"I don't ignore wounds until they fester." Friday flatly said.
"I'm sorry." Friday says aloud at her admonishment while slumping his head, not wanting his negativity to drift into the thought talk.
Listening to the rest of the story he waits before thinking. "So he copied your voice without hearing it himself? So can he copy ours? Um, sorry, I got caught up, that was a man thing to do." The fact that this Kikonu was cursing Ameiko already made Friday want to kill him, but cruelly mocking someone like that? It brought out the Daud in him.
Friday nods. While he wouldn't care if his voice was stolen it would definitely be bad for the others, especially Haru.
"How does he steal? Do you know? And can you make another bond? So that way we aren't swarming you?"
<So he used your own voice as a joke when he knew you couldn't speak...that's a terrible joke, a funny joke would be if you woke up and found your wings dyed pink> Gergo chimed in <It's either he's really bad at coming up with jokes or is trying to hurt you in a really complicated and roundabout way. I'll never understand why people would go to all that trouble>
The wild man knocked on the broadside of the blade of his sheathed axe <If you want to hurt someone you use this, it's quick and permanent...anyway based on what you and Ishga told me this guy is a bad boss and bad to his woman. I am surprised no one betrayed him before now>
So make sure to keep him away from the others? Shouldn't be too hard. Friday thinks to himself while trying to keep it separate from the conversation.
"That won't be much of a problem when he's dead. Then you can make a bond with whoever you want." Friday happily adds.
The grin on Gergo's face grew to twice it's size, and his eyes brimmed with focus and a peculiar excitement <Your not lying? Please tell you aren't!> The blond's head turned from right to left in a manner similar to that of a beast <Please tell me you aren't exaggerating! That's he's as tough as you make him out to be!>
"I guess we'll just have to chop him up and keep the pieces apart."
Speaking of his abilities; has he ever displayed any form of necromancy or powers that would project a necromantic aura from their target?
Valeria wanted to know as soon as possible if this Kikonu could have afflicted Ameiko. If it wasn't him, then there was something else in the castle they would have to deal with.
Haru is about to scold Gergo and Friday herself, but Zaoibe does it before she can form the words.
"Do you know what kind of being he is?" she asks instead. "Where he's from, or what his race is?"
"Hmm. That sounds vaguely familiar, like something out of an old story I read or heard once, but it doesn't ring a bell. So, you want us to fight him for you? Or not for you, specifically, but since we're determined to fight him anyway you're in favor of it?"
Our friend's been struck down with some sort of severe fever that's left her unconscious. It was radiating a necromantic aura. By the sounds of it, though, subtle things like that aren't really your ex's thing.
Incidentally, Gergo; it's not easy to dye feathers unless you use magic to directly mess with their biochemistry. Trust me.
**********************************************************
Xel let out an almighty sneeze (well... almighty by raven standards).
"Bloody hell, I better not be coming down with a cold."
For a moment it seemed like Gergo was about to step away from the Harpy to let his excitement towards the upcoming battle to take over him, but Valeria's voice in his head helped curb that for now....
<Oh I didn't know that...how did you find out?> A mischievous, toothy smile formed on his countenance <Did you try it on your raven?>
<Buy-a-what-now?> Haru stares at Valeria in perplexity. She thought she understood the tiefling mage better than most of the others, but now and then she would come out with some word or phrase that even left the knowledgeable bardess nonplussed.
Newer term among arcane research circles - biological chemistry; interplay of all the different fluids and whatnot in a living body. There's been theories about them flying around for a while now among transmuters as an alternate entry vector for certain spells - rather than brute-force a change directly, change the underlying foundations to bring about the change more naturally. Mostly theory at this stage, but I've got some interesting monographs on it back in the caravan if you're curious.
And I've been sworn to secrecy on that matter, Gergo.
Friday's eyes widen a bit in surprise. "Oh wow, I was kinda sorta able to understand some of that," he happily thought as the group conversed with each other's thoughts, leaving no trace of his usual discomfort when speaking aloud.
As she explained, it finally clicked just what Kikonu could be. A yamabushi tengu. Rather than explain normally, she made the most of the telepathic link; flashing images she'd seen of them along with as much information as she could recall and that wasn't just the work of bards and storytellers. Though most of that information just reinforced what Zaiobe had already told them - a weakness to patterns, healing capabilities weakened by burns, a handful of innate spells and the voice-stealing trick.
A demon, basically. This'll be fun. Just confirms what I thought; though. He's not directly responsible for what's afflicting Ameiko. He may have still caused it, but not through any power of his own.
Friday nods before shrugging. "So we'll just chop his head off and ask it some questions."
<If he's vulnerable to fire, we can use that.>
<She understands!.> Gergo pointed at Valeria with his free hand.
<I've never killed a demon before...this will make a good story when we reach the next tavern!>
He had been silent through out, still not trusting fully the harpy, as sad as her plight might be but then when Miss Valeria confirmed its demonic nature a slightly hot burning like sensation of something unfamiliar to Kavell ran through him... He blinked rapidly when he realized it was anger.
Miss Zaiobe, have you seen this Kikonu work on any arts? poetry? Anything at all?
He tentively asked with his mind the weird boiling feeling inside him he worked to direct to a useful purpose. . .
"So you have a plan?" Haru asks aloud, feeling more comfortable voicing her thoughts.
"Was there any places you and him liked to spend time together alone?" Friday innocently thinks.
Do 'it'? Read together? Friday wonders to himself for a moment before sharing a thought with the others. "So would you be comfortable luring him here?"
Friday's head tilts slightly at Zaiobe's silence but he doesn't otherwise comment on it. "Sounds good, unless anyone has any other ideas?"
"We can block the window in some fashion. Hmm, does he fly?"
-Posted with Wayfinder
"That could be trouble. Does everyone have a ranged weapon?" she asks her teammates.
<Wait> Gergo looked towards the harpy and there was a rarely seen serious look in his eyes <We found one of the crow-men dead in one of the towers. Do you know what or who ended it's miserable life?> The smile on his face turned one sided and was showing some his teeth.
Friday looks alarmed when it's revealed that there were others that came before them. "Should we go free her first? Or get Kinonu first?"
Kikonu should be our priority - with him out of the way we'll have an easier time moving around the fortress, we won't have to be looking over our shoulder for a giant nose.
Friday looks to Valeria and nods.
"I'm serious about the ranged weapons. Friday, did you bring that longbow we took from the hobgoblins?"
<Zaiobe, I don't know what's caused you to lose your voice -- I've heard your folk have powerful singing voices -- and I hope it isn't a matter of sensitivity for you. I use singing in battle to bolster my allies' spirits and aid them to hit harder and more accurately. Will that bother you, to hear song when you are no longer able to make it?>
"Yes. You gave it to me." A happy thought. "I've never used it before though so I don't know how much use it'll be." A sour thought.