"Hopefully Ruji will get bored with your arm so you can actually start practicing with it," Tam says with a grin.
"Hopefully Ruji will get bored with your arm so you can actually start practicing with it," Tam says with a grin.
"Have you never played with a kitten before?"
Ryo grabs his cloak and places his hand under it, and Ruji pounces as Ryo makes his fingers move under the cloth.
"Hey, anyone know where Kannic is? I'd have thought he'd visit too."
"Hey, anyone know where Kannic is? I'd have thought he'd visit too."
"I haven't seen him since we dropped you off here. Of course, I was busy making that arm, and you know how I get when I'm working," she added with a grin. "I'm sure he'll stop by at some point soon."
"Hey, anyone know where Kannic is? I'd have thought he'd visit too."
"He went to an inn nearby called the Merry Minstrel to rest up. I left a note for him to let him know what we were doing today. He's probably still sleeping it off. Though he did say he was going to be heading out of town soon, maybe to the east or south. I'm sure he would stop by before he does, if he goes..."
"Hmmm. Maybe we should go check and see if he's still here."
"Let's go then. Ruji, we're going to look for another friend of mine. He's shorter than Tam, so no illusion tackles, okay?"
Seeming somewhat dissapointed, Ruji rawrs at him and curls up in the crook of Ryo's flesh and blood arm as Ryo wobbles to his feet.
After a bit of creative persuasion with the temple staff, Ryo is released - then everyone piles into the skimmer and goes to the Merry Minstrel to find Kannic.
After a long sleep, Kannic paces his room, ignoring the grumbling of his belly.
"Thrice damned politics... Typical blackmail... On my own timetable, I will... They should be sending a poison 'specialist' to deal with a poisoner. And a spellcaster to boot. Life is so much simpler in the Tunnels. At least they gave me back my 'holdings'.." as he eyeballs the magical backpack that hides his traveling gear.
Once inside the Merry Minstrel, Ruji jumps from Ryo's arms and runs off. Soon there is a scratching sound at Kannic's door...
Ruji jumps from Ryo's arms and runs off.
"Ruji! Get back here! Probably smelled food somewhere..."
Once inside the Merry Minstrel, Ruji jumps from Ryo's arms and runs off. Soon there is a scratching sound at Kannic's door...
The scratching at the door stirs Kannic from his 'debate'. He draws the rod, preparing to Hold Person if need be. He opens the door a crack. "Who goes there?"
The scratching at the door stirs Kannic from his 'debate'. He draws the rod, preparing to Hold Person if need be. He opens the door a crack. "Who goes there?"
"Mwoar?"
A small, winged fluff-ball of a kitten look up at Kannic.
The scratching at the door stirs Kannic from his 'debate'. He draws the rod, preparing to Hold Person if need be. He opens the door a crack. "Who goes there?""Mwoar?"
A small, winged fluff-ball of a kitten look up at Kannic.
Kannic furrows his brow at the creature.
"A bit small for lunch, you are. Or are you a messenger?" He eyes the corridor for anyone accompanying the creature.
"A bit small for lunch, you are. Or are you a messenger?" He eyes the corridor for anyone accompanying the creature.
It's strange... The kitten itself is magical, but the magic is strange, being neither arcane nor divine in nature.
"A bit small for lunch, you are. Or are you a messenger?" He eyes the corridor for anyone accompanying the creature.It's strange... The kitten itself is magical, but the magic is strange, being neither arcane nor divine in nature.
Seeing no one hiding in the hallway, Kannic opens the door wider.
"So what is it you want little one?"
Seeing no one hiding in the hallway, Kannic opens the door wider.
"So what is it you want little one?"
"Mwor."
A silver dagger, which is obviously and illusion, begins to float above the kitten.
Seeing no one hiding in the hallway, Kannic opens the door wider.
"So what is it you want little one?"
"Mwor."
A silver dagger, which is obviously and illusion, begins to float above the kitten.
"Well, that's unusual. Even for a winged kitten."
"That kind of looks like a real one that I use. Does this mean someone is looking for me? How 'bout we go downstairs and check? At least I can work on filling this empty pit in my stomach."
Kannic heads down to the dining room, looking to see if the kitten follows and if it flies as it does rather than walking.
"Well, that's unusual. Even for a winged kitten."
"That kind of looks like a real one that I use. Does this mean someone is looking for me? How 'bout we go downstairs and check? At least I can work on filling this empty pit in my stomach."
Kannic heads down to the dining room, looking to see if the kitten follows and if it flies as it does rather than walking.
Running ahead, the kitten lifts of the ground and flies swiftly downstairs.
After catching the flying fuzzball, Ryo holds Ruji up to look him in the eyes.
"I've told you before not to run -or fly- off like that before.
Remember the cave flier swarm?"
Ruji's purple eyes grow wide, and he struggles until he can hide in Ryo's arms.
Kannic heads down to the dining room, looking to see if the kitten follows and if it flies as it does rather than walking.
Ryo looks up from his cowering tressym to see Kannic enter the room. He raises his new arm(which is hidden in a long sleeve) and waves Kannic over, smiling faintly.
"Hey Kannic, how are you doing this fine day?"
Kannic heads down to the dining room, looking to see if the kitten follows and if it flies as it does rather than walking.Ryo looks up from his cowering tressym to see Kannic enter the room. He raises his new arm(which is hidden in a long sleeve) and waves Kannic over, smiling faintly.
"Hey Kannic, how are you doing this fine day?"
"Hungry as a cave crawler. You're looking 'whole'. That's good."
"Interesting messenger you have there. Good thing I wasn't a wee bit more hungry," he adds with a wink.
From out of nowhere he flips out Ryo's dagger. "This is yours I presume?" He hands it over with a nod.
"Who's up for lunch?"
"Hungry as a cave crawler. You're looking 'whole'. That's good."
"Guess I'm 'armed' and ready for the next big fight."
"Interesting messenger you have there. Good thing I wasn't a wee bit more hungry," he adds with a wink.
"So that's why he ran off. This is Ruji, my family's guardian."
From out of nowhere he flips out Ryo's dagger. "This is yours I presume?" He hands it over with a nod.
"I wondered where that was. Thanks Kannic."
"Who's up for lunch?"
"I've had to eat temple food. I'm looking forward to food even more than Aananda."
The owner is both happy and flustered when Kannic orders nearly enough food to feed a regiment. Luckily the courses will give the kitchen time to cook more.
Having already had a meal at the Juggling Dwarf, Tam just gets something to drink as the table quickly fills with more food. After a little while, Tam asks:
"I was beginning to wonder if you had already decided to head out of town this morning, Kannic. Are you still thinking about doing that?"
Much like a child with something he doesn't want to eat, Ryo begins passing food to Ruji when he thinks no one is looking.
Having already had a meal at the Juggling Dwarf, Tam just gets something to drink as the table quickly fills with more food. After a little while, Tam asks:
"I was beginning to wonder if you had already decided to head out of town this morning, Kannic. Are you still thinking about doing that?"
"Yep. Don't want to squander my time up here. The Tunnels get really boring. There's some action to be had south of here but it doesn't really hold my interest."
"I'm open to other ideas if you have any."
"Looks like I'll have to keep this food from going to waste myself." He tackles the plates with fervor.
"Since this whole place is still new to me, one place is just as good as the next right now. If I can't immediately find some way back to where I come from, then I guess I'll look for a place to dig in for a while and work on some income."
"Of course, Ryo still probably needs some more rest before he can safely travel, and Aananda actually has a job here, so that kind of limits her mobility to the local area at the moment."
"Don't be silly Tamrin, I'm fine. Besides, if I get into trouble and it turns out I'm not fine, Ruji's with me now."
"Since this whole place is still new to me, one place is just as good as the next right now. If I can't immediately find some way back to where I come from, then I guess I'll look for a place to dig in for a while and work on some income."
"Of course, Ryo still probably needs some more rest before he can safely travel, and Aananda actually has a job here, so that kind of limits her mobility to the local area at the moment."
"One of the drawbacks to that plan is the absent cohorts. They might try a rescue."
"Err, Ryo, still have him 'bottled up'?"
"One of the drawbacks to that plan is the absent cohorts. They might try a rescue."
"Err, Ryo, still have him 'bottled up'?"
"I think I made a pretty good case for them to not cause us any more grief. But the concern is understandable."
"Err, Ryo, still have him 'bottled up'?"
Ryo's mood instantly darkens. He nods.
"I plan on ending it later, away from others that might get caught in fight. Including you three."
"Err, Ryo, still have him 'bottled up'?"Ryo's mood instantly darkens. He nods.
"I plan on ending it later, away from others that might get caught in fight. Including you three."
"Sorry to ruin the mood, but it is a cause for concern. At least now you can pick the time and place, and no more innocents will become messages. But what about other beasts, like the one that turned him?"
"Sorry to ruin the mood, but it is a cause for concern. At least now you can pick the time and place, and no more innocents will become messages. But what about other beasts, like the one that turned him?"
"It's okay Kannic."
He sighs, then lowers his voice to continue.
"Do you remember the illusion he showed us in the masion? That wasn't fake, it was a memory we both shared. About one month ago, my other 'ability' manifested. I was going through my cards to see what they all did, when he walked into the room and saw the Fire card light the focusing candles in the room."
He reaches into his cloak and shows him the Gate card.
"This was the next card I tried. It.. it took us Above. He was bitten before we could return. This is all my fault..."
"Sorry to ruin the mood, but it is a cause for concern. At least now you can pick the time and place, and no more innocents will become messages. But what about other beasts, like the one that turned him?""It's okay Kannic."
He sighs, then lowers his voice to continue.
"Do you remember the illusion he showed us in the masion? That wasn't fake, it was a memory we both shared. About one month ago, my other 'ability' manifested. I was going through my cards to see what they all did, when he walked into the room and saw the Fire card light the focusing candles in the room."He reaches into his cloak and shows him the Gate card.
"This was the next card I tried. It.. it took us Above. He was bitten before we could return. This is all my fault..."
"Nah. It is the fault of the beast that bit him."
He scratches his head as he forms his next thought, "It's like when I survey a new tunnel for the miners. It can look good, then they find a gas pocket or a nest and bad things happen. We just deal with it without beating ourselves up about 'fault', then we learn from it."
Aananda pauses her eating for a moment.
"Above? You mean like where Tam is from?"
"And I would feel bad about leaving Mr. Thorg in the lurch especially after he was so kind about giving me a job. Plus, I still have to pay you back for the gear. Hard to do without a job. Although I'll have to go south again sometime. The Masters probably already dealt with the 'problem', but I have to know for sure," she said, looking sad.
"Well, we sure brought this conversation down a few notches, didn't we?" Tam says with a slightly forced laugh. :)
He sighs.
"So it sounds like we're heading in different directions for a little while. I guess we'd better enjoy the meal then, right?" he says as he pulls a small plate of food over.