Flight of Fancy: IC (Mature) {Currently Closed}

[Shax]

Shax raised a brow, thinking to himself a bit 'So he doesn't know about the Taun clan Cubi...' With a shrug, he looked about the room, his tail flicking behind him. "Oh? Any idea what clan they are from?" He referred to the puppeteer, curious as always.
"I hope it's only a drunk tank, after all, this was not a cheap trip and it would be a shame if he was kicked for acting like a moron." The Cubi chuckled.

[Angel]

Kenyan smiled out of relief at the rat's question. <No, they are normally sized. There's a reason my name is "Foundling" in the pack. Do you think you can help me locate some items so we can escape here? It will be dangerous, but I have to get home. My family may be in danger without me there.>

[Kirrin_Shadowclaw]

Kirrin was just trying to get out of the room at this moment, giving a light yowl of surprise at how quick the knives were thrown, leaving a couple of cuts in his vest near his underarms, it not being the strongest of fabrics, it being just pure luck that he didn't get himself skewered or pinned. Though either of them could tell he wasn't intent on killing either of them. Kirrin figuring if he got out into public he might have a chance in convincing any witness' he was simply being attacked. Using his wing tentacles rather quickly he would give the tazzy devil a quick push against the cabinet she had moved herself near and he himself moves to grab at the door. Hoping the angry demoness hadn't recovered enough from having the lock box tossed at her to stop him. Hand managing to grasp the doorknob and turn it while he began morphing his wings back to normal and pulling said door open.

[Kafzeil]

A pair hands snagged his tentacles as they became wings, then violent yanked him back.

Eden had recovered from the flash. And indeed, was not keen on letting him go. Giving another hard pull on the tentacles, she grinned, waiting to get Smokey within striking distance.

*****

Kafzeil was still whistling tom him as he approached his and his fiancé's stateroom.

[Tapewolf]

"Hobbies is a G'ian," Jakob told Shax.  "Supporters of my Lord, actually.  Though I don't know as much about them otherwise as perhaps I should."

He's holding something back, Jakob thought, noticing the others hesitation.  Well, it's not like it's any of my business anyway.

"I don't know how many 'Cubi they have passing through here," he added.  "Depending on that, it's possible the crew are used to that kind of impulsiveness anyway.  But I wouldn't want to chance it.  In a confined space like this, it's only polite to be on your best behaviour, whatever race you happen to belong to."

[justacritic]

Among certain things that spell trouble when it appears in highly magical creatures is the emotion of boredom. It leads to trouble especially among the cubi, renowned for their impulsiveness. Sadly that was what Hobbies was feeling as he made it to the highest part of the airship. The fennec was feeling a bit twitchy and that wasn't a good sign. He hadn't spotted anybody interested in talking and if he didn't do something, he had a feeling that he'll explode in a way that would lead to some very pointed questions. Wondering what to do, he remembered discussions with the more artistic side of the family about some new fad. Reaching in some pockets and searching for a bit he found what he was looking for. It was a spool of string, an experiment of embedding crystal prisms within clear string for some special effect or determining what other sorts of things that could be done with it. Already catching the light, the string threw off little rainbows onto the walls. Attaching via unique knots those threads to his fingers he held one hand above his head and the other out the fennec balanced on one leg and began to spin slowly. This sent flickers of multicolored light rotating onto the walls and any objects in the way. Hobbies began to move back across the ship making his way down. In any case with all the spinning, he won't be getting any other ideas with the woozy inner ear distortion. And besides if questioned, he would be providing his contracted entertainment albeit in the form of performance art. Which would help advertise that odd cousin of his to more high class patrons. Though just what was artistic about nailing yourself to a board and ripping yourself off of it? Hobbies didn't know and for now didn't care except about spinning around. He wasn't bored anymore. 

[Shax]

Shax would lean back on two legs of the chair. "I don't know of any others. Just you, the puppeteer, and myself for now then. Of course, I only just arrived so I haven't really had a chance to mingle yet."

"Of course, one should always watch their behavior in any social setting, otherwise you might make a bad name for your respective race, and we already have enough of a bad rap to begin with. Don't need to to get any worse." The Cabbit sighed.

[Aisha deCabre]

Aisha had made it to the message center soon enough without a problem (having to sidestep past bustling crowds notwithstanding; she always hated large cities mostly because of population densities), and soon she was looking around inside a building that seemed to her almost as shoddy as the rest of the dockside attractions.  And this one didn't need to bother to hide its fair disdain for upkeep: the clerks at the front tables looked listless, bored, and almost ready to throw themselves out of the windows at the next opportunity.

But at least I can feel magic again, Aisha thought once more that day since she stepped off the ship, a relieved little grin tugging at her lip.  Though the panthress wasn't a magic-user, she could still appreciate feeling the powerful energies of her enchanted weapons and cloak close at hand.  Her tail ring hummed, but it was a much lower level of power than she had felt around James; some Creatures had natural Dark magic in them, and the girl knew the difference between that and the concentrated magic that Demons made use of.  She'd wondered if she was sheltering herself too much as an adventurer behind the protections of magic before, adept enough at stealth and quick fighting that she was.  Rynkura would reassure her that in this world, it was wise to have protection equal to the magics of the Creatures that she wanted to fight.  It was natural to miss the presence of that energy.

Aisha made a mental note to find the gym area of the airship and do some practice rounds with her sword, provided that the guards would let her take her belongings down.  But for now, reminding herself of her mentor only reminded her of the current task at hand.

Jakob was right it seems about the lack of privacy regarding the mirrors, she hummed as she walked up to the receptionist, disappointed that she wouldn't be able to see the tigress face-to-face and speak to her regarding the current mystery that she'd undertaken--not if she didn't want denizens coming off the ship to perchance overhear her.

A sleepy-looking sun bear looked up from her reading materials and yawned at Aisha as she approached.  "Land, air, or mage-mail, madam?"

"Mage-mail to Rynkura Msh'taan, Shadowed Depths Monastery of Healing," she said, preparing to count out how much it would be after the receptionist droned out the example prices.  It was quite far away, after all, but this would be the fastest way to send a message.  It was nearly-overnight instant and, so she heard, hard to intercept; and Aisha needed all the speed she could get if she was going to send an update.  Jake could be caught in the middle of something horrible for all she knew.

After looking over her shoulder a couple of times, she penned out her letter, letting her know that everything was well, that she was on the ship and may have had a lead on Jake, and also mentioning the transportation of slaves, and finally ending with the promise that she would get back to her again once she found a scry orb or a magic mirror to speak to her with right away.

Once it was done, Aisha paid the receptionist a tip for her trouble (which made her quirk her brow; nobody ever did that anymore), and moved back outside onto the busy streets of the city, pausing on the front steps.

Hm...should I go back to the ship and rest, then?  I have no real need to be here...it would be good to find James again.  Or find Jakob for another conversation; been a while since there were good people to talk to.  See if Kaf's awake, maybe.  I still have to meet his...friend.  Then, stealing a glance at what seemed to be a nearby tavern, she pursed her lip.  Or I could find some good old-fashioned trouble.  Decisions, eh chica?  Damned, but I hate not traveling on foot.  No bounty jobs to be had on an airship.

*     *     *

It was easy for Jake to steel himself against some of the more heavily-jarring sounds of the ship as he followed the Cheshire through the metal veins and bowels.  Being a Knight-Captain of the Guard, he could look stoic to a fair effect even if some drunken idiot were screaming the most heinous of obscenities in his face.  The unnerving sounds did little more than quirk his ears or make him pause but a second in his step.

The pangolin, however, looked more nervous than anything.  The gryphon wondered as to the poor fellow's origins; he looked like he couldn't have been more than a common working person before he was "enlisted" for this army of meat shields.  Now, he was walking along to the cause of freedom and hope behind a mysterious stranger.  There was a brave sort of resolve in his eyes regardless, and the young fighter hoped that he would hold out well through this.  If there's one thing to be admired in such a time, it was the ability to keep will and courage.

He watched the exchange between Singing Grin and the demon guard with some interest, though, narrowing his eyes as he followed her out.  He and the pangolin exchanged confused glances.  What could they be betting on?  It can't be what I think it is.

But as many questions there were waiting to be asked, Jake kept his mouth shut and his hackles smoothed as the open air of the ship greeted them.  Just wait.

[Tapewolf]

"So, what are your plans?" Jakob asked Shax.  "It's not exactly a short flight and I'm at a bit of a loose end myself.  Though if I can't think of anything better to do, I might just wander around the ship a bit more.  There must be more to the ship than drinking and gambling.  A library, perhaps... if there isn't one, I might have to quickly go ashore again to buy something to read."

[Boog]

The Vents

"Teleport over a coffee, Wilikens."
"Unfortunately the files you sent me for earlier sent me into the restricted zone, Sir. My magic is locked down for the next few hours." There was a note of sullenness to the demon's voice, narrow chin dipping to his clipboard momentarily to hide a scowl. The captain sighed, gestured, and materialized a steaming mug to his hand.
"It's hard, being a genius of the arcane. Summoning my own beverages, like some savage." He gave a chuckle
"A shame the passengers are spared the depths of your wit, sir."
"Shut up, Wilikens," No malice in the command, more a gesture of long familiarity. "Quit grousing up my hallways and take care of the room. I-" The captain pulled a small crystal ball and an ornate mirror, both lightly encrusted with frost, out of his coat. "Have a call to take."
Xyrtia saw both men turn down opposite hallways, neither of which seemed to be where this vent was heading. Instead it split again, and again, echos could be heard-
"Settle down, friend, it's nuthin' t' fash yerself over."
-A good natured whistling, fading away-
"These oranges are bruised!" "Sir it's all we-!"

The Halls

Singing Grin clapped a hand on each of her new charge's shoulders and gave them a small, pleased shake. "Welcome to the lap of luxury boys! Food's on me, booze is on me, just stay in the liveries, keep the masks on and be sure to meet me in first class suite seven at five-thirty. Follow me, I'll show you where you'll be staying."
The cheshire talked a mile a minute, mostly fripperies about everything from the myriad unneccesary concessions of their rooms ("massage beds, the best minibar I've ever seen and oh, you'll love this, room service isn't allowed to make eye contact with you. I've been having some fun with that last one, to be honest.") to the specifications of the ship ("The kitchens are practically a whole floor and half the time I can't even seem to FIND it, I swear they move it. But they couldn't with the field up, I know...") until they eventually came upon a hallway lit with prismatic lights; a fennec was doing something with a string that had cast the whole hall in glittering colors.
"And there's that, whatever that is. Welcome to freedom, boys."

The Slavehold

<And I thought competing with my alpha was hard... Can do, friend!> The little rat chittered and chuffed confidently, preening. Young males, always eager to prove themselves... They really were so much like beings. Just smaller, and usually cleaner.

In the Cafe

Jeremiah winced when Mel mentioned the river monitor. He wasn't a shallow man. Hell, he couldn't afford to be. And she seemed... Sweet. The girl had a way of batting her eyelashes quickly that almost hid the hole one of them had developed. It was flattering, to be honest. She'd wanted him to meet her for a drink when she got off work... But something struck him as unsafe about drinking with someone who couldn't get drunk.
"I... I think pink is nice." The frog coughed, "Some things are cliché for a reason, people like them..."

In Town, In a Tavern known as the Copper Tooth

It didn't matter if it was a magically sealed water dragon settlement on the bottom of the ocean or a simple hamlet in the burbs, adventurer pubs were EVERYWHERE and this place was no exception. Sure, it had it's own little bit of Qaggath flair; exposed pipes that dripped and whistled ran along the top of the bar, and the waitstaff was all undead; two blank faced constructs, apparently being controlled by the more aware but equally rotten bartender. Giraffe girl, who had apparently taken her death as an opportunity to up the ante with regard to her taste in piercings.
A few guests from the ship were there, upper class types hiring folks for some sort of short-term work, as well as an array of the local adventuring community. A heavily robed and hooded ibis-griffon sipped something in a martini glass delicately, the most overly muscled hamster Aisha had ever seen has having a hushed, hissed argument with a mythos covered in eyes, and three dingos carrying on some sort of chuckled, boistrous conversation about recent work.

[Mel Dragonkitty]

The small tan gecko picked his way carefully across the ceiling, feeling secure that creatures never looked up, in particular ones busy making fools out of themselves. His target was ahead, thinking a quiet corner of the dining room protected him. He would find out that truth penetrated the darkest corners. Titus "Twitchy" Ash moved into position, wrapping his tail around a convenient light fixture and making sure his feet were well adhered as he got his equipment out of his specially sealed pockets, waiting for the exact right moment to spring into action.

The camera flashed as the star reporter of Life Lessons news magazine asked, "Lord Pettersohn, this is the third good looking young man you've been seen with since the ship left port. Do all your companions know about each other?"

[Paladin Sheppard]

Ephrael was thrown into the cabinet quite heavily and slid down it, but managed to retain enough of her wits and balance to aim a kick at the thief's legs as he passed.

[Shax]

"I'm not quite sure of my plans, mainly just relax for now, I do, however, plan on stopping and exploring each city we stop at. Maybe pick up a few things." He looked up at the wolf. "A library? I hope so, I only brought a few books with me, and my Warp-Aci, Kain, is back at SAIA, so I cannot send him to get more from my dorm." He sighed a bit. "Although if you want something to read, you can borrow a few of my books. I have quite a small collection wi-" He was interrupted when the camera flash went off. It took him a moment to regain his vision. He looked about for the cause, spotting the gecko. "O-oh hello..." He blushed as he was called good looking. As others were mentioned, Shax looked at Jakob, raising a bit of a brow. "Its not like that, Jakob and I just met."

[Tapewolf]

Jakob smiled.  "Careful, Mr. Shax.  Anything we say will be taken down and used as evidence against us.  You can't win against the likes of these - for example, if I try to find company, the only possible explanation is that I want to get them in the sack.  Whereas if I stay by myself and have a dull and boring flight, it means I'm a loser who can't score, or a monster who scares potential lovers away."

He glanced back at the reporter with a slightly puzzled expression.  "Three..?  Oh, you mean the ship's cook?  He was in some altercation with a young adventuress on her way to the messaging centre.  Didn't say anything on the way back to the ship.  Wasn't that good-looking either, now that I think about it."

"The truth is that 'good-looking young men' can often turn out to be Creatures, and as such, potential allies to my Lord.  For instance, you must have noticed the wings on my earlier contact.  Do you really think he's as young as he looks?"  Jakob shrugged his wings.  "Do you think I am as young as I look?  Anyone over 200 is likely to have experimented with the same sex at least once, but that doesn't mean they prefer it.  It certainly doesn't mean they're trying to pick up every single person they run in to."

Now it will turn into some Evil Creature Gay Conspiracy, he thought. Fortunately there's a glut of such stories at the moment.  In any case, we'll have left by the time this story goes to press.  But it might make life interesting at the next port.  On the other hand, it could get me some interesting offers.

[Kirrin_Shadowclaw]

Kirrin grimaced lightly as he felt those hands on his wing tentacles while they tried to form back into wings the yank itself taking him only slightly off balance and causing him to head in the angered demon's direction, though with Ephrael's kick to his legs he didn't seem to have a chance, he hit the ground with an audible wump and a slight sound of buckling metal (Or breaking glass since i don't know what the flask is made of.) when he landed on the flask still in his back pocket. The tiger cubi landing with his head next to one of the clothes cabinets he shut his eyes and lay still, making an attempt to try and feign being knocked out cold. Thankfully for him, his wings had regained their leathery appearance by then.

[justacritic]

Hobbies while spinning noticed out of the corner of his eye that a noblewomen Cheshire cat was looking at him escorted with a pangolin and one of those bipedal gryphons. Well, might as well try to interest more people to watch the performance. It was then that inspiration struck and the fennec incubus knew what he was going to perform for hopefully the next few nights.

The incubus cartwheeled and somersaulted towards the direction of Jake, the pangolin and the feline. Patterns of colored light danced around in the process. Landing with on his feet and with a bow Hobbies spoke. "Welcome back to the Flame of Freedom. We hope that you are enjoying your trip. Each night hosted by the company will be entertainment of your pleasure. We hope to see you there, tonight Faust is on the show" The vulpine managed to get out those words when nausea came to overtake him now that he had stopped being in motion. Ugh how does Uncle Augeste deal this feeling? With another bow to the passengers of the ship, Hobbies stumbled away, wanting to reach the main bar. Hopefully they have ginger ale because he felt that might help his stomach and dizziness.   

[Inumo]

Well, Xyrtia thought. I'm certainly not heading back the way I came, just in case... In the meantime, let's see if we can't catch up to that orb guy. Slightly less cautious about magical alarms or anything now, she followed the first vent that went in the captain's general direction, hoping he'd be audible somewhere along the way.

[Paladin Sheppard]

Smoothly standing up from the floor the Redheaded Devil gathered herself and sprung at the prone (now revealed to be) incubus. Landing knees first, in the unfortunate intruders midsection, she squirreled her way up his chest so that her knees were pinning his shoulders, and another pair of those wickedly sharp daggers at his throat.

"Got anything to tie this guy up with?" Ephrael said looking up at Eden.

[Shax]

Shax shook his head before looking to the gecko once more, then back to Jakob "I take it that this happens often then?" He asked, sighing. "Lovely... Well there goes my peaceful flight plans." He looked over to the gecko. "He is right you know, most overly attractive men and women alike are often creatures shapeshifting" The cabbit laughed softly.

"So... My reptilian friend, I take it you have been following Jakob for awhile from the sounds of it. Otherwise how would you know about his other... *snicker* companions?"

Shax blushes at the mention of experimenting, muttering to himself lightly "A-actually... I'm over 300 and I have yet to do anything with either gender."

[Kafzeil]

"Hold on for a minute, luv~" Eden ripped the ropes for keeping the drapes open from their holdings, then the demon bunny bent down, hands coiling into fists. "Let's make sure our guest is comfortable first~" She cooed, punching the interloper right in the face. Then punching him again before going to tie his legs up. "Don't smack him too hard. I wanna give him a bit more before we hand him off to the guards."

The stateroom door creaked opened as ferret still whistling a tune opened the door, stopping as he noticed the three, a beat up incubus tiger, a tizzy devil, and Eden, half dressed. he sighed and rolled his eyes, tossing his crumpled hat aside.

"Eden, what the Hells is going on?" He asked. His tone was flat, sort of like these sort of things where not uncommon to the angel...

[Tapewolf]

At Shax' comment, Jakob had to stop himself saying something like "Would you like to..?".  If the other incubus had displayed enough self control to remain chaste inside SAIA of all places, it had to be voluntary rather than through choice and Jakob did not want to be the one to break the record.

It was also possible that, like Abel, Shax might try to break your muzzle if you attempted to get amorous with him.  In any case, Jakob was a diplomat and not some kind of courtesan and at the end of the day this was just the kind of thing he was trying to avoid the gecko printing.

"Whoops," he said dryly.  "Perhaps you shouldn't have said that.  It will doubtless be going down in his little black book."

[Mel Dragonkitty]

Titus laughed at Pettersohn's comments as he made himself a note to look up which of the cooks the wolf had been meeting with. "I guess you don't read many news magazines if you think debauched but pretty 200 year olds don't grab the readers even faster than pretty 20 year olds. Maybe I'll see if the publisher will send you a few complementary issues."

"Mr. Crowe, I'm interested in a lot of people, show up in a lot of interesting places." He gestured expansively, seeming to take in the whole world and nearly dislodging himself from the ceiling in the process. "Just this week I met a really fascinating demon with a bit of a headache. Demons are some of the most remarkable creatures around. Real newsmakers. Had an intriguing story about a castle falling on him. A castle where quite a few fancy legal documents have been signed in recent weeks. And when someone makes a lot of promises they can't always keep all of them. Maybe you should be thinking on that." He snapped a few more pictures of the two cubi.

"Well, time to be moving along. Lots of interesting people on this ship." Titus didn't like to stay in any one place too long, the Captain had eyes everywhere and wasn't an advocate of the free flow of information.

[justacritic]

Swaying slightly from left to right, a cubi that Hobbies may be but he still had certain biological responses. Sadly the sensation of vertigo was something that will always have during extreme motion or in Hobbies case constant spinning. Of course his stomach rebelled as well in protest of the circular motion that the fennec had undergone. In any case Hobbies focusing on trying to get something to drink had him unable to notice that his path was interrupting a certain gecko's leaving from an interview.

[Kirrin_Shadowclaw]

It just seemed like Kirrin had no luck at all.  He managed to resist heaving up his lunch when the tazzy devils knees hit his middle, though hi mouth did let loose an inaudible wheeze.  Shoulders pinned and knives at his throat, he could onlt try and bide his time to see if they would make a mistake for him to escape with, ears listening intently. Hearing Ephrael ask the demon bunny if she had anything to tie him up with he thought smugly. 'Good luck with that honey, you'd hav....' His thoughts are interrupted by the sound of the ropes on the drapes being tugged down.  'Shit...' Was the next thought to come to mind before he saw stars, as the first sucker punch from Eden hit his cheek.

Pain receptors sparking to life even as a second strike hit at nearly the exact same spot. He gave an audible groan now and his eyes fluttered open weakly even as he felt his feet being tied. He stared up through some rather blurry vision, before the sounds of the door opened. He thought maybe a random stranger had happened into the room, not even noticing that the ferret had used one of their names. The tiger Incubus coughed dryly, still on the verge of heaving from having those knees of ephy's bury themselves in his abdomen. He said weakly.  "Please...Mercy...." He gave only the faintest of glances to the newcomer. "Mister...help me...."  He said with a mental sigh as he was grasping at straws now for a chance of escape, having run out of idea's for the time, still trying to overcome the now dazed feeling he had.

[Tapewolf]

Jakob felt perturbed by the gecko's closing remark, but he shrugged it off.  It wouldn't be the first trade alliance that had broken down in spite of every endeavour and it wouldn't be the last either.

Then again, given that he's about to print some muck about my hot, steamy affair with Shax, Aisha, the cook and Hobbies all at the same time, is it worth giving him any credence at all?

"Ah well," he muttered as the gecko departed.  "It's not like I can turn the ship around and go back on the off-chance.  If something's happened in my absence I'll learn about it soon enough, either from some rag when we next dock, or a telegram from Dar."

[Shax]

Shax shook his head as the Gecko left, thinking a bit on his words slightly.

"So... I take it you have put up with this before?" He asked, raising a brow at the wolf "So... People like him have ruined your agreements before... It makes me feel rather disgusted on how lives can be ruined by the press... Plus the fact he knew my name, means he has been following, and listening in on you for quite awhile. I would watch your back and watch what you say while on the ship... I know I will be now. When that article comes out there will no longer be a need for me to hide being a Cubi now, everyone will know it." The Cabbit sighed "Shame... I was hoping for a peaceful cruise."

"So, what now? Just let him go? We could go after him, and stop that film from being put out."

[Tapewolf]

"Oh," Jakob said, wings fluffing slightly.  "I thought he was talking about something that had already happened as a way of getting back at the snub.  Usually such reporters are just a nuisance.  But a threat..?  Surely he wouldn't be that foolish.  We know where he works.  Daryil would have him killed."

"As for you... I'm not sure he knows what you are.  Your mark won't show unless he's using colour film, which I doubt.  All the same, it might be worth covering it up."

"As for stopping him, I suppose it's possible.  He's not supposed to be here, so if we close the door to prevent him escaping and inform the guards, they may be able to solve our problem for us.
"The downside is that if we do that, he will do his damndest to ruin our day and/or shorten our lives. "

[Aisha deCabre]

Jake was rather in awe of the surroundings of the ship as he, Singing Grin, and his pangolin companion were whisked up into the main rooms.  Jake felt that the effects of the anti-magic field were prevalent here too, perhaps in an even stronger state.  And considering the fact that demons were walking around in snappy suits, some swaggering as if to show that they had enough power to do so, it was for the best.

He tried to look amiable as the animated Cheshire introduced them to the lavish rooms which they would be staying.  You call this freedom, though we HAVE to stay here until this party?  I'd rather think we'd be more useful exploring the place and getting the lay of the land, so to speak, the Gryphon wondered, but decided to keep his thoughts to himself.  The pangolin at least looked relieved that they had gotten past any trouble without a problem and that all they had to do was lay low and enjoy their amenities.

Just before he could reply, though, his attention was caught by a rather colorful fennec bounding and somersaulting up to them, putting on quite the light show with his prismatic toy in the hallway.  His brow raised as, in a flamboyant and showman-type manner, he advertised a show.

"...Ah, we will think about it, sir," Jake replied with an amused grin, more or less taken aback by the display, and watched as the small canine dizzily took to his feet and moved off the rest of the way down the corridor.  Was he actually the performer or the clown that would be hired to ply it?

He sighed.  "Well, alright, Miss Grin...I suppose we'll see you then.  We'll stick around."

The rooms are at least nice.  Since it's free, room service would be good.  And a long bath; I feel like I have an excrement-like smell trapped on my feathers.

"Better stay close, either next door or in the room," the Knight informed the pangolin in a whisper once they could turn out of her earshot.  "I still don't trust her very well."

"Whatever you say," the scaled mammal said with a scratchy voice as he looked around, "You're the one who can fight."

"And very well, I'll have you know," he said with a smirk on his beak.  "Oh, the stories I can tell."

"Joy," muttered his friend.

*     *     *

The instant smell of booze and moisture on metal immediately came to assault the jaguaress's nose as she stepped into the Copper Tooth; a name that had come to be very appropriate for such a dive.  Hopefully, she thought, the drinks wouldn't have a metallic taste much like the rest of the place.

And then she saw the Undead walking around, employed apparently to be staff of the tavern, and put on a short grimace beneath her shadowed cowl.  Maybe the taste is the least of the problem.

Regardless, as she pulled back the hood of her cloak (the colors having shifted from the Monastery standard to the bounty hunter's deep blood red before she'd stepped through the door), she could already tell that it was her kind of place.  Some of the people she had seen in passing from the ship were here, as well as many well-traveled and well-battle-worn adventurers such as herself.  There were a few opportunities to listen into something.  She grinned and shifted her eyes around.  A short job and some extra money would be just the thing to get the blood rushing.  It had been a while since she'd gotten into some real trouble.  From some of the looks that she'd gotten when walking in, it was decided that wouldn't be long in coming either.

Taking a chair at the bar between the laughing, boisterous dingos and the table with the hamster speaking in hushed tones with a very interesting mythos--and where she could hear either if her sharp ears picked up anything interesting--she caught the attention of the bartender: a chubby elephant with one tusk broken in half and a half-lidded, glaring eye.

She thought that she heard the unsheathing of a weapon nearby as well; but she hadn't flinched.  Such things were commonplace in bars like this.  Once, long ago, it would have been herself trying to scare off a shivery visitor just for fun.  The Risen wasn't easily intimidated.

"Just a pint of ale, amigo."  She tossed a few coins on the counter in front of the bartender and smirked.  "So, what's with the Undead?  Don't have to worry about workplace injuries?"

[Shax]

Shax sighed, taking another look at the gecko leaving from the pair of them. "So I take it we just have to wait and see what happens then? Lovely... My friends back at Zinvth are going to get a kick out of this if they see it."

His attention turned back to Jakob. "So you said you're from clan Daryil right? I remember a certain member of your clan.... Werrew I think it was, who was on death row and escaped, slaying the king of Exemplar and taking over." He smiled and shook his head "I was also a prisoner of the purge happening in that town. I was so young at the time, and I just happened to be passing through when it happened. So I was captured as well. If it wasn't for Werrew, I would be dead right now."

[Tapewolf]

"Werrew - King by his own hand," Jakob nodded.  "I wish it were that cut and dried.  I'm glad he saved you, I'm glad he stopped the anti-creature pogrom.  But all the same, a lot of people are dead right now, because of what he did.
"And his reign started out poorly.  Daryil himself was greatly displeased by what Werrew did, the executions in particular.
In the end Daryil calmed down and agreed that Werrew's actions had done more good than harm... but only just.
"I am glad to say things have improved since then, but I can't help but feel it could have been resolved more peacefully..."