The Last Curse
21% Delirious
The hag's response left a bittersweet taste in Cayde's mouth. On one hand, she was 'nice' enough to at least let them know who they were hunting - thanks to Baharius. But, on the other hand, her answer gave him nothing about her motives. He could've been slaying monsters to fuel a dark ritual for all he knew, and he'd be none the wiser. Of course, the monsters sounded like no angels, one was quite literally a demon, but that didn't stop Cayde's stomach from coiling in unease. He thought there had to be some trick, but perhaps that was the trick, that there was none to begin with. He had no idea of knowing, and that scared him the most—even more than a banshee, a forest demon, a were-rabbit, or his new dubious allies.
Baharius was the first to organize the group, and Cayde found himself nodding along to the Saurial's plan. His initiative was already growing on Cayde, who felt a bit regretful for his apprehension earlier. Kesh's antics had eased his mind a bit, too, her enthusiasm earning a hearty laugh from him. She always found a way to unintentionally lighten the mood; that was one of Cayde's favorite qualities. Anxiety wasn't one of them, however. So, when Kesh scurried away from Nissa and Chandra, spouting about dead bodies, Cayde shot a wary glance at her. Initially, he thought it was just another one of Kesh's 'trips,' but once he saw the genuine fear in her eyes, another coil formed in his stomach. Maybe something was wrong with these two women - something he couldn't see. Cayde took a step back, his fingers grazing over his crossbow.
Cayde quickly realized what he'd done. Albeit small, he'd let skepticism control his actions. He couldn't let that happen again. He had to work with these people to get out of these swamps alive. Despite whatever they were hiding, he had to put some trust in them - there was no other way. He needed to calm down. He was supposed to be the optimistic one. He couldn't let this swamp get to him; that's exactly what the monsters wanted. That's exactly what the hag wanted, too, he bet.
Then, Nissa snapped at Kesh. Not just at her, but a petty jab at her race. Cayde felt his skin tingle as bright, hot white stars exploded across his vision. He wanted to walk over there and scream at her, let her know the gravity of their collective situation, but instead, he let his anger flow through him. Draining from his head, down to his feet, and finally, out into the mud. Cayde shut his eyes, craned his head to the sky, and took three large breaths. "Put your trust in them." He reminded himself, "They're your only way out."
Finally, when Baharius and Nissa gave their ideas, Cayde decided to add his two cents. He turned to Baharius first, "Baharius, I like the sound of your plan, but Lyse..." He stopped to shoot her a side-long glare, "Lyse has a point. We'll have a much easier and safer time dealing with these monsters if we stick together." Scratching at his chin, Cayde started to pace around. Mostly to jog his memory, partially to keep his emotions in check, "It will take longer, yes, but as far as we know - the hag has given no time limit. I can assume we've all the time in the world." He said before stopping to face the giant lizardman again, "I do agree we should save one monster for later, and I suggest that should be the tree demon. As the hag described it, it must be the most powerful of all three, so we should take on the wererabbit first, hunt the banshee at nightfall, rest, and deal with the demon last."
Now he had to address the fourth monster: the un-seen threat they were told to be wary of at all times. Cayde didn't buy it, not for one second. "As for the fourth monster, we do nothing - because I don't believe it even exists." He resumed his mindless pacing again, "This witch, she's been here for god-knows how long, harboring this hate for these creatures, so much to the point she's willing to compromise with intruders and tell them basically everything about these monsters, including that they have this 'swamp's favor.' Yet, for this last monster she despises so much, the only thing she can tell us is to be paranoid at all times? As if she, with a long past with all these targets, doesn't know about one of them herself?" He shook his head in disbelief, "Sounds to me like she just wants to keep us paranoid. If anything, this 'fourth monster' might not even be a literal monster. For all we know, it could be something as abstract as a feeling." He said, awaiting the group's thoughts on his theory. Most of it was a shot in the dark, but he still believed that the hag wasn't completely honest with them.
In the meantime, he ambled back to Kesh, kneeling to her again. "Look, Kesh, I know these guys seem sketchy, but without their help, I don't think we'll be able to make it out of here. That means we've gotta stay on their good side, even if some of them don't want to do the same." He whispered, a sigh escaping him as he placed a hand on her shoulder, "If things go wrong, I promise I won't let a single one touch you or your 'potions.'"
Clearing his throat, he turned back to the group with a question, "So, the hag was talking about following these paths..." He said, eyeing every face before him, "Kesh said she saw some things in the air. Did anyone else see anything like that?"
