"Well now," Sunny flapped the card to palm, appraising how little different it felt to an ordinary badge of iron, and just how much it might be pawned for after this whole ordeal? Just like the Kin'd said, words began to form on the metal as if it'd been etched there the entire time. "Thanks for having me and Estella aboard, Doll- And she's asleep." Her brows raised as she watched her new boss dose off only a few minutes after displaying that fire toward the A-rank. Scary. Concerning. "One has to respect the... laxness with you lot." Sunny decided on, smiling to Vernal. "I already feel right at home."
When Estella finished and offered the completed ledger work, the wayward aimed her smile to the little one so bright and satisfied with her penmanship. Sunny herself could see the effort there when compared to the other entries, which looked like chicken-scratch compared to the care the kid took to the task. Couldn't say if their entries were anymore correct than wrong, but Estella was smart, so she trusted the symbols "f-e-m-a-l-e" meant something like woman or girl. Even with a slight wince to the crossed out "Vam", she still went and gave that hooded silver hair a good pat. Twice for good measure. "Good work, little one. Thank you."
"Guess we're official." She flipped the thin metal between her fingers, into the air, and finally into a latched pouched. "Hope you don't have any regrets yet."
When Estella finished and offered the completed ledger work, the wayward aimed her smile to the little one so bright and satisfied with her penmanship. Sunny herself could see the effort there when compared to the other entries, which looked like chicken-scratch compared to the care the kid took to the task. Couldn't say if their entries were anymore correct than wrong, but Estella was smart, so she trusted the symbols "f-e-m-a-l-e" meant something like woman or girl. Even with a slight wince to the crossed out "
"Guess we're official." She flipped the thin metal between her fingers, into the air, and finally into a latched pouched. "Hope you don't have any regrets yet."
Estella beamed at the praise, eagerly placing the book back and down in exchange for her own Guild Card, watching with wonder as the words etched themselves in. Meat too perked up, as if sensing her excitement, and wagged her tail happily.
"Aaaallllright," Vernal raised her arms above her head, sighing at the pop of her joints. "Think it's about time we got back out there. We've got enough funds fer another two weeks' stay here, but with a couple extra mouths ta feed, that'll go pretty fast. Let's take a look at the quest board and see if there's anythin' a couple'a newbies can handle, yeah?"
"...Bottom right corner," Dolly, who'd been snoring up until moments ago, stirred slightly with her face still buried in her arms. Her finger went up to point to the large wooden board near the entrance, already surrounded by Adventurers. "Goblin subjugation quest. F-rank. Get it and bring it here."
"Ah, that's a big help, Doll. Thanks a bunch." Vernal motioned for the group to wait as she went to fetch the quest sheet. The sea of Adventurers quickly noticed her presence and parted, making a perfect path for her to snag the parchment nailed to the corner of the large board.
Despite not having looked up at all, Dolly spoke as if she could sense their confused stares. "Vern always gets first pickings at the quests. They've already learned the hard way what happens if you get in her way or try to take a quest she has her eye on." Vernal quickly returned after nabbing the quest, nodding approvingly as she looked it over.
"So just killin' some pesky Goblins then? Sounds simple enough, and it'll give Sun here a change ta get 'er feet - an' her blade wet." She handed off the sheet to Dolly, who turned her head just enough to grab a ink stamp and press it on the line reading 'Approved by'. Once the stamp was removed, her own signature appeared. Then she handed it back to Vernal, who quickly scribbled on the line that read 'Accepted by' before passing it on to Estella's hands. "Well? Give it a look-see. Seem like your kinda scene?"
Estella didn't seem surprised that Vernal handed her the quest sheet, and instead roamed her eyes over the contents while ignoring the smirk the woman sent Sunny's way. Her raised eyebrow practically screamed, 'Illiterate at yer age. Ain't that shameful?'
F-ranked Quest
Quest Details:
To those who may concern,
As you might know, many of the Hamlet host concerns of the recent infestation along our outskirts. The score taken by the Goblin band now includes several dogs, pounds of fish, and coinage from many passerby who were hounded on their way in or out of town. They are not stopping, in fact, they are becoming more daring each passing night. Many families of the Hamlet say they hear them skulking about just beyond the broken walls. I fear we've waited too long already in this matter. Before anyone starts to go missing, please settle this on behalf of the families living on the town's fringes. We've collected a payment of XX gold that should suffice.
- Ethan Lichthaven, Hamlet Mayoral Office
Quest Rank: F-rank
Recommended Party Size: 6 or more F-rank, 5 or more E-rank, 4 or more C-rank, 3 or more B-rank, 2 or more A-rank, 1 or more S-rank
Quest Limit: 30 days
Accepted by: The V Gang
Approved by: Dorothy Misham, Hamlet Guild Seneschal and Manager
"Aaaallllright," Vernal raised her arms above her head, sighing at the pop of her joints. "Think it's about time we got back out there. We've got enough funds fer another two weeks' stay here, but with a couple extra mouths ta feed, that'll go pretty fast. Let's take a look at the quest board and see if there's anythin' a couple'a newbies can handle, yeah?"
"...Bottom right corner," Dolly, who'd been snoring up until moments ago, stirred slightly with her face still buried in her arms. Her finger went up to point to the large wooden board near the entrance, already surrounded by Adventurers. "Goblin subjugation quest. F-rank. Get it and bring it here."
"Ah, that's a big help, Doll. Thanks a bunch." Vernal motioned for the group to wait as she went to fetch the quest sheet. The sea of Adventurers quickly noticed her presence and parted, making a perfect path for her to snag the parchment nailed to the corner of the large board.
Despite not having looked up at all, Dolly spoke as if she could sense their confused stares. "Vern always gets first pickings at the quests. They've already learned the hard way what happens if you get in her way or try to take a quest she has her eye on." Vernal quickly returned after nabbing the quest, nodding approvingly as she looked it over.
"So just killin' some pesky Goblins then? Sounds simple enough, and it'll give Sun here a change ta get 'er feet - an' her blade wet." She handed off the sheet to Dolly, who turned her head just enough to grab a ink stamp and press it on the line reading 'Approved by'. Once the stamp was removed, her own signature appeared. Then she handed it back to Vernal, who quickly scribbled on the line that read 'Accepted by' before passing it on to Estella's hands. "Well? Give it a look-see. Seem like your kinda scene?"
Estella didn't seem surprised that Vernal handed her the quest sheet, and instead roamed her eyes over the contents while ignoring the smirk the woman sent Sunny's way. Her raised eyebrow practically screamed, 'Illiterate at yer age. Ain't that shameful?'
F-ranked Quest
Quest Details:
To those who may concern,
As you might know, many of the Hamlet host concerns of the recent infestation along our outskirts. The score taken by the Goblin band now includes several dogs, pounds of fish, and coinage from many passerby who were hounded on their way in or out of town. They are not stopping, in fact, they are becoming more daring each passing night. Many families of the Hamlet say they hear them skulking about just beyond the broken walls. I fear we've waited too long already in this matter. Before anyone starts to go missing, please settle this on behalf of the families living on the town's fringes. We've collected a payment of XX gold that should suffice.
- Ethan Lichthaven, Hamlet Mayoral Office
Quest Rank: F-rank
Recommended Party Size: 6 or more F-rank, 5 or more E-rank, 4 or more C-rank, 3 or more B-rank, 2 or more A-rank, 1 or more S-rank
Quest Limit: 30 days
Accepted by: The V Gang
Approved by: Dorothy Misham, Hamlet Guild Seneschal and Manager
Sunny caught that look Vernal was tossing, her own eyes narrowing at the way the swordsman's were laughing at her as she gave the parchment to Estella. Sunny was well aware of that look. What surprised her was seeing on this drawling merc. This slave-owning, slurring drunk looking at me like that. Like some uppity noble. Her nose wrinkled, holding a bored frown as she craned over Estella.
With the girl's help, Sunny could get the gist even without caring much about the exact ranks this organization was so fond of fawning over. "Something needs killing." Her frown dipped lower, palm plopping onto the pommel of the iron at her hip. "No sense in getting picky. Should do if you're that confident we won't slow you down."
"I wouldn't worry." The thick accented purr of the cat-kin startled her as he came at the call of an accepted job. He still carried one of her unlit torches gently in his mitts. "Vernal is how you say..." His hood twitched as he thought. "Good at breaking in the new talent." Now his eyes smiled as he kneaded the cloth in his claws. "Very interesting runes on these."
She offered a shrug. "I can read and write a dozen scripts, save the one everyone uses these days..." She did her best not to glance to Vernal. Just a nonchalant fact being thrown. Not forced at all.
Shiro or Sarah, whatever it'd been, breathed to reply but was cut short. "See 'bout roundin' up the gang for a vote on this. We got Gobos to hunt." Vernal twirled a finger for the cat-kin to get a move on.
He did with a nod, seeming to glide across the guild hall. Sunny tried to get a look at his feet to see if they were touching the ground, then realized how suspicious that seemed to be looking up fluttering skirts. "Ahem." She righted herself with a cough. "Every quest's a vote, huh? Think that... Big Guy, will be into smashin' small fry on our behalf?"
With the girl's help, Sunny could get the gist even without caring much about the exact ranks this organization was so fond of fawning over. "Something needs killing." Her frown dipped lower, palm plopping onto the pommel of the iron at her hip. "No sense in getting picky. Should do if you're that confident we won't slow you down."
"I wouldn't worry." The thick accented purr of the cat-kin startled her as he came at the call of an accepted job. He still carried one of her unlit torches gently in his mitts. "Vernal is how you say..." His hood twitched as he thought. "Good at breaking in the new talent." Now his eyes smiled as he kneaded the cloth in his claws. "Very interesting runes on these."
She offered a shrug. "I can read and write a dozen scripts, save the one everyone uses these days..." She did her best not to glance to Vernal. Just a nonchalant fact being thrown. Not forced at all.
Shiro or Sarah, whatever it'd been, breathed to reply but was cut short. "See 'bout roundin' up the gang for a vote on this. We got Gobos to hunt." Vernal twirled a finger for the cat-kin to get a move on.
He did with a nod, seeming to glide across the guild hall. Sunny tried to get a look at his feet to see if they were touching the ground, then realized how suspicious that seemed to be looking up fluttering skirts. "Ahem." She righted herself with a cough. "Every quest's a vote, huh? Think that... Big Guy, will be into smashin' small fry on our behalf?"
"Sure the quest's pretty low-ranked fer us, an' the reward's pretty piss poor compared ta what we usually earn, but we got time. 'Sides, the experience should be worth it; We need ta see how the new meat measures up to the life of an Adventurer." Meat perked up at hearing her name, but Vernal waved her off with a sly grin.
Then, her lips purse as she turns back to the once again-snoozing Dolly. "Ah, thas'right. Hey Doll? Could ya write up a contract fer Sun here? Somethin' 'bout 'er gettin' 'er proper share when the job's finished."
"Ahh, it never ends with you guys, does it?" Dolly sat up, looking more than a little annoyed now, and pulled out a sheet of parchment from under the desk. While leaning on one hand, she waved the other haphazardly as a small glow emanated from her fingertips. Immediately, the quill floated up from its position on the desk and began to scribble over the parchment.
With her eyes closed, Dolly muttered. "Yadda yadda yadda, with the signing of this document, I hereby swear, yadda yadda yadda, fair share of revenue from any quest rewards, blah blah blah, right to sue on behalf of the Hamlet Adventurers Guild, yadda yadda yadda, annnnd...done." As soon as the quill finished filling the page with text, Dolly waved her hand again and it clattered against the desk once more.
Then she planted her palms against the desktop and pushed herself out of her chair. "Now seriously, I'm napping for the rest of the day. Maybe even the week. Go bother Lottie if you have something else. Otherwise, talk to this thing." As she stepped away from the desk, she grabbed a large oak staff leaning against the area behind her and swiped it once through the air. Immediately, various materials shuffled from a hidden compartment in the floor and joined together in the chair to form a creature made mostly of iron. Faceless, motionless, and sitting over two times their height, the construct's appearance greatly surprised Estella, but did not affect Vernal and Meat in the slightest.
But Dolly didn't seem in the mood for even one last explanation, as she simply twirled in place and vanished in a flash of blue energy.
Rolling her eyes, Vernal decided to fill the void of confusion left by the seneschal. "Iron golem. Takes her place when she's off shift. Illegal as far as Guild regulations go, but she don't care." Her eyes scanned around just in time to see the group gather around. "Right, y'all. The V Gang's gotta break in the newbies. Take a look at this an' tell me whatcha think."
At the entrance to Hamlet, Vernal ordered one final gear check. Sherii seemed to be in charge of keeping stock of their supplies like food and water, and was the one who rationed out a portion for each person to carry on their own in leather rucksacks.
Once she was sure everything was in order, she stepped away and turned to face the group, arms crossed. "Listen up, y'all! Goblins're nasty little critters, got no formal trainin', and can't even speak a single known language, but they ain't stupid. They know how ta use numbers ta their advantage, and often employ ambushes an' traps ta injure prey 'fore finishin' 'em off. Their weapons are usually coated in either lethal or paralyzin' poison, and they are not afraid ta throw their lives away ta get some'a that shit in ya. So no matter how good ya think ya are, don't get cocky. Watch yerselves, watch each other, an' most importantly, BE CAREFUL." She concluded her serious speech with a stiff nod, but as she turned around to begin leading the way, she sent one final smirk back. "Cuz we seriously don' have the coin ta fix yer ass if ya screw up. Let's get'a move on now, ya hear? Time ta hunt some Gobos."
Then, her lips purse as she turns back to the once again-snoozing Dolly. "Ah, thas'right. Hey Doll? Could ya write up a contract fer Sun here? Somethin' 'bout 'er gettin' 'er proper share when the job's finished."
"Ahh, it never ends with you guys, does it?" Dolly sat up, looking more than a little annoyed now, and pulled out a sheet of parchment from under the desk. While leaning on one hand, she waved the other haphazardly as a small glow emanated from her fingertips. Immediately, the quill floated up from its position on the desk and began to scribble over the parchment.
With her eyes closed, Dolly muttered. "Yadda yadda yadda, with the signing of this document, I hereby swear, yadda yadda yadda, fair share of revenue from any quest rewards, blah blah blah, right to sue on behalf of the Hamlet Adventurers Guild, yadda yadda yadda, annnnd...done." As soon as the quill finished filling the page with text, Dolly waved her hand again and it clattered against the desk once more.
Then she planted her palms against the desktop and pushed herself out of her chair. "Now seriously, I'm napping for the rest of the day. Maybe even the week. Go bother Lottie if you have something else. Otherwise, talk to this thing." As she stepped away from the desk, she grabbed a large oak staff leaning against the area behind her and swiped it once through the air. Immediately, various materials shuffled from a hidden compartment in the floor and joined together in the chair to form a creature made mostly of iron. Faceless, motionless, and sitting over two times their height, the construct's appearance greatly surprised Estella, but did not affect Vernal and Meat in the slightest.
But Dolly didn't seem in the mood for even one last explanation, as she simply twirled in place and vanished in a flash of blue energy.
Rolling her eyes, Vernal decided to fill the void of confusion left by the seneschal. "Iron golem. Takes her place when she's off shift. Illegal as far as Guild regulations go, but she don't care." Her eyes scanned around just in time to see the group gather around. "Right, y'all. The V Gang's gotta break in the newbies. Take a look at this an' tell me whatcha think."
At the entrance to Hamlet, Vernal ordered one final gear check. Sherii seemed to be in charge of keeping stock of their supplies like food and water, and was the one who rationed out a portion for each person to carry on their own in leather rucksacks.
Once she was sure everything was in order, she stepped away and turned to face the group, arms crossed. "Listen up, y'all! Goblins're nasty little critters, got no formal trainin', and can't even speak a single known language, but they ain't stupid. They know how ta use numbers ta their advantage, and often employ ambushes an' traps ta injure prey 'fore finishin' 'em off. Their weapons are usually coated in either lethal or paralyzin' poison, and they are not afraid ta throw their lives away ta get some'a that shit in ya. So no matter how good ya think ya are, don't get cocky. Watch yerselves, watch each other, an' most importantly, BE CAREFUL." She concluded her serious speech with a stiff nod, but as she turned around to begin leading the way, she sent one final smirk back. "Cuz we seriously don' have the coin ta fix yer ass if ya screw up. Let's get'a move on now, ya hear? Time ta hunt some Gobos."
A halfhearted grunt of approval sputtered from the "V Gang", and they along with Sunny and Estella were on their merry way. Hearing poison be on the table was already giving Sunny a stab in her gut, but none of these hard sorts blinked at it, no doubt having plenty of tales of worse bounties. Glancing to the one person she might find some kinship in the fear, Estella was as stoic as ever.
It wasn't long before they reached the outskirts of the tiny Hamlet. There was more delapitated stone than there was good housing, afterall. The further the gang trekked, the stone pillars and piles waned into greenery. The dotting trees became a shady canopy with wide splotches of sunlight peeking through their wide reaches. Shrubbery sat atop crumbled masonry. Birdsong and the drone of beetles had long ago drowned any of the Hamlet's bustle, and Sunny had to push aside a strangely serene sadness welling about her. The party had quieted as they went. The lot besides Vernal and the catman were all rather tight lipped anyway, but Sunny could guess they could be set upon at any moment if goblins really were ambushing people through here.
"Look over there." Sharah pointed a thin black furred arm to something aside the dirt path. Everyone came to a slow stop as they followed his gaze.
"Hmmmm..." Big Guy mused to himself, squinting hard.
It was difficult to spot, but the indention in the ground could be considered a foot print. Small, and pointing off into the bushes.
"Do children play this far out of town?" Sunny pondered aloud, knowing the answer and really not liking it. Her hand was on her palmel.
It wasn't long before they reached the outskirts of the tiny Hamlet. There was more delapitated stone than there was good housing, afterall. The further the gang trekked, the stone pillars and piles waned into greenery. The dotting trees became a shady canopy with wide splotches of sunlight peeking through their wide reaches. Shrubbery sat atop crumbled masonry. Birdsong and the drone of beetles had long ago drowned any of the Hamlet's bustle, and Sunny had to push aside a strangely serene sadness welling about her. The party had quieted as they went. The lot besides Vernal and the catman were all rather tight lipped anyway, but Sunny could guess they could be set upon at any moment if goblins really were ambushing people through here.
"Look over there." Sharah pointed a thin black furred arm to something aside the dirt path. Everyone came to a slow stop as they followed his gaze.
"Hmmmm..." Big Guy mused to himself, squinting hard.
It was difficult to spot, but the indention in the ground could be considered a foot print. Small, and pointing off into the bushes.
"Do children play this far out of town?" Sunny pondered aloud, knowing the answer and really not liking it. Her hand was on her palmel.
Estella shuffled along with the group from the rear. Vernal predicted that they wouldn't be able to kill all of the Goblins in one day, and would likely have to camp out overnight to wait for them to emerge, so Estella had been tasked with carrying all of the camping equipment. The accumulation of supplies meant to be carried in wagons, multiplied by the amount of people there, would have equated to at least a few more days of preparation before they set out, but Vernal had been pleasantly surprised when Estella simply picked up the cluster of sacks and bags with ease.
Even now, though she had a hard time walking straight because of the weight imbalance of multiple large bags slung all over her body, Estella showed no signs of fatigue at all. Though when the group came to a sudden halt, she couldn't stop herself from bumping her nose into Sunny's backside.
"..." Sherii brought her face down to the print. She whiffed twice. "Definitely Goblin. Fresh too. Minutes old." Estella was the only one not intrigued by the information. After all, she'd already taken note of a foul odor from four different locations around them. They were moving around, shifting in place, and from their rapid heartbeats, clearly nervous. The only reason Estella hadn't said anything was because her hands were full carrying all of their supplies, and thus she couldn't get to her parchment and ink. Besides, the Goblins hadn't made any move to attack despite the fact that they'd been surrounded for minutes.
It seemed Meat was in a similar understanding, as she let out low, threatening growls while turning this way and that. Her tail swished around in small, tense movements, as if daring anyone or anything to make a move.
Sherii stood up and removed the bow from around her body. "We're surrounded. Scouts. Watching us."
"Looks like the welcomin' committee's here then," Vernal said, amused as she drew a single longsword from her left hip. "Good. Was gettin' kinda bored'a waiting fer them ta notice us."
"Won't attack. Too few. Waiting for more. Preparing ambush." Sherii warned.
Vernal shook her head immediately. "No, they're gonna attack all right. They're crazy and stupid enough ta try and take out the weakest links before their buddies get here. Keep an eye on the kids-"
"...!" Just as she'd spoken, Estella heard the familiar snapping of a bowstring and easily sidestepped an arrow as it whizzed past her head. Next to Vernal, Meat had done the same, and immediately leapt into the foliage where it had emerged from.
"Meat, wait! Oh, fer fu-" The action started in an instant, as two Goblins burst from the brush behind Estella, one holding a large machete, and the other with a jagged piece of metal. Both of the weapons' tips glistened with a green liquid as they began a mad dash for her.
"Ghoul's Blood!" Sherii called. Everyone present easily could easily recognize the name of one of the most common poisons around, with a potency that could kill animals four times their size. A human would be lucky to last three minutes after it enters the bloodstream.
"Run, kid!" Vernal shouted. "I gotta make sure Meat don't get 'erself killed. Orku's in charge!" And with that, she'd disappeared after Meat into the brush.
Estella nodded and made to run towards Sunny's side, only to jerk to a stop as one foot refused to follow. Looking down, she immediately spotted why.
Large, jagged teeth were currently clamped around her left foot, just below her ankle. As dark red blood pooled around the floor, she understood that a some sort of crudely-made trap had been set up, hidden in the dirt, and she'd triggered it. Though she hadn't felt any pain at all when it happened, she realized that when she'd stepped out of the way of the arrow, she'd inadvertently stepped right onto the trap.
It was unclear whether the Goblins had planned such a thing, or if it was complete coincidence, but regardless, they saw fit to take advantage of the situation and rushed out to attack the defenseless Estella. Not just the two who'd appeared however, but at least eight more were rapidly closing in from the distance, firing arrows and rocks from slingshots while the others held clubs and bladed weapons, the latter coated with the same green toxin.
For better or worse, it was obvious that the fight they'd been looking for had begun.
Even now, though she had a hard time walking straight because of the weight imbalance of multiple large bags slung all over her body, Estella showed no signs of fatigue at all. Though when the group came to a sudden halt, she couldn't stop herself from bumping her nose into Sunny's backside.
"..." Sherii brought her face down to the print. She whiffed twice. "Definitely Goblin. Fresh too. Minutes old." Estella was the only one not intrigued by the information. After all, she'd already taken note of a foul odor from four different locations around them. They were moving around, shifting in place, and from their rapid heartbeats, clearly nervous. The only reason Estella hadn't said anything was because her hands were full carrying all of their supplies, and thus she couldn't get to her parchment and ink. Besides, the Goblins hadn't made any move to attack despite the fact that they'd been surrounded for minutes.
It seemed Meat was in a similar understanding, as she let out low, threatening growls while turning this way and that. Her tail swished around in small, tense movements, as if daring anyone or anything to make a move.
Sherii stood up and removed the bow from around her body. "We're surrounded. Scouts. Watching us."
"Looks like the welcomin' committee's here then," Vernal said, amused as she drew a single longsword from her left hip. "Good. Was gettin' kinda bored'a waiting fer them ta notice us."
"Won't attack. Too few. Waiting for more. Preparing ambush." Sherii warned.
Vernal shook her head immediately. "No, they're gonna attack all right. They're crazy and stupid enough ta try and take out the weakest links before their buddies get here. Keep an eye on the kids-"
"...!" Just as she'd spoken, Estella heard the familiar snapping of a bowstring and easily sidestepped an arrow as it whizzed past her head. Next to Vernal, Meat had done the same, and immediately leapt into the foliage where it had emerged from.
"Meat, wait! Oh, fer fu-" The action started in an instant, as two Goblins burst from the brush behind Estella, one holding a large machete, and the other with a jagged piece of metal. Both of the weapons' tips glistened with a green liquid as they began a mad dash for her.
"Ghoul's Blood!" Sherii called. Everyone present easily could easily recognize the name of one of the most common poisons around, with a potency that could kill animals four times their size. A human would be lucky to last three minutes after it enters the bloodstream.
"Run, kid!" Vernal shouted. "I gotta make sure Meat don't get 'erself killed. Orku's in charge!" And with that, she'd disappeared after Meat into the brush.
Estella nodded and made to run towards Sunny's side, only to jerk to a stop as one foot refused to follow. Looking down, she immediately spotted why.
Large, jagged teeth were currently clamped around her left foot, just below her ankle. As dark red blood pooled around the floor, she understood that a some sort of crudely-made trap had been set up, hidden in the dirt, and she'd triggered it. Though she hadn't felt any pain at all when it happened, she realized that when she'd stepped out of the way of the arrow, she'd inadvertently stepped right onto the trap.
It was unclear whether the Goblins had planned such a thing, or if it was complete coincidence, but regardless, they saw fit to take advantage of the situation and rushed out to attack the defenseless Estella. Not just the two who'd appeared however, but at least eight more were rapidly closing in from the distance, firing arrows and rocks from slingshots while the others held clubs and bladed weapons, the latter coated with the same green toxin.
For better or worse, it was obvious that the fight they'd been looking for had begun.
Iron clashed, brief sparks sputtering along with specks of green slime. The goblin Sunny clashed with reeled off balance, but before she could right herself to lunge for his side, another goblin was clamoring in his place, stabbing with his metal and claw. She swung her her free gauntlet, what should've been her shield arm, to knock the stab aimed for her thigh to instead whiff into the air. With a shrieking roar, she plunged her iron into its belly all the way to stab the ground behind him. The original she'd been clashing with would've gotten a nasty bite out of her then, had an arrow not punched all the fight out of him. Phhtoomp. Another impaled his body, staggering him long enough for Sunny to wrench her weapon free and finish the small green devil.
"Damn it..." Sunny heaved, heart thundering. How easily she could've gotten that blood in her. How easily it could've been over? How she wished she'd loaned Siiva her sword instead of the shield...
She shook it off, and nodded to Sherii. The elven archer had a few stones lobbed at her, which she keenly dived away from to begin returning fire into the trees. Big Guy's Big Axe was swinging wide of the nimble goblins, a crowd of them pinning in the large orc while lobbing stones to bounce off his leathers. One goblin overextended, and was promptly thrown into the air in two twirling halves. The catkin seemed to be in trouble. At least at first glance? He was dancing and weaving with a trail of goblins after him. No, he was definitely in trouble, the glow of his eyes were wide as he dashed about the field. Sunny herself checked for any more pouring from her neck of the woods. Apparently, she wasn't considered prime prey if they really were targeting with that method. Which meant-
"Shit!" Sunny found Estella amidst a crowd as large as Orku's, her leg caught in some metal maw. A trap! Sunny dashed her way. Three goblins turned to face her. She didn't have time for this. She spit out a dagger in an underhand throw. It caught one in the neck as she swung, full force, down onto another. The green fucker side stepped it, stabbed into her side with his slick dagger. It dug into leather, but if the tip had nicked her? Sunny twisted on instinct, bashing the goblin away with a backhand. The third jumped atop her, and she had to grapple with him to keep this new dagger from piercing her eye. Too many. She couldn't handle this many? What was she thinking? Why had she joined this gotten into this shitty wet-work job? Why had she brought that girl with her. She glanced to Estella, and blinked in surprise. Is this what... she can really do?
"Damn it..." Sunny heaved, heart thundering. How easily she could've gotten that blood in her. How easily it could've been over? How she wished she'd loaned Siiva her sword instead of the shield...
She shook it off, and nodded to Sherii. The elven archer had a few stones lobbed at her, which she keenly dived away from to begin returning fire into the trees. Big Guy's Big Axe was swinging wide of the nimble goblins, a crowd of them pinning in the large orc while lobbing stones to bounce off his leathers. One goblin overextended, and was promptly thrown into the air in two twirling halves. The catkin seemed to be in trouble. At least at first glance? He was dancing and weaving with a trail of goblins after him. No, he was definitely in trouble, the glow of his eyes were wide as he dashed about the field. Sunny herself checked for any more pouring from her neck of the woods. Apparently, she wasn't considered prime prey if they really were targeting with that method. Which meant-
"Shit!" Sunny found Estella amidst a crowd as large as Orku's, her leg caught in some metal maw. A trap! Sunny dashed her way. Three goblins turned to face her. She didn't have time for this. She spit out a dagger in an underhand throw. It caught one in the neck as she swung, full force, down onto another. The green fucker side stepped it, stabbed into her side with his slick dagger. It dug into leather, but if the tip had nicked her? Sunny twisted on instinct, bashing the goblin away with a backhand. The third jumped atop her, and she had to grapple with him to keep this new dagger from piercing her eye. Too many. She couldn't handle this many? What was she thinking? Why had she joined this gotten into this shitty wet-work job? Why had she brought that girl with her. She glanced to Estella, and blinked in surprise. Is this what... she can really do?
Sherii let loose another arrow at the stream of goblins tailing Sharah, the projectile finding its way into the thing's eye even as it moved. A gurgled scream shook her pointed ear faster than she could rearm however, and she instead whipped around to block the downward swing from the large two handed club with the body of her bow. A dagger bit into its neck as her other hand went out, and she knocked it away to writhe in pain with her boot.
The situation was becoming dire quickly. She hadn't expected this many goblins to show up, and in broad daylight as well. It didn't line up with the quest information, and they were clearly paying the price for it. Her worry for Vernal and Meat had increased tenfold since the battle began, but she knew that their leader was capable and wouldn't go down without a fight. Instead, she tried to mitigate the threats to her comrades as much as possible in between thinning the enemy's numbers.
It was just about then when she'd heard a loud curse from one of the newcomers, Sunny. Quickly, she unsheathed another arrow and had it nocked by the time she'd turned to face whatever danger the woman had found herself in. Her own eyes widened at the sight of her making a mad dash for the other new addition, Estella, who was completely surrounded by goblins and had been caught in a trap.
Panicked, she too rushed forward, only to pause in her tracks when she took notice of what was actually happening. A massive wall of small, dark, flying creatures had somehow formed before she'd realized it. As they rapidly flew in a large circle around Estella, it almost seemed to form a barrier between her and the goblins. As a result, none of the goblins were attacking her, and were instead standing a short distance away, many of them looking confused, hesitant, and...fearful?
It took not a moment later for her to find out why.
Staring down each and every one of them from behind the barrier, hidden beneath the shadows of her hood but somehow still shining brightly, were two blood red gems. It was unmistakably Estella's eyes, but the power, the hatred in her gaze had many of the green monsters frightened stiff. And as she felt a cold sweat run down her own back, she wasn't even sure if she herself could move in the moment.
Faster than she could blink, the girl had vanished. No, it wasn't that she'd disappeared, she'd just crouched down so quickly that even her Elven eyes could barely notice the movement. The girl's small fingers dug between the teeth of the trap embedded in her foot and forced it apart so easily that Sherii had to blink twice to believe it.
However, the true horror began the moment she was free.
One of the goblins seemed to bite down his fear while out of her sight and dashed for Estella from behind, but he hadn't even made it two steps before the creatures, bats by the look of them, had shredded the thing apart until it was nothing but a skeleton. Not just the one, but all of the bats that had formed the wall spread out in all directions with nothing but a wave of her hand, and in a display unlike anything she'd ever seen before, the twenty some-odd goblins that had been so eager to kill her had suddenly formed a ring of flesh and bone, like some kind of religious offering with her at the center.
Then, she reached down to pick up one of the various bone parts--a broken rib--and chucked it like a spear directly at the goblin situated on Sunny's shoulders. The projectile flew faster than any arrow she could fire, and impacted against the thing's skull so hard that its entire head joined it in flight, coming to a stop when it smashed into a tree with enough force to topple the whole thing over.
The loud crash of the tree seemed to be the final nail in the coffin for the goblins' morale, and with fearful cries they fled back into the shrubbery until they were completely out of sight. Sherii could scarcely believe most of what had transpired, and yet, they were alive. A quick scan revealed most of everyone unharmed, but as her gaze returned to Estella, it was to see those same ruby eyes roll back into her head as she collapsed to the floor. The wound in her foot continued spurting out blood, and it was only then that she'd thought to look closely at the trap that had produced the wound in the first place.
Though it was shattered from being forced open with such strength, Sherii could easily spot the shine of green liquid on the tips of the teeth...
The situation was becoming dire quickly. She hadn't expected this many goblins to show up, and in broad daylight as well. It didn't line up with the quest information, and they were clearly paying the price for it. Her worry for Vernal and Meat had increased tenfold since the battle began, but she knew that their leader was capable and wouldn't go down without a fight. Instead, she tried to mitigate the threats to her comrades as much as possible in between thinning the enemy's numbers.
It was just about then when she'd heard a loud curse from one of the newcomers, Sunny. Quickly, she unsheathed another arrow and had it nocked by the time she'd turned to face whatever danger the woman had found herself in. Her own eyes widened at the sight of her making a mad dash for the other new addition, Estella, who was completely surrounded by goblins and had been caught in a trap.
Panicked, she too rushed forward, only to pause in her tracks when she took notice of what was actually happening. A massive wall of small, dark, flying creatures had somehow formed before she'd realized it. As they rapidly flew in a large circle around Estella, it almost seemed to form a barrier between her and the goblins. As a result, none of the goblins were attacking her, and were instead standing a short distance away, many of them looking confused, hesitant, and...fearful?
It took not a moment later for her to find out why.
Staring down each and every one of them from behind the barrier, hidden beneath the shadows of her hood but somehow still shining brightly, were two blood red gems. It was unmistakably Estella's eyes, but the power, the hatred in her gaze had many of the green monsters frightened stiff. And as she felt a cold sweat run down her own back, she wasn't even sure if she herself could move in the moment.
Faster than she could blink, the girl had vanished. No, it wasn't that she'd disappeared, she'd just crouched down so quickly that even her Elven eyes could barely notice the movement. The girl's small fingers dug between the teeth of the trap embedded in her foot and forced it apart so easily that Sherii had to blink twice to believe it.
However, the true horror began the moment she was free.
One of the goblins seemed to bite down his fear while out of her sight and dashed for Estella from behind, but he hadn't even made it two steps before the creatures, bats by the look of them, had shredded the thing apart until it was nothing but a skeleton. Not just the one, but all of the bats that had formed the wall spread out in all directions with nothing but a wave of her hand, and in a display unlike anything she'd ever seen before, the twenty some-odd goblins that had been so eager to kill her had suddenly formed a ring of flesh and bone, like some kind of religious offering with her at the center.
Then, she reached down to pick up one of the various bone parts--a broken rib--and chucked it like a spear directly at the goblin situated on Sunny's shoulders. The projectile flew faster than any arrow she could fire, and impacted against the thing's skull so hard that its entire head joined it in flight, coming to a stop when it smashed into a tree with enough force to topple the whole thing over.
The loud crash of the tree seemed to be the final nail in the coffin for the goblins' morale, and with fearful cries they fled back into the shrubbery until they were completely out of sight. Sherii could scarcely believe most of what had transpired, and yet, they were alive. A quick scan revealed most of everyone unharmed, but as her gaze returned to Estella, it was to see those same ruby eyes roll back into her head as she collapsed to the floor. The wound in her foot continued spurting out blood, and it was only then that she'd thought to look closely at the trap that had produced the wound in the first place.
Though it was shattered from being forced open with such strength, Sherii could easily spot the shine of green liquid on the tips of the teeth...
Sunny righted herself, glancing to make sure the goblins on her ass a moment ago weren't going to double back. A horn blew somewhere, echoing a finality in the retreat. She drew ragged breathes like the rest as the heat of battle drained, making her legs wobbly. Still, she managed toward the hooded girl. Words did not come for a moment as she saw her lifeless form. The sight of the egregious wound had her body moving, but mind a complete blank. She wrenched through a few of the scattered bags Estella'd dropped at the start of this mess. She came to some cloth, and set about cleaning the wound. That's when she saw the green ghoul's blood mixing in the thin streams trickling down her leg. She had to gulp down at that, but set about tying a tourniquet anyway. "Can you hear me, Estella?" Sunny looked into her closed eyes. She chuckled at the idea of checking for a pulse, the sickly kind of chuckle as she realized she had no clue how to tell if she were dead. Just like when she slept...
Sherii the newbie finish tying the knot and working herself into a panic until Orku lumbered over with his axe slung on one shoulder. "Sent twinkle-toes after Vern. We'll rendezvous with them." He followed the elf's attention. "Little one dead?"
Sherii the newbie finish tying the knot and working herself into a panic until Orku lumbered over with his axe slung on one shoulder. "Sent twinkle-toes after Vern. We'll rendezvous with them." He followed the elf's attention. "Little one dead?"
"Not dead," Sherii answered, her gaze still focused on them. Her eyes lowered. "Will die."
Ghoul's Blood is extremely lethal even to adult humans, who typically last 2-3 minutes before expiring. A child with a body as small as hers wouldn't even last half of that time. Dolly--perhaps the only person she knew could cure her--was all the way back in the Hamlet AG. Not just the girl; Any one of them would die long before they made it back.
It was with this knowledge that Sherii hung her head slightly. Especially since, setting aside whatever it was the girl had done, she'd effectively saved them all. The V Gang (she still hated that name) were no pushovers, sure, but that many goblins appearing after two of their strongest fighters split off was bound to spell trouble for them.
And it was thanks to her that said trouble never came to fruition. As such, it saddened her that she would not even get the chance to thank her. Figuring she could at least offer condolences, she walked over to gently place her hand on Sunny's shoulder. "She saved us. Grateful to her." She tried to speak softly, but this admittedly wasn't her specialty. "Should we bury? Hold funeral?"
Ghoul's Blood is extremely lethal even to adult humans, who typically last 2-3 minutes before expiring. A child with a body as small as hers wouldn't even last half of that time. Dolly--perhaps the only person she knew could cure her--was all the way back in the Hamlet AG. Not just the girl; Any one of them would die long before they made it back.
It was with this knowledge that Sherii hung her head slightly. Especially since, setting aside whatever it was the girl had done, she'd effectively saved them all. The V Gang (she still hated that name) were no pushovers, sure, but that many goblins appearing after two of their strongest fighters split off was bound to spell trouble for them.
And it was thanks to her that said trouble never came to fruition. As such, it saddened her that she would not even get the chance to thank her. Figuring she could at least offer condolences, she walked over to gently place her hand on Sunny's shoulder. "She saved us. Grateful to her." She tried to speak softly, but this admittedly wasn't her specialty. "Should we bury? Hold funeral?"
Bury. Funeral.
Sherii's voice came from a far off place to Sunny as she stared at the still child. But those words came rushing, punching her in the guts. The familiarity did not lessen aching blows. "C'mon little one, don't sleep now..." She removed a blood and sweat speckled glove to caress one stone cold cheek. Maybe if she rubbed some warmth in, one of the gods would take mercy? Anyone? Any she carried the symbols around her neck? Sunny knew it wasn't to be true. And having known the girl for only upwards of a day, a sting still came to blur Sunny's eyes at how helpless it all was. How she'd looked so happy just this morning.
Sherii's voice came from a far off place to Sunny as she stared at the still child. But those words came rushing, punching her in the guts. The familiarity did not lessen aching blows. "C'mon little one, don't sleep now..." She removed a blood and sweat speckled glove to caress one stone cold cheek. Maybe if she rubbed some warmth in, one of the gods would take mercy? Anyone? Any she carried the symbols around her neck? Sunny knew it wasn't to be true. And having known the girl for only upwards of a day, a sting still came to blur Sunny's eyes at how helpless it all was. How she'd looked so happy just this morning.
A sudden, violent retching cough exploded out of the limp form of Estella, the abrupt motion allowing the hood to slip off of her head and reveal her silvery-white head of hair and weary, almost emaciated face. Luckily, the large overhanging trees provided ample shade to protect her, but she still looked to be suffering.
Her eyes struggled to look up at Sunny through slits, the shine clearly lost. Her shivering body looked entirely comparable to when Sunny'd first found her; frail, helpless, and completely at her mercy. Even her nose twitched as before, following the woman's motions any time she shifted slightly.
Upon meeting Sunny's tear-filled gaze, Estella smiled; an innocent yet decrepit thing, then opened her small mouth to whisper something, the words so quiet that she might as well have mouthed them. The movement of her lips may have revealed a final parting message of some sort, but more notably, it allowed a full, clear view of the two dagger-like fangs protruding from within her mouth.
Her eyes struggled to look up at Sunny through slits, the shine clearly lost. Her shivering body looked entirely comparable to when Sunny'd first found her; frail, helpless, and completely at her mercy. Even her nose twitched as before, following the woman's motions any time she shifted slightly.
Upon meeting Sunny's tear-filled gaze, Estella smiled; an innocent yet decrepit thing, then opened her small mouth to whisper something, the words so quiet that she might as well have mouthed them. The movement of her lips may have revealed a final parting message of some sort, but more notably, it allowed a full, clear view of the two dagger-like fangs protruding from within her mouth.
"Estel-" Sunny's own voice came rather croaking, falling away as the kid didn't just spring up, all's-well and good. No, this second wind seemed merely a chance for her to suffer longer. Her red eyes were sunken. Cheeks hallowed, bones prominent against corpse-skin. Estella had seemed so alive just a few hours prior. Ghoul's blood worked fast, but... staring at those tiny fangs, Sunny could only think to the only other time she'd seen Estella like this. The first moment they'd met. Paying little mind to the orc and elf watching curiously, she raised Estella to her. She was light enough be propped with just a hand, while Sunny lowered the bandages on her neck where the scabs were still reddened.
"Estella." Sunny said quietly. "Is this what you need?" She gulped again, so unsure and fearful the hope may turn into torment at its failure. "G-go on, then."
"Estella." Sunny said quietly. "Is this what you need?" She gulped again, so unsure and fearful the hope may turn into torment at its failure. "G-go on, then."
At first, there was nothing. No motion, no pain, no reaction from Estella. For a while, it seemed as if she'd died once again somewhere between when Sunny had lifted her and when she'd been positioned in front of the woman's neck.
And just as it seemed as if things were too late, a pair of soft lips made contact with Sunny's neck. Unlike the first time, she seemed to hesitate, lightly brushing over the wounds as if to test their texture. Soon after, her narrow tongue began to poke and prod at the scabs, until finally she used a single fang to gently pry at them until they opened once again.
She didn't viciously suck the blood out like a vacuum, and instead lapped at the blood as it flowed naturally out of her neck, much like she did unconsciously during the boat ride back to Hamlet. After the first few drops, however, she suddenly got bolder as her strength seemed to return all at once. Reaching up, she wrapped her arms around Sunny's shoulders to prevent her from moving away and leaned in more, using her tongue to stretch the wounds wider and allow more blood to flow.
A satisfied sigh escaped her lips as she felt the sensation of the blood flowing down her throat. With each gulp, she applied just a bit more force and sucked just a bit harder. By now, she'd gotten completely lost in the act, and was thus unaware that Sherii had nocked another arrow and had it aimed right at her head.
"Let her go. Now." Her voice was ice cold, completely different from the tone she'd used when attempting to comfort Sunny. This one was seemed more natural, and complete with the daggers she was glaring, made her look extremely intimidating for one with the build of a teenager.
Estella, perhaps acting on instinct from having just been replenished, let out a low growl while baring her fangs, stained fresh with Sunny's blood. Her arms moved up to wrap around Sunny's head, hugging it protectively whilst she returned her own glare to Sherii. A cold sweat ran down the latter's cheek as she stretched the arrow taught, ready to fire.
"Should be dead. Ghoul's Blood lethal. Can't survive it." Her eyes narrowed, aim steadying on Estella's glowing red eyes. "Unless you're Undead."
"What, you mean she's a Ghoul or something?" Orku asked with a firm grip on his axe, not quite understanding the situation, but ready to back up his comrade at a moment's notice.
"Not Ghoul. Something else. Something different." Her eyes flicked down to the leg wound that she'd assumed was what caused the girl to pass out, only to find that aside from her damaged boot, the wound had completely closed, leaving not even a scar behind. "But not Human."
And just as it seemed as if things were too late, a pair of soft lips made contact with Sunny's neck. Unlike the first time, she seemed to hesitate, lightly brushing over the wounds as if to test their texture. Soon after, her narrow tongue began to poke and prod at the scabs, until finally she used a single fang to gently pry at them until they opened once again.
She didn't viciously suck the blood out like a vacuum, and instead lapped at the blood as it flowed naturally out of her neck, much like she did unconsciously during the boat ride back to Hamlet. After the first few drops, however, she suddenly got bolder as her strength seemed to return all at once. Reaching up, she wrapped her arms around Sunny's shoulders to prevent her from moving away and leaned in more, using her tongue to stretch the wounds wider and allow more blood to flow.
A satisfied sigh escaped her lips as she felt the sensation of the blood flowing down her throat. With each gulp, she applied just a bit more force and sucked just a bit harder. By now, she'd gotten completely lost in the act, and was thus unaware that Sherii had nocked another arrow and had it aimed right at her head.
"Let her go. Now." Her voice was ice cold, completely different from the tone she'd used when attempting to comfort Sunny. This one was seemed more natural, and complete with the daggers she was glaring, made her look extremely intimidating for one with the build of a teenager.
Estella, perhaps acting on instinct from having just been replenished, let out a low growl while baring her fangs, stained fresh with Sunny's blood. Her arms moved up to wrap around Sunny's head, hugging it protectively whilst she returned her own glare to Sherii. A cold sweat ran down the latter's cheek as she stretched the arrow taught, ready to fire.
"Should be dead. Ghoul's Blood lethal. Can't survive it." Her eyes narrowed, aim steadying on Estella's glowing red eyes. "Unless you're Undead."
"What, you mean she's a Ghoul or something?" Orku asked with a firm grip on his axe, not quite understanding the situation, but ready to back up his comrade at a moment's notice.
"Not Ghoul. Something else. Something different." Her eyes flicked down to the leg wound that she'd assumed was what caused the girl to pass out, only to find that aside from her damaged boot, the wound had completely closed, leaving not even a scar behind. "But not Human."
Sunny rose, hefting Estella up more out of necessity than wanting to. The little tyke had a nasty grip. The sudden force of it was staggering, adding already to how nauseous and unbalanced Sunny was. She blinked away the daze, her wobbling still threatening to cast the two bloodstained girls to the dirt. What she found through her bleary vision should have been more startling, but as usual she didn't know whether to fear the armed guild members or the girl she was cradling. She atleast knew which could kill her easier, and so based her next actions very carefully with that knowledge aching in the back of her mind like her fresh neck wounds itched at her nape.
"You're wrong." Sunny's voice was dry. She licked some, and found it still came tired and quiet. I feel awful. Drained. Just like when I carried her out of the dungeon.
The orc ruminated on this as they all stood with stiff anticipation. "Hmm. I've never faced an undead in such a small package, Sherii." The axe laxed some as he eyed Estella closely. "Nor any who don't slaughter their prey quick."
"..." The tiny elf's bowstring tightened further against her cheek in reply. Her's and Sunny's eyes were firmly locked, though the elf's green eyes seemed to double and waver along with the rest of the world.
"She isn't Undead." Sunny affirmed, trying to muster some vigor she plain didn't have at the moment. "She's alive. And she's just a kid. What else matters here?"
"The blood." Sherii said. "The Ghoul's blood. Your, blood?"
The forest was quiet. And yet Sunny could hear the slight quivering of the arrow's shaft against taut bow. Just a tiny release from this trained archer...
"She's fine." Sunny stammered, biting back the desperation. "Okay? She's fine. I'm fine. Nothing here's going to kill you, dear. Now stop pointing that thing our way and let's get moving before we're gob-meat, yeah?" Breathless, she readjusted the growling girl on her hip, preparing to let her go as soon as she could when she inevitably lept to kill these two saps.
"You're wrong." Sunny's voice was dry. She licked some, and found it still came tired and quiet. I feel awful. Drained. Just like when I carried her out of the dungeon.
The orc ruminated on this as they all stood with stiff anticipation. "Hmm. I've never faced an undead in such a small package, Sherii." The axe laxed some as he eyed Estella closely. "Nor any who don't slaughter their prey quick."
"..." The tiny elf's bowstring tightened further against her cheek in reply. Her's and Sunny's eyes were firmly locked, though the elf's green eyes seemed to double and waver along with the rest of the world.
"She isn't Undead." Sunny affirmed, trying to muster some vigor she plain didn't have at the moment. "She's alive. And she's just a kid. What else matters here?"
"The blood." Sherii said. "The Ghoul's blood. Your, blood?"
The forest was quiet. And yet Sunny could hear the slight quivering of the arrow's shaft against taut bow. Just a tiny release from this trained archer...
"She's fine." Sunny stammered, biting back the desperation. "Okay? She's fine. I'm fine. Nothing here's going to kill you, dear. Now stop pointing that thing our way and let's get moving before we're gob-meat, yeah?" Breathless, she readjusted the growling girl on her hip, preparing to let her go as soon as she could when she inevitably lept to kill these two saps.
"I...I..." The arrow shook in Sherii's grasp as the situation seemed to turn on her. Hatred from Estella, Wariness from Sunny, and skepticism from Orku, all of the different stares pointed her way seemed to trigger something within her. "I...!" The bowstring groaned slightly as it was stretched all the way back in an instant, her grip on the arrow looseni-
"Ay, ay, ay!!!" Vernal's booming voice caught everyone by surprise as she burst from the brush with Sharah in tow. The small frame of Meat, inert and bleeding, was draped over her back. "What in the hell is goin' on 'ere?! Sherii, stop!"
"I...-!" The bow whipped around, but Vernal'd already closed the distance and swatted it aside right as she fired. The arrow soared off and stabbed into a tree some twenty meters away.
*Smack!*
The next sound to fill the air was a loud smack as Vernal then struck Sherii across the face. The teen held her cheek in silence as she stared as the dirt. Vernal briefly glanced back at Meat, whom she'd discarded in order to move faster. After watching Sharah tend to her, she let out a sigh and ran a hand through her hair. "Sorry, y'all. Sher's mom and pops were killed by Undead and-" As she spoke, she turned to the pair and finally laid eyes on Estella, her head not covered by the hood.
The girl seemed to have calmed down some, but still eyed Sherii with distrust. The look in her eyes, or perhaps the strange color itself, seemed to tell Vernal all she needed to know. "...Let's set up camp fer now. Seems we need ta have ourselves a li'l chat."
Night had come by the time they'd finished putting the camp together. For some reason, Vernal had made sure that everyone had enough work to pass the hours by, even though a simple camp could have been made in less than an hour's time. At the same time, Estella and Sherii were given vastly separate tasks that kept them as distanced as possible the entire time.
Now, under the light of the moon, she ordered the group to gather around the campfire she'd prepared herself, along with a set of logs to use as chairs. Estella, who'd put her hood back up for the remainder of the day, had taken it down again per the woman's request. Both she and Sherii, who sat directly opposite of her, stared down at the flames instead of meeting anyone's eyes. Meat lay a ways away on top of a blanket, still unconscious.
"Okay, so," Vernal clapped her hands together, not willing to let the momentum die so soon. "I s'pose I owe ya an apology, Sun. You an' yer girl. Don't matter what the situation is, there ain't no reason ta point a weapon at yer comrades."
"Sorry." Sherii spoke up without provocation, still facing the fire. "That was wrong. I...panicked; Didn't mean to-... Sorry."
Vernal waited for her to finish, then draped an arm over her shoulder and drew her close in a motherly display of affection. "Y'all're one of us now, an' that means we gotta trust each other 100%. Okay?" The question was aimed at Sherii, who nodded.
With that as confirmation, Vernal's eyes flickered to Sunny and Estella. "Sher's parents were transformed inta Ghouls by a necromancer when she was small. Inquisition killed the bastard 'fore he could hurt anyone else, but the damage was already done by that point. They were forced ta execute 'em fer bein' Undead, an' Sher was put in an orphanage. She got bullied real bad there fer various reasons, an' eventually ran off ta the capital to escape it all. I already told ya, but Orku an' I found 'er livin' on the streets after she tried ta nab my coin sack. She's been with us ever since."
Estella'd glanced up during Vernal's retelling of Sherii's past, her gaze having softened as it went on. By the time the woman finished, her brows were pointed upward in shame as she hugged her knees, staring at the fire once more. It was clear as day to see that guilt had taken hold of her.
"...And that's her story. Now ya know why she hates Undead, an' why she acted the way she did. So, Sun," Vernal's own eyes hardened as she glanced at Estella by her side. "Now it's your turn. I'm sure ya got quite a story ta share with the group, don't ya?"
"Ay, ay, ay!!!" Vernal's booming voice caught everyone by surprise as she burst from the brush with Sharah in tow. The small frame of Meat, inert and bleeding, was draped over her back. "What in the hell is goin' on 'ere?! Sherii, stop!"
"I...-!" The bow whipped around, but Vernal'd already closed the distance and swatted it aside right as she fired. The arrow soared off and stabbed into a tree some twenty meters away.
*Smack!*
The next sound to fill the air was a loud smack as Vernal then struck Sherii across the face. The teen held her cheek in silence as she stared as the dirt. Vernal briefly glanced back at Meat, whom she'd discarded in order to move faster. After watching Sharah tend to her, she let out a sigh and ran a hand through her hair. "Sorry, y'all. Sher's mom and pops were killed by Undead and-" As she spoke, she turned to the pair and finally laid eyes on Estella, her head not covered by the hood.
The girl seemed to have calmed down some, but still eyed Sherii with distrust. The look in her eyes, or perhaps the strange color itself, seemed to tell Vernal all she needed to know. "...Let's set up camp fer now. Seems we need ta have ourselves a li'l chat."
Night had come by the time they'd finished putting the camp together. For some reason, Vernal had made sure that everyone had enough work to pass the hours by, even though a simple camp could have been made in less than an hour's time. At the same time, Estella and Sherii were given vastly separate tasks that kept them as distanced as possible the entire time.
Now, under the light of the moon, she ordered the group to gather around the campfire she'd prepared herself, along with a set of logs to use as chairs. Estella, who'd put her hood back up for the remainder of the day, had taken it down again per the woman's request. Both she and Sherii, who sat directly opposite of her, stared down at the flames instead of meeting anyone's eyes. Meat lay a ways away on top of a blanket, still unconscious.
"Okay, so," Vernal clapped her hands together, not willing to let the momentum die so soon. "I s'pose I owe ya an apology, Sun. You an' yer girl. Don't matter what the situation is, there ain't no reason ta point a weapon at yer comrades."
"Sorry." Sherii spoke up without provocation, still facing the fire. "That was wrong. I...panicked; Didn't mean to-... Sorry."
Vernal waited for her to finish, then draped an arm over her shoulder and drew her close in a motherly display of affection. "Y'all're one of us now, an' that means we gotta trust each other 100%. Okay?" The question was aimed at Sherii, who nodded.
With that as confirmation, Vernal's eyes flickered to Sunny and Estella. "Sher's parents were transformed inta Ghouls by a necromancer when she was small. Inquisition killed the bastard 'fore he could hurt anyone else, but the damage was already done by that point. They were forced ta execute 'em fer bein' Undead, an' Sher was put in an orphanage. She got bullied real bad there fer various reasons, an' eventually ran off ta the capital to escape it all. I already told ya, but Orku an' I found 'er livin' on the streets after she tried ta nab my coin sack. She's been with us ever since."
Estella'd glanced up during Vernal's retelling of Sherii's past, her gaze having softened as it went on. By the time the woman finished, her brows were pointed upward in shame as she hugged her knees, staring at the fire once more. It was clear as day to see that guilt had taken hold of her.
"...And that's her story. Now ya know why she hates Undead, an' why she acted the way she did. So, Sun," Vernal's own eyes hardened as she glanced at Estella by her side. "Now it's your turn. I'm sure ya got quite a story ta share with the group, don't ya?"
Sunny found Vernal's tact surprising. Maybe it was the countless ventures in treacherous woods just like these, almost always in the company of strangers, that naturally teaches one how to keep brethren from killing each other. Sunny could appreciate that, even if she loathed any need to explain herself or Estella. But it seemed they'd been pushed to a corner with Sherii's tale being thrust upon them, and there was no way in hell Estella would be the one reciprocating.
Sunny glanced over to her, trying to gauge what the kid was thinking. She grimaced. It was awful seeing Estella like that; especially when she didn't deserve to be. Sunny stopped itching at her new bandages when she found herself absentmindedly picking at them, and cleared her throat.
"I think you'll find Stelly has more in common with you than first glances tell, Sherii." She stared into the dancing fire. "Before arriving here, I was traveling much further west. Cross the Savior's Sea. I'd planned to come her much sooner, but got held up when one of my stops was just a ghost town. Small farmstead, a bit of a lumber spot I'd heard work was in at the time given the harvest. Well, the crop was trampled, or ash, and all unharvested. Bone piles. Scarlet stained dirt and beds in the woodwork that hadn't been burned out. Real mess. No bodies, save the decrepit ghouls that stained the dirt with verdant sludge, pitch forks in their guts. Just two of those. Poor folks. Necromancer must've rolled on through. I'd seen it before. They just trample over life like that when they're planning a larger scale horror, or just want more corpses protecting their dens. Guess they ran out of graveyards to defile." All true, so far. Sunny looked to each guild member as she went on, careful of too much eye contact, and too little when lying through your teeth. Who knew if her sis had been lying to her back when she taught her that, but hey it'd worked fine so far.
"No bodies of the peasantry... save this one kid. She was ragged. Chained to stone. Looked like some necrotic ritual had been done to her. She looked dead to me, which is why I guess whatever bastard toyed with her life had just left her their, in the dark. Blood was..." Sunny gulped down the disgust of drudging up the Savior's Castle. All lies have a bit of truth in them, to the dismay if her appetite. "Everywhere. But when I freed her, thinking to bury her, she goes and-" Sunny chomped her teeth, chuckling after to try and alleviate the dire story. "Goes and bites me. I thought I was done for... but she just took what she needed. And when I woke up, we settled on going on together, seeing as she hadn't a home anymore." She smiled to Estella. "She has her oddities about her. No beat of the heart. She doesn't like the sun too much. Picky eater. I'm not entirely sure why, but I know someone wronged her and her family. So... just take solace that she really is just a girl, on the inside."
Sunny glanced over to her, trying to gauge what the kid was thinking. She grimaced. It was awful seeing Estella like that; especially when she didn't deserve to be. Sunny stopped itching at her new bandages when she found herself absentmindedly picking at them, and cleared her throat.
"I think you'll find Stelly has more in common with you than first glances tell, Sherii." She stared into the dancing fire. "Before arriving here, I was traveling much further west. Cross the Savior's Sea. I'd planned to come her much sooner, but got held up when one of my stops was just a ghost town. Small farmstead, a bit of a lumber spot I'd heard work was in at the time given the harvest. Well, the crop was trampled, or ash, and all unharvested. Bone piles. Scarlet stained dirt and beds in the woodwork that hadn't been burned out. Real mess. No bodies, save the decrepit ghouls that stained the dirt with verdant sludge, pitch forks in their guts. Just two of those. Poor folks. Necromancer must've rolled on through. I'd seen it before. They just trample over life like that when they're planning a larger scale horror, or just want more corpses protecting their dens. Guess they ran out of graveyards to defile." All true, so far. Sunny looked to each guild member as she went on, careful of too much eye contact, and too little when lying through your teeth. Who knew if her sis had been lying to her back when she taught her that, but hey it'd worked fine so far.
"No bodies of the peasantry... save this one kid. She was ragged. Chained to stone. Looked like some necrotic ritual had been done to her. She looked dead to me, which is why I guess whatever bastard toyed with her life had just left her their, in the dark. Blood was..." Sunny gulped down the disgust of drudging up the Savior's Castle. All lies have a bit of truth in them, to the dismay if her appetite. "Everywhere. But when I freed her, thinking to bury her, she goes and-" Sunny chomped her teeth, chuckling after to try and alleviate the dire story. "Goes and bites me. I thought I was done for... but she just took what she needed. And when I woke up, we settled on going on together, seeing as she hadn't a home anymore." She smiled to Estella. "She has her oddities about her. No beat of the heart. She doesn't like the sun too much. Picky eater. I'm not entirely sure why, but I know someone wronged her and her family. So... just take solace that she really is just a girl, on the inside."
A heavy silence pervaded the campsite even after Sunny had long finished her tale. Even Vernal, who would normally be the first to break such pauses, was speechless. Everyone's gazes were focused on Estella, who's own gaze was intensely focused on her lap. All throughout Sunny's story, she'd been writing on a large piece of parchment, already having filled up one side completely.
"Um..." Vernal did eventually croak out a stutter as she scratched her cheek. "Sun, I dunno how ta break this to ya, but...if yer up an' kickin' with no heartbeat...pretty sure yer an Undead." Her hand went up to wave dismissively. "Now I ain't ever seen one with hair an' eyes like that, mind you, an' 'specially not one that looks an' moves like a Human."
"Doesn't matter," Sherii cut in with a firm shake of her head. She stood up and moved past the fire to Estella's side, where she got down on both knees, surprising her enough to stop writing. "Orc. Beastkin. Elf. Dead or living. Doesn't matter." She gently reached out to cup the smaller girl's hands in her own. "She's our comrade. One of us. I'm sorry, Estella. I was wrong. Forgive me..."
Estella watched with widened eyes as Sherii stared at her with determination despite the rapid pounding of her heart. It was when she caught the shine of tears that her own unbeating heart broke, and before she knew it the parchment and ink were tossed aside in favor of throwing herself at the Elf. Her arms wrapped around her shoulders as the girl suddenly began crying.
"So...r...r...y...so...rry...Sh...ereee..." Though the words were garbled due to her still-weak throat, they were clear enough to convey the message of apology as she clung to Sherii. The girl in question looked stunned at first, but eventually returned the hug.
Vernal watched from across the flames with a small smile, especially as she watched Sharah snag the discarded sheet Estella had been writing on while everyone was distracted by the affectionate moment the Elf and Vampire were having. The two met eyes for just the briefest of moments, and hers flickered in a small signal of gratitude for following her silent orders before she quickly stood and clapped her hands. "Well now, ain't we glad it all turned out right in the end? I'd say this calls fer celebration...if it weren't bedtime. Ya'll know the drill, pair up an' sleep in shifts. If those Goblins come back, we'll need more'n one person up an' ready ta fight. I'll keep watch over Meat 'till she comes to, so holler if ya need me."
With a yawn, Vernal waved a hand lackadaisically as she picked up Meat and carried her off to one of the tents, acting as the starting gun for the rest of the group to disperse into their bedtime routines.
"Um..." Vernal did eventually croak out a stutter as she scratched her cheek. "Sun, I dunno how ta break this to ya, but...if yer up an' kickin' with no heartbeat...pretty sure yer an Undead." Her hand went up to wave dismissively. "Now I ain't ever seen one with hair an' eyes like that, mind you, an' 'specially not one that looks an' moves like a Human."
"Doesn't matter," Sherii cut in with a firm shake of her head. She stood up and moved past the fire to Estella's side, where she got down on both knees, surprising her enough to stop writing. "Orc. Beastkin. Elf. Dead or living. Doesn't matter." She gently reached out to cup the smaller girl's hands in her own. "She's our comrade. One of us. I'm sorry, Estella. I was wrong. Forgive me..."
Estella watched with widened eyes as Sherii stared at her with determination despite the rapid pounding of her heart. It was when she caught the shine of tears that her own unbeating heart broke, and before she knew it the parchment and ink were tossed aside in favor of throwing herself at the Elf. Her arms wrapped around her shoulders as the girl suddenly began crying.
"So...r...r...y...so...rry...Sh...ereee..." Though the words were garbled due to her still-weak throat, they were clear enough to convey the message of apology as she clung to Sherii. The girl in question looked stunned at first, but eventually returned the hug.
Vernal watched from across the flames with a small smile, especially as she watched Sharah snag the discarded sheet Estella had been writing on while everyone was distracted by the affectionate moment the Elf and Vampire were having. The two met eyes for just the briefest of moments, and hers flickered in a small signal of gratitude for following her silent orders before she quickly stood and clapped her hands. "Well now, ain't we glad it all turned out right in the end? I'd say this calls fer celebration...if it weren't bedtime. Ya'll know the drill, pair up an' sleep in shifts. If those Goblins come back, we'll need more'n one person up an' ready ta fight. I'll keep watch over Meat 'till she comes to, so holler if ya need me."
With a yawn, Vernal waved a hand lackadaisically as she picked up Meat and carried her off to one of the tents, acting as the starting gun for the rest of the group to disperse into their bedtime routines.
"I'd love to be woken." Orkkun laid down, huge weapon clutched closely as he meant to sleep with it. "I'm always in a fine mood when such occurs."
The cat man took a tree to sit crossed leg, back poised and rigged against the trunk. "Try not to disturb the girl with your snores tonight."
"I do not snore." Was all the big merc said.
As the tired party set in for night, Sunny found herself smiling wide. Part relief at the apparent success of her shaky acting, but much more at seeing the quick acceptance of Estella. Something shifted, seeing the elf and others show such understanding. Reservations might be withheld, but she thought it unlikely. Not out of any clue gleamed. Just a gut feeling; same as her distrust for friendly swords like Vernal. She put away the thought that this show was all some ploy by Vernal. Seeing the two end the night with a hug made Sunny wonder if anything said to her and Estella hasn't been completely genuine. Were they really "one of them" the same day as being hired? Sunny couldn't say she'd ever been able to trust so blithely.
Sunny took a few last checks on her gear, laid down, and stared at the stars until sleep came.
In the morning, the band were packing away camp as they ate the few rations that no one actually expected they'd need. The food brought out of habit merely affirmed how seasoned they all were, and how efficiently they went about their tasks. The only ones not cooking, packing, or sharpening was Vernal, who was busy refreshing the bandages on the little kin-girl's head injury. Sunny had the urge to join Sherii as she taught Estella how to pack away the alarm bell perimeter, but she couldn't wait to discuss what she needed to any longer. She didn't want a repeat of yesterday.
Sunny went up to the leader and the girl, who sniffed the air and twisted to see her first.
"Hol' still now." Vernal tossed a glance, smirked a bit, and went back to Meat's injury. A little louder, she said, "Get enough shuteye, hon?"
"No one woke me for my shift." Sunny said in one of the brighter tones she'd ever offered Vernal until now. "I have to say I'm disappointed. Don't think I'm up to the task?"
Vernal set aside a bandage with a few dots of blood less than the prior which strewn the dirt. "Y'all greenhorns don't need to worry yerselves right off the bat. But I'll cetchya next time, if yer really insulted."
Sunny watched as she tenderly wrapped Meat's head again. The girl was kicking her feet one after the other as she sat on a rotted stump. Sunny's warm demeanor faded as her eyes fell to the collar. She cleared her throat and dispensed with any more idle chatter. "I need to know why there were so many yesterday. So many Goblins close to town. Wasn't this supposed to be a fish in a barrel sort of gig for you lot?"
The cat man took a tree to sit crossed leg, back poised and rigged against the trunk. "Try not to disturb the girl with your snores tonight."
"I do not snore." Was all the big merc said.
As the tired party set in for night, Sunny found herself smiling wide. Part relief at the apparent success of her shaky acting, but much more at seeing the quick acceptance of Estella. Something shifted, seeing the elf and others show such understanding. Reservations might be withheld, but she thought it unlikely. Not out of any clue gleamed. Just a gut feeling; same as her distrust for friendly swords like Vernal. She put away the thought that this show was all some ploy by Vernal. Seeing the two end the night with a hug made Sunny wonder if anything said to her and Estella hasn't been completely genuine. Were they really "one of them" the same day as being hired? Sunny couldn't say she'd ever been able to trust so blithely.
Sunny took a few last checks on her gear, laid down, and stared at the stars until sleep came.
In the morning, the band were packing away camp as they ate the few rations that no one actually expected they'd need. The food brought out of habit merely affirmed how seasoned they all were, and how efficiently they went about their tasks. The only ones not cooking, packing, or sharpening was Vernal, who was busy refreshing the bandages on the little kin-girl's head injury. Sunny had the urge to join Sherii as she taught Estella how to pack away the alarm bell perimeter, but she couldn't wait to discuss what she needed to any longer. She didn't want a repeat of yesterday.
Sunny went up to the leader and the girl, who sniffed the air and twisted to see her first.
"Hol' still now." Vernal tossed a glance, smirked a bit, and went back to Meat's injury. A little louder, she said, "Get enough shuteye, hon?"
"No one woke me for my shift." Sunny said in one of the brighter tones she'd ever offered Vernal until now. "I have to say I'm disappointed. Don't think I'm up to the task?"
Vernal set aside a bandage with a few dots of blood less than the prior which strewn the dirt. "Y'all greenhorns don't need to worry yerselves right off the bat. But I'll cetchya next time, if yer really insulted."
Sunny watched as she tenderly wrapped Meat's head again. The girl was kicking her feet one after the other as she sat on a rotted stump. Sunny's warm demeanor faded as her eyes fell to the collar. She cleared her throat and dispensed with any more idle chatter. "I need to know why there were so many yesterday. So many Goblins close to town. Wasn't this supposed to be a fish in a barrel sort of gig for you lot?"
"Someone fucked us," she answered abruptly, eyes turning cold as they focused on her task. It eased a moment later, and she allowed a cheeky smile to form as she continued. "Or at least they tried ta. We call 'em 'Trap Quests'."
"Trap Quests?"
"Uh-huh. F-rank quests ain't s'posed ta be life or death, right? Not fer people like us, who've been doin' this shit for ages. Orku'n I are A-ranks. Sher and Shar are C-ranks, an' Meat's an E-rank. An F-rank quest of all things shouldn'a been enough ta put my girl here outta action an' nearly get us all killed. Any normal F-ranks that took this quest would've been dead an' gone without anyone even knowin' what happened."
A long silence followed as Sunny absorbed the information. Eventually Vernal finished bandaging Meat and ruffled her hair as she stood up. "Right, all done. Run along now, darlin'. See if the girls need any help, 'kay?" The little one nodded and trotted along to leap on Estella's back, wrapping her arms around her in a similar display of affection that she'd done with Sunny that morning.
Vernal stood up to face Sunny as they watched Estella try to pry Meat off of her, the latter seeing it as some kind of game and squirming around to make it harder for her to do so. When the two fell over in a tangle of limbs despite Sherii's warnings, Vernal let out a chuckle. "Dolly. She definitely knew somethin' about this, but didn' say a damn word. You can betcher ass I gotta few words fer her when we get back."
"What about the quest?"
"The quest? We're stayin', of course." Vernal grinned as she crossed her arms. "Ain't said nothin' about goin' back now, did I? When The V Gang starts somethin', we finish it. That's just how we roll. Now that we know what the situation's like, we'll be ready fer those Gobos. An' next time, they won't get ta run with'eir tails between'eir legs."
With the kind of cocky smirk only she could produce, Vernal stepped forward to address the others still working on undoing the camp. "I hope ya'll didn' think we were just gonna head home today! No," Her sword slipped out of its scabbard to point into the sky "We ain't gonna let those fuckers off with just that, not after they hurt two've our own; our family! Today, we're spillin' Goblin blood all over this goddamn forest! We'll hunt every last one'a them 'till there's not a single one left, y'hear!" Her battle cry roused the spirits of her followers, who set about finishing their task with newfound vigor.
"Trap Quests?"
"Uh-huh. F-rank quests ain't s'posed ta be life or death, right? Not fer people like us, who've been doin' this shit for ages. Orku'n I are A-ranks. Sher and Shar are C-ranks, an' Meat's an E-rank. An F-rank quest of all things shouldn'a been enough ta put my girl here outta action an' nearly get us all killed. Any normal F-ranks that took this quest would've been dead an' gone without anyone even knowin' what happened."
A long silence followed as Sunny absorbed the information. Eventually Vernal finished bandaging Meat and ruffled her hair as she stood up. "Right, all done. Run along now, darlin'. See if the girls need any help, 'kay?" The little one nodded and trotted along to leap on Estella's back, wrapping her arms around her in a similar display of affection that she'd done with Sunny that morning.
Vernal stood up to face Sunny as they watched Estella try to pry Meat off of her, the latter seeing it as some kind of game and squirming around to make it harder for her to do so. When the two fell over in a tangle of limbs despite Sherii's warnings, Vernal let out a chuckle. "Dolly. She definitely knew somethin' about this, but didn' say a damn word. You can betcher ass I gotta few words fer her when we get back."
"What about the quest?"
"The quest? We're stayin', of course." Vernal grinned as she crossed her arms. "Ain't said nothin' about goin' back now, did I? When The V Gang starts somethin', we finish it. That's just how we roll. Now that we know what the situation's like, we'll be ready fer those Gobos. An' next time, they won't get ta run with'eir tails between'eir legs."
With the kind of cocky smirk only she could produce, Vernal stepped forward to address the others still working on undoing the camp. "I hope ya'll didn' think we were just gonna head home today! No," Her sword slipped out of its scabbard to point into the sky "We ain't gonna let those fuckers off with just that, not after they hurt two've our own; our family! Today, we're spillin' Goblin blood all over this goddamn forest! We'll hunt every last one'a them 'till there's not a single one left, y'hear!" Her battle cry roused the spirits of her followers, who set about finishing their task with newfound vigor.
Moderators: Estella (played anonymously) Sunny (played anonymously)