darkSpyro

Once Nolis was healed, it was Eydis now who needed a drink of water. Healing somebody made her feel like she has been running for several minutes straight.
"At least that's something I can do right. Don't ask me how I do it or where it comes from. At first, thought my parents... or... my foster parents had some wizard in their family, but now I'm not so sure." Eydis said sincerely, having no idea of her heritage. She was slowly accepting the fact that the two people that raised her were not her blood relatives, so she still couldn't comprehend where such peculiar powers come from.

After her drink, which was almost two thirds of the canteen, Eydis rushed Nolis to keep on, not wanting be sidetracked or stopped with another battle. She had enough for one day. As they continued walking, she spotted something at the distance.
"Look over there. I think that might be the village. Come on, but watch your step." Eydis said, wanting to run the rest of the way and get out of that infernal place, but she still didn't want to risk the possibility of encountering quicksand. If the creatures living there could swim in that sand, it meant most of it was soft, very soft.

Phillip followed the half-halfling like an obedient puppy, casting one last glance back at the Gnome. Normally he would have insisted that someone stay with the little fellow to ensure his safety, but their party of two could hardly spare someone to do so. Besides, the guardsman wasn't convinced they could handle whatever beast lay within the corn maze, let alone with one man staying behind to protect the Gnome. So he, as usual, kept his thoughts to himself, simply raising his longsword in preparation as he and Todd entered the maze. His thoughts wandered to what this creature could be. Big rat-looking creature? Ring on its tail? It didn't sound like anything Phillip had had the misfortune of facing before. Back at his little town he had faced mostly wild animals that ventured too close and the ocassional pack of goblins. He couldn't think of what this beast they were about to face was, but he was certain they would find out soon enough.

Left, right, right, left, Todd's mantra echoed in the guardsman's mind.

Muta smiled upon seeing her companion was freed from the trap. Now that he was free and had his sword, they could deal with these pests. She noticed that the archer shot an arrow at Gallan and was relieved when it missed.

The half-orc nodded with a grunt and took the drumstick. When the rumbling occurred, Muta swiftly looked around in all directions, searching for the source. She noticed how quickly the goblins ran off in fear. "That's... Not usually a good sign..." She muttered, already wary of whatever was most definitely a bigger threat. Upon its arrival, she realized how right she was. She stared down the abnormally large goblin. "Well, you're a big one, aren't you? You're as big as I am. I wonder if you're just as strong, too." While the half-orc sounded unfazed, she was still cautious of this creature.

When Gallan started speaking like a robot, Muta gave him a curious glance. She listened to yet another beast entry and started pondering on how to beat this goblin boss. She scoffed at his statement. "Screwed? Don't give up so easily. We can do this if we work together." She grinned, hoping that would ease his mind. Muta turned her attention back to the goblin. "It'll go after food like the others, right? So maybe we can distract it and then go for the legs. We obviously can't go for its back, but maybe we can make it immobile."

After a little while, Eydis felt more revitalized. The blue desert was slowly starting to fall behind them, and soon enough, the feeling of sand below their feet was fading. Eydis was happy now, and believed she didn't need the spear anymore to sense the ground. She walked a little faster than before, lowering her guard a bit through the emotion and relief of civilization getting close upon them. Finally, they were leaving that infernal desert behind. As she headed to the village, almost leaving Nolis behind several times, she wondered if the rest of the companions already made it there. Surely they couldn't have had an ordeal worse than them, did they?

"I see," Nolis said with intrigue, with that unnervingly attentive stare of his. There was a long pause, as if he was hesitating, before adding, "I'm... experiencing the opposite predicament. I know my parents were both magicians, but I'm not sure I have any powers. Or at least, I wasn't sure until this task. If the Wielders of Magic claim that we all possess magical abilities, then I guess that includes me somehow."

The lizardboy has been dragging behind a lot; the desert environment had really taken a toll on him, despite the healing he had underwent thanks to Eydis. By now, all of his water had been consumed, but he refused to drag his feet and tried to keep a more straight posture, regardless of how tired he was. The sight of the village in the distance gave him much needed relief.

//hey guys im gonna put eydis and nolis in a sort of stasis, i dont want them getting too far ahead, it's not really fair, especially since wylrin hasnt been as active so her and redwes havent been able to get to their challenge yet, once everyone finishes their challenge youll all meet in the village but until then, unless you wanna have a long conversation without getting to the village, id say just wait til everyone else does their challenges. hopefully that;s okay with you two @waaksian and @Felines//

OOC: It's alright with me. We've been trying to delay their journey as much as we could. We can either stop posting for awhile or we can make the character set a camp of rest someplace until the others can finish up the challenge

//if you wanna do some character bonding that's fine, but if not yea, just wait til the others are done with their challenges~//

OOC: I'm open to either plan.

Quote: Wylrin

Phillip followed the half-halfling like an obedient puppy, casting one last glance back at the Gnome. Normally he would have insisted that someone stay with the little fellow to ensure his safety, but their party of two could hardly spare someone to do so. Besides, the guardsman wasn't convinced they could handle whatever beast lay within the corn maze, let alone with one man staying behind to protect the Gnome. So he, as usual, kept his thoughts to himself, simply raising his longsword in preparation as he and Todd entered the maze. His thoughts wandered to what this creature could be. Big rat-looking creature? Ring on its tail? It didn't sound like anything Phillip had had the misfortune of facing before. Back at his little town he had faced mostly wild animals that ventured too close and the ocassional pack of goblins. He couldn't think of what this beast they were about to face was, but he was certain they would find out soon enough.

Left, right, right, left, Todd's mantra echoed in the guardsman's mind.

With the silent guardsman following close behind, the two soon entered the maze of corn. "Well-- here we are. Be prepared for anything!," Todd said drawing his bow just in case. As they were soon surrounded by the tall crops and many possible paths, Todd quickly remembered the Gnome's directions and proceeded to go down the left path. 'Left, right, right, left/,' he repeated in his head. As they proceeded, he thought of what they were facing why such a creature would have a ring of all things. 'How would a ring even on a rat's tail anyway, giant or not? Unless someone put it there or... nah. Couldn't be that.,' he thought to himself thinking of the possibilities.

As Phillip and Todd made their way through the confusing maze of corn, they finally reached their destination as the Gnome from before had suggested: There was a large clearing, but no tunnel and nothing to be seen. Were you tricked? You must have been! But then, as you both continue on forwards a few steps, you notice that there is a tunnel, the area was surrounded by an invisible wall! As you walk past the invisible wall you notice the area is actually huge, a fair sized field surrounded by corn. The invisible wall was likely to keep anyone from finding this said treasure the Gnome spoke of. Unfortunately, just as he'd been right about the tunnel, he'd been right about everything else. A small Gnome lady was tied to a stick and hovering over a pile of coals, and next to that pile of coals was two large rat like creatures, but they weren't regular rats, they stood four feet tall and were terrifying, their eyes glowed black and they had not one, not two but three heads, each screaming and whining, clearly hungry, the two creatures screech at Phillip and Todd, one lunges at Phillip and manages to bite his armor, tearing off the arm piece, it finds itself unable to chew the material and doesn't enjoy the taste. It spits it out and screeches, saliva flying out of its terrifying mouths. The second rat who is also much faster than the two travelers, lunges at Todd, and two of its mouths bite onto both of his legs, one tears of his leg of armor and the other is able to bite through, leaving a painful mark, Todd takes five damage and the rats jump back, ready to defend.

-----

Gallan nodded at Muta's suggestion, he felt that instead of just running headfirst into trouble he should start to think about what moves he was about to make. He needed to make this throw, it was important. He leaned down, grabbing a drumstick from the bag, ready for anything now that Muta was here and now that she was in charge. He'd felt a lot less pressure now, knowing how brave she was and how well she could handle herself, and that probably meant she could handle taking care of him too, watching behind his back.

"Muta, you gotta sweep his legs once he's distracted by the food! I-I don't know what you can do that with but, We gotta, and my short sword isn't powerful enough." After letting Muta know his thoughts he winded back, ready to throw the drumstick.

Gallan threw the drumstick, not too far however, he needed to keep the giant Goblin in the area so they could force his fall. The Goblin begins to eat the drumstick.

"Muta, go!"

Just then, due to the smell of the delicious drumstick, the smaller Goblin's ran back into battle, jumping at the larger Goblin and, distracting him even more, the Goblin Archer that had once resided in the tall treetops revealed himself once more, wanting his share of the food he pulled back his bow and shot at his Goblin brethren, piercing one of the three smaller Goblin through the heart, killing him. The Archer jumps up and down, yelping in happiness and delight.

Gallan gripped the hilt of his blade, something coming over him, like a rage, a desire, a lust to help his companion. "I'LL DISTRACT THE THREE." Gallan grabbed the remaining fruit from the bag and waved it at the Archer and the smaller Goblins. "Hey small fries! Over here!"

The three smaller Goblin ran after Gallan as he dashes into the bushes out of sight leaving Muta to deal with the large Goblin.

Phillip barely had time to make sense of their surroundings - not to mention the Gnome woman hanging suspended over a pile of coals - when he and Todd were attacked by the rat-like creatures the Gnome had described earlier. He had not been quick enough to react to the three-headed rat's lunge, but thankfully the rat-like creature only got a maw full of armor instead of his flesh. As the rat was deciding whether or not the armor was edible, the guardsman saw out of the corner of his eye that Todd was being assaulted by a second rat as well. Paying no mind to the rat distracted by the armor it tried to gnaw on, he swiped at the second rat with his longsword, but it swiftly evaded his attack and managed to lunge at Todd instead.

"Are you alright?" he asked his companion as the rats fell back into a defensive position. He kept his longsword at the ready, ready for either of the rats to pounce at any given moment.

Muta nodded to the plan with a grunt. Had she had thought to grab a blunt weapon from the rack earlier, like a club or hammer, then that would have worked rather well here. However, all she had were slashing weapons, and she didn't have the luxury of searching for something more suitable for sweeping one's legs.

Although, she did happen to have something stronger than her sword. While she still had a moment to spare, the half-orc quickly sheathed her sword and grabbed her battle ax. Generally, two-handed weapons were slower but were also more powerful. That added power combined with her own brute strength could surely topple this goblin, she figured.

Hearing Gallan give her the signal to strike, she began to rush forward, at least until the other goblins had returned to feast on the thrown drumstick. While there were more threats to deal with now, at least they were fighting each other. Good. A lack of cooperation among them could easily lead to their own downfall, which was proven when the archer shot and killed one of his own.

Muta glanced to her companion when he bravely decided to be a distraction. While that idea could work well for them, she still hoped he would be careful. Still, luring those little pests away would prove useful to her. Now she could focus her attention on the main threat.

The half-orc firmly gripped her ax and charged at the large goblin. She winded up and aimed directly for the legs.

"I'm alright-- it's.. it's just a scratch.," Todd said trying to appear brave in front of the guardsman. As he looked down at the missing armor and painful mark it left behind, he clinched his teeth and and quickly prepared to defend himself and Phillip. "I'll get you for this! Just you wait!," he said drawing an arrow at the one that had bitten him and quickly attempting to use lore to figure out the best head to hit. And with that-- he let go and let the arrow (hopefully) fly into its intended target. 'Seriously-- three heads?! And a ring?,' he thought to himself wondering just what they had gotten into.

Muta grabbed her Battle Axe firmly, ready to strike, should pulled back the axe and made a run for the goblins legs, it was a direct hit on both legs, slashing the back of his legs and causing him to fall on his back, blood trickling into a pool of sparkling deep red liquid. The Goblin screams in agony, wantings revenge, it grabs its bat and presses it on the ground, use it as a crutch to pick itself up off the ground, still standing.

A rustle from the bushes once more, perhaps an even more terrifying beast than before lurked behind the bushes and had been waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike, and this would be the perfect opportunity as the giant creature was just now getting its footing and Muta would have to take a second to recover from the reverb ringing through the axe as it sliced at the Goblin. The rustling had finally been reveal, and it was....Gallan! "RUUNNNNNN!!!" the boy screamed, an intense expression on his face as he sped out from the rustling bushes and into the campsite, his armor and sword jingling as he did such. Footsteps and rumbling had followed closely behind like a lion stalking a gazelle. It was then that from out of the brush came a second Goblin boss, followed by one small Goblin, it had seemed Gallan was able to take care of two but came running, screaming like a little girl, from the 'mama' so to speak. "SHE'S GONNA EAT MEEEEEE!" Gallan scuttled towards Muta, tripping and rolling in the process before landing at her feet, his arms wrapping around her leg. "M-m-m-more!" It would have been absolutely unclear what he meant...Had the abomination he spoke of come any later. This rumbling was like no other, it seemed like everything bounced into the air an inch whenever the loud pounding roared throughout the forest. A tree feel, broken at the mid way point, splintering and tipping over onto one of the Goblin Bosses, seemingly killing him. Out from the darkened woods came a disgusting creature, it stood at 10 feet in height, a color like that of puke donned this creatures skin, a large bone from some unknown deceased creature was in the monsters right hand, gripped tightly. As Galling shivered in fear the remaining Goblin Boss did the same, trembling, one could swear they heard the buckling of the creatures knees as the large abomination grabbed the Goblin and stripped it off its penetrating armor before biting its head off and devouring the rest of it, blood soaking in its teeth, staining them a disgusting shade. "O-o-o-o-o-o-o-og-g-g-g-g-g-gre." Gallan could barely manage to get a sound out, he hadn't even expected they'd face something this scary this early on.

Gallan's eyes began to glow once more as he spoke:[b/] Beast Entry - Ogres: Giant repulsive creatures, standing anywhere between 8 and 25 feet, although the average Ogre stands at about 10. Dumb and slow, but insanely strong. Ogres like to carry about the bones of those that they kill and use them as weapons. Not a fan of strategy and Ogres pattern can never be read because by the time they've made a move they've already forgotten what move they made. Making an Ogre lose its balance may give you an opening but there are no clear strategies to defeating these monsters.

The remaining Goblin ran off, terrified as Gallan returned to his normal self and spoke "I um..." He gulped, his throat incredibly dry. "I-I think w-we gotta t-t-trip it and then w-w-w-w-we can slice its stomach o-o-open." Gallan, trying to keep his brave composure wasn't about to give up yet. "A-Any ideas?" It was then that Gallan noticed the rope that had been tied to the trap he was previously in. "Muta! Look! We can use that on his legs...But uh, I'm kinda..F-f-frozen..."

------

[b]Todd's eyes began to glow and in tandem so did his pendent, into both Phillip and Todd's heads the information became available: Beast Entry - Multirat: A 4-foot tall mutated amalgamation which consists of a body and three rat heads. Small but insane biting power. Won't let go once it gets its jaws on something. Can be distracted easily as the three brains must work in tandem to function properly. Always fighting over which head gets to eat. The middle head is usually the boss and contains the main brain function.

Todd's arrow flew straight to its mark, piercing the brain of the middle Multirat head, the other heads began to scream in agony, falling over as it began to kick its feet on the dusty ground and spun in circles, their brains still functioning much like a chicken with its head cut off. Thankfully it died quickly ceasing its uncomfortable screeching and spinning.

The second Multirat jumped at Phillip but he was ready with his sword and managed to slice off the right head.

As Eydis and Nolis continued walking, the girl noticed something was very wrong. They were leaving the blue sands, but a particular rocky landmark caught her attention. As she suspected, this landmark was in the map, and she could see from it that the village was still miles away and they were running out of water.
"I can't believe this! Scales! I think we got our hopes too high. The village is still a few miles away... three or five I suppose?" she concluded from the map, furious that their minds seemed to have tricked them. They were both so exhausted after that battle that it appeared as if the village was closer than it actually was. A mirage perhaps? The mind could play tricks on you when you wanted something too badly. The urgency of reaching the village made Eydis believed they were very close to their destination, when it wasn't like that at all. It was getting dark, and she knew it was futile to continue. If the desert has been dangerous at day, she couldn't imagine how deadly it was at night.
"We have no choice here. We must proceed tomorrow..." She said with a sigh, very disappointed with this journey. Eydis lead Nolis to the rocky landmark, which fortunately had an arc that resembled a very small cave, perfect for shelter. She knew this was the opportunity to get to know her companion better, but she really wasn't in the mood for talking.

Todd opened his eyes wide as he made the shot, surprised at just how fast the... Multirat went down. "Uh.. Phillip? Did you get that sudden information burst as well?," he quickly said shaking his head as if to clear his thoughts. He looked over at his companion and to his surprise, he had easily dissembled his Multirat as well. "So you're a Multirat? I wonder where you're hiding that ring...," he briefly thought to himself almost forgetting about the tied up Gnome. "Quick Phillip! Let's get her down before she becomes a piece of roast!," he quickly added rushing over to the tied up Gnome friend and gesturing for the guardsman to help him get the stick off the flames and onto the ground. He prepared to draw his short-sword and cut her free...

//I never said so my bad but I'd say the Village is maybe like a maybe 5 more miles away not ten, but it's still fairly far. I have a plan to get you all to the village without you having to walk, so once the other challenges are done I'll reveal it//

Unfortunately for Todd, the second Multirat hadn't been defeated so easily and had scuttled off....But not for long. Out from the maize came something horrifying, something that neither of the two could have ever expected...It was humongous. Like a multirat but nearly six feet tall, almost perfectly round and with two heads. Its pure white eyes stared down at Todd, the ring on his tail was there, shining white like a blazing exploding star bursting into hot white flames. It screamed, its voice sending Todd flying back and into the dirt. The rat turned its attention to Phillip and screamed again, flicking its large thick tail at Phillip and knocking him down as well

"What the...," Todd thought out-loud as he looked up wide-eyed at the even larger beast and was quickly sent flying by the deafening scream. "Ugg... what the hell are you?! You're even bigger then the last one!," he then exclaimed getting up from the impact and noticing that Phillip had been knocked down as well. He prepared to draw his bow, taking a brief moment to try and use lore, and aimed an arrow at which head he figured to be the better target. Worst case scenario-- he would aim for the right and hope for the best.

Nolis squinted his eyes and focused on the horizon line. It occurred to him that he hadn't noticed any trace of a village until Eydis mentioned it, so he presumed that her statement caused his mind to play tricks on him. He sighed, an airy hiss escaping his nose. He was displeased at this development as well, but made no complaint-- or spoke at all-- as he followed her to the makeshift cave.

He idled inside, eyeing the interior for a few moments, looking for anything of note or potential dangers. He sat on a large rock, hunched over and arms drooping, and stared off into the distance, where the desert sun was starting to set. He wiped sweat off his forehead and neck, and brushed his tangled hair back, before settling into a position of stillness.

Eydis remained quiet for a long time, loosening up her hair when it started to get colder. They have left the blue sand, or at least the purest parts, and the soil seemed to resemble more a combination of it and grass. She took off only her boots, and it was only then that she noticed how damaged her armor was. She doubted it was useful now. She checked on Adaon, making sure to do it only when Nolis appeared distracted. She looked outside the arched cave to make sure there was no danger ahead. It appeared that the most dangerous animals inhabited the blue sand only, so she tried to relax and recover all the energy she had to spend fighting that demon squid. Her healing powers worked on every kind of creature, not mattering if it was man or beast. Even something strange like Adaon. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't use those miraculous powers on herself, prompting her to heal the old, fashioned way.

Todd's eyes once more began to glow, it was as if his mind had been transported into a different dimension by the magical pendent that resided around his neck, into both Phillip and Todd's minds did enter the entry
Beast Entry - Multirat King: A larger variation of the smaller and dumber Multirat standing at 5'9. Basically, a giant ball-shaped hunched over fluffy rat. However, the Multirat King only has two heads. Some say a Multirat King is formed when a smaller Multirat devours the head of one of its own. Although that's just a rumor. The Multirat King eats a lot to keep its energy, the two heads viciously fight over food despite sharing the same stomach. Its stomach is always bulging out from its previous meal and thus it will often roll to move. There are rumors that if you kill one of a Multirat King's heads it will devour the other head and become even more monstrous.

It was too late, Todd had shot the arrow and hit his mark perfectly, the arrow pierced through the tough fluffy skin on one of the Rat's heads, killing it. As the other head looked on in anger, it screamed, sending another sound wave that shot both of the heroes back, causing both their armors to crack and disappear into nothingness while midair and taking both 10 health when crashing into the ground.

The Multirat King began to roll around the two, like it was sizing up its prey, intimidating it, it was like a snowball, growing bigger and bigger and bigger until it stood 7 feet tall, fatter than ever before and having only one head. The terrifying creature threw its head back and roared into the sky. Its two large tails flailed around, smacking the ground. Its head was covered its entire face except the eyes were made of pure metal and its body was too fat to pierce with an arrow. Its eyes still glowing white and its two massive flailing tails had two glowing white rings.

"Well-- it got bigger! Phillip... this thing has gotten too fat for its own good and I don't think another arrow will go though. For better or worse, we need to get close up!," Todd said still on the ground but watching the now enlarged creature. As he got up and swapped his bow for a short-sword, he attempted to use lore once again in an attempt to determine the weakest limb to slash. Part of him was wondering if he should have chosen a bigger and better close-up weapon. They had to do something though, now more than ever.

For the third time the pendents around the two glowed.

Beast Entry - Emperor of Rats: The biggest and baddest rodent of all. Ruler of all things Rat and eater of all things food. Rolls to move around. It has two gigantic black tails that house a ring on each. Pure white with silver fangs and glowing white eyes. Gluttonous and disgusting, the Emperor of Rats gives off a pungent and rancid smell if it breathes on you. Able to send people flying with a scream and rings on both of its large thick tails. The only way to defeat an Emperor of Rats is to remove the rings or cut off both of its tails.

Muta gave a smirk when she had successfully toppled the goblin boss. She watched as it used its bat as a crutch and rose to its feet. She wouldn't have waited to attack again, but the reverb ringing through the ax left her a little bit dizzy, so she needed a moment to get her bearings again. By the time she was just about ready to make her next move, something had distracted her.

Gallan had rushed onto the scene, and while that normally would have relieved her, his current state of being certainly didn't. His screams and added rumbling clearly meant that more danger was on the way. It didn't take long for this added threat to reveal itself. Muta stared down the second goblin boss. So they had to deal with two now, plus the little goblin that still remained. That was slightly more challenging, but they could handle this, she was sure of it. Well, okay, Gallan would need some encouraging, but she was confidant they could still win this fight together.

Although, her companion wrapping his arms around her leg certainly wasn't going to help. "G--Gallan! Hey! Get up!" Muta was more so surprised by him suddenly clinging to her, rather than upset with him for doing so, but she still wanted him to stop. They needed to get ready to fight. "More?" She questioned, quietly. Was there still yet another goblin boss?

If only that were the case. Muta started to realize how wrong she most likely was by the rumbling alone. It was clearly different compared to the goblin bosses. Something bigger was coming. An even bigger goblin perhaps? No, something much worse. Muta stared up at the disgusting, ten foot tall creature with widened eyes. "An... Ogre?" She watched as the abomination bit off the head of the goblin and devoured the rest. For a moment, she thought, that could be them. They could be next on this ogre's menu. She had done battle with creatures outside her village before, but not with this, not with anything like this. Muta had never faced something so large and powerful before.

While she listened to the beast entry on this monster, she tried to regain her composure. Although her outward demeanor may not have changed, her confidence in this fight did take a hit. She knew she needed to recover it if they were going to face this ogre and survive, especially if Gallan couldn't regain his on his own. At his words, Muta gave a slight nod. Yes, of course. Just like before, with the goblin boss, they would have to topple it somehow, or at least cause it to lose its balance. Although, the question would be how to do that, since it seemed that food wouldn't work this time. Muta tried to think of something, when Gallan noticed the rope from the trap. The rope, of course! That would have to work.

Formulating a plan in her mind, Muta addressed her companion. "Listen, Gallan," she began with a much more serious and firm tone of voice, "we need to work together on this, so I'm going to need you to not be frozen, okay?" Her tone was a little more gentle by the end, but quickly regained its earlier firmness. "I have a plan that may work, but I'll need your help. You'll need to get that rope and set it up so that we can use it to trip the ogre. Let me know the moment it's ready so that I can lure ol' big and ugly over to it," she explained. Muta then glared at the ogre. "In the meantime..." she began in a low tone of voice "... I'll keep it distracted." She gave a harsh grunt that almost sounded like a growl.

OOC: No worries!

"Phillip! We have to get those rings off-- aim for the tails before this thing gets even bigger!," Todd yelled knowing that it wouldn't be an easy feat for one such as himself. He prepared to run towards one of the tails, hoping that his short statue could even reach it. As he ran, he prepared to dodge any attacks as well as think of a back-up plan. 'Maybe-- but let's hope it doesn't come to that.,' he thought to himself having thought up an second plan.

//Redwes I'm gonna wait til Wylrin makes her next post before I do your calculations.//

The boy had blocked out any and all sights and sounds, that is, he had wrapped his arms around Muta's leg and plugged his ears and closed his eyes. He would have blocked his nostrils to avoid smelling the putrid stench the Ogre's loincloth and body and even breath made if he could. Gallan's fear exceeded his bravery, or even just his tolerance for anything dubbed scary. He could deal with a hundred Goblins if he had to, but the Ogre was even horrifying to just look it, and it was lucky Gallan's eyes had been glued tight shut when the Ogre had made the Goblin its meal for if he'd seen it he probably would have pissed himself in fear. "I-I-I-I-I..." He trailed off, his brain not sure of what words to even spit out.

Gallan's idea and Muta's plan were good, but how good was good really? And how good was this Ogre? The Entry did label him as dumb, but what if the rope wasn't enough? What if he wasn't able to hold it tight enough? Those were worries he had to cast aside, it would do them no good to sit around on their asses and think of negative what ifs. This was a time for action. Come on Gallan, you got this. Gallan looked up from his position around Muta's leg, a now serious expression on his otherwise terrified face. He gave a nod before letting go and running over to the tree.

Gallan grabbed the rope, he was incredibly thankful that it was long enough to cross the entire area. He tied one end to the tree, knowing that there was no way it could break; he knew this because he would always practice making knots at the farm. Memories of his home began to flood into his head, he missed it despite only being gone for a day. He missed the rooster crowing in the morning and the taste of fresh milk, he missed home cooked ribs and running through the grassy fields with his dogs. Everything he missed had come back to him, and he wanted to cry. He so badly wanted to cry but he couldn't, this was too important and he would be damned if his waterworks were going to ruin the plan. He began to tie the rope however he was...A bit rusty...By seven years, and couldn't quite remember how to do it. "Uh Muta you gotta keep him distracted while I securely tie this!"

The large beast roared at Muta, maybe due to her heritage and Ogre's not exactly being friendly with the Orcs, seeing as Orcs had a lot more brains than an Ogre and could take one down easily had they the size and training, The Ogre looked at its surroundings, gazing upon the barrels it picked them up and began to throw them at Muta. Unfortunately she wasn't fast enough and one of the barrels hit her...It was the one with fish. Muta was knocked down and now had dead fish in her hair. The odor was repulsive. Her armor now completely decimated and her health being taken down by 10. The Ogre took its time to laugh and roar up at the sky.

Oddly, even for an attentive individual like Nolis, he had yet to notice how frequently Eydis checked the bag that, unbeknownst to him, held a small creature. He did, however, notice how worn-out she was. He wasn't astounded or anything, considering the ordeal they had went through that day, but he figured it would be helpful if they were on the same page regarding each others' state of being.

"How are you feeling?" he asked flatly.

"... Could be better." Eydis answered bluntly, being taken off guard. She had expected Nolis to remain as quiet as her, but now that he started talking, she needed to take an annoyance off her mind.
"Can you believe this? A bunch of ugly adults sending a bunch of children towards all these kinds of horrors. Where is the responsibility in that? They are just going to remain in the comfort of their precious dome while we do all the dangerous work, just cause we are supposedly descendants of some fallen heroes. Even if that's true, if our parents couldn't survive their mission, what makes them think we can!?" Eydis expressed, containing her need to scream. She made it no secret how frustrated she was. Barely their first battle and she was already traumatized. A squid with both a beak and fangs? What other monstrosity had such features? You either had teeth or a beak, but not both at the same time! The squid showing it's abominable jaws and lunging at her was an image she wasn't going to forget any time soon.

Nolis simply stared after the reply, which didn't give away his thoughts. His poker-face dissipated, however, when Eydis started her tangent on the irrationality and unfairness of the situation. "Oh, thank god," he breathed, remarkably relieved. "I thought I was the only one." Clenching his fists and scowling, he added to the girl's thoughts, "No training, no teaching, and no prior knowledge to this entire situation. And our parents were killed last time, for nothing, because the Evil One is still here, ravaging the whole realm! Do they expect us to somehow destroy him this time, and make it out alive? Or are they just biding their time until he finally wins? Because if we die, there'll be no one to take our place, like how we're taking our parents' place. Next time he comes back, if by some miracle we stop him again, all of this would have been for nothing. Because they clearly don't have any other plan save for sending a bunch of people out to do the same, damn thing over and over again. You'd think that after ten years, they'd have researched for another solution; one that could actually work!"

Hissing-- a genuine, reptilian hiss-- he crossed his arms. "Instead, they send us on a suicide mission and just hope for the best. Hope that we can magically make everything better." He glared up at Eydis, although the glare certainly wasn't for her. "Well, magic hasn't gotten anyone anywhere so far, has it?" He scoffed at the very thought, turning his head away. "Magic doesn't make all your problems go away..."

Eydis listened with interest, rather relieved that at least someone shared her frustration. Perhaps it wasn't such a bad idea being paired up with this reptilian teen, although she was still appalled with the fact that he had no traveling experience whatsoever and almost no battling skills.
"Magic is just another tool, a useless one if you can't even use it to help yourself." Eydis said as she raised her hand, showing the green glow that appeared when healing somebody, and hinting at the fatal flaw of that particular ability.
"Even if we hadn't met the elders, I doubt we would've been saved from battles like this. The world has been changing. Many creatures are more aggressive than before. That squid? I fear it's only the beginning." Eydis said gloomily before continuing. As one to travel far and wide, she knew what she was dealing with.
"One thing is certain; if we survive this mission and destroy this so called Evil One, I think I'm going to go after those elders next." Eydis commented, in a tone that was a mixture of seriousness and joke.

While Gallan hurried to the rope, Muta stared down the ogre with a stern glare. She gave a nod to her companion, knowing full well what her role was in this plan. Someone had to keep this monster busy, and she figured that between the two of them, she stood a better chance of facing this beast alone. Not wanting her friend to get hurt, she purposely gave herself the more difficult task. Now all Muta had to do was not die while doing it.

When the ogre roared, the half-orc gave a deep, loud, guttural battle cry right back. While more of a harsh grunt-like shout than a roar, it did enough to maintain her composure against this threat. Muta knew she couldn't intimidate this beast, and she wasn't really trying to. Rather, she was trying to not completely lose her nerve to fight this thing. She didn't want to be so confidant that she'd be reckless, but she knew she needed to maintain her courage, lest she be too frozen to defend herself against it.

Muta watched as the monster picked up the barrels. She prepared herself and kept a wary eye on those barrels. She suspected as much when they were thrown her way, ready to dodge, although one of them still hit her regardless. She was knocked down and also covered in dead fish. Of course it would be the barrel with fish in it that hit her. Muta groaned, "and to think I showered just this morning..." she muttered under her breath. Trying not to gag, she shook off the fish and jumped to her feet. Her armor was completely gone now, so much for it lasting until they reached town at least, but she was not deterred. The half-orc was still determined to win this fight, even against this abomination. All she needed was for Gallan to hurry up and set the trap.

While Muta would have preferred to rush the ogre and swing her ax at it, she knew this course of action would be too careless right now. She needed it to be brought down into a more vulnerable position first. So instead, she actually unsheathed her dagger. Muta didn't expect much of a desirable result from this, but she figured this would hopefully keep the ogre distracted. She just also hoped this wouldn't be a pathetic attempt at that. So with the blade at the ready, she threw the dagger at the ogre.

Nolis caught on to her demonstration with her magic quick. "Ah, that explains it." He nodded at her assessment regarding the increased hostility of creatures. "Definitely. For the last few rounds I made around my town, I've been seeing far more wolves and wildcats. Usually they'd run at the sight of me, but they started increasing in numbers. And size. It was getting to the point where I was the one who needed to run away." He remembered seeing other traits as well, and ones that he didn't think to be normal in common wildlife. Some wolves he had seen with with what looked like tusks, and he could have sworn he had seen a deer with razor-sharp fangs as it grazed.

Eydis's proclamation about committing treason against the WoM made Nolis stare her down analytically. "You'll be on your own in that endeavor, I'm afraid," he replied flatly, whether or not he had picked up on the joke aspect being indiscernible. "If by some miracle we do succeed, I'm going straight home." The last thing he needed after all this confrontation was yet more confrontation.

"Well, I still hope they have a hard time in the future though." Eydis said regarding the elders, having no wish to confront them but still wishing them ill for sending them to this deadly mission.
"Anyway, we still have much to do. Animals are not as weary as humans as before. They're getting bigger and fearless. Heh, a giant squid. What's next? A giant, land cachalot? A human sized mole? Or with our luck, maybe even a dragon!" Eydis said sarcastically, trying to prepare herself for anything. Her real war was with the ogres. But she was ready to fight anything.... though probably not something like a dragon. She has never seen one, and many believed they were extinct, but she wasn't going to take any chances.

//After some careful consideration I'm deciding to continue this without wylrin, she's still involved and can continue once she comes back, but I don't want to hold this off if I don't have a timeframe for her return. I'll make a post tonight and todd will be able to continue the quest on his own//

OOC: Thank you Lunarz. We really missed this RP. I'll leave this post to prevent the double post tomorrow. It will be great to be back

Muta's dagger flew at the ogre, grazing the side of its large salmon colored leg. Upon realizing what had happened to him the ogre gave out a bellowed laugh with great zeal for the pathetic dagger didn't even scathe the creature. It seemed the two were running out of time, but Gallan, beginning to recollect his past due to the severity of the situation and the absolute adamant want to show Muta that he wasn't a useless wimp, had finally got the knot tied properly.

Gallan sighed with relief, his skills hadn't failed him this time and how fortuitous it was that Gallan had been adept in the art of knots, coincidence? Yea, probably. The young and lacking in courage boy grabbed the other end of the rope and sprinted like a cat in heat that had spotted a bag full of catnip towards the pile of decimated barrels that lay splintered on the ground. The putrid smell of rotting fish coursed through his nostrils and even ceasing breathing wasn't enough for the pungent aroma to subsist but Gallan knew he had to power through. "MUTA!" He shouted, "I'M ALMOST READY!" He'd still needed to tie the other end to a tree across the way, and thankfully he was able to do so. "MUTA NOW!" The rope was firm, suspended above the ground at a height just tall enough where it would trip up the ogre but not so obviously for the ogre to suspect a thing, although considering the brain power the ogre possessed he probably could have gotten away with clothes-lining the imbecilic creature if he had the time or the ability to climb trees at all.

"HURRY UP, BEFORE MORE COME!"

-------

As Todd ran toward the Emperor, a loud rumbling sound could be heard behind the boy, the ground below Phillip began to crumble and dissipate and then like a flash of light he was gone. Dragged down into the horrible abyss that was the tunnels of the Rats. Just as he was gone the hole filled up, there was no sight of him, not a sound. Phillip was gone and before Todd could even comprehend what had just happened to his companion, the Emperor lunged, rolling midair and slamming its two tails on either side of Todd, it roared, the smell it emitted was enough to knock out a small child. The rat clawed at Todd, just barely missing due to its gluttonous belly weighing it down.

//bit rusty so a short reply. Sorry for that. It's gonna be obnoxious to remember exactly everything going on haha. Felines and Waaksian I ask you wait just a little more, Muta and Gallan will be done soon and so will Todd. It should go fast and then the tutorial will be done and the real fun will begin.//

OOC: No worries-- I can certainly understand being rusty. Just look at my posts sometimes.

---

Just as Todd looked back to find that Phillip has all but disappeared, the beast has made it move and the foul smell soon developed his nostrils. "You're even nastier up close my friend-- and you really stink.," he said as he evaded the swipe and soon spotted the two huge gold rings just nearly within reach. Now might be his only chance without his knight-like companion to help boost or throw him. And as soon he made up his mind, he went for it. With the two tails on ether side of him, he quickly pulled out his short sword and ran towards one of the two tails. As soon as he was in reach, he would use his sword as some sort of grapple and get himself up and onto the tail. There, he could at least try to de-ring one of the tails and hope for his own sake that he didn't fall off. Or at least-- that was the plan.

OOC: Imagines *epic* music in his head.

Todd flung himself at the left tail, the ring glowing with the intensity of a dozen suns, it was almost too daunting to look at from the light refracting in all directions. As Todd grabbed the ring it seared his hands slightly, thankfully not burning him too bad, it was like grabbing a faucet that had been running hot water, the initial suprise of the heat was worse than the heat itself. It was doable but only so much as the Rat let it, and it absolutely would not allow it. (I am so sorry btw) The rail flailed its tail like an alligator in defense mode. Todd went flying into the air and slammed straight into the ground, he took 10 damage from the fall, and 10 more as the giant tail slammed on top of him, causing him writhing pain. His armor shattered in one hit and the weight of the rats tail was crushing his bones.

"WATCH OUT!" A deep voice echoed throughout the fields and a tall handsome man came rushing through the stalks, his quartz colored armor shone in the reflection of the beating down sun, and speaking of beaten down the man rushed towards Todd, unsheathing a large broadsword and dashing towards the tail, in five fell swipes the rat tail had been split into pieces, blood poured onto Todd and splattered onto the mans armor, ruining the previously pristine condition it was in. The ring on the tail slowly began to dim until the bright light was completely faded. The giant ring began to shrink and the mystery man picked it up and shoved it into the satchel around his waist. "No time for questions, kid, you ready? How much strength you got? When I say go plunge your short sword into the tip of his other tail as fast as you can....NOW! QUICK, WHILE HE'S DAZED!"

Muta wasn't surprised when the dagger didn't even phase the ogre. Of course such a weak attack wouldn't hurt this monster, but that wasn't the plan. At least it served it's purpose, the ogre wasn't going after Gallan. She just needed to stall it a little bit longer. Hopefully, she wouldn't have to face it head on until the trap was set. At least the ogre thought her attack was funny, and stopped to laugh about it, instead of attacking her.

When Gallan gave the okay, the half-orc gave a grunt and nod of understanding. Time for the next phase of the plan. She just needed to trip up the ogre. "Hey, ugly!" She shouted at the ogre to get its attention. "What's so funny, did you finally see what you look like in the mirror?" She taunted, hoping that would encourage the beast to chase her. "Come on, you coward! What, are you too stupid and weak to fight me?! You call yourself an ogre?! I've seen scarier pigs! They smell better, too! Come and get me, unless you're too fat to move!"

With all that said, Muta took off towards the trap. Hopefully, the plan would work, and the ogre would follow and get tripped up by their trap. She hoped she could hop over it easily enough to not get tripped by it herself.

Gallan had flushed red when Muta displayed such courage, not because of any form of infatuation but due to the wave of embarrassment that had surged through his entire body, he was jealous of the bravery she had displayed and it made him long for the very same thing. He wished there was anything else he could do but he couldn't think of anything... Wait! Maybe if I do something heroic and spur of the moment Muta will respect me and I can be a hero...Y-yea! I'll do that!

Picking himself off the ground with great speed Gallan threw himself into the fray. Standing behind the rope that was strongly tied with great tensile strength Gallan began to shout. "H-hey you big dummy! I'm delicious aren't I! I-I-I-I-I look like a great meal right?? Come on!" He could hear his heart beating in his head, every single babump made him sweat even more, he knew Muta had this covered, he knew his involvement wouldn't have helped any more than what she was doing, but he just wanted to show Muta he could be brave.

Muta, as nimble as she was, couldn't have had the foresight for what had just happened, Gallan stepping into the field and yelling had distracted her albeit if only for a second causing her to lose sight of her depth perception and trip right over the rope, thankfully keeping in tact. Muta flew through the air towards Gallan, the look of horror on his eyes was evident as he realized the amount of trouble they were in, she bowled right into him, cracking both of their armors down to half. They flew onto the ground, Muta on her back lying on top of Gallan who had become winded and was gasping for air.

The Ogre, being has stupid as he was still continued to run, he now had more of an opportunity to eat the two adventurers. Unfortunately for the big brute he also tripped over the rope, his shadow looming over the two as he began to fly through the air. Gallan grabbed Muta with what strength he had, seeing that the Ogre could have been going for a belly flop onto them and leading to there doom. He placed his hands on the sides of her abdomen and rolled, flinging her out from the daunting shadow and into safety. Gallan braced for impact, closing his eyes and much as he could but what happened next wasn't a Gallan pancake but a giant thud that echoed throughout the forest. The Ogre had flown past the two into a family of trees and then onto a spike trap set up by the Goblins to trap rabbits and squirrels. He had been impaled. With a giant puff of purple smoke the Ogre ceased to exist and onto the forest ground fell a giant Ogre Fang, several bones and small silver dagger.

Gallan still winded laid on the ground, his eyes now wide open and staring at the sky in shock. If not in that state he would have realized the deep crap he might have been in for his "Mighty and heroic deed." from Muta, who he was completely and utterly responsible for tripping up and nearly killing. He was able to tilt his head towards where he threw her (Into a pile of fish) "I-I...I just...I..." He was unable to form a proper sentence, it was as if the Ogre had knocked out his entire vernacular. "I'm sorry..."

-----

Outside of the shallow cave that housed both Eydis and Nolis came a burst of wind, sand flowing into the small crevice and accompanying it a metal creaking noise. In the middle of the previously sandstorming desert sat a minecart on a track that headed north, it seemed almost impossible that the two explorers missed it but there it was. Just big enough for two people, the cart didn't move, never wavering, it seemed as if it were waiting for something, or someone.

"A dragon..." Nolis repeated in a low voice, a muted scoff through his teeth. "Even dragons are the least of my concern at this point. Whoever this Evil One is has worse intentions in mind than causing mutant animals to run amok." Previously glaring at the stone ground beneath his feet, the lizardboy adopted a very dark tone as he narrowed his eyes at Eydis, "But consider this: what if the Evil One is only a symptom, rather than the cause? It's like you said. The world is changing. It's getting more dangerous by the year, and it has been since before I was even born, by word of my parents-- before it got a hold of them too, that is," he added in a hiss. "I'd honestly be surprised if this person was the cause of everything at this point..."

It seemed that Nolis had more to say on the issue, but a strange creaking alerted him. He immediately turned his head towards the source, staring at it for a good while as he wondered how it had managed to elude his senses. He was still horribly fatigued from the heat of the desert; perhaps that was the reason. "... You think that thing might be safe?"

"Well, the elders clearly didn't told us all the details. They just sent us on a wild goose chase while they stay in their comfortable dome, hoping for the best." Eyesight said with disdain, sounding bitter beyond words. It was only a second later that she heard the very same sound.
"Oh? A cart? When did that came? And where?" she asked, though sounding more to herself than Nolis.

She got up and decided that there will be no progress there, so now that there was something to investigate, it seemed like a waste to just sit there.
"Let's check it out Scales... but really carefully. I don't trust anything this desert has to offer..." Eydis said as she slowly walked to the mysterious object with Nolis in tow, wanting to satisfy her curiosity. She had her bow ready just in case, and the time in the small cave was enough for her to recover at least part of her magic.

OOC: Apologies for the late response and no worries!

Quote: Lunarz

Todd flung himself at the left tail, the ring glowing with the intensity of a dozen suns, it was almost too daunting to look at from the light refracting in all directions. As Todd grabbed the ring it seared his hands slightly, thankfully not burning him too bad, it was like grabbing a faucet that had been running hot water, the initial suprise of the heat was worse than the heat itself. It was doable but only so much as the Rat let it, and it absolutely would not allow it. (I am so sorry btw) The rail flailed its tail like an alligator in defense mode. Todd went flying into the air and slammed straight into the ground, he took 10 damage from the fall, and 10 more as the giant tail slammed on top of him, causing him writhing pain. His armor shattered in one hit and the weight of the rats tail was crushing his bones.

"WATCH OUT!" A deep voice echoed throughout the fields and a tall handsome man came rushing through the stalks, his quartz colored armor shone in the reflection of the beating down sun, and speaking of beaten down the man rushed towards Todd, unsheathing a large broadsword and dashing towards the tail, in five fell swipes the rat tail had been split into pieces, blood poured onto Todd and splattered onto the mans armor, ruining the previously pristine condition it was in. The ring on the tail slowly began to dim until the bright light was completely faded. The giant ring began to shrink and the mystery man picked it up and shoved it into the satchel around his waist. "No time for questions, kid, you ready? How much strength you got? When I say go plunge your short sword into the tip of his other tail as fast as you can....NOW! QUICK, WHILE HE'S DAZED!"

Todd quickly nodded-- not even questioning the sudden appearance of the stranger and plunging his sword into the tail without hesitation. 'Whew... that was close. Too close.," he quickly thought to himself. One moment he and his (former?) companion were ready for battle, the next thing he knew he was on his own, and then he was suddenly being rescued by a tall stranger in shiny armor. He didn't have the time to notice that his own armor was gone, though he was certainly feeling the effects of the impact. 'What's next-- a dragon?!,' he thought again not even realizing how ironic that train of thought was at this very moment...

Everything seemed to be going according to plan, that is, until Gallan stepped into the fray. What is he doing?! This wasn't part of the plan! Even that brief loss of concentration was enough to cause Muta to trip over the rope. She was unable to stop herself from crashing straight into her companion. There was a look of fear in her eyes as she watched the ogre run towards them. This was a disaster. They had to act fast to avoid being crushed under the monster's weight, or worse, eaten.

Before the half-orc had a chance to react, Gallan had rolled her out of the way, to safety. "Gallan!" All she could do now was watch the boy get flattened. Thankfully, the ogre had flown past them, leaving them both unharmed. Even more fortunately, the beast had landed on a trap. It was over. They had won. Muta could hardly believe it. She honestly wasn't sure what part had surprised her the most, the fact that they had just defeated an ogre, or how it had all happened.

Muta groaned at the fact that she was yet again covered in fish, but at least she was still alive. She shook them off and rose to her feet. When her companion spoke up, she grunted and shot him a stern glare. "I could just scream at you, you know," she began quietly, in a serious tone. She debated it for a moment, what to say to him and how to approach the situation. She didn't like yelling at people, but this was serious. He didn't just make a simple mistake. "What were you thinking?! Do you have any idea what you could have done?! You could have killed us both with that stunt you just pulled!" Muta took a moment to take a deep breath and try to calm down. "We were lucky things didn't end horribly."

With a sigh, the half-orc walked over to the boy and helped him to his feet. "All that aside, are you at least okay?" Her tone was a little more gentle now, but still firm. "I mean, you're not hurt, right?" She may have been mad at him, but she still cared for his well-being.

Gallan winced at every word as if they were being pelted at him like stones. He had no idea she'd chew him out this badly, he only wanted to be a hero and show that he was right for this quest. Muta was so graceful and flawless with how she portrayed herself in battle and Gallan barely had a chance to be anything more than a whimpering coward. "I-.." He tried to gather the words but none came but after realizing how upset she was he knew he had two choices only one of which was correct: say something or stay quiet. He listening as she berated him for his actions, his ears burning hot as she spoke angrily.

"I just wanted to be brave like you..."

Gallan hadn't even thought to check himself for wounds, thankfully he felt no pain and there were minimal scrapes and bruises most likely due to his armor taking most of the damage in the fall. "I'm fine...I'm sorry, I didn't mean to mess things up I just..." The small boy was able to sit himself up, his arms around his knees and his face sinking into them aswell. "I didn't think that I'd be any good on this quest and I tried to seem cheerful and optimistic but I'm afraid that I'm just some useless kid who can't do anything right..."

Gallan's pendent began to glow and pointed towards the loot that had been dropped by the Ogre.

"You can have that stuff if you want I don't mind, I'd probably just break it anyways..."

-----

Todd's actions were for naught. As he attempted to plunge his sword into the large creatures tail it noticed the attack and knocked Todd away.

The man dressed in white armor snarled, his lip twitching and forming a terrifying scowl as he saw the halfling knocked about. The mystery man ran towards the creature, it was as if his armor weighed nothing, dust collected on the ground beneath his boots like a powerful plane engine knocking away any form of debris, his shining golden colored sword at his side as he dashed across the field and lunged into the air at the beasts tail, a forward somersault midair before he sliced the rats second tail clean off. The blood splatter was not for the faint of heart and the man hoped Todd not queasy.

He'd felt bad for completing Todd's quest for him...But that guilt was short lived as the Rats tail began to regrow, the man wasn't able to cut off the entire tail and so the ring stayed on. "YOU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING" The man began to run towards Todd as the rat creature began to roll towards them. "SHOOT THE RING!" It was a near impossible shot but it was the only shot they had.

Nolis locked eyes with Eydis for a few seconds as a silent confirmation regarding her words, stepping lightly behind her as they crept towards the idle cart. Another faint gust of wind pushed at it, its wheels creaking against the old, sand-worn tracks. It seemed perfectly harmless-- but it could have been deceptively so, regardless.

Shielding his focusing eyes with a hand to prevent sand particles from irritating them, Nolis investigated the scene, peering into the cart and studying the stone walls surrounding the two.

Muta's eyes widened slightly. The boy's words caught her off-guard. "Brave?" She nearly whispered. She shook her head gently. "Being brave doesn't mean you take unnecessary risks. You were reckless, you could have been killed." She sighed. "Listen... I was scared, too," she admitted, quietly. "I've never fought an ogre before. I didn't know what to do against that thing, or if we'd even be able to beat it. I just knew that if I froze out of fear, I'd be dead."

She paused briefly. "Real courage is facing your fears. You can't let it stop you from doing what needs to be done." Muta sighed again. "I know you didn't, it's just--" She shook her head. "No, I'm sorry for yelling. I just wanted to make it clear that we have to be careful in life or death situations like this." Muta gave a quiet, breathy laugh, "you're not the only one worried about screwing up. Sure, I can fight, but I know nothing about magic. I hope I don't end up failing at it and letting you guys down."

The half-orc walked over to where the ogre had died to retrieve their loot. She picked up the fang and the dagger, and walked back over to Gallan. "Hey, come on, don't talk like that. You made one mistake, that doesn't mean everything around you is going to break. You still helped by setting up the trap in the first place, and in the end, you did try to make up for your mistake by saving me. Neither one of us could have taken on that ogre alone, so it's only fair if you get one of the prizes. So what do you want, fang or dagger?" She held out both for him to see.

Eydis eyed the cart, ready to attack whatever came jumping their way. She didn't trust this desert or anything in and on it, yet now that they were there, they might as well take advantage of every potential loot here was. When there seemed to be nothing inside the cart, Eydis wanted to get out.
"Well, it doesn't seem like there's anything useful for us here. Let's go. We can't stay in the open like this." she warned to Nolis, not wanting to risk any more huge creatures attacking them like last time. She was still recovering from the giant squid ordeal.

Darting left to right from the Fang and the Dagger trying to make his decision, Gallan the "Brave", finally set his sights on the Fang. "O-Oh well um...I guess I'll take the Fang, you lost your Dagger back there and this one looks much better than your old one, I mean, it's covered in Ogre guts so I'm sure the value isn't what it would be normally." Gallan gave out a small laugh straight from his stomach, hoping Muta would get a good chuckle out of it aswell.

When Gallan had made his decision he went back to what she'd said before the offer. "So...I guess being brave means knowing when to not get involved too, right?" His big brown eyes looked up at the much taller Muta, hoping that she'd at least be able to understand eventually why he did what he did, even though it was completely stupid of a thing to do.

Getting back onto the subject of their mission, Gallan observed their surroundings before taking out the map he'd been given earlier and scouring it for their current destination. He planted his finger down where they were once he'd found it. "I guess we still have a long ways to go...Might take a while before we get there."

Without even missing a beat a metal creaking noise appeared from behind as the wind blew through the trees and behind the two appeared a minecart on tracks headed North. The cart seemed new, shiny metal coating, the wheels showed no trace of wear and tear and the track was void of any dust or debris as if never been used before.

Puzzled, Gallan stood up and made his way over to the cart, slowly, and peered inside. There was nothing in it. "I...I think this is for us. I don't know why but I just know." Without hesitation Gallan hoped into the alien cart that appeared as if out of nowhere. "Hey why don't you give a push and then jump in?"