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Spoiler: "Oh they're uh..." Damn it! She was letting herself get cornered.
"One of em's pretty plain lookin'. Pretty sure he's Chelish through and through. Never asked, myself. Other guy's kinda exotic lookin' round these parts. Real dark skin, not a hair on his head. I think he's from one o' them southern countries. Like Osaron or Kapatesh."
Spoiler: "Haha! Maybe!" Kora was very nervous now, not just because of the attention but because surely letting him get close to the others and having him learn of their "relationship" with his apparent date could only lead to an even messier situation.
"Yeah, they were hanging out around there." She pointed in the direction of the tavern. "They were supposed to be meet me here though, the lazy bums. But yeah, we could talk about it some time! Sure!" DAMN IT WHY DID I SAY THAT?
** spoiler omitted **** spoiler omitted ** Spoiler: "Heh, yeah! Maybe!" Kora laughed nervously. "Dangerous work though. We nearly got mauled a little while back even!"
Cayden's sake! Act natural!! What the hell is this guy doing hanging around her anyway?!
Spoiler: "Heh...uh yeah...not really..." Kora laughed with genuine discomfort. She didn't think half-orc girls like herself had much of an easy time with romance.
"Yeah, I was waitin' for two guys. They should be comin' sooner or later from the tavern down the steet. We got work we're s'posed to do tonight. 'dventurin' stuff." Kora didn't realize just how chatty she was getting with the man, unused to this sort of attention as she was and unsure of how to deal with it. She was still blushing.
Spoiler: Kora was about to say, "Huh? I'm waiting for some friends." until the stranger said something about "stealing him". At that point she nearly choked on her breath, blushing and looking at the man in disbelief. Men didn't flirt with her like that. It simply never happened. So this was a completely foreign experience that took her entirely out of her element. "Wha? No! I mean-uh..."
She was at a complete loss for words, and her embarassment was plain to see. Suddenly she was a shy teenager all over again.
DM:
Spoiler: Kora was startled by the sight, but tried to hide it. She merely waved half-heartedly and said casually, "Nice night, huh?"
He's makin' nice with her. Wonder what the hell his story is...
Kora had raised her hands as if in defeat back at the tavern. "Fine, talk to her. Don't mind if I hang back a bit, then? Just in case?" She produced a sap from her belt, to ensure them that her reasons for wanting to hold back weren't to avoid danger entirely and that she was willing to at least try to avoid killing Hecate if a fight did break out.
Kora let Elijah go as far forward as she could without losing him before following. When he came to a stop, she circled around the block as quickly as she could, to place herself where she could sneak up on Hecate from behind if it came to blows between her and the others.
"There is that." she gestured towards Sehkola with a wry smirk. "Hey, whatever we're gonna do, we better do it fast. If it makes ya feel any better 'Lijah, we can just beat the hell outta her and take 'er to the guard. Hell, maybe they'll get a straight answer outta her. She's already caused some deaths 'round here, even if she didn't do it up close an' personal." It was clear that she was trying to sound even-handed about the matter, but she couldn't hide the nervous energy building up inside her. Right now, she was ready for a scrap. The past few days were bringing back a bit of the recklessness she thought she had shed.
Kora tapped the hilt of her shortsword, whispering to the others after their quarry had left. "So what's it gonna be? Take 'er down or take 'er in?" There was an urgent tone in her voice. She was ready to rush in and be done with it while she still had some drink in her system keeping her doubts at bay.
"Be better to tag her after she leaves. We wanna know why she's comin' here after all." Kora doubted it would be possible to take Hecate alive. In truth, she hoped they would manage to get the jump on her and be done with the freak before she had time to retaliate.
Kora looked for a table in the corner, or at least in a place that wouldn't draw a lot of attention, and motioned for the others to follow. "Let's find a seat then. Cayden's sake, so she's a regular here? Never would'a guessed." She found herself wondering more and more just how long her town had been going crazy.
"Huh." Kora took in the dreary sights as they entered the tavern. "Can't imagine why I never came in here before..." "Hey, barkeep! Four drinks!" she said as she made her way to the bar. She kept a wary eye out to make sure beer was the only thing that went in their cups.
"Hey, we're lookin' for a girl for our pal here. She went and turned his world upside down and he ain't been the same ever since! Ya seen her? Wears black. Kinda spooky lookin'. Sweet girl, really." She was being flippant, but part of it was in reaction to the dark and sour mood around the place. It was as if she were trying to protest having to be as miserable as everyone else in the room.
"Good...after tonight we're all going to need a drink." Kora grunted. "What worries me is that this loon is coming into town! How long have they been comin' in and hangin' around?" she asked rhetorically as they walked to the tavern.
"And what the hell were you havin' at th'time?" It had to have been good, whatever it was.
"Can't imagine why she'd be so pissed about that." Kora deadpanned. How long ago was this? Hell, why don't we go take a walk down there now. Must still be open, eh?"
Kora had taken a seat in the pew behind Rin as he went on about the long list of people who couldn't possibly be who they were looking for. She then nearly choked at the description that matched Hecate. "Whoa! Wait a moment! Where was this? What did ya do?"
Kora nodded, obviously relieved. She reached over the pew and shook Rin by his arm, still keeping her arm out of reach of his mouth. "'Ey! Wake up! We got questions we need answered and we need 'em fast! You got any bad blood goin' around here?"
"Guess it's time to wake him up and see if he saw any shadows out o' the ord'nary then." Kora pointed at Rin. She looked at the priest, waiting for his assurance that it was safe to shake the man awake.
Kora's jaw hung open halfway through the old priest's explanation. Most of it went over her head, but some snippets she latched onto. Dead gods? Demons and devils and curses? Cayden's sake! "Gods! Who the hell did he piss off to get a curse aimed at 'im like that. And who the hell around here would have a connection to the hells? Those weird twins?"
Kora shrugged as she stepped off the wagon. "Looked like it to me." She pointed her thumb back at their grim cargo. "We should probably move this somewhere nobody can see right quick before we draw a crowd."
Gods, I was right. Mister Shinin' Knight, here. Kora eyed both Elijah and Sehkola for a moment, wondering how differently her career would have gone if the party she had hooked up with had these sorts in it. Things likely would have gone better, at least. "Well, we'd better hurry. Hopefully if he changes again before we make it..." she trailed off as she took a seat and looked nervously behind her at their morbid cargo. Mentioning her hope that Rin would choose to start with the corpses before moving on to live prey probably wouldn't go over too well.
"Damn, 'Lijah..." Kora had said as the paladin knocked Rin out with one strike. She hadn't expected things to swing in their favor that quickly. She then seconded Sehkola's sentiments. "Yeah, if it don't work, he's gonna have to go. Unless he wants to live in a cage th'rest of his life."
"Oh gods!" Kora jerked her bag of caltrops from her belt and threw it at the beast's feet. She shouted at the others, "Run or fight?!"
"Is it workin'?" Kora asked hopefully as Elijah tried to heal the man.
Kora glanced at the man doubling over and Elijah hurrying to his aid, and left the body she was pulling where it lay as she placed her hand on her dagger. She had no clue what was going on but she was hellbent on not being caught off-guard out here. Gods, did Sehkola say 'necromancy'?! She felt a chill working down her spine as she remembered that night in a graveyard outside Magnimar.
Kora looked suspicious upon hearing the man's explanation. Hearin' voices in his head maybe... She looked down at the corpses. But it takes more'n bein' crazy to manage this... "You two hash this out. I'm gettin' them on the wagon." she said quietly to Sehkola and Elijah. She didn't have a head for magic or curses, and honestly it made her hair stand on end. But they would probably need to get moving soon, and fast, so she went to work putting the corpses in the wagon as respectfully as one person could.
"Huh..." Kora faltered. She blamed her nerves for getting to her. "Okay, that I can get behind." she said, a bit mollified. At Elijah's suggestion, she mentioned hopefully, "Can't a priest just bless him or somethin'? They can cure it with magic, can't they?"
"Yeah, I'm just sure he can be trusted. Not like he's got blood on his hands already!" Kora whispered sarcastically, turning to Elijah for support before realizing he was even less likely to agree with her than Sehkola. Gods, I'm workin' with two knights-in-shinin'-armor here! She kept her hand near her blade, but kept her distance while the others did what they felt was best. Instead, she scanned the area, keeping her eyes and ears open for any hint of whatever else might be lurking nearby.
"How?! We just gonna tie him up and cart him back to the cathedral or somethin'?!" She hadn't taken her eyes off the man. She didn't dare let him out of her sight.
Kora coughed abruptly, mumbling "Sehkola, hold up..." and grabbed Elijah's wrist. So far he seemed the sort to throw himself into helping others without any hesitation, and she hoped Sehkola would be suspicious enough to stop and keep his distance without being held back. She whispered furiously into the paladin's ear and then the sorcerer's, "Something's wrong! Guy's got blood under his nails and hardly a mark on him except one bite! Remind you of any old stories!?" Her other hand was straying towards her sword.
Kora started to mention that someone sounded like they were in pain, but as the man called out to his friend and a shout came back, she rushed off with the others to find the scene of carnage. "Cayden's sake..." She was expecting to see bodies, but she hadn't steeled herself for this.
Kora's head jerked up, listening intently and holding her tongue for the moment.
"Aw hell...we need to get a wheelbarr..." she caught her tongue before completing her callous remark. "...a wagon. You know, in case the worst happened. Or if they're just hurt, ya never know!" she finished with a clap to the man's back in an awkward attempt at demonstrating sensitivity to his plight. "Be right with ya."
"Huh." Kora began as she passed the note Gavrin had left. "No wonder he was so surly." Hell, I would be too, I guess. she thought. She was still foggy headed when the worried man came to them asking for help. "Huh. Why you tellin' us instead of the gua...oh...right." Damn it! That'll teach me to brag. And drink while bragging. Hell, now everyone's gonna come to us lookin' for help! She looked at Elijah and Sehkola awkwardly, holding in the outburst and clumsily but cautiously stepping up to the task. "So, uh...where were ya supposed to be huntin'?" She held back the remarks she wanted to make about how stupid the man's friends must have been to go hunting at night while drunk, but she didn't think it would go over well with the others. That and she had done dumber things while drunk.
"Yeah, *hic*, we're mighty charitable, we are!" Kora raised her mug towards Elijah and Gip in a wobbly toast. She was deep in her cups now.
Leaning back in her chair and enjoying the free drink and food, Kora was finally letting herself soak up the attention as well. It had felt uncomfortable at first, but when it became apparent that it was positive attention for once, she welcomed it. "So yeah, we chased after those little anklebiters after they snatched the kid, all the way out of town to this craggy island. Met some crazy girl on the way, living next to the monsters. Completely out of her gourd, I thought!" She opted to not mention the girl's apparent draconic heritage. The last thing they needed was a mob going in and angering her mother, whatever she was. "Anyway, we find this cave and we go in, 'cause o' the call o' duty an' whatnot. We get a bit inside, find some goblins, crack their heads, and then we get swarmed by 'em. We're in there layin' down burnin' oil and some of us throwin' spells around and gen'rally makin' a mess in their home when this big bug thing comes crawlin' in on the ceiling. Got a big head and bleedin' acid all over th'place! Acid for blood!" "So we kill it anyway. We had a goblin survive and surrender, so's that Elijah fella adopts her." She shrugged, not wanted to appear too sympathetic to the decision in front of the crowd even if she had been somewhat grateful Elijah had done so. "Go figure, eh? We go deeper in an' we meet these two complete loons dressed in black. Twins apparently, guy and a girl. They're in there talkin' tough and tryin' to scare us into leavin' the kid behind so they can make more of those acid blood bug things..." she shrugged again, "...an' we're all like 'To hell with that!' and we jump 'em! And we kick their asses! They go runnin' off to lick their wounds, and I think I heard 'em cryin' too! And we continue on our merry way. We find lil' Chayton and..." she caught herself looking at the others who had been with her. Better leave the next part out... "...and we made our way back home. Jus' doin' our part for the town!" She smiled and raised her mug.
Kora, will you come get us when the party beings? "Yeah, sure."
"Gonna want to keep 'im on a short leash. People in town ain't gonna take too kindly to the sight of 'im." Kora warned Elijah before he took off. The average townsperson seeing a goblin in the middle of the street would probably call for the guards at best. At worst, pitchforks, hatchets, and snarling dogs could be involved.
Kora had answered Elijah's explanation for why torching the lair wasn't the best approach with a grumpy "Hmpf!" but kept her silence, the rest of the way back. She felt awkward around the tearful reunion between mother and child, but she fell into the offered feast and bath eagerly. "Might wanna buy some guard dogs for th'place..." she suggested between bites.
"CAYDEN'S ROTTEN LIVER!! What the hell is going on!" Kora exploded after they had been on their way for a bit. "How long have these....people been here?!" She pointed both at the place they had left Sylvia and the island. "Nobody's noticed these lunatics before?! Gods! Someone oughta burn those tunnels out before those damn acid-blood things get loose! If they aren't already! Not to mention wrecking that @#$%ing bridge!!" Deep down she was relieved to have made it through the night with her skin intact, of course.
"Hell, let's get ourselves home too." Kora mumbled to Sehkola as she gave their host an awkward wave of farewell. She held her tongue before saying anything further. Best to be entirely out of earshot before voicing her opinion of the night's events.
Kora stared in awe at the sight, but quickly put two and two together. She leaned in close to Gavrin and whispered, "Don't. Drop. It." She remembered her father nearly going after another dockworker with a hatchet after accidentally knocking her off a pier. She suspected this "lady" had a bit more than a hatchet at her disposal.
Kora let out a sigh of relief when things seemed to calm down and at Elijah's reassurance. "So, uh...yer daughter kill goblins that often?" she ventured with her idea of polite conversation.
"Yeah, what he said." Kora added after Elijah, thankful that one of them could at least sweettalk the...whatever she really was. She wasn't taking appearanced for granted tonight. "Yeah well, guess we better be takin' him home then. Guess we need to hand that box over too, eh?" she said looking squarely at Gavrin.
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