Fantasy Light In The Darkness (IC thread)

[Trektek]

LumaThePhoenix , Clockwork Syringe , LegoLad659
Suva Pyrewalker
She raised an eyebrow at Sildar's introduction. "A professor? That's a little shocking that you would come out here to do grunt work. At least, it shocks me."
Suva however decided to take a greater look at the man. If he was out here and willing to fight the evils that were terrorizing the land, perhaps there was something that she was not seeing at first glance, at least not from the light of the camp fire that was around them.

His features were very honestly the very epitomize of attractiveness. Looking at him, she clicked about his name. Sildar Evans, a professor. Yes, there were those rumors of an extremely attractive man that was a professor there. Of course, she had only taken those as rumors and not substantiated as fact. If she had known that there was such a man there, maybe she would have tried to enroll. As it was, she had visions of scooping him up and taking him elsewhere. She shook those thoughts out of her head. There were more important things that were imminent.

"I think that we need to have your scout..." she points at Catherine. "...check out the enemy patrols to check their numbers and perhaps track them back to their encampment where we can gauge their strength. If we take out their leader, I think we might be able to cut the whole head off of their group and render them harmless or at least make them disorganized enough to take them all out."

She looked over Catherine, who blatently didn't introduce herself. Besides her terrible manners, she was quite the looker herself, even wearing clothes that obviously measured her as being from the wastelands. Perhaps she would be able to get her to open up in the morning when it would be most advantageous to be on the same page. It was always better for people that worked together to be civil with each other. Suva would give her time to digest her involvement in their group, at least for the moment.

Suva turned back to Monica and caught the drop of the smile and the slight change in demeanor that would be almost imperceptible unless one knew what to look for. It was obvious, to her at least that something about this situation was upsetting her. She quickly placed her hand on her shoulder and turned to the others with a wide grin. "I just remembered that I have something that I need to discuss with our nurse in private. I'll be right back."

Without giving any further explanation, Suva walked Monica away from the group and out of direct earshot. She placed both hands on Monica's shoulders and looked her directly in the eyes. "Hey. Are you okay?"​

 

[LumaThePhoenix]

Monica Battaglia​

Clockwork Syringe LegoLad659 Trektek

Talks of a gameplan had begun as Suva suggested having Blue scout ahead and get a feel for what they're up against. The latter had chosen not to introduce herself. Had Monica not already known that Blue was a thief, she would've consider the gesture rude. It would make sense that she wouldn't want to just immediately open up to somebody new. It would likely take time before the young lady would develop a sense of trust towards Suva, or even towards Sildar and herself. As for the mercenary's approach to taking out Dirken, it sounded methodical. Rather than just rushing in like savages looking to make a bloody mess of everything, she proposed to aim for him. In theory, taking him out would scare his underlings into giving up. It wasn't a guarantee, but it was a possibility.

The discussion suddenly got interrupted when Suva mention that she had something to discuss in private with the nurse. Monica felt a hand on her shoulder and she was soon led away by the warrior. She wasn't sure what it was that Suva wanted to discuss, but she had a feeling that the woman noticed something about her that caught her attention. When the two were a good distance away from the others, the merc placed a hand on each of the nurse's shoulders, looked her in the eyes, and asked if she was okay. Monica's face showed sadness and a fear that she was hiding something. However, her eyes were ominous and flowing with rage. She tries to stay calm, but her voice is shaky.

"Yes, I'm...I'm fine. I just need a moment please, b-but don't let go." She looks downward and away from Suva for a moment as she tries to collect her thoughts.

Of course I'm not okay! How can I be!? I'm a bloodthirsty monster disguised as a nurse. There's an archer being held hostage as some prize or plaything like I was. I want vengeance! I want revenge and...I can't. Not at the expense of innocent lives. I can't let anyone see that side of me. She scares me, and she'll scare my new friends away, too. What if they sell me out and set me up to get captured again? I can't put that burden on them, but I at least owe Suva some truth. She does look concerned, and Sildar was bold enough to show some of his powers, though I'm sure he's still hiding quite a bit. Wait. That might be how I should approach this. If I can just open up a little bit at a time, maybe I'll be able to see a bit more of their true intentions. More importantly, maybe it'll help forge a bond between all of us.

Monica takes a deep breath and looks back up into Suva's eyes. Her own pupils fade back to their natural color as she looks at the woman. Please don't hate me for this. "I'm not okay, but I don't want to put my burdens on anyone else. I'm supposed to help and heal others. That's my job. I have to protect you, and everyone here, no matter what." She glances at Ilen, Sildar, and the Blue Fox. "When Ilen mentioned what happened to their archer, it brought back memories. A lot of painful ones. It also brought out a bunch of frustration. I'm worried that if I try to explain it to you all that it'll just drive everyone away. I wouldn't blame you for it either. I'm sorry for delaying your discussion of a battle plan." A tear runs down the side of her face, but she quickly catches it and wipes it away.

 

[Clockwork Syringe]

Sildar Evans
LegoLad659 LumaThePhoenix Trektek​

As Sildar listned to Suva's shock at his current predicament, he shrugged. Furthermore, he responded to her request for Blue to act as a scout to figure out where the enemy was stationed with a nod. He was about to talk further when he noticed Monica shaking with rage and her pendant starting to fill up with water. ~That can't be good.~ However, before he could do anything about it Suva went and decided to talk to her. Musing about what he saw, Sildar recognized that rage very clearly; it was the same rage his father felt when he lost his wife and went berserk against the bandits. While Sildar had thankfully never experienced true rage such as that, he still was worried that one day he might; it was also for that very reason he kept a tight lid on using his full draconic power. He also put two and two together about what Monica was after seeing that pendant react to her rage. However, he was not about to blatantly postulate about what Monica was publicly, he would wait until they were alone to ask her about that. Whilst waiting for the two of them to return Sildar simply leaned up against a log and simply began to enjoy the bonfire.

 

[LegoLad659]

Catherine Terra
Clockwork Syringe Trektek
​

When it was suggested that she act as the scout for the group, Catherine already started to stand up in preparation to leave when she noticed, at about the same time as everyone else, that something was up with Monica. Of particular note, Catherine noticed that again, her pendant started to fill with water, just like it had back in Room 13. Whatever it was, it was either fueled by her emotions or helped her suppress them. Either way, Suva took her away to speak with her for a moment, leaving Catherine to sit back down next to Sildar "Looks like she has something to hide..." She pointed out, quiet enough that only her and Sildar could hear her "...But then again, I guess we all do, don't we? Some of us are just more interested in hiding that fact than others." She said, looking pointedly up at Sildar "Isn't that right, Sildar?" She asked him. She remained quiet for a moment to let it sink in, before returning her head to face forward "I won't ask you to tell me what that's about, that wouldn't be fair to you. Hell, I have way more to hide than probably anyone else here. But I will offer a little advice, from one companion to another; If you don't want someone to find out, you might want to press your lips a bit more closely to your teeth."

 

[Clockwork Syringe]

Sildar Evans
LegoLad659 Trektek
​

Sildar noticed as Blue began to sit down next to him as he watched the fire. She mentioned about how Monica had something to hide and how everyone at some point has something to hide themselves. Of course, he was a little surprised when she directed the question at him. Any further questions that he was going to ask her about what she knew were soon put to bed when she noted that he should press his lips a little closer to his teeth. Sildar smirked which soon turned into a warm smile, at this point he spoke in a hushed voice. "Well congratulations, you are now among the people I can count on one hand that have noticed that. I suppose it will only be a matter of time before it starts to leak out even further, but thank you for your advice Blue. I can call you Blue right?" It seemed that this would be the start of the eventual revelation of his secret. Still, this was only one other person who noticed apart from the headmaster of the Gilgamesh Tower and the Emperor himself. However, the two of them realized the entirety of his secret and only Blue had figured one one aspect. She was above most people, but not to the same level as the previous two.

 

[LegoLad659]

Catherine Terra
Clockwork Syringe Trektek
​

Catherine listened to Sildar explain that she was one of very few people who noticed that, which gave her a sense of both pride and exasperation at the same time. On one hand, she'd noticed something that possibly millions of people who he's no doubt seen in passing just by being something of a celebrity in the Imperium.

On the other hand, it was something that Catherine thought of as extremely basic, that being the shape of someone's teeth. Maybe she was just overobservant, but she couldn't help but make a small mental facepalm as she thought about how many people hadn't noticed.

He thanked her for her advice, and asked if he could call her Blue, to which she nodded in response "You don't exactly have anything else to call me. There's no way in a lifetime I'd give anyone my real name, after all."

 

[Trektek]

LumaThePhoenix , Clockwork Syringe , LegoLad659

Suva Pyrewalker
The sadness and fear on her face was what she had originally seen and had expected as a possibility when someone who was not a true combatant would be going up against an unknown enemy. The anger and rage in her eyes clearly evoked something else. Something that she felt deeply inside her own body. The rage coming from injustice and something that was from deep seated trauma. Something that she truly had experienced in her own way, and from that, understood seeing it in someone else. No matter how different of an experience, there was that connecting force. It drew parallels like a beacon cutting through the fog.

Suva listened to her words, hearing the shakiness in her voice. She did not pull away, understanding that sometimes, touch could be helpful when there is suffering in one another. Even a hug can bring out strong and happy emotions from the person on the receiving end of one.

It was only a few moments, but Suva knew that for someone dealing with something, that can sometimes feel like eternity within one's own head, dealing with your own problems.

"You don't need to apologize for delaying the plans. A cohesive team on the same page is what is necessary for an effective plan anyway. That means that you have to trust your partners. I highly doubt that you'll push me away with talking about your problems." Suva laughed lightly as she smiled at Monica. "Besides, I'm here to protect you and keep you safe. That was what I was hired for."

The mercenary caught sight of the tear rolling down the nurse's face, but chose not to bring any attention to it. "If you want, we can stay right here and talk as long as you need. The plans can always wait until tomorrow when everyone gets some sleep anyway."​

 

[Clockwork Syringe]

Sildar Evans
LegoLad659 Trektek​

Sildar chuckled at Blue's response to his request. "I mean you just met me so I don't think you'd be giving me your real name in the first place," Sildar started. "After all, you can't trust everyone you meet at first now can you? Speaking of questions however, what made you decide to become a thief in the first place?" It was a bit rash for Sildar to ask this question, but he honestly wanted to know why anyone would resort to a life of crime and theft. It was rich coming from Sildar though, as he had never had any worries of money in the first place. Though, he suspected that not all thieves were in it just for the loot.

((short post here sorry))

 

[LegoLad659]

Catherine Terra
Clockwork Syringe Trektek
​

Catherine nodded in response to Sildar's reasoning. While it was true you couldn't trust everyone you met, Catherine's point was that he shouldn't get his hopes up that she'd ever tell him her real name. Then he asked about why she became a thief, to which she chuckled a bit "You mean you can't tell? I thought Tokara clothing was recognizable from pretty much anywhere." She answered, laying on her back with her hands behind her head "You should live there sometime, see what it's like. Maybe you could even figure out why so many people who live there don't end up like me, it's certainly baffled me enough."

 

[LumaThePhoenix]

Monica Battaglia​

Trektek

Monica was a bit surprised at how friendly Suva continued to be. She offered comforting words as well as letting out a light chuckle that earned a small smile from the distressed nurse. The mercenary had a point about trusting teammates. It's difficult to do so, especially when you've just met the people you're working with. Still, a foundation has to be made in order for that trust to be built. Monica hugs Suva and whispers "thank you" before letting go. She loses the shakiness in her voice as she builds up the strength to keep speaking.

"It's hard to trust people. There's always the fear of betrayal, but there's also the hope that those you put your trust in are loyal. A risk every time, but I'm willing to take that risk with you three. Hopefully, as time passes, we'll get to know each other more and our bonds will strengthen." Monica pauses and her smile fades. She's uncomfortable, but she knows that at least trying to open up to someone is better than continue to let her past and paranoia rip her apart. Her voice becomes shaky once more. "The archer that was captured...I know what it's like to be taken hostage. I was captured once. I-I still have nightmares about it. Frequently. Sometimes I get sudden flashbacks that cause me to zone out momentarily. I spent years being beaten, humiliated, and tormented. All the pain I felt...it...it frustrated a part of me. A part that I've always been afraid of. One that I can't control that could hurt us all and..." She sighs, unable to explain what she is without giving away her identity. "...I don't want that woman to go through what I went through. I don't want you, the others, or any innocent lives to go through such a nightmare. We have to save her. We have to stop those monsters."

 

[Clockwork Syringe]

Sildar Evans
LegoLad659 Trektek​

Tokara? This was the first time that Sildar had ever heard of the place. Sure he was a professor of magic, art, and other things, but he was not the geography or history professor. Sildar shrugged at Blue's comment about Tokara, "I can't say I've heard of Tokara in the slightest, not that I dont ever want to know where it is," Sildar apologized. "I've mostly lived around in the central part of the empire for my entire life so forgive me if I haven't heard of it." Upon being asked to possibly live in Tokara to figure out why people don't end up like Blue, he smiled. "Perhaps one day I'll make a trek up to that part of the empire to see for myself."

 

[LegoLad659]

Catherine Terra
Clockwork Syringe Trektek​

Catherine sat up as Sildar told her that he'd never heard of Tokara, and that he intended to take her up on her offer to stay there. Not that she would stop him if he really did, but she had been joking when she suggested it to him - Well, partly. While it would probably give him a better understanding, to live in Tokara like everyone else there was a fate she wouldn't wish on anyone but the worst of people. So, to make sure he knew what he'd be getting into if he was serious, she started talking a bit more "Tokara is a wasteland. It's so desolate that any form of life at all struggles to survive there on a daily basis." She explained, looking at the campfire rather than at Sildar as she recalled what her hometown was like "The village itself is a sad sight - To call it low class would be a far cry from what kind of place it really is. Even in most low class places, you could at least expect the roof of your home not to cave in at any moment. Crops don't grow there, all but the hardiest of animals stay far away from it, and even the earth below has extremely little of value to give, which the original settlers had to find out the hard way. Now their descendants are stuck there, with really no way out because it's literally all they can do to survive." She said, closing her eyes and sighing "And before you ask, no, I don't blame the Imperium or even the previous kingdom that owned Tokara before it for that. They do send regular shipments of food and what other provisions they might need to get by, but the thing is that it costs them money to do so, since we can't pay for it ourselves and have to be given it for free. So they can only send what they can afford to, and the Imperium is a big place. They can't spare everything we need, and I accepted that when I was a child. It's fine. It's just that when living honestly gives you the constant threat of starvation, you need to find other ways to survive, you know?" She asked, before sighing again as she realized just how much she'd been talking "Sorry. I didn't mean to say so much."

 

[Clockwork Syringe]

Sildar Evans
LegoLad659 Trektek​

A troubled look appeared on Sildar's face as Blue explained the situation her people were in and why she turned to a life of thievery. "Oh my lord, I had no idea, Blue" Sildar began. "I didn't think all people turned to thievery for the rush and thrill of it and this proves it in my eyes. I can't even begin to compare to your upbringing as mine wasn't as hard as yours. My father wasn't around as much as I'd like him to be, but he provided and my mother taught me to hunt and shoo'd away anyone who had ill intentions towards me. Of course, that all came to an end when-" Sildar shut himself up when he realized what he was about to say. "Anyway there has to be something that can be done for your people! It also sounds to me that its a climate issue that is really the underlying issue that is hampering your people's ability to grow no?"

 

[LegoLad659]

Catherine Terra
Clockwork Syringe Trektek
​

"'Climate issue'..." Catherine replied, chuckling a little "You say that like it's something that can be fixed. If generations of brilliant mages couldn't do anything for them, what makes you think you could now? What idea could you possibly have that could help them?" She asked, standing up as she spoke "And no, you can't relocate them either, because not only will no one take in all of the Tokarans, maybe in part because of my association with them, but even just getting all of them out of there would be too much effort for what they'd be worth to the rest of society. So tell me what idea you have that could save a village full of less-than-worthless people with so little to offer that they're already being babysat and they're still dying?" She asked him, unaware that she had started to raise her voice mid-spiel. She let silence hang in the air for a few moments before speaking up again "I thought so. I'm going to bed." She told him, before walking away to find a good spot to rest.

 

[Trektek]

LegoLad659 , Clockwork Syringe LumaThePhoenix
Suva Pyrewalker
Suva returned the given hug and took to heart the spoken words of thank you. She knew just how hard it was for others to open up. She knew that trauma could welt up deep inside you and make things almost impossible to break through. That there was an almost imperceptible need to keep things hidden from the world, that any imperfection of character would be seen as a flaw that made you unwelcome anywhere.

She listened to what Monica had to say and nodded. "Yeah. Opening up to new people is always a risk. But I've found that when the chips on om the line, having a little faith and trust in your team can go a long way."

She continued to listen to Monica's words as her voice began very shaky. It was the sort of voice that made her just want to give her another hug and pull her close and hold her tight. Instead, she looked on with a grim expression on her face. Being captured, was a twist and made so much sense of her reaction to the goblin woman having been captured. While she herself wasn't captured, she knew how big a deal that was. The torture especially would cause deep seated issues that might never be fully resolved.

As soon as she finished speaking, she couldn't contain it any longer and took hold of Monica, pulling her close to her breastplate, gently stroking her hair. "You don't have to worry about that part of you. It can't hurt you or anyone else again. As long as I'm around, no one will hold you behind bars."

She loosened her grip while still keeping her close. "I know that this is a silly thing to say when we only just met, but it's my job to keep people safe and if you stay behind me, I'll do just that." Suva smiled at Monica. "And I'm sure that we'll be able to rescue this Straps from the evil warlord. We'll make him pay. For anyone that has ever had to deal with getting captured."

-------------------

The goblin waddled over to Catherine as soon as she started to walk away. "We have beds prepared for you if you life. This way." He smiled at her and if she followed, he would lead her to a small structure built into a tree with four beds of relative comfort. "Nothing but the best for our heroes."

A goblin walked over to Sildar offering him more food while the dancers still danced. They all seem to have a lot of energy, don't they?​

 

[LumaThePhoenix]

Monica Battaglia​

Trektek

Right after she finished speaking, Monica felt herself pulled into an embrace. It was a comforting hug coupled with the stroking of her soft, silk-like hair. Tears streamed down her face as she found herself crying, and for the first time in years, it was in relief instead from pain. As much as she didn't want to weep, she couldn't stop herself, especially after hearing Suva telling her not to worry about herself or being locked up again. Easier said than done. However, it wasn't impossible. Monica had hoped she could overcome those fears. This could very well have been the first step towards doing so. The wave that was nearly flooding the pendant slowly lowered until it subsided completely.

When the mercenary let go, Monica continued to listen to her. She was reassured that she would be protected and that Dirken would pay for his actions. This brought out a smile from Monica that matched the one she had when she first walked over to her earlier in the night. The shakiness in her voice was replaced by confidence as she nodded at Suva's statements. "Yes we will. I'm truly grateful for your assistance and your comfort. I'll stay behind you when I need to, but I'll also be fighting beside you. I may not be as adept a fighter as the rest of you, but I can hold my own for a bit, especially from a distance."

Monica looks at the bonfire and sees Catherine walking away. I guess she's getting a head start on sleeping so that she can head out as early as possible. Good idea. Plus, it is starting to get late. Maybe I should get some sleep soon as well while I'm in good spirits, but we may still need a plan first. She turns her focus back to Suva. "Well, it's getting late. We can go back to Sildar and continue setting things up for tomorrow if you want. I'm feeling much better now. You know, you're pretty good at the whole protecting and uplifting thing. Is that why you became a mercenary?"

 

[Trektek]

Clockwork Syringe , LegoLad659 , LumaThePhoenix

Suva Pyrewalker

Suva just let Monica cry, to let it all out. Sometimes you just needed to let those tears and sadness out. The longer it gets held in, the more emotional damage that can be caused to your psyche. Suva knew that all too well, being on both the giving and receiving ends of that. If she could help someone work through their problems, it was a good day for her. Especially if they were going to be fighting side by side on the battlefield.

She took no notice of the pendant, only focusing on the woman in front of her and listening as her voice went from wavering sadness to confident in her words and the meaning behind them. "Alright." She smiled at Monica. "As long as you are safe behind me and don't put yourself in any unnecessary danger."

The mercenary seemed to think on that for a moment and realized that yes, it would still be important to get a plan together before turning in for the night. "I'm glad that you are feeling better. That's what I'm here for."

Suva smiled at Monica. "Part of the reason. I want to help people and the military just seemed to impede that. Too many bureaucrats getting in the way of that dream. Too many idiotic people promoted to leadership who didn't know how to lead. So I left."

She motioned for them to walk over to Sildar as she talked. "I actually lost most of the unit I was originally a part of due to such poor leadership. Lost a lot of friends that day. Couldn't take too much more after that and a few other incidents. I think that the Imperium Army needs an overhall to become better."

If Monica followed, the pair would have arrived at Sildar. "Sorry about that hot stuff." She gave a playful wink. "Just needed to talk about some girl stuff real quick. Anyway, let's get back to battle plans. What are your thoughts?"​

 

[Clockwork Syringe]

Sildar Evans
LumaThePhoenix Trektek​

Sildar was not prepared for the barrage of extremities and disbelief that came his way when he suggested his solution. Blue didn't believe he could solve the issue and how could she? she only thought he was a normal human, not a half dragon who's father taught him for 50 years straight on matters such as these. Still he looked a little hurt when she berated him, but he kept his mouth shut in a misguided desire to not incur her fury even more so. He watched as Blue walked off which left him alone at the campfire as a goblin offered him more food which Sildar politely declined.

It was like this until he heard footsteps approaching the campsite. Turning around he saw Suva and Monica walking towards him no doubt having just finished talking about Monica's sudden shift in feeling. He politely waved as the two approached at which time Suva spoke first. "Sorry about that hot stuff," which was accompanied by a playful wink, "Just needed to talk about some girl stuff real quick. Anyway, let's get back to battle plans. What are your thoughts?" Sildar immediately blushed and then coughed in an attempt to hide it. Sure he knew he was attractive and sure enough he was aware people spoke highly of him, but rarely did people openly flirt with him. "W-well the three of us are all that's left as Blue went to bed early. However, your suggestion about having her act as a scout was an apt judgement. However, in the event Blue cannot for some unknown reason, I can act as a scout too. I notice things most people don't after all."

 

[LumaThePhoenix]

Monica Battaglia​

Trektek Clockwork Syringe

Monica nods at Suva's request to avoid unnecessary danger. She would rather be closer to her allies anyway as opposed to being out on her own fighting. That way she could provide medical assistance immediately if one or more of them got hurt. Standing behind a frontliner also greatly benefits Monica as she can safely aid them in combat.

The nurse walked alongside the merc as she listened to Suva's explanation as to why she became a mercenary. It was clear she wasn't too fond of the higher ups, especially after losing her former teammates. The feeling of losing someone is already tough to deal with. Pairing it with corruption from the government just adds frustration to the sorrow. As great as it was to see Suva still able to smile, Monica felt that she also had deeply rooted feelings of disdain and perhaps even a fear of losing more people she cared for. "Well, this could be your chance to make it better." Monica said with a smile. "We can lead by example and show the world how to work together with proper leadership and without corruption. Maybe that'll inspire others, including the Imperium Army, to do the same."

When they reached Sildar, Monica quietly listened to her explanation as to why they walked off. She noticed a bit of a blush appear on the cool-minded professor after Suva's wink and comment. Monica held in her giggle to prevent potentially embarrassing him. What caught her attention the most was his final statement about noticing what most people don't. Does he already know what she is? Is he going to use that potential knowledge against her? Doubtful. He doesn't appear to be that type of person. When he offers to be a scout in the event Blue declines the role, Monica decides to enter the discussion.

"I have a theory as to where the captive archer could be, though I may be wrong. If what Ilen said is true and this Straps woman is being held captive as a prize instead of just a prisoner of war, then there's a good chance that she's either in the same spot as Dirken or somewhere near him in a well-guarded area. I've noticed most beings like keeping their valuables either on them, in eyesight, or somewhere they consider safe. My people did it. I do it. My captors did it with me when they saw me as some kind of toy. Dirken might also be doing it. I don't know if we're going for a stealthy approach or a full on assault, but I think if we find one of them, him or the archer, it should be a sign that we're close to the other."

 

[Trektek]

Clockwork Syringe , LumaThePhoenix , LegoLad659
Suva Pyrewalker

The mercenary smiled at Monica as she said that they could lead by example and make the world a better place by inspiring the others of the Imperium. It was certainly a good thought. And if it were possible, then they would be able to enact some great changes in the long run. Providing that they got that far. Those sort of thoughts were still pretty far off.
"I hope so. That's a wonderful thing to think of though, at least in the meantime."


Suva caught his brief look of a blush on Sildar's face and gave a smile. Apparently no one had ever flirted with the professor before. You would think that either a student or a parent or if he had gotten out before, that someone would have flirted with him and that he wouldn't get so easily flustered. But, you learn something new every day. However, with how good looking the man is, you would think that it would have been a more common occurrence.

She nodded as Monica spoke her theory. "That seems logical. I think that we should operate under that conclusion. It might make things easier and that way we can deal with two birds with one stone."

She looked back and forth at Sildar and Monica. "ALright, I think that we have a solid base of a plan. We should all get some rest for the night and finalize tactics in the morning. At least when the plan's scout will be up to talk about it. Good night you two, and get some good sleep."

With that, Suva walked away to her tent to get some sleep for the night. The others would be led away when they were ready, would be led to a small structure built into a tree that contained 4 semi comfortable beds.

-------------------

The next morning, the sun rises and the morning dew is still on the grass and the trees. Most of the goblins are still asleep from the large party last night. There are a few guards with bows and spears that are standing around to protect the village and the smell of cooking meat wafted into the dormitory.

Walking outside to the bright sky, partially obscured by the large treeline, the village itself was relatively silent as the vast horde of them slept in for the morning. Looking around for the source of the sizzling and cooking meat, they would find Ilen cooking bacon, while some bread is rising on a nearby hot plate.​

 

[Clockwork Syringe]

Sildar Evans
LumaThePhoenix Trektek LegoLad659​

Sildar listened as Suva and Monica discussed the next plan of action and in particular he listened to what Monica thought straps was going through. It was at that point that Suva spoke up and suggested that everyone get some sleep so that they could discuss the plan when Blue was up and awake. Nodding, Sildar then was led to the sleeping quarters by a Goblin that was built into a tree that contained four beds. Claiming one of the beds that was farthest from the door, Sildar let sleep overtake him as he laid down on the bed.

Suddenly Sildar awoke and was standing on a battlefield in his full draconic form. Confused and bewildered, he then realized that he was dreaming.
"You are better than them, show them your might!" a voice suddenly echoed in his head.
"What?" At this point a black mist began to form in front of him. This was the ego of Sildar, something he constantly kept in check.
"You heard me! You are part dragon after all, that makes you better than the majority of the population here!" Angrily clutching his right hand into a fist Sildar then opened it and threw it to his right.
"No! I cannot be prideful and haughty! I have to be humble! I have to protect people!" The voice then took on a seductive tone as it continued.
"But think of all the power, prestige, and women you could have if you took advantage of your powers." His ego then conjured beautiful women and sent them towards Sildar, but he snapped his fingers and they disappeared. Sildar crossed his arms as he spoke bluntly to his ego.
"Pride cometh before the fall, I will not drown in my own power and fame."
"But think of your father, how he slew those that threatened you and your village, you have the same power and you should take advantage of it!"
"I have had enough of you, GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" Sildar shouted angrily.

It was at this point Sildar awoke in a cold sweat and lept out of the bed. Looking around he saw that everyone was still asleep. Realizing that he was the first one up at this point, he shook his head and began to smell bacon; he was hungry after all. Utilizing his keen sense of smell, Sildar followed the scent until he was face to face with Illen, who was cooking the bacon and was the source of the smell. Sildar then spoke, "Good morning Illen, may I partake in some bacon and bread?"

((For reference anyone in the sleeping quarters would hear Sildar speak ""No! I cannot be prideful and haughty! I have to be humble! I have to protect people!" and "Pride cometh before the fall, I will not drown in my own power and fame" and he would be tossing and turning for a while before stopping and sleeping peacefully for the rest of the night))

 

[LegoLad659]

Catherine Terra
Clockwork Syringe Trektek LumaThePhoenix
​

Catherine was led to where they were to sleep and quickly claimed a bed to lay down in, closing her eyes to fall asleep with thoughts of home running through her head. As a result, that was what she dreamed of. She stood before the familiar sight of rickety huts and sad-looking people dressed in whatever cloth and animal hides they could get their hands on, just like her. The roads were just dirt, and indistinguishable from the rest of the land, as they didn't even have the skills or materials to pave proper roads or even make the path stand out at all. Catherine didn't feel anything, but somehow she still new that it was warm, with the occasional gust of wind that only served to collapse buildings and dry out her throat, just like she remembered it to be. As she walked through the village, she even saw several people she recognized from her neighborhood. People she'd talked to and played with when she was a child, before she started taking from them. Her dream self didn't question how she knew that she would start stealing their food for her family, she just knew and that was enough.

But most importantly, there was one familiar face in the crowd that stood out among the rest. The silver-haired woman looked pathetic, lying on the ground and barely breathing in front of her childhood home. She looked scrawny, like she hadn't eaten in weeks, and was almost catatonic in her efforts to beg people for food "Rebecca!" Catherine called out, running to the aid of the woman. She didn't know what she could do, but there had to be some way she could help, right? Fate wouldn't be cruel enough to take her life away without even a chance, right? Catherine's footsteps as she ran seemed to ring loudly in her ears, in that dreamlike way where it seems like the sound is loud and clear like it should be, yet also muffled like it doesn't quite exist at all. Just as she reached her, however...

She was woken up by Sildar, who had nudged her in his sleep just enough to wake her up. Catherine groaned as she looked over at him, wondering what kind of nightmare he had to be having in order to thrash around like that. She heard the words he said, but disregarded them as mindless dream speak, which she found often didn't mean anything. Regardless, thanks to this she would have some trouble getting back to sleep, so she got up and headed outside for some fresh air during the night, finding a tree to climb and sit on the branch of while she looked up at the night sky. Now that she was awake, thanks to how light of a sleeper she was (She had to be, in order to get by) she was able to think to herself for a while. Rebecca... It had been a long time since she'd even thought about her. Why now, all of a sudden? Was it because of the memories Sildar had dug out of her? Whatever it was, she was thankful that Sildar had woken her up, if accidentally. A dream centered around her sister was bound to go south very quickly, that was for sure.

Catherine continued to ponder about her dream for some time, although by the time morning came she had drifted off to sleep again without realizing it, despite sitting against a tree perched on one of its sturdy branches - It was a much more familiar bed to her than anything else, really, so she stopped having trouble sleeping in that kind of position a long time ago.

 

[LumaThePhoenix]

Monica Battaglia​

Clockwork Syringe LegoLad659 Trektek

Monica was thankful and a little surprised when Suva expressed her support of the theory. She nods in agreement about finalizing the plan in the morning. The goblins led the mercenary and the professor to the sleeping quarters. Monica stayed behind. She spends a little while watching the goblins party it up. The joy they were having kept a smile on her face. When they started to show signs of slowing down, the nurse took one last look at the bonfire before getting up.

After getting escorted to the place she would sleep in for the night, Monica makes her way to the remaining empty bed. She lays there and stares at the ceiling. As soon as she's about to close her eyes and sleep, she sees a silhouette flying across the ceiling. Her eyes open wide and she watches the shadow gain color. It morphs into the spiritual version of her mermaid form which is just another one of Monica's hallucinations. This one was the most consistent as she believed that herself and her mermaid form are two separate entities. As they communicate mentally, Monica's physical body stays silent.

I'm starting to believe you hate me more than you hate the Empire.

No. I don't hate you.

You sure about that? Just this morning you were panicking because you thought you saw Empire troops headed towards us. They were just civilians, by the way. Not even goblins. Now look at you. Getting chummy with goblins because they smiled at you.

These goblins are innocent. I don't hate goblins. I just can't stand those that do horrible things like kidnapping killing innocent and defenseless creatures.

Well I haven't kidnapped or killed anyone that wasn't trying to hurt you and yet YOU still consider me a monster. The same word you used to describe the heathens you and your so-called "new friends" are preparing to attack! How could you compare me to THEM!?

No, I don't. I didn't mean for it to come out like that.

Then what am I if I'm not a monster?

Dangerous! You've hurt lots of people, including me...and you!

I HAVE to hurt people to protect you! Do you really think you can just go over there to that Dirken guy and his soldiers and beg them to stop their heinous acts? It sure didn't work on the Red Goblin Empire eight years ago and I doubt that it'll be any more successful with these hoodlums either.

...no, but hurting everything around you is almost as dangerous if not more dangerous. I....I don't want to hurt everyone.

You don't want to hurt anyone, but you have to! You know you do, but you're afraid. Is that why I'm a monster to you? Because I can do what you're too scared to do?

Suddenly, the argument gets interrupted by a third party's shouting. The sudden outbursts snaps Monica out of her trance, causing her mermaid form to fade away. She sits up and looks in the direction that the noise is coming from. It was Sildar. He appeared to be having quite a nightmare. After hearing his shouting and seeing him tossing and turning, Monica noticed that it awakened the Blue Fox who soon got up and left. She likely went off to find a more peaceful place to sleep. Meanwhile, Monica stands up and silently walks to Sildar. The nurse wanted to see if his nightmare was causing real world physical pain. Thankfully, that didn't seem to be the case, so she went back to her bed and laid down. She didn't want to risk getting too close because he could wake up and attack her involuntarily. Monica watched as he rolled around until finally sleeping peacefully. It was clear that something was bothering Sildar, like he was holding back a part of himself. Perhaps Monica has more in common than she thought with the professor. Clearly, he was more than just a handsome face with knowledge.

With Sildar now peacefully sleeping, Monica gets out of bed once more. This time, she heads out in search of Blue. She didn't want to disturb her, but rather make sure she was safe. By the time she found the girl, noticed that she was somewhere in between deep thought and nodding off. Monica smiles a little and walks back to the beds. Along the way, she notices the lack of goblins outside. Most of them hade gone in for the night while the rest were guards holding down the fort. Once inside, she checks on Suva and Sildar before finally laying down and making another attempt at going to sleep. Maybe it was from releasing so much stress earlier in the night, but for once, Monica didn't have a nightmare. Despite not sleeping for very long, her slumber was peaceful.

The next morning, Monica wakes up mere minutes after Sildar. A familiar scent hit her nose. Bread and...bacon. As she sits up, she notices Blue and Sildar aren't in their beds. The former probably slept outside while the latter likely went to pursue the food. A few minutes later, Monica went out to check on Catherine and found that she was still sleeping. The nurse lets the young lady continue to sleep in the tree and follows the food scent, making a note to make sure to save something for Blue to eat in case she wakes up late. When she arrives, she sees Ilen and Sildar and waves at them with a smile.

"Good morning, gentlemen. I see you're making breakfast, Ilen. Thank you, for everything. The food. The hospitality. All of it."

 

[Trektek]

LegoLad659 , LumaThePhoenix , Clockwork Syringe

"Absolutely, you can have some food. It was made just for you guys. You're going to be our saviors, I just know it." Ilen smiled at Sildar and also at Monica as she approached.
"You are most welcome. You are heroes and should be treated as such." He handed the pair of them some bacon and toast as the delicious smell hit their nostrils. Ilen seemed most pleased with himself.

Suva Pyrewalker

Suva tossed and turned in her sleep. It was the age old nightmares that she had had. She had not had them in a while, but obviously the prospect of people being under her care again, brought them back up to the surface.

Suva walked with the troops, forward marching in a phalanx pattern, the sky seemed clear, the ground seemed firm. Out of nowhere arrived cavalry charging from both flanks. Panic set in. The intel that they had received was that the enemy had no cavalry
, but that was wrong. It was a bloodbath all around them as friends and fellow soldiers were cut down.

The mercenary woke up in a cold sweat. Of course she wouldn't get a good night sleep before a big mission. This could be the start of something great. So of course there were going to be some pre battle jitters. She left the tent and followed the sweet delicious smell that accompanied the sizzling sound of bacon and took a seat on a nearby stump.

"Good morning everyone." She looks around, not only seeing that the two of them also did not get a good night's sleep due to the bags still under their eyes, but that Blue was no where to be found.

"Anyone see where Blue is?" Part of her was worried that she decided to take off in the night, leaving them without any good operational intel to work on. The thought mostly crossed her mind due to the nightmare that she had during the night. It made her slightly on edge in that regard.​

 

[LumaThePhoenix]

Monica Battaglia​

Trektek LegoLad659 Clockwork Syringe

Monica smiles and nods at Ilen's kind words. She prepares to eat some of the bacon when she hears footsteps approaching. It was Suva who showed up and greeted her allies. Monica could tell by the look on her face that she did not have a sweet dream last night. Though she wasn't sure if Blue also had a nightmare, it looked like bad dreams were a common thing amongst them. The mercenary then asked about the Blue Fox's whereabouts. Monica would point in the direction she last saw the girl in.

"Good morning to you as well. I saw our young friend a few moments ago. She was in a tree sleeping. I guess that's where she went after she got up last night. I didn't want to disturb her slumber, so I came here with the intention of bringing some of our breakfast to her if she doesn't come here first. If you want, I can go and get her."