"Aren't dragons typically teeth, claws, wings, and flames with a bad attitude?" Elaina asks. Unlike Seraph, she wants to keep as far from any dragons as possible.
"There may have been a mistranslation on my part," Asta says. "Dragoons. 'Like snakes with arms, big, sharp teeth and fog breath', is what they are telling me."
"Tatzylwyrm!" Asta suddenly shouts. "There's a reward for a tatzylwyrm head at Oleg's. But they are dangerous beasts; dragon-kin with poisonous breath and above-animal cunning."
"We will begin that hunt after we find the lost temple." After a short pause. "But of course, if we were to come across a trail... He glances over at Elaina as if looking for her approval.
Seraph didn't hide her disappointment, as her tail hung limply now on Julias's flank and responded to Elaine's response lightly. "Some maybe but not all I've heard stories about them but never met one. However these Tatzlwyrms sound interesting and the reward would aid us in our endeavor. However I will follow where the group goes." She settles back on Julias's saddle as her horse merely whickers, unappreciative of all Seraph's moving about.
"Let's focus on the temple for now," Asta says in a soothing tone, and she reaches out to stroke Seraph's hair. "Think of it as preparation. The sooner we find that temple, the sooner it's reestablished, the sooner we have a place near the tatzylwyrm to go to if we get injured or poisoned so we can be mended, should it become necessary."
Her tail twitches appreciatively at the soothing contact and Seraph nods once Asta stops stroking her hair. "Sounds fine by me~" Her disappointment was gone as she did look forward to finding that temple.
"Well, if we're done here, I'll see what I can find."
With that Elaina begins to look ahead for any sign for the temple.
Croft is still flying overhead, scouting and keeping an eye out for the temple.
Croft does a fly-by, passing over the group without landing, then shoots up into the sky to scan for danger again.
"Death! Death!" he caws. "I mean: Dead! He's dead! Beware!"
Asta quickly puts away her mapmaking kit and looks all around, suspicious. The Ulfen Witch mutters a quick cantrip...
Marten gets ready for any incoming surprises
"Someone set a deadfall trap out here?" Asta asks out loud, her tone and expression making it clear that she feels sickened. "Where anyone or anything could walk into it and suffer for who knows how long...? Ye gods!"
"Then again, this may be a case of someone being hoist by their own petard," Asta admits. "Still, nasty as all get-out way to go..."
Seraph moves and takes the axe out of the stump. "Terrible way to go. Best we bury him eh?" She takes a moment to assess if there was a safe way to remove the body...
"It seems we will not be levelling any fines against this man," Asta says, looking down on the corpse. "Nor will I be punching him in the face, more's the pity. Oh, well. Please dig a hole, and I shall - try - to find an appropriate passage to serve as a burial ceremony..."
Asta is leafing through a small, cheap-looking book with a symbol on the front that resembles her holy symbol.
Seraph glances at the book for a moment. Curious as to who Asta worships. Her tail twitches as she ponders a moment before nodding to Marten. "Mind getting this log with me?"
Learning about this trapper didnt deter her need to bury him. No one deserved to die like this and she wished they had followed behind him sooner. A scare like this would make any crooked snake straight...
With nor further thought she grabbed onto the end of one log and got to shifting them off the dead man.
"All must stand before Pharasma. Even if you don't like the man, respect the goddess. It will only speak well for you when it is your turn." Torod helps with the logs. He is willing to give last rites if Asta would prefer.
Elaina moves a little ways away, caught up in her own thoughts.
The way the man had set his traps made him little better than the bandits she had... accompanied. What happened and the brief flash of glee she had felt made her wonder, what did that make her? Someone that could relish the horrible death of another.
A trembling hand pulls out the silver pendant that hung under the padding to her armor. Shivers run through her body as she tries to deny that darker part of her.
"Desna help me, I'm turning into what I hate." she whispers.
Torod's speech makes Seraph chuckle, more at herself than anyone else as she uses her larger hands to grip part of the log. She nods to Torod as he joins her.
After dropping the first log she walks over to grab up the next log, speakingas she approached it. "Torod's got a good point. My mother told me once to Fight like hell, respect others, live how you want to and seek happiness everyday." She grips the next log and grunts as she spots Elaina's backside a ways away. "Elaina! As much as I enjoy the view~ maybe you could lend a hand." She and Torod continued to work on moving the next log as Seraph chuckles lightly. The small things count too~
Marten helps wih moving the logs. He thinks the rest of them are way too spiritual at the moment.
"R-right, sorry." Elaina mumbles before moving to help. She tries not to think about the emotions running through her mind, but some dark corner of her soul keeps gloating over the death of the trapper, and the worry from that shows in her eyes.
Seeing her trouble, "We have this. Why not see if you can find his camp? He may have other trapped sites and could have noted where they are."
"Let's just give him an Ulfen funeral, as far as we can," Asta suggests. "Bury him with his gear. And his parasites. Personally, I don't need any of his stuff."
Irlt wasn't until she came closer that Seraph realized she had made a mistake. She wondered d for a momentb if that was how she appeared at times just as Torod made the right decision. Nodding in agreement.
Asta reads a few passages from her booklet over the fresh grave. They deal with uncertainties.
"It is difficult for one person to truly know another through and through, so let us give the deceased the benefit of the doubt and hope he is worthy of a kind afterlife. We do not fully know Pharasma's criteria in judging the dead, so let us hope he will be judged kindly."
She finishes with a quick, circular gesture of seven finger-jabs, kisses her holy symbol, and then puts it and her book away.
"Let's not camp right on top of him," she says, gesturing at the grave. She whistles to the trapper's mule.
Croft comes flying back before sundown, having continued to scout during the burial -- mostly because Asta told him to go away and stop suggesting a dead man has no need for his eyeballs -- and lands on his Witch's shoulder.
"I like how it's warmer here than back home," he remarks during dinner, as he ruffles his feathers, "but there were more eyeballs to be had in Algidheart. Public executions every week."
"Shall we break camp? I am not thrilled to continue during the night." Marten says.
"Just out of spitting range of the grave is fine by me," Asta says. "I don't want to camp on top of someone's barrow, but out of sight is far enough."
"Ask the cook," Asta says, shrugging. She swats at a bug. "Then again... Make a fire anyway, and throw some peat or something on it, for a strong scent. Anything to keep the blood-feasters off!"
"I'll cook supper." Elaina offers, grateful fro anything to take her mind off of the emotions whirling inside of her. Considering the rather poor results of her efforts, it will probably be the last time she's allowed to cook anything.
Well, Asta says as she holds up a piece of meat that somehow managed to retain its rawness despite being at the centre of the pot. "I had heard of people eating raw fish - by choice - but I don't quite think raw beef is - Hey!"
Croft retreats to a branch with the gobbet of meat he just stole from Asta's fingers and starts to chow down. "I like it," he calls down. "Make her cook more often! Caw!"
Seraph eats it and laughs at everyone's complaints. "Perfectly fine. Besides if you eat over cooked food all the time you become weak." She eats with a smirk on her face.
She made a mental note to talk with her later tonight during their watch rotation, her cooking was far worse then imagined and the lack of fire in her voice was a good indication something was bothering her. What though was the question.
"If you eat undercooked meat where I come from, you open yourself up to disease," Asta grumbles. "We don't just have regular executions..."
"Hmm sounds like you came from a rough country. Regular executions and cooking. I thought I had it rough as a kid..." Her tone was teasing but not in an offensive way hopefully. Seraph was trying to air in the side of humor rather then being more negative~ ♥
"Yes," Asta says, her tone suddenly bleak. "Irrisen."
@Mikmek
On that note Seraph smiles at Mikmek. "You like riddles Mikmek?"
Letting him have a moment to ready himself before she speaks. "One tooth to bite, he's the forests foe. One tooth to fight, as all Ulfen know. What am I?"
Torod, who's been doing the cooking thus far, offers his supplies to aid in Elaina's efforts. He makes tea to go with the meal as well. Torod eats Elaina's cooking without complaint. He even goes back for seconds.
Fort
"Delicious. You should cook for us all the time." he says as he goes for a third helping.
Did Strawberry just roll her eyes?