Chapter Six

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"Can we go get the component now?" Poni asks, impatient as always.

Seirixori groans as Ravaphine, who had just been about to reach for one of Poni’s books, disappears from sight, "Well, when your damn mess up gives us more people to do it, then yes. But, I am not going after your components with just me and this...one." she motions to Brimeia.

"I have a name, you know."

"I'm aware." Seirixori twirls Poni around and starts to poke around the basement.

"So pleasant to spend more time in your company," Brimeia chimes, walking along behind Seirixori but not really wanting to touch any of the magical, probably dangerous equipment.

"Could you not follow me, the basement is small enough that you can stand away from me and watch if you have nothing better to do." Seirixori says, tensing and stops her rummaging but begins to nervously fidget with Poni.

"Aw, don't you enjoy my company, Seirixori?" Brimeia hums.

"Obviously not."

~\*~\*~

"Oh for the love of Gruumsh!" Urrak yells, stomping a foot in anger, the familiar sights of Bellbury town square filling her vision.

Enna is several feet away, gripping her satchel with white-knuckles, frustrated that she once again finds herself out of the solitude of the forest. "I see you've been summoned back here again."

Urrak sighs and turns to Enna "Aye, that I have.”

"Last I found myself here, there was a man under a dryad's charm in a dark forest. We nearly died from some creatures I couldn't place. I hope they found him."

"Things seem t' have gotten interestin' while I was...away. Don't suppose we should head to the basement? T' find Poni?"

Enna sighs, "I guess where Poni is, we follow. Though I don't much like being beholden to anyone but myself."

“Aye, he's the only way t' stop all this nonsense." Urrak begins to walk towards the basement with Enna.

Enna descends down the staircase and appears in the basement, relieved to see the others alive but trying to not let her face express that.

Poni sees them before Seirixori does, "Is three enough, your highness?"

Urrak follows after, taking in the scene, "Y' lookin for somethin'?"

Seirixori turns and sees familiar faces, "Another component," she says waving Poni in the air a little.

"In the basement? Aren't they usually through a portal or somethin'?"

"We were waiting for more of you, I did not want to chance going in with only two of us."

"Aye. Yer a squishy lot"

"Ah, you've returned. Enna, Urrak." Brimeia smiles and almost leans against a workbench before thinking better of it.

"Did you find Vardalon? Is he alive? What happened to the dryad?" Enna asks.

"He's alive, Dryad is not." Seirixori says.

"A dryad? Well now THAT'S a battle I wish I'd seen."

"I am relieved it's not the other way around."

"And this Vardalon? He someone important?"

"Blah blah blah..."

"Just someone's ...friend?" Seirixori answers Urrak, ignoring Poni’s impatience.

"The stick's gettin' ansty. Y'find another component, Poni?"

"Same one. Push the button and I'll show you."

"Well I'm ready when the rest o' ye are"

Seirixori sighs as she pushes the button, "All set?" The portal comes to life, again centered on the component sitting in the darkness of a destroyed building. The rubble behind the component is old and weathered and the entire image is dark as if a moonless night. While you’re looking, you notice a bit of movement from the shadows in the distance, but you can’t tell what it was.

Gunnloda appears back at the stairway. "I thought that body might start to smell soon. Are you looking to go out again, dears?" Martyn appears in the basement, he'd descended behind everyone else quietly.

"There's still that component we need to find. And the sooner we get it, the sooner we all are free from being jerked around by some whinging magic wand." Enna says.

"Well then, let's head out" Urrak places a hand on the nearest person's shoulder. Brimeia throws her arms around the nearest two who happen to be Seirixori and Enna. Enna stiffens at the amount of touching, uncomfortable with the sudden embrace, but relents. Seirixori struggles not to throw Brimeia’s arm off her.

"Everyone touchy-touchy then GENTLY put me through."

Brimeia rolls her eyes, "Yes, stick-man. Just as gently as you've done your magic, I'm sure."

With that they all step through, the world shifts, bleak and shrouded in darkness. As they get a brief glimpse of their surroundings, it looks like a destroyed village. Several houses in their vicinity are in various stages of destruction, entirely collapsed, or partially standing. There are craters littering the ground, evidence of heavy weapons and powerful magic.

Gunnloda tenses, "Oh my it's dark. D'you mind if I just keep my hand here, dear?" Enna feels a bit of a squeeze on her shoulder.

Urrak looks around, "This ain't just darkness. This is...advanced darkness."

"Your ability to grasp the obvious is truly unmatched Urrak." Martyn says.

Enna gestures to the north, then puts her finger to her mouth to make a shushing sign.

Gunnloda and Seirixori bump into each other, causing Gunnloda's armor to clank noisily. The shuffling comes closer. A humanoid skeleton shuffles into view, still wearing scraps of the armor it died in and holding a shortsword, stumbling in their direction.

"You shouldn't exist." Enna, growls angrily. She  draws back her longbow and looses an arrow toward the skeleton, it hits the base of it’s spine and it collapses on itself. "I don't like undead."

Shaking herself off, Seirixori notices a piece of familiar looking rubble to the west. "I think the component we need is over there," She whispers and points it out.

"This one ain't the last" Urrak whispers. "We should try an' stay quiet."

Enna whispers, "There are more coming. To the southeast. Where there are undead, a necromancer isn't far."

"Aye, or somethin' just plain evil. I've got a bad feelin' about this..."

"Well let's go get it!" Brimeia nearly shouts.

As they walk across the open roadway, another skeleton pops into view, Brimeia let’s her rage consume her and throws a javelin at it, but it flies over  the skeleton’s shoulder, embedding itself in the ground behind the skeleton.

Urrak turns towards the skeleton and begins to run towards it, unsheathing her greatsword and swinging at it, the sword comes down in an arc, severing the skeleton's arm, but it does not fall.

Gunnloda doesn’t move, and she says something but the other’s attention focuses on the several skeletal figures that come out of the gloom towards Gunnloda's voice.

Seirixori moves towards the west where she saw the possible component and this time as she releases her whip of vines and thorns, it catches a skeleton that Urrak attacked and pulls it towards herself. Urrak turns and charges the skeleton Seirixori pulled away from her and cleaves it in twain.

Martyn turns and takes a step back and draws his bow at seeing a skeleton crawling towards him, and fires, the skeleton stops moving the second the arrow pierces bone.

Enna turns to do the same but movement to the southeast causes her arrow to fly wide. As she turns to glare at the distraction she sees a human, wearing a leather apron and waving frantically for their attention.

Brimeia charges the skeleton near the component with a load roar and a heave of her greataxe, breaking ribs and knocking off an arm, but it still stands.

At Brimeia’s roar the rest of the skeletons turn towards her and Seirixori who was nearby, “You stupid barbarian,” Seirixori growls, just as skeleton narrowly misses stabbing Brimeia.

A zombie clumsily throws it’s arm forward and manages to smack Brimeia but she shrugs it off.

An arrow from a far off Zombie and tears through Seirixori’s arm.

Hearing the cry of pain, Gunnloda calls out, "Was someone hurt?"

"Just a bit," Seirixori grumbles and moves next to Gunnloda, "I'm in front of you."

Gunnloda reaches out a warm glow courses through Seirixori, the pain from the arrow gone. She keeps her hand on Seirixori. "Don't leave me, love." She says just as two skeletons take swipes at her but they just bounce off her armor.

Seirixori nods, a little confused, “I’ll stay nearby, don't worry," she closes her eyes for a brief moment, the tip of her quarterstaff starts to glow and she slams it into one of the skeletons, it’s bones shattering, turning to dust and broken dreams.

Martyn steps to the side, and once more lets loose an arrow, piercing a skeleton’s shoulderpad.

Enna focuses on the human she can see, definitely a commoner but not dirty enough to have been here long, more like he was working nearby. He's clearly shaken by the creatures that have come out and is shaking behind a table.

She moves closer to the man cowering in the corner and raises her voice, hoping it’s just enough for him to hear her, "Tell us where they're coming from! How did you get here?" As she runs, she flings another arrow at the skeleton she passes, but it sails wide. The man shakes his head and waves his hands in a side to side 'stop' motion, putting a finger to his lips as if to say 'shhh'.

Meanwhile Brimeia swings furiously at the skeleton in front of her. But it wooshes right through the missing parts of the skeleton. Urrak comes in to help and her sword slams right into it’s skull and the skeleton crumbles to the ground. With that done she sighs and grabs the component Seirixori pointed out.

A skeleton's arrows pierces Enna’s side and a zombie’s arm bounces off Brimeia once more, Seirixori notices a slightly glowing corpse coming towards Urrak and Brimeia, with more undead closing in. "We should probably start heading out! There's a creepy glowy thing near you, Brimeia and Urrak!" Seirixori says as quiet as possible.

Martyn and Enna both fire arrows, Martyn’s missing just as Enna’s flies through the skeleton archer's skull and continues it’s path to stab into a skeleton far beyond in the femur. Enna motions for the hiding man to come forward, and he slowly makes his way along the edge of the house he’s in towards the group.

Annoyed with her missed strike and the zombie pelting her, Brimeia swings her great axe at the zombie, the axe cleaving deep into its shoulder. It moans, but keeps itself upright. Urrak grins and swings her sword, taking the zombie’s head off.

Martyn moves towards the rest of the group, this time successfully slamming an arrow into skeletal dog moving in their direction.

As the man get’s closer, Enna whispers to him, "Stick behind me. Do you know where these beings came from?" She fires an arrow at the dog and it falls.

The man whispers back. "No, everything went dark, but there's something in the shadows. Please, get me out of here."

Enna nods and finally turns to see the glowing spirit Seirixori pointed out, “That's a specter. We'll need non-elemental magic. Someone enchant something we can throw at it.” She takes the man and they start moving closer to everyone.

Brimeia stomps over to the next zombie and brings her greataxe down on its head. The greataxe comes down and cleaves into the shoulder, peeling the top part of the torso away from the rest of the body.

Urrak moves to the other side of the zombie and attacks the remaining half the zombie's head is splattered, causing it to fall lifeless to the ground.

Gunnloda can see the faintly glowing spector and fires a bolt of radiant energy at it, but it dodges out of the way.

The specter reaches into Seirixori, and she shudders as it pulls away, some of her energy draining. Seiroxir shakes her head and takes a deep breath, concentrating on the powers that her devil blood empowers her with and let’s loose a large boom of sound to the south of the group.

Martyn moves into proximity with the group, shakes his head for a moment, and fires off a few missiles of magic at the specter, three of them disappearing into the form and it howls in pain.

Enna reaches the group, the man clutching at her clothes so he doesn’t lose her.

As the group gathers around one another, they can see just at the outer edges of their superior ability to see in the dark, more undead crawling out of the woodwork.

Urrak yells to the group, "Everybody hold on to one another! We're gettin' out of here!" Urrak turns to Seirixori "Push the button!"

Brimeia grumbles unhappily, she is pretty content fighting all the undead, the spectre however unsettles her enough that she reluctantly puts away her axe and reaches out, pushing the button on Poni, just as the spectre takes a swing.

It takes them all a few moments to adjust back to the brightness, but they all breathe a sigh of relief when they see they’re all in Poni’s basement. Seirixori vanishes seconds later.

Urrak clears her throat, "I tell ya, all this zippin' around is startin' t' make me sick."

"Oh, that's too bad. I could make up a porridge that would help settle your stomach." Gunnloda says.

"If sick you must be, do it on the gnome. my shoes are expensive." Martyn says and staggers to the side.

Urrak grumbles and turns to Brimeia "Y' got wand-boy? I see our other tiefling's been sent away."

"Umm," Brimeia shakes her head and pats herself. "I... oh, right this thing here." She holds up the stick disdainfully.

The man they rescued steps forward to get their attention, "Can... can someone tell me what just happened?"

"Uhh, aye. I can give y' a summary. Whole lot of folk are bein' teleported in and outta this world cuz of a mad gnome and his experiments. We,” she gestures to the group, “lucky few get t' find the pieces of his exploded device, which that stick there, can track. Also the gnome is in the stick. Like some kinda unholy phantom..."

The man backs away a bit.

"I suspect he exists to serve as an object lesson in minding the magic you meddle in." Martyn says.

"But uh, it's alright! Yer safe now. We're back in Bellbury."

“So the world isn't destroyed?"

Martyn rolls his eyes, "Not hardly."

"I suppose I should go then. I'm not much help to you looking for magics and whatnot."

Martyn takes a step towards the man, "Not so fast: why were you being held in the ruins."

"I wasn't being held. I was hiding. The shadows... they were moving."

"There was a great evil in that place..." Urrak says.

"They've a tendency to do that when Necromancers play about: what business had you out there?" Martyn asks the man.

One minute I was in my shop, working on designs, next I was in the middle of a destroyed village."

"You some kind of smithy?"

"Carpenter."

"I certainly have no wish to revisit the place... even if my spear is still stuck in some rock back there." Brimeia sighs.

"Maybe our new carpenter friend can fashion you one as a token of gratitude." Martyn suggests.

The man kinda frowns. "I build buildings, not weapons."

Urrak shakes her head, "The poor man's been through enough anyway."

"It's fine, dear.” Gunnloda pats the man on the shoulder, “Some of the others are at the Cask. You should go get yourself a meal and check on your home." Gunnloda turns and frowns at Martyn. "Am I misunderstanding or are ye shaking down a man you just rescued?"

"Not so much a misunderstanding as abrupt incomprehension. I can't quite figure why a live man would be teleported by a Necromancer. If indeed it was a necromancer. Certainly working on wood is working on a dead thing but that's hardly link enough to be summoned now is it?"

Poni interrupts, "Now I may be a lot of things, but I'm no necromancer."

Brimeia frowns for a long moment, then just blurts, "What?"

"Wow it appears that I have missed plenty.” Ravaphine says from her place on the stairs, where she’d sat herself after coming in earlier and decided to watch the exchange taking place instead of participating.

Poni sighs heavily like he's explaining something to a toddler. "Some of these people were teleported with the components... or so it seems. All the components so far have been found near people from this town."

"...Makes sense. Sorta." Brimeia scratches her head.

"It was the destabilization of the envirochronic resonance architecture that caused him to teleport, not some necromancer." Poni mumbles, "Not like necromancers could even say as much."

"I meant no insult to your professional pride, Poni. And i humbly apologize to you, sir." Martyn’s words are mostly heartfelt.

"Well not tanglin' with a necromancer suits me fine." Urrak says.

The unknown villager speaks up once more, "Is that... the stick talking?”

"Ha. Yeah, it does that. I can't get used to it either." Brimeia answers.

The man just blinks, “Can... I go get a drink now?"

Martyn perks up, "Now THAT'S some sense he's talking. Shall we?"

"Aye, we should all take a well deserved break with some well deserved ale." Urrak agrees.

"Break? But the Quantum Riftshift Slipstream Teletransmitter! There are more components to find!" Poni shouts.

"We're aren't all phantoms like you. Livin things need rest, relaxation. All o' that."

"After how badly things went trying to recover the last bloody piece, you really think it's wise to push so abruptly to find the next one?" Martyn questions.

"I feel fine." Poni says.

"Oh, hush you! 's your fault we're in this mess anyway. Let us have some fun!" Brimeia grumbles.

"If I snap Poni in half does that diminish or increase our chances of living long lives?" Martyn asks.

"You couldn't if you wanted to, but even if you did, you'd never fix the Quantum Riftshift Slipstream Teletransmitter or stabilize the envirochronic resonance architecture and you'd just pop in and out of your life until you die. Hope you don’t have any important plans coming up or a girlfriend who actually likes you being there."

"This way, we can search the city more. But I do have to agree with Poni just this once. Take a break for now but then back to work," Ravaphine says with slight uncertainty in her voice. Ravaphine takes the stick and shoves him into her backpack.

"No one said anything about abandoning the plans to restore Poni's malfunctioning invention. just a drink to take the edge off the last adventure."

"We should get t' know this town we keep gettin' poofed in n' out of as well."

"Lead the way," Ravaphine says.

Gunnloda nods, "Not a bad idea, but I'm going to go bury his body. Perhaps I'll catch up to you in the tavern." You're not sure if you've ever met someone as honest looking as Gunnloda, but you're pretty sure she wouldn't be able to lie convincingly if she tried.

"He might be small, but did y' need any help?"

"I.. " Brimeia grimaces at the thought, "Could help you dig?"

Gunnloda smiles, "I can handle it, but I appreciate the offer."

"A'course. Now let's get to the that tavern!" Urrak begins to climb the stairs out of the basement.

"Sound idea!" Martyn follows her up.

Brimeia trundles along with the others, exhausted from the encounter with the apparitions.

Gunnloda follows everyone up, then ducks behind a wall, picks up a covered body, and heads north in the direction of the temple.

The carts outside have mostly been emptied of goods and there's a sign posted with an arrow towards the Cask. As the group gets closer they hear a bit of music coming from the open door of the tavern.

Urrak walks through the doors of the tavern and makes a beeline to the bar.

Inside, there's several people sitting at tables, talking and a couple people in the kitchens. There's a man with a flagon sitting behind the bar, and a pretty half-elven woman sitting on the end of it with bright blue hair, playing her lyre.

Ravaphine sits at the table closest to the pretty elf, enamored

"Ahh, this is more like it," Brimeia sighs contentedly as she strolls in behind the others.

Urrak walks up to the man behind the bar "An ale, please, barkeep."

Martyn steps between Urrak and the half-elven lady playing the lyre, "Beer, please." He says to the bartender.

The man looks up, half-drunk and raises his eyebrows. "Yeah? Eh." He raises his flagon in the direction of the mugs and casks. "Help yerself. We all are."

"Help...myself? Y'mean there's no barkeep, no kitchen staff?" The man shrugs at Urrak’s question. She steps behind the bar and grabs a cask. She fills it with ale for Martyn and then for herself, sneakily leaving a copper piece for each drink behind the bar. "Well an ale's an ale. Cheers, elf"

"Thanks quite a lot," Martyn says and turns towards the lady playing the lyre as he drinks. He says nothing, just appreciates the music.

Mid drink, Urrak notices the half-elf and nearly chokes. Her eyes glazing over with the memories of old ghosts. She decides to stay where she is and drain the cask.

Martyn notices the uncomfortable silence from Urrak behind him, "You alright mate?"

"A-Aye, I'm fine."

"Sounds great to me!" Brimeia puts a hand on the bar and goes to hop over, but her toe catches on the edge and she faceplants right into the drunk's lap, knocking over several mugs in the process and making a huge clatter. Several heads turn and the half-elf stops playing. "Are you ok?"

Brimeia is startled by the sudden tumble and takes a second to right herself, but when she does she lets out a rumble of laughter. "Ha. Plenty ok!"

Ravaphine walks behind the bar and makes herself a drink and another two for the orc and the face planting tiefling. She slides one over to Urrak and helps Brimea up.

"Thank you," Brimeia says sheepishly.

"Ah, thank y' kindly." Urrak can't help but smile at Brimeia's fall, "Glad t' see things haven't changed."

The people in the bar turn back to their conversations and the elf goes back to playing, chuckling at the fall.

"I give it a 10 for attempt and a 5 for execution but a solid 8 for entertaining me." Martyn says to Brimeia.

"Ah, keep that up elf-man and I'll show you how I really entertain," Brimeia shoots back at Martyn with a warning glance.

"Is that a promise? I'd sorely love to see that."

Ravaphine stays behind the bar and pretends she's the barkeep.

“Ha! No need to be so hostile. Like it or not, we're bound by some kind of fate. We might as well get along."

Brimeia huffs, but decides she doesn't quite want to get into a brawl here... at least for now.

"Wise as that is, it also sounds boring." he finishes his first. "However i'd rather have another one of these instead." he passes the mug towards Ravaphine, "Please?"

As much as a free beer fills me, I get the feelin' there's something not right 'ere. Any of you feel the same?"

"If I'm going to be completely honest, I don't really know much of you lot. And as the barkeep, I should know these things," Ravaphine says as she passes Martyn another glass.

"Oh? New barkeep, eh? And a fine one at that!" Brimeia chuckles.

“Honestly i was trying to ignore the sensation and trying to get as drunk as possible before we go after the next component." Martyn sulks.

Urrak goes back to watching the half-elf, trying to get a read on her, but she just seems content to play her lyre for the masses.

Ravaphine notices Urrak's change in demeanor and walks up to her. "You seem a little distracted," Ravaphine says.

"I'll be honest with ye, that half-elf...reminds me of someone I used t' know. I've got a...general feelin' there might be somethin' about 'er. Besides looks, if ye catch me"

"Oooh, a special someone?" Brimeia leans in, not caring if it was a private conversation or not.

"She reminds you of a partner?"

“Well now we're gettin' a little close, but aye. A long time ago."

"Lay off on the heavy questions, we're all just enjoying ourselves here."

"Well, weren't you just saying we ought to get along?" Brimeia chuckles but otherwise leaves it alone.

Ravaphine takes a pint to the half-elf lyre player at the bar to talk to her and see if anything seems off. "Hi, I got this for you. for your musical talents.”

She finishes her song with a flourish and grins at Ravaphine. "Thanks, but isn't it a bit early to be drinking?"

“You seemed parched and well, this was the only beverage available"

“Well, thank you. You are?" she asks, taking a drink.

"Ravaphine," she says with a smile, "What about you? What's your name?"

"I go by Cyan," she smiles, gesturing towards her bright blue pixie cut. "Are you from here?"

"I'm just traveling with my friends over there," she points to the trio behind her, "are you from these parts of Belbury?"

"Bellbury? Is that here? No, I'm from somewhere else."

"Indeed. I never heard about it until about yesterday...care to join us at the bar?" she asks the half-elf.

Cyan glances up at the others and smiles, picking up her mug and hopping off the bar. "Sure. I'd love to meet them."

As Ravaphine walks over with the elf, a couple people disappear mid-conversation and a few others walk in, confused, but mentioned they were following the sign outside with an arrow pointing to The Cracked Cask.

“I wonder who put the sign up outside..." Ravaphine muses.

"I don't know about the sign. I saw it when I first appeared here."

Ravaphine stops in front of her companions and introduces Cyan. "Everyone, meet Cyan the lyre player."

"Ah, today's my lucky day! Another beautiful lass for company!" Brimeia calls out in a friendly voice.

"A pleasure to meet you all. And you, are you ok? Nothing bruised but your ego, I hope?"

Brimeia only laughs at the mention of her earlier stumble. "Ah, my ego is tough as my skin. Not a scratch. "

"Good, good. It was quite an entrance, though. Definitely a head-turner."

Urrak, begins to sweat slightly but offers a kind greeting "Well met, Cyan. I'm Urrak, of the D'Akshi stronghold. And I can attest to the sturdiness of Brimeia here. She's tough if not a bit ungainly"

"Urrak. What an interesting name. I'm not sure I've heard of D'Akshi."

"I-It's a small settlement, deep in the heart of the forest. I'd be more surprised if ye had heard of it.”

"Are you feeling well? There are some people making breakfast if you need it."

"D-don't mind me, just feelin' a bit o' this drink I reckon" she takes another gulp of ale.

"Breakfast sounds better than splendid!" Martyn stands up. "Martyn Hornback. at your service."

"Pleasure... is that everyone, then?" she asks, looking at each of you to make sure nobody was left out.

"Not quite. a few of our number have gone elsewhere on their own business for a time."

"Ravaphine, Martyn, Urrak, Brimeia?"

Ravaphine grins, "That's us!"

"That we are." Martyn nods.

"You look like you've been through some nasty business." Cyan reaches out and brushes some ash from one of Brimeia's shoulders.

"Why thank you," Brimeia says flashing a smile.

"Are you a musician back home?" Ravaphine asks Cyan, "you play lovely music."

"Thank you, and I am. Among other things."

Where are you from, if ye don't mind me askin'?"

"Oh? What other talents do you have?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" She winks.

Urrak scans the half-elf from behind her cask of ale, Cyan is definitely charming and seems to know how to use it to her advantage, but she's not exactly hiding that either.

"I could show you show you some of mine if you showed me some of yours?"

Ravaphine also seems a little wary of the half elf and tries to see if she is hiding anything from the group.

She laughs. "I think I already saw some of yours."

Brimeia chuckles, "I suppose you did. But I've got a few others."

"Do you enjoy magic?" Ravaphine asks, still a little wary of the half-elf, as she continues to prod her for anything that’s possibly damming.

"On occasion." Cyan holds out her hand and a small, glowing blue light appears in her palm. She closes her hand and it disappears.

"Quite the party trick. Bet y' could use that for all kinds of things. Parties, birthdays...thievin" Urrak mumbles the last of the list. Martyn reaches behind the bar to get Urrak another tankard in victory.

She gasps dramatically. "Thieving? Me?"

"I suppose I could use it for that, but why pick pockets when I can just smile and get exactly what I want from someone?"

"AH! A fellow entrepreneur. It's nice to meet someone else so cleverly inclined with their hands." Martyn says.

"I think the only thing you've stolen have been a few hearts," Ravaphine says with humor in her voice.

"Guilty as charged."

Ravaphine spots Gunnloda entering the tavern, she motions for her to join them. Gunnloda holds up her finger, gesturing for her to wait just a moment before disappearing into the kitchen. Ravaphine purses her lips and excuses herself, following her.

Urrak turns back to the half-elf, her attention returning after watching Ravaphine leave, "Sorry, I can't seem t' recall, where did ye say ye were from?"

"I'm not sure I did. I woke up this morning in Westband."

~\*~\*~

Before Ravaphine can make it through the door, Gunnloda nearly runs into her as she’s coming back out. "Oh! Hello, dear. I was just checking in on them. Did you need something?"

"Just wanted to say ‘hi’," Ravaphine says as she peeks into the kitchen, spotting two people making food.

"Hi?"

"Do you happen to know why there is a sign out front?"

"Aye. I asked one of the men... Bergam, I think it was, to put it up so people would gather in one place instead of wandering about the city. Seemed smart."

"That's a smart idea," Ravaphine says to Gunnloda, "Would you like to come join us up at the bar? We made a new friend."

"I'd love to." They walk up to the others and Ravaphine introduces Gunnloda to Cyan.

Cyan holds out her hand. "A lady of the cloth? Pleasure to meet you. Cyan."

Gunnloda shakes her hand. "Same to you. Name's Gunnloda."

Urrak waits for them to finish before saying, "Westband, Bellbury, all that travelin' I've done and yet I've never heard of any of these towns. Are we even on the same world?" Urrak poses the last question more to herself than the others. "Y' seem right casual with this whole thing, Cyan. Y'familiar with this kind of mad magic?"

"Magic? I suppose something like this could only be magic... no. Not this particularly. Teleportation, I assume?"

"Mass, random teleportation, aye." Urrak drains the cask and places it on the bar behind her "It's been, an interesting day and a half t' be sure. I'm just lucky to have a group with me, would hate t' go through this nonsense alone. Do you have a group? Or are y' just as lost as the rest o' these folks?"

"I've talked to a few here or there, but mostly they're just fishers and farmers. You lot are the most interesting folks to come through so far."

"We're all just trying to get back home, do you want to join our group and help us all get back?" Ravaphine asks.

"Can't say I wouldn't enjoy a little adventure. What exactly did you have in mind?"

"Oh just teleport to strange places, fight things, find magical fragments to fix the .. teleporting thing." Brimeia pipes in.

Cyan raises an eyebrow and a slow smile crosses her face. "Now that sounds like a story."

Ravaphine sticks her hand out for Cyan to shake "What do you say? Welcome to the team?"

Cyan takes her hand. "Does this team have a name?"

"Martyn and...the team of attractive and strong women, even more so now," Ravaphine says.

Urrak chuckles and says "The Poni Express."

"That too."

Cyan looks confused. "The Poni Express? That's... random?"

"We'll explain it to you when we get there. It's a long story."(edited)

"Luckily I love long stories."

Ravaphine takes the time to explain everything that’s happened so far, Cyan rapt with interest. "What do you say? Still interested?"

"Sure. Assuming I don't randomly disappear."

"Afraid there's no guarantee o' that"

Ravaphine agrees with Urrak, "Sadly we can't guarantee that, but we can all do what we can while we have our resources."

"Someone DID mention food, didn't they?" Martyn interrupts, no longer patient about listening to a story he is already aware of.

Several hours of chatting with one another, food, more drinks, and relaxation are spent in the cask, people continuing to pop in and out, Gunnloda, Urrak, and Martyn disappearing sometime after lunch.

Resisting the urge to scream from the quick transition and completely losing everything she planned on doing back home, Seirixori heads to the tavern. She notices a few familiar faces sitting in the corner with tables pushed together along with an unfamiliar, unarmored half-elf with a bright blue pixie cut.

"Hey! There's the citrus lover." Ravaphine says as she waves at Seirixori walking through the door.

Seirixori gives a hesitant low wave, unsure if she wants to join the group. She heads towards the bar searching for water to prolong not joining them.

Ravaphine slows her wave as she watches Seirixori walk away and then coughs and retracts her hand behind her neck like nothing happened.

Cyan looks over at Ravaphine. "Friend of yours?"

"I'm not sure," Ravaphine says to Cyan, "but she's part of our group."

Seirixori manages to grab a couple bottles of water, her tail nearly knocking over all the others in her excitement. She turns to the large group again and slowly makes her way over, sitting slightly outside of them, still uncomfortable with everyone.

"That looks like an excellent idea. I'll be right back with more drinks." Cyan stands and leaves the table.

Seirixori turns to the rest, "Who is that?"

Brimeia perks up at the question. "Some musical lady that makes Urrak all flustered," she chuckles.

"She plays the lyre and it's wonderful," Ravaphine says with slight admiration in her voice,  coughs "You know, for distracting beasts in battle."

"Oh, that sounds... nice?" Seirixori takes a sip of her water and notices Enna walk in and hang out on the outskirts of their group, fidgeting with the bracer on her right arm, "Hello," she gives a low wave.

Ravaphine nods to the familiar face "Rest up well? Let me grab you a beverage. Would you like some water?"

"As well as one could, considering the things we saw." Enna hesitates at the offer, but nods.

"You'll have to catch me up on the other creatures you have encountered." Ravaphine says before making her way to the bar.

Cyan's at the bar, piling a tray with an assortment of drinks and a platter full of meats, fruit, and bread. "Everything ok?"

"Just grabbing some water for another one of my companions," she says, accidentally dropping the bottle on the counter. "Can I help you carry any of that?"

"Nope. I have plenty of practice. Shall we?" She easily hefts the tray, completely loaded with items and carries it back with the ease of a well-practiced barmaid.

"The gnome..stick... ported us into the middle of an undead-ravaged wasteland. They kept coming, relentlessly." Enna says as Ravaphine comes back and hands her the water.

"That was not something I wish to do again. I'm glad we got it of there." Seirixori says.

"Sounds like quite the adventure." Ravaphine sits back down.

Cyan sets a drink in front of Brimeia and Ravaphine's spots, the same they’ve been drinking all day, and a couple others in front of Seirixori and Enna- both water and ale, before setting the platter in the center.

"Ah, thank you, Cyan," Brimeia beams at the sight of more food and drink.

“Thank you." Enna sniffs the water, a force of habit as she checks for any tampering.

"I wasn't sure what you'd drink. I'm Cyan," she says, holding her hand out to Seirixori first, who just sort of stares at her hand and doesn’t move.

"Seirixori, Enna, meet Cyan." Ravaphine says as she points between the three. "Cyan said she will be accompanying us on our journey to get back home."

"Have you found yourself here much alike the rest of us, at the behest of the gnome? You seem to be quite well acquainted with this place." Enna says.

Cyan drops her hand and takes her seat again. "Something like that. I've only seen this tavern so far, but I've been here most of the day. Ravaphine was kind enough to fill me in on some of the adventures you've had."

Seirixori picks up some of the food and starts to eat it slowly, and just listens to the conversation, as Ravaphine asks,  "Enna, what were your whereabouts prior to coming to this town? I don't think I have had the chance to ask you yet." She offers a slice of bread to Enna.

"Whereabouts may be the simplest way to answer that question. I don't exactly have a landing spot, most of my days. Try to keep my own company, honestly."

"Here, here" Ravaphine brings up her glass to clink in acknowledgement with Enna, "I take it you travel plenty?"

"Sounds awfully lonely to me." Cyan says.

"I go where I see there's a need, yes." She shrugs at Cyan’s comment, "Not so much lonely as... for the better, I think."

"Cryptic...but interesting. Glad to see you back around these parts." Ravaphine says as she stuffs some bread in her mouth. Enna pulls back a little, scrunching in on herself, the length of the conversation something she isn’t used to.

Cyan reaches across the table and puts her hand over Enna's. "It's ok. We're all friendly here."

"I don't think I've ever had the fortune of being in nice company before now," Seirixori mutters quietly into her food at the comment.

Enna recoils at the unexpected touch and pulls her hand back "I don't much like the touching, apologies. Startled, is all."

"No, my apologies. I overstepped."

"I appreciate the sentiment, though. My thanks." The consternation on Enna's face slightly lessens.

Brimeia grabs a hunk of the meat and chomps into it heartily. "The freedom of travel is great, but a little company now and then is nice too isn't it?"

"Nobody gets left behind, or forgotten." Ravaphine nods to herself.

Cyan chuckles sitting back in her seat. "Something like that." She addresses Seirixori and Enna. "These two have been telling me stories about what's been happening here, but do either of you have fun stories to tell about where you come from?"

"Yeah, Seir, what about you? What've you been up to?" Brimeia asks.

"Hunting bandits, or well trying to. However this is...not helping."

"Bandits, huh? Didn't think you were such a crimefighter!"

"Yes, crimefighter, that's exactly what I'm doing." Seirixori deadpans.

"So, both of you seem kind of strong." Ravaphine says suddenly. Enna looks at Ravaphine with a very confused look on her face. "I wonder who would win in an arm wrestling match" Ravaphine motions to Seirixori and Brimeia.

Seirixori rolls her eyes. "Really?"

"2 copper pieces and a plate of meat for the winner!"

Cyan rolls her eyes. "The meat is free anyway without anyone to charge for it."

Brimeia turns toward Ravaphine. "Hm? A tussle? Why, me, of course!"

"Both of these things sound like good things. Stories of bandits and feats of strength!" Cyan says.

"Strength is not the only way to win a battle."

"Of course not. I was referring to arm wrestling."

"Of course, however I was addressing Brimeia. Not all tussles require strength."

Cyan raises an eyebrow. "Real wrestling? I'm sure we could find a place for that as well."

"Shall we put it to the test then?" Brimeia says excitedly.

Enna grows agitated, watching the conversation. "Wrestling? Surely there are more pressing concerns at hand? I was just zapped here, hot on the trail of a band of gnolls heading to ransack a village, only to find you all interested in child's play for bored drunkards?"

"As I understand it, there was a rather severe fight this morning and it's been decided to wait until they've rested to return to the task at hand." Cyan replies.

Seirixori shrugs, "We all need a break sometimes, I suppose."

"What's life without a bit of fun now and then?" Brimeia says jovially.

“Trust me, if we could find a way to get us all back to our homes, we would have found it out by now. We just have to take advantage of the spare time we have now without things attacking us."

"I'll toast to that!" Brimeia hoists her mug in the air before taking another gulp.

They spend the rest of the night chatting and eating before they all head up and find whatever sleeping arrangements they can and resting for the night.

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