Fantasy Poisoned Land - [ Zazz & Phoenix ]

[Zazz]

Brandyl remained quiet, finally, soaking up everything Veyen had told him over the last several hours. He shifted the stick with the hanging snakeskin to his other shoulder and flexed his hand. He noticed the first farm coming into view, and nudged his friend to show him.

Azaria squinted at the horizon. "i think it's important to see more of the world. Isolation only clouds our judgement." She gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "I'm glad you braved the northern savages," she teased.

 

[PhoenixMire]

Veyen gasped at the farm as they approached. "It looks a little bit like the Filae farms," he said. "Except... bigger." The farmlands stretched far and wide across the plains, peasants working the fields, a small community of wooden houses dotted around the landscape. Behind these wide expanses of farmland towered a human city - buildings of both wood and stone crowded together past a tall rock wall, and a castle hewn of deep grey granite dominated the landscape at the rear of the city. It stood tall and strong near a massive ledge jutting from the mountain, its crenellated towers reaching for the sky.

All three Virdan suddenly felt quite overwhelmed. Veyen especially couldn't take his eyes off the castle, and he stared it for quite some time, mouth agape. Sylven swallowed. She did not like the look of the massive place. But Azaria gave her hand a squeeze, and Sylven looked to her with a smile. "I - well, I mean. Thank you. For giving us a chance. I don't think we could have done this alone, even if Tethran absolutely hates to admit it. I myself have hardly any idea what I'm in for here." Shaking her head, she kept her focus on the farms. She hoped to stop there, at the outskirts of the city, instead of inside the seething mass of humans itself. Entering the city proper right now just seemed... overwhelming.

 

[Zazz]

"Oh, you definitely wouldn't have made it alone," said Haethryl, even as he eyed the massive structure. It made Duindôr seem so primitive. "Not even with His Royal Flyswatterness."

Brandyl, too, was in awe.

Azaria let go of the clanmaid's hand and walked ahead, getting the attention of one of the fieldworkers. When asked where they might find shelter for the night, the older human man paused in his work to point in the direction of a rather small, rickety looking tavern.

"Up there." She led her party onward. Haethryl gave the place an unimpressed look over, but shrugged and ushered the others in after the other warrior.

Inside, they were met with the smell of ale and sweat, but also of freshly made food. Bran's stomach grumbled audibly. Eyes, both distrustful and curious, peered at them from tables. A man with a rapidly growing bald spot and a cloth over his shoulder approached the travelers, a pair of empty mugs in hand.

"Aye, what can I get ye?" The man gave the lot of them a once over, sizing up what sort of trouble they might bring.

"Rooms and food," said Haethryl, stepping forward. He towered over most of the people there, and the balding man took a small step back.

"We've only got two. Coin only. An' ye pay upfront."

Azaria pulled a small purse of coins from her satchel and handed a few to the man. He took them quickly and counted them, glancing curiously at the two Duindôr warriors.

"Don't get many of your kind this far north," he huffed, but accepted the payment. He pointed to a wooden staircase at the far end of the room. "Yer rooms are up those steps. When ye come down I'll get ye some stew."

"And ale," said Haethryl.

"And ale," said the man.

 

[PhoenixMire]

"Royal Flyswatterness!" Tethran threw his hands in the air. "I'd hoped you'd forgotten that stupid nickname already..."

The Virdan followed the other elves as they were led into the tavern. Sylven wrinkled her nose. Veyen clamped a hand over his nose and mouth. His eyes were suddenly wide and full of worry, darting around every corner of the tavern, eyeing the humans as if they were beasts poised to strike.

Tethran grumbled under his breath, "Let's hope a bath in this place won't make us more filthy."

Sylven went up the stairs with the others following. "How exactly should we split up the rooms?" she asked curiously. It wasn't a big deal to her, but it wouldn't hurt to plan it all out.

 

[Zazz]

Haethryl had laughed. "I would never."

__

Azaria looked back at Tethran. "Unfortunately, I think the best you'll get here is a bucket of water and a spot outside."

Brandyl did his best not to trip going up the stairs. They were creaky and old, but they at least seemed clean. That was good, right?

When Sylven asked how they should split the rooms, Haethryl immediately said, "Us boys can share one room. Give the ladies some, ah, space." He smirked at Tethran. Azaria rolled her eyes where no one could see, but didn't say anything.

 

[PhoenixMire]

"Spirits," Tethran cursed. "I'm a little less excited about this rest stop now."

Sylven cocked a brow. "Four men, in one room? Oh, that'll be a noisy disaster," she said, a small smile showing she was joking. ...Somewhat.

Tethran just covered his mouth with a hand, to hide his grin.

"I suppose arrangements are set." Sylven yawned. They'd been walking for so, so long. She was tired, but mostly she was hungry, and she did desire a bath. Too bad the cleaning arrangements here probably wouldn't be that great. Oh well. She was determined to make the best of it. Green eyes turning to Azaria, she asked, "Well? What shall we do first?"

 

[Zazz]

"Not as noisy as the two of you."

Azaria sighed quietly. Tomorrow was going to be a very long day. And Haethryl would definitely get hit.

"Ale," said Haethryl. Dipping into one of the rooms, the Duindôr man began the process of removing his armor. "And food."

"I'm going to see about that bucket," said Azaria, removing her own armor in the opposite room.

Brandyl set the snakeskin down, laying it flat on the wooden nightstand. "I think a wash would be nice. Veyen?"

 

[PhoenixMire]

Tethran tried so hard not to laugh at Haethryl's comment that he choked and began coughing.

Veyen barely noticed his fellow elves' banter. He followed the men into their own room, but looked tense. He only briefly snapped out of it when Brandyl spoke. "Huh? Oh... yes... a wash." The young hunter surveyed the room - it only had two small beds, and they looked rickety. He'd honestly rather sleep in his bedroll on the floor. "The humans... they don't seem to like us," he murmured. "And their ears! So tiny! And round."

In the other room, Sylven sighed. "I suppose I'd like a wash too." Even if it would be unpleasant.

 

[Zazz]

"They don't?" Brandyl hadn't really noticed. "Yes! I wonder if their hearing is bad."

"Oh, they hear plenty when they want to," said Haethryl. The tunic he was left in was fitted to his chest, his muscular arms pushing at the fabric. "Perhaps a wash might be good. I can't tell if the stink is me or the walls."

They found a few women bringing buckets of water towards the back of the tavern for them. Azaria thanked them as they set them down, even as a couple of them stared a little too long. There was a small corner that was partially protected from view; behind it, the Duindôrin got to washing their faces and hands.

 

[PhoenixMire]

Veyen tilted his head a little. "Oh. Maybe their hearing is bad," he said thoughtfully. He couldn't imagine how muted the world must sound to them with such tiny ears.

"The stink is definitely you," Tethran said with a snort and a small smile.

Meanwhile, Sylven collapsed on a bed in her room as the other elves went to wash. She'd rather take her turn when everyone else was done. For the moment - she wanted just a bit of time alone, to think. The past few days hung heavy on her mind; the orc attack, all the new sights she'd seen, things she'd learned... Azaria...

The clanmaid draped an arm over her eyes and sighed. She could not believe she was developing an interest in the Duindôr woman! She didn't know what to think of that. At the very least, Azaria had been kind and friendly, so she was thankful for that.

 

[Zazz]

The door creaked open some time later. Azaria shut it behind herself and quietly approached the Virdan woman, taking a seat on the bed next to her. Her hand came to rest over Sylven's stomach. "The others are downstairs getting food. Will you join us?"

 

[PhoenixMire]

Sylven watched as Azaria sat at the bed and rested a hand on her stomach. She sat up with a faint smile. "Thank you for letting me know. I'll come along." She stood from the bed, bringing her staff with her - the clanmaid dared not leave it behind around these humans, even if she could lock her room's door. Better to be safe than sorry. "Hopefully these humans don't put live maggots and mud in their stews?" she joked as she made her way downstairs for dinner.

 

[Zazz]

Haethryl was already two ales deep by the time the two women came down. He'd managed to learn the card game a few men were playing at one of the tables, and was swindling them out of their coin. Brandyl stood over his shoulder, a bowl of hot stew cupped in his hands.

"Food's great," he told them, slurping the broth. "I think Haethryl is winning."

"Ahh, Haethryl... Go easy on them," Azaria laughed, giving his shoulders a squeeze. The balding man's wife brought around two more bowls of stew. The Duindôr woman took hers and thanked the wife graciously. "Oh, wow. It  is good."

 

[PhoenixMire]

Veyen stuck close to Tethran, the former eyeing his surroundings warily, but the latter seeming transfixed on the card game Haethryl was playing. He didn’t understand it, but it seemed interesting.

Sylven came down the stairs then, offering a smile when the other Virdan met her eyes. She took her own serving of soup and sipped at the broth - surprisingly, yes, it was good. It had a strong complex savory flavor. To think this ramshackle inn could provide good food! “So what is Haethryl doing, exactly?” the clanmaid asked, peering curiously at the cards he held.

 

[Zazz]

Azaria took her bowl to a nearby table. "I don't know the game, exactly, but usually the players go around betting coin based on what set of cards they have, considering what cards their opponents might have." One of the human men threw in a gold ring, adding to the pile of coin. He was visibly sweating, even as he stared the elf down. "He who stays in the game with the strongest hand gets to keep the spoils."

"Damn you, elf!" The man that was short a wedding ring threw his cards on the table and stood while Haethryl laughed, pulling the pile of winnings towards himself.

"And Haethryl just won."

Haethryl gracefully returned the man's ring while the other losers groaned and left the table. "A round of ale," he called to the innkeeper, "on me." The patrons eyed the elves with a little less distaste as they guzzled their free drinks. Haethryl tucked away the remains of his winnings into a coin purse, and joined the rest of his party at Azaria's table. Azaria just shook her head, smiling into her stew as she ate it.

 

[PhoenixMire]

“Hmm.” Sylven nodded, though she barely understood. She knew it was a game and the humans were betting - and losing - but beyond that, the exact details still confused her a little.

Tethran slapped Haethryl on the back as the other elf gathered up his earnings. “No clue what you just did, but congratulations,” he said with a grin. “You wiped the floor with these humans!”

Veyen furrowed his brows. “What’s… coin?”

“Human currency,” Sylven told the young hunter.

“What? Why not trade in food and animals?”

Sylven could only shrug in reply to that.

 

[Zazz]

"Best not remind them," Haethryl laughed, accepting a round of drinks for their table. At Veyen's question, he explained, "Well, what's easier to carry, a stack of furs, or a few coins?"

Brandyl sipped an ale curiously, doing his best not to make a face; it certainly was no berry wine. But it was liquid, and he wasn't sure he'd get anything else that was drinkable, here. Haethryl would certainly finish it, if he didn't.

Azaria drank her ale with a little more grace than the other Duindôr warrior. The innkeeper's wife came around with a second helping of stew for those that wanted it. The elven warrior thanked her for their hospitality, despite the questionable quality of the building itself.

"Name's Minorna. Me 'usband is Haddar. Where do you lot hail from, then?" Asked the balding man's wife.

Brandyl was the one to answer. "Duindôr and Virdan, to the south."

"Southerners? What brings ye up all this way? We don't get much o' yer lot up 'ere."

 

[PhoenixMire]

Tethran took a large swig of ale and almost immediately regretted it. He choked on the unfamiliar flavor, going into a coughing fit, and Sylven clapped his back until he could breathe again. The elder hunter pushed the drink aside with his nose wrinkled in disgust.

Veyen furrowed his brow in confusion. “Coin sounds easier to carry, but what’s its value? You can’t wear it… or ride it, or eat it.”

Sylven tasted the ale more cautiously after Tethran’s experience. It didn’t taste bad, she thought. Not great either. Taking another sip and letting it sit on her tongue for a brief moment as she tried to figure out her opinion on it, she listened to the human woman speak.

“Surely you’ve noticed the plague upon the land,” Sylven spoke up. “Things don’t grow quite as well. Animals die without explanation. We are here to find the cause.”

 

[Zazz]

The innkeeper's wife gave the clanmaid an odd look. "Aye... It's been a spot more cold, but surely tha's no plague... Come now, let's not frighten people fer no good reason."

Brandyl shrugged, in agreement with Veyen. "I think they assign it a value. Like... Pretend. So everyone knows. Except, I'm not sure everyone actually knows."

Azaria glanced around the room, noticing the few faces turned their way. "I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. Just bad weather, is all." The humans visibly relaxed, some returning to their mugs. "Our elders are just very set in their ways, you know." She shrugged, and the woman seemed to be happy with her explanation.

"Well. It's your necks, I s'pose. Let me know if ye need more food," she told them.

 

[PhoenixMire]

Sylven blinked in confusion when the human brushed aside the mention of the plague. How strange. Had they really not noticed how bad it was getting? She glanced between Azaria and the human woman with a brow raised.

She supposed speaking of the plague was not a good idea then.

Veyen and Tethran both looked at the humans with uncertainty. How could they not see? It wasn’t as simple as a normal cold spell. Tethran shrugged though, and ate another helping of soup. Sylven ran her fingers down the wood of her staff in thought. “I suppose they’ll be no help to us then,” she whispered to Azaria. “I had hoped they might know something, being as near to the Dread Caverns as they are.”

 

[Zazz]

Azaria waited for the woman to be out of earshot before saying quietly, "Humans are best left to their blindness. Too much fear. Open their eyes and they'll place the source of their troubles upon the nearest outsider." Which, in this case, was them.

Haethryl's mug was put down a little harder than he intended. "Whoops. You gonna drink that?" He asked Tethran, eyeing the hunter's ale.

 

[PhoenixMire]

Sylven pressed her lips tightly together and eyed the humans around her more carefully after Azaria’s words. “Well. I suppose you’ve saved me from that, then.” What a disappointment they would not be getting any sort of aid from these people. She just hoped she’d be able to find the entrance to the Dread Caverns - honestly, the clanmaid didn’t know what to expect. What she knew of the caves was passed down through Virdan legend, and she only knew that they sat near this human city. How near, though? That part she didn’t know.

Tethran raised a brow at Haethryl. “And you are? This stuff tastes like piss,” he said with a grin. “But yeah sure. If you like it, you can have it.”

 

[Zazz]

Haethryl chuckled and reached for the unwanted drink. "It's not about the taste, my friend." He seemed much more relaxed than at the start of their journey.

Azaria sighed and leaned against the clanmaid beside her. Brandyl seemed to be thoroughly enjoying his hot meal. As the Duindôr woman slowly emptied her second mug of ale, the haze of sleep and alcohol started to settle in. "Don't worry, princess. The city is bound to have some inkling of what is happening." She closed her eyes, listening to her surroundings.

 

[PhoenixMire]

Tethran leaned back, his rickety wooden chair creaking as he did so. He simply raised a brow as Haethryl drank the ale.

Sylven flushed a little, looking to Azaria with a faint smile on her lips. "If you say so, I'll try not to worry too much," she said quietly. She took a small sip of ale but was still only a fourth of the way through the mug. She'd never been much of a drinker. Instead, she focused on her soup, filling up on it before deciding it was probably time to sleep. With a yawn, she asked, "Should we head to bed?"

 

[Zazz]

When there was no answer from Azaria, Brandyl looked up. "I think.. she fell asleep."

"Hmm?" Azaria stirred for just a moment, opening her eyes, but promptly closed them, snuggling closer, her head against Sylven's shoulder.

Haethryl chuckled. "Might have to carry her to bed."

Brandyl pushed his bowl away, and finished what he could of his ale. "I think bedtime sounds quite nice."