CH Part 3

[MiscChaos]

It takes every fiber of Alena's being to keep from grabbing her sword and simply executing the woman for her comment. The only reason she doesn't is because she's now planning on using Camilla as a meat shield or as a sacrificial offering in case something goes wrong in the attempt to save Kathryn. Camilla has no further value beyond that anymore. As if to signify that, Alena puts her hand on her blade and growls, "I would advise you not to say another word on the subject. I happen to be in a supremely bad mood and now and 300 years of killing strangers has left me with little remorse for doing so."

[Meep Meepersons]

Kon rose to her feat as the dragon left with Kath, she transformed back to her human form, and dropped to her hands and knees, and started crying, pounding the road with her fist. She hit the road hard and many times well after blood was spraying out from her hands. The wounds healed sure, but it was still bloody, and crunchy sounding. Kon crawled under the wagon and hugged her knees in solitude. Like others, she blamed herself. The fear of the dragon still had a grip on her heart, and she couldn't do anything about it, she just, passed out. Her skin was a bit charred from the young dragons breath, but the bigger dragon! "Hewp....!" She choked, placing her hands atop her head, covering her ears as she cuddled up to her knees, shivering.

[MiscChaos]

Seeing the young tiger-girl in such a distraught state, Alena's anger evaporates for the moment and she decides her time is better spend helping the saddened girl than plotting how to kill other members of the party. Her tail already occupied by the immobile Sasha, Alena attempts to scoop Kon into her arms and cuddle her, casting Cure Serious Wounds over her battered charge in order to help the worse of the burns. "There, there, little one. Do not worry, we will get Kathryn Fallstar back. You will not be separated from her for long." She coos, trying to sound as gentle as possible.

[Meep Meepersons]

Misc: As you cuddle the frantic Kon, she bites you on the arm. Once she realizes who you are though, she lets go and plants her face in your chest, hugging up against you, crying some more. Must have been a wounded animal's instinct. You cast the spell without issue, healing Kon completily with +28hp. 14 damage to Alena from the bite.

[MiscChaos]

Alena flinches a bit when the bite connects, but she's willing to let that go. They were just attacked by a couple of dragons after all, it's understandable to be a bit jumpy. Once she recognizes her though, she switches to simply holding the girl tight, letting the were-tiger cry into her bosom for as long as she needs to. It'd be counterproductive to just sit there though, so she moves along with everyone else so that they can come just a bit closer to rescuing Kathryn. "There, there. Just let it all out." She whispers to the girl, running her hand through Kon's hair soothingly.

[Lynxy]

"If you cared about Kath, you would make sure you were useful to her when you caught up!" Camilla snapped suddenly, spinning around and glaring at the presumptuous lamia. "Do you really think you're going to defeat a dragon after a two or three day sprint up a goddamn mountain?! You'd amaze me if you could hold your weapon, let alone do anything but force Kath to watch you get skewered, roasted, and eaten like a side of eel!" She's now yelling as unrestrained energy pours from her eyes. "Now, do you want to play the hero or the martyr!? Only one of those options has a chance of helping your friend, so think about what your answer was two minutes ago!"

[MiscChaos]

Alena glares at Camilla, Kon in her arms the only reason she hasn't grabbed her sword and taken a swing at the woman. "I have given you warning, little girl. I will not give another; ssssshut your damn mouth before I ssssshut it for you. Permanently." Her anger's once again risen to the point where she's cursing and hissing. The faster she gets away from this bitch, the better. It's becoming harder and harder to keep her resolve not to kill her.

[Meep Meepersons]

Azmer practically growled under her breath. "Shut up! All of you! Bickering between ourselves will accomplish nothing! Must I turn you all into toads!?" She snapped. It wasn't very intimidating due to her tiny voice and stature, not to mention her wincing after yelling from her wounds. "I was caught off guard before, your Kathryn will be saved, but only if you focus on the task at hand! Stop bickering like idiot bandits and start walking. Accusing eachother of fault will only slow us down, and potentially endanger your beloved warrior further." With that, she turned back towards the road, and flicked the reigns. "idiots..." She muttered to herself with a sigh.

[MiscChaos]

Once Kathryn has been rescued, Alena can easily see herself splitting off from most of the rest of this group with absolutely no problem. Especially the pint-sized, overbearing, infuriating, stuck up little witch who thinks she's in charge. Once again, she refrains from telling the fun-sized elf off because it would accomplish nothing. She simply thinks of ways to use her to complete her objective. Whether she's alive or not at the end makes little difference to her. She's starting to regret breaking Azmerelda out of her prison. For what little good she's done, her attitude has done far more damage.

[Taria]

Praedy rubs her goo into Allena wound, standing a respectable distance from the snake woman as she calmly follows her around and just rubs herself on the wound. "Healing." She grunts nonchalantly in the midst of her actions.

[Lynxy]

The energy boiling off of Camilla suddenly dissipates and she stares blankly between Alena and Kon for several moments, not even turning her head as she waves Azmer along. "... I'm going to set my pride aside now, and I'm going to work with her" she points in Azmers general direction over her shoulder "because that's what's best for Kath and I think she's earned that much from us. I haven't stopped talking, so now's your chance to either do what's best for her, or follow your whims." She takes a few steps backwards, then turns to follow the tiny elf. Camilla really, really hoped she had made her point. If not, Alena would probably get all of them, Kath included, killed in the next few seconds.

[MiscChaos]

Alena's still furious as hell with Camilla for her words earlier and is unlikely to let go of her anger that easily... but she sees the woman's point. Having what's best for Kathryn in mind is precisely why she didn't try to kill Camilla or Azmerelda in fits of rage just now so if the other woman is on the same page, then there's no reason to argue. "Doing what's best for Kathryn Fallstar IS following my whims. Even if that means swallowing murderous rage so that I may have help saving her." She says, trying to show that the message had been received. "I only ask that I not be given too much to swallow. I am... unused to interacting non-violently with other people. I am afraid I have grown rusty at it."

At the end of her pseduo-apology, she finally clues in to the fact that her bite is covered in goo. Her first instinct is to attack, knowing just what the substance could do to her arm, but then she hears Praedy speak. "I thank you, Praedy. I did not know healing wounds was within your skill set." She says, trying to force her anger out with appreciation for the goo-girl's deed. She's really going to miss having the insubstantial woman be this intelligent. She's going to have to see about making this permanent at some point.

[Taria]

"Why do you think I would clings to my allies so readily?" The goo girl responds readily. If you weren't mistaken, you could almost swear she's snapping at you, something the ooze had never done before. "As to you question from earlier... I'm not sure. Thing were certainly simpler, but it didn't help anyone to understand me." Praedy ponders to herself in quiet contemplation as she calmly applies her constant regenerative touch.

[TCELESBHSUP]

Party: Spirits were still fairly low as you all travelled together- Kon's saddening sniffles and sobbing didn't help much at all in the first few hours, and her silence was just as bad. Everyone was healed along the way by Praedy's healing goo, at least bringing the party to be at their peak once they arrived.

The town that you've arrived at is, in fact, a city rather than merely a town. It seemed to be something of a trade hub, and even in these dusky hours the marketplace brimmed with merchants, street performers and various tradesmen and women- be they honest or, well, 'honest'. It seems as though one could find just about anything they could want to find here, whether said thing was goods, services or companionship of both mercenary and 'intimate' variety.

One performer in particular seems to stand out to the group- a half-elf, playing a lute like a master.

Kuragari: You, at present, are performing in the streets and making quite a profit! Already, you've made six gold and seven silver pieces total, having been in the streets for several hours now. More than any one performer in the city could boast at present. It certainly helped that you had picked such a wonderful spot!

[Kuragari]

Caryn Janeva had been having a fantastic day! He'd found the perfect spot from which to sing and dance, or even regail the crowds with stories of his own adventures or other fine legends. Already he'd made more than most of the other performers around him...something that no doubt irritated them, but he simply flashed them a smile and blew them a kiss before going back to his art.

Something suddenly drew his attention though. A rather diverse group of people who were no doubt adventurers themselves. What caught his attention though, was that they all looked down and dispirited. Well, this shall simply not do at all!!

He ducked and weaved his way through the crowd, before arriving before them, a smile on his face. "Come now weary travelers, do not dispair. I''l help you turn those frowns upside down, or you get all the coin I have earned today!"

He pulled a string on his lute, and began to sing a rather jolly song about an Enchanter named Tim and his strange and unusual journies across the land.

[Motoko]

Sasha had managed to regain control of her body at this point, now sticking to Alena's side, thankful for her support. hoping that the two of them sticking together in their need to rescue Kath could of helped towards a firmer friendship. As Sasha see's the halfelf approach playing his song.....Well it just wasn't right. It wasn't his place to cheer up her group! it was hers damn it....Well to be fair that role was new to her....

Bah it didn't matter! This Halfelf was interfering with her honorable rougishness. She would pull out her lute glaring at the other bard, her hands gripping her lute as she slides her fingers down along its neck, expertly playing chords to counteract his Staring him down! This meant war! She was still worried and depressed about Kath. But this was definitely an insult to her newfound craft! Harumph!

[Kuragari]

Caryn cocked an eye when one of the travelers pulled out her own lute, but she smiled as she stepped next to her and said "Well, I don't normally do duets, but for a pretty face like you I suppose I can swing it. Now stop that glare and let's spread some cheer!"

[TCELESBHSUP]

Caryn & Sasha: Unsurprisingly, the two of you square up, looking as though you were prepared for some kind of duel. This brought the attention of many people, whom ceased their business simply to pay attention to the two musicians that were doing 'battle'- a favourite of the marketplace today, and a newcomer that had just entered town, who seemed as good as Caryn herself. The both of you bring up your lutes... And then, as either one attempts to play, the strings on their lutes snap.

Well, fuck, that was awkward. Many amidst the crowd began to laugh at this, and cheerfully pitched in a few copper to help pay for new strings.

(Double crit fail.)

[Kuragari]

Caryn looked at the lute in sheer amazement, glancing over to the other Bard, before looking up at the skies, where upon he proceeded to mock yell at the heavens "Oh Benu, I shall remember that you did not allow me the opportunity to perform with this fair lady! I'm not praying to you tonight!" He then looked back down at the girl and said "Ah, the gods it seem do not wish for us to play together. I shall take the responsibility for it, allow me to pay for the repairs to your instrument."

[Motoko]

Sasha, grimaces as her strings pop, still staring down the other bard, she would shoulder her lute eliciting to out sing the other. No one cheers up my group but me Sir! err..." She looks him up and down curiously "It IS sir right?" Regardless of his answer she would sing, aiming to out do him in this manner! "There once was a man who flew across the land on a dragons wing, The town would yet flee his gigantic beast and I speak not of his dragon!" (-This song now bears motoko's copyright! I just wrote it off the top of my head so there!)