Shattered Innocence (IC) [M]

[Noone]

Kassin continued whimpering for a while, however, when things calmed down, he cleaned his eyes and stopped. He managed to rise to his feet, and took a cursory look around the barren locale. He was however, more interested in those around him. He tried not to look at Zanfib, thinking that things could return to violence at any moment, and he was quite afraid of the ringtail. Kassin edged over to Kshar, still worried about her well being. He tried not to look too closely at her, he didn't want to embarrass her. 'I hope she isn't cold... I hope we can get her some heavier clothing when we get the chance...' he thought. He took a cursory glance at the two unconscious demons, then turned his attention back to Kshar.
"Are you alright?" He softly asked.

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

Seenig as how Kassin was occupied, Kedered took it to respond to the other angel.

"Who cares about concepts like guilt, or innocence? After all, they attacked us, did they not? The ones that matter are safety and power. If they can be useful to us, we should use them, however we can. Good and evil are things best left for philosophers." Since Garis seemed not to have mentioned his idea, Kedered decided to broach it. "Do you have the kind of magic that could say, transform a corpse so that it looks like one of us? I can shapeshift myself, but my attempts to do so to others is limited. We have two dead adventurers, and if we add the demon corpses here, we'll have four. We make one look like Kassin, the others like three of us. We take away any of those bounty notices, and leave the corpses for someone to find. It probably will not throw all of the hunters off of our trail, but the news that the bounty has already been collected ought to take some pressure off of us. If you are squeamish about killing them, we could mke the ruse with the two dead adventurers. I am certain they would be all for making a little money, especially if the alternatives are less..... pleasant."

[Tipod]

"I question just how efficiently we can operate when we're screwing around like this," Rafa spoke tensely, "and, really, I don't see the point in arguing over these two kids' death sentences when it's extremely obvious I'm the only one who'd object. Fine, go ahead, do whatever with them, just do it fast before someone else catches up to us." He glared over to Kshar and Zanfib. "And don't tell me we're taking those two along. We're traveling slow enough as it is!" Besides, as far as he was concerned, the ringtail seemed capable of looking after himself. Kshar, he wasn't so sure about, but it wasn't his obligation to look after damsels.

"If we don't get our asses back on the road in the next ten seconds, I swear I'm going to scalp every single one of you and make myself a patchwork wallet." And he sounded as though he meant it.

[Ghostwish]

"I think I am going to stay with this group with a while.. At the very least, guilty or no, this particular group seems to attract attention of all kinds." Zanfib said, starting to follow after Garis, right as the fox began to speak. Zanfib blinked at the fellow, and looked back at the pamphlet a moment.. "This is.. Tyrian! Guilty of.."

"Grand Theft Livestock!?"

The pamphlet lay in the dirt as Zanfib followed after Garis.

[Lisky]

Garis listened to the arguments of his original companions, and decided he might as well throw his thoughts into the mix as well " i disagree with you on several points Raffielle, one, unless we can use the bodies to appear as one of us, then no, i don't think we should outright kill them... break a bone perhaps, but keeping them alive and angry.  In that state they could be rather useful... their destructive nature makes them a natural target of adventurers, and if they wander too close to a village, although it would mean terrible things for innocents, it would also mean fewer adventurers for us to deal with... i don't want to sound cold or unsympathetic, but the less people we meet while traveling, the smaller the overall body count is going to be... and that also means that we'll get less overall attention from the beings... because we won't be getting blamed for several hundred 'murdered' adventurers... "

Garis took a second to breath, and think through how to approach the next part of his argument.  Once ready, he continued "the other thing i'm going to disagree with you on  taking extra people with us, if need be i'll carry Kshar, the female... and as for Zanfib, he's seems a rather stalwart fellow, and i'm sure he could prove some value... as a being he can go places safely, that we cannot."

[Redeyessoul]

Kshar smiled and nodded at Kassin, very glad to see things taking a strange turn for the better.  "I'm fine, just confused."  She wasn't really, it felt like at any moment she might fall over, her balance was off somehow.  Kshar considered that she might have had a blow to the head at some point, but shook it and figured, 'If he could close all the other wounds, why couldn't he have healed my head?  It must be something else.'  She sighed and offered him the jar to inspect, "There are ... holes ... blank spots, I don't know where I got this, or what I am doing around here."  She shrugged, squeezing her tail like a safety blanket, "That jar is my only real clue and the hermit was suppose to help me understand what's in it and maybe where I came from." She shifted nervously a moment, then simply asked, "Would it be alright if I came with you?"  'Being with them ought to get me noticed, maybe someone will know ... '  She looked around as the others were speaking of her.  "I won't slow you down, I can walk and even fly!"  She got excited and took a few wing beats to get into the air, hovering a moment before plopping back down.

Kshar looked over at the two demons, she knew they had to be responsible for what had happened to her.  "The Body of the hermit would make five if you can make them look like you guys," she offered cheerfully.  "And then Zanfib could take them in himself and possibly appease his master!"  She beamed proudly with the plan, and turned that supreme happiness on Kassin, though her eyes demanded something a little more serious too.  "But we better find out if we can or not quickly, and if we can't then maybe erase the demons memories if we can do that."  She looked expectantly at Zanfib.

[Azlan]

Tyrian shook his head with a heavy sigh, "I'm afraid I cannot do that with my elemental magic, I would need significant practice with dark magic, or some type of fleshcraft... I might be able to do it with my angel light magic.  I'd have to bring the body back to life though, but... I'm not very good with light magic."  He gazed at Kassin for a moment, but shook his head, no, he could never do something like that.

"I have a slight different opinion on what we should do with these kids.  Among demon society, it is acceptable to go on rampages and kill lesser sentients.  To prove you are stronger, for a challenge, or even for fun.  I do not find that practice among demons to be an endearing trait, but it is their nature.  To not be this way, means they would be deviants and killed or at least shunned.  It is hard to fully fault them for what they are.  Having gone up against stronger creatures, they normally would have been killed.  To that I say we injure them severely and leave them with the bodies, if other adventurers come along looking for their friends, so be it.  If the two of them can crawl away to safety and survive, then they will know of mortality."  The fox seemed very solemn and gloomy.

"In my lands, our punishment for murder of such cruelty as what they did to the hermit and might have done to those two, would have been a slow agonizing death.  If you must kill them, then I suggest it be done painfully, death alone is not enough for that type of sadistic murder."  Though he appeared to be sickened by their actions, it was a veil that he hid great sadness and disappointment behind.

[Noone]

Kassin took the bottle and inspected it for a moment. After shaking his head 'no', he gave it back, indicating that he didn't know what to make of it. He took a glance at the hermit, and breathed a sigh. "I'm sorry... I would have saved him if I could." He shook his head sadly and looked back at Kshar. He was somewhat taken aback by her desire to travel with him. He took a few steps back, and took a deep breath before continuing.
"I... don't think that would be a good idea... I seem to be a target for unwanted attention, and I wouldn't like to see you put in harm's way because of me. But..., I won't stop you if you truly wish to, miss..." he took a brief pause, and found that he didn't even know her name. With a slight blush, he turned away, he would rather not embarrass the other angel if he could help it, or himself.

Kassin turned towards the others. He glanced at the two unconscious demons, concerned about what his companions might do to them. 'I'll feel it if they come to harm..., yet, I cannot condone what they seem to have done, it's a sickening disregard for life.' He gritted his teeth and glanced away, as if trying to mentally prepare himself if his companions decided to harm them. 'I just hope that if they must be killed then it is done quickly.' He didn't decide to say anything on the matter though, other than give the two demons one last glance before closing his eyes with a sigh.

Kassin looked around at the corpses, he felt terrible about the casualties that were had. Even if the adventurers tried to kill him, they truly believed they were chasing a monster. This trail of thought bit the back of his mind. The other one he didn't even know... yet still he felt terrible that he was a victim of senseless violence. 'I only wish I could get Eilan's help...' he thought. 'Maybe Kyirri knows where he is, I wonder if my companions would trust them though...'
With that trail of thought, he took another glance at Zanfib. Kassin was afraid of him... his reactions towards his friends after being healed didn't help him, plus he knew his name and about the bounty. Kassin spent some moments trying to contemplate whether he could be trusted with what he was trying to articulate. 'I should give him a second chance... but... what if he uses it to try to harm me? No, I can't be dishonest with the rest of them... I hope their idea works, I would certainly prefer to have fewer hunters trying to kill me, I don't wish anyone harm.' He had trouble concentrating. He took a brief moment to muster his courage, then addressed the rest of his companions.

"I... I had a fear in the back of my mind that my dream might be true, I tried to shut it out but, if we can't disguise the bodies, then I have an idea of where we could head next." He paused for a moment, trying to get everything in his head ordered. "I have some friends nearby that care for me... one of them is an adventurer I've known for some time. He may be able to pull enough strings to get the bounty on me... and the rest of you removed. Another friend of mine has a house nearby, and I should be able to get there through the surrounding woodlands, as roads would be too dangerous to travel on. From there, I should be able to inform them of my current situation." He glanced around at the others, as if unsure of himself. "Besides, it's likely to be one of the few safe places we can go, I don't think going to a city or other densely populated area would be a good idea." He took another look at the slaughtered hermit, sighed and continued. "And I don't wish to stay here."

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

 Stupid child talking to himself. That is a habit he needs to rid himself of."If we cannot use them, there is no real purpose in killing them. If our descriptions are going to be plastered along every tree and rock in Itharia, we might as well just make sure we are not followed and slip away. Whatever friends Kassin can muster can be helpful, of course, but lets look at this rationally. Thularians would likely kill us on sight simply for being creatures, we are hunted here in Ithralia, and I am willing to be that miss Firestorm is going to have demonic thugs looking for us in Narukh, if Nicha is in any way reliable. That means we need to find a way to get to Astarea, and the closest way is through the Whispwood. Which means that we need a guide, someone to navigate us through those wastes. Plus, few people would be insane enough to chase us there, although it likely will not shake the more determined pursuers."


Kedered paused, gathered his thoughts. "What are we going to do with our two newest aqcuisitions? I for one do not trust the being, and want to know why he answered a simple question with violence. And as for the other angel..... She seems none too stable. Can we really afford to have her along?"

[Redeyessoul]

"I'm standing right here."  Kshar crossed her arms, mimicking how she felt.  "What are you afraid I'm going to do being so unstable?  Attack you?  You can clearly handle yourselves ... Make a scene and draw attention?  I don't think I could do anything so attention calling as that wave of fire ... "

Kshar sighed to herself.  "The first Wingless being I trusted sent me to the hermit, where demons attacked me and I would have died.  If you won't have me with you then would you point the direction I must go in to find safety?"  She folded her wings about her, now looking like a being with a luxurious coat, a white pillar on the snow.  Her muddy feet were freezing but she didn't really mind it.

'If they won't take me with them then I will have to simply follow them.  It's not like I know if I'm a criminal or not, they know where is safest for criminals with wings, surely I could find something in their wake.' 

[Lisky]

Garis chuckled... then added "do you really think any of us are all that stable, i'd like to think so, but really, if we look at the definition, i'd say probably not... Mind you, we have redeeming qualities to make up for that particular flaw, such as Kassin and his ability to heal what seems even the most grievous of wounds, or myself, with my abilities in combat, and shapeshifting... Besides, unstable or no, i'd find it rather cruel to leave Kshar by herself, especially with how disoriented she seems to be...  as for the being, well, i think your distrust of Zanfib is because he attacked you... not that i approve of him attacking the group, but at the same time, he seems to be a genuinely well intentioned fellow... and furthermore, he seems to have may qualities that could prove useful if you'd just give him a chance, though i'd like to hear his side of the story before we make our decision... i don't see why either should be disqualified from joining our little party simply because upon introduction, everyone over-reacted... besides perhaps the least stable of us all... "

quickly turning to the demon Garis said "no offense Raffielle, but from my views so far, you aren't exactly the pillar of stability amongst our party..."

turning back to Kedered "another issue i have is your idea that we should run away like scared little being children fleeing the very sight of a winged creature, even if that creature means no real harm... I have a feeling we could accomplish more by seeking out this 'Commissioner Brady' than by running... at the very least he could provide information... and furthermore, the man has been kind enough to provide us with a location where we can find him"

[Ghostwish]

Zanfib chuckled softly at Kshar.. such a strange sentient, that one.

"Well, if this Commissioner possesses a weak mind, I could very well convince him that five badly burned corpses are the party, and he would never be any the wiser. I am not sure what you mean by my master being pleased by such actions.. He would simply nit-pick at my style., as he always does." The ringtail said with a roll of his eyes.

But then the psion turned a wry grin on Kendered. "Going to run away to Astarea, eh? You would probably need a guide.. or someone who just came from there."

"Well, ultimately, whatever you nutcases decide to do, I suggest you make a quick decision. Whoever is after you is putting quite a bit of effort into finding you."

[Tipod]

Raffiele looked as though he was going to retort, but simply threw up his hands in frustration. All these little arguments were costing so much precious time. After a few short moments, he regained the nerve to speak. "...look, assuming we get the carcasses looking like us and have a couple of our guys dump them off, how long will that take and how far out of the way do we have to go? How do we even know the place we unload the bodies won't have just the kind of things needed to weed out ruses like that? So what do we do, separate and have some of us go ahead while the others hang back? We're wasting too much time already!"

"We do what's fastest, and that's getting the hell out of here and to someplace we can lie low."

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

"While we probably will not be in immediate danger if we linger for a few hours, Raffiele is correct. This place is not safe, and we do not really have the means of bluffing with the bodies. Even assuming that this Brady has no defenses against mental intrusion in place, we would have to get to him through the city of Dhallon. I am certain that in a city of what? Ten thousand people? Someone would recognize us, and we would not even be able to get near them. The demons are likely irrelevant. We should simply ignore them, and run. But we should not run scared. We have been reacting to circumstance far too often. We need to come up with a plan to get safe for real, and to find our enemies and strike at them. I still think we should go south, towards Astarea."

He turned to Kassin. "Unless these friends of yours that you mention can shelter us, at least for a little while. A chance to send out feelers for information should not be turned up."

[Azlan]

"I think we should see Kassin's friends and then decide where to go from there.  If you all wish to avoid any further encounters, we could just fly you know.  I don't have these feathery wings because I am a fae in disguise you know.  Not a lot of adventurers have flying means, whether technological or magical.  Someone would have to carry Zanfib though, if he comes with us."

The fox released the stones hands, allowing the demons to slump to the ground.  They would be unconscious for a few hours still, he felt slightly relieved that they did not wish to kill the young demons.

"Let us go, we can talk more as we travel."

[Redeyessoul]

She had a heading of some manner now that someone had said it.  South.  She leapt into the air and beat her wings hardily, to Kshar it was a nice at home feeling to be in the sky in such a manner.  She waved to the group and speed off southerly, taking a moment to check the sun and the moss of the trees before heading that way.  There was no point waiting for them, there might be a chance that she could make it on her own to this far off place, and if she didn't she wouldn't have any memory of doing better to scold herself for.  "Besides' she thought, 'If I'm not here when someone else discovers the bodies then they can't blame me and write me up as one of Kassin's friends, nice though some of them are.'

Kshar kept the nagging desire to wait for the others to accept her or not amongst their traveling party, but if she were to get any place any time soon it was clear that she would have to get there on her own at the moment.  Though she had flown well enough before she did take a leisure pace in case one of them should take off into the air as well, potentially getting to watch someone else use their wings was exciting.

[Lisky]

Garis just nodded in agreement, "true, charging off into a city the way we are is a bad idea... but Kedered, i am a shapeshifter, and assuming you've practiced it, you should be too... but i beleive Ty is right yet again, we should find Kassin's friends, and formulate a plan from there."
Turning to Kassin, Garis said "lead on whenever your ready"   With that, Garis took 3 quick steps while stretching his wings out to their full length and began a rythmic beat to get ready for flight, on the third step he seemed to almost crumple, but then launched off the ground with a wing assisted jump.  Beating the enormous wings, he gained some altitude, then began circling the party.  Starting to feel a little arrogant, he used some magic to create a rising pillar of warm air, and started gliding while still gaining altitude... He circled over the party, awaiting what actions the others would take

[Noone]

Kassin looked towards the sky.
"Astarea,... I've heard it's a beautiful place. Yet, I'm not sure if we could make it there. Going through Narukh is a bad idea, for obvious reasons, and the Thularians have a blockade set up along the Ithralian border to Astarea, which would mean only a being would be able to get through. It's one of the most heavily fortified locations in Atharra, I don't think it's possible to break through."
"As for Whispwood..." he paused a moment before continuing, the thought of Whispwood made him shiver. "That place scares me, and I don't know of anyone who could navigate the place. Besides, I don't even know if a route to Astarea exists in those woods, plus, I've heard that several dangerous and malevolent creatures live there, I wouldn't feel safe in those woods. Very little lives out there..."

He looked up towards Tyrian and Garis. "Flying..." he softly said, he made some soft motions with his wings, sighed, and then looked towards the ground. "I can't fly...". He looked at his yellow feathered wings, and made a soft motion with his right wing. "Besides, I'd think we would be easier to spot if we're in the air."
He took a look back at Kshar. I'd feel terrible if she got hurt because of me, he thought. but then again, Ithralia isn't known for it's endless bounds of tolerance, so maybe she would be safer staying with us, at least for the time being. I would probably be a bit more comfortable around her if I knew her name though....
"Lets keep moving then, there should be some lightly forested areas we can move through without too much hindrance. I don't think it should take too long. We should enter through the back entrance, I'd rather not be seen if we can help it. I should enter in first, Kyirri is quite easy to startle. Once there, I suppose we could hide in the basement while I try to contact my other friends."

Kassin motioned for the others to follow. Doubt plagued his mind, uncertainty that he would even survive to see the sun rise the next morning. Yet, he continued on. His companions worried him, he didn't want them to suffer because of him, yet, he had no other choice than to trust them. Kassin needed to. The journey was fairly short, and uneventful, the woods weren't inhabited with sentient life. The sky started to darken, dusk had come.
Kassin eventually came to a strip of houses, they looked to be in good condition. There were wide, grassy spaces between them. A road could be seen in front of the strip, to which another strip of houses could be found. Trees dotted the landscape, though became more sparse as the houses were approached. The place looked deserted however, most people must have been inside at the time, as lights were visibly on throughout. "It's that one, we should be able to get in the back entrance undetected, we can use the trees as cover." It was a moderately sized house, and looked to be made of white-painted wood. There were two floors worth of windows, indicating it was two stories tall. The door itself looked to be plain, the only remarkable thing about it was a window at waist height, and it's knob was at waist height as well.
Kassin took position behind a tree, folding his wings backwards to help conceal himself. He quickly glanced about to make sure no one was looking, then darted for the door as quietly as he could. He knocked softly on it, and then crouched down to make sure his eyes were on the window.

A moment later, the door opened, there was a small kangaroo rat being behind it. He had messy looking blond hair, blue eyes, looked to be around three foot one inch tall. He was wearing plain clothing. His ears and eyes were quite large. He also had a long tail, with rich looking yellow hair at it's end. "Come on in," he whispered to Kassin. Kassin made a motion to his companions, indicating it was safe to come inside.
The back entrance entered into a kind of living room. The floor had green carpet lining it, with a few fuzzy looking rugs along the floor. There were two couches around, they actually looked to be made for a normal sized being. Some lamps and other appliances were scattered about. The place was electrically lit. There were two doors on the right wall, aside from the entrance.
Once inside, Kassin relaxed his wings and wiped his feet on one of the rugs. He looked at the being. "Kyirri, I would hate to ask, but... do you know where Eilan is?"

With that, another voice could be heard. "Kassin, I would have thought you would have expected me to get here first." Another being vaulted over the backs of one of the couches. He looked to be fox being, standing around five foot eleven. His fur is bright orange, in contrast to his short black hair and dark brown eyes. His tail looks to be about three feet long, it is bushy, and looks somewhat disheveled. He looks well muscled, and has a slightly lean body. He is wearing a deep blue shirt, brown pants, and snowy white shoes. Two sabers hang from his belt, encased in simple looking scabbards.
Kassin seemed surprised by this, but, it was a pleasant surprise to him, rather than the unwelcome ones that he had endured recently. "Eilan..." he began.
"If it's about the bounty..." the fox interrupted, "I already know. Did you come with anyone?" Kassin nodded affirmatively. "You should probably head downstairs, I don't want you being seen by some odd passer by looking through one of the windows. Besides, I want to know..."
He stopped for a moment, the three of them looked at the doorway, Kassin made a motion for the others to come inside.

[Ghostwish]

Before Zanfib entered the home, he reached out with his telepathic abilities and carefully scanned the home. He was being particularly through about seeing how he had recently been ambushed by a pair of demons, and was not taking any chances this time.

Pending finding that the home was safe, Zanfib followed after Kassin. "A lovely home, Mr. Kyirri, although I am curious about your lighting fixtures.. They are, what is the word.. that funny lightning element, yes?"

[Tipod]

Raffiele walked in slowly after Zanfib, both wings folded neatly and hands kept at his sides. With Kyirri and Eilan being the only helpful people they could rely on for the moment, he wasn't about to do or say anything in the least bit threatening. He even went so far as to bow politely, saying something in a foreign, halting tongue before standing straight. "...family-speak for 'you have a respectable abode.' It really is nice."

He looked over his shoulder, just out of paranoid habit.

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

Kedered stood outside the doorway, studying the structure. It was only wood, but the craftsmenship was fine and the second story bespoke some importance. Almost immediately he began looking over where the widows were and other possible points of entry, but viscerally shoved the thought aside. This was a haven, and if they were discovered a mere house would offer only scant shelter. Once any organized pursuit came after them they were done for, so silence and stealth were the orders of the day.

Still standing outside, he faced and bowed at the waist towards the short Kangaroo rat. Kyrri he thought he heard Kassin call him. "I am Kedered Aldoraethar, and I beg leave to come under your roof." He straightened, and after a few seconds the host gave a sort of bemused nod. As he crossed the threshhold, he reached into one of his pockets, bringing out a tiny emerald and passing it into Kyrri's palm. "My thanks for entering your hold. I will offer no offense to you or your kin while I am here." He strode forward, until he drew abreast with Kassin, waiting to hear what else, if anything, this Fox-being had to say.

[Lisky]

When no one else seemed to take to the sky,  Garis took a moment to catch up to Kshar and inform her that they were walking, as it would seem flying was either not possible, or not recommended... once he was close enough he said "it seems we're walking, if your planning on joining up with the party, i'd recommend walking, although flying is faster and easier, it would seem we've got some problem that has the others staying on the ground. we should land and wait up for them"  with that, Garis still felt like showing off... he took a near vertical dive, when he got just above the treeline, he flared his wings, slowing himself down considerably, then formed the tentacles to swing himself gently to the ground by grabbing several branches, and letting himself down...  He waited for the rest of the party up ahead, keeping his senses keen, and ready for problems...

He followed along, keeping silent and observant, making sure no more archers would try to ambush them again.

Once at the house, the fact that Raffiele had entered before the others caught Garis as odd, but, he figured he'd follow the demon's example, and try and minimize problems, hiding both his back and head wings, Garis appeared as a wolf being, rather than an incubus... Bowing his head as he entered, he took a few seconds to observe his surroundings, then turning back to the beings Garis said "you have a very pleasant home, and i thank you for your kindness"  He walked over, standing a little behind Kassin and Kedered, he could still hear everything that was said, but felt he'd be a little less obtrusive that way

[Redeyessoul]

Kshar nodded her understanding, thankful that Garis had alerted her.  She remained on the wing a moment and watched him descend, then swing through branches with tentacles that appeared from his wings.  She followed his example, catching herself on the wind just before hitting the bottoms branches of the trees.  Her wings twitched in anticipation of catching herself as Garis had done, but no tentacles came from hers as they had from his.  Instead a burst of feathery down exploded from them, shrouding her in a small cloud. 

Though unharmed Kshar was thoroughly embarrassed and folded her wings back delicately, there would be no more need for acrobatics, especially if the others couldn't even get off the ground.  Thankfully she was at the back, and had held back a moment, not wanting to presume that she was welcome.  So when she discovered that her wings where suddenly full of color her gasp of shock went unnoticed.  They were indigo now, with her primary feathers turning a darker blue, she no longer hid effectively amongst the open snow.  She was thankful that she no longer had to be out in it.

The trees provided cover and as they walked through she did her best to hang back, this sudden change might confuse her new friends, it was sure confusing to her.  And what was more so confusing was that, half way through the trip, she noticed that her hair was catching on low hanging branches than she though possible.  It was then that Kshar discovered two tiny head wings, feathery with the same new coloration as her back wings, she did her best to bury them beneath her fluffy hair.

Scared but without a change of plan available she followed as one of the last in the building, clinging to her tail for warmth and comfort.  The sudden changes in life were unsettling, not horribly so, but she had no desire to cause another fight to break out.  The mud that had caked on her feet had long since washed off, so she merely dried them at the doorway, lingering for only a second as her eyes laid smack on the two beings who had apparently been waiting for them.  As she had seen the others do from her safe hiding place in a bush out back she bowed and took some of the gold coins that had been in her pouch and offered it before following the rest to the basement as directed.  "I am Kshar ..." She said softly to the Kangaroo Rat and the Fox, "I hope it's ok for me to be here."

Kshar nudged as close to Garis as she could get without stepping on him or causing any manner of pile up, though she felt the extreme desire to surround herself with those endowed with wings.  Beings caused immediately fear in her, and that they were headed underground made her even more nervous.  'If only their wings hadn't been somewhat ornamental, surely we could've flown extra high and never caused a problem.'

She cursed her need for their company and smiled at anyone who looked her way, not realizing that bowing had knocked some of her hair from the carefully piled camouflage, exposing some of the bright blue feathers from her newly sprouted head wings. 'I'll have to ask Garis if he knows anything about this weirdness.'

[Ghostwish]

Zanfib was in the midst of speaking to the being, when he bgan to ntoice something.. unusual.. He could not quite focus his mind on it, but something was tugging at his senses.. There was a strange energy about.

While doing his best to pay attention to the kangaroo rat and his conversation with said being, he swung his senses around, scanning for the source of the oddity. He was only half and half surprised when he discovered it to be the unusual sentient that he had woken up next to back in the hut.

However, even once he had narrowed down the source, he could still not quite make out the sensation he was reading off of her. He likened it some manner of transformation, but he couldn't be certain. He managed a glance to the side without interrupting the conversation he was in, and noted.. feathers?.. spouting from her head. Also, he picked up on her thoughts amidst the mental noise in the room and decided that perhaps the best way to figure out this occurrence was a very direct method.

And what.. came Zanfib's voice inside of Kshar's head, .. might this weirdness you are so eager to speak to the incubus about be concerning?

[Redeyessoul]

Kshar's wings jerked a little at the intrusion in her thoughts.  She somehow knew that it was Zanfib.  She took a steadying breath and tried not to make any other outward signs that she had heard anything.  It would take great effort to think of nothing at all so instead she took to looking around the house, counting the walls, the furniture, the colors used for each and together, the lights, the people, anything but thinking about the feathers on her head, or about the need to ask for assistance.  Zanfib was unknown to her, a wingless being, his thoughts were an intrusion into what she had thought to be a private conversation with herself. 

She did her best to remain focused on counting, there was too much happening now to try to do anything, too much she wanted to keep her attention on.  Kshar hoped that at some point there would be a lull when she could speak to both Zanfib and Garis, preferably together.

[Azlan]

Tyrian was noticeably dejected at the declination to fly, for a fox he so loved to travel on wing.  Unfortunately he found himself still trudging on footpaws through a small section of forest.   

He followed intently, pausing here and there to examine a tree or small flower, until they reached a small set of houses.  He was the last to enter, being slightly apprehensive about buildings after the Willow incident.

Ducking into the small doorway, he made it a point to not to track the dirt and grime from the journey into the dwelling. 

He bowed upon entering to his gracious hosts, "thank you for allowing us to enter your dwelling.  I am known as Tyrian, and I apologize for any inconvenience taking us in may cause now and possibly later."

He followed the others to where ever it was they were being led.

[Noone]

Kyirri seemed to be uncomfortable with the prospect of taking Kedered's emerald and Kshar's coins. "Thanks... but, really, it's not necessary." He smiled softly, not taking what he was offered. He seemed somewhat surprised at Kshar, largely at her outfit. I wonder how she didn't freeze herself solid wearing that..., he thought. I think I might have something less revealing upstairs though.
"I'm Kyirri...," he started. "You're all welcome to stay here." He smiled. He took a quick look over the lights. "Nothing is wrong with them is there?"
Electric lighting is quite common in Astarea, and most buildings are electrically lit. Magic can generate electric energy needed for appliances like these quite easily. Some lights are magically lit on their own, though it doesn't appear that these are, and it seems doubtful that they run on magically generated electricity. There are non-magical ways of doing so, but there are usually problems with such methods.
Eilan examined everyone carefully, looking them up and down. He seemed particularly interested in Zanfib and Kshar.  After briefly scanning everyone, he made a small nod. "I'm Eilan." He paused before continuing. He looked over at Kyirri and Kassin. "You two should head downstairs." They both nodded. Kyirri opened the closer door on the right, and both went in.
Elian's thoughts were difficult to read, often thinking about playing cards and fencing maneuvers. It's pretty obvious that this wasn't what he was really thinking about.
"I do however, have to ask you all a few things, particularly, I'm interested in how you all came to travel with him, as well as what's happened since you've gotten here. There is a lot about this situation Kassin is in that I haven't figured out."
"Though, we'd best do that downstairs..." He looked over at Kshar. "And get you some proper attire." Eilan headed downstairs as well.
The basement was a reasonably sized room. There was a table in the center, and a small couch near it. This place had dim electric lights, though some of them weren't working. There were two doors down here. Eilan paced over to one, which revealed a closet. He took a small blanket into his hands, and stood near the table.

[Redeyessoul]

Kshar kept her coins thankfully and expressed her gratitude softly.  Then looked down at her lack of clothing, the belt and pouch and her fluffy tail the only thing between her and the cold.  It was true she had been very cold but hadn't minded, other pressing matters had been rather attention consuming.  In fact, as the warmth of the abode got to her parts of her began to hurt and sting, aching from long exposure to the icy cold.  She gingerly stepped after Eilan, hoping that Kissan's favor in them was not ill placed.

'Attire?'  Kshar looked at everyone else, indeed they were swathed in something colorful or warm or both.  Her ear dropped in thought as she scanned back to her first waking moments, no wonder they had treated her so differently.  'Not just was I some monster to them, but also a naked monster.'  But the thought seemed strange, why should she need to wear attire?  'Maybe it just because of the winter ...'  She eyeballed Zanfib a moment before approaching the table downstairs.

Blushing, Kshar tugged at the tip of her tail, embarrassed to be explaining herself to this being, and not a little nervous to be underground and in this being's home.  "I am Kshar ... I have more name I think ... but I cannot remember it.  I woke up near some town north of here, I had these things on me."  She emptied her pouch of it's white feathery down, the coins, and the salve.  "I was scared and lost and this," she picked up the salve and opened it, "was all I had with me that might tell me where I was from.  ... I remember some things, but mostly because it feels right or wrong, not because I recall strong memories of what or where ..."  She paused to dig a little bit out of the jar and put it on her tongue, she immediately stuck it out of her mouth and spoke around it, "Thisth tasth nasthty."

There was a moment where she looked like a dog licking peanut butter off the roof of her mouth.  "It makes my mouth numb a little, the beings sent me to a hermit, said that he might know what it was and give me a clue.  I flew out to the hermits house and ..."  Her eyes welled up the slightest bit and she took a moment before continuing.  "Then something happened, I didn't even get a chance to meet the hermit or even see anyone else.  Just ... I woke up later with blood on me and wounds closing."  Kshar fingered some of the new scars that had formed under her fur, exposing them for Eilan.  "Kassin was over me and everyone else here was around me.  The little building was on fire ... demons and beings had attacked ... they killed ... the hermit."  She frowned again.  Unbeknownst to her her numb tongue began to slip out of her mouth, not much, but enough to take away from the sadness she felt.

Kshar shook her head, entirely forgetting about the need to hide her head wings from the others, if she was going to tell all, she might as well tell all here and now with everyone present ... except Kassin that is.  "And some short time before we got here I tried to use my wings like Garis and this happened!"  She spread her wings and tugged at her new little wings.  "I was completely white before, and I didn't have these little ones."  The way she said it was piteous, as though she were afraid of being scolded by the being before her.  'I hope this fox is going to help us, and not ...'  She didn't even finish the thought, somehow she couldn't.  Kshar looked at Garis miserably and wrapped her arms around her thawing body.

Somehow being out in the cold had easier to coup with than being in a warm place after being very cold.  A little puddle of water was gathering around her feet where snow and ice she had not managed to kick off was melting.  She barely noticed.

[Tipod]

Rafa gave Kshar an abject leer as she spoke, going over her story in his head. As kind a person as she seemed, it was evident she would be a liability. He made no attempt to even mask his thoughts. Oh, fantastic. So not only did we drag two more people along, but one of them's a complete neophyte. Joy of joys. He couldn't fault her for being a nice person, but niceness wouldn't get them very far against soldiers, mercenaries and adventurers.

He continued to stand, occasionally scratching at his shoulder and glancing about the room for anything of interest besides the table and couch.

[Lisky]

Walking down to the basement, Garis realized there was no longer any real reason to hide the fact that he was cubi, both sets of wings sprouted as he reached the basement.

Garis took a few moments to observe his surroundings, finding a spot where he could lean against a wall.  He picked up on Kshar's thoughts, then chuckled since he was only wearing a pair of pants. though his tunic was in his pack, it was something he only took out for occasions when formal attire was required. 

He listened to Kshar's story, and when she showed off her new head wings Garis tried hard not to start grinning.  He sent a quick message to Kedered 'it seems our new female companion isn't in fact an angel, but actually a very young succubus... either that, or she's got a horrible case of amnesia yet a very firm hold on self identity...  whatever the case may be, do you want to be the one who welcomes her into the species and go over some of the basics, or would you prefer i do it?'

Garis picked up on Raffiele's thoughts and decided he'd better say something...

looking at kshar first, then the around the group as a whole, Garis said "well, it seems we're going to have several rather interesting conversations tonight with this little bit of news.  Don't worry about it too much Kshar, I'll let you know more after we start getting things sorted out with Kassin... we should tackle the more pressing, and important issues first"