbound on the Eastern Sea
ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴꜱ | Mister Luum @FunnyGuy
ᴍᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴꜱ | Bardulf @Lava Alckon, Masako @dreamingflowers
ᴇQᴜɪᴘᴍᴇɴᴛ | Travel bag with essentials (money, rations, first aid, etc), sapphire pendant, twin daggers.

---

“Strong… Ehhh, they did not do much to help us win the war. They were built to fight, sure but they lack things that make truly good soldiers. Hmm…”

Zeva chuckled. His mention of the war reminded her of the townsfolk and her parents back home, who spoke endlessly of it. In those brief few seconds, it seemed like Mister Luum could’ve been just another elf from her hometown, though she could hardly envision the man in such humble environments. If it weren’t for his unpredictable whimsicality, she may have warmed up to him sooner, and trusted him like the knowledgeable mentors and elders she grew up with.

Zeva motioned toward the warforged and Bardulf with a nod of her head. “Well it looks like Bardulf is already beginning recruitment of said ‘war machine’.” Her fingers curled into two air quotes at the end of the sentence – she found it hard to imagine that this particular warforged, resembling a delicate teapot better preciously stored in displays rather than used, would be any good at war. It was a stark contrast with other warforged she had the chance of meeting at the Oak Tree, typically embellished in all manner of artillery and technological components.

An abrupt tap of Luum’s wooden staff on the hand by Zeva’s side interrupted her ruminations on bipedal machines. His lecture seemed sincere – despite his usual hijinks, she felt that she could trust his magical aptitude at the very least. There weren’t many teachers back at the academy that cared to nurture the skills of a delinquent student who struggled enough already with light magic. Many of them figured Zeva would focus on swordplay instead, and thus, she never gave light magic much more thought. Mister Luum sounded so sure of her potential, and these sweet words reignited Zeva’s fervor for continually surpassing her limits.

A large grin stretched across Zeva’s face. “I hope you’re right about that. Not that I ever was any good at school – I learned most of what I know now from my parents.” She put her hands behind her back, straightened up, and faced Luum with an expectant gleam in her eyes. “So, where do I start?”

[ShiningSector]

Time: Evening
Location: Campsite outside Roshmi City
Interactions and mentions: Scathael @Apex Sunburn, Aerilyn @Alivefalling, Mari @princess, and Thraash @funnyguy

---

Although Aerilyn urged him to set Mari down, Five disregarded the request and waited for the light elf's explanation. Mari complied though only after apparently marveling over her suspended predicament. This, Scathael, Mari claimed, was an individual experienced in making repairs. Though whatever 'experience' that entailed, Mari hadn't specified. Yet specifics be damned at this point, the warforged couldn't afford to be picky now - even he was not finding any luck in accelerating his own repairs.

Still glaring at Mari, a sound akin to that of a groan echoed out from Five's shell just before he relented and gently lowered the light elf back to the earth, <<VERY WELL, AS YOU WERE.>>

Five's head then swiftly spun in Aerilyn's direction and appeared to lower into a bow, <<APOLOGIES.>>

And just like that Five withdrew back to his makeshift worksite and resumed where he left off with his broken limb. Though a single eye was now carefully observing the campsite inhabitants.

[samreaper]

Menzai Isanami

Time: Night

Location: Gaurav

Interactions:

Mentions:

Equipment: White Haori, Gauravian luck charm bracelet, Steel Chain Shirt of Deflection (3 uses per day), Disguise ring

---

Gaurav

A walk that felt long and taxing, became more bearable upon entering his home. The familiarity, the warmth and the myriad of scents; assorted flowers, their flowery aroma gently permeating the air alongside freshly grown berries, a mix of raspberry and strawberry. Though it was the sense of his family embracing him which soothed his bruised and battered body, the seal's painful after-effect lingered all across his prickling skin.

He thought to take it somewhat slow but knew that the group lagging behind would be coming along shortly, too drained for any more interaction for the night. Only pausing briefly to wash and clean his blood-stained right hand, the cool water stinging his palm; a faint, but sharp intake though thankful for it helped distract from the headache pounding persistently so.

Taking notice of his Gaurav Charm gently hugging his wrist softly clinking and splashing. The charm, consisting of five fangs, each tied to the hair-thin silver strand of spider thread; three of them adult while the remaining two were from adult. Each of them were sharp, save for the smallest at the center, clearly not a wolf’s tooth, but stranger yet, were the ruby red lines seemingly etched throughout it.

The unpleasant thoughts creeping at the fringes, claws scratching faintly still. It seemed whatever had stirred was quite yet finished.

Footsteps nearing the front door reminding the wolf, who then carried on his way towards the main hallway connecting to the room. There, he paused briefly; gazing at the door to his parents room; even as the pounding persisted, he wished to check on them.

Their heartbeats confirmed no irregularities and with it came a bit of relief which lightened the pressure assaulting his body currently, albeit only slightly.

A moment more lingering, Menzai quietly made for his bedroom, the door plain and the least assuming of the door save for a few claw marks at child height.

Hand paused briefly on the doorknob as he acknowledged them, a slow, drawn out exhale through his nose.

An audible wince leaving the battered wolf’s lips, now safe in the privacy of his den. Whatever pretense of strength he had held was finally allowed to rest, though with it came a crushing weight, his own haori, it’s fabric normally light as snow now felt like lead.

His body now sagged forward, tired eyes peering into the room without really seeing.

Vision blurred, head pounding fiercely; shadows crept the edges of his eyes…a low hissing whisper rasping against his flickering ears.

Whoosh

A stark glint suddenly caught his gaze, immediately letting out a small surprise gasp from shock. Heart pounding in his chest..or was it the rap of his mind until he realized it was the mirror placed on the back wall.

And like that, he was back in his room. Dark and quiet save for Menzai’s slight panting. Yet, even without light, the wolf had the room (and the entirety of the house) memorized.

A saving grace in this moment for Menzai’s head was pounding like drums that kept building tempo with each passing second; before long it felt as if the room was spinning.

Unsure of what else to do, he trudged his way through the darkness, each step feeling as if walking through tar.

An unknown amount of time later, a semi-heavy thud followed by the faint clacking of something being knocked over. Some quiet fumbling before his clawed hand found the box of matches, experiencing the first difficulty with the loss of his hand.

A most frustrating and poorly timed experience as both the pounding and his breathing continued to worsen; panic beginning to course icily through his veins. Each failed strike would increase in frustrated aggression

Strike; pant

Strike; Pant!

Strike! Gasp

Strike! Gasp!

Stri-

The warm glow of a newly lit candle crackled to life, illuminating the wolf who had just been gasping, now crouched over the desk and with it finally found the ability to breathe; sweat spilling down his face.

Menzai could do little else but remain crouched, hovering over the candle as he feared doing so might allow the overwhelming sick sensation curling within to take over.

Just as well, with his head still a cacophony of pain, leaving him to work on regaining his breath first before attempting elsewise.

Minutes passed; time he attempted to spend thinking over the events that occurred today though as expected; proved difficult with his mind in such a frazzled state.

Nor the immense weight bearing down on him. So much so that, once the wolf regained his composure, had carefully pushed off the desk where he would gingerly undo the haori, finding himself needing to almost peel the fabric from his skin as if it had nearly melded to flesh.

A relieved sigh as the apparent heavy robe was dropped over the edge of the desk, it’s damaged sleeve barely hanging on by a few threads. A fair representation of how he was feeling in this instance.

Was it over? Menzai could only hope as his barely conscious body wobbled weakly, held up only by his sole arm now. The lack of weight from his left side easily felt, though it was the unsettling sense of still being there, much like the phantom limb phenomena he read about.

A flurry of sickness and confusion wracked the injured wolf’s body; skin feeling hot and cold all over as if inflicted with the flu. He barely acknowledged the shivering or anything around him as he tried to focus on the lone flickering flame, the only protection grounding him.

Slowly the poundings started to die and ebb and with it so too the sensations wracking through him.

Quieter and quieter until the crackling candle and gentle breathing were all that remained. Relief etched his face, thinking the ordeal over finally.

Tap tap tap

The tap of finger on glass. Barely perceptible, and only due to his hearing, was he able to pick it up. The relief, once more turned to confusion.

Scrt scrt scrt

Again…but this time it was closer to claws scratching against glass.

Scrt. scrt Scrt!

On the sound persisted; like nails to a chalkboard to the wolf, whirled in place or as much as capable without removing his arm, being the only thing supporting him.

Turning his head sharply to and fro, scanning each part of his room with slow and deliberate scrutiny.

Nothing.

He was alone. That had not changed and yet the scrt scrt scrt kept clawing with no source seemingly in sight.

The normally calm and reserved wolf started showing desperation and fear.

But saw nothing to warrant. For his room offered no real hiding place, being plain and simple that consisted of a single bed that with a single glance could tell had not been slept on. A single bookshelf holding only two books, the desk Menzai currently leaned against where three photos rested, the center one having been knocked over revealing what had fallen previously.

For a moment he thought to place it back when….

Scrt Scrt Scrrrrrrrrrt!

A pained whine came from the wincing wolf as the drawled out scratch continued.

So loud, now revealing its source as Menzai spun around, where at first he thought to glimpse a terrifying beast standing just outside his room, causing Menzai to try and take a defensive stance, but succeeded only partially as any further would surely make him drop without the desk supporting him.

Realization dawned on him seconds after…what he thought was merely his reflection.
Menzai finally caught a full view of himself and what he saw was far from pleasing. For his skin was nearly ghostly pale and colorful bruises (majority healed by Phia, thankfully); soaked in cold sweat, making the tattoos inscribed over his upper body and back stand out in darker contrast.

i.pinimg.com/originals/da/83/f1/da83f…

( LIke this though the portion of the neck is more at the nape of his neck giving a faint resemblance to a collar)

i.pinimg.com/originals/aa/2a/e7/aa2ae…

(The middle and bottom ones inscribed over his abdomen and lower stomach)

They stood out, like black ink on a blank canvas that seemed to still let off the faintly dark violet glow. Along the etched lines, signs of minor red burns and wrinkling as if they had been digging and burning into his flesh.

Though most eye-catching was the tattoo etched onto his breast, directly over his heart.

th.bing.com/th/id/OIP.9zngdt-W_Tbm-pE…

( LIke this but the wolf in between the twin crescent moons overlapping)

Much like his own eyes, it shared a tiny red glint and were any to take a good, close look might find the tattoo almost appearing like an inky black hole spearing through.

The sister’s blessing….and his curse.

Nothing of what he saw of himself looked pleasing to the eye; images of Darius and Phia’s faces flashed through his mind as he was forced to take in his own gruesome and sickly visage.

All the while, he sought to avoid looking at his left shoulder, but no matter how he tried, the reminder could not escape him.

Scrt! Scrt! Scrt!

It came, yet again. That insufferable scratching sound and then his gaze rested upon his own face.

The pale, sweat soaked face stared back with uncertainty and fear, his breathing beginning to pick up.

Eyes widen in shock as he finally saw it.

Monster

Scrt! Scrt! SCRT!

A set of huge, black feral wolven claws scraped at the mirror’s surface, almost as if scratching at his reflection.

Just then, a wolf’s face flashed and overlapped over the left side of his face then pushed against the glass. Black fur rustling; eyes glowing a fierce bright crimson stared back, malice and bloodlust dripping from its rankled maw.

Scrt! Scrt Scrt!.....Groooowllllllllllllllllll.

Scratching; a bone chilling growl permeated the air astride the acrid stink of blood filling his nose like before, only stale.

Menzai found himself rooted in place; unable to process or understand what he was witnessing as he soon felt pressure gripping down on his body or was it his heart; uncertain if it was fear or the seal.

Whatever it was he was feeling, one thing was for certain. This…this apparition? Beast? Whether real or not…was dangerous.

Blood! Rage!

That feral voice rasped yet again in his mind; clawing and scraping.

It was then that black smoke began to form at the bottom of the mirror; rising like black smog, the stench of blood permeating now mixed the rancor of death filling up the mirror till it surrounded his body in the reflection.

Kill! Danger! Spared them…WHY?!

The ephemeral wolf spat wickedly, rage and lust dripping in it’s every words.

Intruders…threatened…..must protect….why?

Why Deny us…Deny me!

It’s voice slowly became more coherent, as if this beast…this monster was gradually improving or gaining strength and at an scarily alarming rate as it's aggression grew in ferocity every time Menzai denied the mirrored beast.

Denied me…allowed them to live!….Why?!

Protect….must protect…isn’t that……all that matters?!

The beast clawed and snapped at the glass; all the while gradually enlarging and becoming more monstrous; fur sharp like razor sharp needles and rows of vicious teeth sprouting in its maw, all dripped in crimson poison.

You…desire to protect…only to fail!

The wolf growled out; this time, however, almost out of wicked glee as if relishing in his fearful denial.

no.

Menzai whispered in response.

A cruel gravelly chuckle rumbled out of the beast, it’s tongue dragged over the surface.


Failure…only failure awaits without me…

no

You need me…

No

Weak….far too weak….but not me….

No.

You can’t deny me

No.

You can’t run from me

No.

Lies….all the lies…but I know

No.

Wanted to tear….rip…thrash….kill...but you denied us

No.

Wretched Fairies….they will take her…

No


They want to take her from us! Let me end them!

No…

KILL TH-

NO!

Menzai exclaimed in fury, refusing to listen any further to the monster's disgusting mockery; having finally gathered his strength combined with the shock of the beast’s murderous declaration.

To put an end to this, Menzai had quickly followed this rebuke by grabbing his haoi and tossing it over the mirror.

As the robe draped over the glass surface, the remaining seconds of visage from the wolf came with its most wicked chuckle yet with an almost cheshire smile, or as close as a wolf could with those crimson eyes glinting with terrifying glee.

Hahhhhh *black smog exhaling from its twisted maw*….hide and run…ignore me…but the day will come…..you will regret letting them live…until then….I shall dream... for the day I shall savor.... the taste of our enemies…

“ Enough….foul beast and return to your slumber.” Menzai sought to challenge confidently, but could only manage a tired whisper.

Then a most unsettling sound between that of a raspy growl and laugh as Menzai saw a single eye staring back, filled with nothing but repressed malice and anger all directed at him. A spine tingling cold filled the grip pressing down on him at all sides.

None may take her from me…any who dare shall feel my fangs….

With the haori finally covering the mirror fully, the horrific sounds and smell of blood vanished.

Next thing the wolf knew he was slumped against the desk; breathing haggard and rough as his body ached and burned in numerous ways. HIs body is shaking from this terrifying experience with a part of him hoping this to be merely a nightmare.

But he knew this to be real..whether in his mind or not.

The monster that had been in deep slumber; now awake and biding it’s time. Parts of him started to doubt and wonder if he could even trust..

No!

He refused to let this…this…. Beastly instinct to stop him. Now here... not now. Not after coming so far! Not after sacrificing his arm!

No matter how difficult or painful, Menzai would not give in to his own instinct’s extremities. For he was Gaurav’s Guardian and he would do everything to keep his pack safe.

To keep her safe.

These thoughts pushed the cruel words from his mind; comforting him. Enough so to afford him enough energy to stand up, where he would pick up the knocked over picture.

Lifting it up, revealing the picture of a young Trinity and Menzai lounging together against a tree, a book on the boy’s lap. With it came the charm that had been hers with its four fangs; one being his own.

A painful twinge struck his heart as he held them gingerly in his hand. A rush of emotions he had long since buried away started flooding through him.

Such that he could normally resist, but in such an abysmally weak state, it was proving overpowering.

Long pass having had enough this night, Menzai hastily placed the picture back in its place in between the other two. The left picture showcasing the Isanami family pre-Phia all huddled together and much like the previous one, the young boy cub could be seen smiling brilliantly.

The remaining picture had Phia hugging Menzai’s side, but unlike the other photos and to Menzai’s own dismay, could see himself neither returning the hug or smiling.

A heavy sharp exhale through his nose; regretting how he had treated her at first and now it was forever saved in this picture. There were countless better ones…

But these were the ones he kept. Further reminders of his resolve and now with Phia’s original family, along with the brothers would be under his care.

Gripping both of the siblings' charms in his hand, the beaten wolf allowed himself to slump down to the floor; back to the desk.” I must be strong. I will endure through it all…long as I breathe, I will not allow any to harm my pack...not from unknown evils…nor myself..” Clutching the charms in his hand to the point the fangs could be felt against his palm.” For them…for Phia.”

“ For you…Trinity.” Whispering his promise, voice cracking at the end as hugged the charms to his chest, a comforting blanket.

Quietly, the wolf sat there, slumped against the desk. Sleep did not come easy, but the comfort of the charms and exhaustion allowed sleep to take him.

Tears spilled with sullen bitterness and longing.

[Helo]

Time: Evening
Location: Flying above The Righteous Tern
Interactions: Rue@Potter
Equipment:Sword, hunting knife, a backpack with supplies, and a stoat named Raze who naps in the pocket of his vest.

---

“And I you, not sure I could say the same for Raze but that critter’s more suited for sneakary and thievin’ anyways.” Bowyn replied and patted the pegasus as she flew, a signal that Starfire too would be protected.

Bowyn looked a Rue as he thought about what she’d said about Zeva. If she has a family, I then feel bad. She should be back with them and not with us. It was like they were on the same page but reading from two different books. Rue held earnest concern for Zeva and those she held dear, but Bowyn could only see a young elf with family ties as a liability. Even if Zeva didn’t want to betray them, and he had doubts about that, he couldn’t see her holding up if the dark elves went after her family.

“Bardulf is not Avalian, our problems don’t have to be his, but he chooses to carry the burden. He is a good man, worth trusting anyway.” He commented on Bardulf, whose lack of family or any close ties that weren’t fellow rebels certainly eased trusting him.

“You think Luum and Bridget are a thing? They have an odd dynamic.” He asked the mostly rhetorical question aloud but hearing it spoken made it sound even more farfetched than it did in his head. “Do all secrets come to light when you’re power includes manipulating the light?”

[Helo]

Time: Evening
Location: Gaurav Village
Interactions: Phia@princess
Equipment: A pack with some supplies, seeds (in his pockets), a small knife, a mask that hangs from his belt, a weapon with a shifting charm that is either a sickle or a glaive, and a shield/drum with an unbreakable charm.

---

For a moment the possibility dangled in front of him; Viola, Phia, and he all returning to the same frozen dessert stand they’d frequented as children. New memories built in nostalgic places. Except that stand had been burnt to the ground and it’s owner taken away in chains. Such destruction had befallen every know member of Millinia’s Militia, not just his eldest brother Florian. As that possibility burned away, he thought of all the reasons why he could never go home again and how it would never be his home the way it once was.

Then all anger and hatred that he tried to rid himself of sprouted forth, it grew beneath a glow of a white hot rage. Sprouting first in the gut as that twisted feeling grew and constriced around his heart, slowly stealing the light from his spirit. A wave of nausea at having let it take root so easily cut it back down. A stump that festered but never died away. This was not the place for it, this was a family table.

He then noticed the squished piece of fruit he’d grasped too tightly in that moment. He smeared it’s remnants across a piece of bread as if he meant to do such a thing all along.

“The place I went to, it is gone now, but they sell Riverfruit Shushs just about anywhere you can find Riverfruits, and the world has many rivers. We could travel someplace to find one.” Cyrus paused, he pulled a small knife from his pocket and used it to carefully carve a piece of Riverfruit away until he found a seed. He placed the seed on the table between him and Phia and smiled.

“Or, we can find a nice river nearby, grow a Riverfruit Tree, and then I can teach you how to make Riverfruit Slushs. You could have them anytime you’d like, even enough to share with the whole village here.” He offered. This was the better option; any major city or port would hold the dangers of dark elf presence, the potential to be recognized, and it was better that officially, Cypress Millinia stayed dead and Cyrus remained unnoted and unimportant.

[Lava Alckon]

Bardulf

Time: Evening
Location: Aboard the Righteous Tern
Interaction: Masako @dreamingflowers

Equipment

80 amas, Heirloom Halberd, cloak, set of leather armor/clothes
Newly Added:Winter clothes, 50 steel ball bearings, animal trap, net, darksight glasses, aand 30 ft of rope

Bardulf observed the moving machination with both curiosity and caution. It was like he expected them to spring out at him at any moment until they announced their intentions. "Elven family, huh? Seems...important." Bardulf calmed himself and corrected any erratic posture he had preceeding this moment. Normally the man would likely nod and walk off from the interaction to avoid draining any of his delicate social battery. But here he opted to relax himself and engage further with the warforged.

"You say you're protecting your kids, huh? I hope you find them soon. Where do you think they are? And why do you think they are gone from home?" There was a brief pause before he thought of something else to say to Masako. "I, uh, hope that isn't too many question."

It wasn't groundbreaking by any means but Bardulf felt a slight relief on his shoulders being able to converse as easily as this with someone else while rocking on the boat of a ship in a completely foreign land. There was certainly alot for him to digest but Bardulf would do his best to survive and adapt to his surroundings.

[Conscripts]

Time: Evening
Location: Forest clearing, campfire
Interactions: Aurora/Rowan @mole Zora/Vasco @JJ Doe Veric @Lava Alckon
Mentions: None
Equipment: Longsword and Plate Armor

---

The split second decision Barrock made upon seeing even just a glimpse of the dark elf's presence was a life-saver, because he would not have been able to dodge the shockwave if it was already halfway through the movement, or the ball. Only his foresight and slowed visions were the safeguard against potentially fatal damage.

"Assuming you're worthy enough to ruin our playtime." Barrock taunted, once he recovered from the dodge. He stood up straight, his longsword still held firm in his hand, but still in its sheathe. He held it close to his hip, the towering orc began to lumber towards the dark elf.

To the dark elf, it might seem like this was foolhardy buffoonery from a typical orc. Barrock was clearly slower, with a noticeable limp too, but he was going on the offensive, with his weapons sheathed no less. His clan's tattoo on his forehead could be an even bigger giveaway to the degree of intelligence he had. But could this be in any way a trick? This might be too easy.

'Come on, strike me.' Barrock beckoned in thoughts.

[FunnyGuy]

Time: Noon → Evening
Location: Roshmi City → Camp
Interaction: @princess Mari, @Alivefalling Aerilyn, [@Apex Sunset] Scathael, [@Shining Sector] FIVE

---

Like a wild animal, Thraash indulged in the contents of the pot, taking huge gulps of the hot meaty, savory stew. He had initially planned on getting one solid gulp in, but the pot’s contents were too good not to go for a few more servings. Damn, this is good! Thraash was in the middle of his third gulp when a rock crashed into shoulder. It didn’t do much to harm him but it did cause Thraash to have a moment of pause. Still holding the pot by his maw, he shot his piercing amber glare toward Aerilyn.

“Fuck you.” He said plainly before he licked a dribble of the stew running down the side of the pot. Despite his reply, he ceased his devouring of stew and set the pot back in place. “Solid cookin’ though. Try adding more-” Thraash cut himself off as he watched Five lift Mari off the ground. He turned his body to face the two, ready to scrap with the metal man again if it came to it. He’d probably end up a dead man but he was itching for the thrill of it. His desires, however, would not be met this night.

Mari being who she was, knew exactly how to talk things out. It was a greatest quirk, and even better than the tricks she could accomplish with her magic. Thraash could reluctantly admit that her silver tongue got the two out of plenty of messes in the past. It took almost no time for her to be lowered down by Five. He even apologized for his actions. Solid. He couldn’t help but let loose a small chuckle before approaching Mari.

“So we found someone that can fix ‘em? Good shit, Mari but I was really hopin’ I could start calling the tin-can, Four or somethin.’” As the distance between him and his long-time companion closed, he spoke slightly more sincerely. Just slightly. “You good? And I’m coming along for the meet. I can probably add a little flavor of intimidation while you work on hagglin’ with this Scathael guy. Maybe threaten to take his arm if he tries to rack up the price on Five’s repairs.” Thraash couldn’t help but flash a toothy grin.

[FunnyGuy]

Time: Evening
Location: Aboard the Righteous Tern, Northbound on the Eastern Sea
Interaction: Zeva @Pink Khione
Mention: Bardulf @Lava Alckon, Rue @Potter, Bowyn @Helo, Brigitte, Masako @dreamingflowers
Equipment:Fancy Ring, Cold Ring, Oak Wood Staff IS BACK, Brown Leather Fingerless Channeling Gloves (not worn), Transmission Bracelet, 659 Amas.

---

“Remind me to give Bardulf a few words of admiration if he’s successful.” Mister Luum looked on at the two speaking in the distance. The situation seemed fine from where he stood but if it wasn’t the case, he was sure he could put in some practice on his grand dream of being the greatest sniper in Avalia. The distance is so short though. I don’t even need Brigitte’s help to hit that warforged… Hmm… Bardulf could lose a limb but he’d be alive, I’m sure. In pain, yes. Screaming bloody murder, yes. That’s fine though. The bigger problem would be the lightning exploding out every orifice of his being… That’s how Mister Luum imagined it, anyway.

Though Zeva replied to him, he kept his eyes on the pair over yonder. As much as he would have also enjoyed watching the love birds fly across the night sky, he had to have some level of caution. Ugh… It would be easier to just blow his arm off and let the sparks fry the warforged. Now that would be something no one has ever seen… Though the fairies would likely hate that. Even if I lied and claimed I missed. Oh… Zeva!

Quickly, Mister Luum slightly turned his head as he barely caught her say “...where do I start?”

“Umm. Start?” He appeared to be thoroughly bewildered as he had only caught a small part of what she had said. Fortunately, Mister Luum was not so easily beaten! “Magic! Yes!” He felt fortunate to be able to recall the topic before the brief silence between them became awkward. Though his exclamation was very telling that he might not have been listening.

“Forget everything I said before about picking what you do best, and just think of how you want to use your magic. If it doesn’t work, well we’ll just have to count it as a loss and try something else.” It was almost impressive how easily he shrugged after saying this. “Firstly, we need to ensure Solaris is high in the sky. As bright as he can be! Your magic will be extra potent with his blessing!” He briefly put a hand on her shoulder before quickly snatching it away upon making contact. He almost behaved as if he touched a hot stovetop and tucked the hand beneath his arm holding his staff. As strange as the moment was, he continued.

“You don’t seem so great at producing light on your own, so instead, focus on gathering it from around you. The established elite mages of Illuminata might say it’s a crutch since you’re relying on an outside source for your magic but those fools lost the war and you, my dear friend are not a mage. Magic can simply be a spare tool or weapon for someone like you.”

tldr

Mister Luum keeps watch of Bardulf and Masako. While considering Masako being a potential threat, he thinks of how he would violently act if Masako presented ill will toward the human. Deep in thought, Mister Luum barely registers Zeva’s inquiry on where to start with magic training, and he gives her a mouthful to think about while also contradicting some of his previous statements.

[Lava Alckon]

Time: Evening
Location: Riverbloom
Interactions: Barrock @Conscripts, Aurora @Mole, Rowan, and Zora
Mentions: None
Equipment: A greataxe with Shockwave and Ethereal enchantment, Leather armor with Absorption enchantment, and Magic Nullification shackles

The shockwave from his axe rang out into the ground, barely missing the light elf and human with their evasive maneuvers. The iron ball he threw earlier bounced off of Aurora's staff protecting Zora, and landed uselessly into the grass behind them. Veric took note of the orc taunting him into striking, and with a smirk on his face he decided to speak to the man before making his next move. "Nah!" The elf swung his axe up just as quickly as it had come down, and the perceptive among the group would notice three runes emblazed upon the shaft of the weapon. One such rune began to glow bright with magical energy as he swung it down towards Zorra.

Just as the axe would have made contact with the staff, the blade and hilt became translucent and passed through it. The axe had become ethereal for just a brief moment in his swing, allowing the weapon to easily pass through the staff and continue towards the human's torso. Just as blade came close to flesh, its form became solid once more as he shouted out. "You aren't worthy even worthy enough of being my target, green boy! HAHAHAHA!" The rune on his weapon fizzled out, with two more remaining dimly lit as the chorus of unholy sounds would curse the party's ears.

First came the sickening squelch of steel against flesh as the blade continued its course through the human's neck. Then came the abhorrent split-second crunch of bone as the great axe effortlessly sundered the very spine that support Zora's upper body. Finally, the unsettling silence that followed as the axe remained stuck in her sundered body. What was once a jovial smile became a look of disgust on the woman's face. She was likely about to abhor and insult the dark elf for approaching her so casually, but in that moment of casual banter that filled her mind - Veric chose to violently and swiftly take his prey.

With the light fading from her eyes rapidly, and his weapon now stuck inside his "trophy", Veric shot towards Barrock in a fit of euphoric rage and cockiness. He decided to grab her body and shift it towards his fallen shackles in an attempt to escape now that his mission was complete. His hand shot out to grab his new "trophy" by hair, as the other balled into a fist aimed at Barrock's mid-section. "But I suppose I could indulge the little grunt for lettin' have my kill!"

[princess]

Time: Evening
Location: Guavav Village - Menzai's home
Interactions: @Helo Cyrus
Mentions: @Funnyguy Darius/Dante
Equipment: Staff with unbreaking and shift enchantment(shifts into dagger), Her bag, Water Purifier, Flask, some shiny pebbles
Attire:Dress, which she decorated with flowers and hung little charms off the ropes, A small antler headdress with flowers and jewels, amulet with Millinia Crest, wooden butterfly earrings, various bracelets

Phia leaned forward, her hands firmly planted on the table, her gaze laser-focused on the seed as Cyrus spoke. "We can create an orchard." she declared intensely with unwavering determination. Then, she rose from her seat and gestured animatedly, fingers dancing in the air to underscore her vision. "Then, we can create a riverfruit slush stand and proceed to profit."

She slowly sat back down, daydreaming momentarily about the fun they could have with their business venture. However, all the while, her expression was dead serious as she nodded to herself. After a few more vigorous bites of her fruit, she slapped the table out of nowhere.

"Cyrus. We should go find Darius and Dante... I'd like to make sure they eat."

[princess]

Time:Late Morning
Location::The Nest, Roshmi City
Interaction: @Alivefalling Aerilyn, @Apex Sunburn Scathael, @ShiningSector FIVE @FunnyGuy Thraash
Equipment: Repeating crossbow, a bag, sword, two daggers, 3 small red potions, 1 large red potion, 1 large blue potion, hoverboard, portable solar box, eye protectors, fire starter kit, channeling gloves that turn her light magic orange, makeup, perfume, a skull she wears as a mask and a disguise ring

Mari couldn't help but smirk to herself as FIVE offered an apology. She brushed off her sleeves and turned around with a mischievous grin.

One step closer to recruiting the robot with the cool arm cannon to our party.

Her gaze then shifted to Thraash as he approached. As she turned to face her dragonborn friend, she boasted, "Hell yeah, of course, I found somebody. Roshmi folk love me!" She nudged him playfully with her elbow, adding, "You better come along Trash. I always need your expertise! Yeah, we'll totally give this guy the old one-two..."

She then proceeded to spin around and face the group, "Whoever's in, let's hit the road! And FIVE, if you're not feeling it, no worries, we'll just drag the bitch down here. And if he gets upset about it, we'll give him some soup. Everyone loves soup."

[dreamingflowers]

Time: Evening
Location: The Righteous Tern - main deck
Interactions: Bardulf
Equipment: Oil-paper parasol

---

Masako's acute senses picked up on Bardulf's discomfort. Instead of answering his string of questions she immediately sprang forward in concern. Her porcelain like fingers touched his forehead gently. Other beings seemed to able to gather information about another's person well being this way. It was a skill she was still trying to improve.

"You seem uncomfortable. What is wrong?"

The wind moved a strand of Bardulf's hair into his eyes which Masako gently pushed back behind his ear. She wondered what caused him to feel this way. Perhaps he was hungry and needed something to eat, or maybe his sleep had been terrible, plagued by nightmares. Unfortunately she didn't have much to offer him at this time. It proved much more difficult to care for someone when she wasn't living in a place where food and beds were readily available.

The Warforged patiently waited on an answer.

[Mole]

_{T I M E : One Week After Human Arrival
L O C A T I O N : Riverbloom, The River
I N T E R A C T I O N S : @JJ Doe, @Conscripts , @Lava Alckon
T A G S : @JJ Doe , @Conscripts , @Lava Alckon
E Q U I P M E N T :}

[+]

_N/A

Aurora felt the movement of the Dark Elf rippled through the air. His scent lingered a path around him, and the faintest spirit that possessed his weapon shot through her vision.

What should have been a blow to her staff swished past her, and the death of Zora echoed in her ears.

“Zora…” the whisper was barely audible from Aurora’s lips. She felt her hand trembling around her staff. In front of her, Rowan’s own light was churning.

Suddenly, a sickening sound drenched the air.

“Zora!” Aurora called out as the Dark Elf dragged the human body through the air and the hellish sound screamed around them. Her hands immediately clasped over her ears, as her mouth opened, but her voice failed to cry-out from the pain.

Rowan pulled his weapon and lunged towards the enemy, in an attempt to retrieve Zora and help Barrock. He was shouting something at the Dark Elf, but Aurora could not hear it.

[FunnyGuy]

Time: Noon → Evening
Location: Roshmi City → Camp
Interaction: @princess Mari, @Alivefalling Aerilyn, [@Apex Sunset] Scathael, @ShiningSector FIVE

---

Thraash gave a single nod to Mari’s air of confidence. Even being such a long-time acquaintance of her attitude and antics, he always found himself amped by her bold disposition.

“Yeah, hurry if you're gonna tag along, entourage.” Thraash was as brash as ever as he expelled two small streams of flame from his nostrils. He glared at Five and Aerilyn respectively, showing he wasn't going to practice patience with either of them. It's not like he ever did, for the most part, so things were quite tame considering that.

“Hey Mari, you never mentioned. What type of guy is this? Is he a dwarf or a demi? Oh or maybe an orc?” He threw out his guesses as he found those races to be more inclined toward building and fixing things. He was sure elves and fairies could be handy too but his prejudice toward them often made those folk seem far too dainty for handiwork to be their norm these days.

Whoever or whatever this Scathael was, Thraash was ready to go find him. As long as he wasn't a dark elf supremacist, things would go rather smoothly.

[Potter]

Time: Evening
Location: Flying above The Righteous Tern
Interactions: @Helo Bowyn ❄
Mentions: @Lava Alckon Bardulf ❄ @FunnyGuy Mister Luum ❄ @Tae Brigette ❄ @Pink Khione Zeva
Equipment: Small backpack, two knives, bow and arrow, rations, water flask, hygiene products, polearm, outfit

Rue giggled at his mention of Raze. The sneaky and mischievous thievery of the stoat amused her. His pat on Starfire’s neck as an addition of being protected earned him a loud whinny of agreement. She giggled at the interaction.

”He is a great human, and I am so glad we have him. He’s braver than most of Avalia who doesn’t want to make a difference or is too scared.” Rue replied, bitterness entering her voice. ”Though I can understand their reasoning, I do wish more Avalians would rise up. Bardulf didn’t deserve to nearly die on Earth so I’m glad we saved him, and I will do whatever in my power to protect him too.”

Rue chuckled when Bowyn suggested Luum and Bridget being a thing. ”They are an odd pair and she seems to follow him like a puppy. Unfortunately, the light reveals all, and nobody can hide forever I would think. I hope she’s not… One of them.” Rue’s voice hushed, despite it being only them and their animal companions.

The idea of slavery entered her mind and she shuddered, unable to speak it out loud. Rue took several deep breaths to cease the flashbacks and turned back to him. With a steadier voice and heart, Rue glanced down at the ship.

”I believe we have a new face,” Her voice became dry as she peered down at the main deck. ”I don’t want to jump quite yet, but I’m going to continue observing from afar. Luum’s down there, for whatever he’s worth.”

[princess]

Time: Evening
Location::Village on the outskirts of Roshmi
Interaction: @Apex Sunburn Scathael, @FunnyGuy Thraash
Equipment: Repeating crossbow, a bag, sword, two daggers, 3 small red potions, 1 large red potion, 1 large blue potion, hoverboard, portable solar box, eye protectors, fire starter kit, channeling gloves that turn her light magic orange, makeup, perfume, a skull she wears as a mask and a disguise ring

Mari shrugged casually as she spoke to Thraash, her tone nonchalant, "I dunno. I hope he's a fucking cool little tinker dwarf with a big beard though."

With that, she confidently led Thraash onward. Their destination was perhaps a thirty-minute walk, one she had spent talking shit about FIVE to Thraash. Soon, the two found themselves navigating through the winding paths of the village as they finally arrived.

As they stepped further into the village, Mari couldn't help but express her candid thoughts, "Wow, what a shithole!" The colorful language drew curious glances from the locals as they made their way.

Mari suddenly turned to Thraash with a guilty smile, "To be honest, I know he's in this village, but I dunno where exactly...Hehe." Her expression perked up as she came up with a great idea. "But don't worry. I got this," she assured him, her confidence unwavering.

Then, without missing a beat, Mari came to an abrupt stop and unleashed her booming voice, calling out into the village, "SCATHAEL! HEY SCATHAEL!!! GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE, BOY! " Her words echoed through the narrow streets, leaving no doubt that they had arrived.

However, her loud proclamation wasn't met with the enthusiastic response she had hoped for. Instead, groans and grumbles emanated from nearby windows as irritated villagers peered out, complaining that they were trying to sleep. A few that had been walking on the path as well even muttered curses under their breath as Mari's voice disrupted the tranquility of their village.

[JJ Doe]

Time: EVENING
Location: INT. THE TIPSY TAVERN - RIVER PORT
Interactions/Mentions: Zion @Helo

---

Malachi made his return to River Port soon enough, driven by both leads and his own deduction as he approached the bustling tavern. The absence of any nearby settlements indicated that Jun couldn't have ventured too far overnight so it stood to reason that, after traversing the woods, he sought refuge in the familiar safety of the town. Gathering information from the locals revealed accounts of a perplexed individual with distinctive ears who had eventually wandered into the Tipsy Tavern, simplifying the task of pinpointing Jun's whereabouts much more than expected.

As he pushed open the creaky door, the lively chaos of the tavern assaulted Malachi's senses. The air was thick with the smells he despised and te stickiness beneath his shoes arose a feeling of queasiness as he stepped inside. Inwardly, Malachi couldn't contain his disdain for the filth. The disarrayed tables and the questionable hygiene of the surroundings fueled a list of silent complaints within him. A subtle scoff escaped his lips as he navigated through the sea of people, pushing past them without concern for politeness as he scanned the room for his target.

At the tavern's rowdy center, a drinking contest was at full swing, its fervor capturing the attention of all present. Bets flew across the room as onlookers speculated who would triumph or falter in the next round. The vanquished lay around the table, some bodies draped across it, others slumped to the floor, their endurance bested by those who still drank.

In this commotion, Malachi's gaze locked onto a familiar cloak amidst the contestants. As the figure turned, a glimpse of Jun's face emerged from underneath the hood. Seeing how Jun's eyes widened, and his face lost its color, it was clear he recognized Malachi as well.

Jun snapped his head away and pulled his hood further down. Praying for a divine intervention that Malachi didn't (and wouldn't) notice him. No no no no no!

Malachi scowled in reaction. Seriously? He made a beeline for him immediately, pushing through the crowd. As he approached Jun, his typically cold expression seemed to intensify, revealing his frustration with the situation. He halted just a step away from Jun, his gaze piercing through the hood. He looked ready to snap on the human, but he paused, gritting his teeth.

Finally, Malachi's voice, usually sharp and biting, softened just a fraction as he spoke, "What are you doing here, Jun?" Leaning in, he pressed further, his tone low and weary, “This isn’t Earth and I think you realize that now. “ He gestured to the passed out patrons on the floor. “ Sure, you might be able to fool drunkards, but out there, when others catch on that you're a human, it's not going to end well. The dark elves who dictate this land won't be too kind to you. “ His eyes searched the young man’s for any possibility of sense, “What is your plan here, Jun?”The question hung in the air as the two locked gazes.

Jun angled himself away from Malachi, as if ignoring him long enough would magically make the other man disappear.

"Is this fellow causing you any bother?" Jun glanced up to find one of the patrons had materialized at Malachi's side, a hand firmly planted on his shoulder. A few of his buddies flanked them, watchful.

He blinked. Huh. He didn't expect this. Were these people going to help him or was this part of their roleplay?

Malachi sighed and shot a glance at the intervening patron, his irritation evident in the deep furrow of his brow. “Save the heroics. We’re talking and it’s not your business.” He leaned in once more and whispered, “Jun, what is it going to take to get you to return with me? …What do you want? … You won’t come to at least see that Zion’s okay at the least?”

Jun's heart hardened when he brought up Zion. Using Zion's condition as bait was a new low for Malachi. He avoided looking at the other man, fixing his gaze on the disgusting table instead.

And that was enough of an answer for the patron. "Think that's your answer, Mister." His grip on Malachi's shoulder tightened ever so slightly. "It's best time you leave." He tried to pull Malachi away from Jun, but the elf didn't budge.

"Come on, take a hint. He don't wanna get back together." One of the patron's buddies chimed in. "Move on. There's plenty of fish in the sea."

Malachi ignored them, “Please come talk to me outside. If we cannot come to any agreement, I will find a way to get you home or I’ll let you run amuck as you please. I’ll stop bothering you and you’ll never see me again.“

Jun remained rooted to his seat. Malachi had his chance to 'talk' this morning and nothing came out of it. All that stuff about 'trying to understand each other' and Malachi didn't even tell him a single thing about himself. He gaslighted Jun and that was that, end of discussion. If you were to summarize that 'heart-to-heart' in four words, it'd be: suck it up Jun.

“There’s been reasons to believe it’s real Jun. It’s just easier not to… It’s easier to believe this is all a game and everything here is an illusion than to accept that your reality has changed…” No, it wasn't. None of the possibilities, 'real' or 'fantasy', made Jun's current situation any easier to accept. Both made him scared and feel so… alone.

…

Oh… oh yeah.

… He's … alone.

It didn't matter if this was a LARP cult or a bonafide isekai-tensei. The only people who ever really cared about Jun Ibuki were back home. Too many worlds away to get in touch—not by phone, not by letter, not even smoke signals—, leaving him marooned in a kind of loneliness he never experienced before.

Clutching himself tight, Jun fought off the tremors. He shook away the thoughts and refocused.

It was obvious Malachi was saying all this to get Jun alone so it'd be easier to drag him away. And this time? He wouldn't put it past Malachi to lock him in an actual cage.

Even if what he said had an ounce of truth…
“You can’t go home, Jun…”
“... I will find a way to get you home…”
… then that meant Malachi really was the type who'd say just about anything.

Jun had been more than clear about wanting to go home: everyone knew that. How many times did they have to have the same pointless chat before Malachi heard him? Jun wasn't gonna back down this time. He had to put his foot down. Maybe then he'd get taken seriously.

"... No. I already told you… I just want to go home."

If Malachi meant what he said… then he'd find a way to get Jun home or, at the very least, let him go, no matter his answer.

Malachi silently stood there as he thought through his options, then finally slunk through the crowd and went outside the tavern.

TLDR

Malachi found Jun in the tavern. He tried to take Jun outside to talk, but Jun stood his ground. Malachi left the tavern without Jun.

[Apex Sunburn]

Time: Evening
Location: Village on the outskirts of Roshmi
Interactions: Mari @princess
Mentions: Thraash @FunnyGuy
Equipment:

Hider

His travelling clothes - Dark, earthy shirt and coat, with trousers tucked into boots
A hooded, oilskin cloak
His bow, unstrung
A musket
Two pistols
Two hatchets
His travelling pack

---

“Looks like we’ve visitors.”

The huntsman’s words were said nonchalantly, but the slight furrow in his brow and brief downward curl of his lips betrayed his unease. Scathael followed the man’s gaze, leaning as far back in his seat as he could and looking down the village’s main street. Despite being a visitor himself, he regarded both strangers with as much suspicion on his face as the blacksmith beside him. A village this small and this far off the beaten track might expect the odd wayfarer during the day, but at night? And two at the same time, at that? Either they were lost – their steps carried enough confidence to make that seem unlikely – or they were looking for something. Or someone.

And there was also something about the pair that struck Scathael as familiar. He didn’t like that.

The blacksmith shrugged and returned his attention to more important things, such as the half-empty mug sitting on the table in front of him. “Eh, they don’t look like they’ll be trouble,” he said and brought it up to his lips. Just before he tipped it back, however, he lowered it and glanced at Vallana. The foxgirl sat on the bare ground, deep in concentration as she glued pre-cut feathers to prepared arrowshafts. Headless ones, of course; Scathael knew better than to let a child anywhere near sharpened arrowheads. “It’s a little late for me to mention, Sadras,” the blacksmith said, addressing the huntsman. “But are you absolutely certain that it’s alright for us to drink in front of Vallana?”

The huntsman shrugged. “I’m not fussed, if that’s what’s worrying you.”

“It’s not you that concerns me. It’s your wife. I swore in front of your little girl the other day and I swear she would’ve torn my head off if Scathael wasn’t there.” The blacksmith glanced sideways as the dark elf with a grin. The gesture wasn’t returned, but Scathael did nod as if to confirm the story.

Sadras chuckled. “Ah, she’s far too refined for the likes of us.” He smiled softly, and his voice turned warm as he went on to say, “Gods alone know why she agreed to come back to this shithole with me.”

“Love makes idiots of us all, as they say.” The blacksmith raised his mug and drank heavily from it. “Can’t say that they’re wrong.” He nudged Scathael with the mug. “What about you, Scathael? I don’t recall you mentioning anything about a lady in your life.”

Scathael gently, but firmly pushed the mug away. “There’s none to mention,” he said curtly. It was, at best, a half-truth and at worst, a quarter-lie. He didn’t care either way; he had no intention of sharing that part of his story or his life with the present company. Or anyone, for that matter. Clearing his throat, he carried on in a level voice, “If there was, I don’t think I’d be here right now.”

“Makes sense,” Sadras said with a nod. “I suppose you’re still young for an elf. Remember us when you’re finally old enough to think about putting down roots, eh?”

Whispers of painful memories drifted through Scathael’s mind, and he pursed his lips. Sadras was right on one thing – by Elvish standards, Scathael had only just begun his foray into adulthood – and wrong on the other – Scathael had considered a less-itinerant life many times over the decades. As much as he enjoyed the freedom a life on the road afforded, he wasn’t blind to the security and simplicity that would come with settling down. In many ways, he preferred the latter. It was just pure misfortune and a string of strange and terrible coincidences that kept him moving. That, and he also had a promise to keep. The sort which would be quite tricky to fulfil without travelling.

Fortunately, Scathael didn’t have to spend too long dwelling on the matter, or even give Sadras a reply, for that matter.

"SCATHAEL! HEY SCATHAEL!!! GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE, BOY!"

A thunderous shout echoed down the street, made all the louder by the prior quietness. The blacksmith let out a string of expletives, his colourful words and angry voice joining a chorus of similar voices and words thrown from open windows and doorways. “Gods above, Scathael. Did you piss off a banshee?” He said in a low grumble. “Haven’t heard a woman scream that loudly since Old Idrid dug up a dead deer in her back garden.”

“I think she was louder,” Sadras said wryly. He knelt on the ground, gently patting Vallana’s back. The poor girl was huddled on the ground, with hands over her ears. “But it looks like you’re wanted, Scathael.”

Scathael looked back at the strangers. Now that they were closer, and in better light, he could tell that they were a Light Elf and a Dragonborn. A strange pairing, if he ever saw one. Stranger still, however, was how familiar they seemed. Scathael was sure that he had seen them before; he just couldn’t quite put his finger on where and when. Perhaps they were past customers? They seemed to be adventurers, and Scathael had certainly done plenty of work for plenty of such travellers and wayfarers. It didn’t seem likely; he didn’t think that he would easily forget such a distinctive pair.

Well, it didn’t matter. If they were looking for him, it could only be for one reason. Work was work. Scathael wasn’t in the habit of turning down work over personal misgivings. He would be a lot poorer and a lot less well-travelled if that were the case.

“I'll call them over. Do you mind?” Scathael asked the blacksmith. Normally, he would have no problems with going over. But considering the manner in which the Light Elf had called for him, and the hour at which she had done it, he felt like making things just that little more difficult for her.

“Go ahead,” he replied with a shrug and stood up. “Come on, Sadras. Let’s get Vallana inside.”

The foxgirl looked up at Scathael as her father helped her to her feet. “Are they friends?” She asked.

Scathael shook his head. “No. I don’t know them,” he said bluntly. “Now go inside.” He got off his seat and walked over to the open gate, brushing off the dirt and dust from his earlier work as he did so. There was no need to rush. More like than not, whatever work they had for him would have to wait until morning. Not that he had any issues with working in the dark, but because he was already done for the day. Working on his personal arms was always his very last activity before sleep. It was an age-old routine, and he wasn’t going to break it without a very good reason.

"Be quiet, lady. It's too late for all that noise," Scathael called back from the gate with arms folded. "I'm who you're looking for. Come over if you've got work for me. We can discuss. If you're looking for me for any other reason, turn around and leave. I won't be interested and you will be disappointed."