Fantasy Descension (C.DEX x Notorious)

[C.DEX]

"'Then it shall be done.' I say, grinning toward the elven woman. I stand up from my chair, but before I go, I turn to her one last time. 'Hope you don't have any reservations about this, because once I set my sights on someone...' I trail off dramatically." Sinna said. Then, she sliced her finger across her throat and afforded Moira a wink. With the same finger, she pushed her token up to the others', convening them all together. Now, they could really talk with each other. In reality, they could all along, but it was fun to go along with the game.


"'The elven woman says she'll find us to the beginning of the maze ... S'long as we kill that knight there that just left. Ses it's'er husband, and she found red hair on the pillow. I don't mind killing royalty.' I say." Sinna continued, bringing her fists up together and cracking them. ".Took out a few knights in my time, too. Never humans, though. Actually ...'" Sinna trailed off, curious. She suddenly dropped her orcish guise. "The knight is a human."


"That's something you don't see too often. Or really, ever. Even in the olden days, right?" Balor asked, coming to the same realization that Sinna had. He looked upon Moira with curiosity, and then back down to the knight's token, which steadily moved out of the bar. "The Unclaimed are ... well, I hate to say it, but ... particularly dishonorable, to be knighted. There's something fishy with this town." He concluded. Then, he moved his token after the knight.


"I'm using tracking and stealth to follow the knight out." Balor said. He looked up to Amara and Sinna. "Follow behind, but not too close behind. I don't want you blowing my cover. If we don't kill him, we can at least see what he's up to." He continued, unfeigned interest marking his features. It seemed the intricacies of the plot called to the Prisma Lamia, as he delved further and further into Moira's story. Then, he grabbed the dice, intending on rolling for tracking and following the knight. They rolled out onto the table and then froze, floating afterwards in the air as Moira displayed the result.

 

[Notorious]

"With that roll... The rogue Jayce..." Everyone leaned in close as Moira deciphered the dice, she let the results of the roll hang a little longer than normally to mess with Balor until she finally said, "Follows the Human knight with perfection." A sigh of relief crept over all of them as both Sinna and Amara pushed their tokens further behind Balor's as they all began to follow the knight. As turn after turn passed, roll after roll of stealth checks and over rolls for each character the Knight arrived at a church on a hilltop. Ironically, it was overlooking the falls he told the others not to go to. Moira described how the townsfolk had eyed them as they all left together, they had hidden from the knight but not from them.


"You are now all three standing outside the church, undetected by the human knight. When you take a closer look you notice that he is kneeling before an alter with his sword drawn. He looks to be deep in thought and now is the perfect time to strike for Gratkn, but..." She smirked, they had all taken so many turns they had begun to blur together with how smooth the tabletop game had become. "...It's Jayce's turn." That revelation made Sinna's head spin as they had arrived at this location. "Do you remember the conversation everyone was having on the way here? And how Gratkn passed that intelligence check to reference the... quote on quote 'Purdy flowers' as they walked on up to the church?" Moira grinned, "That was your turn. If you waited for the pieces to move you could have made your turn here at the church instead of on the way."


"Damn it Sinna!" Amara called out, she looked paler than usual. Legitimate excitement was on her face as she waited for all of them to arrive at the church. She was taking in every little detail, every word Moira said. She was so on edge and filled with adrenaline how much she was surprising enjoying this game it was baffling. She had a vast imagination that she never used, one that had been teeming to be unleashed. "I knew you were staying too much in character! You could have ended this and got us to the maze faster."


"Keep in mind Amara, that your turn before that was telling Gratkn a dirty joke to kill the time as you were walking by. You are equally guilty for wasting your turn as well!"


Amara frowned, but knew when she was wrong at least during the game. "Sorry... Gratkn." She said, forcing a smile. "Don't know how to seal me lips, you know that."


"So, Jayce." Moira said, looking across the table at Balor. "The Knight is completely alone in the church, muttering to himself a prayer. Whether he is up to evil or not is to be seen but being a human in a strange land with suspicious townsfolk makes him that more suspect." She smirked, revealing one final key plot detail. "Then, before any of you could do anything the knight took the sword he was muttering over and sliced open his own hand. He raises his bleeding hand directly to the alter and places it firmly there, letting his hand bleed freely into the cracked ancient stone. Clearly he is performing a ritual of some sort, one that he had to leave town for and specifically told you not to follow for!" Both Sinna and Amara gasped at this revelation while all the pressure was on Balor. "What... do... you... do?"

 

[C.DEX]

"I ... erm ..." Balor hesitated, a small beadlet of sweat coming up on his face. He was stressed, and it was showing in real life as much as it showed in his hesitation in game. The Prismatic man brought his character card up, looking to the front as well as the back of it, reading his own character's personalities, strengths, and weaknesses. While he may have very well tried to put a stop to it in real life, was that what his character would do?


"Remember, Bal, you're Jayce." Sinna reminded him. She wasn't as focused on 'winning' as Amara was, simply enjoying the game for what it was. In fact, she was enjoying watching the other two squirm just as much as Moira was. Breaking them out of their comfort zone was fun enough, especially as Balor was presented with the choice of intervening or watching it happen. The other problem was the implication. What had this ritual meant?


"He's an Unclaimed ... doing a ritual ... for what?" Balor asked, racking his brain. "It could be anything from simply asking for favor from Ichor or attempting to kill everyone in town. From turning blood into wine to collapsing the very maze we're attempting to get into... And the townsmen themselves are strange as well. I'm getting an inkling that this all might be some sort of interconnected cult, or ... perhaps they sacrifice travellers to keep the maze sealed? No, that wouldn't make sense; he wouldn't tell us to go away from the maze, in that cas-"


"Come on, Jayce. Time is ticking." Sinna said, smirking at Balor, her fingers drumming a beat on the table that only inspired further nervousness in him.


"Fine, fine. I... draw my dagger. I'm a bloodthirsty paranoid hobgoblin, who draws blood sooner than he asks questions, so..." It almost seemed to pain Balor to continue. While he had been enjoying the game beforehand, when it came down to the nail of it, it seemed to simply stress him. "I suppose I trust the elven woman who wants a lying blood-bender dead before I trust the fibbing blood-bender himself. No offence, Amara. It's about the lies, not the blood. I aim my dagger at the square of his back and then fling it." the Prismatic man concluded, breathing a deep breath after he'd done so, as if the weight of his actions had been lying heavily on him.


Sinna suddenly clapped her hands, startling Balor. "There you go! Now you're acting in-character!"

 

[Notorious]

Moira rolled the action dice to see whether the dagger would hit, making an effort to do so with her hands to show fairness and sure enough, the roll was perfect. "Oh wow... You're really going to fuck this guy up!" Moira said with a giggle. "Your dagger flies through the air with such a trained aim the others are in awe as your dagger pierces the knight's armor and stabs him in the back. He groans in pain as his disgusting ritual is stopped, flinging himself off the alter he whips his sword towards the three of you. He notices Barry in particular and says 'YOU BACKSTABBERS!'. Jayce's blade is so true that the knight is completely caught off guard... only for Barry's turn however."


"WHAT?!" Amara squealed, "BUT I CAN'T FIGHT HIM I'M A PACIFIST!" In any other situation with her screaming that would have destroyed her but in this situation she felt terribly helpless. "What can I do to help guys?" She said, turning out of character to the others. Before they could speak however Moira jumped in.


"This is an action scene! You have 30 seconds to decide what to do Barry!"


"OH NO!" She said again, the look of devastation on her face was adorable. "Uhh... Umm..." She bit her lip, looking down at the board as if looking for a sign. She glanced at her character sheet and gasped, realizing Barry's special abilities. "I pull my lute off my back and then begin to play a special song. One that assists my good friend The Heirkiller. I play the Sang'rok battle anthem, one that causes his people to slip into a blood rage perfect for combat!" She then rolled her dice and barely hit what she need to. "YES!" She exclaimed, throwing her fist into the air. "Casting the Sang'rok battle anthem activates haste and a strength buff on Gratkn. 'Go Get em buddy!' "


Suddenly however, Moira rolls her dice. They hadn't entered combat until now and when she rolled she smirked.


"The knight rushes forward now that he is no longer caught off guard as Barry's turn passes. He goes right after Barry who-" She rolls another dice, "Narrowly avoids getting hit by the knight's longsword. He then aims for Jayce who's evasion bonus allows him to dodge the blade without a dice roll. Then the knight targets Gratkn who-" Moira went pale as she rolled the dice, seeing its result and surprised at the outcome. "Deals a deep slash to Gratkn's chest! It is not a fatal injury but it is enough to severely handicap him for this battle!"


"OH NO!" Amara exclaimed again, leaning forward in excitement to hear what happens next.


"Gratkn, you're bleeding badly but buffed by Barry's quick thinking. What do you do? The Knight is backing away from you into a defensive stance now that he has had his attack land."

 

[C.DEX]

"Ah." Sinna said, narrowing her eyes. "Hmm... Well, I'm injured. But I'm still the tank. Did I start with any potions...?" she mused, to herself, flipping over her character card and then looking rather annoyed as she'd seen the result. "Nothing. Nada. Zip. Well... Fine. I want to go here-" she said, pushing her token in front of both Barry and Jayce's. It seemed that despite her character's injuries, she had intended on playing her role to its fullest. "Even injured, I can still take more hits than Barry and Jayce, with the former being the least ... hardy." she said, looking to Amara.


Her smile had fallen and she'd gone into thought. "Okay. Well I'm faster and stronger than I would be. I'm going to go into active attack mode and make the most of this; get this guy down, before the knight can do any more damage. And I'll roar at the top of my lungs before I charge at him; maybe the intimidate will do something for us as well. But y'know, even if he throws down his weapon, I'm a pissed Sang'rok." she said. "I charge toward him, battleaxe in each hand, and use my active attack to swing with each arm. The left one gets a negative four to hit, but that's a chance I'm willing to take." she said, pushing her token two tiles further to engage the knight directly.


From where he was, the knight wouldn't be able to get past Gratkn without invoking another attack from the enraged orc. He was where Sinna had wanted him to be; right in her face. Then, she opened a hand to Balor, who looked almost shocked at the revelations that had occurred during the last few turns. He hesitated for a moment, before Moira had cleared her voice and placed the urgency back into him. Thirty seconds; that's all he had. Balor's hand reached out, pushing his character to the side so that he would be in line with the knight while not being close enough to be attacked by his deadly sword.


"I pull out my spare dagger." Balor said. "He can attack at ... a two-tile range, right?" he asked.


"Yep!" Sinna replied, gesturing him to finish his turn before time ran out. "He'll get an extra attack on you if you try to get within range with your dagger."


"Well. Two time's the charm. This time I'm aiming for his weapon arm." Balor said. "I throw my dagger there. Is that sufficient?"

 

[Notorious]

"Direct hit!... To an armored gauntlet." Moira said as the roll failed. "It dings off the knight's arm with an unsatisfying thud, your dagger dropping to the ground. This however, does enrage the knight. He is going to try and attack you next turn. Barry!" Moira shouted, "30 seconds!" Amara however didn't look bothered by the time, infact, she had been planning her move right after her previous turn to the t.


"I cast Healing Song on Gratkn and sacrifice my next turn to do so fully." She smirked, "This will not only heal my friend, but also ensure victory." She let out a long sigh and rolled the dice. Time seemed to slow down as the dice rolled out, the lights in the room dimmed for dramatic effect until they were blasted back to full as she rolled successfully. "HEALING SONG BABY!" Suddenly a giant gust of wind blasted Sinna as the spell was successful, leaving it to be the knight's turn now.


"The knight is dumbfounded by the magical bard but does not lose sight of his next target: Jayce. Being the physically most vulnerable of the three he begins to charge past Gratkn, only for that to be his last mistake. With the Sank'rok now fully healed he grabs the knight's neck as he passes by. A loud groan emanates from the knight's neck as his wind pipe is crushed in the orc's hands. Heirkiller demonstrates why he has his title as not only does the knight get brutally thrashed, he is quickly dealt with in a brutal fashion. With one quick shove the knight is thrown to the ground. As he is reaching for his sword, Gratkn raises his mighty battle axe high over head and decapitates the knight. Ending him and his dark magic once and for all."


"Woah!" Amara exclaimed, leaning in close. "Dark magic huh? WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?!"


"The three of you walk over to the altar in which the now deceased knight had cast some sort of spell. During his ritual and in the background of your fight, the altar had been glowing a dark... deep red. Suddenly, with the ritual interrupted and the knight defeated the altar begins to glow purple. You all three backtrack a few paces before the altar EXPLODES sending rocky bits of shrapnel flying all over the room. With the cursed altar destroyed with the death of the knight you are that much closer to finding the Maze of Mana."


"Okay then!" Amara said with a smirk, "After our victory we-" The pieces on the desk all began to clean themselves, the character sheets, the maps, the various dies and art that littered the table. All of it floated into a neat stack in front of Moira. "What... Is it over? WE DIDN'T EVEN GET TO THE MAZE!"


"It's one of the Chapter ends Amara!" Moira replied back, smiling at the three of them. "These games take hours and hours and hours. We've already poured in several ourselves. If we rushed through it the suspense wouldn't be there, we'd just be doing short stories over and over again. I planned for this game to take place over several game sessions. There are so many things you all still need to do even if you find the maze!" She grinned at her, "You loved it... didn't you?"


"No I..." She frowned out of frustration. "I just want to see how it ends... Dumb game..."

 

[C.DEX]

"Yeah right." Sinna said. "You were getting into it. You're still speaking like a dwarf!" she teased, sticking her tongue out at Amara. She felt a certain sense of accomplishment, knowing that the game that her brother and her played wasn't just some dumb kids thing, that they had all actually enjoyed it. Of course, it was fun with more players, and that was evident by the pep in her step and the smirk on her face. "Looks like 'Mara enjoys something other than being a crass fun-ruiner, huh? Maybe you should take up the lute! Give you something more to do than sit in the armory all day and pout. What about you, Bal?"


"What about me?" Balor asked, flipping his character page over. He was steely. "It was ... admittedly fun, I won't lie about that; lying is never wise around this woman." he mused, eyes flitting up to Moira. Still unsure if he had room to speak there or not. After all, just days earlier, she had called him, Orin, and Sinna savages. But he didn't blame her. So he kept his eyes low and unassuming. "It was very kind of you to do that for your brother, anyhow." he noted.


"Well, I started it for him. But, Orin's got an imagination. It just became fun after that." she said. "How do you think Orin is, by the way...?" she wondered, realizing that they had got so caught up in their game that their troubles had faded away into nothing. Now, they were coming back to life inside of the sealed bunker. "Moira, do you have any knowledge about the outside world as of right now? How many people are occupying the city? What's happening out there? Is there any way ... to get a message to him and Gunnar?" she asked, worry suddenly knitting her brows again.


"Worrying isn't going to help you any, Sinna. But preparing will. You should spend some time in the armory, yourself. As much as I hate the fact that it's come to this ... I would rather the tides be in your favor than theirs." he admitted, frowning. The last thing that he'd wanted for Sinna was for her to be forced to take up arms, especially after having been through what she'd already had, but it was an inevitability. "Perhaps you can extend your selflessness outside of the game, Amara, and train Sinna a bit. It would be a challenge. You like those, don't you? I recall hearing that you're lamenting over losing one."


"Oh come on," Sinna started, exasperated. As much as she had enjoyed playing with Amara, the concept of being trained under her didn't sit well. "I don't study enough?"


"I have come to learn that books will only get you so far." Balor said, voice low and grim. "Anyway, it's in Ifritian culture to do so, man or woman. Regardless of your status, you should embrace your heritage a little more. They are a proud people, and you might be able to join their ranks freely, some day." he said, looking down to her. "You've taken after me in these years, and it ... isn't a culture you should be exposed to."


His eyes then met the elven woman's. "What do you say, Amara?"

 

[Notorious]

"I t'ink Gratkn the Heirkiller need no training!" She said, standing up with a big goofy grin. "Being the strongest orc on this side of the continent-" Amara paused as she noticed Sinna laugh while Balor was asking a serious question. "I would be happy to train her. Not because we're getting along or anything, but because I need people that have my back. Not that I need much help in combat but..." Her eyes narrowed, "I could use the training too. Can never be too ready for battle. And yes, I may be lamenting over a challenge I recently lost but it wasn't to someone who was better than me. It was cheap luck."


"He beat your ass red, sweetheart. That wasn't luck, it was skill." Moira said laughing, "Of course maybe you'd like that again. Kinky." This caused Amara to shake her head in embarrassment, the pleasant conversation they were having quickly swept away by Moira as Amara began to head out the door.


"I'll help train you Sinna, I assume it will be some time before we play this game again so I'm going to return to the armory. When you are ready I will be there. Do not expect me to go easy on you, I am not your friend." She reinforced, "Barry is Gratkn's friend but that stays at this table. Outside of here things are different. They're real. I expect full cooperation and you listen to everything I tell you to as if you don't it could mean your life outside this sanctuary." And with that, Amara left still red in the face from Moira's comment but a visible spring in her step as she headed to the armory refreshed.


Moira was giggling to herself, she shook her head as she began scooping the rest of the game pieces up with her hands. "It's hard fooling a psychic." She said cryptically as she began walking out of the room with them. "It's a good idea you learn how to defend yourself Sinna. I'm sure your brother is being taught by Gunnar." She revealed, having a gut feeling about what was happening on the outside. "And I'm sure he is teaching Gunnar a thing or two himself." Moira said with a knowing grin, giving Sinna a wink. "So don't be too afraid dear, we may not be able to reach them but I can feel they're safe. I'm glad we played this game... It was nice to escape from this place for a little while. We only have a few more days remaining in this sanctuary."


She paused, before looking to Balor with something other than contempt. In fact, she looked rather pleased with him.


"I don't want to say you're wrong time and time again, but I can safely say you are wrong with what you just said. She learned how to be a better, kind hearted person from you and your beliefs. Being exposed to your culture is a good thing, being multi-cultured is the way we advance as people." She smiled at him, "Are we... I'm... I'm sorry." She said quietly, "I hope we can get past what has happened between the two of us and I hope... I hope we can start a new." The usually threatening Midas woman looked up to Balor with a soft smile, awaiting his answer.

 

[C.DEX]

Balor looked down to the Midas woman, and then to the disappearing figures of Amara and Sinna. Sinna, who had left the room a lot happier than she was in her own little secluded nook. She didn't exactly follow Amara out; before being so rudely interrupted she was getting pretty far into her book. Knowing well that she'd hear from it from everyone if she hadn't, however, she quietly made plans to go toward the armory once she had finished with her chapter. For then, she relaxed, easing the tension from the small tabletop game they had all arranged together. As she passed through the hallway, her hand rested on the head of Lily, who was beaming quietly up at her and Amara as they passed, knowing.


When he'd found that the other two had left, he looked to Moira. "She doesn't need to know of my culture. It's a different one than that of Prisma's followers, and I see it leaking into her. Whether that's through my own fault, or the corruption of the Lamians... I'm not sure." he said, seemingly worried. He didn't return Moira's smile, nor her optimism. While the game was a good escape, worrisome thoughts crept back into his mind as soon as it had ended.


"I think we have gained a better understanding of one another, regardless of everything." he said, flatly, looking back down to her. Whether that was a good thing was still up in the air as he continued. He seemed to want to keep up a steely visage, but that didn't last long as he'd looked upon the Midas woman. He didn't have room to talk, and by her own vision, he'd committed more atrocities than she had by far. Conflicted, he attempted to stop himself from growing more bitter.


"We'll leave the past in the past." he said, finally. "It's better that way. For me, anyhow. As you've seen. I ... am sorry as well. Seeing that man be killed like that, I suppose I just related to him too thoroughly. It was once in my lifetime where I, too, begged only at the tip of a blade, and I still ... I would like to say that I've seen to it that I be redeemed, but I won't say I have, just yet. I haven't done enough. But I will, bar setbacks." he said, firm in his ways. Despite everything, they were growing to understand one another as they had spent more time than each of them would have liked together.


He nodded his head down at her, a brief version of a lazy bow. "We're confined to the same space, so I'll say that I will see you later. If you need any assistance around the bunker, then let me know."

 

[Notorious]

"Okay Balor." Moira said with a soft smile. "A fresh start. I expect you in my chambers within the hour." She teased, "Just kidding. We can skip the handsome shtick and leave that for when Gunnar returns. Have a good night, okay? I'm glad we could have some fun together instead of fighting for once." Moira then kicked open the door as her hands were full and she made her way to her office. It had just been a simple afternoon in the sanctuary but the air alone had seemed to thin up a bit, the place feeling less like a prison and more like a home.


End of Chapter 4 - Metaverse


"-and that's how I wrestled a giant Avar! Bastard was probably born under Onyx or something, he was massive. No weapons, only had to use my fists. Was one brutal battle I tell you. It's how I got a few of the scars on my chest, damn bird nearly gutted me." Gunnar said with a hearty chuckle as they continued up hill. They had been walking for days towards the Bridge of Fire and had long since arrived. They had begun to pass by other travelers who usually just nodded a friendly hello to them, some had brought up small talk but most of the folk around had no interest in talking to someone as violent looking at Gunnar or as regal looking as Orin thankfully. They had yet to pass through a village however and if Gunnar's instincts were right they were approaching one with how many passerbyers had been near them.


They had been walking up a mountain for some time now, the first mountain range that divided the main continent from the Blazing Isles. At once point in time perhaps they had been totally connected but their borders was both water and a hellacious mountain range on the bridge of fire. It had been several days since Gunnar and Orin had went on their own way and already Orin was showing some physical improvements when it came to hiking and his strength. They had been sparring in the afternoons and while it still felt like Gunnar was fighting a blind man the crash course he was giving Orin had already made some noticeable improvements.


"I sense life forms ahead. A town just a mile away, you should be seeing it soon." Dio whispered, silently listening to Gunnar and Orin joke around and chatter.


"Dio says we're approaching a town. You willing to pass through?" He asked Orin. "Haven't been to one out in the open before. I doubt there's seers here but we can't be too careful. I'm willing to go if you're willing to take the risk. We can load up on some food, some drink and then be on our way. Only about noon, we should have plenty of time to make a lot more progress on the path." He smirked, "Maybe even find a lead on getting a ship."

 

[C.DEX]

"Yeah, I guess that'd be fine." Orin said, pausing for a moment. Really, he'd been more interested in what Gunnar was saying about the Avar. His impatience had shone through the look on his face and the bounce in his step. "So you were saying you wrestled him? Did he lift you? Also, he nearly gutted you? Did HE have weapons? You said he was born under Onyx. Were his wings metal? Was he a mutant? I hear the Avars encourage mutation and they just toss the bad ones off of the islands." Orin asked, interested. Despite the fact that he couldn't see, his full attention was on Gunnar, as eerie white eyes seemed to settle listlessly where he walked.


Then, he tripped. For a moment, before catching himself, and realizing that he had to pay attention to the matter at hand. "Oh. Yeah, I guess I could use a warm meal right now. I don't know where we are, so I can't tell you if Seers are going to be here, but ... I can taste the ash on the air. We're either near the bridge or on it, aren't we?" he asked, his senses kicking into overdrive as he'd attempted to gain a handle on where they were. "Ash and salt." he confirmed with himself.


"I'd like to see how far our disguises get us, too." he admitted, as he walked, using Dio to guide him along the way. His hand danced inside of his pouch, feeling at the coins within. The stimulus was appreciated amongst everything; ever since they had begun their sparring, he'd had a bit more energy than usual. "Are we coming into view of it? What does it look like?" he asked, a question that he'd often asked his sister.


In the distance, small plumes of smoke rose from the buildings of the town in the distance, signalling how alive it had been. It was a stark contrast to the town from beforehand. People moved to and fro the settlement, visible from where Gunnar, Dio, and Orin had walked. The guards of the city sat idly outside of it, one bantering idly with the other as he marked the edge of his blade with a whetstone. Their eyes had come up to the two approaching the town, though they didn't stir from their seated positions amongst the dilapidated walls until the two of them had really gotten close. When they had, the two idle guards stood, looking Orin and Gunnar up and down as if they were travelling goods of their own.


"'Ey, you two. Got'cher Central IDs on you?" he asked, grinning; a grin that lacked several teeth. Then, he looked to the guard to his side, and laughed. "I'm just kiddin'. Welcome to Hatchment. Names?" he asked, jovial but as intimidating as any other.


"I'm Asher. This here is ..." he paused, realizing that Gunnar hadn't come up with a name for himself. It didn't really matter, however; a bodyguard was a bodyguard. "This is Gunnar." he said, smiling. "Just looking for the nearest inn and food in town. Been travelling for a while."

 

[Notorious]

"You two don't look it." The other guard said, picking his teeth with his knife. "All clean and proper huh? You got some nice robes there blind boy Asher, I reckon someone might take them from ye if you ain't careful." The Ifrit man said, grinning at Orin. That was, until Gunnar took a step forward. "Now now... I'm just warning you folks is all! No need to get fiesty, savage." He eyed his partner, "And I thought I seen some bloody scary savages during the war. Gods be damned." The guard then offered a smile to Gunnar who didn't return it, playing the role of a bodyguard well. "Plenty of your type in here at Hatchment, human. Got a gang of your kind in there now. Youse plenty useful, always willing to do what others wouldn't dare. You paid a lot for protecting Asher here he-"


"Paid enough." Gunnar said, offering few words to the guards. "Enough to kill. Hatchment? Humans? Good. We have coin. Been on the road awhile, even with a change of clothes as you two noticed." Gunnar smirked, "We're looking to get away from Central, that's for damn sure." He was picking up on the vibe the two guards were giving off to which both replied in delight.


"Good! All those central pussies don't know what to do with all their wealth. And hell... those on the other side of this land bridge are bad in their own ways too! Hatchment is a haven for people like us, like you Gunnar. And hell... maybe even you Asher. A blind man carrying a sword is impressive. You training 'em? That why you paid enough?"


"I'm more than enough to defend Asher but... he does enjoy that blade. Stuck a Seer with it." They both went pale at the word seers, then the one who had been asking the questions began to laugh.


"You boys have grown on me. You two get in there! Enjoy yourselves! We got ale freshly brewed here and our whores are imported! WELCOME TO HATCHMENT!" The gates opened and Gunnar walked first after nodding to the guards, offering them a smile as they walked past and into the town. One of the guards looked over to the other and grinned, "That blind bastard ain't gonna last a day in there. I call dibs on them fancy clothes."


As they entered town Gunnar was greeted to a sight that took some time explaining to Orin. The buildings there all looked to be made of scrap metal and wood fused together. The lighting was no longer Prisma crystals but rather large torches that dotted the scrap walls and streets. People were dancing in the street, day drinking, while others were going to and from businesses. The town was more populated than they could have imagined from the outside and while Gunnar felt at home in a place like this he was for once glad Orin couldn't see the type of people they were near.


Hatchment looked rough.

 

[C.DEX]

While Gunnar was attempting to keep Orin's visuals of the town down, the townspeople were making it a significant deal harder than it should have been. Around them, weary eyes settled on the traveling pair. Some were opportunistic, as the poor and enthusiastic sometimes were, looking to sidle up close to the two before quickly realizing by Gunnar's glare that it wasn't so good of an idea after all. Still, there were no Seers in sight, and that must have meant that they were on the right track. As they walked further into the city, an inn came into view, accentuated by those who milled around the outside, with mugs of Ifritian-made day ale within their grasp.


"Smells like piss and alcohol here. Doesn't really surprise me, though. If we're near the Isles, they're known for their alcohol exports. Even the Sang'rok have their own exports, but the Ifrit take precedence over the Lamia and Sang." Orin noted, voice low, as he wasn't sure who could hear him.


The population had steadily become more and more Blaze-esque as they had traveled along the Bridge, with ragged Ifritian faces dotting the population, amongst elves, dwarves, and other common races. Even humans milled about here and there, though it was evident that they had their own personal cliques, probably for their own personal protection. And, while there were the occasional higher-class looking folk, they seemed to be convening amongst the others. Despite valuable-looking robes, they drank and ate amongst their friends. Above all, it seemed that in this particular town, the lines blurred between common folk and upper class. Or that was how it seemed.


When they had entered the tavern, they were greeted by a snout-faced Patagi man. He offered a toothy grin toward them as they entered, gesturing toward an empty table near the back of the tavern, before looking back to his other patrons. They had both followed suit, not hesitating in the slightest when it came to the prospect of a warm meal. In the moments before the scantily-dressed barmaiden had come, however, Orin and Gunnar had a few moments to talk.


"I don't see any forbiddens here. So regardless, we should keep the guise up. Well, as far as our personas." Orin quietly noted. "We got coin, and we just recently defeated a golem, so I'd say that's cause enough to celebrate." He said, a grin sneaking up on his face. "Weird guards, though. You don't meet many who're so vocal about disliking Central."

 

[Notorious]

Gunnar made sure to take a seat with his back up against the wall, looking out at the crowd of people all around. He had noticed some very curious eyeballs, he was now mentally regretting Orin's taste in clothing as it was painting a target on them that wouldn't be there otherwise. Gunnar could get away with wearing nice armor and weaponry, it intimidated people. When the others seen a nicely dressed boy it was as if they were seeing unlimited Sols, him being blind was just icing on the cake. Without Gunnar there something would have undoubtedly happened to Orin already and that made the viking feel very uneasy.


"I get the feeling we're in free town. It's how my home is... A plot of land that denies all governments and is a haven for people with the same values. Basically... they say fuck both Central and whoever governs the Isles. I'm not surprised they're so vocal, there's more guards everywhere. Most people aren't stupid enough to come here." Gunnar smirked, "And that valuable clothing you got on is painting a target on your back. Should have made you roll around in the mud or something before walking up here, we gotta be ready for anything."


The paranoia was uncharacteristic of Gunnar. Usually he was care free, joking. Not here however. Here he had to demonstrate a dominance and command respect from those around them or they could quite literally be killed by the least suspecting person.


"Dio" Gunnar asked within his mind, keeping it private from Orin. "When we get food and drink, can you search it for any additives? I want to ensure he is not poisoned."


"Yes I can but... You seem on edge. More so than usual."


"These are the kind of places I use to grow up in. My father liked these types of people because their intentions are clear. They'll share a drink with you but they're not really your friends. They're good for a conversation than a fight. It's similar to how my people act but there is a respect among brothers and sisters.... Here... It's the wilds." Gunnar then turned his attention back to Orin, "We should celebrate. Though... quietly. Any more attention we draw to ourselves the worse off we are." He sighed, "Wish I could lighten up a little but you don't know who your friend is or your foe here. Kind of like a normal town with our signs but... You get the point."

 

[C.DEX]

"Shit. I should have chosen something unassuming, but... I just figured if they saw my clothes then they wouldn't question what I was born under." Orin said, in regret. He hung his head, but still captured the attention of the maiden working the tavern. His hand went to his pouch, feeling for the lowest denominator of coin he'd had in his pocket; slinging Sol around now would only worsen their situation. The maiden turned, returning to Orin and Gunnar as he'd raised his hand for service. "Hey there. Could I get some Ifritian ale for my friend and I?" He asked, placing the Sollerets on the table where she could grab them.


For a moment, she seemed disappointed that he hadn't paid in larger coins, but she took them and stuffed them into the side of her cleavage regardless, passing an eye toward Gunnar with a smirk. "You can get more than ale here, sweetheart, but I'm sure a bigshot like you is accustomed to that kind of treatment. Are you planning on staying with us tonight? Rooms upstairs are comfortable and clean. Make 'em myself before I end my shift, here." She said, leaning an elbow on the table in such a manner that her upper half didn't leave much to the imagination for Gunnar.


"Can't say yet. We may feel well enough to keep going. There's a caravan awaiting our arrival on the other side of the city." Orin said, attempting to laud up the security of their positioning in the eyes of their new hosts. "I'm sure you get a lot of travelers passing through the Bridge, don't you?"


"Well, we do. Sometimes a weary traveller comes here and there, happy to be free from both Central law and Isles law. What I was gettin' at was that I could put a whore in your room, for a little extra money." The maiden said, her tact dropping. Orin's face grew dark as he'd been caught off-guard, embarrassed by the notion that he'd have a whore in his room. "You too, human." She said, winking toward him. "I hear your type's into-"


"It won't be necessary, thank you." Orin said, interrupting her. She seemed to be perturbed by it a slight bit, before nodding and looking down to her writing pad. "Just the ales, if you'd be so kind."


The maiden shortly left them, leaving the blind Seer to place a palm to his forehead. She reappeared shortly with their drinks, with Orin having since calmed himself. He took the drink in hand, waiting for the woman to leave before asking, "Is it fine, Dio?"


Two quiet knocks sounded on their table.

 

[Notorious]

"Haven't seen a whore try that hard in years." Gunnar said with a smirk before taking a sip of his drink. "Should have seen her, you might have reconsidered the whole whore in your room thing. You got the money for it." He said laughing at Orin's expense, taking another swig and leaning back in his chair. They had begun to blend in with the crowd now but that didn't mean a thief wasn't keeping their eye on them or potentially someone with worse intentions. "Maybe I can call her back over and get you to feel around. I wonder what Balor and Sinna would do if I convinced you to go get laid by a strange woman in a foreign land..." He smirked, trying not to laugh at the idea. "Wouldn't be the worst thing I've gotten you into so far."


"Are you... seriously trying to make him call her back?" Dio asked in a hushed voice as if Orin could hear him. "You... He looks of age but the idea that you would convince him to-"


"I'm joking Dio." Gunnar said, rolling his eyes. "Dio is lecturing me on the morals of prostitution and young men like yourself taking advantage of it. When I was young I did it, hell, most of the Veldard men have taken advantage of drink and whores when raiding. Never after Nora and I were wed but before... Damn." He shook his head, reminiscing on days long past. "I would fit in more with these people then than now. You'd be much less likely to travel with that wild man, I'd have convinced you to do some terrible things all in the name of fun. Wouldn't matter who got hurt along the way... Even you." Gunnar frowned as that reminiscing quickly went sour. "Would have said it was a rite of passage for you to go and do bad things. I'm glad we met when we did Orin, any other time and it wouldn't have worked."


"Oi. Human." Another human man said, walking up to Gunnar. "Your new around these parts. I gotta warn you, lot of folk are eye balling you lot."


"And you're telling us this why?" Gunnar asked the man. He looked malnourished as many of the humans did, looking much more desperate for food and drink than the others in the bar.


"Cause our kind look after eachother. Can't trust a demon or a Lamian backstabber one bit. Them orcs? Savages. Bunch o' savages. Where you from?" The man asked, "I'm Miles by the way. On account of me folk had to walk miles with me still dangling from me mum, had no knife to cut me loose." He said with a goofy laugh.


"Veldard, from the Isles of Arcad-"


"Say no more. I don't associate with you viking type. God damn sky savages, done some terrible guddamn things about there. Forget I say anything mate. Had a run in from one of you lot before, not about to again! My apologises, sir." And just like that, Miles was gone. Gunnar turned back to Orin and let out a sigh.


"He knew someone from Veldard huh? Interesting... Might mean more people have survived the fall than I thought. That's... not a good sign though. If people know of Veldard and react like that? Hell... I'm gonna need to come up with a better place to say where I'm from."

 

[C.DEX]

"These people are rude. Not like I couldn't hear him called me a demon. Also, you have a pretty bad reputation, huh?" Orin noted, turning his head in the direction of the human who had soon fled their presence. "That's ... not surprising, but still. You always talk about Veldard. I wonder how it actually is. Not to say that you're lying, but you know, seeing it with my own eyes, so to speak." Orin said. "As for whores, well... you and your people can do what you want, but I don't feel like having an itch for the rest of my life." he said, teasing Gunnar back. He was grinning, despite the seriousness of their situation. "Are your people so far from you, anyways? You don't seem that horrible."


The blind Seer didn't want to come to the realization that the person he'd found himself so fascinated by could be a bad person. Despite Gunnar's tales, he remained passively listening, as if Gunnar's advocacy for his own people's brutishness had passed in one ear and out the other. The Seer took his drink in hand, cupping it by both sides, and brought it up to his mouth. At first, he'd tried to drink it slowly, not realizing that by doing so he'd soon be spitting it up back into the mug. So, he did. Coughing a bit and drawing a little more attention to them than he should have, Orin wiped his mouth.


"This is terrible. And it burns!" he nearly exclaimed, hushing his voice at the last opportune moment. For a moment, he stirred, before throwing the drink back in a fast enough manner to not make him spit it back up and engorging himself on a surprising amount. He'd finished after Gunnar, but not long after. "Okay, well... You could always simply say you're a mercenary from the Outer Eye, or one of the islands off of the coast. Or, you're a straggler, never really knowing where you'd come from; just that you've always been moving. Something cool like that." he said, smirking.


"Think it's safe enough for us to stay here for the night?" he asked, looking to Gunnar for advice. "Or will we be robbed in our sleep? Can Dio just put up a trap, like before?"

 

[Notorious]

"Like I said before, Nora saved me." In response to Orin's question about him. "The young Veldard men are violent, ruthless, unforgiving. It's that way as our people are hunted and killed every chance the Avars or the Molts get. They see us as outsiders in our own land. There are tales of the first Veldardians where they were a peaceful group of people until the other natives began to attack to get the natural resources of our homeland. So as a result, our men got meaner. And meaner..." He could tell Orin was captivated by his story, it was one that was rarely told to outsiders. "The Patagi we've never raided for that reason alone. They kept to themselves so we left them alone but the other two... We've raided and killed so many and it still hasn't come to a fraction of what they took from us." Gunnar frowned, "They forced us to become savages. The Unclaimed are forsaken for many reasons but many of them are false, just like people born under the wrong signs. Unfortunately though we've become products of that environment, of those people forsaking us and looking at us as lesser men and women."


He took a brief moment to slam down some ale, it was a rather tragic tale and although he wasn't there for much of it the horrors he faced as a human in a world that hated humans was something Orin could barely understand even being a shade.


"I say you wouldn't like most Veldard men as they have had to inflate themselves to ridiculous standards to stay strong. They would challenge you, test you... fight you. Without me there you wouldn't be welcomed there. You'd be stripped of everything you own and pushed off the side for invading our land. There are many good people inside, but like with any other place there are a lot of rough and tough folk there. It's a beautiful land filled with savages." He said with a smirk, "I love it there and I miss being away from home but... My wife gave me a perspective of the outside and calmed me down, most men don't get that opportunity. She's also from the clan but one of the hunters that traveled all over the isles, a scout. She's seen and experienced many different cultures. Kind of like what I'm doing now." He let out a happy sigh, thinking of home and of someone he held most dear. "We will have a lot to speak about when I return. And-" He paused, "I'll buy you some earmuffs when you stay with us. Nora's a screamer."


Gunnar then watched as Orin tipped his drink back and nearly choked on it, he couldn't help but laugh at his friend's expense and while it did draw attention Gunnar's laugh neutralized any one watching. He wiped his eyes as Orin finally finished his drink then asked Gunnar if they should stay the night.


"Yup. Works for me. We tried sleeping in a golem's nest so a whore house won't be that much worse. Just don't get too comfy with the sheets, don't know what's stained on them." Gunnar raised his hand up at the woman who had been serving them earlier, calling her over. "We'll take a room. Minus the whores. Have to save that for another time."


"Oh really?" The maiden asked, giving Gunnar a toothy smirk as the Ifritian collected the money from Gunnar. He tipped her well, surprising her as she counted the coin. "Generous for a man not looking for anything extra. You sure hun? I can make an exception for you. Usually I just send up a girl to the room but I can stop by and-"


"Married, sweetheart. If you caught me a few years earlier you wouldn't have been able to walk right in the morning." He said, standing up and towering over the woman. "Me too, though." Gunnar said with a chuckle, trying to play nice with the woman so they'd get a better room. In reality he didn't much care for anyone other than his wife so saying something suggestive to a stranger wasn't going to amount to much. "You mind showing us up there? Me and my client here had a long day."

 

[C.DEX]

"I can show you a lot more than that, sweetheart." The Ifritian woman continued, enjoying their banter. She then looked to Orin. "How d'ya know where to go, sweetie? With all this noise you'd think you wouldn't. Unless you can still see through them milky orbs." She asked, curious.


"Basic pathfinding is one of my more impressive abilities." He replied, seemingly unoffended by her candor. It wasn't exactly refreshing to him, but the other patrons in the bar must have appreciated it, judging by the slight jingling that could be heard as she walked. "Others include discerning food by smell, and absolute direction." He joked, causing the waitress to look between him and Gunnar, unsure if he was joking or being entirely serious. Then, she laughed.


"Cute. Well, follow me then." She said, waiting for them to finish their ale before she had left the table to lead the way. Orin allowed Gunnar to stand, Dio in tow, before Orin rose up behind him in order to follow. A few eyes had risen from their tables as the three of them trotted off, but they quickly fell back to their own drinks. The tavern's occupants almost looked as if they hadn't cared about their presence, in that moment. And perhaps they didn't. Perhaps they were just being paranoid.


They ascended the staircase into the upper halls, which seemed to actually be in relatively good shape. It made sense; while the rest of the town might be suffering, it was always the taverns that thrived in areas that adjoined others, ones nestled just off of the beaten path. They passed not one, but two rooms, before the barmaiden had pulled a set of keys from one of the few pockets on her person to place it into the door, and opened the room up. It was warm; a small, everlasting Pyritian fire took place near the wall, giving no smoke but offering its heat to the rest of the room. What they lacked in Prismatic light crystals they made up in fire, an appropriate trade for the landmass that they had been on. The maiden made her way to the windows, pulling open the drab-colored curtains in order to let light into the rest of the room.


"Beds're already made up for you guys. I assumed you wouldn't be wanting to sleep in the same bed, so I gave you two. It's not the kind of room you'd find in a mainland inn, but we do try our best." she said, smiling to the both of them.


"It's great. Thanks." Orin said, happy to sleep in a bed, and especially to sleep in a bed that hadn't been framed by black glass. Soon, she had left, leaving them to observe the room at their own leisure. Orin practically flopped backwards onto the bed, exhaustion taking over his features as soon as she had left. "...I'm gonna go back down later for some food, but this place doesn't seem too bad. I know, though. On my toes, and everything." he said, with a wave. His mannerisms had become looser, probably a result of the alcohol. "I'm sorry about your people, then. Happened to my people, too. But you're kind of my people, in that way. Just so happens that you're a forbidden AND an Unclaimed, which must suck in ways that I can't wrap my mind around. I'll keep that in mind if I ever meet them. They're just misunderstood." he said, sticking his tongue out.

 

[Notorious]

"Keep that tongue in your mouth or one of these whores will gobble it up. Thirsty bitches. That one that lead us in wasn't very modest, if you had eyes you'd see straight up her skirt when we went up the stairs." Gunnar said laughing as he began to unbuckle his armor. The chainmail and leather fell to the ground and he walked over to his bed and he too plopped down. "Either that or someone will cut it off." He teased, causing Orin to close his mouth. "You're right, misunderstood is a good way to put it. I forget how understanding you are sometimes... Most folk right my people off for not only being human but for being savages. You heard Miles down there, two words and he was running away." Gunnar then turned over to look over to Orin, "Beats being blind though. We both got our own ordeals to deal with... But hell... Least we're having fun now!"


He kicked off his boots and groaned as he was finally able to rest. Silently, Dio locked the doors and windows properly as he had done in the golem's din. He wasn't lecturing Gunnar about the safety of such a place however, feeling much more at ease here than back in the monster's den. The bed's were comfortable as the woman had said and Gunnar was surprised to see them so clean. Perhaps they had been paranoid, Gunnar's guard lowering just a hair as he laid back in his pillow and looked up at the ceiling.


"I ain't gonna stop you from going to get food on your own but I'd recommend you bring me along when you do. On the off chance there ain't someone here trying to hurt you there might be other chances that someone takes advantage of you somehow. Whether that be steal your money, make you do something stupid. You name it. Plus those people downstairs are gonna get a lot rowdier in a little bit once the alcohol starts flowing more and more. Places like this aren't meant for weary travelers, it's a glorified whore house. Could use the rest but I'm gonna kick myself if we end up regretting this later." Gunnar stretched out his arms and legs then laid back down, feeling as if he could sleep for days how comfortable he was.


"Ask Orin... If he is happy." Dio asked quietly. "I want to know. He is away from everyone he knows and he asks good, but perhaps that ale has him speaker a truer tone."


"Hey Orin." Gunnar asked as he nearly drifted off to sleep. "Dio is concerned about your happiness. Not sure why, he ain't usually concerned about mine." He said with a smirk, teasing the wraith. "But... He's asking if you're happy. That if you're okay with being away from everything you know. Basically he's checking in to make sure that I've been a good traveling partner since he can't exactly speak to you. We haven't exactly had the easiest of starts here, especially with running into a golem on our first day and this hike that doesn't seem to end. I gotta say though." The buzzed Gunnar began to laugh, "My ass has never felt this firm before due to all the hiking."

 

[C.DEX]

"Only Nora and the barmaiden want to hear about your ass, Gun." Orin replied back, with a laugh. Then, he quieted. He didn't really have the introspective time to sit down and think about whether he'd been happy, yet. Sure, he'd been putting on a smile; that much was evident every time Gunnar, he, and Dio talked, but a smile didn't mean much. So, for a moment, he sat down and thought about it. It took an awkward amount longer for him to think due to the alcohol clearing his mind, but when he looked up again, he smirked. "Yeah, I suppose I'm happy. Sore as fuck, still got cuts from the golem, pulling shards of glass in places I didn't know existed, but I'm happy."


The blind Seer took off the tapestry that had adorned his front, dropping it to the floor with his belongings, then kicked them under the bed. He looked rather plain, then, but that was fine, all in all. "I kind of miss my bitch sister and Balor, but I can't imagine I would have been doing anything other than sitting and twiddling my thumbs if we had gotten locked inside of the bunker rather than out. I'm kind of glad I did, too, because I can't imagine you'd ever visit us again if you left the way you did that day on your own." he said, mouth curling in introspection. "Now you're stuck doing so, because I gotta get back there, eventually."


He sighed. "Even saying that makes my chest heavy. I love them, but... damn if everything isn't grim with them." he admitted. "So you know, Dio, there's a language that the mute use to communicate with others. Something with ... short bursts and then long bursts. Didn't really read into it, never really interested me, but it's never too late to learn. Of course, that'd mean you'd be limited to everyone who knew it, but... If we're gonna be travelling together, might be useful to expand our talking to something greater than what you can find on a divining board."


Orin, too, climbed into bed, with heavy lids. As soon as he had hit it, a great tiredness had overwhelmed him. "Hoooly shit," he said, yawning his words. "If I knew that alcohol would make me sleep this good every night I'd be an alcoholic. Anyway, what about you, Dio? Gun? How d'ya feel about the surface?"

 

[Notorious]

Dio let out a long loud two knocks above Orin's head, signaling that the first chance they'd get they should learn.


"Dio would like that." Gunnar said, shutting his eyes. "You both would have to learn that sort of language but it could be useful to speak with. That way I don't have to be the middle man. And we won't have to get one of those cheap looking boards out." He smirked, "As for the surface? It's... strange. It reminds me of home in a lot of ways but with less chance of falling off the side." He let out a long sigh, "How are you sure this is the surface? Are you sure we aren't on floating islands now and that below us is an even bigger land? Has anyone ever been to the edge of the world and back?" The viking asked, his knowledge on the subject VERY limited.


He rubbed his face, he too was feeling very tired. If he hadn't known better he thought they'd have been drugged but he doubt Dio would have missed something like that in their drinks. The chance was still there but even then the barriers were up, his guard was now officially down as he let out a groan of relief.


"Damn this bed is good." He said drearily. "I'd be an alcoholic too, not just for that reason too. I might already be one if I stayed in one place for too long." Gunnar said with a chuckle. "The surface is a lot similar to what I've seen before. There are many eerie similarities such as the trees, the water, the land. People hating people. People fighting others that are different than them. What I like the most about this place is finding you and your family however... Without you all I'd probably end up in a place like this or prison so... thanks for rescuing me from that puddle again. I've learned that the massive lake is an ocean too which is a crazy thought. I'd never thought I'd see such a massive body of water in my life."


Gunnar yawned, he was moments away from passing out and his speech had become erratic and all over the place.


"I... Like the fact the clouds are so far above as well." He said with a smirk, "As beautiful as they are I find that the more land you can see without the clouds covering some of the land the better. It seems like this world goes on forever while when you're up there while it spans for miles and miles eventually you'll find the end. Here I don't... feel that." Gunnar let out a long sigh, just moments before falling asleep. "When we return here I'll bring Nora with us. She'll... she'll love it here." His last thoughts before passing out was of his wife, the viking finally passing out from alcohol and exhaustion before finally drifting off to a peaceful sleep.

 

[C.DEX]

"I'd like to meet Nora." Orin said, smiling. He, too, was being whisked into sleep. As his eyes shut, however, his third eye opened, intent on bringing him nightmares. It was a reality that he'd had to face regardless of the circumstance... but at least the bed felt nice.


Night took Hatchment. As it was delivered into night, however, the townspeople were not put into rest. Instead, a dreary sort of feeling overtook the town. Movements became slower, possibly delivered to the townsfolk by alcohol. Giggles filled the night from working women and men alike, pulling their partners into the small shanties on the sides of the makeshift road. Torchlight lined the road, the moons otherwise providing light to the denizens below. Inside of Hatchment, Gunnar and Orin slept undisturbed, for the most part.


Dio watched dutifully over them, ensuring that no harm came to them. Orin shifted in place, alerting the spirit falsely for a few times, while Gunnar kept as quiet as a log, that in itself alarming to those who may have very well imagined he was suffocating in his sleep.


And then Dio's dutiful watch disappeared. In an instant, the room during the night felt colder. When the moons were highest in the sky, beaming down on the town like a dark guardian, something shifted. Something nearly unnoticeable. In their alcohol-driven sleep, the two of them weren't even aware of the shift. As blue overtook their room, bestowed upon them by the moonlight peaking slowly through the curtains, it hit a looming black form standing in the doorway. The air felt dry, causing Gunnar to cough in his sleep. Then, Orin was deprived of his nightmares, sending him into neutral blackness. The mana ripped out of the room like a vacuum, leaving them both in the dark as Dio was ripped away from Gunnar's person in a quick, unrelenting moment.


There was no time to knock.


What had once been a peaceful sleep would soon be spurred into chaos, as the floorboards creaked from below to above. They would be recognized as Lamian; cold stares met them all as the bar's patrons didn't particularly appreciate such an intrusion on their normally free paradise, but they were pressed into silence by the intimidating, armed presence, as well as the implication. Whether Orin and Gunnar had grown on them or not, not one man or woman felt them a pressing enough presence to risk death to intervene. This was most evident on the face of the barmaiden, who had actually come to like the two of them, but now sat against the bar with crossed arms and an angry gaze.


The eerie-eyed Lamian man withdrew, nodding to his small team to continue on.


Then, Orin awoke, yawning. He shot a hand throughout his hair, unaware of the impending danger. His hair crawled on his skin, however, as he'd noticed something.


"Gunnar?"

 

[Notorious]

Gunnar was snoring loudly now but when he heard his name he began to awaken.


"Wha... What do you want Orin?" He asked, rubbing his face as his eyes tried to adjust to the darkness. "Fuck it's dry in here." He grumbled as he began to set up. "Swore that god damn fireplace was lit when we passed out, Dio must have put it out..." He rubbed his eyes some more as he coughed a little, he felt very strange. It felt as if all his energy had been sucked out of him, that he was simply a husk of a man currently and couldn't move properly or think clearly. Then, he felt something strange. His lungs felt devoid of air as he had a harder and harder time breathing. "What's... going on?" He asked, wobbling to his feet as he tried to figure out what was happening.


There was nothing but silence from Dio, the wraith long gone from Gunnar's side as the viking struggled to stand to his feet. He couldn't see in the darkness so he had no idea of the figures surrounding them in the room. He was clueless as he walked right past one of them towards the stove. He tried turning it on with the magical switch but nothing seemed to work. He then felt something wet on the front of his chest and his back, further dumbfounding the viking on what was going on.


"If this is some sort of nightmare it'll have to... do better than this..." He panted, the air struggling harder to enter his lungs as the dampness he was feeling began to grow. He reached into his bag that he had laid next to the stove and grabbed his tinderbox and began to manually light the stove. "Damn magic tech... Never works as good as the real thing." He grunted, just wanting to see to get his bearings. He finally lit the stove and was horrified by seeing what the dampness had in reality been. Blood had begun pouring from Gunnar's scars on his chest and his back freely, dripping down his torso and though his clothing.


Gunnar was confused as he looked down at what had become of him. What had hit him? Did he get hurt in his sleep? So, he began to turn around only to see several people standing in the room with him. Many had circled Orin, the boy totally unaware of what was going on around him. The masked individuals were totally silent, so much so that they had entered totally undetected. Gunnar began to shout in his head for Dio to help but the wraith wasn't there as he began to feel the life drain from him.


Orin heard a crash as Gunnar fell to his hands and knees but now the viking could hardly speak as his wounds began to manifest. Little did they know Dio had been taking the brunt of the majority of Gunnar's pains, his wounds, everything. It was a double edged sword of being bounded with the dead, without Dio Gunnar was as good as dead now. He reached up towards the invaders, desperateness trying to do anything to help Orin but it was futile. They didn't even have to lift a hand to defend themselves against Gunnar as his wounds had done that for them, the viking swiftly fell to the ground fighting to stay conscious for just a few short words.


"Orin.... run..." Gunnar groaned before face planting to the floor, going completely unconscious.

 

[C.DEX]

"Gunnar?!" Orin shouted, hearing the urgency in his travelling partner's voice and snapping to attention. The haze that he'd felt from waking was gone, but there was a new one. He'd realized he couldn't see; even in his own little figurative view, it felt darker than ever. No signs danced within his field of vision, and there was no Dio, as well. He tore toward where he'd heard Gunnar utter his groan, slamming into one of the Lamian intruders as he'd attempted to pass. He thrashed out, pushing through with a surprising amount of speed. Despite the lack of mana, adrenaline coursed through the young Seer. "GET OFF OF ME!" he shouted, frantic, making a break for the door.


He ran into something solid, bouncing back. Only, it wasn't due to his blindness. He hadn't run into a door or wall, no. Instead, a massive Sang'rokian orc stood in the doorway, blocking it to ensure that their targets didn't escape. He reached down, grabbing Orin by the front of his shirt and easily lifting him up. The Seer kicked, grasping at the Sang'rok's wrists. "GUNNAR! GUNNAR!" he shouted, wanting nothing more than for it to be a nightmare. But it wasn't.


"Don't kill him, orc." one of the Lamians said, low. "Is the bodyguard bleeding out...? Did any of you touch him?" he asked, curious, then with a laugh.


"I din't. And I'm not." the Sang'rok dumbly replied, though his fist tightened more in annoyance as Orin screamed out for help. But none came.


"Leave it there. A wounded savage isn't a problem, and it'd take more time to dispose of the body than leave it here for the bar wench." the other Lamian concluded, night-adjusted eyes catching each other in the darkness. The orc nodded to the both of them, though with a small grunt of displeasure. Then, he had taken Orin out into the light. The other two followed, with the mana-siphoning thing taking up the back. It would take a while for Dio to return even as they had left, dragging Orin along the floor by the throat. As soon as they had done so, however, the barmaid from earlier had broken from her angry, crossed-arm spell in order to rush back up the stairs where they had come from.