Fantasy Cursed Island

[Fangs9090]

Emil kept playing as he let the others finish the lizards off. There'd be no telling how long they would remain asleep after he stopped after all.

 

[Deadwood Deer]

As the lizards dropped, Joanne, Jerry, and Adran were able to finish them off with the others help while Emil kept playing. Lots of severed heads, cut throats, and caved-in reptile skulls marked the corpses. Once they were all dead, Emil was free to stop playing.

 

[Fangs9090]

Once it was confirmed, Emil stopped and took a breath, sheathing the rapier. "For all my misgivings about this flute, I am glad to have it."

Fia landed on the floor before going to try and nudge Shuffle awake.

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"We'd probably have been doing that for while without it," Jerry agreed, patting the bat on the back. "Good job."

Adran got down next to his leopard and tried to wake the leopard.

"That flute is rather potent," Joanne noted.

 

[Fangs9090]

Emil nodded as he looked at Beri. "Odd that he fell asleep now. When you found me, he was first to run in after Shuffle while I was playing, yet he was unaffected then."

Shuffle blinked her eyes open as she came to, letting out a yawn as she released the lizard tail before wiping off her teeth.

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"I suspect that animals are more vulnerable to influence than we are," Joanne postulated as the leopard sneezed awake, looking very confused at the whole situation as he stood up and sneeze again.

"What sorcery is this?", the leopard asked, still partially asleep.

 

[Fangs9090]

"Well, I knew that much. It only ever had that effect on the corrupted beasts in here. The goblins were completely immune to it when I tried previously."

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"Then Beri has become influenced by these ruins' corruption," Joanne shrugged. "We have been here for some time, I would be surprised if all of us did not to some degree have some measure of corruption within us."

 

[Fangs9090]

Fia looked over. "I don't. As a phoenix, I'm immune to corruption."

 

[Deadwood Deer]

Joanne shrugged, an oddly informal gesture for the paladin. "I do not know, then."

 

[Fangs9090]

Emil spoke again. "Fia didn't sleep though, so it must be that Beri's become corrupted."

Erina chipped in. "Whatever the case, we should probably move on. There's a lot of bodies in here now."

 

[Deadwood Deer]

Joanne agreed, and so the group looked for the door and went through it to the next area. "This would be so much easier if dead things weren't so dangerous," Jerry commented.

 

[Fangs9090]

Shuffle looked over at Jerry. "I'm hungry again. There was a lot of carrion left back there."

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"How hungry?", Jerry asked, "Hungry as in 'I'm bored' or hungry as in 'I need sustenance'?"

 

[Fangs9090]

“Hungry as in ‘that carrion looked appetizing.’ It’s the corruption again.”

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"We've been down here for a few days eating hardtack and cheese, just about any meat looks appetizing," Jerry replied, unhooking the flask. The deeper they went, the faster Shuffle's corruption grew. "Here." She handed Shuffle the flask.

 

[Fangs9090]

"Thank you." Shuffle took the flask and took a drink, shaking her once she finished before handing it back.

Erina tilted her head. "Is there something special in that?"

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"It's some kind of magic water, it repels the corruption in this place. Burns when it does it, though," Jerry replied with a shudder as she replaced the flask, "And it's bottomless, so we'll never run out."

 

[Fangs9090]

"Fascinating. I feel you all have stories to tell, and I would like to hear them when we next rest. If you don't mind, of course."

Emil spoke up. "I would like to hear everyone's tales as well. Perhaps I could a song of our exploits."

 

[Deadwood Deer]

Jerry shook her head and chuckled. "No, I don't think you'd like my stories."

"Many of mine are of a... shall we say private nature," Adran added. Joanne didn't say anything at that response.

 

[Fangs9090]

Erina looked at them. "But you must have a reason for being here. A tale of how you got here and how you came so far."

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"Money, I'm broke," Jerry replied. "Simple as that."

"Following orders," Adran added, "Asmodei doesn't like the source of this mess. She won't tell me any more, though."

 

[Fangs9090]

Shuffle spoke up. "I know most of what Jerry's done since he... er, she?...got here. I can tell that much."

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"The only thing I've done since getting here is find disappointment and a cursed set of underwear," Jerry waved Shuffle off, "And pick up crewmates." He added that last part so Shuffle wouldn't think he saw her as a disappointment.

 

[Fangs9090]

"Maybe you'll find what you're looking for at the end?"