Outnumbered vs Outmatched

[woven elm]

It is a cool Spring day at the guild as Eddy reluctantly heads towards the training area

"Mutton minded sheep doesn't understand the importance of 16 hours of sleep..." He murmurs as he leaves large tracks in the soft dirt.

Eventually, he drags himself over to one of the training dummies and delivers slash that tears it to pieces in one go.

"See, don't need any practice..." He mumbles as he moves on to a more in-tact target.

[analog girder]

Tarcza enters the training grounds with Miecz sitting on his back. He seems eager to show his friend the arena mainly because of the spar he had with a fellow guildmate a few weeks back.

He looks to be midway through conversation with Miecz as they walk.
"Figured this would be a good way to practice, yk." -He turns towards the summoned dragon following them a few feet behind.- "And does that thing have to keep following you around?"

[untold musk]

Miecz turns his head back towards the dragon, a construct of bone standing at around 10 feet tall with its long neck hanging low. Fresh blood visable and kept smooth with magic, acting as joints where bones meet while some others simply have gaps where flesh would normally keep the skeleton together, now empty leaving the bones floating in position all held together with a blue-green smoke filling its core, escaping into the air in a few spots. It's eyeless skull looking back at him.

"Well it's not doing anything wrong, and you don't have to carry my things now. It's... kinda nice to have it around, as weird as it sounds with the way it looks." He says trying to calm down Tarcza. "Oh and I uuh, gave it a name. Felt weird to call it without one, it's Szabla."

[woven elm]

Eddy's ear flicks as he hears the duo approach.

"Well, been some time" he calls out from the other end as he approaches, "How have you two been and..."

He looks between Tarcza and the dragon a couple of times, wondering what to ask about first.

"Did you lose your glasses?" He decides.

[analog girder]

Tarcza turns his head towards the voice, feathers around his head slightly perk up upon seeing Eddy.
"Oh! Hi Eddy! Yeah, after I got revived I found I didn't need them anymore." -He opens up his eye a bit with his fingers. A strange green shimmer appearing in his pupils.- "Isn't that neat!" -He lets go and rests his arms on his waist.

[untold musk]

Peaking from behind Tarczas back. "Oh hi there, it's been a while." He waves to Eddy.

"Doesn't need glasses anymore but still can't read." He adds to Tarczas explanation with a sigh. "But he has been performing considerably better since, almost like being able to see well helps you use a sword better."

When Eddy gets close to the new arrivals a slight shiver goes down his spine, and an itch deep beneath his skin appears, itching in the wemics bones.

[woven elm]

An eyebrow is raised as the circumstances are described.

"You were killed on the job and now your vision is corrected?"

He glances at the mushroom, noticing the uncomfortable aura surrounding him.

"You didn't make a deal with another evil being, did you?" He asks, with a tone of surprisingly sincere concern.

[analog girder]

"I don't think i did?" -He tilts his head in thought.- "Onyx revived me using Miecz's diamond from what i heard... it was... strange..." -An empty expression appears on Tarcza's face for a moment before dissipating upon reminiscing his moments in death.- "But, It gave me a new goal." -He smiles genuinely, but it feels uncanny with the context.

He turns towards Miecz.
"Hey, I've only been in one mission without glasses, need more fight to prove if my accuracy actually improved."

There's a strange air around the two. Almost like instinct telling you that something is off.

[untold musk]

"Well I can't say I remember what happened, but from what Onyx said it looked normal as fair as they could tell. So the only deal that he made the mistake of agreeing to was with that fiend back in Acrelund."

He turns to Tarcza "Don't sell yourself short, you were cutting the snakes up left and right from what I remember. Took one hell of a beating and came out stronger too."

"What about you?" The mushroom shifts his gaze to the other wemic again. "How is your time around here going recently?" He ask with both genuine interest and clearly trying to move on from the subject of Tarcza dying.

[woven elm]

"Right..." He replies skeptically, "In any case, I'm glad you are recovering well. I can attest to dying being a less than pleasant experience. What is this "new goal" you speak of?"

He turns to the mushroom, "Well, things have been fine on my end. Been going on plenty of odd and dangerous missions, but they've all gone fairly well since I figured out my fighting style."

[analog girder]

He snaps back to Eddy.
"To become the person I needed."

Tarcza slowly starts to walk over to the training weapons.
"Fighting style, huh?" -He picks up a wooden blade and swings it around a bit.- "Just go with your instincts, no?" -He focuses his vision as he cuts the air. He whispers under his breath.
-# "Violence... Just nature."

He stabs the sword into the soil, anchoring it. He smiles towards Eddy.
"Eh, just a thought."

[untold musk]

"That's good to hear, with so few people from home around here I'm glad you're doing well. Have you met Nyota? With how difficult it is to miss any of you walking around the mines I can assume yes." Miecz chuckles.

"Fighting style... Well I have been figuring out what I can do, Szabla over there being something I managed to bring together recently." He points at the bone dragon "And she has been pretty effective so far, I just wish I managed to make her look more... friendly and less dead." He adds with disappointment

[woven elm]

"And what, pray tell, kind of person is that?" He asks cautiously, "I won't pretend to know to what you've endured, but I do know that the Tarcza you have been has been a fine fellow."

"As for instincts..." He strikes at one of the dummies, sending pieces of it flying everywhere, "It did turn out my own natural weapons were what worked best for me, that much is true, but I suppose it is our people's way to balance that with restraint, and to direct might only to where it is necessary."

He sighs as he turns to Miecz again, "I have met her, yes. Part of why I inquired about any new pacts, she's gotten herself mixed up in some dangerous dragon ghost business."

He nods at the draconic creature, "Definitely impressive if perhaps a bit unsettling."

[analog girder]

He stares at Eddy for a moment, thinking.
"You wouldn't understand. You learnt to be kind more than just for others."

He crosses his arms looking at the dummy, eyes in awe.
"Impressive, what rank are you now anyways? Maybe we could spar?"

He looks to the side in annoyance upon hearing about the ghost dragon. He clicks his tongue.
"Tsk. Tyrfornax, right? So many people out here trying to get stronger through him, I'd say that's what makes them weak."

[untold musk]

Miecz chuckles again, but the laugh is short and bitter this time. "I guess I also make pretry liberal use of "instinct" in a fight these days, but I wouldn't say I'm proud of it."

"Tyrfornax?" He turns immediately at the mention of the name. "I know that thing still lurks around even after it was though to be delt with, we even got hired to help the kobolds with some of that not too long after joining the guild... But from the brief talk I had with her she had a very willing deal with the broker so bad company migh be a running theme there." He says with a mix of sadness and disapproval.

He looks over at the torn pieces of the dummy laying on the floor, their edges slowly smouldering where Eddy struck. "A spar... You mentioned earlier something about it being safe in the arena here to make sure no-one is too seriously hurt right?" He turns back to Tarcza, a unsure expression appearing on his face. "Do you think I- he wouldn't be able to cause us any serious issues if we fought a guild member if that protection stopped him?" He whispers.

[woven elm]

"Learning" he corrects, "I wouldn't say I'm quite there yet, but I have found that the selfish ways that I once thought guarded me were actually holding me down."

A grin forms on his muzzle, "But I see you are more interested in a physical battle than a philosophical one, or perhaps one to resolve the other?"

He looks between the two, "A two vs one? Well, I am Orichalcum ranked, so why not. This place does prevent any damage that'd be too permanent. Any ground rules you'd like to establish before I make permanent damage to the ground in your shapes?"

"As for Tyrfornax," he shrugs, "Can't say I've met him, just heard about him from others. Seems like a coward and a pest."

[analog girder]

He turns towards Miecz.
"Yeah, I'm sure It'll be safe. That's why I wanted to show you here, maybe it could help, you know, a controlled enviroment."

He scratches his head.
"No cheap tactics. That would also include my scimitar since I don't want to instantly down you, so I suppose I should borrow a replacement. Do we want Szabla over there to participate, or is a 3 vs 1 too much for you?" -He says teasingly.

[untold musk]

"If you say so..." Miecz says skeptically, unsure of how participating with violence around the guild will make him act.

"Just maybe make sure to not throw us out of the safe area by accident when you turn giant again? And maybe give us some slack, Orichalcum was one of the highest ranks right?" He says while starting to slowly put on his armour. "Oh and maybe I'll restrain myself from making it a 4 on 1, even if that thing would probably look like one of those dummies in no time." He give the effects of Eddie's strikes another look, already imagining the same happening to them.

[woven elm]

"A three on one? Doesn't quite seem fair, are you sure you don't need more?" he grins as he gets into position.

He chuckles at Miecz, "Don't worry, despite my size I've plenty of control. It should be an educational experience if nothing else."

He stretches his arms, legs, and backs, "Just let me know when you're ready to be diced."

[analog girder]

Tarcza picks up an enchanted double-bladed scimitar.
"Oh, I'm ready." -A glare of fury in his eyes as he runs up to take a reckless swing at Eddy's chest.
[Hit: 19 slashing]
A crimson mist of spilled blood begins to surround Eddy as his senses dull but awakens a vengeful urge.

He rotates the scimitar and attempts a second slice.
[Hit: 13 slashing]
As the second hit connects Tarcza makes an opening for Miecz's next attack.

[woven elm]

Eddy grins as he takes the strikes.
"Not bad," he laughs as clouds begin to pour out of his mouth, "But let's scale things up."

The clouds swirl around his form as he grows and grows until he towers nearly 30 ft tall before rearing up 56 feet on his hind legs and strikes rapidly with his right arm and two front claws. Even as the strikes are redirected from the raging feline to the smaller target, each one lands true.

"You know how to cover each other's weaknesses!" his voice booms, "But you'll have to do better than that against me!"

As his strikes land, the slashes left by Tarcza's blade begin to reseal, sapping energy from the mounted mushroom.

[21 AC, 197/202 HP, Ada Plate]
[Hit three times, 1 crit for 77 damage after resistances]
[Healed 27]
[Giant's Might (Huge): 1 turn]
[Pack Hunter: 5/6]
[Fire Rune: 1/2]

[untold musk]

With Tarcza dashing in swinging and a swift response of 3 slashes straight to Mieczs face, the blood flowing on his face starts turning darker and forming into a shape, crafting a into a mask on top of his face, and extending into a set of translucent, spectral jaws beginning to float in front of him

"You fucking idiots just gotta start bad fights huh!?" He yells out with a entirely different voice, dripping with contempt, the aura around him begging to give off a sickly greenish glow [Casting Spriti Shroud, Necrotic] as the floating jaw go for Eddies neck, searing the wound with radiant energy and absorbs some of the blood it spills to aid its master.
[Hit: 20 slashing, 20 radiant, 13 necroti healing for 10hp. Combined 53 damage and applies anti-heal for 1 round]

The jaws don't let go through any shaking of the body, trying to bite deeper in.
[Hit: 31 combined damage]
"But it's gon a take a lot more than some Claws to stop me you ball of fur." He almost growls at the currency huge wemic, before the body syddenly goes limp. [Failed wis save against Stone Rune, charmed and incapacitated.]

Right as the the mushrooms body starts hanging powerlessly in his saddle, boney claws of the dragon smash into Eddies buckler, scratching against it powerlessly before it attempts to bite into the blood marked neck but only manages to strike into the shoulder pads of the armour, causing no damage
[Miss x2]

[AC24, 25/92hp]
[Hit twice for 84 damage, healed 10hp]
[Charmed+Incapacitated]

Shabla: [AC13, 58/58hp]

[analog girder]

He glances towards his rider with worry.
"Damn it, get up Miecz!" -He looks back at Eddy, thinking.- "Argh, screw it."

Tarcza leaps up unleashing a flurry of slices, climbing the giant wemic like a mountain.
[Hit: 14 slashing]
[Hit: 13 slashing]

The red mist starts creeping up Tarcza as well, his eyes turning bloodshot.

He spins around in a flourish, getting in one last cut before landing behind Eddy.
[Hit: 12 slashing]

He scouts for weak spots in the second of rest. His breathing rough, almost feral.

[woven elm]

He grits his teeth as he tanks the series of blows.

"My my, that's a foul mouth you've got there, I think you ought to close it for a bit," he waves a claw and clouds wrap around the mushroom's head, lulling him into a trance.

He then turns his attention back to Tarcza, and delivers another trio of strikes to the opposing Wemic, each one hitting harder than the last.

"I'd be more focused on the danger in front of you!"

The clouds grow darker as he becomes more resilient.

[21 AC, 74/202 HP, Ada Plate]
[Hit three times, 68 damage after resistances]
[Giant's Might (Huge): 2 turn]
[Pack Hunter: 5/6]
[Fire Rune: 1/2]
[Hill Rune: 1/2]

[untold musk]

Still held away from any vulnerable spots, Shabla tries to go the the hand doing all the damage, but keeps being shoved away, its follow up attempt to bite into the side of the stomach is foiled by sheets of adamatine again.
[Miss x2]

The cloud around Mieczs head disperses as he shakes away, the spectral jaws becoming solid again after turning almost entirely transparent when he was in the magic induced slumber.
[Passed save against Stone Rune]

[analog girder]

Tarcza's mind races seeking an advantage, no space to recover, need to go full offence.

He rushes at Eddy once more, a strike that will surely hit. Point of impact, no, wrong direction! His eyes widen as he turns to Miecz, the mist starts crawling up his body, before it is swiftly gusted away by magic.
"$#!&"

Disoriented, he attempts another strike. It goes wide.

Reorienting himself he stabs again with the other side of the blade.
[Hit: 14 slashing (7 resisted)]

Causing the mist to turn back towards Eddy.

Tarcza snarls, his breathing heavy, his mind lost in his rage. He lets out a wrathful scream.
"HOW DARE YOU TRY TO MAKE ME HURT MY BROTHER!"

[woven elm]

He shakes his head, "Now now Tarcza, don't lose your head."

He attempts to unleash another flurry of strikes against the mushroom but the magical protection is a bit too thick this time, so he takes a swipe against the dragon instead.

Seeing another swing in retaliation from Tarcza coming and blows it towards the undead dragon, "I think it's time for me to show my wings now."

He produces a whistle and blows loudly into it, suddenly, two massive eagle wings burst from his back and he takes to the sky flying a full 120 ft into the air and preparing to dive bomb the pair.

[21 AC, 98/202 HP, Ada Plate]
[Hit dragon once for 21 damage]
[Healed 24]
[Giant's Might (Huge): 3 turn]
[Second Wind 1/2]
[Pack Hunter: 5/6]
[Fire Rune: 1/2]
[Hill Rune: 1/2]
[Cloud Rune: 0/2]
[Stone Rune: 1/2]
[Stasis Strike: 5/6]

[untold musk]

Miecz looks up towards the wemic in the sky, casting a shadow over most of the arena as he readies to make them into the ground. He puts his free hand onto the other, magical energy coursing through as he heals himself [45hp Lay on Hands] and makes his armour glow slightly [Casts Shield of Faith] "Here comes the cloud, looking a little fat today huh."

Shabla moves away, making sure to not be in the crush radius [Dodge]

[AC26, Hp 65/92]
[Lay on Hands Miecz 45 healing]

[Szabla moves away and dodges]

[analog girder]

He takes a swing in opportunity but it gets redirected to Szabla.
[Hit: 15 slashing]

Tarcza snarls.
"COWARD!"

He sheathes the weapon and equips an oversized longbow. He steadies his aim with an exhale and shoots.
[Hit: 14 slashing (7 resisted)]

Crimson mists clinging on like a vengeful spirit.

"Don't lose your head... DON'T LOSE YOUR HEAD!"
He takes another shot, drawing the string with forceful intent. He aims at his head.
[Crit/negated by adamantine armor: 9 (4 resisted)]

The magical properties of Eddy's armor alter the arrow's course, landing his shoulder instead.

[woven elm]

Eddy looks down upon the duo with a smug grin before removing the whistle from his mouth, immediately plummeting towards them.

"YOU ASKED FOR IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!" he yells as he crashes down on them, managing to hit Miecz with his weight on the way down even as Tarcza evades him.

His immediately rights himself upwards, the clouds moreso shifting than him getting up. He immediately graps the other Wemic [Athletics: 40]

"Since you missed me so much last time, I'll take you with me!" he laughs as he uses his whistle once more, shooting up 180 ft into the air. He then strikes at the mushroom within his claws twice, the steam from his claws burning as he knocks out the fungus.

He then looks at Tarcza and smiles before dropping him back down to the arena. Leaving a rather large indent in the ground below.

He slowly returns back to his normal size as he descends downwards. Landing next to the pair and offering a claw to help them back up as the magic of the arena returns them to consciousness.

"You guys are quite the pair, did more to me than most elemental princes," he laughs.

[analog girder]

He squirms around in Eddy's grasp, tearing into his hand with his claws in a fruitless attempt to loosen his grasp.
[Hit: 12 slashing (6 resisted)]

He yells out in frustration.
"DAMN YOU!"

As he falls down, he embraces Miecz's unconscious body, instinctively trying to shield him from the impact.

There's a loud crunch as Tarcza hits the ground but no lasting injuries appear on his person. His breathing steady.

[untold musk]

After a moment of Miecz being unconscious, the mask of his face along with the floating set of teeth disappear, evaporating with a faint smell of decay. When he shakes awake his face looks normal, maybe with a few new claw marks and a slightly disorientated expression but looks better.

"That was weird, it felt different from letting him go normally..." He whispers under his nose before looking up at Eddy. "You say that, but the whole in the floor is still in our shapes." He laughs rubbing his beat up shoulder, holding a shield to stop eddies attacks having clearly taken a toll on it, before coughing a few times.

He pats Tarcza on the head as he starts getting up. "You did great, wouldn't have lasted a moment without your help there. Your getting better with the bow too." He tries to comfort his little brother. "OH right!, lemme..." The mushroom starts whispering an incantation, faint warm light starting to emit from his hand. [Casts Aura of Vitality] "This should help a bit with the bruises before we pay the grotto a visit."

While Miecz starts patching up Tarcza, Szabla cautiously walks up, walking in a way to be slightly away from Eddy, and gives the duo a sniff, almost inspecting them to make sure they are ok. Miecz turns towards her. "And you're gonna need some practice against armoured targets, this big fella is above what we can hadle and that's probably fine, but you can't read openings." He starts talking to the dragon almost like an instructor during a lesson.

[woven elm]

"Yes, but I've fought those of higher rank than you two that didn't last half as long," he smiles, "Teamwork and all that, you do a good job taking care of each other."

He examines the crater left behind by his own fall and shakes his head.

"Sorry if I went a bit too far back there. Wanted to take you two seriously and used some less than conventional tactics."

[analog girder]

Tarcza moves his arms away uncovering Miecz and rolls on his back with a grunt, staring at the sky.
"Ugh, I need to get something similar to that whistle of yours. As well as I operate a bow, it's not my specialty."

He looks towards Miecz as he props his top torso up on his arm, he extends a rough head pat to him as he heals him.
"Thanks, bud. Maybe we could somewhat control that evil of yours inside, at least with practice."

He flops back down and turns his head towards Eddy.
"It's alright, good limit test for us!" -His gentle smile contorts into a serious expression.- "But don't you ever try to make me attack Miecz again." -You are unsure if it's a threat or a scolding, maybe both. But with that sentence, his smile eeriely returns.- "Good fight!" -He musters a thumbs up and goes back to looking at the sky.

[untold musk]

"Thats reassuring, I was kinda curious how we conpare to some of the other people around the guild. And looks like we're mostly fine so I think u didn't, but when something this big falls from that high up sure hurts more." He remembers a a large target of a hunt back home falling in top of him not long after the tribe allowed him to partake in them.

"I don't know about control, but something felt... off this time. I can't quite put a finger on what but something was different, I'm not sure if it's a bad or a good thing either." He sighs before sluggishly getting and standing next to Tarcza "But I have gotten better on the magic side, we both a lot stronger since joining the guild, not even mentioning all the magical gear."

He turns to Eddy again, having to almost look straight up at the figure towering in front of him. "Right that reminds me, I think I saw some of your wounds close there, but it didn't look like any spell or something similar, and rune magic isn't great at healing from what little i know about it. How did you do that.?"

[woven elm]

"It is certainly helpful," he nods, "Plenty of flying foes as you ascend the ranks, may as well get a tool that allow those wings of yours to work."

He sighs as the reprimand, "Redirection is part of my skillset, but I suppose I can oblige to some degree. At the end of the day these are merely friendly spars, nothing life and death."

He lowers himself to a loafing position, turning to the mushroom, "Well, these gloves of mine allow me to siphon the energy from my opponents. They allow me to target the soul. No lasting damage to the spirit though so no need to worry about that."

He taps his claws along his arm, "That "evil" you mentioned, I definitely felt something off as I struck your souls..."

[analog girder]

Twisting his body, he sits up mimicing Eddy's pose. He thinks for a moment.
"Miecz, you think you can voluntarily let him out if you tried? I just kind of wish we could speak to him or something but I doubt he's willing..."

He lowers his wing as a ramp for Miecz.
"Don't even know what to call the guy."

[untold musk]

Seing the wemics lay down Miecz plops down to sit between them. "Target the soul..." He repeats Eddies words to himself, his head starting to overflow with thoughts immediately. How does that work? Is that why his attacks felt so weird? Is it the reason why letting him out felt so different this time? If he can grasp onto the soul, could that be a possibile way to separate them?

He sits there looking towards the ground amd thinking for a long moment untill his focus snaps when Tarcza speaks. He looks up at his brother. "Oh, well its a bit uuh, not exactly how I think it works. I'm not sure how to describe it, it's kinda like a... a pull? A constant pull slowly getting stronger with time, sometimes I have to let it go because it gets too strong and sometimes it just yanks it, usually when a fight breaks out. Or at least that's how it was, recently it has been a feeling less consistent, like the pull is aimed somewhere else? It probably doesn't make much sense, but I don't how to explain it. Right now for example it's not there, but if I'm remembering right that's normal some time after getting knocked out."

[woven elm]

Eddy tries to piece together the situation as he listens, closing he eyes and trying to focus in on the colour of the souls around him. He notes a distinct, greenish disturbance, much stronger in Miecz.

"Hmm, there's definitely something in there, but I cannot speak to the nature of it."

He spreads out his paws to show off the gloves, "They are called the Gloves of Soul Catching, I was able to use them in conjunction with some research into death giants to remove a ghost that had been bothering me through a certain amulet."

[analog girder]

Tarcza furrows his brows listening to the conversation.
"What would you do if we got him out? Where would you go? I'm... happy here, but I also want to be by your side."

[untold musk]

"There definitely is, from what i gathered talking with a lot of all sorts of priest, clerics, wizards and whatever else I managed to find in Vaskala..." He pauses for a moment, realising he never actually told this to anyone at the guild except Tarcza. He hesitates for a moment, but with what's been said and seem already there is no reason to avoid it. "I have a piece of a Liches soul attached at slowly consuming mine." He finished with his voice getting quiet at the end, the words still struggling to leave his mount.

He doesn't look up at Tarcza when answering. "I'm not exactly thinking much about that anymore, the hope of removing is barely there. I've been told it's effectively just part of my soul now and getting rid of him would mean removing me too." His head hanging low as he speaks. "I can't say I like the idea of my soul being disintegrated, but past a certain point that might be the best option... if he takes full control that means im gone anyway."

[woven elm]

"Unlikely," Eddy finally says a few moments after the mushroom finishes.

"The fact that you can still speak freely about it and that there are moments where he appears to be dormant means that it is not too far gone," he ignites a small flame in his paw and quickly extinguishes it as he speaks, "If you want evidence of that, simply consider your own situation. If that fragment can consume and overtake your soul, then yours can do the same to it."

He slowly writes out the Giant Rune for death in the air with the smoke and blows it towards the fungus, then places a paw just above his cap just as the smoke passes in between. He closes his eyes a moment and focuses harder on the souls.

"Beyond my power to separate safely," he speaks after a moment, "But, I genuinely believe that it is within your power to overcome, maybe even keep a bit of the power he grants you as you do."

He strokes his chin thoughtfully, "I am no cleric or arcanist, but perhaps, and this is just a guess, you could try combatting it by trying to starve it of negative energy? Hard to avoid when on missions, but maybe time spent fasting, praying, or acting selflessly could work? Rather hypocritcal of me to suggest I know, but maybe worth a shot. There are likely smarter folks in the guild on these matters, I've only removed a soul from an object, I can see them when close enough, and I can strike them, but this is certainly more involved."

[analog girder]

Tarcza looks towards Miecz. He tilts his head, an unsure smile on his face. He scoots closer to him to make contact with his warm body in an attempt of comfort.

He listens in and decides to let the two speak.

[untold musk]

Miecz considers Eddys words for a long moment. Maybe he is right, someone with a literal gras at the soul is telling him there is hope, you gotta believe that... right? Starving him of negative energy while actively radiating it won't be easy, but might just be doable...

He finally looks up towards Eddy. "If you say so, I will at the very least give it a try." The mushroom says with a faint smile before getting up with only some struggle and look to Tarcza. "I'm gonna need some time to think about all of this, would you mind if I go to the grotto for now? I'll go by Szabla, a good bath will help me think but I would prefer to be alone."

He nods to the dragon that took its position sitting a some distance away while the three were talking, causing it to swiftly walk up and extend a paw for him to get on, then putting him on its back.

"Thanks for the Spar Eddy, for the practice if nothing else. Maybe we'll win the next one."

[woven elm]

He pats the mushroom on the cap with a chuckle, "I'm sure you'll be fine, just keep looking out for each other."

He holds up one paw and reaches back to his saddle with the other and takes out his chest of preserving.

"Before you go, Tarcza shared some of a kill a while back. Figure I ought to return the favour."

He opens it up to reveal a variety of chicken based dishes, fried, baked, grilled, smoked. Sandwiches, wraps, curries.

"Killed a gargantuan chicken on the job a bit ago, this chest keeps everything nice and fresh indefinitely."

[analog girder]

Tarcza stands up, getting ready to leave as well, maybe to nap or do some chores.

His eyes light up seeing the variety of dishes presented.
"Amazing! Did you make these yourself?"

"Also I find it funny to imagine what kind of job would lead you to fighting a giant chicken!" -He laughs.

[untold musk]

"Lets hope you're right!" *Miecz grabs a sandwich from Eddies box and waves goodbye before Szabla takes off towards the grotto, the sound of the wings weirdly quiet with most of the membranes on them missing, flight being mostly supported by magic."

"...Is there really a chance?" He whispers to himself, the faint hope inside him stirring.

[woven elm]

"Yes," he laughs, "While no expert chef, I take food seriously enough to pick up a thing or two."

"It was an odd mission for sure, but such is life in this guild, finding talking foxes hiding around an abandoned farmhouse before they are killed by giant chickens..."

He takes out a wrap for himself and waves in return.

"Of course I'm right," he smiles, "I'm trying to lie less these days afterall."

[analog girder]

He looks towards Miecz flying away.
"Well, there he goes."

He turns to Eddy and grabs a wrap as well.
"How about we walk back to the common grounds and you can tell me all about it while having a little snack?"

"Also, thank you for restoring his faith, even if it took beating us up." -He laughs.