Raven's Inn - Arian - A Carnival of Chaos
Gryff looks at Murderok as the young woman explained what was happening before quickly coming to a decision without ever speaking a word. The best way to earn their coin was to get to the Inn and rescue the women and children being sheltered there. "C'mon Murd, let's hoof it to the Inn." He remarked with a nod at the young woman, she was definitely attractive enough, maybe there would be a little more than coin in it for them if they save the wee babes. It was an idea worth entertaining. After all, Gryff doubted the drow women would suffer that sort of advance. From what he heard the drow men had to do more than beg for it.
"Sounds good to me Gryff. We'll do it for the pretty lady here." The Minotaur winked at Mikan and set off at a run for the village heading for the Inn their size and stamina easily able to handle a few minutes of run easily. Arriving, with other Queens blades not too far behind Murd hoped.
In the south western portion of town was the highest population density, and coincidentally, the largest Inn. Tight dirt streets would lead to it, houses on either side of the Inn were typically bungalows made out of logs, some with hay rooftos, some with somewhat better quality, this area of town seemed to be under renovation. The Inn itself was quartered off with a magical barrier, save the door, which had a raven guarding the door. A middle aged villager with a dozen militia surrounded the place, and upon sight of the reinforcing Queen's Blades, would sigh in relief. "Oh thank the Queen's les'ban arse you lot are here. There's a talkin' raven 'ere, and he's been demandin' to sees yas lot." The raven clears its throat, before shape shifting. Its spine would crack, and the low guttural groans would indicate pain as James the Illusionist once again took shape.
He grasped his right forearm in pain, spitting a bit of blood out onto the dirt as he glared at them before summoning his cane into his left hand. "Your queens are quite violent things." The militia did not move whatsoever as the middle aged villager looked at them in confusion and anger. "What have you done, wretch?!" James shrugs. "They would have interfered. Can't have that now, can we." He then looks at the Queen's Blades. "Look. I'm not a bad guy, so I'll help you help the people inside... Because I was a child once you know. Yes, it's true, and I did like being one." He taps his lip in thought with his right hand, almost as though thinking of how he could help. "Inside I have a guardian with a key. Get the key and unlock a chest... From there, you will know what to do... Oh!" He giggles madly, almost like a little girl. "...You can't beat the guardian by killing him. That would destroy the key! But he can kill you. Oh yes. Yes yes yes yes yesss. Yes he can. Can can can canily can!" He sings cheerfully, seemingly to himself, before snapping back to reality. "Sooo... What'cha gonna do huh?"
"Hold on just a minute there whoever you are. We have some business to deal with first. We'll get to whatever you're on about then." Murderok said as he held up one palm facing the Illusionist as if daring him to talk to it instead. "You there, peasant. What did you just say?"
The peasant looked confused. "I sed 'Oh thank the Queen's les'ban arse you lot are here. There's a talkin' raven 'ere, and he's been demandin' to sees yas lot.'."
"I thought so." Murderok turned to Gryff, "We're Queen's Blades now right?" He asked.
"Yup." Gryff remarked. "Good regular pay."
"Do ya reckon protecting the Queens honour is part of the job?" Murderock asked again.
"I'd reckon so, we ARE her blades after all, it'd be pretty rude of us not to." Gryff answered.
"Thought so." Murderok said turning and launching a solid punch, but working to stop it from being a lethal hit into the Peasants face, "That is for disrespecting your queen. Her arse is of no concern to you and you'll find it in you to trouble yourself not to make such disrespectful marks in future." Murd told himself that once this was through if the geezer made it through whatever the obstinate wizard wanted he'd buy the fellow a drink and explain, a jobs a job.
Gryff meanwhile turned his attention to the wizard. The fellow stank of bullshit and appeared to be made from a good dose of crazy doused with a little stupidity on the side, despite his magical ability his mentality seemed little better than that of the children he professed a desire to help save. "What am I going to do?" Gryff said thoughtfully. What I want to do is run you through with a Lance "I'm going to talk, you clearly see this as something of a game and games have rules, so, in the spirit of fairness, can you give us a clue about what the Guardian is?" Gryff wondered if he could buy enough time with talk to just run the wizard through but he doubted it. He also doubted he'd get an answer of any real value.