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Hero, Don't Kill The Demon King! Chapter 1: Lives Not Yet Thrown Away


Nanami Touko
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The argument turned into mindless shouting very quick. Jade seemed pretty snarky about that remark. It was just a question, should it not be allowed to be asked? The siren herself was treated with suspicion when she joined, but whatever goes on with Jade is being swept under the rug? The hypocrisy! So, Bladen was 'held back' by Taiyute? Then why would he blame Marina for it and not Taiyute? He's just looking for people to blame that aren't himself. It was pitiful, really. But before Gabriela could give an angry response, Lavinia put an end to it. They did purge the undead creatures who attacked them, and guaranteed the safety of the nearby villages, that's true. But to claim they were 'tired?' The vampire was ignoring the details and the importance of what was actually going on. As Marina and soon Bladen too vacated the premises, Gabriela saw that there wasn't any point in arguing the point further. She would just get ignored or argued with. ''Hmph. Whatever.'' Giving one last look to Jade, Gabby spread her wings and flew over the woods for a bit, before landing near the wagons and sitting down on the ground for a bit, thinking about what just happened. Had she been too nosy? Had she made new enemies with her inquisition? Or is she overthinking things?

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So she was going to prod into that then. Of course she was. He had no reason to be away from the group, just like she did. He couldn't believe her story (there was no way Lavinia would have left her alone like this, and the monsters had all disappeared when the wraith had been 'defeated') anymore than he could bring himself to talk about what had happened. She'd just tell him that he had let his emotions get the better of him and hadn't she told him he needed to work on that and really he was lucky he hadn't had a glowing sword burst out of him and strike the hero down. He could just hear the teasing in her voice. No, he couldn't do that.

"Tell you what. I'll tell you if you tell me what really happened to your arm, hmm?" If she could keep secrets, so could he. Besides, they'd be getting back to the group soon anyways, and she'd surely hear everything there. No need for him to reopen that seal on his emotions.

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Ah, so he didn't want to share. He had no real reason not to believe her. Asami could only sigh. "What really happened? Do you trust me so little? What else could have possibly happened, Bladen? The only medusa in Vaia is sitting on her throne back at the castle. Gabriela flew in all in a huff, Lavinia and Jade sped off, and I was ambushed. I'm already in such pain, yet you have to drive the knife further... What have I done to deserve such disbelief...?" A pout, half real, if he didn't want to open up, did he need to question her to hide his feelings?

"Besides, you've told me enough," she started anew, pout fading. "Something did happen, and I'm sure Lavinia or Nessraya will tell me if you won't. Must be embarrassing if you can't do it yourself, though..."


"Oh, Xalrei..." Laselia couldn't help her own sniffles as the girl broke into tears, holding her tight and patting her hair. "You're a wonderful girl, Xalrei. I'm sorry you've been placed under such burdens..." She truly didn't deserve to have to suffer everything she had been. From the death of her friends, to meeting the hero, now finding out who she really was. It was remarkable that Xalrei hadn't fallen apart of given up... Maybe some part of this information had helped to steel her, in a way. Direction, perhaps? Knowing who she was, and what that entailed...


"M-Marina..." Taliyah didn't know what to say towards this outburst. First thing, she'd been hugged, and then dragged out of sight, flailing the whole way. Now Marina was melting down... W-Wasn't this a job for Nessraya? Lavinia? A-Agni? "I..." Did she have, any advice? Anything she could offer to Marina to try and calm the girl's spirits?

"... ... I... I didn't r-really know my, mother... She died when I, I was real young. But... M... My dad, wasn't always a bad, person. My, uhm... Before, sh-she, died, my mom... Used to tell me, that sometimes, good people, do bad things. It just takes them a while to realize, that they're doing them. You... You realized in time, Marina. You can make things better, r-right? Even if it hurts, uhm... You, can still make it better... M-My dad, he, he might realize he's wrong, but... I don't think it'll, be in, time..." Pausing for a moment, she shook her head.

"N-Not, that this is about me! I just... I'm, trying to relate, and I'm... I don't, really... I know what it's like, t-to be hurt, but, this... Kind of struggle... I don't, really know what to say. Y-You're not alone. People, believe in you... Even, that town. You helped it, di-didn't you? And they were all so happy, and nice t-to you about it. So... So don't... Don't think you gotta do this alone, Marina. You... You'll be okay. We're gonna help you, be okay."

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"Tch..." Nessraya scowled as the bickering began, Bladen and Marina being the center of this little squabble, both breaking apart in different directions rather quickly. The fallen angel had quickly flown off into the forest, and Marina had stopped relatively close by... and was already being consoled by Taliyah, by the looks of it. Lavinia raising her voice had suppressed the remainder of the arguing back and forth, at least for now... both of them would need to be spoken with further, but it seemed for now that there was still work to be done.

"Thank you, Lavinia." The General began, before raising her voice a bit further. 

"Right... we can sort all of this out when we reach town, or at least someplace less... charged. For now, Jade, if you feel any complications, do please let me know so I might investigate. If anyone else is wounded, then please speak up sooner than later... and those with proper mobility in this brush should help me round up the stragglers... Bladen... Xalrei... Asami... are we missing anyone else?" Nessraya concluded, scanning the area for anyone else who had broken away from the pack or had yet to rejoin them.

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Gabriela was sent instead to pick Jade up, which Agni could agree with. Expedience was important, here, considering the matter.

However, the bickering related to the wraith was... overbearing, and unnecessary. Whilst the monsters were too concerned over whether or not Marina had reason, the wraith was still there, and jumped at the opportunity the moment Gabriella flew back, with Jade coming close. That... was incredibly disorienting. Agni didn't expect a dying wraith to suddenly move that fast, in his lack of experience with the creatures, and had only drawn his dagger the moment the spirit reached Jade. "Tch."

All things considered... it didn't seem like Jade was hurting. It seemed like this person didn't have a negative history with Jade, so maybe it was for the best. Marina's intuition is better than people give her credit for... That had been Agni's motivating force since they'd allied themselves with the monsters, after all. It was disappointing that several others didn't see that as well.

He would fault them for it, but now was not a time to add berating words to the pile. Agni had enough tact to see that.

"It is as Lavinia said." Agni kept it at that, shaking his head and retreating his dagger. All this bickering had only helped give others headaches and resentment... it made him quite worried for Marina. Agni turned his head to see the Hero being comforted by Taliyah, of all people --not that that was a bad thing, far from it--. Whilst he didn't expect that development, it made his worries lighten. Agni stepped towards the two, a careful, reflexive look as his eyes shifted, observing the pair. He hoped to further console in this situation, rather than add to Marina's worries. "...Marina, you shouldn't blame yourself." He spoke up, "The concern you've shown this group, the villagers... it has been nothing but genuine. Bladen said these things because his wounds have not healed." He'd... best let her get a word in first. Hopefully it wasn't overwhelming Taliyah either.

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"Mmm, just seemed strange, with all the monsters disappearing when we defeated the wraith, that's all. If you're telling me the truth, you're telling the truth." He still couldn't quite shake that something didn't play right. "Who is the person you sent ahead then?" She'd mentioned everyone that had been with them... So who was their other new companion? She was still poking, but he couldn't let it get to him, not now. "I'm sure one of them will tell you all of what's happened since we split and since you were so cruelly abandoned, leaving you to be ambushed."

There, the break in the trees leading to the rest of the group. Thankfully everyone seemed to have split apart and the General seemed to be standing pretty much by herself. Striding over to her, Bladen gently placed Asami back down on her feet. "A patient for you. Seems she had a run in with a stray monster. I'll be going to scout ahead now." He wasn't needed here after all. Or really wanted, he suspected. Time to head out, give their forward path a bit of a fly over, see if anything was in their way.

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"Run in with a stra-" Nessraya began to question, but the words stopped flowing from her lips as she caught sight of just what sort of patient she was dealing with. Asami's arm had been completely stoned, and cracks were starting to form on the offending limb. This was bad, and very much unexpected.

"No time for that now. I'll worry about figuring out what in the hell managed to do this to you after you're out of danger, Asami." Nessraya noted, immediately pulling out a healing staff and beginning to work away at Asami's petrified arm.

"Not so fast, Bladen. We're leaving the forest... tensions are obviously high, and we need to sit down and discuss... all of this. I understand you aren't in the best of moods, but we can't have you flying off right now... if you could find Xalrei and bring her back so we aren't missing anybody, that is something you could do to get some time alone... just, be careful. Whatever did this to Asami is likely too powerful for her to put down by her lonesome, and if it's still stalking about... I don't want anyone on their own and unaware. LAVINIA! HERE, NOW!" Nessraya continued, calling the vampiress over as she finished... petrification was severe enough to warrant a second look, and the knight could help keep everyone else in check while she fixed the damage.

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At his cousin's words Ren falters slightly, immediately reaching out as soon as Ayane starts to leave.

"Wait-" he calls out, cursing under his breath as he leaves to follow.  Better now than to be around the cacophony that is this damn group.  I mean sure he was a contributor at first, but really they should just take their time to-

Why was he working himself up over a bunch of strangers?

Shaking his head, he reaches Ayane and actually takes her hand this time before she can leave him behind again.  "This isn't your problem to stress about.  The hero made her decision, and while we are still part of the group there are some choices we can't prevent."  His expression softens after.  "We're not mind readers, not more so when we were humans," he jests, trying to lighten the atmosphere before squeezing Ayane's hand gently.

"Don't...walk away please?  More now than ever we need to stick together..."


As the whole squabble happened before her, Bridgit can't help but feel her eyes droop slightly in both boredom and sleep.  It was only when her dear sister's shouts resound throughout the group that she snaps alert once more, gingerly rubbing an eye while a soft huff leaves her.  Those fools should know better than to anger my darling sister.  "Is everyone quite done now.?  Our dear sister is right; we should move along before anything else catches us by surprise," she offers, toning down on her scathing remarks more so than before.  No need to be another reason for Lavinia's stress.

Still, with no hero in sight she is able to relax a bit more.  Shoulders were less tense, her eyes didn't flit around like before, and she let out an unnecessary breath.  "Anything I can help you with Lavinia?  Jade?" she then asks, forgoing the "sister" title on the other vampire for now.  No need to...cause trouble more than has been given.  

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Marina's shaking started to slow down. As much as she felt so angry, so scared of that anger, Taliyah's words, even if Marina had heard similar points earlier that day, were just so kind and so genuine. Her cries slowed down, and soon, she was just laying her head against the lizardgirl's shoulder, only sniffling. Taliyah was right, people did believe in her. Agni, Lavinia, Nessraya, Ren, and even Marina could confirm Taliyah did too. They'd help her, as much as Marina's brain refused, she was going to fight for it. As much as it hurt now, Marina had to believe it could get better.

Speaking of people who believed about her, Agni came and tracked her down, despite her attempts to escape from everyone. More of the same things that have been brought up, but it felt like a mental jab to her. How much did he hear?

"I'm sorry, Agni... I'm sorry I couldn't tell you what was going on. I-I was... afraid of disappointing you. Disappointing everyone else. You keep telling me how strong I am, but I keep getting pushed down..." Marina raised her head a bit, starting to slowly remove herself from the hug she made with Taliyah. With Agni there, it would at least be another person bearing witness to a promise she'd make.

"Taliyah. I want you to understand something." Despite the exhaustion in her voice, the redness in her eyes, her focus into Taliyah's eyes was unstoppable. "You're one of the kindest people I have ever met. I don't care if you're a half-breed, that shouldn't matter. You're amazing, and I'm glad you're my friend." And she went back in, a bit more of a genuine hug, "If the world says it's a mistake to be born a half-breed, then that'll be something I change in the world I'll help make. I'm still not super certain of what I'll have to do to make change, but I promise no matter how many times I'm brought down, I'll come back up... I won't stop getting back up. I promise..."

Despite how she felt, there was a clear feeling of conviction in her voice. Marina wasn't sure how she'd make change, but she was chosen for a reason. She would hurt, she'd cry, she'd fall. Other times, she'll smile and she'll laugh. Cause people like Agni and Taliyah won't let her wallow in her guilt. There'd be no doubt she'd fall again, but people would pick her up, and she was fine with that.

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With the feast over, it was time to return to a dormancy of sorts. There was no use complaining about Xalrei's willingness to rely on her inferior weapons when speaking alone carried a small toll. Things would certainly be easier going forward, but now was the time for patience. If the trend held, it wouldn't be too long before this group was at odds with someone else.

Eventually there would be another battle.

Eventually, Requiem would consume them as well ...

...

... heat. It was something like heat the cursed blade sensed from Xalrei. It was unclear how much time had passed, but it couldn't have been too long. Reluctantly reaching out with its senses, Requiem was able to see one side of an argument unfolding. Xalrei wanted to know what the other soul knew about her. A quest to uncover one's origins. What was the point of knowing such things? The cursed blade's interest immediately faded with the presumption that this was just another confrontation that wouldn't go anywhere. The other soul and Xalrei were allies, after all.

Still, it was difficult to ignore the rage building up. Requiem would have preferred Xalrei to simply strike the other down with it. Surely that would satisfy both of them. The confrontation seemed to go on and on with Xalrei's energy flaring up in a way the cursed sword had never experienced before. A frustrated hope, that the dragon girl would unsheathe Requiem and lash out was building more and more in the blade as she grabbed hold of the fox woman. The timing had been perfect; Requiem could only make out the fox when she was in physical contact with Xalrei, and it was for that reason alone that her petrified arm could be seen. The experience seemed to snuff out much of Xalrei's fire, but Requiem could only wonder about the future ...

Tundyssa Adozosi, was it? That was the origin Xalrei had been seeking, and now had found? The cursed blade considered this 'true name' and whether it held any value. That would likely depend on its wielder. More important was the implication of this ability to petrify others. It was obviously useful if it could be controlled and utilized like any other weapon, but would this address Xalrei's weakness in a way that benefited Requiem or not? Would this power discourage the use of the cursed blade, open up opportunities for less lethal means of fighting, or would it make the gathering of souls and magical energy easier, being used in conjunction with the cursed blade in its various forms? That wasn't a question that needed to be addressed right now. Perhaps at a later time, after things settled back into silence and the tears stopped.

As Requiem let go of its senses, zealously conserving its hard earned energy, an unwelcome thought occurred. What was its origin?

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Well, that was apparently all Marina had wanted her for. Jade watched as the Hero stalked off, icily informing Lavinia of her destination. The fallen angel and her had been fighting, apparently. Over Morwen. Over her. Bladen also made his escape, also not even addressing her. The zombie turned to Gabriela, who'd at least been conversing, even if accusatory. But Jade must have had too much fire in her response, been riled up too much in what felt like the need to defend herself, and the siren too flew away, looking hurt. What a right mess everything was turning into, no?

Morwen's shade disappeared with nothing more than a final riddle, as expected, and Lavinia at least tried to pull things back together, refused to abandon her, expressed concern. The general too, and some sense of order and civility was beginning to return to the group. "I will take you up on that offer, I think. Even without complications, if you wouldn't mind taking a look later, of course. Lavinia too, if you think you might be able to sense something I wouldn't notice myself? I'm not sure exactly how healing magics work or if they'd be useful for something like this." A check-up would if nothing else be able to put minds at ease, and it at least felt safe enough to delay it till evening camp. Anywhere was a better site for examination than amidst these old ruins.

Asami's arrival, and her wound, obviously took attention away from the merchant's bizarre encounter, before Nessraya had the chance to respond. But that was fine, there was no rush. Turning back to Lavinia, and her 'sister', now actually showing a bit more acknowledgement of others, Jade smiled wanly. "The general is right, it looks like your skills are needed. I'll be fine, I can walk, but just to be sure, why doesn't your 'sister'?" A rising tone here conveyed her curiosity about the claim. "I don't know that I caught her name, but surely she could accompany me and that would easy your worry while you're tending to Asami?"

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Ayane was well on her way along, until her hand was grabbed. Normally, Ayane would shoot a glare at whoever was bold enough to grasp her (rather soft) hand without warning of familiarity. But the person who held it had both, and more. "..." She turned to Ren, and listened intently to his words. She could see the anguish in his face as he spoke his thoughts on Marina and the situation. 'Not mind readers...he is right.' After he said his peace, and stated they had to stick together now more than ever, the oni princess turned aside for a moment. "...then try not to leave my side. But if you do, tell me where and why." If Ren would notice Ayane tightened her grip on Ren's hand before she slipped it out and lead along silently.

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She watches with calm apprehension, wondering if she was even needed here before the zombie- Jade, brought her up in conversation.  She blinks, wondering if trust can be even given to her this freely before nodding at the other.  "We are called Bridgit by name, and you may use it freely," she offers, still her usual self but offers a smile in return.  "If sister permits it, we will gladly accompany miss Jade while sister goes to Nessa," the Pureblood then adds while turning to Lavinia expectantly.


He does notice, his smile growing before following diligently along with Ayane.  As it should be.  "We could, after arriving to our destination, take time to train?  I'm sure you're itching for an extensive workout," he teases lightly, knowing well that any form of training would do them good.  Especially Ayane, who was the more rowdy of the two.  

It was also a good way to just...let it all out.  Talking helps somewhat, but training?  It did wonders for Ayane, and Ren knew exactly how to work with his dear cousin.

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"Who? Here name is Aithlin. We had the pleasure of dealing with a dullahan... A rather stupid one, at that, but I'm sure she can tell you all about that herself... Speaking of~" Aithlin had finally caught up to the group, huffing and puffing... Was she still not used to being undead? There was no way she was actually tired.

"Woo... This armor is killing me... W-Wait, miss Asami!? Your arm?" Like no exercise had taken place at all, Aithlin was alert and checking on her, as Nessraya looked over the injury. "Wh-Wh, I left you for like two seconds with--"

"It's fine!" Asami cut in, "Just a little monster moment~ You don't need to make that big of a deal about things, either, Nessraya. I dealt with it, with my good hand. I'm stronger than I look~" With a wink, Asami glanced back over at Bladen.

"Mmmnn... You sure you don't want to stay with little ol' me until I get better? I'd love to Have your company~" She didn't think it would make him stay, nor Nessraya's orders. "I hope your flying around is comfortable, if you don't stick around... Aithlin, go on ahead, yes? I'm glad you seem so worried, but we've only just met, and there isn't anything you can do here. Go help the rest of the group~" Asami shooed her off with a wave of her left arm, leaving the elf a bit stunned.

"Uh... Monster, attack? Then is, Xa--"

"Off with you already! Go talk to Lavinia about what it means to be undead or something!'

"W-Wow, alright... Uh, sorry." Flinching away from the sudden barking, Aithlin began to wander after the rest of the group.

Asami sighed, heavily. "Nessraya. It's Xalrei. She knows who she is... Because I couldn't, keep my temper. Just... Stay quiet about things." A whisper to the general, Asami said no more, as Lavinia began her approach.


The sudden calling for her name broke any of Lavinia's plans to help Jade and check on her... What exactly had Asami gotten herself into now? A glance back at her made the injury apparent, and it was definitely one that required plenty of attention. Jade and Bridgit were helping her decision, at least. "Yes... my sister, whomst I will be giving a talking to once we are traveling properly again. If you would be so kind, Bridgit, please help Jade back to her wagon... And be nice. We don't quite know what exactly that spirit did to her." Hopefully a reason like that would have Bridgit remain polite.

"I'll be back, then," Lavinia said with a nod, leaving the women to themselves, heading back towards Asami.

"Alright... What did this to you, exactly? We didn't run into any... Never mind, I suppose it's not important. Anything dangerous should have died with Morwen. Let's get her treated, Nessraya." Luckily, they both had quite the experience with petrification, thanks to their young liege.


"Bwahh, k-kindest? Me? I... I'm just, y-you don't, have to... Mmm... M-Marina..." Taliyah wasn't quite sure how to accept, let alone respond, to the sudden positive barrage, feeling herself tearing up a bit. An awkward stare at Agni left her looking for an out, a way to deny, or perhaps shift Marina's focus, but being hugged and bombarded was leaving little in the way of that. "I... Th-That's... Mmnn... Uuuuu...!" Unable to deal with the fountain of compliment, her own waterworks started, slowly hugging Marina back, hiding her face against the hero. That someone would be so kind to her, a half-breed that shouldn't have been born, was too much to handle.

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Nodding at Asami's whispered reveal as a silent acknowledgment... they could discuss what needed discussing in private later on, Nessraya began working at undoing the damage to Asami's flesh, moving over slightly to allow Lavinia easier access to the arm as she arrived.

"Lavinia, focus on stabilizing the cracks while I reverse the damage." Nessraya noted to the new arrival, not wasting any time in moving into the role she had assigned herself. Years of dealing with temper flare-ups from Thesephine had left the duo more than used to fixing petrification, and Lavinia knew better than to try and argue or do something off-script.

Given the practice that both Nessraya and Lavinia had with these types of incidents, and the localized nature of the damage, it took only a handful of minutes in order to free the fox from her stone shackles, so to speak. Looking over the arm as it returned to flesh, Nessraya gave a few prods where the cracks had formed on the stone, and along common fault lines, looking up at Asami as she did so.

"Feeling anything abnormal? Pain, discomfort, anything like that? I wouldn't want to miss any spots."

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"You don't need to worry about disappointing me, Marina..." It beared repeating, as much as repetition could only help so much with that girl. "Scrutiny comes from those who are harmed and want to find a catalyst to their suffering... don't mind Bladen." Agni shook his head, "But I've said enough. I believe in you. I believe you'll get there through your own methods." It was resolute faith, undaunted in the face of the group's atmosphere... it was nice to see Marina standing up for herself, for once.

Between Marina's wavering and Taliyah's incoming tears, it was hard not to show a sympathetic smile. Those two... "We'll find a way, Taliyah." There was still the matter of that one's father... They would deal with that when they got there, but it was wise to give her some solace before things got serious.

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Marina embraced the half-lizard in her arms. It was her turn to give someone some form of comfort. If anything, this small moment with Taliyah made her think... maybe she really isn't the animal she believed herself to be.

Slowly, softly petting her hair, Marina was still teary-eyed, everything still hurt, but Taliyah became her priority. With Agni's words, she gave a small nod. He assured her, once again, he was loyal to her. Being careful, letting Taliyah bawl her poor little eyes out, Marina lifted her off the ground, "I mean every word, Taliyah." And Marina wasn't going to let her go, not until she was calmed down enough to stop crying.

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"Yes, yes, I know. This isn't our first petrification... It is rather weak, though. Whatever monster did this to you must not've been much of a challenge." Lavinia was more curious over what exactly had attacked Asami than her wound, idly following Nessraya's lead.

"I'll have to tell you later~ Anyway, I'm fine... No spots missed, thank you, Nessraya. For a general that commands such powerful magic, you make for an exceptional healer~" Asami amused herself with the thought as she watched the group all start to leave, picking herself up. Bladen was going to go off and brood... Probably. "We should get back, shouldn't we? Make sure we aren't left behind, and all that."




A week had passed in their travels towards Tepel. Tensions had been rather high since their encounter with the spirit. For the most part, there had been no infighting, but the problem few that had caused the friction hadn't said much, or tried to bring up things since. This was fine for the sake of travel, but for the future of the group... Especially with such troubling battles ahead of them, things would need to be addressed.

Lavinia had hoped to reach Tepel before they were forced to sit down and address things like adults, but perhaps a time would show itself before their final destination. They had all been camping out for this week, some sleeping in the wagon, others setting up tends, taking shelter under nearby trees when the weather turned poor. Perhaps, given the time away from the subject, the time away from argument, given the time to think, things could start to mend? Or perhaps they would simply get worse...

Lavinia had appreciated the more poor days, especially when it rained. The times she didn't have to bundle her face up in cloth, even if it meant getting soaked, were her favorites. Even if she didn't speak on it much, the sun truly was a huge bother for her. Having to wear a full set of armor, cover her face with a hood, be constantly checking her gear to ensure nothing got through... Truly a mess. A mess she wished to avoid if she could, so the rain brought the promise of momentary comfort, relaxation, and calm. The night did the same, so while today had been poor in that it hadn't rained, the night had come, and she was free to set her armor aside, to wear a comfortable shirt, to walk about the campsite in pants and forget her duties for just a moment.

She had other duties to attend to, after all. She'd left things alone for the moment, talking to Bridgit as they traveled, but now that they had a moment to relax proper, and tensions had worn down, she needed to address things clearly. Why was the girl here? It couldn't possibly be just because she had been missed. Lavinia thought, rather, she hoped that Bridgit was smarter than that. If that was sincerely her reason, she'd be getting a scolding, Lavinia only hoped it wouldn't come to that.

Bridgit was near enough to the group, but still far away enough to be avoiding contact with most of them. How troublesome. Lavinia could understand the girl's problems with Marina, fair enough, but to avoid everyone else? She would need to socialize if they were to function. A unit as only as strong as its trust between members. "Bridgit," she called out, approaching the girl and squatting down to meet her eyes properly. "I need a moment of your time. A serious moment. Can you sit down, we can can discuss things? ... Closer, to the group." A small fire had been built in what could be considered the center of camp, Lavinia glancing towards it to try and get her to understand.

"Come with your dear sister, please."


Taliyah had been thinking seriously about things their entire trip. Marina had promised a lot of rather large things. Would she be able to follow through on them? Even if they were empty, they were the kindest promises Taliyah had ever been given. It wasn't like she was a stranger to broken promises, either. Her mother had broken the biggest one of all. She said she'd come home safely...

With a sigh, the lizard curled closer to the fire, wondering whether or not she even deserved half of what she was getting. Half-breeds weren't supposed to be liked, right? Marina shouldn't like her. Especially now... Taliyah's tail curled closer, and handed her something. A small golden coin with the emblem of Coteon on it. "I can't... I-I can't give it back to her. Not after all that... Sh-She'll hate me. Think I'm just, some thief, but I didn't... I didn't take it on purpose..."

"Whacha up to, Taliyah?" Their new elf-turned-undead approached the lizard, the girl spasming in surprise and hiding the medallion in her clothes, sitting up and staring at her.

"Uwahhh, uh... N-Not, much... Hi... Aithlin."

"Whoa, am I really that scary?" The elf had taken off that cursed set of armor, settling into some comfortable looking pajamas. Woolen, it seemed. She was tall, yes, but nowhere near scary without that spiky black armor on. "Just sayin' hi. I feel a bit, uh... Misplaced, in this group, but! You all saved me, and you seem like good folks. Figured I'd stick around for a bit and see what trouble I could get myself into."

"Th-That's a... Weird, reason to stick to a group, don't you think?" Taliyah tried to stay less on guard around her, taking a deep breath.

"Maybe! But, I've always been a little weird. Been a treasure hunter for the longest time, now, I guess the treasure just finally got the best of me~ Besides, I spoke to Nessraya about what the group's up to. I'm all for a cause like that! That Marina gal seems to have a good head on her shoulders... Too bad everything else is on her shoulders."

"Y... Yeah. I wish... She could be, uh, happy." A far too simple way of putting it, but Taliyah wanted to do some stuff for the girl.

"Maybe... We surprise her, once we get to Tepel?" Aithlin cocked an eyebrow, smiling mischievously.

"Surprise her? Like... How?"

"Alright, lean in. Time for a secret plan~"


There he was, sitting in a tree again. Asami groaned, sighed, almost gave up, but then took a deep breath and stormed on over to where he was sitting. He kept using the excuse of it being a safe place to sleep, since it was above the ground, but Asami knew he was just avoiding things-- and her! That was the worst part. She'd almost given up on this grumpy boy, and it was sitting in her mind, but until they had a serious talk, she wasn't going to leave things half done.

"Bladen! Get down here! We NEED to talk!" If he didn't get down, she was going to climb up there! He couldn't just keep avoiding this... Wasn't he an adult? Honestly! She had been given the gist from Lavinia, that he'd decided to call Marina out for something that had happened with their previous enemy, and so what? The girl made mistakes, Bladen had every right to be upset with her. It honestly made Asami roll her eyes, did he just think the group would side with her blindly? "Stupid..." She mumbled to herself as she waited, hoping she wouldn't have to climb up there.


Erephis had been pouring over her books in the wagon, not getting to close to people, for several reasons. One interesting thing that she'd found had prompted that she approach the onis, though, and so, despite reservations, Erephis began to slither towards the cousins. With a meek adjustment of her glasses, Erephis double checked the book she'd been reading, and then moved up to them.

"Excuse me... A-Ayane? Ren? D-Do you have a m, moment? I found... S-Something, interesting. That might help, y-you with your... Uhm... S... S-Sister..." A difficult subject to breach, but could she leave it alone without consulting them first? No, there was no way.

Edited by SnakeMomMelissa
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Bladen scowled, looking down from his perch to see the fox glaring up at him. He couldn't fault her, really. He hadn't especially intended to avoid her, though he was still somewhat worried about the whole incident with her arm. The elf that she said had been sent ahead to find help hadn't seemed to know she was hurt, but maybe he had just missed something. Either way, he wasn't mad at her. He wasn't even really mad at anyone. Except maybe himself. Why hadn't he just killed the damn wight? No, he was hiding up here for an entirely different reason. He didn't think most of the group cared to have him around anymore.

Still, she hadn't had any part of it. With a sigh, he rolled off the branch, plummeting downward. As he approached the ground, he flared out his suddenly full sized wings, jerking his upper body upward and letting him land almost gently on the ground. Unfortunately for his entrance, his wings had refused to cooperate for a few second, resulting in the landing being slightly more jarring than planned. Wings flapped outward and then shrunk back down, and he crossed his arms, looking at her on even footing now. "I'm not mad at you, you know that, right?" He was guessing that was why she wanted to talk, but who knew. He could never tell with her, for all he knew, he'd done something else completely wrong and she was mad at him for that. Hopefully whatever it was, he could resolve quickly and go back to his tree.

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Ayane had been in her corner with Ren, silent as a mouse with her eyes closed and her sheathed katana resting on her shoulder. She seemed deep in thought until a familiar serpent woman had approached them. "Hm?" She opened an eye toward her approach, and then the other when she mentioned her sister. "Aaah, is that so?" She turned her whole head toward her, it seemed Erephis had her attention now. "And you needn't feel intimidated about the subject, I've come to terms with the situation. Please relay what you have found."

Edited by TheRoon
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The past week without fighting, surprisingly, helped Marina feel a bit more at ease. After the talk with Taliyah, and even some later assistance from Nessraya, she was still feeling the weight of everything, but... it was a bit easier. Easier to relax. For once, if even for a bit, she got her chance to sit back and not have much issue. She even had time and patched up her jacket and shirt with the needle and thread she was given for her old outfit. It wasn't the best, but the color at least matched the coat.

She had kept herself in the wagon. It was a nice to stay out of the way, and she was working on her notepad again. Writing whatever came out her head first, and going along with it. If she was needed, someone would call for her. Then, a yawn, followed by a groan. She needed to get up, walk around. Do something a bit. With that thought in mind, she returned her notepad to her pouch.

Finally stepping out for the first time, that day. She didn't have any ideas in particular. Taliyah, no; it seemed her and the new individual, Aithlin, were conversing, she didn't feel the need. She saw Bladen and Asami, whom she'd still rather be dropped in a hole and left there rather than converse with either of them. It seemed Lavinia was going to talk to that Bridgit girl, whom Marina didn't want to hear anything from, so she just turned the other direction, and decided to take a quick walk.

As she walked, she heard a loud crack? A gun? Oh, Jade! Marina hadn't really checked on Jade after everything from the previous fight, or really said anything about the clothes. Maybe she wouldn't mind some company.

Following the sound of the gun, she saw Jade, after she finished shooting at something, at least it seemed.

A small cough, a start to getting Jade's attention to make sure she didn't scare her. "G-Good evening Jade."


Taiyute kept a distance from the fireplace. It was an unfortunate fear, the fear of fire that came with all wind genasi. It didn't really matter, the weather didn't effect her that much. What she was doing was a lot of pacing. A lot of walking around, checking every nook and cranny of the vicinity of the campsite. Another curse of the genasi life. She couldn't sit still, couldn't sleep. Her mind was always active. She had seen around the area more than 10 times within the past couple hours since they've stopped.

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The past week had been nothing short of tense. The argument that happened after the last battle still bothered her, but there's nothing that could be done. Constant distrust of the hero was making the group worse. How were they supposed to support each other on the battlefield if they could not even trust one another off the battlefield and constantly fight over important and trivial matters? 

Gabriela had been using the silence and time alone as an excuse to be off in her own little world. She kind of started to miss her old life. Sure, seducing random monsters as your bread and butter isn't the most noble of livelihoods, nor is it easy, but at least she wouldn't so committed and involved like she is in this group. But she couldn't run. Not while the whole siren clan's fate is still unknown. Plus, if she did leave, Asami and Lavinia would never allow her to hear the end of it. Besides, she has been enjoying spending time with Ren more and more. He's a goody two shoes, but a charming one. 

Gabriela sat on top of the wagon, just as she did so often, either to sunbathe or to get away from prying eyes of the other monsters. She saw the Hero, Marina go off on her own, on a little walk. She wasn't necessarily concerned for her. She could handle herself. Perhaps now would be the time to get a good talk with Agni in after the battle, or anyone else who'd be willing to listen. She got off from the top of the wagon, and looked inside the wagon, seeing who she'd find.

 

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The week passes with no other altercations, and the Pureblood wants to consider that a success...if it weren't for the sudden unease she was feeling whenever she was close to the party.  It wasn't even her wanting to distance herself from the others (aside from the hero...), but she just...didn't know how to properly act around an actual adventure party like this one.  She helps wherever she's needed, has actually made small talk with...Jade.  Honestly, she feels more at ease with the other undead than the rest of the group, which was...nice, in a way.  

Overall she feels like an awkward batling just fluttering around, and Bridgit didn't know how to handle it.

There have been times though where she's been completely at peace; just like Lavinia, the Pureblood favors the cloudy and rainy weather.  The urge to jump in puddles like she used to many years ago was great, but she holds back on account of keeping her cool exterior in front of the others.  

Now though, during the night and as they all went off to do their own thing, Bridgit did her usual thing of parting from the group and...observe.  It was interesting how things develop, but for her to be involved in any of it...

Now that just wouldn't be proper of her-

"Bridgit."

She suddenly turns her head, mouth closing before she could say anything else as she suppresses her surprise.  "Sister, is everything alright?" she asks, a small tilt of her head as she curiously listens.  Dread sits on the pit of her stomach as the other suggests they talk seriously among the others.  Her hands twist into the dress she was wearing, before nodding with a neutral expression on her face now.

"Alright...." Her voice was small but still loud enough for the other to hear her, waiting to be led towards the fire.


Just like his cousin he sits in contemplation, by her side as always.  The week has come and gone, with no trouble brewing among them.  That was a good thing, but there was still so much disharmony among the people in the group.  Hopefully by the end of this journey that will change...

As he thought of something less pressing, gently petting Ukogi in his hands, a voice was heard calling out to Ayane and himself.  He quickly smiles when he recognizes the lovely naga, before it turns into a contemplative look as she mentions Ayane's sister.  "Well, that's certainly interesting," he murmurs, placing a hand over his mouth in thought before blinking in realization.  "Ah, forgive my manners Erephis.  How are you doing tonight?" he asks, before smiling once more.

"You heard my dear cousin.  Coming to terms with what is happening is something that we need to do, but please do go on," he encourages as well, tone light even as he slips his hand under and gently holds Ayane's in comfort and support.

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"You know girls, it isn't good to keep too many secrets~" Nessraya mused, settling in behind Aithlin and Taliyah as she gently floated over, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. Not exactly the duo she expected to see getting friendly, but it was a good thing that Taliyah was managing to talk to people... the half-lizard needed support in her life, that much was clear.

"But I agree... Marina has quite a bit on her plate. I can only take so much burden off of her, myself... besides, I think this could be a wonderful exercise, hmm? It's nice to see you two getting along~"

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The week had somehow passed without incident from the dragonewt. It was hard, to keep everything she felt bottled up even more now. But, she'd promised Laselia she'd keep her mouth shut until she could meet Thesephine. Even still, it was hard to do that considering who humans traveling with them were.  Now that she knew the truth, Xalrei couldn't look at the Hero --Gods forbid it was her helper...-- without a scowl settling onto her face as her hate welled up inside her and threatened to burst forth in some sort of crazy outburst. Her eyes hadn't flared up at them, at least.

To prevent her hate from consuming her, Xalrei had tried to put as much distance between herself and the Hero as possible. The dragonewt had started to fly ahead to scout whenever she was able; without her armor on, Xalrei could actually fly for hours if she needed, or wanted, to. And, right now, she most certainly did. Flying was a welcome relief from the stuffy wagon anyway; though, with Marina holing herself up in the wagon, that was probably a given. The more important item of note, was Xalrei managing to find some enjoyment in her scouting, the feeling of the wind rushing by her never got old.

Unfortunately, that would eventually come to end when camp was made, as it was now. As Xalrei descended into camp, she couldn't help but notice the pacing genasi. She hadn't interacted with her at all? Maybe? It had been a week since she'd joined their group, and Xalrei had no strong memory of her, so she' probably hadn't. Landing a decent distance away from the wind elemental(?). 

"Hey, uh..." Wait, did she even know her name? She'd introduced herself, right? Tai, tai, taiyoot? "Tai," she decided on. Something, on your mind? You're pacing a whole lot."

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