Fantasy Well of Wishes | Main IC | [Closed]

[Lost Echo]

Obsidian
Cave of the Giant’s Bones|Surface|Monster of Death|Outside of the Church
April 20th, ???
Sarahspn (Gwen, Rose and Jane) EldridSmith (Liam) Anne Boolean (Celestine) Arcanist (Valentine and Pozou) Mook-LandStrider (Amalgashett​

The stairs rose quickly. Bolstered by the others’ determination, she joined the attack. It felt as if her body was being controlled. Or perhaps that she had to use her magic to move her limbs like the spikes of dirt she threw. She did not know how much time had passed, but the thing fled quickly. Far too soon. For it wasn’t dead. It needed to be dead. Just like Frey--her breath came out shakily as if her throat was lined with gravel. She could not shatter. She had to do her duty.

Her long limbs felt jerky as she took in everyone. No one seemed harmed...except those who were in her care before. Silent as a statue, the golem followed behind the others to the surface. It provided no relief. The gloom above reflected the group’s as if the world was already mourning what it lost.

As the group split, Obsidian joined the others heading to the church. Lorrin was right, that was where a majority of their group had gone, and she would do anything, anything to keep the rest of them safe. She had failed Freya (her broken body flashed in her mind) but that did not mean she could give up...no matter how much she wanted to.

The monstrous creature distracted her from all thoughts. Her mind blanked, shifting into a battle focus. The pain and grief were numbed under a surface of calm. At Lorrin’s plan, she followed the syphid and pretty one into the church. There were even more of the crawling creatures, though this time people also attacked them. It was only after one of those creatures slid down an aproned man’s throat that she realized the bugs were controlling them. As if they were the golems. Desperate to not hurt innocents, Obsidian trapped their legs, pulling the marble from below. It was difficult: marble did not like to move. She could tell that it had supported this church for decades, and even before that the heat and pressure that recrystallized the calcite and been steady and unchanging for centuries. Some she missed, tripping them instead.

The crawling creatures did not relent, so she repelled them with her body, desperate to not be controlled. Her knuckles bleed as their carapaces broke, but she did not want to waste her magic for herself. She registered the call for light from her allies, though she was hard-pressed to find a solution. The return of their companions--not all, still not all--was a relief, even if the danger had not passed. “Gwen, go to Pozou, let him wrap your leg!” She called to the mage, having seen the ice melting red.

Her cry was drowned out by the monsters’ own, drawing her attention outside. The monster grew, as large as Mt. Helka and as angry as the stories told. The monster was injured, beyond what the one in the cave took. It drew the bugs to it, absorbing it in a morbid fashion. Still, her heart rose in her throat, as she saw the wounds continue to bleed. It thrashed in anger, and she worried for the stability of the church. She knelt to the ground, reminding marble of its strength, trying to limit the cracks. Just as Obsidian’s arm shook to near collapse, the creature stopped. It shrunk, separating again. Total darkness overcame her, and with her magic so low, she could not tell what was happening. Lowering her forehead to the cold of the marble, she breathed in the silence. It was over. Right?

 

[Taigakitt]

Aftermath
Collab with: Jet Pik BriiAngelic​

The pillars were some tough bitches. One, only Leone seemed capable of “covering” a pylon. A second pylon, Stone and Sigurd had to eventually just destroy. Stone and Yo didn’t use magic in a similar way like Leone or the other mages in the party did.

Yo had stayed far back, on orders from Stone to keep from getting injured. More or less, she was also protecting Kiel, since she could take a smack to the head and be fine.

The rift expanding was something that Stone was worried about, so when he saw the shift, he made sure to shout for everyone to scatter as far away as they could, quickly, to prevent any accidental suck-ins.

Leone scrambled away from the falling debris, taking cover behind a large rock near the wall. "I'm not sure if that worked better or worse than expected." He peeked around the boulder as light filtered from above.

Then, “the sky opened up.” The stones that fell from the ceiling, most were sucked up in the dying rift. The rest were reflected. Yo did get a rock to the horn, which rattled her head a bit, but nothing major.

Once all was said and done, there was a hole above them, revealing part of the inside of the church, and the other part to the outside, presumably the courtyard.

~*~

After the fight ended and the proper daylight reappeared, Hubyr stashed his staff back upon his person, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He scrunched his nose and grumbled, “Centosians and their monsters; no good system to keep them from destroying a fucking town.”

Stretching his arms, causing his muscles to flex, he sighed. “Gotta find the big man now.”

Looking back at the church, he half-expected him to come dawdling out, spouting something about the Centosian God, Skadi. Readers, this is incorrect.

Though, the church was probably an illogical place to come out of. His eyes dragged down to the hole made in the courtyard; which during the fight he had to desperately run from to keep from falling within. The sun glinted off something shiny, catching his attention. His sharp eyes were able to make out Sigurd.

“We’ll get you up soon!”


~*~

A glance at Leone told him that he might have misconstrued what was being asked of him. Either way the plan worked as the Alter broke down upon itself, which was the best he could hope for for the vilely corrupted energies spewing from it. He hadn’t seen Skadi since their flow down to it, yet it wouldn’t surprise him that she would take offense to the blood spilt of innocents.

“There it is done…”

He spoke more to himself than the others gathered around with him. His focus would have to divert back to finding Sir Lucien. While he could just follow these strangers they could very well be on an away mission as he was. Instead he would work to fulfill his informal contract and help Hubyr find his long lost daughter. But first that required being reunited. Which turned out to be a clearly easy task as he heard the shouts of his voice from above.

He turned to find him and saw Skadi looming over the other from his perch above ground. The words he spoke just as important to him as the frightening expression on the face of his Guardian. Yes, it was time to leave this town indeed.

“... Skadi will help. She wishes to be freed from this land.”

Leone raised his brow, "Skadi?" He wondered what the man meant by "freed from this land," but he didn't press the issue. Instead he looked up and shouted, "Can someone pass us a line?"

~*~

Lorrin would like nothing more than to sit back and enjoy the phrase that was coming his group's way for taking done the creature. Heck he almost lost himself in it for a moment there. But there is this little thought at the back of his head gently pounding on like he forgot something. “........ Fuck!” Yo how can he forget he hasn't seen her since she left this morning where did she go again the church then she should be around here somewhere. Running towards the now big old hole in the middle of the area he would look out just hoping she did not end up among the robble underground. And after a moment he saw her down below with stone and a few others. Quickly pulling out his rope from his side and tying it to a stable side hole. “Yo! Over here bring the others this way I'll get you out of there!”

Hubyr had just been about to turn heel and locate anything to drag them up, but a green-haired man had come running up, with his own rope. He called out a name. Was that a name he knew? Meh, it’s fine. He may not have been paying much attention during introductions anyway. He stepped over to Lorrin, “Got any more? We can get this done faster that way.”

Leone smiled as a rope was lowered from the courtyard. "Thanks for the assist!" He grabbed the rope and clamored up, reaching the surface after a strenuous minute of climbing.

After some time, they eventually got everyone up to the surface.

Leone reached the surface with a grunt, "Thanks again, next round's on me. I'd stay and chat but I need to find Gwen in this madness." He looked around the chaotic courtyard. There were random people crowding the area, and a few wounded ones were on the ground. It was very chaotic but Leone understood two things — the locals weren't possessed and he needed to find Gwen. "She has to be here somewhere, I'll see you later! Don't get too drunk without me," he waved and headed into the crowd.

Stone seemed to slink off on his own after setting Nezumi down, his whiskers pulled back in contemplation.

Yo waited until everyone was safe and sound before she ran and scooped Lorrin up into her arms and squeezed, “YOU’RE ALIVE!!!!”

“Ah! Hi Yo nice to see you alive, y your squeezing and I might get blood all over you from my cuts.” Lorrin took a step back letting Yo get her hug in but its getting very hard to breath now.

Yo released him, referencing her own tattered clothes with her hands, “Alive and well. I think I don’t want to go underground anymore. Not when giant monsters that decide to look like our majestic dragon gods are crawling around.”

Luka strolled from the cathedral, mumbling "Never going back in there again, bloody mouse trap." He glanced from person to person, stopping on three adventurers he knew. "Oy!" He waved at Sigurd, Hubyr and Yo, approaching them as the princess hugged Lorrin.

"Cute couple eh?" Luka winked at Lorrin. "You's scrapped well in them crypts," he faced the elven hunter. "Sorry about the ol' sucker-punch mate, temper's hot ya-know?" He shrugged, pretending his assault wasn't a serious problem. "Bright side's we're the only dragon slayers in Centos! One hell of a title innit? Luka the Dragonslayer! Quite a nice ring to it indeed!"

Hubyr turned to Luka, “Anyone can go crazy underground. No sweat, Gwinig. Try not to let the death of one beast get to your head, eh?” (Note: Gwinig = child)

Yo couldn’t stop the frown that crept to her face at the mention of dragon slaying. She caught herself running her fingers along a horn, before pulling on Lorrin to get away from the hotheaded apprentice, her voice soft, specifically just for Lorrin to hear, “‘Twas no dragon, but a demon. Dragon’s aren’t killers.” It’s what she grew up to believe. After all, they were revered.

“I’m sorry I think your missta… ah wait what's going on Yo?” Lorrin would be dragged off a bit to the side strange normally she would love for nothing more then to intrude him to more people wonder what happened down there? “Wait what's this about a dragon? What exactly happen while I was gone?”

Luka grinned, "Don't have too much fun," he waved goodbye and faced the dynamic duo. "Well I'll be off mates, need to find the old fella who was yellin," he walked away with a confident smirk.

Sigurd listened in on the musings of the woman. Her defense of what they called a “dragon” was something to note upon another day. Clearly she was informed enough to know that the Tainted ones were not of these “dragons” they searched for.

“Apologies but I must agree there seems to be a grave misunderstanding if one believes that a Tainted One’s Ilk maintains any real resemblance to the creatures they mimic. Judging them by their effects leads to great misunderstanding.”

He spoke even as two of the participants made their way away. It was unfortunate but he supposed that it was only natural that they wished to flee as far as their legs could carry.

Hubyr turned to Sigurd, “I’m going to take yours and the lizard girl’s word that it wasn’t one. Hell, even we believe dragons to be myth or legend.” Note to the reader: Yo is not a lizard girl.

He heard Hubyr’s disbelief and could only find confusion in himself. Myths? Legends? Were they referencing one of their Centosian Gods? He knew much of the Tainted from the Isle but never had he run across this term before. If even Hubyr seemed to know of it then it might be necessary to remember in the future.

“I suppose it might be a little late to ask but… What is a Dragoon? Is that what you people refer to your gods of flight? Do you have multiple gods? I should have asked while we were trapped in the church I suppose.”

Hubyr laughed, a gruff sound, “Usually thought of as large lizard-like beasts with wings and terrible teeth and claws. Different cultures say they do different things or even have different features. It’s why I personally think they’re myth.” He shrugged his shoulders. “As for me, there are multiple gods, but the main one is Mother. She is life and the earth.”

“Mother? I see… Gods are such a strange concept. I wonder how different our concepts truly are. Centosians are still themselves blessed with the power to shape the earth’s mana even as they know not what their forefathers have given for it.”

“You speak as if you aren’t Centosian.” He laughed again. Then, he felt something bump into him from behind. Turning around, his eyes fell upon a short purple-skinned elven woman—

 

[Taigakitt]

Yo and Lorrin
collab with: Pik

“Sorry, it’s just weird to hear people claim that slaying dragons is okay. Out west, that’s very… frowned upon. Anyways, we went into some catacombs! It was dark, and then we ran into a group running away from the church, but before any fighting went down, a demonic being taking the shape of a dragon came and attacked! Kiel was riding it, but it turned out he was brainwashed and—“ Yo took a breath, then her golden eyes fell to Lorrin’s face “—you got hurt too! What happened!”

“I suppose that would be weird to those of the west but here there are tails of those who slay dragons as just your typical children's stories. So it's not too far fetched for others to just brag about it, sorry if our culture offended you.” Lorrin would listen closely to the rest of Yo’s story “Wait why did you go to the catacombs to begin with that's d” He was just about to scold her rather reckless adventure when she give him a look he hadn't felt since his kid sister scold him for not taking proper care of himself while training so many bandages and light medical spells were used that day. “Well honesty I've been a hole for most of the day. Some Jester trapped me underground and it was almost my final resting place if it wasn't thinks to the help of the others. Unfortunately we lost one of us to it. Freya is no longer with us.” He looked away, still frustrated by the events that occurred down there. “As for the rest of my wounds I fought a giant demon monster up here and had blocked a blow of shattered glass that would have hit Ayana.”

Yo focused on one sentence. That someone passed away. It was like a true reality check. Yes, her group went through some shit. Yes, someone even… passed away. But Freya was someone she knew. The dragoness stayed quiet for a moment.

A few tears came to her eyes, along with a wave of exhaustion. It was only four days ago that she almost got skewered by a giant boar. It left her with a sizable bruise on her back that wasn’t anywhere close to healing. Demons sounded like they invaded this town. Her voice was low, “I feel like this mission is cursed or something.”

Her lip quivered before her head fell and rested against Lorrin’s chest. A couple tears escaped her eyes and ran down her cheeks. “Lorrin, can I just get a hug?” Not that she really waited before or ever asked. She was always pretty open with any affection to people she liked but it felt different this time. This time, her emotions were in an uproar and Lorrin was the one she knew best.

“Maybe so if it wasn't for the mess that we were brought into I just have us walk away from it now.” He would look out among the destruction before them just how often they have to see this; it might even follow them to their deaths. He looked back over at Yo and just wrapped his arms around her and then gently pats her head like she was one of his little sisters. She shouldn't be here, this is all too much for her. “Don't worry, stay there as long as you need.”

After a few moments, Yo took a breath and pulled away from Lorrin. “We should probably meet up with the others. Don’t want to get left behind and all that.” She smiled softly, “Thank you.”

Eventually, they made it to their new meet up point. As soon as she noticed that the group was huddling around a ship, Yo felt a cold breeze rush through her.

“A… boat.”

 

[Jet]

Collabed with Taigakitt Lost Echo

Ayana needed a moment. Instead of following Lorrin she walked down an alleyway, leaned against a wall and slid down with a thump. Then she brought her knees towards her face and wrapped her arms around her head, comforting herself in darkness. "Freya…" she silently cried, mourning her dead friend — but there was more on her mind. There was the stress of battle, being a wanted outlaw, the diseased forest, the family members she missed.

Her moment felt like an eternity.

Minutes later she walked from the darkness. Her eyes were red but she didn't show her sadness. Instead she approached the courtyard with a relaxed facade. "Hey I remember you," a man said as she entered the crowd. He was the vendor who made sweet ices, "If you're ever in town again, ices are on the house!"

Ayana returned his smile, "I'll hold you to your word iceman!

He grinned wide, "Anything for one of our saviors!"

Her eyes misted but she contained her tears. "Thankyou, it means... it means a lot to me," she walked away before her composed persona broke down.

He waved as she dissappeared into a crowd, "No... thankyou young lady! We'll never forget what you did!"

Ayana appreciated him but she continued without stopping, weaving through between locals as she thought,"Where is everyone." But there were too many people, too many faces she needed to check. The process took so much attention she moved carelessly, accidentally bumping a man's back. "My apologies," Ayana looked at the shirtless, muscular man standing before her. He seemed vaguely familiar from behind, but when he turned she knew exactly who he was.

It was Hubyr.

Ayana knew his reputation. He was an elite warrior, strong and merciless with unrivaled physical strength. He was an expert hunter and there was only one reason he'd be here — to capture her. Maybe she could challenge him on her best days, but she was one spell away from passing out.

"No," she whispered, stomach dropping as she spun around and darted through the crowd. She weaved through civilians until she reached the street, running as fast as her worn legs could carry her.

“Oi!” Hubyr’s gruff voice called out. He didn’t get the best look at the woman that bumped into him, but her features screamed ‘Ayana.’ Stone’s Throw didn’t seem the type of town to house many elves. On top of that, her skin tone told him enough. That, and her reaction towards him.

Clicking his tongue, he took off after her. “Ayana! Wait!”

To know Ayana still lived was a relief. Even though she went AWOL, losing her would have been painful. It always was to lose a fellow hunter. She was no different. She showed promise back in the forest. So what had made her leave? Anger flared in the back of his mind, blaming Centosians before blaming the huntress.

Ayana looked back as she ran, shouting "Leave me alone!" Her face was a panicked mess and there was no way she'd stop, she couldn't give up now. "Leave me alone you don't understand!" Ayana forced a sprint despite her exhaustion. "I'll lose him there and hide, that's the only way," she ran down the same alleyway from before, hoping to escape in the twisted backstreets of Stone's Throw.

Nope. Hubyr decided that he was, in fact, not going to leave her alone. Mother had her bump into him, and he wasn’t about to lose his chance. Though, after all of the fighting, he was starting to feel a bit winded. Even with 30 some kills of huge beasts under his belt, normally, they were one at a time.

Her turning through backstreets made it tough. He felt enough strain from using his enhancements earlier, but Ayana was right there. He could handle the muscle strain later. This was important.

Flooding just his legs with a power enhancement, it helped him pick up a little bit more speed.

She gave him no choice.

Time to tackle. Carefully.

He could recognize he was a big elf and was not looking to hurt her. If she was caught up in all of this disaster, then no doubt she also had to fight.

Once he inched closer to her, he grunted, “One more chance!”

Ayana heard his footsteps. They were heavy and powerful, like a forest monster chasing its prey. With every step he closed the distance, and when he spoke she spun around into a backpeddle. "No! Stay away!" She pulled an arrow from her quiver. "Stay away from me!"

Ayana held the arrow out with a shaking hand, "Please don't do this! You don't need to Hubyr, the council would never know!" She stepped back, glancing between him and her steel arrow. There was no way she could stab him with it, but fooling him was worth a shot.

With a quick shake of his head, he lunged out, aiming to grab the arrow in one hand and wrap her around his other arm, “I don’t know you well enough to keep well on that threat. Now stay. Still.”

Ayana tried jumping away, but she was too tired to evade him. Instead he wrapped around her, pulled her close and grabbed the arrow with his free hand. Ayana desperately pushed against him with her forearm, but his physical strength was immense. "I've thrown everything away for nothing," she laughed once and leaned her forehead against his chest. Then she went still. Her heavy breathing echoed through the alleyway, her heart sunk with deep sadness. "You don't understand… did the council even say why I left?"

Hubyr loosened his hold just slightly, pulling the arrow from her hand and sticking it back in her quiver. “You know the council. Don’t ask, don’t receive. I’ve heard several possible reasons among the other hunters. They told me to bring you back, but I want to hear it from you. Did some centosians steal you away? Did you get brainwashed?” Not that a brainwashed person would admit to it.

Ayana almost scoffed when he mentioned Centosian brainwashing. "No I acted alone. I begged the council to send me on an expedition but they refused," her eyes burned with sudden determination. "So I came here to find a cure," she gripped his forearm. "The humans have a lead, ancient magic that changes the world with a word! We can save the island if we find it!"

“Your naivety and inexperience is why they must have denied you,” he eyed down at her, “I’m going to let go. Do. Not. Run. Off.” He released her so she can right herself. “Explain what this ancient magic is.”

Ayana shook her head with a frown. "What would you know of me," she stepped back when he released her, "Don't fret I won't run, the demons tired me out so you could capture me," she leaned against the wall to rest. "There's a place that grants wishes, it must use reality magic from the ancient ones." Ayana needed more to convince him, so she carefully considered her words. "I know it sounds insane, but the Inquisition excomm... they made us outlaws! They must know it's real, that's the only reason they'd hunt us down!"

“All the more reason for me to stick around then. I was tasked with helping find the cure before you ran away. Now that I’ve found you, I can’t have you getting yourself killed by the savages. A twofer.” He raised a brow at her, as if taunting her to complain or say otherwise.

Ayana was one part annoyed, one part confused and another ecstatic. "Wait you're coming? You want to… to come with me? You're not going to take me back!?" She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed, "Thankyou! Thankyou again and again," she broke away from him, looking up with pure happiness. "You'll have fun with the humans, they can be crude but most have good hearts!"

The hug was surprising. Startled by the fact, his own arms kind of tugged up, unsure if he should reciprocate or just pat her head. He opted for neither and just let her do her thing. Honestly, when he thought about it, it did make sense to want to touch him. After all, the muscles were niiiice. In his mind, he was probably smiling like a doofus thinking about it. But on his actual expression, he kept a gruff hardness about him.

With a clearing of his throat, he nodded, “After we find this ancient magic, that’s when I’ll take you back. Unless something happens that says otherwise.” This ancient magic could prove promising if it existed. Unless it was that one legend. But he doubted it could be that one.

Ayana nodded once, "That was my plan too, even if they strip my title it'll be worth it." She stepped onto the street, stretching her arms up like a cat. "They have fascinating drinks here, and as the humans say 'I owe you one'. How about I buy you a few rounds at our next stop?" She looked back with a mischievous smile, seeing the renowned hunter loosen up would be fun.

Hubyr contemplated for a moment. Ayana ran away. Even if he attempted to appeal it, he doubted the council would change their mind on it. Following after her, he grinned at the mention of drinks. “I’d say that’s only fair, considering I was stuck in a blasted building for weeks on end looking for you.” Though, he doubted the humans could make anything better than the fermented fruit juices back on the forested island.

Ayana returned his grin, "More than fair, when I saw you I thought I'd be in chains, hauled away on your shoulder like a felled doe. A few rounds is the least I can do," her grin became a smirk. "You know, being around humans has given me a strong tolerance for alcohol, I can't wait to drink you under the table!" Ayana laughed as she walked with him, glancing his way every so often. It'd be nice to have him around. He was the only one who could understand her background, a man cut from the same cloth. Though she liked humans, they viewed her as a curiosity more than anything, but not him.

“Depends if you were going to actually try to fight me or not. You didn’t. So you’re not a doe.” A scoff at that bold testament of outdrinking him. “It’s like you’ve forgotten being among all the humans! I’m the biggest in the forest,” a muscle flex, “My tolerance definitely can outlast you despite.” Maybe he was correct. Maybe he wasn’t. If they ever get to drinking, then they can test it. Of course he’d win. Duh. If there was something Hubyr did enjoy outside of his work, it was competition. He noticed her looking at him, almost every time. It was like as soon as he left the forest, he became looked at in a much different light than he normally did. Humans can’t appreciate fine forest elven looks.

Ayana laughed, his confidence was well earned but funny. "You're lucky the demons wore me down or I would've… and about those drinks, it's common knowledge that women have more stamina," she disguised her sarcasm with a knowing nod. "If we had more time I could prove it, but I overheard Lucien's announcement," her mouth pursed. She understood why the group needed to leave but that didn't mean she wanted to, not when she was so exhausted and stressed out.

“I am more inclined to think you’re the lucky one. The other route would have ended poorly for you.” He waved a hand in the air dismissively, “Drinking while exhausted isn’t a good idea anyway. When we have our competition, I’d rather us both be in top form, even though I’d win regardless if it was now, or later.” Of course, they are probably going to butt heads about who would win until it was tested. He shrugged his shoulders, “He mentioned a ship. I’m hoping that trip is more relaxed than, well, this was. I don’t want to be in this town longer than I have to.”

Ayana smirked, "I know you're strong and fast but the mother blessed my magic," she shook her head with a sigh. "I suppose we can add sparring to the contest. When we're rested we can see who the best drinker and the best hunter is." Ayana paused a moment. "You know at this rate we'll have dozens of contests," she smiled and shrugged. "No matter, they'll give us something to do on the ship! Though it might not be relaxing…"

A wide smile flashed across his face, “Cocky for a young Huntress. That can take you far. Keep it.” He moved to pat her on the shoulder. With the mention of dozens of contests, he nodded, “Competition is my lifeblood. Maybe we could use it to keep on our toes.”

Ayana faintly blushed at his compliment. "Don't worry, confidence is the one thing I'll never be short of," she said, not shying away from his hand. It was large enough to wrap around her arm, but he was gentle when he touched her. "After what happened we need to be on our toes… I need to be stronger too," she drifted closer to him. "We should train together sometime, I'm sure you're no stranger to strength training." Ayana glanced at his arm. Its size honestly impressed her; there weren't many hunters with muscular builds. Most were small, nimble warriors who fought from range, but not him.

At the mention of training together, he reflexively flexed his arm before attempting to scoop her up to sit on his bicep. With a chuckle he said, “Not a stranger at all. I’d be all for having a training buddy. I could use someone to lift, too.” Get to talking about his muscles, of course he was going to show off.

Ayana giggled out a surprised "Oh!" A moment later she was on his arm, carefully balancing on her new perch. "I can't wait," she wrapped an arm around his neck for balance. "You know you're not who I expected. I thought you'd be dull like the other veterans." Ayana met his eyes, "I'm happy they sent you instead," she pulled a little closer, finding peace in the moment. She needed it after what'd happened. The neverending violence had browbeaten her since Whaleshell — but around him her stress subsided, washing away like the tide.

Cinematic, Michael Bay flash cut to Nezumi
​

Nezumi settled onto the floor, using the protection of the group, to settle herself. She immediately attempted to find Ayana’s scent--she was the unaccounted for packmate and even the rat wanted to make sure she was well. Just in case or something. It was the sour smell of fear, first out of place with the celebration around them, then resolved into the Laventeli elf’s specific smell, though dampened by fatigue and what Nezumi assumed as a lack of magic. The elf that was looking for her--Hub?--chased immediately. The rat followed--he could not be her pack if she was scared. Unfortunately two-leggers, elves especially it seemed, were faster than rodents. For all her skill weaving through legs unharmed (though not unnoticed: a villager’s scream cleared some of the path for her), she could not keep up. She pushed herself, at the same time cursing. Why would Ayana flee away from the group? Were there none she trusted? Perhaps she needed a pack more than Nezumi had realized.

Knowing discretion was necessary, the rodent climbed one of the buildings forming the alley they were in. On its roof she neared closer, freezing when she saw the movement of Ayana being lifted. It was too late to call for help, but she could cause enough of a distraction to allow the tired girl to escape further. Leaping from her perch, she aimed for the taller creature, her claws out to catch his hair.

Ayana noticed Nezumi's dive-bombing descent. "Nezumi!" She reached out and caught her furtastic friend, "What're you doing out here little one? Is Kuma okay?" Ayana patted the rat's fuzzy head. "This is Hubyr, he's a friend," she nuzzled Nezumi and plopped her on Hubyr's head. "Don't worry she won't bite," she giggled as Nezumi made herself at home.

A minute later the group reached port. There were dozens of people scattered around the area, many were group members. Behind them bobbed the Willowix. Her three masts towered over town, and her hull was scarred, covered with patchwork repairs and barnacles. "It looks… homely," Ayana slipped from Hubyr's arm, approaching the ship alongside him.

 

[Jet]

Collabed with Sarahspn
​

Gwendolyn raised her arms over her face as wind blew through the streets. Lowering her arms, she took a peek at the beast. People were still attacking and she winced at its squeal. Watching as it destroyed a building and began to reel its arm back to crush them with rubble, she limped towards a stone column to take cover. She expected to hear rubble hitting stone but to her surprise and horror, a deep rumble echoed around them instead. Gripping the column, her heart raced and the cracking of the ground rang through her ears. She feared that it was another earthquake that would swallow her into certain death. She escaped Death once but he wouldn’t be kind to spare her life twice.

The shaking of the earth faded and she stepped from behind her hiding spot. Three shadow figures stood in the street. She recognized the mangled Jester from the cave and frowned. It seemed that the demon had friends and they looked just as evil. They were weak, barely standing, and covered in stark white blood. As soon as Gwen got a good look at the trio, the world was thrown into darkness. Before she could conjure a small lumen spell, light faded in.

It seemed as if Stone’s Throw had come back to life and citizens slowly filled the streets. At the sound of the church's doors opening, Gwen spun on her heels and studied every face that walked or staggered out. Leóne wasn’t there. “No…” She whispered as the cheers erupted through the street.

The courtyard became crowded and she waded through the bodies trying to find one of her companions. She spotted Rose’s red hair a few meters away and began limping towards her. A booming voice cut through the noise and everyone’s head turned towards the source. Lucien stood in the center of the crowd, giving direction to his group of travelers. She was relieved to hear they had a way out of this town and wouldn’t have to spend another day here. Although they defeated the darkness, she couldn’t view this town in a brighter light.

Meanwhile, Leone smiled as rope was lowered into the cavern. "Thanks for the assist!" He grabbed the rope and clamored up, reaching the surface after a minute of strenuous climbing. Then he nodded at the people who'd helped him, "Thanks again, next round's on me. I'd stay and chat but I need to find Gwen in this madness."

He looked around the chaotic courtyard. There were random people crowding the area, and a few wounded ones were on the ground. It was madness but Leone understood two things — the locals weren't possessed and he needed to find Gwen. "She has to be here somewhere, I'll see you later! Don't get too drunk without me," he waved and headed into the crowd.

"Gwen! Gwen are you here!?" He desperately looked around for a woman with blonde hair. "There she is," he muttered, approaching a blonde from behind. Her hair and clothes were dead ringers for Gwen's. It had to be her. "Thank god you're okay! I was so worried abou—" Leone stopped when she turned around.

"And you are?" The random woman placed her hands on her hips.

Leone shrugged with a frown, "Dating your long lost twin apparently, nevermind," he walked past her and continued to search. His eyes darted from person to person until, through a crowd they landed on Gwen's tired face. "Gwen!" He rushed over and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her close before pulling back. "I should've gone on that damned tour with you," he deeply kissed her, cupping her face with both hands.

Gwendolyn practically fell into Leóne’s embrace, relief washing over her. She was reunited with her rogue and for a moment, she felt at peace. As their lips met tears began to well up in her eyes.

Leone pulled his lips away, resting his forehead against hers. "You look exhausted, what happened, are you hurt?"

“Oh, my love, I thought you were dead.” Gwen said, her voice breaking as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Gwen put a hand to Leónes face, wiping off dirt from his cheek. His eyes were tired and she understood that he battled a demon much like the one herself had faced.

“We fell through the earth and into a freezing lake. A few of us got hurt but it seems we’re all okay.” She said as she looked around the crowd. She saw Ayana jumping with glee on the rooftop and Calicus’ smiling face in the crowd. A small smile came to her face but it was soon gone as she remembered the next events.

“Freya is dead.” She said, her eyes meeting the ground. “And it’s my fault.” Her voice cracked as she spoke the thought that had been repeating in her head since saw Freya on the rock.

"Don't blame yourself," Leone hugged her head and brushed her hair. "It's on the rifters, not you. Don't blame yourself for their madness," he wiped tears from her face. "We lost someone too, a young girl from the church. We met her in the catacombs before a rift dragon killed her."

Gwen’s face fell further into a frown at Leónes words. She gripped her staff, heavily leading on it for support. The ice that encased her foot had melted away and she was attempting to ignore the throbbing pain. Now that there were no more battles to fight, she could rest and heal her own foot once they boarded the ship.

Leone noticed how she held her staff, "Is your leg…" he kneeled and looked for blood, stopping when he noticed a red spot. "Have you been fighting on this," Leone was impressed but worried, his brow furrowed with concern.

Gwen nodded with a small smile. “Yes, it was quite difficult but there was no other option.” She said, taking a glance at her leg.

"For now you need to rest that leg," he placed one arm behind her knees and scooped her from the ground, keeping his other arm behind her back. "I'm sure the locals won't mind if a couple town heroes borrow a horse," he nodded at an abandoned steed beside the crowd.

Leóne had taken Gwen by surprise but she gladly wrapped her arms around his neck. “What would I do without you, my love?” She asked before kissing his cheek.

“You know, I could really use a drink.” Sighing as she rested her head against him. She paused for a second and raised her head to look at him. “Wait, did you say you fought a dragon?” She questioned him, raising a brow.

Leone laughed when she mentioned the dragon, "I know It's unbelievable, maybe the rifters have dragons in their world?" He neared the horse, grunting as he raised her up towards the saddle. "I could use a few strong ones too," he took a deep breath and led the horse down the street, heading for the docks. "When we make port we have to do something fun, get our minds off this insane trip! If it's in Blueport I know some places you'll love… I have a bunch of crazy stories from that town."

“A rift? You somehow had a crazier day than me.” Gwen settled into the saddle, looking around at the crowd. She could see a few of their comrades in the wave of people. Turning her head back to Leóne, she shared his deep breath. “I would love to hear your stories,” She paused for a moment, running her hand through the horse’s mane. “This may be a redundant question, but are you okay, my love?”

Leone nodded, "I was one of the lucky ones, a few scrapes and bruises but I'll be fine," he met her gaze, she was exhausted but still beautiful. "I made a deal with my friends when I was in Blueport, every time we hit big at the casino we'd drink. Of course that was our luckiest night ever, and twenty drinks later we stumbled from the building and fell down the stairs together," he shook his head with a smile. "You have any stories like that?" He wondered if the Arcane College had a social scene. It seemed like a dull place run by self-serious academics, but he doubted Gwen graduated without a few notable tales.

Gwen laughed at his story, imagining a drunk Leóne tumbling down the stairs, coins from his wins falling out of his pockets. “Oh, I don’t think I have anything that eventful.” She thought for a moment, thinking back to her college years. “Arcane was challenging, yet boring. There wasn’t much going on outside of class but my parents would host a ball every solstice. They were quite the event full of spells and very strong drinks” She giggled at fond memories.

Leone nodded with a narrow smile, her upbringing sounded nice. He knew socialite parties were quite a time, filled with interesting characters, lavish luxury and performers from distant lands. He'd never had the chance to attend one, but he knew they were a good time from what others said.

“To be honest, this is my first adventure, let alone a quest. So I have many stories to live through before i can tell them.” Gwen smiled, looking at the architecture around them.

Citizens wandered through the shops, accessing the damage from the two earthquakes and the battle that took place. Most seemed to be in decent shape with few cracks running up the walls, but some were almost destroyed. Gwen frowned. They were only in the first month of the journey and they’ve already experienced death and destruction. More than any of them could have expected.

“Do you think everyone will reach the Well alive? We already lost one so how many more will we lose?” Gwen asked, looking down at her hands.

Leone reached up and clasped her hand, "I hope Freya's the last but I'm not sure," he gently squeezed her hand before lowering his arm. "You picked one hell of a first adventure, usually they're not this dangerous from the start. Of course when you reach the destination things get dicey but this… this was supposed to be a safe place." He clenched his hand, thinking about Freya and the wounded people he'd seen. "If I had to guess… she won't be the last we lose." Leone faintly shook his head. He hated to say there'd be more casualties, but with the church on their tail it was more than likely.

Gwendolyn nodded, trying not to think of any more casualties within their group. Taking a deep breath and shaking off the growing feeling of dread, she attempted to smile. “Well, I’m glad I picked this quest and met you. You and my wish are the only things keeping me here.” She said as the docks came into view.

Leone met her gaze, "Aye, meeting you is the best thing that's happened since I joined the mission." He wished circumstances were better, but at least they were alive and with each other. "If it gets too dangerous we can always slip away," he thought about the challenges they faced. The church was bad enough, but there were innumerable dangers in Centos. They clouded his mind as the docks drew near.

A giant ship sat in the port, sunlight beaming off its glossed wood. It was a magnificent sight and Gwen smiled. “She’s beautiful and arguably the largest ship I’ll set foot on.” She said, studying the ship for a moment longer.

Looking around, it seemed that they were the first to arrive besides the men prepping the ship. “You think the taverns would graciously give us a couple barrels of rum? We did save their town after all.” Gwen laughed, noticing a small tavern near the docks.

Leone pretended he was shocked, "Isn't that stealing?" He waited a moment and mischievously smiled. "Honestly we've earned it," he approached the tavern, glancing back as he opened the front door. "We're already wanted anyway, what's theft when you're excommunicated?" He looked inside for employees. "Hello? Anyone here?" Nobody answered. It seemed the tavern was empty.

"Drinks are on the house tonight," he walked inside, entered a storeroom and found a barrel of southern rum — his favorite type. "Here we go," he tipped over the barrel and rolled it outside, anticipating the taste of imported liquor.

Gwendolyn laughed as Leóne waltzed into the tavern. Soon a barrel rolled out the door with the rouge following. She carefully dismounted and used her staff as a cane. “Looks like we’ll be having a pleasant ship ride after all. Wonder how many people we can get seasick.” She smiled, laughing at the thought of their drunken comrades leaning over the side of the ship.

Leone looked up in thought, "Hopefully all of them," he shared her laugh and checked her wounded leg. He hoped her decision to stand wouldn't make things worse.

Gwen looked towards the ship then back at the town. In the distance, she could see a few stragglers of their group heading towards the port. She wasn’t the only one itching to leave. “Well, let’s get this thing on the ship and see if there’s a bed we can claim.” She said, turning to Leóne with a smile.

Leone's brow rose when she spoke, a bed would be nice for many reasons. But for now he needed to push the barrel up a ramp… good times. "Shouldn't be a problem," he pretended the barrel wasn't heavy as he rolled it across the ground.

Twenty seconds later he was at the boarding ramp, grimacing as he pushed the rum aboard. "The things I'll do for booze," he said, heading below deck with Gwen beside him.

 

[Jet]

Advancement post​

Richard and Vanessa had been possessed for hours, but fate smiled on our paychecks when they returned with Lucien. They were too shaken to speak after demonic possession, so he handled the announcement instead. "Great... more magic use. I'll feel this tomorrow," he gathered mana in his throat to speak over the madness. "Time's wasting and the ship's waiting! We're leaving in thirty minutes!"

A moment later two civilians approached him. They mentioned a gear stash connected to the portal room. The taller one said "If you head down there and make a right by the round boulder—"

But the shorter one interrupted him, "No no no, it's the oval boulder not the round one you moron."

Beanstalk shook his head, "But an oval is round!"

Short-round smiled like a shark, "Don't argue on the merits of semantic argumentatives, that's an ad-hominid!" He shook his head and gave more unsolicited advice, "As I was saying, the oval boulder."

Lucien scowled, "Do you actually know what those terms mean?"

The short man snorted, "I passed my grade five."

He was an idiot, but his directions were surprisingly accurate. The room he mentioned held the stolen gear of kidnapped prisoners. The stash also had valuable items from dead residents and tourists; some were given to group members before they walked towards the docks.

When they reached their destination they'd see the Willowix — an old caravel owned by Tammond.

​

The ship gently bobbed in the water, her masts towered over town and her canvas sails were furled. Her pine hull was scarred in many places, evidence of her long career hauling cargo across the sea. Tammond leaned over her side when the group approached, scowling as he counted heads and horses. "Talk about crowded," his ship would manage, but it wouldn't be easy. The deck wasn't supposed to be used as a stable either... he could already smell the horse crap.

"C'mon let's go, I don't have all day here," he waved everyone aboard. "Anyone with sailing experience to the front please, my crew got sent to another dimension so uhh... you need to help or we're not going anywhere." There were enough volunteers for a skeleton crew, it wasn't perfect but it beat land travel.

After twenty minutes the anchor was raised and the journey began. The locals gave a boisterous send off with music, drunken shouts and magic fireworks. Tammond enjoyed the festivities while he steered his ship downriver, glancing back with a narrow smile. "Never thought I'd sail again," he took a deep, satisfied breath as Stone's Throw became a memory.

For the next five days the journey continued. It was cramped but more relaxed than trail riding, and there was a ton of booze. Tammond's dead crew could've used alcoholics anonymous, not to mention the imported rum stolen by Gwen and Leone. Then there was the amazing food supplied by the townspeople.

All considered it was a good trip. The only person who missed out was one new addition — Luka. He'd tracked down Lucien before departure, demanding a spot in the group. He got what he wanted but there was a price, gruntwork for two weeks. So when the question "Who cleans the horse crap," was asked, poor Luka was left holding the shovel.

At least his assignment only lasted five days, that's when the ship neared a beautiful town named Blueport. Its silhouette glimmered in the distance as Tammond shouted, "I can see the town! Finally your horses can stop defiling my ship! Bring the sails to half mast, we need to slow her down." His volunteers raised the sails, slowing his ship to a safe docking speed.

After a few minutes the town was close enough to see details. Even from a distance it exuded wealth. Its buildings were made from white plaster, carved stone and fine oak — there wasn't a straw roof in sight. There were several massive buildings too, and each one had a different gimmick. One took inspiration from Almasian palaces, its white plaster walls were accented by sharp blue tiles. Another took inspiration from Chushinlóng architecture (western continent). There were several others ranging from a pyramid to a castle and a tropical beach resort. Though they looked different they shared one thing, they were all casinos.

Tammond grinned at the sight, "Welcome to Blueport, the best and worst town in Centos," he laughed as his ship neared a long wooden dock. "Lower the anchor!" The volunteers followed his command, bringing his ship to a stop. "Well done! For an inexperienced skeleton crew you aren't half bad!" He smirked at them, "Now that you're here, don't have too much fun! I swear the devil runs this town," he grinned before the group went below deck, gathering their gear from the hold.

It took almost an hour to clear the ship, and another was spent buying clothes — because as Tammond so eloquently said. "You fuckers look dangerous, it's a great look for adventuring outlaws, but the places here have dress codes. So unless you want to live in your hotel rooms, maybe don't look like roving killers." He wasn't wrong, the resort they attended wasn't even the most expensive in town, but the host nearly passed out when they entered the grand lobby.

The well-dressed employee cleared his throat, "Dear me, you look like you've seen better days. We don't give out leftover food here... if that's what you're after."

Richard approached the man and leaned forward, muttering something below his breath.

The doorman thoughtfully nodded, "Yes of course, the Beane party. I received your pigeon a few days ago. Humblest apologies for my presumptuous statement, but we deal with such a vast number of vagrants." He flipped through a booklet. "I have your room numbers here, you're free to use them even in your current condition, but I'm afraid our facilities have a 'no arms, no armor, or no service' policy. We also have a hygiene policy... what's acceptable is left to our employees' discretion."

He straightened his bowtie, "But without further adieu, I welcome you to the Golden Point! I am your host, Dupree Bellerose!" He bowed and led the group towards their reserved section.

It took some time as the resort was huge. It was inspired by ancient pyramids, with five increasingly narrow floors topped with a golden point. The bottom floor had game rooms, restaurants, a classy bar and a relaxing spa. The second floor was where the group was staying. It had standard rooms, but standard rooms in Blueport were luxurious in most places. They had everything one could ask for, from stormstone showers to firestone hearths, soft padded carpets, luscious beds and comfortable leather chairs. Even the lights were premium. Instead of lanterns the rooms had pleasant yellow lumen stones.

After everyone reached their rooms they were left to their own devices. They could relax in the floor's lounge, get drunk at the bar, gamble their life savings away and develop crippling depression, relax in the spa or explore the touristy town.

They could also check the bounty board if they woke up choosing violence.

 

[Anne Boolean]

Amalia Winters && Kiel Shan && Celestine Oceania​

Normally, someone who saw water so sparsely around their home while growing up would have been apprehensive about voyaging on ship. After the events of Stone's Throw though, and the saltwater which freed him from them, Kiel was more than eager to be completely surrounded by sea. As he spent the five days on deck, the only thing that was keeping him from jumping into the ocean was fear of drowning and memories of tales of sea monsters from his childhood. Surprisingly, for someone who had never traveled by ship, he did not find himself feeling seasick. The instability of the ocean under the ship felt like the shifting sands back home did under his feet.

Ironically though, Celestine did get seasick. The syphid princess realized that traveling by sea was a lot different than traveling through the sea. As much as she wanted to enjoy these five days that she would spend closer to home than she had been when she first left, that sadly wasn't how things went. To distract herself from her uneasy stomach she kept vigilant while around the crew. Her time with the caravan so far had allowed her to distinguish regular landspeople from pirates, but she wasn't able to discern regular sailors from pirates just yet.

Amalia had taken a few trips across the sea during her time serving, but these waters were different than those around the Marsh Gates. She couldn't exactly tell if the waves themselves were calmer or if it was just the feeling of sailing while not constantly on alert for enemy ships, but it was a leisurely trip. The most exertion done during the five days was assisting the crew, and it was a welcome change from the fighting being done at Stone's Throw.

---
Outfit:

Spoiler

Upon arrival, Celestine was the first to disembark the ship. Not only was she ready to stand on solid ground, regardless if it was at the ocean's floor or above sea level, the thought of spending time at a resort sounded incredible. Being pampered at the spa would certainly bring her back to before she left, when the servants quite literally gave her the royal treatment. The syphid woman was able to blend in easily with the other resort-goers wearing the clothes she already carried, and learning that classy attire on land was similar to classy attire under the sea only improved her opinion of those who breathed only air.

Despite her eagerness for relaxation, after settling in to her room, Celestine ended up once again returning to the ocean. The Blueport shore was alive with visitors, many of which were swimming in the refreshing cool of the sea to beat the heat from the bright sun. Others were lounging in the sand or building the likeness of forts, castles, and houses from the golden grain. The air was filled with their joyous chatter and laughter, though the atmosphere seemed to be in stark contrast with Celestine's somber expression as she stared out towards the horizon.

Waves gently crashed onto her feet before receding back to the shimmering ocean, pulling some of the sand underneath her toes with them. Like the water, constantly in motion, the woman pondered her recent experiences and how much she had changed. To her surprise, relief, and dismay all at once, she had found out that good people lived above the sea. Certainly not all of them were the pirates who polluted the waters and destroyed her kingdom. Sadly, that just made it harder for her to tell who her enemies were. In fact, only five days ago had she teamed up with one of those pirates to save a village of landspeople. And not long before she had hurt said pirate's sister. Guilt and confusion swirled within her, but sadly, her usual comforting memories of her home weren't enough to assuage her. Like the water and her, her kingdom was also everchanging. She tried her best to imagine positive changes but couldn't help but fear returning to a nation that had moved on from her.

Nearby (presumably): Hubyr Taigakitt , Ayana Jet , Lorrin Pik , Gwen Sarahspn

---

The warmer clothes that Kiel had bought only five days ago were now too hot to wear around this resort. How ironic it was they returned south when he assumed they would continue moving towards colder weather. Thankfully, the shops at the resort were able to provide him with options that were suitable for the seaside.

As much as the light-blue-haired man's paranoia drew him back to the ocean as well, he instead found himself doing his best to stay close to those he cared about in case some of those skittering demons had managed to stowaway during their voyage. The spa, which he had followed some of his comrades to, thankfully had a happy medium: a bath. Kiel chose one of the hotter tubs, as the warmth on his skin brought back nostalgic memories of home. To top things off, some of the resort employees even filled the tub with bath salts to not only relax his body but give him peace of mind.

The desert man let out a sigh as he sunk deeper into the water, looking over to his avian companion. "So you lost your hand but were able to reattach it?" he asked. "That's wonderful to hear." He gave a smile, but there was a hint of jealousy in his tone. He looked around to see where the women who had accompanied them were. Many of the facilities in the spa seemed to be separated based on gender, so he wondered if they had been directed to another room for this, despite the requirements of bathing suits.

Nearby (presumably): Pozou Arcanist , Yo, Helena BriiAngelic , Jane, Rose

---
Outfit:

Spoiler

Being asked to remove her armor after disembarking was a trauma comparable to some of the darkest moments Amalia had faced in combat. She found herself feeling selfish for equating to witnessing the death of a comrade on the battlefield to simply revealing to others the face and body she was born with, but it brought up similar discomfort. Sadly, her clothing underneath the armor was meant for function over fashion, so it did not meet the dress code requirements at Blueport. Going through the selection of clothing available at the stores would have been a dream come true, had she been able to look through the women's sections instead of simply timidly standing by and staring from afar. Her anxiety and frustration led her to pick up the first piece of men's clothing that fit and covered her up and buy it.

The retailers had robes made out of fine silk, but sadly none came with a hood. It would make someone look suspicious in the casino, Amalia understood, though she hadn't planned on gambling. Thankfully, one of the workers was able to fit her with a veil, and without much question either. After changing into her new clothes and setting her things down in her room, Amalia made her way to the bar. She had never been a heavy drinker but right now she was just hoping that something could help ease her nerves. She ended up asking for a cup of the strongest brew they had on tap before sipping it quietly at her own table.

The woman overheard some nearby patrons talking about some treatments they had done earlier at the spa. From their description, it sounded very relaxing, and the speaker was certainly happy with their results. The thought of experiencing that herself was certainly enticing, but the fear of weird looks and her own personal discomfort with her body kept her at bay.

Nearby (presumably): Luka

 

[Taigakitt]

Yo Saiwa​

I think I take back my no-alcohol pledge.

Stone’s Throw was hell.

Dragons are being depicted as demons.

We lost Freya.

​

The bobbing of the boat made writing difficult.

And the heartache.

And the nauseousness.

Everything.

The dragoness couldn’t bring herself to write much more than that before stuffing her journal back into her back and rushing back to topdeck, green around her scales.

Leaning up against the side, she groaned, her golden eyes mopy-glaring at the water they floated upon.

Lorrin had been kind. Probably used to this, thanks to their trip when escaping Chushinlóng. The medicine he procured had worked wonders… Temporarily, that is. All medication was bound to wear off. And once it did, Yo could easily be found in the same spot on the ship.

Away from where the horses stood, as far away from people, and up against the side.

Helena was amazing as well. She held vast knowledge on treatment and helped just as tremendously as Lorrin’s anti-seasick drink.

~*~​

At least 5 days wasn’t anywhere near as bad as a month for sailing.

Yo almost didn’t wait for the ship to stop before flailing herself off, determined to be first off. Celestine, somehow, beat her to it.

A familiar sight, to Lorrin anyway: shaky legs and worshipping the land.

~*~​

First things first after getting to her room: faceplant onto the bed and groan.

The soft blankets hugged her body as she just chilled out before finding the will to move again. At least beds didn’t sway like boats.

Once all of the leftover nausea left her, she scrubbed her body in the bath, laying careful attention to any bruises she had and getting under scales.

Despite being a princess, she at least knew what being dirty was and wasn’t disgusted at herself. After all, Stone’s Throw was a mess and the ship wasn’t the cleanest of vessels, thanks to the horses.

Once she felt suitable and clean enough to be presentable once more, she donned a two-piece, Chushinlóng silken, bathing suit. Suitable for walking around in the beach, a port town, and even to hop into the ocean with. She saw it on the port back home before she met Lorrin and decided it would be a good thing to bring with.

The outfit showed off her midriff, revealing the sparkling black scales that lined her waist and parts of her back, disappearing under the cloth. The unfortunate thing that this also showed off was the still-healing bruise from the boar about a week back, and the bruises she received from battling the underground lizard demon from rocks that fell or from the beast herself.

After tying her hair up into a quick up-do, she wandered down into the lobby, overhearing a mention about the spa nearby.

What she imagined was hot waters or muds and the care she used to receive weekly back home. Thus, troubling her. Beach? Or spa?

She put her hands in her hips and tilted to each side in a stretch, feeling the soreness and tightness of her muscles.

Spa.

The beach could come later after some pampering and soothing of the soreness in her body.

Upon making her decision, she stepped outside of the building, the sun beating down, causing the black scales that were more revealed to sparkle lightly. Truly, she did an amazing job polishing them. They needed it.

Once getting her bearings, she made her way there.

~*~​

The spa had three sections: body care, a communal pool, and a gender-separated area.

The body care had what one would expect: massages, nail care, hair care, skin care…

The sign didn’t say anything about scales and horns, but it wouldn’t hurt to ask.

The communal pool required being covered up, of course.

There was even a communal hot pool, not just one for non-sandy swimming.

The gender-separated hot pools were smaller in comparison, but could be more comfortable to those who didn’t want to be ogled by specific people for whatever reason. Yo didn’t understand the gender separations fully.

The heated pools seemed heated by the flame stones, which could be seen at the bottom of them, glowing faintly to show the power it still held. It was pretty seeing the glow cast at the bottom of the rippling water.

First things first, asking that question she had.

She approached the front desk and cleared her throat before asking, “Hello~ I was wondering if you guys also took care of scales? I couldn’t see it on signage.” She smiled, flashing tiny canine fangs in the process.

 

[Arcanist]

Pozou Artith
Mentions: - | Interactions: Anne Boolean (Kiel)
(credit to @letoyga! for this commission!) ​

Spoiler: Outfit Inspo

Pozou would have volunteered to help with managing the ship, given his seafaring experience, but the weight of exhaustion was heavier than the weight of responsibility. He had practically disappeared below deck, only making the odd trip up to grab some fresh air, some food, and some company, before he snuck down below deck again. It was cramped, and Pozou sucked in the damp, salty air, and was reminded of his previous tenure with pirates. He wasn’t sure if he was comforted by it, but he did feel himself drift to sleep far easier as the ship bobbed on the waves.

After three days, Pozou’s face showed above deck more frequently. He helped where he could with keeping the ship afloat and moving, or at least, as much as his right hand would allow. Indeed, Amal was truthful about how his hand would operate. Despite this, he helped man the sails, swab the decks after the horses relieved themselves, bits and pieces like that. He was almost disappointed to be arriving in Blueport.

His stomach clenched at the sight of the port town and all the people in it.

Pozou helped clear the ship as best he could, prolonging the time he’d have to spend on Blueport’s blindingly white port.

He made sure to stick close to others, specifically Kiel, after the chaos he had gone through in Stone’s Throw. He was surprisingly chipper for having been possessed for so long, a clear contrast to the untrusting Pozou, who seemed to give most people he saw a second look. Even as he had gone shopping for some more suitable clothing, there were many steps back from people as they approached him. Though, in the end, he chose a more colourful ensemble – though, still had elements of his rustic and practical style. The cloth shirt boasted yellows, browns, creams, even greens, with flowers patterned on its short sleeves, suited for his wingspan. He had tucked his bandana into his shirt, once again shielding the myriad of feathers under the high and wide collar pulled up around his neck. As for pants, he simply bought some white puffed ones. The shopkeeper suggested them so it wouldn’t clash with the rather colourful shirt.

After the tours and having gotten settled in their room, Pozou, at first, wasn’t so eager to go walking about anywhere. Many were exploring the town or heading straight to the beach around the resort, which were rather public. The spa though had piqued his interest, and he figured it would help with relaxing.

He was told he needed to after everything.

Pozou, Kiel, and a few other of their comrades, decided to head down to the spa, gathering what they needed along the way. Pozou was lucky to procure some trunks for the facilities. Even if his anatomy wasn’t built exactly like a human’s was, he realised many of them were still so picky about wearing pants.

As Pozou slipped into the water too, he couldn’t help but let out the same sigh as Kiel. Of course, it was exactly what he needed. He let the water soak into his feathers – which surprisingly, most Quetzola were not averse too, unless they had to fly anywhere – and felt the heat rise off his body. He closed his eyes for a moment until Kiel had spoken, and he opened his eyes again to respond to him.

“Oh…yes,” Pozou smiled, lifting up said hand and flexing his fingers, “though, it doesn’t have the same strength in it as it did before…” He would have said it would have been better to leave it off entirely, but that would have been ungrateful to Amal and the hard work she had put into treating it.

Plus, he was conscious of Kiel’s feelings, given his leg.

“I’m just glad we can finally relax, even if it’s for a little bit. I couldn’t bear being in Stone’s Throw a moment longer…”

Valentine
Mentions: BriiAngelic (Sigurd - who potentially could join!) | Interactions: Colorless Spectrum (Aedzel) ​

Spoiler: Outfit Inspo

A thrilling beginning to what Valentine was sure would be a wonderous tale. They had helped out with the crew, despite not being a sailor by any means, and had done their part in physical labour. When they weren’t toiling on deck trying to do so many jobs at once, they were up during the night, sharing a drink with their new companions and taking part in the revelry of the night. Many times they had to correct people on what they referred to them as - some believed they were a man, others, a rather pretty woman. They were flattered, at first, though, they grew tired f it. They used the opportunity to tell tales of past plays they had performed in instead, only spurring them on to make sure this journey would live on in the greatest of plays and theatre.

Or so they had told their mothers. The group was interesting and their goal was especially interesting. At first, they didn’t have much interest in such a well for wishes for themselves. They simply wanted to record the events that transpired!

And so, with any chance, they wrote down the names of those that were on the journey. Valentine procured information of events that they hadn’t been part of and hadn’t witnessed, as well as names and places they hadn’t seen nor heard of.

Once off the ship, and heeding the advice of Tammond, Valentine was straight to the shops to buy themselves a new outfit. The costume they had poured their money into certainly wasn’t fit for use any longer, they had despairingly stated. But out with the old and in with the new as they said!

Valentine’s new ensemble encaptured the vibe and artistry of Newport. A white beret, patterned with silver patterned flicks, and golden feathers and an equally colourful brooch to hold them. Their shirt was pure white, frilly, buttoned, with puffed sleeves and the same silver patterned along it, and a beautiful blue ribbon tied at the top of their shirt. Of course, the corset was the best part, being a darker navy with fancy clippings and a regal pattern. Next came the striped navy shorts, puffed out and coming to their mid-thigh, with two belts with golden clasps, and of course, a diamond patterned tight of a similar pattern on the right leg and a smaller knee high sock on the other leg. Brave enough to show off one leg today, but not both at the same time. Valentine had an interesting taste. Finally, two black brogues, and a wonderful little golden ribbon tying their hair back.

It cost a pretty penny. But it was worth it for how wonderful they felt.

Once the excitement of the tour of the resort had passed – and the insult they felt at being called a vagrant (though entirely understandable being at sea for so long) – they got settled into their room, though, soon came bounding out again with pamphlets galore.

“Aedzel, dear!” Valentine approached the Quetzola in the resort's lobby, already having a tourist map completely unfurled. “Shall we go for a spot of sightseeing? I hear they simply have the most beautiful buildings and landscapes,” they continued, raving over the potential tours they could go on. “And the history behind them is sure to be just as immaculate. I say we gather some souls and we can all go explore Blueport together.”

 

[Pik]

Lorrin Yumi

BriiAngelic

The trip aboard the Willowix was a rather relaxing time outside of the seasickness that Yo had made herself known for, Lorrin had tried to help it by giving her some medicine he found while shopping one day. The lady selling it to him had stated that it would keep you from feeling ill for a time. What she forgot to mention was that for a time meant about an hour before Yo was back over the ship railing Luckily Helena was there to help with a solution that also lasted about an hour. Still, he would rather this trip than his time being stuck in that hole for what felt like months. Once on shore, Lorrin would head into his room shower and then change into his swim trunks for a nice relaxing trip to the beach, unfortunately, he has to leave his bow behind in his room but hopefully, after their heroics the Inquisition will leave them be for just this week. Once he left his room he would be welcomed by the sight of Helena witch left him with a disappointed look on his face. "Babysitting again?"​

 

[Jet]

(Currently wearing a white bikini & sandals)​

Ayana requested the crow's nest when Tammond asked for volunteers. He agreed with a quick "Sure why not," so she manned the nest for hours, surveying the countryside from her perch. It was a beautiful view. The forests and grasslands showed a myriad of verdant greens, peppered with color from vibrant wildflowers. The scenery reminded her of home.

When she wasn't working she trained with Hubyr, tended her horse and conversed with friends — she also pestered Tammond with questions like "Why are ships called boats too?"

He shook his head "Who let you out of your cage?"

Ayana insisted he answer, grinning when he explained the quirks of common tongue. "We have three forms of deer for God's sake, don't blame me I didn't make the rules!"

His sharp answers were hilarious, but her questions ended when the dinner bell rang. Its sweet sound drew her below deck for a home-cooked meal. That's when the real fun began. The whole group sat around a long wooden table, talking and eating like starved castaways. It was the perfect send-off before she went to sleep, dreaming of home as her hammock gently swayed.

The same routine continued until reaching Blueport. It was an amazing town with resorts that towered over the landscape. Their massive size shocked Ayana from afar, and when the ship docked she muttered "This place is incredible." Her amazed smile widened as she went ashore, searching the streets for a casual fashion store.

A few minutes later she found one named "The Golden Thread."

Ayana excitedly entered the shop, eyes bouncing from clothing racks to shelves. There were so many options it boggled her mind, but she eventually found a white sundress with a purple flower pattern. It was a good start but she wasn't done yet. Instead she bought sandals, silver accessories and a thin white bikini. It wouldn't leave much to the imagination, but she wasn't a modest woman either.

With clothes in hand she walked to the resort and found her room. It was luxurious but she only cared about one thing — the shower. Ayana needed one, and when she emerged she felt brand new. "Thank the mother for stormstones," she donned her swimsuit, glancing in the mirror when she was done. The revealing outfit wasn't what she was used to, but her first thought was "This looks fantastic!"

With a narrow smile she draped a towel over her shoulders, snatched her bag and went outside. Her stroll through town was a pleasant one, and soon she arrived at the beach. There were dozens of random people scattered around, but she spotted a few familiar faces among them. "Hey over he—" she stopped when an idea suddenly crossed her mind, leading her to a drink stand near the street.

"Do you sell lemon water?"

The merchant nodded with a proud smile, "Indeed we do, the very best in town!"

"I'll fake four please!"

"Four Limonadas on the double!" He poured water, lemon juice and shredded mint into a mixer, shaking it for several seconds. "These are perfect for the beach you know," he poured the mixture into four ice-filled glasses. "That'll be two silvers."

Ayana passed him the coins, "Many thanks!" With a subtle wave she hovered two cups from the counter, grabbing the rest with her hands.

The merchant bowed his head, "To you as well young mage!"

Ayana turned away and returned to the beach. The warm sand soothed her feet as she neared her friends "The water looks so clear!" The huntress stopped beside Gwen and Celestine. "It's hot and you must stay hydrated! Especially you angry rage syphid!" She passed them drinks, sipping from her own with a narrow smile.

Next she went to Hubyr. His body was covered in sweat from an intense workout, hopefully the drink would help him. "I got one for you too," she passed him one and took another sip. "You must keep your strength for tonight. The town has so many fun places to visit," she anticipated their drinking contest as she looked back, smiling at both women. "What're you two planning for tonight?"

Taigakitt Anne Boolean Sarahspn

 

[BriiAngelic]

• Helena Lis || Human War Cleric

• 
  
  
  
  Tags:
  Lorrin ( Pik )
  Mentioned:
  Yo ( Taigakitt )
  

  ~ Outside Lorrin's Rooms ~
  Wishing on You || Helena's CS File
  
  After the worst journey of all time, who knew she’d spend most of their travel time filtering between the seasick and the injured with such a rapid pace, she was ready to just get a break. Luckily enough Blueport was always the resident tourist trap. She was quick to take a good shower before she slipped into proper spa attire with one of her thinnest dresses as a coverup. Enough that she wouldn’t be called out on indecency but not enough that it was completely free of eyes.
  
  She waited until Roland went in before heading off down the hall. She had a goal in mind. It was clear enough that the second he could he would go trailing after his favorite archer with the determination of a newborn puppy. Still she had no intention of letting anything slip to the wrong people. She’d come to realize as Roland dropped his guard more and more to the young man that it was clear he had all the knowledge needed to determine the inconsistencies. For the mere fact that he had not shared that information she would continue to trust him the most out of the remaining members of the caravan.
  
  She waited outside the door of the archer with patience. Before long she heard the stirring and was greeted by the half-dressed archer appearing. Her smile as she heard him ask if he was babysitting didn’t quite reach her eyes but it was clear it was more genuine than the false soft smiles she gave the others.
  
  “Now, now, it would just break poor Ro’s heart to hear that their favorite person didn’t want to spend time with them. I wouldn’t say I expect you to babysit persay but I’m certain that child will try to run after you anyhow. Clearly you understand why he wouldn’t be comfortable with Yo and Myself at the spa.”
  
  She didn’t need to go into detail to hint that she would be amiable to answering questions. She didn’t question his intelligence, nor did she feel the need to watch his moves as she felt was necessary with certain other members.
  
  “We’ll see… perhaps I will pay our gracious host a piece of my mind instead.”
  
  She took out a small bag of coins as she lazily tossed it his way.
  
  “For your entertainment. Little Ro found quite a few things back in Stone’s Throw. While some supplies had to be put to the caravan for image neither Ro nor myself believe in the good of the whole over the good of the individual. You should help him identify his new treasures.”
  
  
  

 

[Sarahspn]

​

The Willowix was a nicely sized ship. It had enough room that Gwendolyn was able to sleep for almost two days straight unbothered. She would spend the mornings watching Leóne get dressed and giving him a kiss before he went above deck. Soon she was able to heal her own foot and grimaced at the ragged scar it left. Even away from danger, she refused to let another person tend to her, let alone heal a large wound.

Once her energy was restored and all injuries healed, she joined the others on the deck. She chose to groom the horses to pass the time. When it got dark, she would retire to the hull and join the others in drinks. The barrel that Leóne stole was empty by day three but thankfully Tammond had a stash of liquor he shared with his new crew.

The next two days were spent getting to know everyone in the group. This was the first time they were all together and sharing stories was a good way to pass the time. Her eyes would wander to an empty seat among the group and imagine Freya sitting there. She could see the Northern woman laughing, drink in hand while sharing stories of her battles and home country.

This was when the nightmares started. Even though they had escaped Stone’s Throw, she would be back in the darkened town once she fell asleep. Images of the three demons were etched into her mind and her screams would wake up anyone who slept near her. At one point she refused to sleep but Leóne convinced her, telling her that she was the safest she could be. She found truth in his words once she was in his arms.

As Blueport came into view, she let out a sigh of relief. She was excited to explore the town, especially since she heard Leóne’s stories.

Gathering her things, she quickly followed the group to the resort. At the doorman's words, she looked down at her clothes and shared his grimace. Her attire had seen better days indeed. She remembered the shops that sat outside the resort and would have to go shopping once she was settled.

Gwen and Leóne got to their room near the top of the building and she headed straight for the shower. The water was hot and washed the week's worth of grime from her body and hair. Her blonde hair regained its shine once it was washed and she put it into a messy updo, leaving strands out to frame her face.

She gave Leóne a kiss goodbye before heading to the shops. She had left her swimwear at home, not thinking she would be going to a beach at any point of this trip. Thankfully, the shop she entered had a large variety of bikinis and she practically fell in love with a gold set. Quickly buying it and changing, she headed towards the beach. On her way out, a straw hat caught her eye. Looking around, no one was paying attention her to so she grabbed the hat, putting it on before walking towards the beach.

Stepping foot in the sand brought a smile to her face. She had never been to a real beach, only the rocky, cold ones around Lunar Isle. She spotted Celestine near the water and approached her. She joined the syphid in looking out at the water.

Ayana appeared next to them, holding two drinks as two others floated around her. One of the glasses floated towards Gwen and she grabbed it out of the air. Taking a sip, she smiled. “Thank you, Ayana.” She nodded towards the elf before watching her skip away.

“Do you miss your home?” Gwen asked, looking over at Celestine.

Jet Anne Boolean Taigakitt

 

[Pik]

Lorrin Yumi

Tags: BriiAngelic
Mentions: Taigakitt
"Well I was hoping for a little alone time, surely the kid would understand that." He rubbed the back of his head with a bit of annoyance as she continued on it is rather understanding why Roland would not want to go to the spa he is a he after all even with those dresses he runs around in there would be no getting away from the embarrassment of having to visit the spa with a bunch of women especially for a child his age. "Sigh I see what you mean. I wouldn't want to be in that situation myself poor kid wouldn't be able to get the red out of his cheeks for weeks after if he had to go through with it." Say what you will about Helena at least she not out to completely embarrass the poor boy just to keep their cover, whatever the reasoning for thought has yet to be seen something he will have to ask one day. Helena then tossed Lorrin a bag of coins which he effortlessly grabbed out of the air like he's done it multiple times before, well it was actually just dumb luck he caught it but got to keep that flawless image after all. "We doing bribes now Helena figured you would know me better than that by now with those watchful eyes of yours." Lorrin then simply hands the gold back to her "If you insist on paying for me then use that to make sure my companion doesn't get herself into too much trouble we both know she has a lack of understanding of our customs and will probably need help." He then starts to walk off with a wave "One of these days you'll have to tell me you and your 'little girls' backstory. But until then ill play alone and keep an eye on little 'Ro' you go enjoy your day." He would wait a minute to hear anything else Helena would say before making his way down to the caravan to see Roland and his treasures.​

 

[Huntertabbysandshark3]

Xiko Yikino
location: beach interaction: (none)​

Xiko was just sitting at the beach it had been a rather long ride here from whar he counted maybe two or three different ships to get to Golden Point but it was most certainly worth the long trip. Not that this had been his end destination merely one of many the Man would find himself at during his wandering. at the moment he‘d just been laying on the sand watching a crab that had seemingly gotten a hold of someone hat the crustaceans scuttling around with it stuck upon its body much to Xiko amusement, though sadly the crab had scuttled out of sight it prompted Xiko to finally get up from his lazy resting upon the sand.

his large reptilian wings stretching out as he yawned a little shaking the sand form them. Xiko had more or less neglected much in the way of fancy beachwear simply going for the classic no shirt look since sand and his normal attire didn‘t mix oh so well. With his Pervious entertainment gone it seemed like a good time as any to just take a bit of a wander in the beach plenty of interesting things here after All.

 

[Taigakitt]

Hubyr​

At least boats weren’t buildings. If the boat sank, he could swim right back to shore. If a building collapsed, he was more likely to get stuck. That was the forest elf’s reasoning anyway.

The swaying reminded him of the strong trees back at home, sitting on the tallest, sturdiest he could find as the wind buffeted the canopy.

Hubyr thought the Centosians and few other southerners were strange. Yo was like no Lizardfolk he’d ever met. The horns were what threw him off. He didn’t bother asking. Stone was easy to understand because, well, he was quiet. Momerki were something Hubyr understood. Though, Stone wore more clothes than any other Momerki he’d ever met before.

The blue beasts or whatever they were unnerved the buff elf. People didn’t just have stretchy bodies like they did. He was convinced they were at least born of a beast that laid with a… human?

His contemplations were put on hold whenever he decided to workout on the top deck, where the breeze existed. A good workout was in focus, so mind-wanderings weren’t going to happen. Anyone that ever tried to talk to him while he was in the zone accidentally got ignored unless they made their presence known.

When they eventually arrived at Blueport, Hubyr followed the group and got his own room. Unfortunately, there were no trees and he had to settle for the building. Before exiting, he had opened the window wide because the air felt stifling.

Everyone seemed to be getting into new attire. Best Hubyr did was get a set of pants and call it a day.

Stepping barefoot onto the beach, he sunk a little into the heated, soft sand. Shifting his weight, he contemplated his footing.

Yes, this would be a perfect spot.

If anyone paid attention to the newcomer of the mission, it was that he was a meathead.

So, the meatheaded elf did what was probably predictable.

Squats, push-ups, rock lifts.

He was in the middle of squats when Ayana had moved towards him, frozen drinks in hand. He didn’t miss a beat as he grabbed the drink on a movement up. “Thanks!” He stopped, stood, and took a large drink before even thinking about investigating what it was Ayana had given him.

The initial lemon taste made his jaw clench as the sour quickly passed to sweetness. He stifled a quick cough, running a hand down his face.

“I’ll have my strength, no worries there. I ain’t about to lose.” He flashed a smile before finally looking at the drink he had been given. The coloring was refreshing, and after he had gotten over the first sour flavor to hit his tongue, the drink was also as refreshing as it’s coloring was.

“What’s all in this?”

Looking at the other two women on the beach, Hubyr added in, “Feel free to join in on any of the competitions we will be doing! The more the merrier.”

Mentions: Jet Sarahspn Anne Boolean ​

 

[Anne Boolean]

Celestine Oceania​

Ayana's nickname for her should have irked Celestine, but it had grown on her and even elicited a small chuckle. Despite that, she liked to believe she hadn't shown much anger or rage for quite awhile now, at least not towards her allies.

"Thank you," she responded and took one of the floating beverages. The gratitude surprisingly came out effortlessly, although a landsman caring about her well-being still felt somewhat strange. Celestine could hear the little elven woman continue to hand out her drinks, though with how focused she was on the ocean horizon, her voice felt distant despite her being mere feet away. "I'm not certain," she responded when asked about her future plans for the night. Honestly, continuing to stand here and stare at the blue didn't seem so bad, but the syphid figured doing so would only worsen her homesickness. "I suppose I'll tag along with what a bunch of the others want to do." It felt almost dirty to admit, but as her time on land went on, she found herself more and more curious about the way of life of those not from the sea. At the same time, she dared not go off alone, lest she end up in trouble due to her temper again. "How about you?"

A small sigh escaped her lips upon hearing Gwen's question. "I do..." she responded, "but I'm sure most if not all of our companions have gotten somewhat homesick by now, especially you and everyone else who was part of the expedition before me." She somewhat envied that their homes were still on land, as at least simply walking between one building to the next was not something novel to them. At the same time though, her time on land was going a lot better than she first imagined. Her initial assumption was it would be like roaming around the wilderness among savages. It may be quite minimal in terms of standards, but learning that landsmen were civilized and capable of compassion and empathy came as quite a relief. "I want to step deeper into the water, but I fear I may be compelled to simply start swimming to home," she joked with a chuckle. "What about you? Do you think about how things are back home as well?" Come to think of it, Celestine wasn't sure if Gwen was from Centos. The undersea kingdom was vast and spread all across the ocean floor, but aside from separate local provinces, Oceania was still the same domain. It may have been difficult to step out of water and roam on land for Celestine, but perhaps for those on the surface leaving their country to be in another was difficult as well.

The Princess rose an eyebrow at Hubyr's invitation. "Competition?" she questioned. The resort didn't seem to have any sort of arena. What sort of competitions would there be? Perhaps they had a facility which had strategic tabletop games, although it would certainly seem out of place among the other amenities. Those games were believed to be quite effective in creating war strategies, so much so that it was part of Celestine's schooling growing up. If they would be playing one of those games as part of their competition, perhaps the Princess could be a strong contender. Or perhaps the elven man meant horse racing. That would seem more fitting for the resort, especially alongside the casino. She had been taught to ride the giant seahorses they had at her home from an early age as well and was quite capable when it came to racing those, but a land-horse would certainly be different. Perhaps there would be some overlap though. Of course she was aware of other competitions, such as the running or swimming races that syphid children had, and she had heard that the commonfolk had competitions involving drinking, but none were ever suggested among her peers due to them being considered obscene by the nobles and her family. The thought of being involved in such a competition brought a small grimace to her face, not only due to how uncouth they seemed, but also because she had been taught of the consequences of over-imbibing in drink. If it was that sort of competition, perhaps she would simply spectate.

Interactions: Gwen ( Sarahspn ), Hubyr ( Taigakitt ), Ayana ( Jet )
Nearby: Xiko ( Huntertabbysandshark3 )

 

[Lost Echo]

Kuma

To docks|Willowix|Blueport
April 20-25th, 4:30pm
Willowix: Luka and Ayana and Gwendolyn ( Sarahspn )

Spoiler: Look like herself, now wearing

​

It hadn’t even been a full moon cycle. How could one of these Others have affected her so? These outsiders or was she the outsider? were so different from home. Everything was. From the foods to the beasts to the monsters. She had never lost someone in battle before. A teacher, the one who guided her and Nezumi when they were pups, passed, but she’d avoided the Umbuagwe long enough to greet Ronnag with peace. And the prince...she still didn’t know how he died.

Nezumi found her as she stood near the shore, watching the embers that remained of Freya. The relief of being joined again was a balm as immediately Kuma pulled the rat in, allowing her to wrap against her horkwin for long minutes. Never, never would they block their bond. That agony, that wrongness...Kuma’s oki fluttered as Nezumi surfaced on her shoulder. She would have to thank Leone and Stone for their protection. Rats were not meant to be in battle, especially not the madness of this town.

The ship was small, blatantly unused to cargo that breathed. Especially horses. Though Kuma passed on her thanks to Stone and Leone, most of her focus was on the herd. Pippin managed to snag at least one (Kuma doubted it was only one) apple on the trip to the docks. Perhaps she was just afflicted with the same sickness as Yo and Celestine (though Kuma did not understand what could affect each species). Either way, the Matu learned that horses were like rats--they could not vomit. Thankfully, experience with Nezumi let her guide a thin stream of water down her throat. Thankfully nothing needed to come up, she just had to settle what was down. Another had never seen so much water (she should have shown them the lake in the woods, it was likely a better introduction.) It did not understand why that water smelled weird and could not be drunk. Dragon mourned Freya. The stubborn horse had lost riders before but had been with the former chieftess for years now. Kuma's body rippled with the waves, passing the momentum without noticing. She saw a few of her companions stumble as the ship rocked, but thankfully the horses could steady themselves, even the desert one.

The bratty boy Nezumi heard with the Inquisition’s mages had evidently betrayed his oaths, and not trusting him, Lucien put him on cleaning the deck. Kuma used him to rub the horses’ legs twice a day, allowing for small exercises. She kept her aura over them, monitoring pain and keeping them calm. These creatures were prey with nowhere to flee. Pleasingly some of the others also joined her. Ayana’s bond with Minsená was strong, and Kuma was pleased to speak with her directly. She even grew to know Gwendolyn, as the woman helped with the grooming. Her promise to Freya was being upheld.

Thankfully the voyage was only 5 days. Kuma learned far too much about horses in this short time--how could they stay alive? But all were fairly well, with no injuries. Mostly they needed more exercise, which she trusted the stable to manage. If necessary Uma could probably contact her--though the horse would only do it if desperate, she was sure. She would escape first, and probably attempt murder before actually asking Kuma for help.

Nezumi
Willowix|Blueport
April 20-25th, 4:30pm​

For much of the voyage, Nezumi didn’t leave Kuma. She sampled the food provided for the horses and just basked in her Bonded. When Kuma socialized further, she explored, but she was aimless, enjoying the security of the ship. Even any wariness of the syphid’s existence was tempered by her sickness. The new town--Nezumi never bothered with names, especially ones that meant nothing to her, seriously blue? She’d have to ask Kuma if it was mostly blue--smelled amazing. While Kuma followed the others to where they were staying, the rat escaped into the busy streets. Here at least, people were normal. Still, as she enjoyed the desserts this place seemed to be made of, she’d keep an eye out for danger. The "pests" often learned of it first.

Kuma

Blueport
April 25th, 4:30pm
Shopping: Kiel ( Anne Boolean )
Spa: Kiel ( Anne Boolean ), Pozou ( Arcanist ) and Yo ( Taigakitt )​

The thought of going shopping was strange. While she still held her leather armor, all the clothes she wore here had been stolen from lines outside. She joined Kiel in his shopping, a little horrified to hear of his last trip. The clothes were comfortable. The top wrapped around her center, just below where her arms split off. The bottom covered the space between her legs, strings connecting the fabric on her hips. Clothes like these were allowed? What was the point? She double-checked with Kiel multiple times, evidently appearing modest(?) He provided her a sheer wrap, that failed to be a skirt and a shawl that when wrapped around her neck traveled the floor. She loved it. It fanned out when she spun, causing her to ripple with laughter. She didn’t protest the addition of jewelry, even if she was not in a high enough position to deserve them: 3 bands on her limbs with a more delicate one on her neck. And she didn’t need to wear shoes!!! Sure, Kiel offered them, but she had seen others without them. This was wonderful. She would definitely do this again. The man also made excellent choices for himself too. He was very skilled.

She followed him to the spa. She had never been in one, on account of her lower status. Hot springs, however, were a different story. There were quite a few tucked within the icy mountains, and often her pack would take a free day there. She'd loved the relaxing feeling, where each part of her body was limb and everyone seemed to meld into each other. It brought on a peace she rarely found; where the littlest thing was amusing and joy floated in the steam. As they neared the 'hot tub' she could feel the warmth of the wet air relax her, making her oki trill in pleasure. Knowing that she had to keep a sound mind, she cast a quick frost spell on herself. The ice crystals spiraled along her dark top and she was distracted by watching them melt away. It was quick, but Kiel had already gotten into the water. She hurried after him, her scarf trailing in her wake. She sat down beside the water the other two were in, nodding to herself. If she stayed out of the hot water, she would stay sober. She unwrapped the scarf from her torso, using the steam to guide them out behind her.

Hearing the doctor speak of his hand, which was strange, even she could not reattach if completely severed, she inquired, "But surely it will strengthen with use?" She frowned the blooded were still odd to her. She was aware of the exercises Ayana had been doing while on the ship, if that was to strengthen muscles, then surely Pozou could do the same?

Obsidian
To the docks|Willowix|Blueport
April 20-25th,4:30pm
On the Willowix: Arcanist (Valentine and Pozou)
At the Bar: Anne Boolean (Amalia) ​

The group moved quickly, loading the boat with their supplies--and more, Leone seemed to want to party. It was only Gwendolyn’s face softened by a smile that stopped her from scolding, the memory of her pain still raw. Obsidian volunteered to help with the crew, for though this ship was much bigger than the fishing vessels that went out daily on the Stone’s Shores, they had taught her some of the knots. Even getting them started was harder work than she imagined, especially in her fatigued state. The day had been long and Obsidian wasn’t sure leaving within the hour was the best. Still, she couldn’t fault anyone from wanting to leave that place.

Once underway, the work eased, for the winds were gentle and the river was straight. She couldn’t imagine fighting the seas. With Valentine’s help, it was enjoyable. She was pleased to get to know them. It was hard to imagine leaving the love of their mothers, the sweet women, but Obsidian wanted to ease any homesickness they might feel. As Val repeatedly had to explain themself, she was embarrassed to think of how she did not understand who the couple was referring to. Whatever gender they were (and Obsidian was confused about that--were they made like her? Should she use they? where was Ayana and her annoying questions when you needed her.) they were definitely only one person...she thought. Thankfully the work was enough to keep her from thinking too much on it, enjoying their company and storytelling skills instead.

The first two days, any time not working she spent asleep, so it wasn’t until the third day that she realized she couldn’t feel the ground. She tripped catching herself on the hammock that she’d claimed, gasping for air. Falling to her knees, the ship’s deck caught her. It was there, but as it rocked and swapped it felt like it was just a basket, hanging aloft, soon to answer gravity’s call. The wood beneath her palms was hard, stiff, unchanged from the night before. Though it trembled in a poor imitation of an earthquake, everything was normal. So why did she feel so scared? It was like she was blind, though she could see. Like she lost a limb, though she was whole. It took a few minutes of gasping before she realized her magic had recovered. It was reaching for earth to sense, but unable to find any. She did not know how to pull it back. It was not like her sight, which was easily covered. This was more her than not.

Work was still there, and as she was uninjured, Obsidian struggled through it. Her distraction caused her to be clumsy, work that she had already learned taking longer. Sleep did not come as easily that night. Bruises and that sinking feeling overcoming any fatigue. It was only with Leone’s bounty--or was it Tammond’s?--that it came at all. Obsidian felt worse in the morning and was grateful for Pozou’s additional help for the remainder of the voyage. There was guilt--the man had LOST A HAND (at least she thought so, she’d never seen him without it) but still he worked. By the fifth day, she felt bad enough to let him without protest.

Land was a relief. She’d lost her shoes in that hole, and now the hot stones of the road welcomed her. As the others disembarked, or Yo prayed(?) Obsidian allowed herself to sink into the stone, concealing her feet completely. It was like having her arm reattached. Even as she followed the others, she left shallow footprints in the stone, leading to the hotel Mr. Wagner had secured for them. It was beautiful, the entire town was, but Obsidian did not feel like wandering. Instead, she found her way to the nearby bar. She didn’t see anyone she recognized, likely everyone out enjoying the resort. She sat next to someone wearing a veil, welcoming the drink immediately slid to her.

 

[Taigakitt]

Stone​

The streets were loud despite more than half the town being killed off. Though, the ruckus was to be expected after being let loose from possession with a possible memory or not of what they had done. That was one of the reasons for him having slunk off after getting out of the hole. He was tired, soaked in demonic blood and salt water, and sore.

Lucien’s announcement was loud enough, so Stone took care of a few errands before making his way to the Willowix. Though, without all the ghastly blood soaking his fur; he had rinsed off in the water the ship floated upon first.

Traveling by ship was of no consequence for the feline. After all, the catfolk’s home location was an island far south. Not that he spent a lot of time there in memory.

Stone couldn’t be arsed with helping with the ship’s maintenance though. He spent his time hanging around below deck; more often than not, he was sleeping. When he wasn’t sleeping, he seemed to be deep in thought about what they discovered in the hole, and having heard accounts from the others about what they had experienced. One look at the normally-a-gentlecat would think he turned sourpuss.

~*~​

After porting, Stone stretched his limbs and made his way quietly to his room. He took advantage of the resort’s bath system and cleaned any leftover dirt from his salt-crusted fur. It was good timing, because he was starting to feel itchy from the incessant salt that sprayed to the deck. Something he knew first-hand was to not over-groom when the crusty fur was from salt water lest he wanted to get sick.

Once all properly clean, he threw on a new suit, same color as his fur, not that he cared, and his collar. Making sure he was once again presentable, he made his way down and realized some of the members already made off on their own. Relaxing after the hellscape and ship ride was not a bad idea, and this town’s residents seemed to have the correct amount of differing personalities, unlike how they came into Stone’s Throw. That was already soothing.

The spa sounded nice, but he had already bathed and wasn’t keen on getting wet again. That was also why he wasn’t heading to the beach. The sand would be a pain and he had just gotten his fur to it’s proper softness.

Obsidian was sitting nearby at the bar, though sitting and drinking didn’t sound suitable either. He already had done plenty sleeping sitting around on the ride and wanted to stretch his legs.

Thus, Stone decided a walk around town would be best. He waited at the entrance of the hotel to see if anyone was keen on joining him or not. Valentine and Aedzel sounded like that's what they had in mind.

Nearby: Obsidian Lost Echo Arcanist Colorless Spectrum ​

 

[Jet]

​

Instead of a pleasant trip, Luka had a lesson in annoying grunt work. He was the man of the hour for all the wrong reasons, cleaning tirelessly as the ship went south. It was a ridiculous workload even by grunt standards, but he wanted adventure. He wanted to see distant places, meet foreign women and get stronger as a mage — so he scrubbed, shoveled, mopped and complained for five days.

When the ship docked he was among the first to leave, no chance he'd linger with Lucien there. The old bastard would probably tell him "Clean the ship until it shines," or haul luggage to the resort. Talk about a pain in his ass. Instead he walked downtown and bought clothes with his savings. Then he went to the resort, took a much needed shower and donned his new threads.

​

He looked in the washroom mirror, nodding with an impressed frown. "Lookin' right as rain ya handsome bastard," he brushed back his hair. "You'll knock em dead," he smirked before heading downstairs.

Two minutes later he entered the bar, chest out with preturnatural confidence. His eyes bounced around the luxurious room, landing on a blonde woman beside the bar. Her slim figure was stunning, her black dress was sharp, her narrow face was dotted with freckles — she was perfect.

Luka approached her with a strong, steady gate. His eyes met hers, and he was about to speak when she said, "Two Alexander Brandies, please be faster than the last server. He was painfully slow."

Luka blinked several times, "I'm an adventurer not a server!" He perked up with pride, "I've traveled across most of Centos, even helped close a rift once."

The woman slowly nodded, "Oh you're homeless, how tragic." A smirk crossed her face, "Tell me homeless boy, who let you in here?"

Luka's hand clenched, "Oy watch ya tongue, adventurin ain't the same as homeless."

The woman giggled, "Have I touched a nerve?" Her smile widened, "You speak like a ruffian, perhaps you should find a bar on the city limits. That's where the workers drink their swill."

He shook his head with an incredulous smile, "Real bitch you are eh?"

The woman choked back a scoff, "Excuse me?"

Luka shrugged "Oh you didn't hear me? My apologies... I said you're a real bitch."

She scowled, dripping venom when she said "Trashy words from a trashy man, you're not worth my time." She shooed him away and idly scraped her nails.

"Yeah yeah, hope you're next server spills a drink on ya." He laughed and walked away, glancing around the room for another woman to romance. But he stopped when two familiar faces shone through the crowd. "Hey! How're the drinks treaten yas?" He approached Amalia and Obsidian with a grin, "That lady over there... mental, absolutely mental." He pointed at the rude woman, chuckling as she glared from across the room. "Anyways, mind if I join ya? Don't think we ever met in proper, name's Luka!"

Anne Boolean Lost Echo

 

[Fred Colon]

Daisy lurked in her room for most of the voyage, her eyes shut, rereading the tomes she had stored away in her head. There were too many people on the ship, and without a fight or a funeral, her usual confusion on how to deal with others returned. She wanted to be left alone, anyway, to recover. Even when interacting with other people in capacities that she was more comfortable in, she liked time to herself to recharge.

Fortunately, the journey was a decent length, at least for her purposes, so when they landed in the new port, Daisy was feeling relatively rejuvinated in both mind and body. She hadn't, surprisingly, been hurt badly at all during their last 'adventure' which made a pang of guilt flash through her when she remembered Freya. She always seemed to be the one to make it out, didn't she? She shook her head, as if brushing away flies. No. That was just survivors guilt, she'd seen it more times that she could count in grieving family members faces. She wouldn't fall prey to it. She had survived the destruction of her family, and the events that had almost destroyed this new group she found herself with. That was the simple reality, there was no guilt to harbor. She had done her best.

---

The resort was a pleasant surprise. She had been to one or two in her time, paid for by grateful clients, though her family wasn't the type to avail itself of the usual pleasures a resort provided. There was a spa, a beach, a casino, and other things besides. But what Daisy wanted was something to eat, something better than the ship rations that she'd been eating before, something more than the boar meat they'd been eating ever since they slew the beast. It was her one weakness, food. She didn't care for alcohol, drugs had never interested her, but a delicious meal? That was difficult to resist.

Daisy sat down at the bar, expecting that this would be the place to ask for food. A light wine and a hearty meal was exactly what she wanted at the moment. She noticed others from her party at the bar, but sat at the bar, on her own, nodding to whoever noticed her.

"Excuse me." She said to the barkeep, setting Somber down next to her. "I'll take whatever the local specialty is. Preferably not what you give the tourists, but whatever the people around here actually eat and enjoy. And some wine, nothing too heady or strong, beer is fine too. Just something that pairs well with the meal."

Nearby: Jet Lost Echo Anne Boolean

 

[Colorless Spectrum]

Aedzel Phriln

Spoiler: Outfit

Aedzel didn't think that they'd be riding on a ship. She doesn't even remember where they were going, her mind was absent to the happenings. She would have been either cooped inside the room, staring out into the sea, or playing a calming tune by the docks. Her mind would often go back to Helena's words.

"You don't need to stay with us."

"Well, I've warned you."

Helena was right, she just experienced the danger at first hand in Stone's Throw. And she never actually planned to be on this ship, but her ticket out had the great idea of joining this cursed group. Her sky-colored eyes looked over to Valentine's happy face as the thespian announced that they left their troupe to be a part of the adventure. Keeping up a lie was exhausting, and if this Well turned out to be a lie she might as well die the next day. At least that would be less time wasted if so.

Upon coming to the hotel, the first thing Aedzel did was take a bath. Unfortunately, she didn't hear that there was a Spa and missed the opportunity to go. Once she had donned a fresh set of clothes she immediately went back to the lobby to see what everyone was up to. It took her a split second once there to change her mind and just rest in her room when Valentine strutted to her with a town pamphlet. "Of course!" She said with a giggle.

She couldn't help but compare her own outfit next to Valentine's elegantly cute ensemble. A pang of jealousy hit her chest as she could never afford such extravagant clothes. She barely has any coins, what with most of her earnings were swiped by almost every troupe she had joined.

She tried to take nothing of it, of course. "Valentine, I love your outfit! It's simply stunning on you." She said cheerfully with a clap of her hands.

"Shall we wait for them by the entrance then?" The Quetzola said, dragging the thespian to the front. Noticing someone else by their supposed waiting place. "Are you here for a walk around town too, Sir Stone?"

mention: BriiAngelic The Regal Rper || interaction: Arcanist Taigakitt

 

[Jet]

Bartender Fred Colon
​

The bartender looked over with a warm smile, "I see you have a taste for local fair, most visitors are much less adventurous." He spun around and took a bottle from the wall. "The Dumont winery is famous for their Merlot, it's a local favorite," he uncorked the bottle with a twist of his hand.

"When it comes to cuisine, nothing's more genuine than Bluecrab. They're much meatier than most shellfish, but the texture is butter smooth." He poured a glass and passed it across the bar. "The locals dive for them when the tide recedes, I've gone one or twice. It's quite an experience... unless one pinches you of course!"

 

[Sarahspn]

​

Once the sisters were on the ship, they didn’t waste any time before hopping on the ropes and helping the ship set sail. The next five days were full of hard work and strong drinks as they sailed down the river to Blueport.

Rose kept finding her eyes fixed on Kadar, watching him work around the ship. She still wasn’t a fan of the man but his attitude began to grow on her. Similar to her sister, Jane found herself staring at Luka.

The ship finally docked at Blueport and Rose watched everyone run off towards the resort as she finished tying the ship down. It had been a while since the sisters had set foot in the town and hoped that the people didn’t remember their faces. They had been kicked off of the island at one point due to a few misconduct complaints. They had only broken their dress code and gambling rules and public intoxication rules but they were only trying to have fun.

Jane finished tying her ropes down and joined Rose in walking to the resort. “So Kadar?” Jane asked, giving her sister a smirk.

“So Luka?” Rose returned the smirk.

Jane’s face turned red and she crossed her arms. “Hey, it's normal for me to have my eyes on someone, not you.” She huffed.

“Yeah, yeah. Kadar isn’t really my type anyway.” Rose said, kicking a rock as they walked down the stone pathway.

“Oh, he is SO your type! He’s mean and selfish and bossy, just like you.” Jane said, giggling.

“Whatever.” Rose rolled her eyes as they entered the resort.

The two made it to their room and washed the grime off their bodies. They discussed what they would do their first night in Blueport. Jane recommended the spa while Rose wanted to gamble and drink. After a few minutes of disagreement, Rose decided that they would split. Blueport was a safe enough town and the island was crawling with their crew-mates. If any trouble came to Jane, Rose trusted that she would be okay.

Jane was delighted at the decision and wasted no time before putting on her clothes and rushing to the spa. She slipped on a white dress over her black bikini and tied the red corset as she ran down the stairs. The doorman yelled at her to slow down and she politely gave him the middle finger as she continued running, her laugh echoing through the lobby.

Rose watched her run off and let a sigh escape her lips. The redhead wasn’t as eager to start her activities and took her time getting ready. Looking through her bag, she found an outfit that she didn’t hate too much and put it on. Looking in the mirror, her mind wandered to where Kadar might be at. Shaking her head, her usual frown returned to her face as she left the room.

~~~

Jane walked into the spa and found the room that she of her crew-mates resided in.

“Hi!” She smiled brightly at everyone.

She undressed, revealing her black bathing suit, and didn’t waste any time before slipping into the hot water. Breathing out a sigh of relief she closed her eyes for a moment. Opening them she looked to Pozou and then to his hand. She frowned for a moment, thinking back to Stone’s Throw but shook her head, not wanting to relive those memories.

“How are you, Pozou?” She asked, sinking deeper in the water.

~~~

Rose slowly walked down the stairs, studying the resort. Jane and herself weren’t as lucky to stay here when they last visited and she was thankful they had a solid roof over their heads. Walking outside of the hotel, she looked around, hoping to remember where the best bar on this island was. Taking a stroll down the street, she spotted one of the bars and went in. Upon entering, she saw Luka, Amalia, Daisy, and Obsidian. She spotted an empty seat at the end of the bar and began walking towards it when she heard Jane’s voice in the back of her head telling her to make friends. Letting out a small groan, she ran her hand through her hair as she walked towards the empty seat near Amalia and Obsidian.

Silently sitting down, she nodded to the bartender for a drink and looked over at the others near her.

Spa: Taigakitt Arcanist Lost Echo Anne Boolean
Bar: Anne Boolean Lost Echo Jet Fred Colon

 

[Sarahspn]

​

Gwen thought about Ayana’s question and furrowed her brows. “I’m not sure what to do tonight. I might see what Leóne’s doing or try my hand at the casinos.” She said, sipping on her drink.

She listened to Celestine’s answer and nodded. “I miss my home sometimes, but mostly my teachers. I only hope that Lunar Island is okay without me.” She sighed, kicking sand around her feet. “I went on this quest for my entire island but I’m not sure if they understand that.” She continued, looking over the horizon. Her mind wandered back to her home and how she left in the middle of the night without even a note left to her parents.

“I might take you up on a battle. I have yet to fight an elf of your strength.” Gwen said, smiling cheekily at Hubyr.

“I can join you in the water. I won’t be offended if you run away.” She smiled at Celestine. She understood the syphids worries and thought about what she would do if she was as close to her home. She wouldn’t blame her if she decided to return to her kingdom, especially after the week they endured. If given the chance, Gwen would return home for a day or two to explain herself and tell the stories of what she had lived through.

Jet Anne Boolean Taigakitt