"Leaf...we have been..poisoned. That man... he may finish..job. "
"STOP where you are!" Leaf summons his best imitation of a Trumpet Archon: "You know not what powers are ranged against thee! Flee this place and your soul may be spared. Know your life is forfeit! You will not be warned again."
Leaf rises above the table a strange swirl of multi-hued energies playing across his surface.
"Hungry?"
Leaf dips down to the bowl of soup and teleports with it just above the stranger.
"I have...questions. But if it falls to me to choose between life and death for my comrade, I choose his life."
Leaf hovers out of the way and checks the man out as he works.
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"Wise choice, little light. Perhaps", says the man walking towards the prone Zissaren. "You are lucky that you do not eat or drink, but your companions are not blessed with that gift of gods. If they did not met this lizard, there lives would not become endangered. Perhaps. Perhaps not." He kneels and touches the barbarian. Try as you might, it seem to you like nothing at all happened, but Zissaren stops twitching and starts to breathe.
Zissaren groans and rolls onto his back before sitting up and looking around at his companions.
"Eurgh my gut iss on fire, what wass in that damn ssoup?"
He levers himself carefully up off the ground and back onto the stool he'd been sitting on, not feeling quite strong enough to stand quite yet.
"Stranger, do you have a name?"
"I would thank you properly"
"uHH....I will find the one responsible...and I will kill them slowly."
"Thank-you friend Valentine. I believe your soul was never in danger, nor your life. At least not from me. Please accept my apologies for the deception."
Zipping in closer:"You know what I am! Would you carry my purpose also?"
"Someone has poisoned us and almost killed our friend. Prove that you are unaware of this action."
Ashimmering glaive of solidified silver light appears in the elven woman's hands as she shifts into a combat stance.
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"Thank-you friend Valentine. I believe your soul was never in danger, nor your life. At least not from me. Please accept my apologies for the deception."
Zipping in closer:"You know what I am! Would you carry my purpose also?"
"Sorry, little one. My strength is not great enough for purposes non my own."
"What was in that damnable soup?" Jack climbs out from under the table, his suit now smooth, his hair impeccable.
"Thank ye Valentine," the old man manages, once his stomach has finally settled to the point he can comfortably speak. "I doubt I could'a done anything to counteract the dragonsbane... of course, I'm not so sure what exactly ye did do to counter it."
"Oh," Luff states coldly towards the innkeeper, once more fully visible, "I believe that you should be concerned with the cabbage, since it would seem that it is the cabbage from your kitchen that caused our malady."
"It is either you or one of your......servants"
"Enough!" Jack stands up to full height and does his best to look imperious. "The poisoning is not important! We shall find your child, sir. We leave now!" With that, Jack walks out the door, heading toward a sewer grate, pausing just outside the door to retch loudly, like a cat with a hairball.
Leaf buzzes hesitantly between Valentine, Jack and Arathalia before coming to rest over Arathalia's shoulder
'Farewell friend Valentine. I am in your debt should you ever desire a favour from one such as I.'
"Fine, we will take your word for now. I believe the little one is done.....vomiting..we should go now and find the girl."
"Very well," Luff speaks, "we shall investigate the source of the poison once the child is safe."
"I believe that Jack mentioned the sewers," he states as he takes to the air and flutters around the door, waiting for the others to move.
Zissaren stands carefully as the burning in his gut fades rapidly away.
"I think I may know why ssomeone would wish to end my life but I'll explain later, right now we sshould find the child"
He lifts his bag and heads for the door, pausing in front of Valentine and turning to face him.
"By the lookss of it you ssaved me from a painful death today, and for that I owe you a debt. I will endeavour to repay it in any way you ssee fit. If ever you need help, come find me and I will assist you to the besst of my ability."
"Aye," Al mutters gruffly as he makes his way towards the door, "there's nothing to be gained from fretting over this, so let's get on with finding the poor lass who's gone missing."
"Come on Rodrigo." He calls over to the small badger, who dashes clumsily across the room towards the old man.
"I'll keep a look out for him and try to make ssome enquiriess after our little vissit to the ssewerss."
Zissaren leaves the inn and follows Jack over to the closest sewer entrance/cover.
"How d'you think we'll be getting thiss open then?"
"Well I guess I am going to have to find a different way into the ssewerss then. Anyone know if they drain into a river anywhere near here? I could jump in and then sswim back up the pipe, but finding my way back to thiss sspot could be a bit challenging"
"Well now," Al speaks dryly, leaning heavily on his gnarled walking stick, "this poses a problem don't it. Let's have a look see."
Speaking a short prayer, he holds the stick towards the grating, and a bright light begins to emanate from it's tip to illuminate the sewers below. Leaning forward, the old man tries to estimate how much of a drop is beneath the grating.