Derg2

Dungeon Clearer! The Wonderful World of an Adventurer

@Raineh Daze Jtlyk, we decided to do a series of short collabs for this quest it's just the two of us, in between which we'll wait for your response.

Dungeon Clearer! The Wonderful World of an Adventurer

Ifrari & Rex

They did indeed had to ask around about the disappearances, though Ifrari didn’t notice anything outright suspicious at any of the small villages they’ve gone to. They were travelling on foot, since taking any sort of vehicle or mount would have only drawn attention to them and might have not been worth the hassle in any case.

Ifrari and Rex were able to narrow down the disappearances to somewhere in the beginnings of the hilly terrain, on the westward side of the road toward Haestings. If they were to make their way straight to the west from where they were, they’d make it to Keelgravv, but Ifrari really didn’t think that city was involved; it was too distant. As it was, the pair of adventurers had made it to a crossroads, the land around them desolate. The question was, which fork to follow, if any?

“I can cast a spell to increase eyesight or hearing for a few minutes,” Ifrari began, speaking in a whisper. “I’d prefer not to use both on myself, because it’s kind of overwhelming to suddenly possess two heightened senses, but I could cast one on me and one on you. If you agree, it’s up to you to decide whether you’ll be seeing or hearing better for a while. Just pick whichever you think you could use to search for clues more easily,” the dark elf explained.

"Magic senses?" Rex barked. The hundi looked at Ifrari suspiciously, keeping an eye on the position of his hands. Rex was admittedly not the greatest fan of magic; mostly because magic casters were his greatest weakness. Though, out here in the hilly terrain, he could see the benefit of being able to sense more, especially when he accounted for the very real threat that they may be ambushed. "Well, if you insistin', I'd rather be seeing farther than hearing louder."

"Hocus-pocus aside, I'm havin' trouble thinkin' where we've oughtta head after this crossroad here. I'm from down in Ithillin, only been here in Estival some moon cycles, so I've not a clue where we are. And though them villagers were real helpful, there's still a whole host of barrens we've gotta scour if we're gonna find our target."

"Yes...magic," Ifrari drawled, rising a brow at the Hundi's bark. Seemed like the youth wasn't too much of a fan, though he did agree in the end. "Mm, alright then, seeing it is. I'll also step away a bit, so your breathing and heartbeat won't bother me," he remarked. With a brief touch to Rex's arm, the dark elf intoned, "Skeptomai," which was all that was needed for the enchantment to take hold. As he'd said he would, he then walked a few meters away, though remained well within sight. With a blink, he chanted, "Akouo," and after a short-lived buzzing in his ears, he could suddenly hear much more clearly. First was the pounding of his own heart, the rush of air on each inhale and exhale, the faint noise of his lifeblood sustaining him. Then, the breeze, the shifting of grass, the rare critters crawling away, the minute crunching of small stones and loose earth with even the slightest of his movements. Breathing deeply to center himself, Ifrari closed his eyes, and listened intently, ignoring Rex's and his own presence with a practiced focus. He was seeking any and all oddities within the environments sounds, seeking auditory clues.

Rex, on the other hand, had taken to his newfound sense of sight far less gracefully. As the scope of his view widened and the resolution of his glare narrowed, rather than seeking visual clues to compliment Ifrari's search, Rex immediately closed his eyes tight. It was clear to him that he'd have to open them eventually, but for now, he required a moment to gain his bearings.

Opening his eyes, the visual signals hit him like a truck. Ifrari was not joking when he said that magic sense could be overwhelming. Each and every blade of grass oversaturated Rex's few, each glint on the horizon stole his gaze. It was a breathtaking experience, out here in the tonelessly jejune hills, but it was also extremely stressful. Rex had never had particularly good eye sight, so for him to have been met with such a plethora of color and activity was nothing short of an overload. He shut his eyes tight again, after not even a minute of searching around.

Rex was hardly one to give up. He cracked his eyes open, slower this time. An extreme effort was made to keep his gaze focused on the horizon. With his steel-clad willpower, Rex painstakingly raked his vision across the rocky hills. He would certainly have a migraine later, but that was a problem for later Rex to worry about. For now, he must search for any clue whatsoever. Ifrari was depending on him, and Rex could not let him down.

@Raineh Daze@SilverPaw

Surviving in a D-Tier Magical Academy - Always Accepting -

Leonhard

Hmm? Did Leonhard make a mistake? Adara responded to his greetings, but to call her apprehensive was putting it nicely. Could it be that the book she was reading was important and had to be completed now? Or perhaps Leonhard had come off too brashly, although he was certain he had spoken appropriately. Leonhard pondered this. She was sitting in the corner, by herself, but she had bothered to attend the welcoming party. No. It was not Leonhard's fault -- or at least, he was not the root cause of the issue.

Then what was? Leonhard took a moment reconsider his choices, thoughtfully placing a finger to his chin. Adara was by herself, reading a book at the welcoming party. It wasn't necessary for her to be there to read the book, so surely there must've been some incentive for her to be here; otherwise, it'd be far more practical to read in a more secluded location. Lastly, she was irritated before Leonhard had arrived. Putting these together was enough for Leonhard to piece together the puzzle.

"Ah, you've caught me, Ada. I have no reason in particular to bother you." Leonhard smiled, and lowered his finger. "Truthfully, I just thought that you looked intelligent. And I like smart people, I'm curious about them. So won't you please humour me before delving back into that book of yours?"

@jasbraq

Surviving in a D-Tier Magical Academy - Always Accepting -

Leonhard

There was, of course, the question of when Leonhard's life had sunk to this point. As he stood and watched the chaotic cacophony that Fae Creek called a welcoming party, it was all he could do to avoid matching the admission officer's spirits. What unfortunate string of events had he undergone to end up in such a situated? Him, the once child of a noble family, relegated to a D-List academy. It was tragic.

But then again, Leonhard knew it would be tragic. His whole life was one big tragedy, and himself a hero with a flippant and vulgar hamartia. By this point, he had learned not to sulk over it. Things did not simply end up well for Leonhard until he made them well himself. He had found, in his many years of struggling against circumstance, that elbow grease was necessary to right what was wrong with his life. The ability to create something from nothing, much like zero times infinity, depended on the magnitude of the infinite compared to the void of the zero. And Leonhard's determination was far greater than his absent talent.

Indeed. This class was a mess. A big one, but it was nothing Leonhard couldn't fix. Each and every single student here, he would ensure that they shine brighter than the top student at the greatest academy. Sure, life could give Leonhard awful circumstances -- it often did -- but those circumstances could be wrought into something grand.

First, he would take stock of the students. He would leave the one's who were more rambunctious, such as the red-eyed demagogue or leopard-folk, for later. In fact, from what he gleaned, he could figure out their abilities during the duel they had scheduled for later, if they do indeed go through with it. As well, he shouldn't waste these first impressions on the more talkative types such as the group forming around the girl with a camera or the choking boy. Learning about socialites would come naturally throughout the classes they shared together. Instead, it would be far more beneficial for Leonard to focus upon those who were keeping to themselves. The beginning of their school life together provided an excuse to interact which may not present itself as easily in the future, so it was crucial to establish a connection at this very moment. That left just a single individual for Leonhard to target, tucked away in the corner.

She was much smaller than Leonhard, and wore some sort of interesting cloak. From beneath it, one could also see red eyes and tufts of silver-white hair. In her hands was some tome while she softly sung some indiscernible notes of irritation.

Determination in mind, the inert noble made his way over to the corner. He sensed something off about her. It would be important for him to narrow down exactly what that is, but for now, he would focus on learning the basics.

"Hey there, my name's Leonhard, but you can call me Leon. Are you a new student too?"

@jasbraq

Surviving in a D-Tier Magical Academy - Always Accepting -

An Ordinary Interview

The admission’s officer blinked twice. Some mixture of disbelief, joy, and sheer exhaustion filled his eyes. Finally. After all this time, having sloughed through countless anomalous, inexplicable, painstakingly weird admits, he could hardly believe his eyes when someone who seemed normal walked into his office. The officer was almost shocked by how much he savored this moment, but at this point, it was everything he had ever wanted. Someone who was normal…

The officer blinked again. The boy who had walked into his room was about six feet tall, and was clearly of an athletic build. He had two amber eyes and long dark hair. The officer vaguely recognized this individual. But where from? Irregardlessly, the boy had made his way up to his desk and was presenting his papers. Was it possible that he had even filled out the necessary forms before arriving? What a wonderful boy.

”I’m Leonhard Cantor. Thanks for having me today.”

Huh… WHAT?

While the two sat in silence, the admission officer looked over the forms he was presented. This boy was nothing short of a genius. He was from a noble family, and attended one of the top institutions for juvenile mages. His scores on any written test were flawless, and he had achieved perfect grades in every single class he had taken prior. As well, he had received not one but seven accolades for magical knowledge in the fields of alchemy, engineering, and magical theory. Not to mention, the file he presented was filled to the brim with extracurricular activities, and as a polish, he had even included a well written admittance essay. It would’ve been impossible to believe, if not for that one tiny detail. Not that something that small would matter for someone of his merit. Now, however, there was another issue that the officer had to figure out. Why was such a scholarly magnate applying to an institution like Fae Creek?

”Ah, thank you for waiting, Leonhard. My name is ██████. I’m so glad to have you here this evening!” The officer extended his hand to the boy.

The boy smiled, and shook it. ”Thank you. It’s my pleasure, truly."

”Please, take a seat” The admissions officer smiled. After all this time, he just didn’t think someone like this ending up in his office was possible. ”It looks like you’ve already filled out all the major points on the form, so now I just have to ask you a few questions before we can process your admission.”

”Of course! Ask away.”

”Well, first off, just for my record keeping -- I know it’s silly to ask a question like this -- but what’s your gender.”

”Please, don’t worry about it. I’m a boy.”

”Haha, of course. And your age?”

”Sixteen.”

”Excellent, excellent. Alright, next question: where do you live?”

”I’m from the Imperial Federation. I have been my whole life. Surely, you must’ve heard of my family. The Cantor’s are a well known line of powerful wizards and witches.”

The admissions officer looked at the boy up and down. Indeed, he had noticed the connection long before Leonhard informed him. The resemblance between him and one of the great archmages of the federation was uncanny. ”Of course, of course. The Cantor's are well known among scholars.”

Not that it matters.

The admissions officer continued. ”Very well. I see that you have listed magical engineering as one of your talents. I’m very interested, could you elaborate on this please?”

”Certainly. My whole life, I have been enamoured by magical constructs. Be it self opening doors, or massive mana crucibles, I have always been interested in the way that we could both understand and apply magic to our technological endeavors. It was only natural that I should begin to explore such constructs myself, and soon enough, I found myself involved in several different projects of a magi-technological nature.”

”...Wow.” The officer couldn’t help but let that one comment slip. This student was something else. He almost wondered if Leonhard was here just to mock him, as if he were flaunting his endless achievement in front of this D-List academy just to get a rise. ”Well, uh, that’s terrific. Now, all there is to talk about is your magic. And, uh, before we talk about that, I just want to ask you something. It says here that you received zero points on the practical section of your placement test. I’m sure this must be an error, perhaps you were absent, but it would be reassuring to hear confirmation of this from yourself.”

Leonhard stared straight into his eyes, and the officer’s soul sank. ”About that. I have absolutely zero affinity for magic.”

It was like a boulder had crushed every last bit of the officer’s hope. He should’ve known better. Studious, stand-up, great students did not apply to Fae Creek. There was always a flaw.

”You... mean to say… that you cannot do magic?

”I’m not saying that at all. I just have no magical power myself, nor any affinity for channeling magic, nor can I invoke magic in any form whatsoever”

Huh? Wasn’t that the same thing as what I just said?

”And… And you want to attend a magical academy?”

”Yessir. I’m so glad we’re on the same page.”

The officer’s soul shrunk three sizes that very moment. ”I… I guess that’s it then. You, uh, can go. I’ll handle the rest.”

Leonhard smiled. As he left the room, he bowed to the officer. ”Thank you very much for the interview. I look forward to hearing your decision.”

The officer watched him incredulously. What an anomaly, and there were still countless more like him waiting for him on the other side of his office. He supposed he ought to get to work, the students weren't going to interview themselves.

Surviving in a D-Tier Magical Academy - Always Accepting -

An Ordinary Interview

The admission’s officer blinked twice. Some mixture of disbelief, joy, and sheer exhaustion filled his eyes. Finally. After all this time, having sloughed through countless anomalous, inexplicable, painstakingly weird admits, he could hardly believe his eyes when someone who seemed normal walked into his office. The officer was almost shocked by how much he savored this moment, but at this point, it was everything he had ever wanted. Someone who was normal…

The officer blinked again. The boy who had walked into his room was about six feet tall, and was clearly of an athletic build. He had two amber eyes and long dark hair. The officer vaguely recognized this individual. But where from? Irregardlessly, the boy had made his way up to his desk and was presenting his papers. Was it possible that he had even filled out the necessary forms before arriving? What a wonderful boy.

”I’m Leonhard Cantor. Thanks for having me today.”

Huh… WHAT?

While the two sat in silence, the admission officer looked over the forms he was presented. This boy was nothing short of a genius. He was from a noble family, and attended one of the top institutions for juvenile mages. His scores on any written test were flawless, and he had achieved perfect grades in every single class he had taken prior. As well, he had received not one but seven accolades for magical knowledge in the fields of alchemy, engineering, and magical theory. Not to mention, the file he presented was filled to the brim with extracurricular activities, and as a polish, he had even included a well written admittance essay. It would’ve been impossible to believe, if not for that one tiny detail. Not that something that small would matter for someone of his merit. Now, however, there was another issue that the officer had to figure out. Why was such a scholarly magnate applying to an institution like Fae Creek?

”Ah, thank you for waiting, Leonhard. My name is ██████. I’m so glad to have you here this evening!” The officer extended his hand to the boy.

The boy smiled, and shook it. ”Thank you. It’s my pleasure, truly."

”Please, take a seat” The admissions officer smiled. After all this time, he just didn’t think someone like this ending up in his office was possible. ”It looks like you’ve already filled out all the major points on the form, so now I just have to ask you a few questions before we can process your admission.”

”Of course! Ask away.”

”Well, first off, just for my record keeping -- I know it’s silly to ask a question like this -- but what’s your gender.”

”Please, don’t worry about it. I’m a boy.”

”Haha, of course. And your age?”

”Sixteen.”

”Excellent, excellent. Alright, next question: where do you live?”

”I’m from the Imperial Federation. I have been my whole life. Surely, you must’ve heard of my family. The Cantor’s are a well known line of powerful wizards and witches.”

The admissions officer looked at the boy up and down. Indeed, he had noticed the connection long before Leonhard informed him. The resemblance between him and one of the great archmages of the federation was uncanny. ”Of course, of course. The Cantor's are well known among scholars.”

Not that it matters.

The admissions officer continued. ”Very well. I see that you have listed magical engineering as one of your talents. I’m very interested, could you elaborate on this please?”

”Certainly. My whole life, I have been enamoured by magical constructs. Be it self opening doors, or massive mana crucibles, I have always been interested in the way that we could both understand and apply magic to our technological endeavors. It was only natural that I should begin to explore such constructs myself, and soon enough, I found myself involved in several different projects of a magi-technological nature.”

”...Wow.” The officer couldn’t help but let that one comment slip. This student was something else. He almost wondered if Leonhard was here just to mock him, as if he were flaunting his endless achievement in front of this D-List academy just to get a rise. ”Well, uh, that’s terrific. Now, all there is to talk about is your magic. And, uh, before we talk about that, I just want to ask you something. It says here that you received zero points on the practical section of your placement test. I’m sure this must be an error, perhaps you were absent, but it would be reassuring to hear confirmation of this from yourself.”

Leonhard stared straight into his eyes, and the officer’s soul sank. ”About that. I have absolutely zero affinity for magic.”

It was like a boulder had crushed every last bit of the officer’s hope. He should’ve known better. Studious, stand-up, great students did not apply to Fae Creek. There was always a flaw.

”You... mean to say… that you cannot do magic?

”I’m not saying that at all. I just have no magical power myself, nor any affinity for channeling magic, nor can I invoke magic in any form whatsoever”

Huh? Wasn’t that the same thing as what I just said?

”And… And you want to attend a magical academy?”

”Yessir. I’m so glad we’re on the same page.”

The officer’s soul shrunk three sizes that very moment. ”I… I guess that’s it then. You, uh, can go. I’ll handle the rest.”

Leonhard smiled. As he left the room, he bowed to the officer. ”Thank you very much for the interview. I look forward to hearing your decision.”

The officer watched him incredulously. What an anomaly, and there were still countless more like him waiting for him on the other side of his office. He supposed he ought to get to work, the students weren't going to interview themselves.

Ember Grove - Supernatural RP

Time: Bakery
Location: Fourier Residence
Interactions: NONE

---

“...Pleasure doing business.”

Cain adjusted his tie, and the eccentric man who stood opposite him stood up from his exquisite assortment of appetizers and entrees. It almost irritated Cain that he had ordered so much expensive food, yet hadn’t taken more than a bite of a single pastry. Though, Cain had to admit it was hypocritical to be censorious when it came to food. He himself was quite the picky eater, after all.

He watched as his cloaked form left the bakery. Of course, it was somewhat odd for him to have met a business partner in such a setting, though Cain had learned to acquiesce when it came to this one. As well, it was one of the higher class establishments in Ember Grove, so Cain supposed he could also see it as a measure of good faith. A steep measure indeed, Cain grumbled to himself as he looked over the sizable bill that he was left.

But regardless of how outlandishly expensive their food may have been, the cost of brunch was just a dip in the bucket compared to the value pinned to each and every word they exchanged. It was an intricate ritual, that of the businessman, where blows were exchanged with pleasantries such as paying for one’s meal. Each action Cain orchestrated was a carefully planned out stride towards an increased payout. Nothing more, and nothing less.

”Hey. You.”

Cain looked around, searching for the source of the noise he just heard. It was awfully cacophonic compared to the gentle ambience he had expected from this bakery.

”I’m talking to you, blondie.”

As Cain was about to get up, a swarthy looking woman took a seat at his little table, situated in the corner of the bakery. She was about a foot shorter than Cain with brunette hair, and wore a suit rather similar to the one Cain was wearing. As well, she carried with her a brown suitcase.

”Ah, pardon me. I’m just heading out, the table’s yours.” Cain flashed a pleasant smile, nonplussed by her sudden arrival.

”I’m not here for the table, Cain.”

”Wha-...” Had they met before? Cain wracked his mind for her face, but failed to find a single memory. ”My apologies, have we met before?”

The woman leaned back in her chair, staring into Cain her two blue eyes. She smiled sharply and extended a hand over the table. ”For certain, this is our first face to face meeting. Introductions are in order. I’m Diane Savart.”

Somehow, this smaller woman was making Cain uncomfortable. ”Miss Savart, it’s a pleasure to meet you. You seem to already know, but I’m Cain. Cain Fourier.” Not that he showed an ounce of discomfort. He firmly grasped her hand, and confidently spoke. ”How can I help you today?”

”Help me? No, Cain. You’ve already done enough.” Diane’s eyes narrowed. Although the two had already shook hands, she failed to let go of Cain’s. Instead, her grip tightened with a vice far stronger than once would expect from her stature. ”You’ve got some explaining to do, Cain. Hey, do you know Jeremy Biot?”

Cain furrowed his brow. What was she talking about? He tried to pull his hand back, but it was futile. Somehow, this five foot lady was completely overpowering the over six foot Cain. ”What are you saying? I don’t know any Jeremy Biot.”

”Hmm... “ Diane pondered for a second, and let go, causing Cain to collapse back into his seat. She spoke while he regained his bearings ”I guess that’s to be expected. I mean, a man doesn’t learn the name which his steak dinner once belonged to. Oh! Hopefully, he doesn’t hear that, wherever he is now.”

Cain’s face whitened, and realization dawned. His demeanor changed bleak, and immediately he broke eye contact with Diane ”I… I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

”What a blatant lie. You’ve made quite the mess, Cain."

Cain raised his eyes. This time, instead of his manufactured pleasantness, his face was apathetic. There was no use hiding it. This woman had clearly seen him last night, and saw what he had done. If only she knew. He’d have to silence her. ”Make it quick. What do you want? Is it money?”

”Pfft. That molehill you call a family fortune wouldn’t even pass for a rounding error where I work. No. I don’t want your money, Cain.” Diane reached down and grabbed her suitcase. She unclasped the latches and retrieved a small opaque bag. ”I just have some questions. Though, I hardly think we should talk here.” She gestured to the surroundings. While they were currently the only customers in the bakery, there were still the employees, as well as the possibility of someone else entering.

Cain looked at her incredulously. Did she honestly believe he’d go with her?

”You’re out of your mind if... “

Diane revealed the contents of the bag. It was a picture. A picture of the warlock he killed yesterday, and looming above the body was the shadowy form of Cain. The parasite. She set it on the table in front of Cain.

”We wouldn’t want something like this to end up in the wrong hands, would we Cain?”

Cain couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Nor what he was seeing. It was as if some part of him was lagging behind reality. But before he could inquire further, Diane continued.

”I should mention, we’re doing this as a precautionary measure. For our own safety, we’ve got to do some inspections, and by the way, we can’t let you see where we take you. We’ve been watching you Cain. You’re dangerous. Especially to us. We know what your family does to vampires, and now that you’re sticking your nose into our turf, you’ve become more than a nuisance.” Diance leaned back again. ”Indeed. You and Abel were quite the nuisance. That’s why you get to live, Cain. You’re gonna help us with that… and so much more.”

Cain shuddered, and stood up. ”What makes you think I’m gonna help you with anything? You’ve got an image of some assault which I’ve got nothing to do with. I’m sorry, but I’ll have to excuse myself.”

”I guess I can’t force you.” Diane’s smile stretched wider, and Cain could see her two fangs. ”Although, I did say we’ve been watching you. We’ve been watching Ava too.”

Instantly, Cain slammed his fist on the table, causing the employee at the counter to flinch and look up. Before he could do anything, he seemed to sense that getting between the two of them was far above his pay-grade. Cain leaned across the table, practically snarling at Diane. ”What the fuck does that mean!?”

She just chuckled, grinning through it all. ”It means we can do this the easy way, or the hard way. You can choose, Cain.”

Cain stayed, his wrath practically oozing from his eyes. And then, as soon as he lashed out, Cain snapped back to his seat. He took a deep breath, and it was as if he had never shouted in the first place. ”Who do you work for. Why are you doing this?”

Diane’s eyes turned blue again, and her smile shrunk to a less malicious proportion. She collected the pictures. ”We're just a group of vampires trying to make the world a better place for our kind, Cain.” Standing up, Diane started towards the door.

Cain begrudgingly followed.

Dungeon Clearer! The Wonderful World of an Adventurer

We're working on something ;)

Dungeon Clearer! The Wonderful World of an Adventurer

REX

Not that Rex had expected the investigation to take them somewhere populated, but even he could tell that searching the barrens would be difficult. Each and every spoor their target left would be crucial to their capture. In the end, though, this wouldn't be a huge issue for Rex. If he was just given the order, he’d tear apart everything between Estival and Haesting. Whoever was responsible could hide, but that was about it.

There were no preparations for Rex to make, and Ifrari’s judgement was sound. It was wise to account for Rex’s arithmetic deficiencies, though Ifrari may have been underselling his intelligence just a little bit. It was always better to be safe rather than sorry where Rex and Number were involved though.

He followed the dark elf to his dorms, and waited while he made preparations (averting his eyes when he changed). With awe in his eyes, Rex admired the dorm building where Ifrari lived. In particular he paid close attention to the armor stand, completely overlooking Ifrari’s board of boundless musings. Perhaps, once he’s saved up enough money, Rex too would own such decorations; although for now, he would have to be content til he had purchased proper equipment.

Having seen the state of his dorm, Rex couldn’t determine if Ifrari was meticulous, or obsessive. Frankly, Rex wasn’t comfortable defining the difference between those two properties himself, and he settled on concluding that Ifrari was simply a curious man.

Once the elf had finished preparing, Rex once again gave him his attention. Ifrari seemed to be particularly careful in explaining his directions to Rex, but some of his stipulations seemed as far as patronizing. Not that Rex cared nor noticed. He was too busy making sure he memorized everything Ifrari outlined.

He was caught unaware by the implication that they might be targeted. It seemed strange that they could be subject to the same danger they were enlisted to incapacitate, but Rex supposed it was not illogical. ”I’ll keep my mouth shut, but if we’ve gots to, I don’t think you should worry ‘bout asking a local or two for some gossip. Not that I’ve any opposition to tracking them down out in the barrens, but usually I’ve started on these kind of problems by askin’ around.”

”And yeah, I’ll watch your back, sure.” Rex looked down at the pale and lithe form before him, and carefully unsheathed the large blade he was carrying on his back. ”Since this’d be our first time working together, I think I oughta let you know what the blacksmith and my teach taught me though. Just in case we do get into a scuffle.” Rex’s tricep twitched.

”This things about twice as long as my arm, which means that I can reach about... uh... three arm lengths away from me with every strike. That’s long enough for me to have the range advantange on most other swords.” As Rex said this, he levied the blade out parallel to the two of them, such that it pointed towards the space between Ifrari and the entrance. Despite holding it solely in his right arm, and despite the torque which the overextended length of steel must be exerting, Rex handled the blade as if he were holding the dried out branch of a small birch tree.

”And with this, I can even hold two or three folks at bay -- if they’re all coming at me unorganized like. I just give their shields and whack and move on to the next one while they stumble back. The thing is, I’ve not got any finesse, so the best I can do when fighting is to out-strength my opponents. That’s why I'll rely on you to bring all the finesse!” Rex swiftly resheathed his blade in his makeshift sheath, carefully arcing it around the dorm so as not to collide with any of the dark elf’s belongings (or the elf himself for that matter). Rex was far more dextrous with his sword than he was with his actual movements, and hopefully his handling of such a large tool could assuage some of Ifrari’s reservations on his competence.

”Anyway, I think I’ve got the gist of what you’re saying. Don’t talk, be efficient, and stick together.” Rex counted these off both verbally and with his fingers. ”I can’t say I’m happy about that second part, but it is a search and destroy mission. Just, uh, I’ll try not to complain, but let’s keep some morality in mind.” Rex shifted uncomfortably, thinking back to some less than kind adventurers he’s worked with in the past. ”Alright! I'm ready to head out whenever you are.”

@SilverPaw

Dungeon Clearer! The Wonderful World of an Adventurer

I'm working on a response to Silver Paw rn but you can do whatever and I'll work it into my post.