>>27863210
"Because you're a good person?"

>>27863210
"Yeah, me too."

>>27863210
"I was asking myself the same question before you washed up as well."

"I was asking myself the same question before you washed up as well." You say. "Maybe it's because you're a good person?"
Marcus snorts. His tone is entirely different, all of his stilted 'respectful' tone bled out of him. "Yeah, I'm just like you. Except I don't lie."
He closes his eyes for a moment.
"Anyway, I said we'd talk about this after the monsters were over with, so let's talk." He says. He twitches a hand, and the midsection of his weapon's cable goes whipping out, around the door's doorknob, and he closes it with a tug.
It felt like he did that as naturally as one would with a hand.
"You gave me mostly fake notes and told me it was truth." He says. His voice is low, almost plaintive. "You know well enough my motivations. I'm not a person that hides his goals. I would like you to tell me why you tried to mislead me and put my mission into shambles."

>>27863314
"Because the runes are incredibly dangerous."

>>27863314
"Well, for one thing, it's basically impossible for anyone alive but Tarda to make runes at all, and it's impossible for her to make them in any significant number. But that's not what your commanders want to hear, is it?"

"Because the runes are incredibly dangerous."
"Says the man who totes them around like weapons." He says. "I'm aware they're dangerous. That's why I'm trying to earn them as a weapon for my people."
"For one thing, it's basically impossible for anyone alive but Tarda to make runes at all." You say. "And it's impossible for her to make them in any significant number. But that's not what your commanders want to hear, is it?"
"... No, it's not." He says. "That's not what they wanted to hear at all. But they were more than ready to find that out when they threw me away."

>>27863464
"Threw you away? Is that why you washed up nearly drowned on the beach?"

>>27863464

"Sounds like they don't value the life of their troops that highly."

"Threw you away? Is that why you washed up, nearly drowned on the beach?"
"That's because I didn't know how to sail. They had a witch give me the knowledge for a few days, enough to sail here, and then my time with it ran out."
You consider the ramifications of being able to give away knowledge like that for some time.
"Sounds like they don't value the life of their troops that highly."
"Oh, they value their troops. They just value the politics more. They want people they can control. They just wanted me, specifically, out of their hair. Even I know that."
Then, his body creaking, he forced himself to sit up and hissed, setting his untouched plate aside.
He's moving, and Miriam told him to stay in bed.
She's going to be pissed.
"They only wanted to keep people who were willing to get involved in the secession war, and back their chosen patron." He adds. "Help me up."

>>27863615
Help him up, I suppose. We'll play the enabler.

>>27863615

"I don't know man, I'm not one to talk but Miriam told you to stay put."

help him up anyway, make sure he takes it slowly, carefully.

>>27863615
"The doc won't like you moving around, but okay."

"Good job with the Naga by the way."

>>27863615

"So, why bother continuing with your mission? It's obvious they don't care about you. Desert. It's not that hard after the first time."

>>27863615
"I can see why you wouldn't want to talk to Ann."

"I don't know, man." You say. "The doc won't like you moving around."
"My ribs don't, either." He says. "Do it anyway."

You help him up, carefully.
"I can see why you wouldn't want to talk with Ann." You say.
"Yep." He responds. "It's almost ironic. They send me here to prevent me from messing with their plans, and they put me in a place where there's someone that can easily mess with their plans."
He sniffs, and rubs his nose. "But then again, I'm a loyal fellow. I did my mission as best I could. I failed, because it's impossible, but it's still as finished as it'll ever be. Which means that until their next set of orders, I'm free to do what I want."
He whips his hand out, and the cable wraps around the doorknob again. He pulls it open.
"Let's go talk with Ann's father, shall we?" He asks. "I'm feeling pretty spiteful around now."

>>27863771
"Well, alright. Do you want me to carry you?"

>>27863771
"...What are you thinking of doing?"

>>27863771

"Hey now, Dalton is a decent guy and as far as I know, hasn't done anything to you, right? Try to keep it civil."

"Hey now, Dalton is a decent guy, and as far as I know, hasn't done anything to you, right? Try to keep it civil.
"There is a man in Delura right now. The son of queen Marigold. His name is Gareth. He, among the queen's other children, are all vying for the throne. However, I happen to have met her."

He pushes himself to his feet, hanging onto the doorjamb.
"I happen to know that she had a favored knight. Dalton of Verades. It was rather commonly known that she'd dote on him, if he allowed her to. There's a poem that tells of him turning down her offer to be king. What isn't known, though, is that one of the queen's missing children is his daughter."
"... What are you thinking of doing?"
"Simple." He says. "If he eats his pride, he can get a pardon for his crimes. And then him and his daughter will throw all of my commanders' plans into disarray. I plan on talking him into going home."

>>27863935
"...I see."

See if we can sneak him out past Miriam some way.

>>27863935

"You can try but, I not okay with trying to force him."

>>27863935
"Like I sad, keep it civil."

>>27863935
"You do know that he left in order to save Ann from the other children."

"... I see." You say. "You can try, but I'm not sure I'm okay with trying to force him. Keep it civil."
"I'm not going to force him." He says. "He didn't even change his name. It's like he wanted to be found."
"You do know that he left in order to save Ann from the other children." You say.
"Yeah." He says. "But I can guarantee that she'll be safe."

He wraps his arm around your shoulder, and the two of you walk. Miriam and Leroy are sitting in the kitchen, talking to eachother in low tones, no doubt plotting how to use the purifier you'd given them. You silently go around, making sure Miriam doesn't see you.
You walk out of the tavern, half carrying Marcus, and make your way uphill to the blacksmith. When you get to the door, Marcus knocks. Dalton opens it- and when he sees Marcus, his eyes widen.
"Sir." Marcus says, his voice low. "I'd like to talk with you about the deluran throne, if you don't mind."
Dalton pauses. "About the throne? Not about-"
"About what? Some kind of bounty? I'm entirely unaware of anything like that." Marcus lies plainly.
Dalton turns to you, and raises his eyebrows.
"... Come on in." Dalton says, finally, and Marcus turns to you.
"Would you mind giving us some privacy?" He asks you. "You can tag along if you want to, but this might end up rather heavily involved."

>>27864162
"No, not at all. I think I'll get some rest now anyway."

>>27864162

"Only if Dalton has no objections, I have to wait anyway since someone has to get you back in to bed."

>>27864202

>I butchered that sentence

I want to stay unless Dalton objects.

"Unless dalton objects, I'll stay." You say. "I have to wait anyway since someone has to get you back in bed."
"... I'll take him back." Dalton says. "He did fight for the village, after all. The least I can do is hear him out."
"Alright." You say. "I think I'll get some rest now."
Dalton nods, and after helping Marcus into a seat, you make your way out of the building, heading back toward the tavern.

Once there, you sit down, unfold your rune paper, and take out your Surround rune to recharge it. A ritual later, you felt so drained and weary that you simply laid in bed. Next thing you knew, you were asleep.

===

And then, what seems like only a few moments later, you open your eyes again to the dawn. Miriam is making some kind of ruckus downstairs. You look down there, and she's ranting at Marcus, scolding him as she changes his bindings.
You look outside, toward the west. You can't see the caravan, though it should arrive today according to Rebel, and until then, you should have some free time.

>Anything you want to do in town before the caravan arrives?

>>27864400
Go find Mal and see if he's prepared okay.

>>27864400

I'm not sure what out plan was but I'm fairly sure we were going to put in a good word on Mal's behalf so E.E takes the job?

let's go make sure Mal knows what to do and what not to do.

>>27864400
Go for a morning run.
FITNESS

Rolled 5

>>27864400
We don't know what e.e. Wants so it's best we prepare a presentation on what is going on here.

Show him the gauntlets, notes, introduce him to tarda and Cromwell, the whole shebang.
Explain just how deep you are in and apologies for not keeping him in the loop, but you are on to something big.

You make your way out of the tavern, trying to sneak past Miriam.
But then she notices you.
"-And YOU helped him! Hey, get back here!"
You break into a sprint, running out of the tavern as a very irate doctor tries to nag you from a distance

Eventually, you lose Miriam, and make your way toward Mal's wagon- finding nothing there. You look around for a bit, until he returns, his hair damp.
<Yo.> He says, with a wave. A serpent was coiled around his shoulders, tail wiggling. <This guy is really poisonous, so I'm milking him for venom. That guy show up yet?>
<No, not yet.> You say. <You sure it's a good idea to hire him to kill a chieftan for you?>
<Hey, it's the same chieftan who stabbed me in the chest.> Mal says. <It's totally worth it. Anything I should know?>
<Don't make any threatening moves. Unless you actually intend on going through with it. He likes attempts to kill him for some reason.> You say. <Talk about the job instead of how you'll pay him. He doesn't care about the money, just about how fun the job sounds.>
<Fun? Is he a psychopath?>
<Yes.> You respond.
<... What happens if I upset him?>
<You die.> You respond. <Maybe me, too.>
<... Oh.> He says. <That doesn't sound very good. So I need to figure out how to make the job sound interesting, huh? Any ideas on how to do that?>

>>27864626
<Big it up. Make it sound grand. Tell him he'll be 'destabilizing a significant portion of Galdia with the elimination of a key sociopolitical leader.' Mention lots of guards, creatures, and generally a lot of opportunities to kill.>

>>27864626

"Just tell him the mission, There is a certain chieftan whom needs to die, possibly destabilizing the political balance significantly, with lots of guards and maybe even creatures whom will try to stop/kill him."

"You should probably give a detailed description of people you don't want killed, possibly pay extra for that."

>>27864626
<Well, start by telling him the history of your target. If he's enjoying that, keep going, if not, then skip onto the mission. Make sure to tell him the target will be well protected, and present a significant challenge to eliminate."

<Big it up.> You say. <Make it sound grand. Tell him he'll be destabilizing the political balance significantly, with lots of guards and maybe even creatures who'll try to kill him.>
<Well, I know a few tarrasques he has under his control...> Mal says. <Those guys probably sound pretty fun to fight, if you don't feel fear.>
<Make sure to tell him the target will be well protected, and present a significant challenge to eliminate.>
<Got it.> He says. <And he knows Galdian?>
<Not as well as I do.> You say. <So try to stay away from using formal tone.>
<Right. Gotcha.> Mal says, seamlessly changing to the dialect of galdian used primarily in the slums of the northern homesteads. <How's this?>
<Perfect.> You say. It's almost surprising- for how bad he is with other languages, even you can't learn the intricacies of various dialects and accents for the same language.

<Alright.> He says, and talks to an imaginary E.E, as if practicing. <'The job is to kill chieftan Celadon. Take his women, salt his fields, burn everything to the ground if you want to. Celadon's got three tarrasques, all made of shell and claw and anger, and you gotta kill them too. Have fun.'>
<Sounds perfect!> Someone says, looming right behind you. <I'll do it!>
You turn back, and there E.E stands, his grin as wide and predatory as it's always been.
You jump. You hadn't noticed him.
He claps a hand on your head.
"Hello, Strelok, buddy." He says. "I knew I'd catch you off guard if I got off the caravan early! How you been?!"
You hear the click of his pushblade, and his other hand goes shooting for you, the rusted blade aiming for your vitals.
>Roll dodge! Difficulty, medium.

Rolled 16

>>27864953

it's been like what? 5 seconds?

Rolled 20

>>27864953
"Never better!"

Rolled 3

>>27864953
Truly an amazing work relationship.

Your boss tries to kill you every time you meet him.

Rolled 43

>>27864953

come on dice, why do you hate the wanderer?

Rolled 39

>>27864953
dodge!

Rolled 40

>>27864953
Oh yeah.
Go invisible to throw off his aim.

>DC: 50. Failure!

You weren't expecting him to do that.
You weren't expecting him to do that at all. You're used to having *warning*.
With a certain cold detachment, as his blade comes closer, you realize that his presence was probably enough of a warning here.

You gasp for air, coughing and choking. It feels like someone punched you in the solar plexus, except for the burning pain of his blade piercing through your body.
He'd slipped his blade between your ribs, and into what feels like one of your lungs.
You reach for your own spear, but E.E steps on it, and pries his blade out.
"You're no fun." He says, and pouts at you.
That quivering in your remnant heart pounds, and you feel it swell, tendrils wrapping around the wound. You gasp for more air, your vision going dim.
"Hey, don't die on me. I was just saying hello." He says, batting away Mal's musket. He doesn't seem to care that Mal's currently trying to kill him.

"Dick." You respond.
Light bleeds from your vision, and everything goes dark- until you take one more, deep breath.

And then, quite suddenly, you can *breathe*. Your body still hurts, and you're bleeding, but you're alive.
Your remnant heart starts clinging to your inner organs tighter, constricting them. Your spine tingles strangely.
Mal crouches back, musket raised. <If he's dead...>
<Don't worry, he's fine.> E.E responds. <Ain't you?>
You lie on the ground, unable to regain the strength to push yourself to your feet... But you're alive.

Rolled 55

>>27865175
Pretend to be death.

>>27865175

make a few grumbles as an indication that we're alive, Mal needs this bastards help and having Mal die against him is not a good idea.

>>27865175
"Barely."

<Barely.> You grumble. Mal's eyes widen.
<See, he'll be fiiine.> E.E says, standing above you. The man doesn't even glance at the sucking wound he'd given you- probably for the best, because it looks like something inside your body is fusing it back together. Not in any kind of pretty way, and it's incredibly painful, but you're still regenerating.
<Anyway, I'm here because, well, two people asked.> E.E says, eying Mal's musket. <One from each of my agents here! One was this guy down here, about your job. I heard it, and I like it. How's five thousand sound?>
<... Five thousand coins?> Mal asks. That's normally a preposterously low rate. At least for an assassination of this caliber. But then again, E.E's famous for having low rates. <... That sounds good.> He says, and eyes you. <Are you alright, bro?>
You grumble some more.
<Alright! It'll get done!> He says... and turns down to you. <And now for the next order of business. Your job seems to be going well, though your client seems rather unhappy with what you've sent... But then my agent here mentioned that you have the wizard responsible for the damn things in your pocket. Why haven't you brought her?>

He asks this lightly, conversationally, but his blood is still on one of his pushblades, serving a grim reminder for you.

Damnit, your chest hurts. It keeps pulsing and swelling, like gnarled branches are growing inside your lung.

>>27865394
<It would be pointless. She can't make more in any numbers that would be worth the effort.>

>>27865394
"Been busy trying to stop a different wizard from performing to everyone else what he did to the Kystarans."

>>27865394
<In my pocket? More like we're all in hers. Also been busy trying to survive you know.>

>>27865394
I was told to bring information on runes or any runes not in the info provided me, she isn't any of those.

>>27865394

"Complicated, She can't produce a large number of Runes and there is another wizard trying to possibly take over and urgh... use people for battery power. Trying to stop him, I figured it would be bad for business."

Rolled 56

>>27865394
rolling to stop the heart doing more bad things to us

>>27865505
It isn't doing anything bad to us, it's just the regen we got from it.

>>27865505

heart's repairing us bro, painfully so.

"It's... complicated." You gasp, voice faint. "She can't make many runes, and there's another wizard trying to take over and..."
You spend that time to take a deep breath. Despite the pain piercing your lung, like the branches had grown *thorns*, you can still breathe with it fine. "Urgh. and use people for battery power. Trying to stop him. I figured it would be bad for business."
"So this wizard's more important than the job?"
"Yeah." You say.

E.E tilts his head for a few moments. "Eh, good enough. I accept your improbably excuse." He says. "I can tell your clients that I gave you a stern talking to. But you might get a reduction in pay, If you take too long to send anything useful. Thaaat'd be problematic."

Your lung hurts, more... But then, abruptly, it stops growing.
It still hurts, though, and the pain isn't fading. Heat floods into your limbs, and your strength slowly starts to return... But it still hurts.
Must be a side-effect of incomplete regeneration... or something.
At last, you can get to your feet again.

Rolled 72

>>27865624
Have a look at what I got, take something to help shut them up..heh

>>27865624
"What do they even want? Rare runes? Information? Rituals?"

>>27865624
"Tell them you gave me a stern stabbing too as well, if you want."

>>27865624
Didn't we send that big book of notes Tarda gave us?

>>27865624
Exabyte, what are the conditions for more heart-related mutations? When you introduced it it seemed like it would be sort of recurring but nothing's happened in that area since that thing in Bruno, have we just missed stuff or did you intend for it to be that rare?

>>27865624

carefully get up, cover the wound so he can't see it.

"I'll remember that."

we really should find something for our client, E.E is a monster. nothing fake as well.

>need to sleep.
>goodluck gents!

>>27865771
>It was supposed to be rare. A one-time change that chose how your heart would progress.
>And then you went with all three. So now you mutate when you get hurt.

"I did just send a big bag of notes." You say, covering your wound. You put some cloth to it, as if holding it so that it didn't bleed, and stand.
"Most of that was useless." He says. "Or so they complained. They're idiots and don't have any experts on their team, but the job's the job. I think you're doing fine."
"What do they even want?" You mumble. "Rare runes? Information? Rituals?"
"Like I said, they're idiots. Didn't even think to arm you when they sent you out here."
E.E, having stabbed you, seemed to decide to be reasonable this time. "They just want to buy power, like plenty of people with money want to do. They probably want some master rune or whatever that lets them do whatever they want."
He rolls his eyes.
"Hey, if you want to drop the job, just tell them. You've done well enough in the past that our rep won't take too much of a hit."
Then he shoots you a grin. "Plus, I like you. You're the only one that's ever gotten close to killing me. Though you're starting to get old... Might want to work on that before you get too decrepit to fight at all."

>>27865845
Go invisible, get behind him and hold a blade to his neck.

>>27865845
I can assure you immortality is high on my list of priorities.

>>27865845
"Miriam won't be too happy about this." Gesture at the wound.

"I can assure you, immortality is high on my list of priorities."
E.E guffaws at you. You hold your wound, and shift your shoulders. Your lung still hurts. "Miriam won't be too happy about this."
"She won't have time to!" He says, and gives you a grin. "I'm going to borrow her for a bit. Maybe all day. You'll live if I do that, right?"
"Somehow." You grumble, ignoring that piercing pain in your chest.
"Then I'll see you!" He says. Then he turns his head to face Mal.
<Malchak Veritsren, you'll have your father's murderer's head in less than a year.> E.E. says. "See you, Strelok. I'll be back later today."

The broad-shouldered, shirtless man simply walked away toward the tavern, giving you a wave and a brilliant grin.

Well, you survived him again. He shows up, stabs you, orders you around, and leaves. That makes it almost a hundred different meetings you've somehow survived.
Somehow.

You take a deep breath, and when E.E's no longer looking, Mal lowers his musket.
<Seriously, are you okay? That guy... I wasn't expecting him to do that. You need my help patching you up?>

>>27866082
<I should have really been expecting that.>

>>27865845
>So now you mutate when you get hurt.
so basically the mutation choice :\

>>27866082
<I think I'll be fine, but at least you're set to take over Galdia now.>

>>27866082
<I really should have seen that coming after the first few times. I'm losing my touch.>

<I should really have been expecting that.> You say, holding your chest. You'd expected it the last dozen times you'd met him, but he didn't touch you until now. Mal takes a look at your wound, and then his eyes widen.
<Well... You're not bleeding out, that's for sure.> He says. You look down to see knotted, black flesh- like a tendril of remnantflesh had stitched your wound closed.
<I think I'll be fine.> You say. <But at least you're set to take over Galdia now.>
<Only a small part of it, but yes, at least I am.> He says. <I didn't know he'd do that, though... I owe you. I really do.>
You cover your chest again as you see E.E kick the door open, carrying Miriam on his shoulder. He started toward the west, into the caravan.

Speaking of which, the caravan is here... And you're sitting on a wagon full of pottery and various pieces of art.

>>27866395
Well lets sell all our shit I guess.

>>27866395
Time to go sell our fat loot.
Use the blood on our shirt as a bargaining point. Say we got stabbed only this morning trying to escape with valuable potteries.

>>27866395
>Comes down and stabs his agent
>Rapes his other agent
>Takes a job to assassinate a chief
Man, E.E. doesn't afraid of anything.

>>27866526
It may not be rape. Just saying.

>>27866395
<I sure do wonder what is he going to do to her. That guy is unpredictable>

<I sure do wonder what he's going to do to her.> You say, seeing Miriam's dejected expression. <That guy is unpredictable. but.. time to sell all of this.> You tell Mal. With Steve's help, you have the remnant pull the wagon all the way toward the caravaneer.
"Hello, again!" He says. "I'm guessing you have more treasure you've found?"
"A lot." You say. "Just this morning, in fact, I got in a fight trying to escape with some of this valuable pottery."
"Pottery?" He asks. "You were listening last week, then! I'll take a look at what you have."

Almost an hour later of haggling later, you have a small chest of coin in front of you, filled with nearly another seven and a half thousand coins. You're getting a lot better at haggling, you find.
Granted, half of the coins are Mal's, but you still have your very own treasure chest. With a lock.
<Woo! I have money> He says, taking a look at the large bag of coin in his hands. <Aaaand I just realized that I'm going to have to give that man all of this. And then some.>
He sighs, his excited expression falling.
<Also, I took a look while you were haggling. He's not doing anything to her. They're just talking in lelan.>

>>27866691
<you've gotta spend money to make money, bro.>

>>27866691
<He does have a code of sorts. I don't think he's one to assault a woman. Especially one in his employ.>

>>27866691
That's a relief.
Need me to front you some money to pay E.E, bro?

>>27866691
<Thanks bro. That really calmed me down. I guess he's stabbed enough people today>

>>27866746
>stabbed enough people today
hue

<He does have a code of sorts.> You say. This entire time, the thorns in your lung continue to pierce you painfully. <You need me to front you some money to pay E.E, bro?>
<No, I have the money.> He says. <Just seems like it wasn't worth it to get almost crushed by a thing made of... gravity or whatever, like that magic remnant. Then again, I get reminded that... *that* guy is the one that'll kill Celadon for me, and that makes me happy.>
You make your way back up into your room to put your earnings there, and eventually settle down on the now-empty wagon next to Mal.
<So. It's before noon, and we've both got the day free.> Mal says. <What do you want to do?>

>It's before noon, and you've got the day free. What do you want to do?

>>27866691
< 5,000 is small change in this line of work, but E.E. is known for his low rates."

>>27866857
<My lung is killing me. I think I'll just take it easy, go see how Ann and Bruno are doing.>

Time for dragon tummy tickles!

>>27866857
Lets go spook some people with the invisibility generator.

>>27866857
<How about something that doesn't include getting more of my vital organs ripped, mutilated or anyhow damaged?>

>>27866857
Did we order non-boring foodstuffs from the caravan

>>27867065
>Yes, you did. It was part of your haggling.

<My lung is killing me, so I think I'll go take it easy. Do something that doesn't include getting more of my vital organs ripped, mutilated, or somehow damaged.>
<Fair point.> Mal says. <I have my own letter to write, so I'll see you at the tavern when I'm done.>
<Alright.> You say, and get to your feet. Holding your chest, you go back to the tavern and change shirts with one that isn't torn...

And then, with a touch to a small device in your pocket, you vanish. Your vision goes... strange, unable to see colors. Everything is blurred black and whites, and if Eventually, you get used to it and start to look for a dragon.

And a dragon you find, sniffing around and chomping on some grass. Ann is giggling, feeding Bruno. Quite suddenly, Bruno looks up at you and squeaks happily, pleased to see you.
"What? Gareth, there's nothing there." She says, looking straight through you.
Gareth? Right, she'd named the dragon Gareth...
Which, according to Marcus, is also the name of her half brother. Interesting.

Bruno squeaks again, happily, and rolls onto his back.

>>27867131
Pick the dragon up and run away with it.

>>27867164
This is the only appropriate course of action.

>>27867131
Pick the dragon up but don't run away with it, that would just make Ann think we're stealing him or something.

>>27867227
This.

>>27867131
nigga make it look like he's flying or some dragon shit that they do

You do the reasonable thing, of course, and give Bruno a snuggle. You heft the fat, pudgy thing up to your shoulder, and he leans in on you, his wings flapping uselessly. He rams his head into your shoulder.

Ann's eyes widen as she watches Bruno flicker and seemingly vanish, crackling with electricity. You start petting and tickling him, making the dragon squeak, giggle, and wiggle fruitlessly.

Next thing you know, Ann has a long stick in hand, waving it from side to side. She collides with your leg...
And then her eyebrows meet, and she tackles you.
The device buzzes loudly, and finally dies, unable to adapt to a whole new person being turned invisible as well.
"There you are." She glares. "Don't go stealing my dragon."

>>27867164
>>27867227
Pick the dragon up and run around in a circle with it.

Then throw him to Ann.

>>27867344
"If I wanted to steal him, I would've run. Just testing the invisibility."

>>27867344
"I wasn't stealing him. I was simply repurposing him for a little"

Pick him up again and start running.

"THIS is stealing him."

>>27867344
"Wanna be a ghost with me?"

>>27867344
"Did your father..."

>>27867385
This and hug the dragon while doing so.

>>27867344
Smile and say "If I wanted to steal him I would have run away with him, but here, you can have him back."

>>27867344
Better go recharge the cloaking field at Leroy's place

"I wasn't stealing him. I was simply repurposing him for a little while." You say.
Then you tilt your head, look down at the dragon, and then give him a tight hug.
"THIS is stealing him." You respond.
You turn to sprint, and Ann gives chase. While you run, you make a note to recharge the cloaking field today.

Eventually, after Ann caught up with you and forced you, through pointed words and glares, to let her pet the dragon as well, the two of you sit on the grass.
"Did your father..."
"Yeah." She says. "Well... Not really. It was mostly Marcus. He told me, um, things, last night. And then dad told me about his own past. Did you know he was a knight?"

>>27867590
"I didn't. Not until Marcus had told me at least. Are you going to head back?"

>>27867590
"Not until yesterday."

"Ann, I realize that I'm not the ideal person to be giving you advice but if you do decide to return to Delura, do it for the right reasons. Not because Marcus wants you to or because it'll inconvenience some high ranking noble but because it's something you want to do. I've made a right mess of my life. Try not to do the same with yours."

>>27867590
>Are we going to get anymore insight into Stelok's background?

>>27867768
I'll support this.

"Not until yesterday." You say. "Are you going to head back?"
"I don't know." She says, and sighs. "They're leaving it to me."
You nod.
"Ann, I realize that I'm not the ideal person to be giving you advice, but if you do decide to return to Delura, do it for the right reasons." You say.
She blinks.
"Not because Marcus wants you to, or because it'll inconvenience some high ranking noble but because it's something you want to do. I've made a right mess of my life. Try not to do the same with yours."
"How have you made a mess of your life?" She asks. "You told me about your life. It didn't seem that messy to me."
You chuckle. You'd first started doing these jobs to try and get out of the slums back at Central, after your mother got ill, and you'd never quite stopped.

"I've made my mistakes." You say. It felt like things were changing, seven years ago. Met a woman at an ice cream parlour, and you hit it off.
It was only a few weeks after that you took a very particular mission... and during it, A woman in a hood once stabbed at your face, trying to protect herself from the raid. You'd killed her on instinct.
You didn't even recognize her until the rest of the cult was dead.

"... I believe you." She says, suddenly. "I'm just... worrying. I've spent almost all my life here, in this tiny village. Some of my earlier memories, there weren't even any farmers or anything, back then. Just me, dad, and that stranger in the green armor."
She sighs. "But I just kind of want to throw it all aside. Make big choices without even thinking about them."

>>27867955
"Unfortunately this is the kind of thing you do need to think about."

"The who in green armor?"

>>27867955
"That's mistake number one. Not thinking. You've got to weigh your options. There's a small chance that you could end up Queen but can you do what it takes to make it there? And can you stay at the top once you've done it? Life is all about experience kid. This experience won't be the kindest, but it might be worth it."

"But that's enough dark thoughts. It's time fo dragon-tickling!"

>>27867955
"Think it through Ann. You could be Queen, but what you do to get to the throne may not be worth it. Or you could choose another path. Maybe study under Tarda, become a wizard. Hell, even follow in your father's steps, become a blacksmith, or a knight. It's up to you. You've been given a choice Ann. Don't waste it."

"Unfortunately, this is the kind of thing you do need to think about." You say. "You've got to weigh your options. There's a small chance that you could end up queen, but can you do what it takes to make it there? And can you stay at the top once you've done it? Life is all about experience, kid. This experience won't be the kindest, but it might be worth it."
"The thing is, the other option I can see is to stay here." She says. "Wait out this secession war thingy, ignore the rest of the world... Just seems kind of... empty."
"Those aren't the only choices you have. You could maybe study under Tarda, become a wizard. Or follow in your father's steps. Become a blacksmith, or a knight. It's up to you."
"Maybe..."

"The who in the green armor?" You ask.
"I haven't thought about him in years." She says. "I almost think I made him up. I just saw him in the city now and then, when we lived closer to it."
She shrugs.
"But that's enough dark thoughts." You say. "It's time for dragon-tickling."
"Yes, it is." She says.
The two of you busy yourselves with tickling Bruno.

But as you do, the thorns in your lungs suddenly *twist*, hurting your chest-
And then Bruno hiccups a burst of flame, setting the grass on fire.
That... isn't normal dragon behavior.

>End of session!
>My twitter is at @futureexabyte
>The IRC is #Exabyte on Rizon

>>27868264
Thanks for running, Exabyte.

>>27868264
Bruno is small enough to carry around, yes?

Gentlemen, I believe that we've found our latest weapon, the Dragon's Breath Flamethrower.

>>27868264
Exabyte, what is Strelok's biggest scar?

>>27868410
Before the quest began, his biggest scar was the one on his face, where he'd gotten knifed while fighting cultists.

As of currently, his biggest scar is a huge pile of mottled, wrinkled black flesh over his chest, where his heart had been speared by a rhino remnant and destroyed beyond repair.

>>27868264
So I've been catching up on this in the archives and I was surprised as heck when people decided against taking the magic bone charm powerup to give it to Malchak.
Did that throw off any of ya plans?

>>27868440
Were you expecting Strelok to wax philosophical?

>>27868558
The bone charm (I mentally call it a 'totem', though I probably shouldn't) was actually something I'd thought up on the spot. I didn't have any plans, really.

I wasn't even sure what the mutation would *do* if they decided to use the bone charm and failed the roll.

>>27868603
Strelok's getting old.

>>27868604
Heh heh. Woulda made a cool tangent that's for sure. maybe we would have been like Steve? Learnin to control our form and shit like that

>>27868661
How old is Strelok anyway?

>>27868603
I wasn't, but it suits him, somehow.

>>27869257
He's in his mid-thirties, in a world where most people die in their forties.
Unless they're wizards who magic themselves into being ageless, witches who crystalize their own 'Death', deluran doctors who just kinda replace or invent new organs when theirs get old, or mutants who age drastically differently than humans.

>>27869357
That doesn't bode well for his life expectancy then.