"I suppose we could lock this Svetlana up, but I see no reason to keep her alive. It's not really Sventala any more. For all we know she could use that slime she spewed to slip out of her bonds."
"I would like to know how the worm-things pass from one host to another though. Is it just the eggs? Or is there some other way we need to be on guard for?"
Karlak, tired of mixed messages, shakes his head and sighs. "She's dangerous. Nobody seems to agree." He grabs the unconscious Svetlana and simply twists her head backwards until you hear a loud crack, and then throws the limp body on the ground.
"Better safe. She tried to hurt us." He then grabs his hammer and, for good measure, winds up and smashes her head in like Gallagher with a watermelon in the 80s, complete with splatter effect. The tiefling, completely covered with gore, furrows his brow. "I think I need a bath now."
Mama walked over to Karlak and took his giant hand in hers, pulling him lower to look him over. She began to wipe away some of the gore with her own robe. Licking her own thumb, she rubbed a particularly large smudge off of his cheek.
"That was very protective of you dear. Maybe next time you could wait a little longer though. I'm glad you wanted to keep us safe, that was very sweet."
"Well, we know something is going on, something not normal. At least I've never seen anything like this before. We should get a fresh start in the morning. I don't know what else we can do here tonight."
Gideon looked sad and frustrated. Above the scarf covering his face his eyes looked a lot like Oleg's. "We could have at least tried to save her. What are we going to tell Oleg? ' His voice suddenly became Karlak's "Sorry your wife's dead. We don't know if we could have gotten the monster out of her throat because we decided it was faster just smash her head. It was safer that way."
"How about she tried to kill us? That makes her no better than a bandit. Sorry you're married to a monster that tried to eat us might also work. Or maybe next time I'll let you watch one of these things, and smash your skull in when they infect you."
They're an ungrateful lot. You saved their lives.
They're scared.
They're weak.
That's why they need me.
You'll see soon enough...
Karlak bites his lower lip as his internal dialogue gets him worried. This certainly isn't a cut and dry case.
"Or bury her with the other. Not like he will know how she died anyway. Say Isen ate her face or something."
"She didn't try to kill us. The thing inside her that hijacked her body did." Gideon said. He didn't sound angry. It was more like he was tired.
"The creature is dead, and we have learned what we can. In time, we may learn more under better circumstances.
Karlak, your quick thinking and your strength have protected us and we are grateful.
Andelis, I admire your studious nature. I hope that in time, your notes will help us determine what is going on.
For now, I think Mama Cas has the right of it. Those of us who can, let us rest and continue our mission with fresh minds."
"I'll stay up and keep an eye on the sleepers, in case Szemyan is right about worms getting to people another way."
His tiny beak clicks sharply, once.
"If any worms want to climb in your throat, they'll have to get past my throat first!
"Thank you my feathered friend. That is most brave."
"Come" she said to the others. "We all need rest and supper. Let's bring Oleg with us into the bunk house where we can keep an eye on him...and each other."
"Gideon, Leo, why don't you two search the house. See what food you can find. Given the circumstances, I don't think Mr. Oleg will mind sharing"
She waited for people to start moving before following Karlak, who she tried to have a word with.
"Karlak, my dear. What you did out there was very smart. Neutralizing a threat before it could become dangerous and hurt any one else, very good thinking. But I also want you to know that sometimes, we have to risk our safety to help others, okay dear? It's not always enough to be brave and strong and smart. Sometimes, we have to be selfless and care for others who can't care for themselves. Sometimes, we have to try to rescue those who may not even want to be rescued. Such is the life of a hero my dear."
Gedeon gave a nod and vanished into the house. He immediately went back to the hidden compartment in the bedroom, took what was in it, and then moved through the rest of the rooms.
Seeing Gideon go back into the main house, Szemyan snaps his fingers.
"Yeah, I'm with him. Before we bed down, let's go through the main building. There may be some proper food there, and we should make sure there are no more of those eggs."
Szemyan follows Gideon into the house.
Karlak quietly listens to Mama Cass's praise and admonition, and blinks softly. "Hero..." He whispers softly to himself. "I'd like that. To be a hero. But...but how do I know when to be safe and when to be...not?"
His questions don't seem so much directed at the old halfling, but at himself, as he starts to pace. "A hero? Could I? A hero?" His voice is barely a whisper, and he sits down on one of the bunk house's beds, as it creaks under his weight. The look on his face is one of obvious confusion and puzzlement.
Mom would be proud if I were a hero.
Proud, and likely her murderers would be alive, if you listen to this old fool.
I...I don't know.