Fantasy The Great Games of Nye

[Lost Echo]

Esther’s outward only reaction to Spivey’s outburst was to reach up and rub her temple. She was well aware they might not have passed, but the option should have been given first. That would have kept them neutral. Now they probably have a tribe of enemies. And the merc just wanted to make more. At least Brynwyr had the energy to control him. Her headache might have been from the fatigue, but the mercenary wasn’t helping.

Still leaning against the tree, the scientist closed their eyes while the others figured shit out. They just needed to get to the crash site and find the others. Fuck if she knew what they were going to do then, but that would be for later Esther to figure out. Now Esther was fucking tired. When they were going to move, she would take the merc up on his offer. Fuck pride, she needed a nap. Hopefully, the crash wasn’t more than a mile into the jungle. She did not feel up to crashing through the underbrush.
Jet ZackStop Arcanist

 

[Jet]

​

He paced the floor as anger rose in his stomach, a wave of warmth at their incessant noise. Like gnats buzzing in his skull. They were relentless and he had a nagging suspicion, that even if he argued with them again and again and again, they would come back with a dozen counters.

"Would I tell Kwame? Sure." He leaned on a windowsill and looked outside. He preferred chaos and death to their inquisitive eyes. "He's honorable and well known to be sure, but who are you? A nobody, a nothing, a stray wandering through my door. I would be spitting on my informant if I revealed them to you."

"That won't change no matter how many scenarios you throw at me." He looked from the window and met their eyes once again, but now he was defensive and sharp, emboldened in his anger. "But I know you won't leave without a favorable answer, so I offer a compromise."

"I will inform them of your presence, and if they arrange a meeting with you, on their own terms, then so be it. That is their gamble to make — not mine to make for them, understand?" He wasn't going to say anything else about his informant, but evidence? That he could share without risking a life. He flipped through the folder and passed them several documents, pictures and accounts with various transactions, land holdings and more.

"Nothing is concrete, but these are land holdings in her assumed names." He tapped the testimony transcripts. "We learned her alias from another, less alive informant three months ago."

"These accounts made payments to half a dozen arms dealers, but once again, fake names and the only connection is a testimony." He pointed at three pictures taken in low lighting, a basement with dozens of workers and soldiers milling about. Irina was partially visible in each one. "Not good enough for the magistrate, but we all know this is her."

"The system demands perfection when hunting a noble, evidence must be absolute. You see her family—

He snickered at how heinous it was, the system battling against itself, bloated with corruption and bias. He was disgusted and his words dripped with venom. "Her arrest would embarrass many powerful men, and no matter how many people she kills, no matter how many families she destroys, that would be the real tragedy, no?"

"And for her story, she vanished from the palace without any witnesses or spells fired, one day she was there and the next she was gone. Her exile likely included some kind of combat experience, martial training maybe? We don't know much, but she returned a hardened killer, capable of great magic and skillful with a blade."

He closed the folder and tossed it across the table. "If that isn't enough then go. The door is open."

He wasn't going to bow down to her threats. She needed him more than she pretended, and unless they wanted to stroll around like three clueless morons, they would take what he gave them.

"But this should be enough to go on," he said to Evaline. "Thankyou for having the faith others lack. It's hard to come by these days, and I assure you, I wish for nothing but swift, absolute justice for a mass killer. It won't be easy but perhaps the chaos will help you? Rats leave their holes when a house catches fire, and now there's no-one to douse the flames."

Fred Colon Emphoa

 

[Jet]

The witch wheezed and sputtered and laughed like an old creaking door, a gravelly sound from the black, rotten bottom of her throat, bubbling with hatred and bile. Her tongue slid from her mouth and traced her lips as she smiled, black toothed with viscous ichor. "I will relish when she withers and rots away, and then caterpillar, I will capture you in my web."

She waved with her fingers closing on her palm, like the legs of a spider closing around its prey. Her smile widened and as the last man departed, her words echoed down the long, narrow hallway. "They will let you pass for now, but not when you return."

And with that she was silent.

Adrian stared into space wondering what the hell he'd witnessed. There was no explanation for that shit, nothing made sense and his world view was shattered. It was like the ground was falling beneath his feet. Things like dark magic weren't supposed to exist, same with demons and devils and witches made of smoke. But only a moron would deny them now.

"Fuck," he mumbled to himself.

"Hmm..."

"Fuck."

He looked over at his companions. He saw the same confusion but chose not to discuss it, there was nothing to say but a few sharp expletives. Instead he focused on what was to come. The clues given and what they really meant. "Labyrinthian, burned man, answers below our feet. Seems simple but I'm sure there's a catch."

"Only one way to find out," he said to Goliath. "Find the little man and see where he takes us."

Adrian looked towards the better part of town. He wondered what mayhem Bean was involved in now, if the centurion had ravaged the town for his amusement, killed a few nobles for sport, who could say for sure?

"I wonder what Bean—

He was interrupted by a burning, annoying message in the sky. There was only one man who would do such a thing, and now Adrian wanted his head. "I'm going to murder that child one day, you guys want in?"

Goliath Arcanist

 

[Huntertabbysandshark3]

Ava Marco
Interaction: Jet Lost Echo ZackStop​

Ava sighed it seemed like they were gonna be getting wrapped up in this mess further if they Liked it or not.... and frankly sme was kinda just hungry. Ava couldn’t help but think that she’d not had snacks in a while and all this political bullshit and intrigue was making her want to have a sandwich, Ava having zoned out as usual to overthink this clearly more important question. what is for lunch.

“right guess we are all going but, can we at least stop for something to eat before we go on a mystery mission that gonna make us the enemy of some state? I’d like to at least not be on the run on an empty stomach because I can’t see this going well... No plan survive contact with the enemy and all that haz you know?”

 

[Fred Colon]

Kilderkin wanted to laugh when the knight began insulting her. The insults weren't even particularly biting. But laughter wouldn't gain her anything here, so she boxed it away and stored it for later use, in case she needed to pretend to genuinely laugh in the future. Besides, he was giving her what she wanted. At least in part.

"Well. If you truly trust Kwame, you could just... pull him aside and whisper the identity of your confidant in his ear so this little untrustworthy stray nothing," Kilderkin hooked a thumb at herself, smiling. "doesn't hear anything about it. But I suppose your riskier, needlessly convoluted plan will suffice." Kilderkin said, taking the folder he had offered, leafing through it, doing her best to take in every detail, and attempting to remember every face that was discernable. On the positive side, it did seem that this knight was truly disgusted with the corruption of Nye. That didn't make him a friend, but she thought it made it more likely that he was honest about everything else he was saying. Either that, or he was very clever. She'd keep that in mind.

Kilderkin didn't look at the Knight, still scanning the folder, but said, "But you didn't answer my question before. What will you be doing while Kwame and us nothings go bounty hunting for you?"

She sighed as she finished looking through the folder. "Still flimsy stuff for you to order a Centurion to kill someone over. We don't know where the weapons she bought went in the end. She could just be some sort of arms dealer. But it is suspicious."

She glanced over at Evaline when the knight praised her for her 'faith'.

"Faith in strangers? In a place like this? Seems like a recipe for getting oneself killed." She spread her hands on either side of her, and shrugged. "Consider my suspicion of you a survival tactic. It really isn't personal. I've seen more than one charismatic man or woman use the veneer of 'justice' to settle personal vendettas. And at a time like this? When all evidence looks like it will burn with the island? It would be the perfect time to do exactly that, to keep one's hands clean. I'm not saying that's what you're doing but.. I've been burned before by 'justice' seekers. I won't simply take you at your word no matter how emphatically you proclaim your cause. And I don't take your suspicion of me personally either, though I do think I should be afforded a little slack, what with my being with a well known centurion and having been officially tasked with investigating things here."

She gave the knight a stiff smile, before turning to Kwame.

"That being said, I think we should look into this, perhaps with Irina as a primary suspect, Kwame. It's your call, however.

Emphoa Jet

 

[rozukitsune]

Narzas didn't like this. Not one bit of it. This man seemed to think himself some kind of gift to reality and had some kind of power over time. That it was even possible - she didn't bother questioning. All the really powerful individuals in the world like Johan and such had unlocked sides to their abilities that seemed to make no sense... why shouldn't there be more unique abilities? There was so much she knew she didn't understand of the world. How the people in power played the rest of them like the pieces on a chessboard. Why any of them were alive to even investigate this when the weird thing that stole people's familiars should have done the same to them all.

Her lips pressed into a thin line as she listened and tried to glean any information at all... but the man who offered them their new direction seemed content to simply imply he was something bigger - and fully expected them to comply. Once Anya and Ren had thrown in their agreement she knew it didn't matter. Johan wouldn't leave them to the impossible odds they were facing alone, especially given he was in charge of this little contingent of theirs, and she wouldn't either.

She laid a hand gently on his upper arm and shook her head lightly, "No point in fighting this further... this gets us closer to Hannah either way, and if nothing else that is a worthy cause. Perhaps later we can learn more about this condition and decide whether or not bringing her back to this place is wise after we rescue her for Anya." She casts Damian a withering look of her own.

"Don't think this is a victory for whatever cause you are working toward. If it seems like bringing this girl to you is a trap, be assured we will not. I grow weary of all of these wild-goose-chases and will be glad to sharpen my knives on your spine."

 

[Jet]

​

"Oh was it not satisfactory?" Bean stepped back and ushered Nihall forward, beckoning him with exaggerated waves. "Go on then, master o' master of sign creation, may your sign be the greatest sign of all signs. Kingly even! May it burn into the retinas of those who see!"

He stared at the singer with a pure happy smile, and it was honest because he honestly didn't care. He wanted action not whatever this was — logistics and organizing like a damn middle manager. "Make it funny will you? I bet them lads could use a laugh after trawlin that shithole."

"Anyways, I fancy meself a gambling man." He bobbed his head around in mock thought. "How bouts a death pot, bettin on who—"

He vaguely gestured his hands. "You know," he said while running his finger across his throat.

"I bet it's one of the gingies, could see captain hero throwing himself in front of an attack, or you," he said to Vixie, "Getting eaten by sometin big n' veeeeery toothy — but then again, guess you did handle yourself at the arena, so who knows really? Could be anyone!"

Lost Echo Anne Boolean

 

[Arcanist]

Faraji Aguta

Mentions: Goliath Jet Anne Boolean Lost Echo

​

Adrian’s expletives did not make the situation any easier to absorb. Faraji had surrounded himself in a pondering quietness as he tried to digest all he heard, all that this creature seemed to know about each of them. It wasn’t possible, and yet, the truth lay bare before them and taunted them.

Both men were eager to solve their problems by fighting their way out of it. Faraji, as already demonstrated, was content to run and be rid of the whole thing. But he would never really be rid of such a thing like not, not with those riddles and that dark magic leaning over his shoulder at every turn.

He hoped that hag wouldn’t steal their bodies once her current form withered away. Faraji wished he could have been flattered by the idea.

They were safe for now from the eyes that watched them, but the hag warned they would not be should they return.

Faraji flinched at Goliath’s words, taken from his thoughts. He thought on them for a few seconds before answering, “I don’t think anyone would know anything about this part of the world. There’s a reason why such things are kept in the shadows – and stay there,” he added. Most people were not meant to know about the dark secrets of blood and shadows.

Faraji nodded in agreement with Adrian, as much as he didn’t want to, “It’s all we have. Guess we have to play along with her little game if we’re to get anywhere we want to down here,” he said, casting a look over the melding clay blocks of the undercity. He missed the colour above ground.

Right on cue to Adrian’s thoughts of Bean, a message appeared in what seemed like the only splash of colour across the sky, summoning them to his position. As much as he appreciated the colour in this drab setting, he groaned at the content. As if Faraji was as much a sheep to follow such a preposterous order!

“I’m considering it,” Faraji mumbled, but shook his head. Violence would take hold of him the longer he stayed down here. “For now, we should rendezvous with him, and see what the others have gleaned from their time away from us.”

The group would depart from the darkness and back into the drab and dirty streets of the undercity, following the flaming signal to Bean and the others’ position. He didn’t think he would be glad to see them, but such circumstances made him grateful for sane company, minus the Centurion who led them down here. “I hope you all have had a more splendid time than we’ve just had,” the man sighed, “there’s a reason why people don’t come down here on a holiday.”

Faraji noticed the presence of another man, again, more colourful than what most of the Undercity’s denizens could ever offer. In fact, the eccentricity of his appearance mirrored that of Valencia’s esteemed artists or tried to. The man gave more starving artist than famous patron. “And you’ve added yet another to our numbers as I see. Care to introduce this man to us?”

 

[Lost Echo]

Well, Nyall had a point. If they saw it, then they’d likely realize it was for them, but how would they know where to go? She had to bite her lip at Bean’s exaggerated performance, which put anything Marigold had tried to do to shame. Probably because it lacked the fear the man reeked of. For all his insanity--which was huge, make no mistakes--Bean could manage genuine with a scary ease.

Still, Vixie refrained from pointing out that with his light powers, Nihal could probably do a better job. A spotlight shining up from them would likely be easier to trace. Her mind imagined a dancing jig above their heads, or a man standing upside down, pointing toward them.

The centurion had to kill these pleasant, innocent thoughts. Instead making her actually wonder who would die first. No, truthfully, to remind her she was likely to die first, just like he said. Excluding the jester, “If you kill them, you can’t win the pot.” She muttered, glancing toward the colorful man.

Somehow, even without a light show, the other trio came out of the drear streets they’d gone down. Vixie almost managed a smile with her wave, but the greenish tint to their skin made it turn into a grimace. The one with long hair looked starker than before, almost chiseled, strengthening her guess that he was a man. All of them looked shadowed and haunted, even Goliath. What did they see?

Faraji spoke first, asking about their addition, and Vixie interjected before the man could try and introduce himself and piss off Bean again. “This is…” For a moment she blanked, shifting through his bullshit to pull out his name, “Marigold.” If it wasn’t right, hopefully the man had the sense not to protest. He looked like a Marigold: bright and foul smelling. “He was captured by our targets and managed to escape.” Somehow. “He’s…gonna take us back there.”

Anne Boolean Goliath Jet Arcanist

 

[Jet]

​

Mischa hardly needed courage in her pencil pushing workshop, and only once had she seen violence of any kind — a pirate attack where she hid and hoped for the best. Her life was peaceful besides that one isolated incident, so what the hell did she know about war? Her stupidity hit like lightning to the brain, goosebumps rose and shivers traveled her spine. Her chest filled with anger at herself, how foolish to come here and play pretend. Like she was some kind of soldier.

Her eyes glossed over as the others spoke among themselves, only noticing when Rat addressed her. It was laughable how hard she was about to fail, but she wasn't going to become a burden. Instead she merged with her familiar and did the one thing she could rely on, to shut down the inconvenient side of her brain. The one that wouldn't shut up when it mattered most.

It was a lucky mutation from her dolphin familiar, an easy crutch for someone who wasn't brave by nature, because instead of facing her fears she wouldn't have fears at all. It was always weird though, a cold fog creeping across her mind, looking through unfamiliar eyes that weren't hers. It took a moment for Mischa to get her bearings again, blinking twice as she answered Rat. "Yeah— yeah I can try."

"Though I cannot guarantee my effectiveness." Mischa turned to Leon and slowly examined his wound, under normal circumstances she would suffer seeing him in pain, but now she was cold and clinical. "You're resilient and braver than most you know, but be aware of your limitations. We can't lose one already."

"Now for the fight, I'll draw his attention by flying across his path, hopefully he's not a good marksman." She paused for a moment, burying any fear that remained. "If he is, please bring my body back to Nye. I promised—

Mischa twitched when the arrow was pulled from his shoulder, she blinked a few times and there was a hint of sadness in the back of her mind. It was surprising how emotions could bubble up to the surface, even when she was holding them back.

"Oh," she whispered as blood soaked his shirt, breath catching as she numbly watched. "That looks... traumatic."

"Perhaps this would help?" Mischa grabbed her shirt and tore a strip from the bottom, and with a grunt she tied it around his shoulder, passing it under his arm.

"I hope this has your approval doctor?" She asked Yua. "Your dust idea could prove useful as well, his accuracy would be dramatically decreased."

"And I trust you have an attack planned?" Her gaze moved to Rat. "Something powerful I hope."

"Because my life is in your hands," she said with a little smile, turning away and approaching the front door. She waited there for a moment, expecting them to follow along. "But there's no point in wasting time, we all know what to do."

Mischa stepped outside and surrounded herself with gusting wind, a deafening roar like a wind tunnel. She rocketed away and soared down the street, kicking up dust in her wake. Her enemy turned and was about to fire in rapid succession, but maybe the others would stop him from hitting?

Goliath ManofManyRoles Emphoa

 

[Anne Boolean]

Nyaall stiffened a bit as the young Centurion pushed him forward. The only reason he had questioned Bean was for the sake of efficiency. He looked at the boy's face, which held a smile which the performer could only clock as genuine, at least this time. For some reason, that made things even more terrifying. The Centurion's demands were kingly, the greatest of all signs, and on top of it all, funny. Well, if nothing else, Nihal could put on a show. He decided to turn away as the conversation went to betting on deaths.

His brow furrowed slightly as Bean said Vixie would most likely be the first to be offed. He knew better than to scowl directly at the boy, but those words were uncalled for in his mind. This was already quite a bit to handle for her, he imagined, as it had been for him. Well, it seemed he would just have to make his beacon extra entertaining, for the sake of a fan.

He took a breath before summoning an orb of light in his hand. Instead of it rising to the sky, a ray shot up from it. Once it reached the shimmering cavern ceiling above them, it took the shape of a cartoon bipedal cat drinking from a a bottle before letting out a bubbly burp with a goofy smile. The transparent display would loop every second or so, similar to neon signs which could be seen at the more vibrant establishments on Nye.

It didn't take that long for the rest of the group to arrive. Whether or not they needed it, Nyaall hoped that it at least cheered some of them up. There were, of course, questions about the newcomer they had added to their group. Before Marigold could... regale them, thankfully Vixie took charge and gave an explanation.

"Yes... were you all able to find anything?" he asked. Hopefully something that was more concrete than the seemingly unreliable eyewitness they had picked up.

Jet (Adrian, Bean), Lost Echo (Vixie), Arcanist (Faraji), Goliath (Goliath)

 

[Jet]

​

He clicked his teeth hearing what Anya said, how naive to think Hannah wasn't already imprisoned, poked and prodded by well intentioned men heading to hell. He offered a sympathetic smile and slowly shook his head, meeting her eyes with sorrow in his own.

"Oh, my dear Anya." His words dripped slowly from his mouth like oil. "Her imprisonment has already begun."

"It's been months I'm afraid, there's no telling what they've done to her already." He cocked his head sideways, like he was acknowleding some unsaid argument. "But humans are quite a hardy race, tenacious to fight for every scrap of life, you can always heal as long as you draw breath."

"Though, who knows how much time remains?" He looked between them and smiled on the inside, now they were speaking the same language as him. The deal was done — a pact made, a pact never broken, favors returned and never taken back. The world was about to become so much more interesting.

"And Ren," he said with amusement. "I always liked an underdog story, so here, take this without any strings attached."

He handed over a rune with scripture from an era of greater magic, words etched in red that never faded. "Bind this to one of your shields, your enemies will fear to strike you."

"And for you my dear Ava." He snapped his fingers and a feast appeared before them, roasted ham and chicken and marbled juicy steaks, fruits from the most exotic corners of the world. Wine carafes were arranged by milk and honey and all manner of cake. The smell could intoxicate even the most disciplined man. "The task I've assigned you is above and beyond my normal fare, it's only right you experience luxury before risking life and limb."

"Though I sense one of you will turn away my offer." He warmly smiled at Narzas. "My cause is pure as yours. Like you I seek nothing but my freedom. We are all bound by cages some bigger than others, but all caged nonetheless. You may rest assured I have no interest in betraying you. I have never—

"Fine," Johan said. "You don't need to explain any further, what good would it do anyway?" He laughed under his breath. "You already said liars don't admit their lies, but know her threats aren't idle, and neither are mine."

He returned Narzas' suspicious gaze with the same distrust. His gut screamed that lies were being spun around them like spiderwebs, and they would become the prey any second. The only thing he could do was stay vigilant — closely watching for when the tables inevitably turned. Then he would flip the damn thing on its head.

He paused and as the tension passed over his head, he leaned to Narzas whispering, "We'll figure out his game together, and I think I know someone who can help."

ZackStop rozukitsune Lost Echo Huntertabbysandshark3

 

[Goliath]

Elriel could feel his consciousness slipping, the rain hitting his skin being the only thing keeping him awake. His long white hair was sticking to his face as he laid stomach down on the ice, but when he tried to reach up to push it away his arms felt unbelievably heavy. Only moving an inch before giving up and dropping it once more. He had definitely overdid it, surprised he was still able to maintain his fusion with his familiar.

How many times had his trainer, as well as his late father, instructed him to always conserve energy in case of an emergency? To not go so big with his powers. But what other choice had there been? And more importantly .. he believed in Adamaris. Even without being able to see them, he knew the other wouldn’t let him drift off into the open sea. He trusted them with his life, one hundred percent.

The noble couldn’t tell if the iceberg was being pulled toward the ship from the harsh waves of the storms. Nor could he hear anything from the roaring wind and booms of thunder. Wishing the weather would let up .. not that it seemed like it would do so anytime soon. Instead, a wave hit the iceberg so hard he thought it would surely tip and throw him over, making him slide closer to the edge. But then it settled once more.

After a few minutes, his breathing finally calmed from the huge amount of energy he’d expended, but he still didn’t feel like he could move, lifting his head just enough so he could now see the boat. Not that he could see anyone or anything on board. Elriel listened as the ice strained underneath the force of the rope, watching as he, and their entire journey's worth of supplies, were slowly pulled closer. Each tug making him wonder if the ice would actually be able to hold.

Had he secured the rope well enough? And .. had he taken enough time to form the ice before collapsing? Able to remember when he’d first gotten his powers how it would quickly lose form and turn back to water. But those thoughts weren’t helping anyone, gritting his teeth together as he heard the first piece from the edge crack and break off. Knowing there would soon be more. “Please .. hurry up Adamaris..” he whispered to himself.

Emphoa (Ada) EldridSmith (Ivan) Jet (Zak) ManofManyRoles (Mav)

 

[Lost Echo]

Anya stared at Ren. He might have seemed naive in places, he was old enough to have his familiar, that was old enough to support the youngsters in her mind. She nodded seriously, accepting his agreement. If he was willing to come, she’d welcome him.

Ava spoke next. Sputtering out a laugh, she shook her head. How could she even think to eat now? A midday meal was a rarity for Anya, so she was used to ignoring the pull of her stomach. Work came before food. She wasn’t even sure where they could eat around here. It wasn’t like the teen had money.

To be honest, Anya wasn’t exactly expecting Narzas and Johan to join them. They were smart enough to realize this was a suicidal mission. She was filled with hope as the woman promised to keep Hannah safe.

But then Mr. Holy Moly spoke again. “Wait a second. You can control time, right? You’re god blessed and all that bullshit? Why can’t you take us back to before she’s imprisoned? Obviously she’s already there now: it’s been months. But if you take us back in time to before…” She could stay safe. Anya knew the pain of adult’s experiments. Sure you could heal, but it never left you.

She watched as the man gave Ren a block with something etched on it, then looked at the feast he created. There was no way in hell she was eating that. It obviously was made with magic, so eating it might put his magic in her. She stepped back as the man continued talking. She knew she should pay attention, but even Johan interrupted his rambles.

ZackStop Huntertabbysandshark3 rozukitsune Jet

 

[Jet]

​

Huracan was piecing this together like a puzzle in his mind. They were snakes from a ship and crashed into a sight, but how did that make any sense? Was someone punched in the eye? Were they ships from a site that crashed into a snake? He must've lost something in the translation process — or maybe they ate blue mushrooms. There were several that twisted tongues as much as they twisted minds, and were a fantastic time when brewed into a tea.

"No, what? Snakes?" He stated at the woman like she had three heads. "You eat mushrooms, yes?"

He smiled and clapped her on the shoulder; these silly foreigners with their strange tales. The only snake big enough was the one wrapped around the temple; steed of the ancients who'd been there for millenia. That bastard never left its pyramid, not for three thousand bloody years. "Do you mean... snake hit ship? Cloud ship? I sure you eat mushrooms. You must sleep before visions last forever."

He grinned at Spiveys comment about screwing them over; and what a strange phrase that was. Why would machinery be involved in this discussion? Surely this was the mushrooms again. "You see now — very brightly, maybe too brightly my brother."

Huracan dusted his clothes and took position at the lead, as he was a natural leader of men. His peak fitness and intelligence were renowned by his people, who often called him, "Aspecta Tobla," or strange tool. It meant he could handle any problem he faced — or so he was told.

"No crash ship," he wisely said. "Men buzz around like bees, survivors taken to hole."

"I take to village, safe, leader speaks western much better." He marched onwards without minding his steps, crunching twigs and leaves beneath his shoes. It was like the concept of danger no longer applied to the man, though maybe his friends made it less intimidating. Between their cannons and armor they looked almost unstoppable, especially Bryn with her steel suit.

"Armor? Made how with what metal? We have—

He gestured while searching for the words, eventually choosing, "Soft metal, shiny metal, strong it is not. You can trade armor for much of our metals, worth lot in your lands."

Arcanist ZackStop Lost Echo

 

[Emphoa]

The relief that rippled through Adamaris was so apparent when Ivan moved over to help them- their eyes wide as they looked at the larger man, gratefulness poured off of them in waves. "Thank you- Fuck Thank you." They managed out in breaths as they struggled to help the much stronger individual to pull the rope in. Gasping out when Ivan managed to wrap it around the master and ushered them to get Elriel and the supplies- their eyes snapped back towards the iceberg and their heart skipped a beat at the sight of ice starting to break off-

They would have to move quickly.

Adamaris hurried forward, ignoring the sting of the burn on their hands frmo the rope as they made their way off the ship- rolling onto the ice before they prioritized their old friend, breaths leaving them quickly as they started to help him up. "Elriel- Elriel, are you still conscious?" They spoke quickly, taking up the brunt of his weight with a grimace as they started to pull him back to the ship. "Come on- hurry, I've got you." They insisted quietly, they knew... that if anything else they could never risk losing their dear companion- not again, not when they had just been able to get him back.

The effort it took to merge with Nueto in order to thankfully be able to climb up the ship and pull him back onto safety- their eyes shooting up as they looked at Ivan. "I'm going to get the supplies- please- than kyou-" They spoke up, before they hopped neatly back down onto the ice berg- hoping that Ivan would be able to keep a hold of it until they were able to gather some more of their supplies. They scrambled to gather what they could- grimacing as another piece broke off and they hurried back- tying some of the supplies onto themselves as they started to climb back up the ship.

EldridSmith Goliath

 

[Jet]

"Thanks ain't enough mate," Zak was almost incomprehensible over the roaring sea, her teeth bared as ice advanced in massive waves, white chunks punching through the deck like fists. He smacked one away as it flew towards his face, barely avoiding a lethal blow.

"Oh wonderful," Zak grunted under his breath. "Happy hilarious good time, can't wait to be chopped in half!"

"Still gonna be twice the man as you lads." He grinned and leaned over the side of the ship, laughing as another wave doused him. He was possibly insane but everything they did was insane already. He was just along for the ride.

His laughter carried on the wind until his eyes widened with surprise, spotting a wave towering over the others, a mountain of water on the sea. The horizon vanished and a shadow crept over the deck. The ship creaked as Darius turned it towards the apocalyptic wave, his voice barely audible in the storm.

"BRACE!" He screamed with all his breath. "BRAAAACE!"

The wave carried icebergs even bigger than a house, some were heading for Elriel and others the vessel, and there would be no surviving if they hit.

"Fuck the mast!" Zak screamed at the men. "Won't be nothin to fix if we're hit!"

He fired streams of mud at one of the icebergs, and turning them solid he pierced the outer skin. They burrowed inside spreading like veins within a body, and then he expanded them all at once, shattering the ice from within. There were a few more chunks on the way though, and any second they would turn the ship into driftwood; the men into a floating red paste.

"Hope you lads have something up your sleeve," he whispered for himself more than anyone, and for the first time in their utterly insane mission, there was a flutter of fear in his heart. He quite liked living and against this deluge of shit? There was a good chance that was over.

Meanwhile, below the waves a pair of eyes slowly watched them struggle. They were dull but deep within was a spark of wisdom and intelligence, ancient as it was alien, and there they waited. Hiding in shadows before making a move.

ManofManyRoles Emphoa EldridSmith Goliath

 

[ManofManyRoles]

Charlie Redding

Charlie admittedly had tuned Zulan out right about the time he started to be philosophical in his response. Probably not the most efficient method for team building, but it did keep her from getting a headache. Charlie descended the steps quietly, though she always lingered within arms reach of Renee as they moved. She'd made a promise, and she was finicky about breaking those. Not to say she wouldn't, it was just a matter that she preferred not to do that sort of thing. Breaking skulls, ribs, legs...sure, that was good and fine. Breaking a promise? She didn't like it. A sidewise glance at the zombified starlet and then back ahead, Charlie's chin held high and eyes ever darting around. There was the occasional chirp or snippet of song from the bird at her shoulder, but beyond that Pitt was also quite silent. It took just a bit of manuevering, but Charlie had managed to position herself where she could reach either Gailene or Renee in a moment. Zulan could fend for himself, but she wasn't certain about the other two.

The creak of rusted and aged hinges caused Charlie's muscle to tense once again as that spring inside of her coiled tight once again, and the tension left again like a slow release as the basement ahead of them opened up. Charlie glanced at each young face that appeared, eyes sparkling with...what was it? Hope? Naivety? Belief? She didn't know enough to make an educated guess, but they weren't dead inside...not like the sort of face she'd expect from a prison colony. "Interruption?" Charlie asked drly, quirking a brow, "That what ye call it? I've seen worse interruptions at breakfast. No need to 'pologize, lass." Charlie's hands settled into the pockets of her leather jacket as a dry chuckle escaped her. "Aye, yeah. Talkin' shop. Ye ain't gettin' me to talk proper 'n the like."

Irena was straight to the point, Charlie like that. She didn't beat around the bush or try to sell some nonsense to get her on board. She said what she meant to, and that was it...an admirable trait. Charlie chewed on the sales pitch before her, head tilting back for just a moment as she stared up towards the ceiling. "Killin' the head of a nation? Fancy that, eh? Think that'd look nice on the ol resume? I s'pose it'd make ye a hot commodity as a body guard...or an assassin. Hah! Can ye imagine the stories from doin' it though!? We'll march right in, lower the gates, and then God 'n Satan 'n whoever else will come on out to congratulate ye!" Charlie's tone was gruffly aloof, though when she lowered her gaze towards Irena her eyes had become hard...far harder than they had been when they first met. How the hell was that even possible?

"What's the sayin'? Nature abhors a vacuum or sum'n? How're ye so sure your attempts at a democracy ain't gonna cause an anarchist state? Do ye have a plan for coralling the Centurions that'll skin ye like a rabbit? Or any of the devoted nobles or commoners Vincent no doubts got in his pocket? How 'bout the innocents who'll die in droves if things go awry? Though s'pose that won't be their problem for long...I've heard a few whispers about yer good fellow Vincent from my ol' grapevine. Couldn't tell ye fact from fiction in some cases, and I know fact from fiction in others..." Charlie pulled from her pocket a lollypop, unwrapping it and discarding the wrapper to the ground without a second thought as she popped it in her mouth. "Sell me on it. All you've given me is lofty ideals and hopes, a lot of whatcha want to do but none of how you'll pull it off. Less ye want a second DMZ or Macragge, ye need a....what'd you say? A gentle touch?...I ain't sayin' no. And I ain't sayin' yes. But I am sayin' you've my attention. Congratulations, not a lotta folks get that from me."

​

EldridSmith rozukitsune Lost Echo Jet

 

[ManofManyRoles]

Felix Abdon

Felix was pleasantly surprised to see that Isaac wasn't just some silly old codger, but rather had his own sort of refinement to his approach to combat. He was...a bit of a character, perhaps, but he was certainly skilled. "It would be remiss of me to request you be mindful of your wellbeing, Mister Isaac. I believer the Miss would be rather distraught if something should befall you, or more innocents." He gave Isaac a nod of recognition as he walked with a brisk pace after the fleeing kidnapping party. The girl with them they strode abreast with proved a rather capable earth user, a wall formed to block the escape of the raiding party. "Well done, Miss Ilana. Though I suspect they'll make an organized defense now. We'll have a terribly difficult time taking them on in such circumstances. Allow me, if you will, to do what I can to disrupt them..." A hiss from the serpent at his side earned a knowing nod, the massive cobra rearing up for Felix to pat it atop the head as he picked up the pace. "Quite, Uther. Miss Ilana, Mister Isaac, I hope you are not fearful of serpents. I will go ahead, I trust you'll be behind me. If either of you get the chance, please get the miss free from her captors. I'll mantain a distraction." With his proposition given Isaac took off at a dead spring towards the captors, moving at a speed no man his age should be going...a rather intense fitness regimen ruled his life perhaps?

It was a bit of effort and at the edge of his skillset, but he was no fledgling mage. The light shimmered around him like heat on the desert sands before one...four...ten...twelve cobra's that suddenly had begun to slither at rapid pace ahead of Isaac, mouths open in silent hisses. They dashed and lashed about the horde of captors to engage them, putting the defense that would have been formed into a state of disaray as spears stabbed at swerving and darting serpent. Felix stood at the back like some demented charmer of reptiles as if challenging one of the warriors to face him. One of them did break rank and do just that, though he didn't make it far before the actual snake of the foray lashed out and bit into his calf and causing him to stumble. In two long stride Felix was on him, a backhand blow to the man's face and a strong blow into his kidney's as he stumbled. It was difficult to face the man who had summoned the snakes when one couldn't determine which was real and what was false, and when every so often a new cry of pain could be heard as the actual beast snapped at calf or foot of a warrior.

It was going well, save for a foray of four warriors who came from side streets to flank the three would-be heroes. Two went right for Felix and forced the older man to have to focus on his illusions as well as battle his opponents. Spear thrusts jabbed at empty air or were quickly side stepped, and on more than one occasion they raised the weapons to block blows that only they could see coming. Sweat beaded at Felix's brow, glancing towards the two warriors who had gone to rush Felix and Ilana to stall them.

​

Jet ZackStop

 

[Goliath]

Goliath grit his teeth, her last words to him echoing over in his mind. Just one last jab to get under his skin. And in comparison, it was the worst, clutching the strap of his backpack under his fingers until they turned white. That hag undeniably knew what she was saying, and it was more purposeful than it might seem on the surface. — The only thing he was positive he understood from her riddles.

But he really didn’t want to give away that something else had been said to him, or deal with either Adrian or Faraji asking any additional questions, which was why he began talking about how to get the mission started. Turning to Faraji. “I guess you’re right. The church from my homeland would have buried any mention of such dark magic. But I wasn’t sure if everywhere was the same.”

“Fuck. Even finding a little man could be like a needle in a haystack,” he groaned to Adrian. But when the other trailed off Goliath let himself turn in the direction he was looking, his eyes narrowing. “I’d be in. He is truly a thorn in my side,” he scoffed, now looking at the bipedal cat drinking and smiling which could only be a certain cat boy’s doing. “I agree with Faraji. Let’s get going.”

As they walked, Goliath was still nothing short of pissed off. It was a good thing for the people living in the slums that no one looked at him funny or tried anything while they walked down the filthy narrow streets. Because all he needed was the smallest excuse to fight someone and get out the negative emotions he was feeling. Too bad the universe had different plans, stepping into the nicer part of town.

He first noticed that Nyall had seemed to sober up, the little girl somehow hadn’t died yet, and Bean .. well he was as frustrating as he ever was. Goliath stood quietly with his arms crossed, letting Faraji handle all the pleasantries for their reunion. Almost gagging at the sight of the newcomer and his outfit, honestly not caring one bit about his name.

But when she said that the man had escaped, and would take them back, he was a little intrigued. Was he .. short enough, he wondered. Goliath flinched as Nyall asked them if they were able to find anything. Not wanting to discuss the horrors they had seen. But if one of the other’s wanted to elaborate then so be it.

“Nothing worth a shit,” he shrugged, even though it was obvious just from looking at them that wasn’t true.

Jet (Adrian/Bean) Arcanist (Faraji) Anne Boolean (Nyall) Lost Echo (Vixie)

 

[Jet]

​

They were accompanied by wondrous bugs bigger than birds, though perhaps wondrous wasn't the word they would use. Indeed they were gigantic and many bore long barbed stingers, venomous mandibles and colorful patterns — nature's way of saying please leave my lawn. They eyed the stomping apes who disturbed their tranquil scheming, and on more than one unfortunate occasion, they swarmed the mercenary and tried to murder him. Perhaps the stench of liquor drove them mad?

Huracan showed them how to keep mosquitoes from biting them to pieces, smearing mud on the skin was a surefire way. It was also good for the skin which he displayed with extreme arrogance, bragging about his complexion with a grin. There were a few monkeys following them from above, swinging on branches and screeching to their friends. They were annoyed by something but this time it wasn't the liquor, rather the clanging of Bryn's armor as she walked by.

The monkeys knew she would attract panthers with her obnoxious metal steps, but alas the language barrier was too wide. The humans were unaware and soon a panther lunged from the darkness, fangs and claws bared with murderous intent. But unfortunately he was outgunned and outmatched by the humans, beaten away or burned to crisps by a cannon.

Hours later the sun dropped below the horizon, long shadows crept across the forest floor. It was almost impossible to see but soon torches flickered in the distance, flashes of orange against the solid black night. Huracan rushed forwards and smiled as he reached the torches, and looking up he saw dozens of huts in the treetops. They would've been invisible without the candles flickering from their windows, like the lanterns on passing ships in the night. Between them hung rope bridges connecting hundreds of trees like a spiderweb, and in the center was a longhall perched on the "Grandfather Tree," as Huracan called it.

Their arrival breathed life into the village, children leaned from bridges staring at the ones in strange clothing, and from above dropped warriors with obsidian tipped spears. They were suspicious at first but Huracan convinced them to allow an audience, though not without their ruthless admonishment.

The warriors gestured towards a series of ropes beneath a tree, a rudimentary pulley system to carry them to the canopy. The ropes were covered with knots to provide firm handholds, and soon they were pulled high above the forest floor, some hundred feet into the massive, ancient trees.

The network was even larger when viewed from the canopy, hundreds of houses and outposts and sheds on hundreds of different trees. Yet from below they'd been almost invisible.

"Come!" Huracan waved them down a bridge. The longhall awaited them at the end. "You meet her!"

He rushed inside and proudly raised up his arms. "Paakat in, sigo kuxa'an!"

"In eastern!" An old woman threw a seed at his head. "Spit out the words boy!"

"I look—" Huracan laughed awkwardly. "I look, me alive?"

"No no you have it all wrong." She stood from a chair made from hundreds of fine branches and twigs, looped together and bound with vine rope. The branches were shaved giving them a bone-white appearance, and across them were fine pictographs and runes.

"Look at me," she corrected Huracan. "I am alive."

Her scowl softened as she hugged him and kissed his cheek, smacking him on the back for good measure. Her mouth parted releasing a sigh from the bottom of her stomach, before turning to face the adventurers. Her face was covered in wrinkles but had endless life to it, boundless energy behind her deep brown eyes. Her clothes were like a kaleidoscope of turquoise and yellow with greens and reds mixed in, feathers draped from her sleeves and she wore a crown of leaves. It was clear she was a shaman of some kind.

"I dreamt of you many days ago, but do not allow your heads to swell because of it. I have also dreamt of monkeys and mosquitoes."

The woman returned to her woven chair. "I am called Abarrane, mother of many."

"I heard our hunters were attacked and feared the worst for my grandson, but you have returned him unharmed — for this you have my gratitude outriders."

"It is a great shame—

"The forest is no longer safe even for us, our home has become a hunting ground for the King in Yellow."

Lost Echo Arcanist ZackStop

 

[ManofManyRoles]

𝓜𝓪𝓿𝓲𝓸𝓻 '𝓜𝓪𝓿𝓮𝓻𝓲𝓬𝓴' 𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴𝓮𝓻
The howl of the wind was a rather impressive beast to be subject to, coupled with the crack of lightning and boom of thunder it frequently left Mavior in a state of near-dazed. He found himself having trouble to focus, and his vision would swim like he'd plunged his head beneath the roaring waves around their vessel. A large piece of loose wood soared by his head, the young man having to snap his head out of the way to avoid a repeat of last time. Zak's laughter from down below was a constant companion to the mess all around them which was impressive. However, even more impressive was the howl of Darius to brace. Mavior's head snapped this way and search of the potential threat before catching sight of the issue. Ice flows, some the size of the ancient relics that lined the streets back home, and others the size of small homes. Any one of them would be enough to sink the ship and nothing in his bag of tricks would stop something like that. Well...save but one last trick, the ace he kept in his sleeve. He'd have preferred to keep it to himself a bit longer, but he was gonna have to put all his cards on the table now it seemed.

Zak's quick work managed to break one iceflow, but that didn't account for the others. Mavior's heart hammered with exertion of the physical labor and adrenaline of the hell they faced, and a crack of lightning caused him to sway in the air for a moment and have to shut his eyes behind his goggles. He braced his skull, massaging his temples with the palms of his hands as he let himself fall to the deck with a soft thud. He shook his head once...twice...three times before he found his bearings again. "Zak!" He raised his voice to get his companions attention over the howl of the wind, "I'm going to do what I can! I request you be mindful of your aim and not hit me!" He reached a hand into his satchel at his hip, fingertips touching something warm within. Second half of my soul, two will need to become one if we are to survive. There was a sensation of acknowledgement that ran up the back of his brain, and a swell of power that coursed through his veins. Mavior had taken almost meticulous care to ensure none knew what his familiar was, and had pointedly seemed to lack one the entire time he'd met his group...it hadn't even made an appearance during his bout in the games.

A thick layer of gray reptilian scales covered Mavior's epidermis, and if one could have seen his eyes they would have adopted the expected reptilian slit in place of the pupil as well. Mavior stumbled as a strong wave rocked the ship, but a firm foot behind him braced him in spite of the jolt. He lowered himself to a sprinters pose for just a moment towards the iceflow before taking off. Soft footfalls had suddenly become replaced with much more noticable, if soft, thud thud thuds as he sprinted forward. He reached the bow of the craft before spearing himself off from there, having picked up quite a noticeable bit of speed. He called to the air around him, and it responded to his conjuring. Like a missile he soared ahead of the ship towards one of the larger ice flows. To any who'd have watched, it might have seemed like a desperate act of a suicidal maniac. Maverick drew his hand back and threw it foreward in a strong right hook. For a moment time seemed to come to a halt as cold raced up his hand through his fingerless gloves. And then...spiderweb cracks appeared through the ice flow and it shattered backwards away from his punch, breaking into much more manageable small flows that would brush away or leave small scratches on the ship. He could feel the impact radiate all the way up to his elbow, but he couldn't stop. He landed on one of the larger chunks that had broken offbefore launching at another large chunk, another screech of ice being shattered as he delivered one...two...three blows to break it down. The cold wasn't something he could counter, and even if he could punch it all day long the cold was a distinct issue with this merger and he could feel lethargy want to race into his mind each time he let the ice race through his body. He'd only managed to break two of the iceflows before he'd had to leap back to the ship to rub his hands and arms in a desperate attempt to force warmth into his limbs before his second launch out.

Jet EldridSmith Emphoa Goliath ​

 

[Emphoa]

Evaline almost let out a puff at the thought, crossing her arms over her chest as she listened to the knight, her eyebrows furrowed as she listened to him. At the very least, at least it seemed like he would be more willing to share the fact with Kwame… It would be better than nothing, she supposed, her eyes settled onto the larger man for a moment as she pursed her lips together and she mulled over their options.

… So it seemed they would take up this investigation, amidst all this chaos. She never thought that when she was living on the farm that she would find herself in a situation like this. But she was snapped right out of it when they mentioned at the offer of setting up a possible meeting with the informant, her eyes twinkled with interest and she spared a glance towards the other two, briefly, before she looked back at the knight.

She was quiet, however, the more he spoke about the situation and the circumstances with her eyebrows furrowed even tighter, her mind running through all of the new information- she’d be lying if she said she was completely capable of parsing through it on her own. Yet, when he spoke about faith, she couldn’t help but chuckle lightly And she locked eyes briefly with Kilderkin with a gentle shake of her head as she looked right back at the knight.

“Very true, faith in a time like this can be very hard to come by… Especially with the situation at hand.” She stated with a little wave of her hand. “We will not disappoint, I assure you.” She murmured, and she looked back at Kilderkin, then Kwame as she was ready to step out- and truly she wanted to be able to more freely speak her mind With a moment alone between the three of them.

Jet Fred Colon

 

[ZackStop]

Ren listened in a sort of disbelief as they spoke of whatever horrors had already begun for the young girl, terribly zoned out from the thought. It was more reason however, to dive head first to their next destination, bolstering his resolve to aid his ally and save her friend. Thought the fears crept in from behind, the boy would not turn his back, but perhaps he was just getting too comfortable playing hero. He was unaccustomed to the dangers that spelled for a someone such as himself; hopelessly naive and too willing to jump into an 'adventure' no matter how treacherous.

While the others spoke, Ren put a hand over his chin as he began to think critically, or at least appear to be, as he ran scenarios in his head like a step up from shadow boxing. He stood there contemplating every outcome he could think of. Would he be fighting scientists with minimal training? Perhaps armed guards. And would he have to sneak through air vents, wearing all black and carrying cool gadgets? He put himself into his imagination like he was in a movie, fighting off bad guys with cool martial arts. But perhaps that was more up Narzas' ally. Instead he placed himself back in a dojo where his Granddad taught him the basics in boxing, where he learned everything so he could one day participate in the games, follow his dreams.

"And look where that got you." A voice said. It was sure to be the voice of doubt in Ren's head speaking to him. Speaking words of discouragement to refute his optimism and call the smiles he expressed a bunch of lies, but he didn't want to think about what he lost. His eagerness to go out here and fight the wrongdoings of others was his only escape after all.

"And Ren," the man spoke with his grinning voice, grabbing Ren's attention again. The boy looked up curiously as the he man passed by, placing a stone into his gritty, mechanic worked palm. A rune of red lines that stretched across the surface of it drew his eye close to it. There was something about the thing that screamed of it's anciency and gave him new questions to be answered. Truly this list would never end.

"Am I the underdog?" Ren thought to himself before holding the rune between his index and thumb, closely to one eye. "Well, I did DQ at the games... guess I'm not exactly on a winning streak." Ren let out a sigh then turned to Anya next to him. "Any idea how to... 'bind' things?" He said quietly, not wanting to sound stupid. Though, the look on the girl's face didn't look particularly cheery at the moment. He wasn't expecting an answer so went on to do it out on his own. "Err. Never mind, I'll figure it out."

Anya's friend was in danger and that was her only concern, Ren figured. Bothering her with a dumb question didn't seem very smart, and so he simply stepped away to try and bind a rune to his shield. That quickly just turned into him gently clacking it against the surface of his shield and hoping it will do something.

Jet rozukitsune Lost Echo Huntertabbysandshark3

 

[Jet]

​

He contemplated the woman on their trip across town, a malaise gripped him and she lingered on his mind, a sense of dread for his place in the world. That more existed beyond the known universe, a gnashing maw of demons and devils with bile oozing from their mouths, eyes burning for everything good in the world. He wondered if there was any light to balance out her darkness, a saint for every crone lurking in the shadows, angels for every demon in hell.

It was a pointless train of thought. He silenced them and focused on what he could see, what he could smell and hear and the breeze on his skin. The eyes watching them from the windows. That was how to stop pointless ruminations. He didn't know what she was and no matter how much he weighed the possibilities, there was no conclusion he could make. All he could do was move forward to whatever came next.

And this time it was a man in clown clothes.

"Another freak of nature," he grumbled as he approached the other group. "Clothes are bright, makes him good bait."

He stood behind the others as they spoke among themselves — he was never one for pleasantries. Instead he listened along until Marigold mentioned the maze.

"Where is the labyrinth," he said without inflection.

"Yes of course!" Marigold strutted back and forth gesturing in the air, bowing at the Centurion before him. "Permission to speak Lord Bean, champion of champions and king of kings! Our courageous commander without any constraints!"

"Good heavens," Bean said. "Take notes lads, that's how you kiss an ass."

Marigold smiled like a man on death row. "Is— is that a yes?"

"I'm a benevolent king!" Bean said. "Speak and I shall decide your fate!"

Marigold cleared his throat and regaled them with his tale. There was action and adventure and explosions galore! His romance with a guard who was truly his soul mate, their love spanning all space and time! There was a daring escape with spells flying past them, a dangerous beast lurking in the shadows! A treacherous trip through a maze with his love leading him through, and alas, her capture as she held off their enemies, letting him escape with his life. He wasn't done yet though, explaining his time with Giovanni until Adrian interrupted him.

"Fascinating story, any chance you're nearing the end?"

"Right away my good man!" Merigold grinned like a carriage salesman. "And you are?"

"My name is where is the Labyrinth?"

"Ah!" Marigold chimed. "Yes of course! Follow along my band of most memorable mates — for the netherworld awaits!"

Bean groaned and looked over at Vixie. "Don't think I mind the pot at this point, how about it! You can do the finishing blow, I'll hold em and you—

He made a gun with his fingers. "Through the temple with it!"

He laughed like his threats were casual banter, and for him maybe they were. Who could say what constituted humor in his twisted mind, wheezing a final laugh before pointing down the street. "Right-o then, the netherworld awaits!"

"Wait, who's going to watch him?" Adrian said about Marigold. "Keep him alive, feed him, make sure his shoes are on the right foot — straws may be the best way to decide."

Bean was too busy fucking around to answer the question, mischievously smiling as his shimp crawled on Goliath. He didn't care who'd watch the moron during their trip, that was for them to decide. He was far more interested in bullying the angry man.

Lost Echo Anne Boolean Goliath Arcanist