rp: main topic Craethiel Kingdom

[Akira]

[Continuation from the Side Story: A Quest for Kraerhil]

Location: Edge of the forest.

"Well, your father really does sound like someone interesting, to say the least. I would really like to meet him some day, if possible" Izanagi replied to his friend as he too finished his meal. Once again, he noticed Daedrin rambling, this time it was about his father and everything he had done. It was actually quite interesting to hear, as it gave the demon a bit more of information on this curious figure. Daedrin then stopped the rambling and said he would take the first watch this time around. Izanagi didn't complain. Instead, he simply nodded in response. After they were both satisfied with their meals, the demon made his way to his sleeping sack and tucked himself in. After wiggling around a bit to get himself confortable, he soon feel asleep and drifted to the dream world.

He woke up without much problem when his friend shook him a bit. "Yeah yeah, got it..." he replied in a somewhat sleepy tone before coveing his mouth and letting out a yawn. He then streched his arms upwards and got out of his sleeping sack while Daedrin tucked himself in for some sleeping. Izanagi sat around the fire, his Soul Eye was active, as usual, to help him identify any possible enemies in the area. Even if they were at much less dangerous area of the forest, it was still dangerous and he wasn't the type to take chances with this sort of thing. Time passed and, thanfully, things were kept queit. No monsters or any sort of enemy appeared, which was nice. Boring, but nice. Soon enough, the sun could be seen slowly rising on the horizon, pushing the moon and the stars away. It would soon be time to hit the road again. Izanagi got up from his seat and gently shook Daderin awake "Yo Daedrin, it's morning already, time to wake up" he said in a calm tone.

[Neptune]

Colab Post: This post was a collaboration between myself and @Akira who did the Tahurin and Hanshaerin. We did this over at Google Docs before transferring it to here on EcchiDreams. 

Location: Edge of the Forest

Daedrin jerked awake the moment Izanagi touched him. He stiffened a little, before relaxing as his friend spoke. He blinked a couple of times before glancing around, feeling a little disorientated. He didn’t remember falling asleep, nor was he aware of dreaming. From his perspective, he had blinked and Izanagi was shaking him. He let out a sigh through his lips before he got out of his bedroll and stretched to relax muscles tensed from being in the same position for so long. Finally he allowed his arms to flop to his sides and he strode over to their camp, coaxing the fire back to full strength before making a breakfast from the last of their oats. Once they were finished eating the porridge, they cleaned up the camp and packed their supplies onto their horses, before they erased any evidence of their passing.

Once they were mounted and settled comfortably, Daedrin looked up towards the sun that had now risen fully over the horizon, “We should arrive at Hermitage just as night is falling.” He said. Izanagi chuckled a bit before replying “Well, some civilization will be a very welcome change of pace, considering we’ve been travelling around this damn forest for days now.” he joked. Despite not really being the social type, even he was glad to know they soon arrive at a city and, hopefully, not have to deal with any monster trying to eat their guts out.

His joke caused Daedrin to chuckle himself, “Indeed. The monsters of the deep make for poor conversation partners.”

“Heh, you can say again.” the demon replied as both began to make their way out of the used campsite, heading towards the river, arriving at the lazily moving water by midday. By now, they could see the village across the river, settled on the edge of some marshland that looked hazy with a clinging fog, giving it a rather foreboding feeling. They were forced to go downstream a little until they found the ford. It was easy to cross, as the river was a little lower than what they were expecting. Thus they were able to ride the horses to the other bank with ease, although due to the weight of the ore they struggled a little to get up onto the bank. But once they were fully on dry land they began to move out at a reasonable pace. Between them and the village, it was mainly grassland, interspersed with patches of trees and shrubbery.

They had not been moving for long when Daedrin pulled Daegrin to an abrupt stop, his eyes narrowing as he spotted something in the distance he had hoped not to see. He doubted Izanagi could see them yet, but he could see a group of dark coloured figures, wearing black armour. It was a group of Mako’demeri, whose size indicated that they were some kind of scouting party. If they were this close to Selil, then it was obvious that they were sizing the capital up, quite likely planning for some kind of strike when the time came. Izanagi also stopped Lucky’s moves when he noticed his friend no longer moving forward. Daedrin wasn’t the type of guy to stop like that without a good reason. “Hm? Something wrong Daedrin?” he asked as he activated his Soul Eye to improve his vision, making it easier for him to spot anything unusual ahead. While he didn’t exactly notice the group wearing the back armour, Izanagi did sense something strange ahead. Some sort of weird souls were ahead, and they could only mean trouble. 

Daedrin glanced at his friend before looking at the figures ahead, “Trouble. There’s a scouting party of The Black Ones. We don’t want to be caught out in the open by them.” He said, ignoring Daegrin who stirred restlessly and pawed at the ground. “The Black Ones, huh? Can’t say I ever heard of them... “ Izanagi replied in a serious tone as he analysed the souls ahead. They really were emanating some sort of weird energy. These guys clearly were not normal, as if Daedrin’s comment wasn’t enough to make that clear “Well, if a front attack isn’t a good idea, we could try to ambush them. What do you think?” the demon suggested.

“I think we should circle around, and avoid any kind of conflict. If we piss them off, then you’ll be pissing off an entire army.” Daedrin said, before looking at Izanagi, “They’re Mako’demeri. They look like wolf anthros, or werewolves, but they aren’t. They share their home with the vikings and share their thirst for conflict and they are ferocious in battle. Not people you want to really, willingly take on.” He glanced back towards the approaching Mako’s before he scanned around before spotting one of the occasional tree and shrub areas, “Let’s try and head there, and hide in the foliage until they’ve passed. Discretion is the best policy for the moment.” He nudged at Daegrin’s flanks, urging the large beast forwards before turning him towards his target at a brisk trot.

“Tch. Fine…” Izanagi replied in a slightly grumpy tone before nudging Lucky’s reins, causing the horse to turn around as well and follow Daegrin towards their hiding spot. The only consolation Izanagi had at that moment was that, as much fun as fighting an entire army could be, he probably wouldn’t be able to go all out anyway, since there would be a ton of people watching and any survivors could go around spreading rumors about him being a demon. If that happened, it would make it much much harder for him to move around without being attacked by… well… everyone.

Responding to his friends grumpy tone, Daedrin said, “One of the rules of fighting, Izanagi, is to outsmart your enemy. Sometimes that needs a little cloak and dagger, and sometimes involves tricking your enemies. As strong as you are, I doubt that you could face an entire army and live. At least, not an army of that size. They only have a fraction of their troops here, and the ones they have here number in the millions. That’s several times more than the entire population of this Kingdom.” 

“Pfft. Alright then mister ‘voice of reason’, let’s hide for now. But for the record, I would at the very least take down a ton of them with me.” Said Izanagi as both made their way back away from the river and towards the countless trees and bushes. The super dense forest and incredible amount of plants would serve as perfect camouflage, but the fact that the horses were so big and carrying so much cargo would make things a bit harder for them. After glancing around the area for a bit, Izanagi spotted what seemed like a good spot. There were many trees agglomerated together in an area that was at a considerable distance from the main road “Over here! This seems like a good spot” Izanagi said as he pointed to the area.

Daedrin looked at where Izanagi pointed at, and nodded his head in agreement, “It looks like a good spot.” He said, nudging Daegrin in that direction. He glanced back towards the scouting party, who didn’t seem to have noticed them. When they arrived at the little spot, they moved behind the trees. Daedrin dismounted, telling Daegrin firmly, “Stay here.” The aelda shorted and rolled its eyes at him but remained where he was. Daedrin patted him roughly on the shoulder before he crept forwards, keeping himself hidden by the shrubbery until he found a spot where he could look out and watch the scouting party. 

Izanagi followed his friend’s lead and placed Lucky near Daegrin before dismounting the horse and gently patting her on the neck “You wait here too” he said in a gentle tone before finding another good spot to hide, which was a very big and dense bush. That would allow them to see their enemies passing by and would also make it much easier for them to react if they were spotted. Soon enough, they could hear the sound of the metallic armour clashing against the ground every time they took a step. The group proved to be a bit bigger than Izanagi was expecting, but thankfully none of them seemed to notice the adventurers hiding.

The dark armoured, dark furred Mako’s did not ride horses, and moved by a steady march. They spoke a language that was completely alien to Izanagi, and their accent was thick and harsh, causing their sharp, long canines to flash in the sunlight. Daedrin watched with flat eyes as they walked past, completely oblivious as to what lay hidden. They remained hidden, watching as the Mako’s passed and disappeared into the distance. It was only when Daedrin could no longer see them that he moved, moving back towards Daegrin and stroking the stallion's nose to comfort him.

Izanagi kept his Soul Eye active the entire time so he could watch the Mako’s passing by, even after they had left his normal field of view, he still paid close attention to their souls going away. After it was all said and done, he too got back to Lucky caressed her nose a bit to calm her down, despite the fact she didn’t seem to be that scared this time. Maybe she was finally getting used to the weird shit her owner insisted on getting himself involved. “Well… that was… interesting…” Izanagi commented as he mounted Lucky again.

“Things are quite chaotic at the moment and will only get worse.” Daedrin told him, as he already knew some of the events that were to come. At the moment, it was the calm before the storm before hell tried to break loose. Daedrin mounted Daegrin and the two friends emerged from their hiding place. He glanced at the sun, and knew that being forced to hide like that had severely slowed their progress. They returned to the road and turned back north to head towards Hermitage. While they were close, it still took several hours to get close. The sun had begun to set, however Daedrin said, “We’ll keep going. We’re pretty close to the village now so there’s no point in stopping.” 

“Got it. It’ll be nice to get some sleep without having to keep watch” commented Izanagi as both continued their way to their destination. After some more time, they finally arrived at Hermitage. At that point, the sun was already long gone and nowhere to be seen. Only the moon and the stars were bringing light from the sky. Izanagi once again activated his Soul Eye to improve his vision in the darkness of the night as they proceeded.

The first thing Daedrin noticed was that everything seemed unnaturally still. He slowed Daegrin to a walking pace, feeling a sense of trepidation, his instincts screaming at him that something was wrong. He was about to open his mouth to say something to Izanagi however before a sound could leave his lips, there was a sudden scream. The scream was not human, and it was angry. Filled with pain, hate and a hunger for things better left unsaid. Immediately, Daedrin drove Daegrin forwards into the village, his large hooves clattering against the cobblestone path.

Upon hearing the loud scream, Izanagi did the same as his friend and shook Lucky’s reins a bit, causing her to speed up a bit and rush beside Daegrin to the village. It was more than obvious that something was wrong. Very wrong. If he had to take a wild guess, Izanagi would say that the village was being attacked by some sort of creature or monster. Innocent people would get badly hurt or even die if nothing was done. Both adventurers passed through the village’s gate in a flash.

The two ran through the village, noting that there was no one that walked the streets at this time. They rounded the corner, and immediately pulled upon their reigns to come to a stop. In the middle of the street was an emaciated form with rotten dark blue skin. Its muzzle was long and almost canine-like with canine-like fangs. It lay completely still, and Daedrin could see some wounds on the thing, despite the fact that it was not bleeding. He then noticed a figure slumped against the house, and it took him a moment to realise that he knew the young man. Lucius, the young son of a Lord. Even though the creature was dead, the young man was alive but wounded.

Daedrin swung down from his saddle and stepped up to the blond haired human, “Lucius?” He asked. Lucius looked up, his single blue eye focusing on Daedrin before he blinked, “Daedrin? … what in the name of the Kingdom are you doing here?” He asked.

“I was passing through. What happened here?” Daedrin asked.

“When I arrived earlier today, the villagers seemed pretty… edgy. I tried to ask them what was going on, but they were a bit tight lipped. The tavern owner told me that there was something killing people in the night so I decided to try and see what it was. I found that…” Lucius indicated the dead creature, “... eating that young woman.” He then indicated a body that Daedrin had missed. The corpse of a half eaten human woman, her eyes open and staring sightlessly up into the night sky.

Izanagi also got down from Lucky’s back as Lucius explained what he knew about the situation. The demon let out a sigh before commenting “Of course there is something wrong going on here… we can’t get a break, can we?” he rubbed the back of his head a bit as he took another look around. There didn’t seem to be any other creatures around at first glance. While it would be very simple and easy for Izanagi to use his Soul Eye to find the souls of any other monster around, he was now at the presence of someone other than Daedrin, which means he would have to keep his special abilities at bay.

“Of course not. Don’t ever think that we would ever get a break.” Daedrin told him. Lucius grunted a little, shifting slightly before hissing slightly as his shoulder flared with pain, “Who’s your friend?” He asked.

“Izanagi.” Daedrin introduced him, before looking at Izanagi, “This is Lucius Sheridan. Son of Lord Edward Sheridan of Lathulla, near the coast.” 

“Uhm… nice to meet you, I guess…” said Izanagi in a somewhat awkward way. After being “formally” introduced to Lucius, Izanagi began to scan their surroundings for more of those monsters. Even without using his Soul Eye, he simply knew that there were more around “Yo, Lucius, do you know if there are more of those creatures around? It might be a good idea to get you somewhere safe. The same goes for the horses” 

Lucius looked over at Izanagi for a moment before his head drooped a little. He was silent for a moment before he said, “No, I don’t know if there are more hiding around, but it would not surprise me if there were. It looks, and smells, as if it came from the swamp. What is driving them into the village, I know not… you could try and house your horses in the tavern stables.” 

“Is it enclosed?” Daedrin asked, to which Lucius nodded. 

“Good. We’ll take you and the horses to the tavern.” Daedrin said, nodding at Izanagi in a silent request to keep alert. It was clear that Lucius was hurt and would need help walking. He pulled the human from the wall, throwing his good arm over his own shoulders before he began to gently move Lucius towards the tavern with Daegrin following behind like a loyal puppy.

Understanding his friend’s request, Izanagi nodded back and followed both Daderin and Lucius to the tavern.Lucky was also following them closely. His eyes were focused on his surroundings. The darkness of the night was helping the creatures to stay out of sight. Still, Izanagi was still able to spot slight and very fast moves around them. At that point it was pretty safe to assume that the creature had already surrounded them and were simply waiting to strike.

Before they were able to get halfway to the tavern, there was a low hissing sound from the right. Daedrin looked to the side, to see a flash of dark blue skin, “Izanagi!” He called, knowing that the creature had already homed in on them. Reacting fast, Izanagi managed to refrain himself from manifesting The Evil One in front of Lucius. Instead, the demon managed to grab the monster by the head. He placed one hand on the creature’s jaw and the other on the upper half of his open mouth. Letting out an enraged roar, Izanagi pulled the monster’s jaw down, ripping it apart with some of his victim’s frontal flesh as well. The monster screeched in pain before being tossed to a wall. Clashing against it with enough strength to leave a crack on it and dying soon after. A small sigh escaped Izanagi’s lips after he was sure the creature was dead.

“Nice work.” Daedrin complimented.

“Impressive.” Lucius said, his only visible eye glinting with admiration. Daedrin snorted a little before he continued on, keeping extra alert for any more that decided to try their luck. Thankfully, they seemed to get lucky, as they reached the tavern without further incident. When they neared it, the front door of the tavern opened and a rather pale looking woman peered around it. She looked worried, and she pulled the door open further, “Quickly. In here.” She said in a hushed voice.

“Take the horses into the stables, please.” Daedrin asked Izanagi, knowing that the man could take care of himself if he needed to. He pulled Lucius into the tavern, bringing him over to an empty chair. The woman wasn’t the only occupant of the tavern. There were several other villagers, with some women standing off to the corner. The moment Daedrin had the human in the chair, he began to peel off the armour. As he had been the one to craft the armour that the young Lord’s son was wearing, he was able to get it off fairly easily, revealing the bite wound in the shoulder and the flaws on his left side. He stepped back as the women came over with a bucket of water and some clean cloths.

“Got it.” Izanagi simply replied with slight nod at his Daedrin’s request. The demon then got hold of both horses’ reins and guided them to the stable, which thankfully wasn’t too far away from their current location. Even as he was taking the animals to their safe spot, Izanagi could pretty much feel the creatures staring at him from the shadows of the night. The demon had no problem setting the horses in. He made extra sure that they were both comfortable and well protected there. After backing off a bit, he heard a very loud human-like scream coming from behind him. Upon turning around, he noticed two more creatures behind him and approaching fast. Those screams were probably loud enough to be heard throughout the entire town. However, this time Izanagi didn’t have to worry about someone seeing him. He quickly manifested The Evil One and got himself into position. After the monsters jumped in his direction, Izanagi unleashed an extremely fast and powerful attack that was more than enough to cut both creatures in half before they could even touch their target. “Heh… idiots” he muttered before dissipating The Evil One, going back to the tavern and reuniting himself with the others.

By the time the demon returned, one of the women was gently dabbing a bloody cloth to the seeping bite wounds on Lucius’ shoulder. Daedrin turned towards Izanagi, “Are you alright? We heard more of them.” Some of the other villagers were looking at Izanagi, as if unsure they knew what they were seeing, clearly a little spooked as they had expected him to die.

“Hm? Oh me? Yeah, I am perfectly fine. Those fuckers didn’t even touch me” Izanagi replied to his friend in a casual tone as he turned back to Lucius, curious about how he was. It was clear that he was receiving some medical attention, which was good. “How about you Lucius? How are you holding up? Anybody else here wounded?” he then took a look around and noticed that there were way more people in there than he expected. Most important of all, they were all… staring at him. For one moment there, Izanagi was afraid that someone might have seen him manifesting his sword and assumed his unhuman nature “Uhh… why is everyone looking at me?” 

“Because they’ve been living in fear of those creatures and you can walk away from several.” Daedrin told him, adding, “Unscathed.” He looked at his friend, his blood red eyes amused. Lucius let out a pained chuckle but otherwise he didn’t say anything, as he hissed slightly as the woman tending him pressed a little too hard. Daedrin then said, “Lucius might be fine… considering the filth of the creatures, and where they come from, an infection is quite likely. But no one else is hurt.”

Izanagi then let out a small sigh in relief, not only because his secret was safe, but also because everyone there was also safe. “I see… good.” he replied before taking a seat at a nearby chair. “So, what’s our next step?” he asked in a now casual tone. Hoping to shift the focus of the conversation before anyone could think too hard on how he was able to defend himself against the creatures.

“Find if there are any more out there. And hopefully find out why they’re coming into the village.” Daedrin replied, crossing his arms as he looked thoughtful. Or rather, pretended to look thoughtful. As he stood there, he carefully reached out with his mind. It was easy to distinguish human minds from non-human minds, and he was able to detect at least twelve of the creatures prowling around. With a silent telepathic link, keeping the touch as light as he could, he spoke to Izanagi, ‘There are still twelve of them hanging around.’

Izanagi was a bit taken back by the not so familiar sensation of Daedrin invading his mind. Still, he got the message and quietly nodded at his friend, making clear that he got the message. That said, Izanagi decided to go for the more casual approach to the situation.”Welp, this tavern is nice and all, but…” he spoke in a casual and careless tone, as if he was just chilling “I need some fresh air. I mean, seriously, you guys should open a window or something. It’s way too stuffy in here” the demon then opened the door and turned back to the people inside the tavern one last time before saying “I’ll be right back” he then got out and closed the door which left the villagers in stunned silence.

It was broken when Lucius chuckled and said, “I like your friend.”

Daedrin smiled a little and said, “He is certainly… unique. Now stay here, and don’t open a window. We will be back later.” He then turned around and left the tavern, closing the door behind him as he caught up with Izanagi, “Well. Lucius likes you.” He said. “Does he now?” he cleared his throat before speaking again “I mean, who doesn’t? My charm is too much for normal people to handle” he said before letting out a slight laugh “Now then, where are those creatures?”

“They’re prowling around the village but… the greatest concentration is that way. Towards the swamp.” Daedrin said, pointing towards the direction of the swamp. They were certainly able to smell the stagnant water, and the slight stench of rotting vegetation, which was a little similar to the ground they had spelt around Ashaba. He then added, “I think we should perhaps head there… I’ve got a feeling that it might be where the source of this trouble is. And believe me. My gut instinct is very accurate.” Izanagi simply nodded a bit before replying in a calm tone “Very well then. Let’s get to work.” 

The two of them headed in a north-easterly direction, moving through the unnaturally still streets. Their path was twisting as they had to step around the houses that had seemed to be dropped like children’s toys throughout the village, making it impossible to head there in a straight line. As they walked, they both kept every sense alert, looking out for any kind of disturbance. 

There was the subtle creek of a claw against wood, causing Daedrin to pause as he drew his sword, “There are some close by.” He warned in a low tone. The moment the words escaped him, there was a scrabbling sound from behind. Daedrin turned around, only to be faced by one of the decrepit creatures. It hissed at Daedrin, clearly annoyed that it had been noticed before it let out a shriek that caused Daedrin’s ears to feel as if someone had stabbed through them. Izanagi didn’t go through the same effect, since his ears weren’t as sensitive.  Daedrin flinched a little, gritting his teeth as five more of the monsters slivered out from the shadows to circle around them.

The first one snarled before rushing forwards towards Daedrin, its clawed feet tossing mud and small stones in its wake. It leapt up, clearly intending on grabbing Daedrin to pin him to the ground. But, being faster than normal humans, Daedrin stepped to the side and raised his sword to cleave it in half in one powerful stroke. He didn’t really have to do it that way, but the painful shriek had irritated him and he didn’t like being irritated like that. The pieces of the body flopped lifelessly to the floor at their feet. He looked up at the other creatures who seemed a little taken back and now more way, “Well. Come on then. I mean, it’s pointless. You’ll only end up like the rest of your friends, but you can certainly try.” He said, his irritation showing through his tone.

Not long after the first of the monsters charged at Daderin, another one quickly dashed towards Izanagi, probably trying to capitalize on the element of surprise. Unfortunately for the creature, the demon was way too fast to fall for a trick like that. With fast and precise moves, Izanagi was easily able to grab the creature’s head and then smash it with immense strength against the ground, creating a small hole at the area of impact and shattering his victim’s skull. While one strike would certainly be enough to kill the beast, Izanagi repeated the action just to be safe. As result, the monster's head exploded after the second strike. “Argh… gross...” Izanagi said after he noticed his hand was now covered in the creature’s blood and brain remnants.

It was then that the demon heard two other swamp creatures rushing him. He didn’t want to risk someone seeing him manifesting The Evil One since they were near so many houses with people inside and someone could take a peek. Instead he grabbed the dead monster’s dead corpse by the feet and began to spin it around his body like some sort of nunchakus. “Haaaayyaaa! Bring it on bitches!” he announced, clearly enjoying himself. Both monsters tried to attack him from the same angle and Izanagi took full advantage of that. Using the creature’s corpse as a weapon, he hit both his enemies and caused them to hit the ground hard. The pain kept them from moving in time to avoid the demon jumping over them. One was stomped over the head and killed almost immediately. The other wasn’t so lucky. Still using the creature’s corpse as a cub, the demon began to spank the creature on the ground with it “Say hi to your little friend here!” he shouted in a nearly maniacal way as he kept on beating the creature down. Not long after, the other monster was dead and the “nunchakus” was a complete bust. Izanagi tossed it to the side before scanning for any more creatures. 

The remaining two creatures had watched the slaughter in something akin to horror. Daedrin felt mildly impressed and had to chuckle, “Interesting improvisation.” He commented. He then turned back to the remaining two who fixed their gaze on him, erroneously thinking that he was the weaker of the two targets. They darted towards him, rushing at him together. Faster than the eyes could see, Daedrin’s hand dipped into his sleeve and he threw a knife at the one on the right, the sharp blade sinking into its skull. It stumbled, its forward motion causing it to skid and roll across the ground. As the second one dashed closer, he used his sword to save himself from its snapping jaws. He grabbed onto the back of its neck, using his superior physical strength to pull it back before flipping it over and towards Izanagi. Thinking fast, the demon got a hold of the creature’s arms and effortlessly ripped them off. The monster screeched in pain before being repeatedly slapped in the face with his own sharp claws. “Ahahaha Why are you hitting yourself, huh? Why are you hitting yourself?” He then finished by kicking the creature in the gut with enough strength to send it flying back and hit a wall. 

Daedrin shook his head a little when Izanagi slapped the creature with its own claws, acting much like a child making someone hit themselves. He sighed deeply, but didn’t say anything about it other than to remark, “Well. You certainly have… a style.” In response, the demon simply chuckled at bit “What can I say? It’s a natural part of me at this point”

Now that the creatures had been disposed of, the two began to move forwards again. Daedrin kept an ‘ear’ out for the remaining six, but they had not moved from their spot near the swamp which struck him as extremely suspicious. They neared the edge of the village, finding a break in the defensive wall. Carefully, they stepped through and entered further into the dark of night. Relying on the sense of their minds to guide him, Daedrin led Izanagi towards the swamp where they came across a rather tatty looking wooden house. There were patches in the roof, the walls had certainly seen better days. The rotten shutters were firmly shut, hiding the insides from view. But Daedrin could clearly sense a human-like mind inside, one that was full of rage and hatred. 

The six creatures were prowling around the outside, but made no effort to try and break in. If anything, their posture seemed to be more defensive as if they were guarding it. One of the creatures saw them and hissed warningly, darting forwards to snap at them but stopping a few metres away. Daedrin’s eyes narrowed slightly, “Something is definitely off here.” He told Izanagi.

“Indeed…” Izanagi replied as he activated his Soul Eye for a split second there. It was then that he noticed two things: the monsters had no soul and there was someone inside the old house. “There is… someone in there… but why are the creatures surrounding this house and not even trying to get in?”

Before Daedrin could even think of a response, the creature hissed again, before running forwards and jumping towards Izanagi, its claws outreached as it seemed to aim for his eyes. The demon ducked at the last second to dodge the attack before retaliating by grabbing the monster by the throat and breaking his neck with no effort. He then simply dropped the monster dead on the ground. “Next?”

The next creature darted in from the side, trying to snap at Daedrin’s heels. But he remained consciously aware of where they all were. He danced to the side, kicking the creature in the face, causing a loud snap to echo around them as he snapped its jaw. It now hung loose, clinging on by only a few tendrils of rotting flesh. “Eww…” Izanagi commented as the creature gazed at Daedrin, its eyes burning with anger before it reared up to claw at him. He shifted the grip on his sword before stepping forwards and cutting its head off. The head rolled off back towards the swamp as its body crumbled down to the floor. 

Two other creatures then rushed at Izanagi. One jumped, clearly intending on attacking from above, while the other aimed for his legs. The demon moved at the last second and managed to grab the top of the head of the monster who was in the air. With a swift move, Izanagi forced the monster to clash over the other monster. The impact was enough to break one of the creature’s head while the other was badly wounded, but not dead. “Yo, Daedrin! Think fast!” The demon announced as he kicked the downed creature at Daedrin’s direction so he could finish it off. As the creature rolled towards his feet, Daedrin turned, gripping his sword with both hands as he slammed the point into the creature's skull. 

Daedrin then turned back to face the remaining two creatures. One of them hung back as the other darted in, trying to confuse Daedrin by moving in a zigzagging fashion. But Daedrin was reacting quickly enough to follow its movements. When it drew closer, it jumped up however it appeared to suddenly slump to the ground as if hit in the head from above as Daedrin telekinetically bitch-slapped it. He stepped forwards and like with the one Izanagi kicked over, he drove the point of his sword into its skull. The other one took the chance to attack, and jumped up. But Daedrin quickly pulled his sword from the prone corpse and swung it with ease, slicing the creature horizontally through the middle.

With the last of the creatures dealt with, Daedrin said through gritted teeth, “Let’s find out just what the fuck is going on.” He strode forwards towards the cabin, sweeping ahead. Telekinetically, he caused the door to burst open, banging loudly against the wall and causing a startled shout to emerge from within. He strode through, finding himself in a single room hut. There was an old bed sitting against the corner with a thin and tatty blanket. There was a worn bedside table beside it but otherwise the room was bare. There was a human hunched in the centre of the room, clutching at something that looked like a small pitch black stone in his hands as he looked over his shoulder at Daedrin with wide eyes.

“What did you do!?” The man hissed. Daedrin stopped dead, his blood red eyes narrowing, “What did I do? What are you doing? Something is causing those creatures to attack the village, and it seems to connect back to here… and you. Tell me, what are you doing?” He spoke firmly, in a commanding tone that Izanagi had never heard before, causing the demon to feel somewhat sorry for the man. Daedrin sure can be scary when he wants to.

The man flinched a little from the force of Daedrin’s tone. He swallowed a few times, his eyes darting between the two before he hissed, “It’s their own fault. They brought it upon themselves. If they didn’t treat me like an outcast, then I wouldn’t have made the monsters go after them!” He seemed to draw himself up, with a sick look of self-righteousness.

Daedrin’s fingers flexed on his sword handle as he resisted the urge to just run it through the man, “So let me get this straight. You got your precious little feelings hurt… so you decided to go ahead and kill them? What about the ones that did nothing to you? Surely not everyone took part.”

“No. But I don’t care! They can all die!” The man hissed. At that point, any sliver of pity that Izanagi had for that man had vanished. “You… disgusting creature! The monsters we had to kill make me less sick than you!” the demon lashed at the man.  A wave of uncontrollable anger moved through Daedrin and he moved forwards without even thinking. He grabbed the man by the throat and pinned him against the wall, causing the man to choke. But as he did so, he caused the man to drop the stone that he had been holding, which tumbled and rolled until it came to a rest at Izanagi’s feet. 

Upon noticing the stone touching his feet, Izanagi took his eyes off the criminal for a bit, picked up the stone and began to analyse it. “Wait… is this…?” the demon took off one of his gloves so he could touch the stone directly. Upon doing so, it began to emit a faint red glow before manifesting a small demonic rune on its surface. That could only mean one thing: that was a Hell Pod. If Izanagi wasn’t mad at that man before, he sure as hell was now. “You absolute idiot!” he retaliated in a scary and anger tone which caused the man to nearly panic completely “Do you have any idea of what this is?” the enraged demon took a step forward and showed the stone’s reaction to both Daedrin and idiot in question “You are pretty fucking lucky that we found this. If we had taken any longer, I can guarantee you, those creatures would have been the least of your problems” 

“I… don’t… care!” The man choked out, not looking the slightest bit apologetic. Daedrin’s eyes flashed black before he said in a deathly whisper, “You’re pissing me off, friend. I advise you to discontinue before I send you where you belong.” Also losing his patience with their new acquaintance, Izanagi was on the edge of killing that man “I suggest you listen to him. Honestly, I am really tempted to rip your fucking guts out, right here and now” he replied in a even angrier tone.

The man spat towards Izanagi as he kicked out at Daedrin, catching him on the knee. With a hiss of anger, Daedrin pulled the man from the wall and threw him into the wall on the other side of the room. There was the snap of broken bones before he collapsed onto the wooden floor, “Attack us again, and I will let my friend gut you and wear them like a necklace.” He said, his voice a low, vicious growl. The warning seemed to go over the man's head, as he stumbled to his feet and yanked a long, curved knife from under his shirt as he charged towards them with his eyes burning with murderous intent.

 With quick moves, Izanagi got a hold of the man’s hand and twisted it, causing more than enough pain to force the man to let go of the knife and drop it to the ground “He warned youuuu” the demon said with a ominous joy present in his voice. That “poor” man was about to find out in the worst way possible just how scary and ruthless Izanagi can be. The man was kicked at the ribs, causing them to break and forcing the man to the ground again. The demon got a hold of the knife on the ground and placed one of his feet over the man’s chest to keep him from running away. He knelt down and placed the tip of the knife at the man’s right shoulder “Now, then… tell me which one hurts more…” The man began to scream in agonizing pain as Izanagi slowly inserted the knife into his flesh “A…” he made sure to twist the knife a bit before pulling it out and positioning it on the other shoulder “...or B?” Izanagi’s sinister voice was being muffled by his victim’s screams as once again the knife invaded his soft flesh. The twists were ensuring maximum pain infliction. “Do you think this hurt? Well, let me tell you a little secret... “ he got closer to the man’s ear and whispered to him in a nearly sadic tone “This is nothing compared to what you caused these people. I’ll make sure you understand before you die” With the stone still in his other hand, Izanagi began to smash the man’s face with it. Each strike breaking a bit more of his head and causing more blood to pour out. The screams eventually died down as the man responsible for the attack at the village was sent to hell. “Have a nice trip to hell” Izanagi commented as he got up.

Daedrin grimaced a little as he watched. A part of him, the sadistic part revelled in the screams that erupted from the man, and ached to cause more pain and suffering. He slid his sword away, rubbing a hand over his face as he suddenly felt very tired, “That was a little overkill, Izanagi… but better you than me. If I started doing that, I wouldn’t stop with just that. If someone attacks me like that, I just make their death swift. My personal code wouldn’t allow me to enjoy myself like that, because then I’m just going to head down a dark path that I might not be able to get back from.” He said, and while he didn’t outwardly say it, it was a hint of a fear of his darker nature that had the capacity to overwhelm him and cause much suffering. That was not a road he wanted to go down, for multiple reasons. 

“Heh… I am afraid I might have gone down that path already and simply trying to make the most of it. Being who I am… this sort of thing has already become part of my nature, even though I rarely get to go all out like that” he replied before wiping some of the blood off the stone. “Well… I better deal with this thing already…” Izanagi then channeled some of his energy through the stone, causing it glow a bit more before melting and being absorbed by the demon’s body. A small rune then appeared over the back of his hand for a moment before disappearing “Huh… this rune means Burning Anger… I guess that explains why it made the creatures go crazy like that…”

Daedrin watched him for several moments before saying, “I don’t think you’re as far gone as you think you are. We’re both in the same boat in that we have a dark side that is constantly encouraging us to go further down that path but it’s something that should be resisted. Besides, how can you be better than the other sins if you’re just like them? You would be no different and I like to think you have the capacity to be something better than that.” He then shook his head and decided to move on and let Izanagi think on those words, “I guess the man used the rune to control the creatures anger and direct it towards the villagers. We should head back to the tavern… I’m curious as to what the villagers will tell us about the guy, and what exactly caused him to turn on them.” 

He strode over to the entrance of the cabin, where the door was still wide open before he left. Izanagi stood there for a few brief moments, briefly thinking about Daedrin’s words before following him out of there. The demon would have to think a bit more about that later. “...right…” he simply replied as both made their way back to the tavern. Despite the corpses around the area, the village already seemed slightly less tense and ominous now that the monsters and the one behind them had been dealt with.

When they returned to the tavern, they found the villagers still awake and waiting for them. Lucius was nowhere in sight, though, causing Daedrin to ask, “Where is Lucius?”

“We put him to bed to rest. We cleaned and dressed his wounds as best as we could.” The tavern owner said before a man asked, “What happened?”

“We found a man in a cabin by the swamp. He appeared to have found a way to control these creatures and turned them against the village. We killed him, and stopped what he was doing so you shouldn’t be having anymore problems. Although there is a hole in your defensive wall in the north-east quarter. I advise you get that fixed. But the man seemed to be under the impression that you were mocking him? And ostracising him from the village?” Daedrin asked, one of his eyebrows arching. 

The faces of the men turned thunderous as the woman looked almost fierce. One of the men muttered, “I knew we should have slit that whoresons throat!”

Daedrin’s other eyebrow rose as well, before he asked, “What is the nature of your altercation with him?”

“Well. I have no idea what words you just used, but if ye’s askin’ what he did… well. He was a nonce, sir. A filthy, disgusting nonce. Touching our little girls. Well, we caught him in the act, hurting his daughter.” The male villager pointed to another who nodded with a vicious expression. The first villager continued, “So we’s beat him up. He kept crying that he had every right, that it was his God-given right!” The man spat on the floor close by, “Disgusting whoreson. I’m glad he’s dead. He can rot and suffer in hell!”

“Okay… fair enough. That explains that…” Daedrin said, his expression returning to something more neutral. He had no doubt that the man was really going to suffer where he had headed to. “Huh… I wasn’t feeling bad about that guy’s death before and it would seem I was right to do so” commented Izanagi with his arms crossed. “Hopefully, you won’t have to deal with anyone like him again”

“Thank ye, kind sirs. We would like to give ye something for your troubles… but we don’t have much, but we gathered as much coin as we could…” The first villager said, pulling out a handful of copper coins with a few silver ones. Daedrin shook his head and said, “I will not take your money. I have plenty, and you need it more than I do.” 

“You sure, sir?” The villager asked, to which Daedrin nodded. The man then turned to Izanagi, offering him the meagre pile of coins. “There is no need. Besides, like Daedrin said, you will need all the resources you got. Especially with that hole on the wall” the demon politely declined the offer of coins.

“Thank you, kind sirs. You are certainly kinder than most.” The villager said with a rather clumsy bow. The tavern owner however huffed a little, “Well! I’ll tell ye this now. I won’t ever charge you a penny while under my roof! You did us a great thing tonight, and I will not let you be unthanked.”

“Thank you. We would appreciate staying the night.” Daedrin said, pressing his hand against his chest and bowing his head a little. Izanagi also bowed a bit in thanks for the generous offer. Being able to sleep in a bed after all this time would feel like heaven. 

“Then you may, on the house!” The tavern owner said with a big smile as the villagers, now more relaxed, began to talk amongst themselves. The tavern owner then said, “Sit, sit. I will have something prepared for you, so you can eat. You need it after tonight!” She smiled at them before she disappeared behind the bar counter and through the door. The atmosphere had completely changed from earlier, becoming more joyful as there were occasional bursts of laughter from the villagers as the previously silent and tense room buzzed with conversation.

“Heh… well, this surely is a nice change don’t you think?” Izanagi commented with a slight chuckle before remembering his hands were still a filthy mess after all that action “Well, I’ll be right back. I have to wash my hands” he then left towards the restroom. After getting in and closing the door, a familiar voice echoed in his head *Care to explain to me why you refused the coins? We are broke, remember?* Izanagi simply eye-rolled and began to wash his hands *Like I said, they need it more than we do. Plus, Daedrin will pay us after we get back. By the way, where were you all this time?* *Duhhh I was here the whole time, but you clearly didn’t need my help. I mean… you messed that guy up pretty badly huh?* Odium teased *He deserved it and you know it!* *Careful there. You can’t change the demons if you become one of them* With that, Odium went silent again, giving Izanagi even more to think about. Now that his hands were clean, the demon got back just in time to see the waitress bringing their meals “Oooh, nice! Daedrin is paying, by the way” he said to the waitress before starting to eat. The waitress blinked a little before Daedrin said, “He’s joking.” 

“Oh… oh!” The waitress said before giggling and brushing her hair behind her ear nervously, “I see now.” She gave Izanagi a sweet smile, “If there’s anything else you need, just let me know.” She said, her smile widening before she disappeared behind the counter again. Daedrin watched her for a few moments before he snorted and looked at Izanagi for a moment, his eyes alight with amusement before he turned to his own meal. 

[Neptune]

(As the previous post is a collab, I’m going to be the one to post next)

Location: Hermitage.

When Daedrin had finished his meal, he pushed it back away from him. He felt slightly better for having something warm in him, and having his stomach feeling full. He relaxed for a few moments before he straightened and informed, “I’m going to go and see Lucius. You’re welcome to join me if you want.” He said, before standing up from his chair and making his way over to the bartender as she was pouring out a few tankards of ale for the villagers. The villagers gave Daedrin a toothy smile and a respectful nod as he approached, and he inclined his head slightly in response. He waited politely for the bartender to be free before asking, “Which room is Lucius in?”

“Up the stairs, and three doors on the right.” She informed him with a big smile. Daedrin bowed his head a little before thanking her and heading to the stairs. He moved to the door that she had mentioned and knocked gently on it. There was a feminine voice that told him to come in, and he opened the door to find Lucius on the bed, propped into a reclining position by a pile of straw pillows. He was being tended by a young human female, who was tightening his bandages. She looked up at him and smiled, “Ah, you’re… his friend?” She asked.

“That I am.” Daedrin said, stepping closer into the room and keeping the door open just in case Izanagi was behind him, “How is he?” He asked.

“He has a bit of a fever, but I’ve packed his wounds with Calendula herbs. That should stop any sickness and help heal his wounds.” The woman said, and Daedrin resisted the urge to tell her that if he was already fevered then it was too late for that. Infection had already set in, which was not good for Lucius and Daedrin felt quite concerned. He roused himself for a moment before looking at the young woman, “Can you do me a favour and get a cup of water? Or if that isn’t feasible, then some weak ale. I have some medicine that I wish to try.”

“Of course, m’lord.” The lady said with a small curtsy. She then left the room, leaving them alone. Daedrin quickly stepped up to Lucius, stripping off one of his gloves and pressing the back of his hand against Lucius’ forehead which burned. There was a light film of sweat that covered him, and Daedrin was a little worried at how quickly infection had set on. He stepped back, pulling on his glove once again as he frowned thoughtfully, trying to decide what to do. 

Edited March 16, 2020 by Neptune

[Akira]

Location: Hermitage.

 Izanagi was still enjoying his meal when Daedrin said he was going to check up on Lucius, so he simply nodded a bit before saying, “Yeah, I’ll go after I am done here” in response. The demon took his sweet time eating, since he had eaten stew and meat for the last few days. While Daedrin’s cooking skills proved again and again to be great at making even nice tasting food with limited resources, it surely was nice to appreciate some different flavours every now and then. After he was finally done with his meal, Izanagi also ordered himself some tea. It might have something to do with his homeland, but he was a great fan of tea. Sure, he does have his favorite flavours, but he overall enjoys any kind of tea. Feeling quite relaxed and satisfied after such a great meal, the demon then got up and asked the bartender where his friend had headed to. After getting the directions he needed, Izanagi made his way to the room where Lucius and his friend should be in.

 

 On his way there, Izanagi met a woman who was heading to the same room as him while she was also carrying a glass of water. Upon arriving there, the demon greeted Lucius and Daedrin, “Hey there guys. How is Lucius holding up?” while the woman delivered the the glass of water to Daedrin. Izanagi wasn’t sure why he needed that, but decided to not make any questions about it. After all, the main focus there was ensure if the human laid on the bed was going to be okay. Unlike Daedrin and Izanagi, Lucius didn’t have any special powers, at least not to Izanagi’s knowledge, so he surely would have a bit of a hard time dealing with the infection on his wound.

[Neptune]

Location: Hermitage.

Daedrin looked up when Izanagi walked in through the door with the nurse with the water. He took the cup from her, nodding his head at her. He ignored his friend for the moment as Daedrin told the woman, “Take a break. I’ll look after Lucius for the moment.” She glanced at the human on the bed before looking at Daedrin before nodding and leaving the room, closing the door quietly as she did so. Daedrin tilted his head a little as he listened to her disappearing footsteps before he turned to Izanagi and finally answered his question, “Not good. There was something in the bite of the swamp creature that’s given him a nasty infection. But… he will be fine.” 

He placed the cup of water on the small wooden table and reached into his a pocket hidden beneath his shirt. He pulled out what appeared to be a small crystal vial, although it was wrapped in some kind of black material that hid its contents from view. He unscrewed the top and, being extremely carefully, he brought it down to hover over the cup of water. He tapped it a few times, causing a strange black and purple powder to emerge and fall into the water. It glittered like crystalline particles and immediately sank to the bottom of the water. He did this a couple of times before pulling it away and glancing in it. He only had about half of the substance left, but it was enough. He screwed the top back on before slipping it back into the hidden pocket. 

He then pulled up the sleeve of his left arm, before he drew out his dagger and sliced a little piece of the exposed skin. He held the wound over the cup and allowed a couple of drops to fall in before he put the dagger away and rolled the sleeve back up. He picked up the water cup and used telekinesis to stir it, causing the crystalline compound to disappear from sight. He then turned and moved over to the bed where he put a hand on Lucius shoulder and nudged him, “Lucius. Wake up. You need to drink this.” He said. The human stirred, letting out a soft groan but Daedrin nudged him again.

The one blue eye cracked open, “What d’ya want, ass’ole?” Lucius asked, his voice slurred slightly from sleep and fever. 

“Drink.” Daedrin ordered, holding the cup up to the human’s lips. Lucius sent him a withering glare but obediently sipped at the water. Daedrin made him drink the entire thing before he pulled away and the human fell back to sleep. He returned to the table, putting the cup down and leaning against it, “That should do. Just give it a few minutes and he’ll start getting better.” He said to Izanagi. 

[Akira]

Location: Hermitage.

 On the very moment that Daedrin told the nurse to leave and that he himself would take care of Lucius, Izanagi already knew his friend was about to use his special skills and knowledge to deal with the infection affecting Lucius’ body. They have been traveling for more than enough time for the demon to recognize these signals. Turns out, Izanagi was correct. Daedrin mixed some sort dark powder into the water on the cup before giving it for Lucius to drink.

 However, it took Izanagi a considerable amount of self-control and empathy to not lash out at Lucius’ reaction. Daedrin was obviously trying to help him and yet that man still dared to act like that? As if he was talking to some annoying weakling who was there only to provoke him? That is completely unacceptable in demon’s opinion. Even he, a demon who quite literally represents rage and hatred, recognizes the importance of appreciating those who actually seek to help the others. “Tch. This bastard better thank you later for helping him. Otherwise I’ll have to teach him lesson on how important it is to appreciate the few who try and help those in need” he said in a grumpy tone. Should Lucius not display a bare minimum of politeness after waking up, he would get a small taste of how scary Izanagi can be when he wants to. “So… what now? Shouldn’t we get some sleep? We still have some ground to cover tomorrow” he said in a now calmer tone.

[Neptune]

Location: Hermitage.

Daedrin didn’t answer Izanagi’s question at first. Instead he was giving him a long and steady look that suggested that he had said something that he had not particularly liked. Finally, after a few moments he said, “I will ignore that implied threat to Lucius on the grounds of your ignorance. If you do like to be judged yourself, then please refrain from doing so to others.” He crossed his arms over his chest, his gaze steely for a moment before he seemed to relax once more and his tone lost its reproachful edge, “If you actually knew Lucius then you would not have said that. Lucius is one of the politest people I know, with absolutely impeccable manners. Manners that have been drilled into his head since he was a young child. When he speaks to you with an unfiltered tongue, then it speaks of his level of trust in you. He knows that he can be completely honest with you, including the manner in which he speaks. If he had known you were in the room, then he would not have spoken like that, because he does not trust you. I have known Lucius for a fair number of years and he is a good, and honourable man. I know not to take offense when none is genuinely not meant.”

Daedrin then allowed his gaze to slide towards the window as he uncrossed his arms again and curled them around the edges of the table before he then said, “If you require rest, then feel free to. We have rooms. I will be remaining here to ensure that Lucius will survive the night with certainty. I think I’ve proven that I can survive on little, to almost no sleep for a while. I am not in desperate need for sleep, but I will likely get some before the morning.”

[Akira]

Location: Hermitage.

 

 “Tch…” Izanagi simply said with a bit of a annoyed and angry expression on his face while averting his gaze from Daedrin once he was done speaking. The thing is, Izanagi wasn’t really mad at his friend or Lucius anymore. Instead, he was mad at himself for being so careless with his emotions and words. Not to mention, this sort of thing was a bit unusual for him. For the first time in a while, Izanagi found himself afraid of being slowly losing himself to his demonic nature. Could it have something to do with the new demonic relics he has been absorbing on the recent days? Or maybe with how his powers have been growing exponentially faster recently? He couldn’t be sure. Still, he would have to think about it. The demon then made his way out of the room. Before leaving however, he stopped at the door. Now that his eyes were not directed at Daedrin, it was slightly easier for him to speak. “Just so you know, I only got mad because, on the great majority of time, when someone talks like that it’s due to a lack of respect. Usually I wouldn’t care about that, but when a friend of mine is involved... “ he then sighed and grabbed the handle of the door “Sorry… I’ll… see ya in the morning yeah?” he then left and calmly closed the door.

 

 He made his way to his room in no time. He took off his shoes and jacket, but kept the rest of his clothes on. As he expected, laying on a actual bed after sleeping on the forest floor for so long was pure heaven. Still, after having such a long and… eventful night, it might take him a little bit to fall asleep. He was questioning himself about the very possible risk of losing himself to his demonic nature as he grows stronger. He didn’t blame Odium either. This time he knew it was all about him and him alone, which only made things a bit worse.

[Neptune]

Location: Hermitage.

“Please, sleep well.” Daedrin told Izanagi as the other man left the room. His gaze lingered on the door before he turned his head and continued to watch Lucius. He knew where Izanagi was coming from; he certainly didn’t like to see his friends disrespected. But this situation only highlighted the fact that Izanagi did not spend too much time with other people. The world was not as black and white as that. People could have a very close friendship, a deep level of trust and respect for one another and yet throw around insults without meaning, or taking offence. This was the case with Lucius, but Izanagi’s own naivety didn’t allow him to make that connection. 

He was drawn from his thoughts when Lucius stirred on the bed and his single blue eye opened and focused on Daedrin. It was less glassy than before, and Lucius seemed a bit more coherent, “Daedrin?” He asked in a quiet voice.

“Lucius.” Daedrin said with a slight smile before he stood up and moved over to the bed. He pressed the back of his hand against Lucius’ forehead, relieved that the fever had been reduced. He then shifted the bandage aside, and saw that the wound was a lot better. While it wouldn’t heal all of the way, it would protect him from infection and ensure that it would heal in a fraction of time. He returned the bandage to its position as Lucius let out a groan.

“Go back to sleep, Lucius. You’re going to be fine. But a good night's rest is sorely needed.” Daedrin told him. The single blue eye of the other man blinked at him for a moment before it closed once again. Within moments, Lucius’ breathing evened out and he was asleep once again. Daedrin checked him over again, and satisfied that he would be fine on his own, left the room to find his own so that he could get a few hours of rest.

Despite the somewhat comfortable bed, Daedrin was awake quite early. He washed his face in the basin of water provided and made sure that he was presentable before he left the room. His first port of call was to check on Lucius, who was still fast asleep. His fever had completely broken, and both the bite and scratch wound were showing signs of healing. Pleased, Daedrin headed downstairs to find the bartender putting clean tankards below the bar. She smiled when she saw him, “Good morning. Your friend isn’t up, yet. Can I get ye anything?” She asked.

“Whatever is on the fire for breakfast will do, thank you.” Daedrin replied with a charming smile. She smiled back before she disappeared through a door. Daedrin sat himself down, looking out of the window at the quiet village, enjoying how peaceful it was. He looked away as he heard the woman approaching and smiled as she put down a bowl of porridge, and some toasted bread with some sweet preserve. He quietly thanked her, allowing her to return to the bar as he began to dig into the meal. 

[Akira]

Location: Hermitage.

 It took a little while, but Izanagi was eventually able to fall asleep. Even though he had a lot to think about, having a comfy bed and an actual roof over his head after having to spend so many nights sleeping on the forest’s floor was more than enough to make his eyelids heavy. While in the dream world, he experienced pure peace of mind for a change, which was something he really needed at that moment, given the recent events and thoughts that were rushing through his mind. 

 On the next day, he woke up a few minutes after Daedrin. He stretched out a bit, yawned and then made his way to the restroom and answered nature’s call before properly washing his hands and face. Once he was out, the demon made his way to the bar, failing to notice that his hair was still a bit of a mess. “Oh hey, good morning” he greeted his friend and the bartender. Out of politeness and gratitude towards one of the mans who had saved the village, the woman didn’t say a thing about his hair. Instead, she simply waved back. “Good morning” she said in a kind tone “Would like some breakfast?” Izanagi took a seat beside Daedrin “Sure, what do you have?” he simply asked, already feeling the good smell that roamed the area “We got some freshly made porridge and also some bread that just came out of the oven” she replied “Ooh, sounds good. I’ll have that please” she simply nodded before making her way into the kitchen “So, did you sleep well?” Izanagi asked his friend while the woman was gone.

 

[Neptune]

Location: Hermitage.

Daedrin looked up when he sensed Izanagi moving closer to him. The moment he saw him, Daedrin paused in mid-chew before he leaned back and slowly finished his mouthful as he watched Izanagi with an amused glance. He swallowed his mouthful before he said, “Good morning. Yes, I slept well. And by the looks of your hair, you did too.” He then indicated the mess that was on top of Izanagi’s head, “I think you missed something this morning.” He added.

He then looked back down to his breakfast, allowing Izanagi to sort himself out. He scooped up another spoonful of porridge, eating the thick oatmeal before he took a bite out of the toasted break that was spread with the sweet research. The jam was surprisingly delicious, sweet without being sickly. It also had the small strawberry seeds in it, just the way that he liked it.

[Akira]

Location: Hermitage.

 At his friend’s first response, Izanagi simply lifted one of his eyebrows and tilted his head to the side slightly in confusion, not really knowing what he meant. The demon’s mind was still a bit slow paced since he just woken up from a hell of a power nap “Missed something…?” he asked as the woman returned from the kitchen with his breakfast “I wasn’t going to say anything, but your friend is right, dear. You hair is a complete mess.” she added as she placed the bowl of porridge along with tableware over the counter. “Wait, really?” asked Izanagi as he picked up the spoon and used is a mirror so he could check how bad his hair was. After seeing the problem with his own eyes, he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose “Aw dammit…” he shook his head slightly “Well, whatever. I can fix this after I am done eating…” the demon then began to dig in.

 The porridge was quite tasty, earning a pleased hum from Izanagi “Heh, looks like you got some competition in the cooking department now, eh Daedrin?” he joked before getting back to enjoying his meal. “That’s really nice of you to say” the woman replied before heading back to the sink to deal with some dishes. The bread was pretty good too. It was just soft enough in the middle and still warm from the oven. Maybe Izanagi could come visit this place again sometime.

 

[Neptune]

Location: Hermitage.

Daedrin chuckled when Izanagi finally noticed the mess that was his hair. He sat back in his chair, watching his friend with amusement at his reaction. He gave the woman a smile as she walked off as Izanagi dug into his food. When he joked about competition in regards to cooking, Daedrin quirked an eyebrow at him, “Hardly.” He said, affecting an aloof tone before he leaned forwards and continued eating his own breakfast.

Upstairs, Lucius stirred and blinked open his one good eye, squinting a little at the sun that shone in through the window. He groaned a little as he felt the pain from his wounds make themselves known, and he reached up to touch the bite on his shoulder, only for his fingers to brush against a bandage. He paused, frowning as he tried to remember the night before. He had vague flashes of a familiar face… ah, yes. Daedric. And he had some friend with him but Lucius couldn’t remember much about them. With a grimace, Lucius pulled himself up so that he was sitting on the edge of the bed. He suppressed a groan as his wounds protested the movement. He remained sitting where he was before he then put effort into picking up his clothes and slipping them on. He spied his armour sitting against the wall, seeing the blood and scratch marks on it. It was in serious need of repair, but for now he would leave it where it was.

He left the room, glancing around the hall before he made his way down the stairs. It was there that he saw the familiar figure of Daedrin along with an unfamiliar person. 

When Daedrin saw movement out of the corner of his eye he looked up at Lucius. He swallowed his mouthful, “Ah, Lucius. How are you feeling this morning?” He asked.

“Better than I expected.” Lucius replied, coming to join them at the table. He glanced at Izanagi, but politely averted his gaze when he saw how messy the man's hair was. Clearly he was not a morning person, something that he would not judge him for. He was very used to his sister not being a morning person and taking hours to wake up properly.

“Glad to hear it.” Daedrin said before asking, “Do you remember Izanagi?” 

“I’m afraid not.” Lucius said, now looking over at Izanagi, “I apologise but I don’t recall you other than a few vague memories. I seem to have lost a few hours last night.”

“I’m not surprised. You had a serious fever.” Daedrin said, scooping up the remains of his porridge and stuffing it into his mouth as Lucius grimaced a little before putting on a more reserved expression.

[KinkyAF]

Arden wandered through the marsh lands as the sun went up. He was a little tired from carrying his supplies for such a long period, but he pressed on towards Hermitage with all his new material. He had gone to study any new critters he could find in order to fill out his encyclopedia with as much information as he could find. At Arden's heels trailed his best friend, a wolf pup called Lucifer. Lucifer Was rescued by Arden after his mother was killed by hunters, they've been together ever since. He dragged his feet through the mud and made his way towards the road, after around 15 minutes he had made it and could now head straight to Hermitage. "Come on buddy, we're on the home stretch now." the pup just stared back at Arden who grinned and continued, there was a weird satisfaction getting all close with nature after growing up in such a clean environment. It was early morning so the occasional merchant could be seen which made Arden feel safer. However a weird thing was a lack of merchants heading towards Hermitage, he stopped the next one he saw. "H-hey...Sorry to disturb you, I know you must be busy but is there a reason for all the merchants I've seen leaving Hermitage? Did something happen?" Arden kept his gaze low as a sign of submission as to not sound too haughty. The man rubbed his head in slight confusion. "You haven't heard? There has been a lot of dangerous things happening so I'd be careful. Anyway, I'm busy so I gotta go." The man smiled and continued along the road leaving Arden to ponder alone. He sighs and continues on the road towards hermitage. "I don't like this...but I've not got anything left to make it back. It's a risk I have to take." Arden clenched his fist and quickly heads to his destination.

Location: Hermitage

Arden arrived at the town and walked to what sounds like a somewhat lively building. It was the tavern, Arden pushes the door open and sheepishly walks inside. He slinks towards the bar and requests a small meal to give energy. It wasn't quite as lively as he hoped, he would probably stand out a little more like this. Especially considering his high-class clothing and wolf pup. He tried not to think about it while he ate at the very least.

[Akira]

Location: Hermitage.

 Izanagi simply kept on enjoying his breakfast, barely paying attention to anything else around him. In fact, he only really noticed Lucius’ arrival after hearing his friend greeting him. The demon swallowed another mouthful, choosing to simply keep himself focused on his breakfast for now. He was also nearly done eating. Still, when he heard his name being mentioned by Daedrin and then Lucius, he knew he would probably have to engage in a small talk, at the very least. “Well, it’s good to know you are feeling better” he commented as he averted his eyes from his meal and directed them towards Lucius “Things were looking pretty bad for you last night, so I guess it’s only natural for you to be a bit, shall we say… forgetful” while it was a little hard for Izanagi to show any real emotion towards Lucius, since they had just met each other last night, he was Daedrin’s friend and clearly chose not to mock the demon’s messy hair, so at the very least Izanagi did his best to come out as the polite sort “Let’s all just be glad you had someone to help you with your wounds, yeah?” he commented as he finished his meal, choosing not to mention that Daedrin was the one who solved the infection problem with that weird medicine thing. He didn’t want to risk mentioning something he shouldn’t about his friend, now that they were in public and all that.

 After he was done eating his breakfast, Izanagi pushed the now empty bowl a little bit, signaling he was done with his meal “Thanks for the breakfast ma’am. It was very good” he thanked the woman, who was now done with the dishes. “You are welcome, dear” she replied with a kind smile on her face as she took the bowl away “Say, if you don’t mind me asking… where are you from?” Izanagi was a bit taken back by the sudden question, but that woman had only shown kindness to him and Daedrin ever since they arrived, so he decided to humor her “Let’s just say I am from a land very far from here” he simply replied “Oh? And what brought you here?” Once again, the demon was a bit taken back by her curiosity, but he figured that not answering would probably draw more suspicion to him “I am on a journey to solve some personal problems. After that, I’ll just… find a place to settle down, I guess” he shrugged a bit “I see.” she replied “If you want to, you could… live here, know?” she suggested “I mean, it would be nice to have someone like you around if any creatures showed up again and… I am sure you would get a lot of attention from our uh… local residents” the woman spoke that last part in a… weirdly suggestive tone, which only got Izanagi more confused. While the village was pretty nice, he wasn’t sure if he shou- Wait a minute. Was she hitting on him? Well, he surely wasn’t expecting that. Not sure about how to reply, the demon simply put up his best poker face before speaking again “I’ll uh… keep that in mind…”

[Neptune]

Location: Hermitage.

Lucius smiled a little at Izanagi when the man put in an effort of small talk, one of the banes of Lucius’ existence. Nothing annoyed him more than vapid small talk that did nothing except fill the time with meaningless chatter. But his smile remained polite as he bowed his head respectfully towards Izanagi and said, “Thank you. I’m just glad the matter of last night was finally put to rest.” He glanced at Daedrin as it was said in a slightly questioning tone, as he couldn’t remember how things had concluded the night before and it was obvious he was a little worried. When Daedrin gave him a soft, reassuring smile, Lucius visibly relaxed and his smile widened. Despite his background, he was not the kind of person who thought of himself as better than those around him and had been eager to help the night before, even if he received no reward for his help. 

He looked up when the woman approached their table once again and watched in amusement as she subtly flirted with Izanagi. Daedrin’s blood red eyes glinted with amusement as well, but he said nothing as he watched Izanagi obliviously talk to the woman until he slowly realised that she might have been hitting on him. Daedrin swallowed the last of his food and sat back as the woman gave Izanagi a warm and familiar smile before she picked up their plates. She looked at Lucius and asked, “Is there anything you wish for?”

“Just a bowl of porridge will do for me, please.” He said politely. 

When she walked off, Daedrin chuckled a little before he then said, “I think it’s pretty clear that someone likes you my friend.”

Lucius chuckled a little as Daedrin said this. Honestly he couldn’t blame the woman for taking a shine to the man if he helped sort out the problem last night. From what he had spoken to the woman about, it had been a problem that they had for a while and they had been living in fear. Lucius glanced to the side when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye, only to see what he first assumed was a woman entering the tavern. However when he looked back at her, he realised that there were subtle signs that they were more masculine than they first appeared. He allowed his eye to linger perhaps a little longer than was polite before Daedrin’s voice pulled his attention back to his table companions. As he pulled his eye away, he saw the woman pause to speak with the feminine male before disappearing into the back with the empty plates.

“So what are you doing out here, Lucius? I’m surprised your father isn’t here with you.” Daedrin said.

The question caused Lucius to stiffen for a moment, and he glanced at Izanagi. While he trusted Daedrin, he didn’t know Daedrin’s friend all that well and he didn’t feel comfortable talking about it in front of him. Not only was it not the man’s business, but he doubted Izanagi was even interested. He didn’t seem to be the kind of person to care all that much about the politics of the upper class. Granted, appearances could be deceiving, but Lucius somewhat doubted it. Choosing his words carefully, Lucius said, “My father couldn’t stop me. You know me. I’m not one to want to settle right now, and I wanted to get out and see the world a bit.”

Daedrin raised an eyebrow a little, but he didn’t press for answers as he nodded his head a little, “Where are you heading from here?” He asked.

“Selil. But I’m going to stay here an extra day or so. I don’t think I’m quite ready to ride quite yet.” Lucius said.

“Absolutely not. You need to let them heal a little more before even attempting to, and even then light riding only.” Daedrin told him quite firmly.

“If you’re back in Selil by then, I’ll come in to see you. I need my armour fixed up anyway.” Lucius said.

“I should be. Maybe we can talk a little more. We’re heading back there now.” Daedrin said, before he stood up and gave Lucius a pat on his good shoulder, “Speaking of which, we want to get moving if we want to cover some ground before nightfall.” He gave Lucius a charming grin before he turned and went back upstairs to pack his bags. Lucius found his eyes moving back towards the newcomer, curious as to who they were and what they were doing coming into town so early in the morning. 

(@KinkyAF you are free to control the barmaid.)

[KinkyAF]

Arden felt the prolonged gaze, it made him a little uncomfortable to say the least, but he chose to ignore it as it wasn't the time for such thing. The barmaid approached which seemed to startle him as he wasn't expecting her to come from behind. She smiled and spoke softly. "Welcome, what can I get for you?" Arden was comforted by her tone which was presumably why she chose it. It was told that experienced bar staff could perfectly adjust to suit each customer. Arden nodded slightly before he began to answer. "Um...I'll take a uhh porridge. Also is there any meat for my friend?" the barmaid was initially confused but simply smiled as she noticed the pup. "Very good, you'll have it soon. Just sit tight until then." The barmaid left and disappeared into the back.

Arden exhaled in relief that he pulled off his first social encounter in this town. It usually wouldn't be a big achievement, but Arden struggled with them a lot. He petted Lucifer as he felt his eyes drift to the other table, the one which he felt the gaze. His first thought was they were quite the attractive group which caused him to freak out in an attempt to think properly. His face now tomato red, Arden just observed the group not so subtly from his table while he waits for the barmaid to return.

[Akira]

Location: Hermitage.

 

As the woman leaves, Izanagi lets out a slight sigh and rubs the back of his head a bit. “Talk about a weird morning. First I find out that my hair is an absolute mess, and now this…” Truth to be told, this sort of thing never really happened to Izanagi before. The demon never thought about himself as an attractive sort of person, mainly because of his inhuman nature and how much that would freak out most people. *Well well, someone’s popular all of the sudden, huh?* Odium teased a bit *Oh came on! Not you too!* Izanagi mentally replied to the demon. 

 

Now that he was done with his meal, Izanagi was about to follow Daedrin’s lead and head upstairs and pack his belongings so they could continue on their journey, however, something a bit unexpected happened. The tavern’s door was suddenly slammed open, revealing a tall and muscular man on the other side, wearing a complete set of heavy metal armor, helmet included. “Oh, Brutus. You are back.” The woman who was serving the food casually said “Who was it?” The man said in a cold and demanding tone, getting nothing but a confused look from pretty much everyone who was there at the time in response “Who is the responsible for killing all these creatures?” he demanded to know in an even more aggressive tone now. Izanagi didn’t reply. He simply didn’t care much for the fame of taking down the monsters from last night. “Oh, it was him and his friend.” The woman pointed to Izanagi, much to the demon’s displeasure, and then to Daedrin who was near the stairs. Brutus then began to slowly make his way towards Izanagi. The wooden floor beneath his feet squeaked in complaint due to the heavy weight of the man. Soon, Brutus was right in front of Izanagi, towering over him with huge muscles and stature. “So, you are trying to take my title, huh?” Izanagi blinked a bit and tilted his head slightly in confusion “I am sorry, what?” the woman behind them rolled her eyes and groaned a bit in frustration “Brutus, not this again… they were just helping us! And they saved many lives.” she tried to explain, but her words had no effect on him “Let me make this very clear to you, tiny men. Hermitage can only have one hero, and that is me. Got it?” Now it was Izanagi’s turn to get frustrated with the muscular guy. “Sooo… you are mad at me for helping these people while you were bumming around doing nothing?” The demon replied nonchalantly, causing Brutus to get angrier at him “I was away on a mission! Escorting a merchant to a nearby village!” The bag of muscles was clearly trying to be intimidating, but he wasn’t having much effect on Izanagi. “Riiiight. What do you want from me then?” Brutus grinned beneath his helmet before replying “I am gonna teach you what happens when you defy me. And after I am done with you, you friend will be next” Izanagi rolled his eyes before responding “Be my guest, but be warned, if you pick a fight against either of us, you’ll only get your ego and bones broken…” Brutus ignored the warning and tried to punch Izanagi’s face. Obviously, the demon simply caught his fist with one of his hands, stopping the attack completely. While Brutus was insisting on forcing the attack more and free his fist from Izanagi’s grasp, the demon took the opportunity to get some info. “Oi, can someone tell me if this guy actually helps around or if he’s just some complete idiot?” The woman from before was the one who replied “Well, he really does help most of us from the village when we need a lot of muscle power…” she said honestly “In that case, I am not going to break him much.” Izanagi said before Brutus tried to punch him with his free hand. Again, the attack was easily caught by the demon. “I suggest you learn how to keep that ego of yours in check, though. Friendly warning.” Izanagi then kicked Brutus in the gut. The kick was powerful enough to crealy crumple the metal armor and crack his ribs a bit. Brutus was barely able to scream in pain before being sent flying out through the same door he got in. Satisfied, Izanagi turned to the woman once again before speaking “He should be fine, but it might be best for him to take it easy for the next few days, ok?” the woman simply nodded a bit while Izanagi now made his way up stairs to get his things and also fix his hair.

[Neptune]

Location: Hermitage.

When the door opened, Daedrin paused just as he reached the stairs. He turned his head and eyed the newcomer, sizing him up within a moment. Despite being pointed out by the woman, the man was not someone he really wanted to deal with. Besides, he had faith that Izanagi would be able to deal with the situation. So he ignored the man and continued on his way up and to his room where he began packing.

Downstairs, Lucius watched the scene play out. He wanted to say something, but he was unable to get a word in edgeway, without being rude about it. He certainly wouldn’t have been as blunt as Izanagi, but at the same time he certainly didn’t disapprove of the way that he handled the matter. Perhaps it was a good thing that he was going to be staying for a few days; perhaps he could teach that young man a few things about manners as well as the proper way to conduct oneself. He seemed to only be protecting the townsfolk because he was after the personal glory that it gave him. He turned and watched Izanagi head up the stairs before he turned back to his food, eating in silence for a few moments before Daedrin returned down stairs with his bags, “Where did the young gentlemen go?” He asked.

Swallowing to clear his mouth of food, Lucius said, “Outside.” 

“Ah.” Daedrin said, sitting back in his chair and relaxing a little while he waited for Izanagi to return. 

Location: North-east of Kalath, en-route to Enutpen’s Glory

Rayvenne looked up at the sun as it finally peaked up over the horizon, before she glanced over her shoulder towards the caravan. Things had been silent for several hours now, allowing her to keep watch in peace. She doubted that the two of them would be awake for several hours but thankfully, everything had been quiet and now that the sun had risen to join them, the chances of an attack were lower. While the two of them were sleeping in, she stirred up the fire again so that it crackled cheerfully in the chilly morning air, a chill that she was aware of but wasn’t bothered by. 

Once the fire was mature, she set about making a pot of oatmeal that could be kept warm on the fire for hours after it had finished. So no matter how long it took them to get up, there would be something waiting for the two of them. Once the Oatmeal had finished cooking, she poured herself a bowl and ate it by the crackling fire as she kept an ear out for any kinds of sounds.

[Chiyako]

Location: North-east of Kalath, en-route to Enutpen’s Glory

Slim arms slowly stretched out into the air, followed by the naked upper half of the little bunny witch. Today she'd awoken a little later than usual, having been quite worn out by the night's activities! She was also a little sore in some places. Of course all of this was to be expected. Indeed, she had actually taken precautions! Reaching over to a little drawer next to her now broken bed Luna removed a little vial of pink liquid, popping the cork out so that she might down it in one swift gulp! A content sigh followed as the potion worked its literal magic: soothing her sore muscles, healing any damage that might have been done, it even acted as a secondary precaution against pregnancy! She hadn't prepared it for that night specifically, but it was always good to have on hand. One never knew who they might meet along the road!

With a smile Luna leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to Raeghan's head. The potion had worn off by now. She would need to work on one which lasted longer, but for the moment they did have extras for that length of time. Of course Luna typically always made extra of any potion she created, just in case it might be needed. Not having done this had lost her a few contracts when she'd just gotten started. Accidents happen, after all. Or thieves.

Carefully she stood to her feet, hands moving in little circles as a quiet chant emerged. Both of them were cleaned and her hair was carefully spun into the way she normally wore it out in public, a feat which by hand might take an hour or more to complete! Her day clothes were slipped on and the now emptied bottles from potions collected and deposited with others after a quick rinse. After grabbing a carrot for her horse Luna slowly opened the door to her wagon, hopping out with the door left open for Raeghan once he woke!

"Ah! Goodmorning Miss Rayvenne! How did you sleep last night?" she asked, skipping her way over to feed her old companion his morning breakfast. Hands moved up to gently brush through the creature's mane and along his neck. Once he was good and fed she made her way over to sit near Rayvenne. She was all smiles this morning, as usual, but then she had other good reasons for it too!

[Neptune]

Location: North-east of Kalath, en-route to Enutpen’s Glory

Rayvenne looked up when she heard the door open and the small bunny girl hopped out and came over to join her. She straightened a little as she put aside her finished meal aside, “Good morning.” She greeted politely, serving Luna out a bowl of the breakfast oatmeal. Once the bunny girl joined her by the fire, she handed over the bowl and said almost dismissively, “And I didn’t sleep last night. I needed to keep watch, especially since you and Raeghan were quite busy last night.” She wasn’t bothered by the fact that she had stayed up all night, as she was very capable of going so. She was only slightly tired, and she was alert enough to continue on. She would have to sleep that night, but she would be fine up until then.

In the wagon, Raeghan shifted and came awake suddenly, blinking at his surroundings. For a moment, he wasn’t sure where he was or how he ended up there but then the memories returned, and he felt quite pleased. It had been an extremely fun night, and Luna had been absolutely delightful. But as he became more aware of his surroundings, he realised that the potion had worn off and he was back as a raven again. A part of him was a little sad about that, but he remembered that Luna had made several bottles of it. So if he wanted to enjoy human flesh once again, he could. Feeling quite happy with himself, he staggered to his feet and ruffled his feathers. He made sure that they were aligned properly. He looked at the bedroom door and saw that it was open, so he flew out of it and into the main living area. When he saw that the main door was open, he flew out of it and fluttered down to join the other two at the campfire. When he settled down on a log, Rayvenne looked at him and asked, “Fun night?”

“Absolutely. Luna is a very good, and generous friend.” Raeghan replied, his beak opening slightly in what could be interpreted as a grin.

[Chiyako]

Location: North-east of Kalath, en-route to Enutpen’s Glory

As Luna settled in next to the woman she accepted her bowl of delicious oatmeal, pulling it close in order to savory the smell. She was actually pretty hungry this morning! Sex, it appeared, was an excellent workout routine! It also helped one to sleep quickly and it just felt great! Perhaps there were some unexamined medical benefits to it. She would have to do some research into that when she had time! Of course being on the road did generally give her plenty of it.

And I have a study buddy! Well, okay, maybe we shouldn't do it too much. Sometimes he keeps watch over us. I can't imagine how it might make Miss Rayvenne feel either.

Poor Rayvenne! Luna did feel a little bad that she couldn't get any sleep. Well, okay, keeping watch was important. Then came the woman's next words just as Luna brought up the first spoonful of food. Her face instantly heated up, flashing a bright pink as she quietly chomped down upon the first bite. Had they really been that loud?!

"M-my apologies M-...Rayvenne" squeaked the bunny, ears flopping down to the sides of her head. Right, she had asked for Luna to drop the Miss part. "M-maybe I can find a spell to help with keeping watch? Then we could all rest! U-um. And I'll try to be more quiet next time."

When Raeghan arrived Luna lowered her spoon, waving excitedly towards the Raven! Once more her ears had perked up! "Good morning Raeghan!" Of course she went quiet again when the night's activities were mentioned, cheeks heating up once more! Of course after she'd eaten a few more bites she'd calmed down enough to summon up the courage to speak again. "We could keep watch on the road while you sleep if you'd like! You could use my bed for it!"

I need to fix it regardless! And probably clean it first. That should be easy though! I can always work on potions later.

[Neptune]

Location: North-east of Kalath, en-route to Enutpen’s Glory

Rayvenne shook her head, dismissing Luna’s offer, “I’ll be fine. I can go several nights without sleep before I start to really feel the effects. I’ll be fine riding today.” She said, serving herself a second bowl of oatmeal. Raeghan ruffled his feathers, cawing a little in an approximation of a laugh,

“Don’t worry about her, Luna. She will be fine.” He said before looking at the bunny girl once again, “And good morning to you as well. I hope you slept well last night, I know I did. I haven’t slept so well for a while.” He glanced around before asking, “Is there anything for me to eat?”

“Only oatmeal. There is a berry bush over there, though.” Rayvenne said, indicating a blackberry busy that was partially hidden by some shrubs. Raeghan turned to look at it for a moment before saying, “Blackberries? Eh? Been a while since I’ve had some.” He then flew over and settled himself in the shrub where he began to peck and eat the berries.

Rayvenne turned back to Luna and said, “As soon as we’ve finished eating and cleaned up the camp, we’ll head out unless you have to do anything first.”

[Chiyako]

Location: North-east of Kalath, en-route to Enutpen’s Glory

Luna nodded slowly. That still didn't sound very good for a person, but she trusted the woman to know her own limits. Besides, Raeghan wasn't making any objections either and he had known her for much longer. "Okay. But if you do feel tired please don't hesitate to rest!"

Another spoonful of the delicious oatmeal was lifted into her mouth. And another. She certainly was hungry! In fact she was eating her breakfast much more quickly than normal! It did give her a good idea for another potion to make though. Something that could stave off hunger could be really useful for adventurers. That could sell well! Perhaps something for sleep too, something to mimic what Rayvenne was going through.

"I slept very well! Probably better than I have for a long while. Also if you feel any soreness please let me know. I do have something that might help with that. I mean it is more tailored towards nuns but it might work fine on the opposite sex!"

Blackberries? Perhaps she should collect a few on their way out! That could make a lovely snack. Actually it could also work in a few potions too. Maybe she could collect some seeds for growing! She could worry about that on their way out.

"Okay! I have a few things to do but they will be very quick."

With an excited nod the hungry bunny scarfed down the rest of her food! After a quick incantation to clean out the bowl she stood and stretched out, only to venture into her wagon. There were another couple incantations to perform for repair and cleaning purposes and a batch of the Nun's Brew. It could be useful to have extra of that sitting around.

[Neptune]

Location: North-east of Kalath, en-route to Enutpen’s Glory

To Luna’s offer, Rayvenne nodded. She felt it was perhaps easier to agree to it than to try and explain that she was absolutely fine. Besides, it may raise questions she was unwilling to answer if she tried to push the issue too much. She returned her dark gaze to her bowl of oatmeal, eating it slowly as Luna ate hers and Raeghan stuffed himself on berries. She glanced up when Luna said that she had a few things to do, and nodded to let the bunny girl know that she had been heard. She scooped up the remains of her food before she got up and started to clean up while Luna was busy doing whatever it was in her wagon. 

She put out the fire and packed everything away before making sure that the horses were prepped and ready for travel. As she was stroking Maedoc’s neck, calming the restless stallion, Raeghan flew over and landed on the animals rump, preening his feathers before he said, “It was nice being human again.”

“I imagine you’ve missed it.” Rayvenne replied.

“Certainly. But, I really like being a familiar. While I miss Maed, I’ve enjoyed travelling with you. And making good friends.” Raeghan said, looking back towards the wagon as Rayvenne made a non-committal sound low in her throat, causing Raeghan to caw at her in a laugh, mocking her for her anti-social tendencies. Rayvenne ignored him and planned to wait for Luna in silence.