[Tales of Faerun]

We'tak stood straight in surprise as what appeared at first to be an old softskin couple turned out to be Sin and her clutchmate Dimitri. The strange "bonnit," as his clutchmates called it, left him speechless, though, SIn's words taking a moment to be processed. "Spirits preserve us..." the young thri-kreen murmured, realizing his debt now to the dark pointy-ear. "Fine..." he said, dejected and antennae folded back as he finally surrendered to peer pressure. "I hope there will be much good food for this..."

 

 

"A thousand pardons, Ramesesama," Kaji said with a bow at the fire genasi's ribbing on his poor aiming before taking a seat with his companions. "I hope the waitress will not fear us as well." Sighing from a pop in his neck after stretching, the wu jen relaxed. "Nothing like a good fight to loosen up your joints, eh, Hi-chan?" Rolling her eyes, the fire elemental ignored her incorrigible master and simply meditated, deigning to remain silent.

 

Shrugging, he looked at Rameses and Eirene, perking up when they mentioned a wedding. "A westerner-style wedding? I am curious as to how your marriages work..."

 

At Eirene's question of the would-be couple, a distracted We'tak piped up with "Sir Gregor and Lady Rosalinde," hoping he got the 'titles' correct as he struggled to learn the intricacies of the 'bonnit.' "How did Dark Pointy-ear have it on, again...?"

 

Raising his eyebrows at the strange being known as We'tak struggle with the woman's garment, Kaji shook his head as he scratched at his chin. Overhearing Rhaine's question, though, made him remember something he'd overheard. "Hmmm... your winged companion brings up an interesting point," He started speaking. "I had heard about the festival, but I also heard rumors there would be several mages and other practitioners of magic visiting as well. It is actually the reason why I came here; I was hoping to learn of western magic..." A sour expression came over his face. "Obviously, you can figure how that went... Anyway, if your mages are anything like ours, Ramesesama, they are jealous and greedy creatures that protect their spell secrets well. It usually takes something serious to make us get together like that..."

 

"Oh well, I'm sure it's nothing serious." The wu jen said self-assuredly, banishing the thought from his mind. "So, you wanted to learn more about your race, my friend? Well, about that..." Kaji sheepishly smiled. "I actually don't know much about your kind, Ramesesama. I was hoping you could tell me more, like how well can you use fire, or how hot can you burn, or if fire magic came easy for you." He shrugged helplessly. "Unfortunately, all I can tell you is that at some point, a human and a fire elemental somehow... well, you know... mingled..." He said, trying to put it politely. "And the offspring born from such a union could actually breed true... that, or some wizard experimented and spliced the two into one being somehow... I'm not quite sure. Might be one of those 'djinni' I've heard about..."

 

Kaji chuckled. "Who knows? Maybe you and Hi-chan are related by some great Elder of flame! That would be so awesome, being related by blo- er, fire to a creature of the Plane of Fire itself!" This caused his familiar to do that strange blushing appearance again.

 

"Hmm..." the wu jen continued, unaware of his old friend's expression. "Perhaps the parents of the first fire genasi were like me, having unlocked the secrets of fire and transcended their humanity, and their children were your ancestors. Who knows? I must admit, I am woefully ignorant. Sorry, Ramesesama."

 

At that moment, a hesitant waitress stopped by their table and, surprisingly enough, had a few plates and bowls of food from before they ordered, and sat them down on the table. "Ah, thank you!" Kaji spoke briefly with a bow. "My sincere apologies for the fight." With no constraint whatsoever, he started devouring his food. "My good friend agreed to pay for the food. Many thanks, Ramesesama!" He managed to speak between bites, before turning his sole focus over to the food...

[Tales of Faerun]

Heheh, well, I was thinking the owner could be swindling the group by feigning ignorance... just food for fun thought. ^_^

[Tales of Faerun]

"It would be a fool's wish." Hi-chan responded to Eirene's hopes for the two insufferable fighters. "They draw fights as easily as we do moths." With that, she went and recovered her silly master, taking advantage of the drow as she attracted the ire of the other guests.

 

Thankful for SIn's diversion, We'tak made sure to drag his unconscious clutchmate safety during the rush of softskins chasing after her. Spirits watch over her... He prayed silently as he attended to Rameses, hoping to see dark pointy-ear female again among their clutch. Luckily, by the time Rameses came to, the fight had ended at last.

 

"Fireskin should be careful," the thri-kreen cautioned as he assisted Rameses to his feet. "You do not sseem fully well yet..."

 

Moaning slightly, Kaji finally awoke from his injuries as well, rubbing the two very painful knots on his forehead as he lifted himself up. "Owwww! Why do they always have to use the chair?!" He muttered, before yelping as Hi-chan very suddenly reset his broken nose.

 

"Because you never stay down from punches like anyone else would and keep fighting like the fool you are." She answered, no remorse showing in her voice. "You could at least be more discreet as Eirene says."

 

"Yeah, yeah, okay..." The wu jen replied, submitting to the fire elemental's reproach. Wincing as he stood fully, he gave a stretch, before deciding to sit down in a nearby chair after wobbling uncontrollably. "Well, at least we know who won the bet." Kaji chuckled nervously at Rameses, overhearing the angry fire genasi's comment. "Even though it was through friendly fire..." His familiar added sourly, crushing his humor ruthlessly.

 

"Hi-chan!" He cried out, before dropping the subject. "Anyway, seeing as how we're not in manacles, I don't think the owner will be tossing us out, spirits be praised... Well, as we're eating, you wanted some information, if possible, Ramesesama?"

[Tales of Faerun]

Heyos! Collab post with Freemason is up!

[Tales of Faerun]

Despite having started off well and his inhuman nature, Kaji's prowess as a brawler only dropped after splitting off from Rameses, having been bashed in the head from a flagon-made-club and knocked prone. *Oof!* He exhaled sharply as his current foe stomped down onto his chest. The wu jen tried to roll away, only to be pinned under a table when his opponent flipped one over on him. The man sprang onto the table and used it to hold Kaji in place for a barrage from that nasty flagon from earlier.

 

"Ramesesama!" *CRACK* "Get off me, you" *CRACK* "AH, THAT HURTS! RAMESESAMA, SOME ASSISTANCE PLEASE!" He cried out, before wincing again from another blow to the face.

 

Rameses was occupied wrestling another brawler in the tavern floor with renewed vitality thanks to the healing magic Lucas had cast moments ago. When Kaji cried out for help, the fire genasi rammed his elbow into his opponent's skull before rushing to his companion's aid, bullcharging the brute who had the wu jen pinned beneath a table. "Get off of him!" Rameses roared, his left shoulder plowing into the man's abdomen. Similarly to his past victims, Rameses wrestled his new opponent to the ground as he attempted to grab him in a headlock. "Kaji, now!"

*CRACK* "This is getting tiresome!" Kaji cursed through his bloody visage. Luckily, though, salvation arrived, and he felt the oppressive weight of the table lessen as Rameses tackled the man off it. "Thank you, my friend!" Kaji yelled out, sliding out from under the table. At his comrade's beckoning, Kaji grabbed an errant barstool. "Aha! The table has turned!" He shouted in triumph and brought the piece of furniture down...

...into Rameses' face.

It sounded—and felt—like a thundering bolt of lightning had crashed into the fire genasi's head, blinding him as his vision was peppered with dusty spots of black and white. Losing his grip on his opponent, Rameses collasped as the *thwack!* sound of the impact echoed painfully through his mind before he quickly slipped into unconsciousness. The fiery runes blazing across his skin almost immediately extinguished following the accident, leaving Rameses's flustered opponent for the clumsy wu jen to deal with.

The poor wu jen could only stare as he dropped the stool, so confounded was he by the incredibly poor luck cursing him today. "Ah, ancestors... really?" He grumbled, and would likely continued to stand there dumbfounded for the rest of the evening. However, his enemy, recovering much faster from the friendly-fire incident, grabbed the fallen barstool and dashed it directly against Kaji's face.

Exploding into stars and pain, Kaji fell to one knee, dazed. Spirits... I really messed up today, didn't I? And it was such a good fight, too... He thought in lament, shortly before a second blow finished the job, and so both fireskins fell into unconscious heaps on the floor.

 

Even though the original instigators of the fight had fallen, the madness continued to rage on in the once-fine inn.

 

We'tak, who had evaded his pursuer due to the timely intervention from his fireskin clutchmate, found a place to hide behind a fallen table lodged in the wall nearby. Mother Moon, preserve us! The young thri-kreen could only pray. I did not think softskins would fight so much among themselves...

 

His confused pondering turned to concerned despair as he watched first Rameses, and then Kaji both fall, the former knocked out apparently by the latter himself. "Clutchmate!" He shrieked. I have to bring them out of there quickly! But how?! He couldn't carry them both away at once.

 

Ideas shooting rapidly through his worried mind, We'tak spotted movement in the corner of his vision and saw Sin, slinking around and skirting the edge of the fighting, avoiding it as much as possible.

 

"Dark Pointy-ear Female! Sin!" He called out, rushing to her side. "Please, help thiss humble one get Ramesesss and Kaji out of the fight." The hatchling pleaded. "They have fallen!"

 

Without another word, the thri-kreen darted back towards Rameses, dodging the eclectic projectiles dancing through the air, and picked the unconscious male up, and began dragging him away from the fight.

[Tales of Faerun]

Kaji was surprised to see Rameses throw such a vicious uppercut first; it was usually the wu jen who'd jump wholeheartedly into a fight first. Watching his friend take a severe beating and ganged up upon, though, spurred him into action as well. "Get off of him! BONZAI!!" He bellowed, tackling into the group and bringing two of the drunkards down with him as he threw elbows and punches wildly. He even managed to knock out the man Rameses had first decked.

 

"Aaaaaiiiii!" One of the aggressive fellows screamed when he tried to grab the chaotically-thrashing fireskin, hands blistered badly. "What the hells are you!" he shrieked, before being silenced by a left hook to the face from Kaji that left a smoldering imprint of a fist. "What, you didn't think you could simply grab a 'fireskin' and not get burned, did you?" The fire mage smirked, shortly before a meaty ham of a hand from another opponent crashed into his nose, sending him sprawling across Rameses.

 

"Owwww!" Kaji mumbled as he held his nose, rising quickly and uppercutting another drunk. He laughed in victory as his foe tumbled away. However, the staggered individual happened to tumble into another group of patrons. A couple of men from that group, already upset at the unwanted distraction, threw all patience out the window and entered into the fight, thoroughly beating the transgressor of their relaxation. Several other individuals, whether drunk or eager to settle scores, began to follow suit, and soon the entire bar erupted into a free-for-all brawl.

 

We'tak watched in horror as the fight broke out between his clutchmates and some disrespectful softskins. He started to follow after Eirene, only to start shrieking terribly when she was struck and sent flying, blood clearly running from her face. "Wretched softkins!" He screeched, before pouncing on the male who hurt her. Unfortunately, his opponent of choice was considerably stronger than he was, and the thri-kreen soon found himself being tossed like a chatkcha and pinned to the floor by the stupid softskin.

 

*Nrak'tck!* He cursed as the man unleashed his assault, his chitin barely protecting him. "Stupid bug.. this'll teach you to- OH, GODS! SNAKE!" The softskin screamed and flailed away as Pekwe lashed out in defense of her master. Why are they always so set against me? The perturbed look she gave We'tak seemed to convey. "I don't know... maybe they dislike your lovely color?" He chittered, before he had to start fleeing when a chair was swung his way. Are softskins always like this?

 

The wu jen lent a hand and pulled Rameses up quickly. "Well, Ramesesama," he laughed. "You really know how to bring out the fire within, don't ya?" He ducked under a wild haymaker and countered with a nasty strike to the groin, sending the offender rolling into the fetal position all red in the face. "Hey, whoever gets the most knockouts gets to eat dinner, on the loser's tab?" Kaji grinned wildly, before charging towards one of the remaining men who had insulted them.

 

 

Meanwhile, a lone fire elemental, evading the thrown objects and tussling bodies, darted quietly towards the prone Eirene and began dragging her away from the fight to safety. "Kaji-kun..." She looked at the fighting pair of fiery humanoids. "I think yours is as bad as mine, Eirene-san..."

[Tales of Faerun]

"Oh...right..." We'tak murmured thoughtfully at the mention of shedding. His birth had been an unusual one, and so he had completely forgotten that he would have to molt at some point or another. I am going to need to find a safe place to do so, then. He tilted his head at Eirene with concern when she revealed she was cursed. "Dark Softskin Female has been cursed? How did that happen? Did Mighty Sun curse you for some cruel reason or to test you?"

 

The thri-kreen began looking at her more closely; he couldn't see any signs of it, but that didn't mean anything. "Are you sure you do not want to tell our clutch, Eirene. I am sure they would not hurt you in any way." He could tell this was something that bothered her, though, so he added: "But, as you wish, I will not ssay anything..." Thinking of ways to help her, he began babbling in his usual manner. "Have you tried praying to Mother Moon? I know She is a merciful spirit, and would happily help you. She has certainly blessed me and my father, and Conall as well!"

 

 

Kaji nodded his head in agreement with Rameses. "I promise we will not trouble you. I mean, look!" He pointed at Hi-chan, who sat perfectly still at the table. "Hi-chan hasn't even singed the furniture!" Upon further inspection, there was surprisingly no burn marks, not even along the path the fire elemental had made to the table.

 

Seeing this, despite being hesitant, the barmaid relented. "Okay.. just, please don't cause any trouble. Now, you wanted some soup and rice, right? I'll be back with your food." Kaji blew a sigh of thankful relief before turning to his friend. "Thank you very much, Ramesesama! I thought we'd be thrown out for su-" *THWOK!*

 

"WHAT IN THE HELLS WAS THAT!?" The wu jen cursed loudly as a thrown tankard struck the back of his head. The sound of booming laughter rung out from a nearby table, and Kaji turned with a murderous glare at the perpetrators, who were pointing fingers at him in ridicule, shouting various remarks...

 

"HAHA! Did you see that?" "Headshot!" "Look at that freak!" "That thing shouldn't even be here!"

 

The fire mage rose up from his seat angrily, ready to lash out at the drunkards. "You guys looking for a fight!? I'll give you one, right here and now! Hi-chan, let me at 'em!" His familiar gotten up as well, although she was more concerned holding her belligerent master back than the insults of the other patrons. "Kaji-kun! You just promised not to cause trouble! Master!"

 

Her words were starting to get into his thick skull when one of the drunks flung the watered-down ale in his mug upon the fire elemental. "Master!" She cried, as her body sputtered and flickered from the sudden dowsing. "Hi-chan!" Kaji knelt down and shielded her. He turned towards the table of drunks who just assaulted his childhood friend. "Ramesesama..." He growled as he stood up, hands beginning to glow hot. "I know I promised not to be a bother... but those pigs hurt Hi-chan, and I intend to return the favor..."

[Tales of Faerun]

*Chee...* We'tak looked around the room, admiring the liveliness of it all. "So this is what an 'inn' is truly like..." Not noticing the strange looks a few softskins sent his way, the thri-kreen wandered for a bit, taking it all in. Do softskins always gather like this? He couldn't help but ponder to himself. Just then, he finally spotted where Fireskin and Dark Softskin had gone. He paused, though, seeing the two exchange words, then Eirene stood and walked away, her expression bothering the hatchling. "What iss wrong with clutchmate?" We'tak chittered softly, before following after her.

 

Catching up, he poked softly at her arm. "Is Eirene okay? You do not seem well..." We'tak asked worriedly. "I have not been feeling myself lately, either... There has been this itch slowly growing lately." He absentmindedly scratched at his chin, failing to see the patch of loose chitin flaking away. He hadn't noticed, the gradual change, but his chitin had been feeling rather tight lately, and its usually-vibrant sand color had faded and dulled. "Are you having the same problem? You smell slightly of reptile, so I wonder if Dark Softskin is having trouble with her shell, too..."

 

Meanwhile, Kaji and Hi-chan entered, one boldly, the other hesitantly. "Ah, Hi-chan, don't worry about it! We'll be fine!" The mage exclaimed, dragging the poor familiar alongside him. "There's Rameses! Come on!" He darted, not having any problem with the crowd as they quickly parted for the fiery pair, and finally sat down with a relaxed sigh. "It's so nice to sit down for a change, right, Hi-chan?"

 

The fire elemental, fretting over the worried looks she was garnering, meekly nodded as she 'sat,' being careful not to set the furniture around her aflame. Patting his familiar on the head, Kaji looked at Rameses, having missed the exchange just now with Eirene. "So, Rameses, could you tell me more about yourself? I mean, I've always wanted to meet a fire genasi. It sounds so exciting, to think that humans and fire elementals somehow met and, well, bred, and created such a marvelous race. Is it exciting, being born like that?"

 

"Kaji-kun, shouldn't you thank him for his hospitality, first?" Hi-chan pulled at the wu jen's arm. "He has very kindly invited us to join him, after all."

 

"Oh, uh... right. Many thanks, Rameses-sama." Kaji spoke, formally thanking their new-found friend. "Now, about that food... Ah, a waitress! I'd like a a bowl of soup, a nice steak, maybe some rice..." He began to go on excitedly at the approach of a barmaid, and would have continued if he wasn't interrupted by the woman.

 

"Actually..." she began hesitantly, "The other customers are getting restless at your... companion..." The barmaid motioned towards Hi-chan. "The owner apologizes, but he would really like it if you left, if you would please. We don't wan't any trouble, but surely you understand..."

 

Kaji's energetic self slumped at this turn of events. "Won't anyone let us stay for once..." He said, sadly, looking at his familiar with a forlorn expression, before looking at Rameses and the genasi's friends, eyes pleading for help.

[Tales of Faerun]

"Ooooo... Fireballs can be so much fun!" Kaji exclaimed. "Mm-hmm, indeed!" Hi-chan put in her two bits as well. "Although I doubt he's thrown a few into an inn and almost burn it down like a certain someone..."

 

"Hey, that guy was just asking for it!" The wu jen countered. "Insulting our skills like that... Besides that, I didn't burn the whole place down, anyway..." He gave another pout. "Jerk had a counterspell prepared..."

 

"Yet we're still banned from nearly every bar and tavern here." Kaji scratched his head sheepishly at the elemental's retort. "Yeah... about finding a place for a meal together..." He looked at Rameses. "I may or may not have gotten us sent away from a fair number of establishments. First, a few places refused to let Hi-chan stay, said she was dangerous, of all things. I mean, look at her!" He gestured towards his familiar. "She's perfectly harmless!" Completely missing the flaw in his logic (and Hi-chan's burning glare), he continued to ramble. "After the third time, I got a little... upset, and got into a fight shortly before being tossed out."

 

"Then that incident, " he said, pointing back at the inn he'd just been thrown out of, "has probably ruffled a few more feathers." His stomach growled just then, and Kaji blushed. "Plus we really don't have any money... and most of the mages here have already taken any jobs worth taking. Although," He looked at the group. "I don't think either of those places have thrown us out yet, so maybe we'd be able to find a place to stay there! I'd be more than willing to help out!"

 

We'tak nodded excitedly at the suggestion. *Chee!* "Oh, yess! That would be very interesting to do! We can talk about how you and Sin make fire, we can eat food while sharing ssagas-- By the way, do 'mages,' I think you called them, eat anything special? Oh, and Winged Pointy-ears can make you a part of our clutch, too!" The thri-kreen was threatening to overwhelm the duo with his own enthusiasm, though Kaji clearly matched this as well, who was already throwing out short stories.

 

During this lively exchange, Hi-chan moved closer to Rameses, whispering while glancing at the two child-like people: "Is yours as bad as mine?"

[Tales of Faerun]

Kaji sighed as he confirmed the fire genasi's greeting. "I am Kaji..." A narrowed glance from Hi-chan forced him to add hastily: "...-kun." I utterly hate that rule... He lamented silently; the title his sensei forced him to take during introductions felt rather belittling at times. "Master of all things magical, Wu Jen of Everburning Flames!"

 

"Save you can't cast a spell to save your life right now..." Hi-chan interjected, cutting the fire mage short in his pride. "I can too cast a spell... I just have to wait til tomorrow!" Giving a harumph, the fire elemental returned her attention to Rameses. "So you're a fire genasi, yes? Wow..."

 

"Yes... very wow, indeed..." agreed Kaji, studying the stranger; This man did indeed come across more naturally than he himself did in terms of relation to the Plane of Fire. "I've heard of your kind... always wanted to meet one of you in person. I had to work for these." He gestured towards his eyes. "Can you use fire magic naturally?" He asked, suddenly excited. "I heard it comes easy to you!"

 

"Oh, yes!" Hi-chan flickered happily, her behavior as mercurial as her master's. "Could you show us your mastery of fire?!"

 

We'tak peeked around his clutchmates, peeping at the odd duo before them now. How strange... Curiosity making him forget the betrayal of his clutch for the time being, the thri-kreen stepped closer, mainly to the speaking fire. Sticking a clawed finger out, he hesitantly poked at the fiery being while it was fascinated by Rameses...

 

*Nrak'tck!* He cursed, retracting the claw as it was burned. Hi-chan, noticing this, turned towards the tall bug thing. "Oh! Sorry! I didn't mean to burn you!" She whined, the bright spots in the place of would be eyes looking (burning?) sad.

 

"I am okay." We'tak remarked, looking at the thing. "Greetings. I am We'tak... Living Fire iss very hot!" The fire elemental went silent seemed to burn in a more bluish tone, almost as if it were... blushing? "Don't mind her," Kaji said, nudging his familiar. "She's always like that."

 

"So you are a Fireskin, too?" We'tak asked. "So you can make fire like Rameses, too? Leif can make fire, too, with magic. It is very interesting!"

 

"Oh! You have fire mages among you, too?" Kaji-kun looked at the man pointed out by We'tak and at Rameses excitedly. "I'm always interested in seeing the fire magics of the western magicians!"

[Tales of Faerun]

We'tak's antennae folded back as the betrayal of his would-be ally became manifest, his defeat feeling eminent. "Clutchmates are so mean to poor We'tak..." He was on the verge of fleeing when there was a sudden FOOOOM!

 

A puff of smoke shot out of a nearby inn, followed by loud yelling and cursing as a very agitated human (or what look like a human) on fire was carried through the door by a giant disembodied hand, with what appeared to be a small moving flame hovering around the unfortunate fellow. Another human, dressed in rather extravagant robes, stepped out with an arrogant air about him as he smirked at the struggling figure.

 

"You arrogant pig! Let me go! You can't do this to me! You have any idea who I am!?" The fiery stranger yelled as he tried to wiggle free from the hand to no avail. "I am the great Kaji!" He tried to cast a spell, but it merely fizzled out, and the exotic figure moaned in displeasure.

 

"You're nothing but a pathetic hedge-mage..." The other man replied. "You can't even cast a simple cantrip. I think I'm bored now. Go along and play wizard elsewhere." With that, he made a gesture and the giant hand disappeared, dropping Kaji unceremoniously on the hard ground. "That-- Rrrrgh!! I'm going to pummel that guy!" The small fire elemental accompanying him rebuked him, however. "You can't cast your spells right now, and you know it, Kaji-kun! He'd smash you in an instant, and you know it!"

 

Slumping as he realized his familiar was correct, Kaji sighed. Damn it all... why did Sensei force those taboos on me? "Well, he still deserves a good punch to th-- Hi-chan? Hi-chan, where did you go?" He stuttered mid-sentence, the entity known as Hi-chan having left, for a far more interesting figure had gained her attention.

 

"H-hi, sir," the small fire elemental spoke in Ignan as she approached the fire genasi she had spotted among an exotic group of travelers, the stranger's appearance having attracted her despite being completely unknown to her. "I am Hi-chan... who are you?"

 

"HI-CHAN!!" Kaji called out, giving chase as he came up alongside the elemental. "Hi-chan, haven't I told you not to wander off like that?"

"Sorry, Kaji-kun, but look! He looks like you... except maybe a little better looking and natural than you..."

 

"Hi-chan!" He pouted, slumping once again as his familiar put him down ruthlessly...

[Tales of Faerun]

We'tak began to falter before the onslaught that was Abby's pleading, the thri-kreen backing away slowly. Granted, the idea of wearing softskin clothes was... different, but was it so bad? However, the willful hatchling threw up a wall against this line of thinking. It was so wasteful and unnatural to do such a thing among thri-kreen. "But We'tak does not want to wear clothes..."

 

When Leif began his assault as well, he felt like he was on the wrong side of the hunt, with him being the prey, and these two the hunters cornering him in a trap. Just then, he heard the laughter of Rameses and Eirene, and with his new friend Sin already engaged elsewhere, he felt his list of allies shrinking rapidly in this dread encounter. Looking around, We'tak spotted what was perhaps his last safe haven, and ran for it desperately...

 

"Maydiira...!" *Chee...* The thri-kreen chee-d despairingly as he took cover behind the dark winged pointy-ear. Surely she, who shares his ideology on clothes, would understand his current plight and help him. "Please do not let clutchmates make thiss one wear so much cloth. You understand. Yess?"

[Tales of Faerun]

As usual, the young thri-kreen was excited from seeing a new softskin village. "Are all softskin villages like this?" He asked aloud in awe, taking everything around him. He became distracted from this, though, by Rhaine's words on their plans. "A-attire?" *Tck?* He looked at the winged pointy-ear, antennae beginning to twitch in agitation. "Does clutchmate mean that we must wear... cloth?!"

 

This line of thinking began to perturb the thri-kreen, the prospect of having to wear clothes of all things abhorrent to him. "If clutchmates think I will wear silly softskin cloth..." *Tcktcktck!* We'tak clicked his displeasure, and began murmuring in thri-kreen several unkind words about clothes, to the point he paid no attention to Sin's greeting.

[Merlini Magia]

"I imagine it would be a simple stew or something with carrots and potatoes in it," Ardan said to Ben as he handed Gawain his sword. "Maybe a hunk of pork or chicken if we're lucky. Having grown up on a farm, so long as it doesn't have mold or worms or horrible smells, or can be used as make-shift armor, it will probably be good to eat. Beggars can't be choosers, after all." He'd eaten three-day-old pizza that had been left on the counter before with no ill effects, but the others might not appreciate such information right before eating, so the redhead kept that tidbit to himself.

 

He stretched a bit after walking all that time, while stifling a laugh as he watched Kat and Rose dismount and try to walk. "Hey, Ben, I think perhaps we were the lucky ones here," Ardan commented aside, before looking towards the door of the inn. "Sooo... should we knock first?"

[Tales of Faerun]

We'tak's antennae drooped at the scathing response the fireskin and Eirene gave, and he gave an apologetic shrug. "Sorry, clutchmates. Thiss one will wait..." He looked at Conall and Eirene as he went back to eating the morsel in his hands, tearing a scrap and feeding it to Pekwe. "Oh it is cooked enough for thri-kreen." The hatchling swallowed the last bit before speaking again. "We are well-adapted to eat a variety of foods, though we are very much eaters of meat, and it does not necessarily need to be cooked so completely. Fire is a rarity we must use carefully, after all."

 

He looked at his clutchmates with a slight tilt of his head. "Thri-kreen actually eat softskins every now and then, though my clan does not really practice that anymore. If food is scarce, and there is a fresh dead body, we may scavenge it, but we at least do not hunt the other races like some clutches. I do not like the idea of eating a softskin, though; you are kreen, too. Besides, you smell too much for eating." *Chee-ss-ss-ss* "Although..." He looked at Argyros in particular. "It is rumored that pointy-ears taste good..."

 

Before We'tak could expound upon the topic further, Rameses announced his work was complete, and, like a child being told he would be receiving a gift, the thri-kreen had rushed forward to be first to get food, practically hopping with enthusiasm. With a sharp claw, he tore a small chunk of cooked boar and put it on his plate before he retrieved some of the "shallot" greens. The thri-kreen rushed back to his place at the camp, salivating at the meal before him. "Thank you, spirits, for this food, and thank you for blessing Rameses with ssuch skill!" He said, giving a prayer of thanks aloud, before proceeding to devour the food. *Chee!*

[Tales of Faerun]

"Dark pointy-ear is quite welcome!" We'tak responded to Sin, compound eyes showing his happy sincerity. "Sinarra... that sounds like a nice name, though Sin is nice and short, too. 'Queen?'" *Chee?* "Is that another softskin title?" He would have continued this line of questioning had his concentration not been attracted by the large boar his clutchmates brought back. *CHEE!* "Clutchmates brought back very good food!"

 

The young thri-kreen would have approached the dead thing with open claws had Rameses not immediately ordered everyone to wait, and began tossing herbs and ordering Eirene to bring and cook other greens to go with the meat. We'tak was confused at first, wondering what the other foods were for, but once the most delicious smell he had smelled in a very long time began to spread across the camp, he stopped questioning, now excited for the feast to come.

 

*Chee...* He chirped dreamily. "Fireskin knows how to cook good food... that scent is very good..." A small trail of saliva began dripping from the hatchling's mandibles as he approached the roast, failing to resist the food before him. Waiting for Rameses to not pay attention, the thri-kreen carved a very small slice from the boar with his claws and quickly hopped away to his own little spot by the fire, chomping down on the meat. *WEEE!* "Thisss is ssso good!" *Tcktck!*

 

As he ate the morsel, he looked around at his clutch. "So, where do we go after tonight?" We'tak asked between bites.

[Merlini Magia]

Ardan smiled helplessly at Ben and Rose. "Clothes shouldn't be toooo much of a problem." He looked down at his own clothes. "Personally, I don't think anything is wrong with my own appearance... I'm certainly not getting rid of this shirt. It's one of my favorites..." The redhead looked at Rose with raised eyebrows, amused at her tomboyish nature. "A... wimple?"

 

Shaking his head at the display, Ardan looked at Gawain and Dinadan. "You won't have any problems from me. I prefer to avoid trouble, myself. Although..." he pulled out his sheathed ninja-to. "Should I leave my sword with one of you two, as to avoid any unnecessary attention?"

[Merlini Magia]

"You know, I think I saw a show once about King Arthur being female... can't remember what it was called, though..." Ardan spoke halfheartedly as the discussion of the cursed state of Britania. "You know, I would have figured more of the knights would still behave the same as before. After all, nothing is all that terrible or different about being a warrior as a woman, right? I mean, I remember the legend of Scathach, the great warrior maiden who wielded the Gáe Bulg and taught Cu Chulainn, or the triple-aspect goddess Morrigan?"

 

The red-head shrugged. "I always thought they were pretty impressive..." He stopped speaking his thoughts, dropping the subject before he could go into a full-on rant, and began pondering Ben's line of thinking. "Hmm... if that is the case, who would be powerful enough to do such a thing?" He asked aloud, before perking up at the sound of soon being able to sit down and eat. "Well, perhaps we should discuss this once we've eaten, yes? A bit easier to think, I find, when one has a full stomach."

[Tales of Faerun]

We'tak carried an air of an impertinent child that had just been scolded, offended that his judgement wasn't trusted. Pouting, he stubbornly glared at the winged pointy-ear until he heard Sin's stomach make a fierce growling sound. This, and Rhaine deciding to welcome the newcomer to their clutch, was enough to calm his wounded pride, and so the thri-kreen cheered up once again.

 

"Sso dark pointy-ear needs food?" *Tck-tck?* Excited to be fully welcoming another, the hatchling immediately dashed (with delight, it seemed) and retrieved some rations he had stowed away in his pack, bringing them over to Sin (seemingly having forgotten all that had just transpired). "Here iss food!" *Chee!* "When a guest is welcomed to a clutch, it is proper to give food and water, since the desert is so unforgiving at times," he said, explaining an old custom as he handed the supplies over. Listening to Eirene introduce herself and Rameses to the newcomer, We'tak gave that excited chee again as a new line of questioning appeared.

 

"Oh, does Sin have two names like other softskins?" We'tak asked suddenly, reminded of this by his clutchmates' introductions. "What are they called again? Titles?" *Ss-ss-ss* "Thri-kreen only have one name. Like me! We'tak... just one name, and that is all thri-kreen need. But softskins seem to need many, many names. It is very silly, yes?"

[Merlini Magia]

"Oh, cool!" Ardan replied, before turning to Ben, laughing a little at the description the guy gave him. "Yeah, something to that effect. Anyway, you would be right to an extent. Fae, Faerie, etc. Interesting folk, though I really don't fancy getting into a fight with them..." He grimaced melodramatically. "Ran into them in a game, before... really nasty fighters."

 

The college student frowned for real, though, at the mention of dragons. "I rather hope dragons don't exist." He stuck out his tongue as if he'd tasted something bad. "I prefer not to end up like many of my meals; devoured."

[Tales of Faerun]

We'tak's antennae folded back in displeasure and confusion as Rhaine verbally rebuked him and she along with a few other clutchmates took defensive postures against Sin. "Why are clutchmates so angry...?" He could only asked, befuddled at such reactions. "Are dark pointy-ears clutch-breakers?" The young thri-kreen looked at the female, then at Rhaine, before taking his gythka and placing it firmly in the ground between his clutchmate and the newcomer.

 

"Softskins... you do not even try to talk in peace..." The hatchling stood between the two with arms held out in peace. "I have sworn to watch over and guard the dark pointy-ear Sin, so no harm shall come to any." He nodded in agreement with Rameses, who tried to keep things friendly. "Yes, speaking the same language would be nice..." He clicked in curiosity, studying Sin again. "Though, you speak so beautifuily... could you teach thiss one your language?"

[Merlini Magia]

Ardan raised his eyebrows at Ben, before grinning ruefully. "Well, as much as I'd like to say I'm from Ireland, I'm afraid it's not so awesome as that." He looked up at the sky above them as they traveled along. "Nope, I'm just a poor farm boy from the middle of nowhere in Virginia. Grandparents are Irish, and my parents largely so as well. Was going to college, but, well," the redhead pulled out his kunai and started spinning it absentmindedly. "Seems the only thing I was good at there was ninjutsu..."

 

Realizing he was starting to lag behind, Ardan adjusted his gait, and caught back up. "But... I've always liked to imagine that I lived in ol' Ireland, and not just Ireland like it is now, but ancient, magical Ireland, where the heroes of legend roamed, and mortals played at riddles with the Sidhe, and all the other tales would be real, too... heh," He chuckled. "I suppose being sucked into this mess is something like a wish come true for me. Certainly got me out of that bloody English paper, at the very least. Writing about Irish legends isn't nearly as fun as talking and reading about them. Speaking of which..."

 

He jogged up a bit to where Dinadan and Gawain were. "Say, Ma'ams, er, Sirs..." Ardan asked awkwardly. "Would the Sidhe, or perhaps the Seelie, happen to exist here, or any other creatures of Celtic lore?"

[Tales of Faerun]

Almost as soon as Conall said to take the dark pointy-ear female back to camp, We'tak dropped all hints of seriousness and was his cheerful, talkative self once more. He chattered with slight disapproval as she simply jumped in the water, not wanting to possibly spoil the pond, but his excitement soon asserted itself. "Okay!" He said, turning to lead the way. "I think you will like my clutch. They are very nice softskins." The thri-kreen began speaking quickly, sharing about his clutchmates unbidden.

 

"Rhaine and Maydiira are very nice winged pointy-ears... Abby is the cutest little hatchling... Rameses is a very nice fireskin... although he is not very happy at the moment... long tale... Leif is somewhat sstrange, but friendly... Kellak smells of the deep earth... Eirene smells like wet lizard at times... She and Rameses fight at times over silly things, like clothes and weddings... I do not understand softskins sometimes. Say, why do softskins place so much emphasis on wearing so much cloth? What do you think, Sin? Oh, greetings! I am back!"

 

This sudden barrage of information and inquiries would have continued had they not made it back already. "Argyros and Conall are still hunting, but we found this nice dark pointy-ear named Sin. Conall said I could lead her back here. Sin, welcome to my clutch! Say..." He began to say, that familiar tilt of his head heralding another surge of curiosity. "How do you dark pointy-ears make fire? Is it like dark winged pointy-ears...?"

[Merlini Magia]

Ardan breathed a sigh of relief as the situation that had suddenly popped up between Rose and Ben just as quickly died. He hated needless confrontation, preferring much better to treat small slights, real or imagined, with indifference.

 

"Well, in all honesty, we all just met for the first time today, so it may take a short while for everything to fall into place." He responded to Dinadan's remark on their lack of unity. Though silence, trepidation, and aggression seems to be the order of things nowadays in "modern" society... Thinking it would be unwise to mention this detail, Ardan kept it unspoken, instead focusing on the two horses that were brought out for Rose and Kat.

 

"I take it the rest of us will be walking, then?" he asked. He had no objection to walking, having done it nearly every day of his life. Besides... I hardly know how to ride a horse... he thought, secretly relieved at the lack of horses for everyone. "Well, I hope we won't have to run away quickly or anything... might leave some folks in a poor way. Anyway," Stretching and ignoring the inevitable pain from his fall. "Shall we be off?"

[Tales of Faerun]

Conall's words thoroughly chastised the young thri-kreen, antennae drooping sadly not unlike a dog yelled at by its owner. "Spirits pardon, Conall..." he apologized timidly, his enthusiasm deflating all at once, replaced by depression. He is right, too... even though now it is too late for a trap, I could hurt the clutch. We'tak was fully confident he could evade any such trap, but his clutchmates... One unwise hatchling, One clutch's failing. The teaching of a young thri-kreen insisting on hunting before they were ready and ruining the hunt, ending with a clutchmate's death and his own banishment echoed soundly within his mind. Even Pekwe, who would normally be quick to scold him, was quiet, detecting the sadness now emanating from We'tak.

 

However, his antennae twitched again at the dark pointy-ear female's direction as she fell silent and then began to hide and cry. Detecting the fear that only harried prey would possess, We'tak made up his mind. "Conall, Argyros," he spoke, an unusual seriousness in his tone that brokered no argument. "If we are quarry to a hunter, the time for the trap has passed; Wary prey is dangerous prey. The dark pointy-ear reeks of fear, so I trust her. Softskins may mask their languages all they want, but their scent will always give them away." He looked around, pacing quickly yet quietly, eyes studying the surrounding ground and his antennae twitching this way and that. "And I only find our own tracks and hers... We should let her sstay with us..."

 

He stared at Conall. "Thri-kreen are hunters of the land, and we may be masters of the hunt, but we must hunt it with respect, and not only that..." The thri-kreen glanced at Sin. "We are its guardians, and that which falls under Mother Moon's light our duty to protect, regardless of what clutch they belong to, if they choose that light. You know this one is right, clutch-brother." We'tak spoke with both solemnity and passion, challenging the softskin Conall to disagree with him. Granted, thri-kreen really just protect the land from defilers of the land, but it should not matter in this case, and Conall does not need to know that. "I will watch over her, and I even swear by Mother Moon to be responsible if our clutch comes to harm from her." He pressed, refusing to back down this time.