Furrae Chronicles: Webs of Destiny (IC) [M] {2}

[Gareeku]

As Mel rummaged through the drawers of the desk, she would be able to sense than some sort of magical safeguard had suddenly been activated. Before she could realise what was happening, the papers inside the drawers on the desk itself suddenly burst into flame, and within seconds, they were nothing more than piles of ash.
___________________________________

Listening to James' realisation that he chose his own destiny, and that it was not judged by what he was, Gareeku smiled.
"Glad to hear it." The wolf replied.

Watching Jakob work his magic (literally) on the glove to make it enchanted, Gareeku had to admit that he was impressed. The wolf incubus was indeed a proverbial box of tricks when it came to spells and enchantments, not to mention other things like equipment. His eyebrows were raised somewhat, however, when the patch didn't work the first time. The wolf had to admit that he did find it a little amusing, so he kept this hidden out of worry that he might offend his friend.

Once he saw that everything was sorted out, Gareeku rose to his feet, helping James up while he was at it.
"I don't know about you guys, but I could do with a drink." the wolf commented. It was then however, that he spotted
Ignatz and Mel. Making his way to the door, the wolf stopped when he was by them. It was then that, without warning, Gareeku's fist slammed into Ignatz's jaw.

"Asshole." the wolf growled, before heading out the door and making a beeline for the nearest bar...

[Stygian]

The bat's head snapped to the side at the impact of the wolf's fist, but his body remained still almost as if rooted to the ground. And even more strangely, as the wolf left he simply turned his head to look after him, hand idly rubbing his chin. He was smirking. And then, when he turned his gaze toward Jakob and James, his lips even cracked into a grin. He started chuckling, then laughing. It was not a pleasant sound.
   It took a few seconds for the bat's laughter to die down, and then, still chuckling, he walked over and picked up his other gun from the floor, holstering it. He brushed off his coat with his long-clawed hands, and then noticed Keaton's glare.
   'You want to fight, cubi?' he asked, his smile purely frightening. 'You think you do, but you don't. Either way I'm not going to give you the satisfaction. Really...' He glanced over at James again. 'Yes, it's terrible. It's awful and hideous. Sure it is. You have my utmost pity.' The sarcasm dripped from his words.

[Aisha deCabre]

Aisha smiled as she stood up again, brushing herself off and trying to scrape the stain of red from her fur.  Though dust was easy to get rid of, the blood wasn't...she was covered with it, as were the others who fought on the sidelines, and the smell was too strong to go unnoticed.  As she gathered herself, she watched as James was comforted by Gareeku and a couple of the others, although Keaton still didn't look all that amused by the appearance of an Angel among the group.

She shook her head, tired of the conflicts lingering even after a victory, and glanced up with a chuckle when the white wolf spoke.  "I could go for a drink and breakfast...or brunch or something.  Huge breakfast.  I'm hungry as all hell..."

An amused smirk then appeared on her face as Gareeku's fist connected with Ignatz's face.  Though Aisha was still angered enough at his previous actions to have probably followed through with a good kick, she was too exhausted from the battle to make one more insignificant hit...she only left him with a glare, hoping that everyone's respective paths wouldn't cross with such malicious intent again.

"Let's get out of this hellhole, those who want to," she grumbled and followed the wolf out.  The blood she guessed would bring suspicion...but, who knew if the residents of the town would appreciate that the demon had vanished, the adventurers having helped with it.

[Gareeku]

A short while later, Gareeku entered the tavern at the end of the same street where the battle against Azrul in the mansion had taken place. As he entered, a few of the people already in there had given him some raised eyebrows, largely thanks to his tattered clothes and blood-stained fur. However, upon noticing the katana at his side, they presumed that he was an adventurer who had just returned from a quest and turned back to their drinks. It seemed that they were used to visibly battle-weary people entering and having drinks.

"I'll have an ale. A large one." the wolf said to the otter barman as he sat down on one of the bar stools. Nodding his head in acknowledgment, the barman poured Gareeku's drink before the wolf gave him the money for it.
"Hard day at the office?" the barman asked with a raised eyebrow, referring to Gareeku's tattered state.

"Yeah...you could say that..." Gareeku replied, before gulping down his beer. Less than a minute later, the large glass was empty. "I'll have another."

[Mel Dragonkitty]

Mel managed to not yelp in fear as the papers burned up. Luckily she had felt the spell activate and managed to drop them before her fingers were scorched. She scowled at the ashy mess. She had been so close to finding something interesting. The security spell told her that. She had seen enough to guess that the demon hadn't been lying in saying his superiors were somewhere to the north and that he hadn't been here very long.

She looked up in time to see the wolf throw his punch and the jackal cubi glaring at both of them.  The cubi and Ignatz started bantering about a fight. She dusted ash off her hands and shook her head. "How about a drinking contest, if you two insist on fighting. It has been a wasted day and I will even buy you the starting round on the chance that I may find this entertaining."

[James StarRunner]

"Whatever Ignatz... You've been sucking on your own guano for too long, no one can be as messed up as you are. I don't even know why I'm still talking to you. But know this, if you endanger my friends again, I'll use that thick skull of yours as a bowl." James looked at the others. "I think I've had enough drama for today, I'll meet up with you guys after I wash all this blood off..."

---

After a much needed bath and replacing his blood soaked top, James joined Gareeku and sat beside him. "Heh... I wonder what Grace would say if she saw me drinking in a bar?" he said idly. "Bartender, get me a whole pitcher of your finest root beer!" James saw Gareeku quirk an eyebrow. "What?"

[Tapewolf]

Once Ephrael had been checked for internal injuries, Jakob helped her to the tavern.  He wasn't entirely sure what they should do about the attackers who were still alive, but figured that disarming them and leaving them to awake with the place obviously ransacked and their boss MIA was probably enough to change their viewpoint or at least make them flee.

Wings and headwings concealed to avoid spooking the locals, he sat slightly away from the others and stared unhappily into his usual glass of water.  He should have been triumphant - assuming the demon spoke the truth, they had a solid lead for perhaps the first time - but he was deeply worried about his own behaviour back at the demon's lair.

[Sunblink]

Any sadistic respect Keaton harbored for Gareeku after witnessing him interrogating the Demon spiked tenfold after she watched him belt Ignatz across the face, the glare on her face quickly becoming a demented, toothy rictus. Initially she had expected for the bat to crumple to the ground, but instead he remained perfectly upright, displaying no ostensible signs of pain or being affected strongly by the blow other than the jerk of his head. Ignatz had looked back after Gareeku departed, muttering something about going for a drink, and rather unexpectedly, laughed.

What kind of freak is this? Keaton thought with revulsion, the glare returning to her features. Couldn't this bat just take the punch and fall to the ground like she wanted him to? Unfortunately for Keaton, Stygian had turned to her, no longer laughing, but still sporting a wicked smile worthy of a madman. Now he was challenging her, practically inviting for her to attack, although he mentioned that her thoughts were probably divided.

Which they were. Where Keaton was once enthusiastic about the prospect of killing the person who had used her memories against her and the one who had defeated her, she couldn't bring herself to attack. Not out of mercy, but out of acknowledgement of the encroaching exhaustion which was starting to creep onto her. Understandable, after all the carnage which had occurred... she wasn't at her best condition to fight. Considering Ignatz had subdued her before, he could possibly take advantage of this subsiding in her stamina, and after all the smack-talking she did before, that was the last thing she wanted to happen.

So instead, she concealed her thoughts with an unladylike snort and turned away from Ignatz. "I'll deal with you later," she muttered. "I need a fucking beer first."

And with that, she trudged after the rest of them, assuming that they would lead her to the nearest bar.

---

They did. Despite the bedraggled and wartorn appearance of the party, nobody intervened their entry or denied them service. Probably thought they were Adventurers, Keaton assumed with a smirk. Deliberately avoiding the party, she took her seat at the booth and ordered the heaviest drink the establishment had to offer. After the facade of cockiness and the aftermath of bloodlust had faded, Keaton desperately needed that drink, especially after she realized that, at the end of all of this turmoil, she still hadn't come an inch closer to finding her sister or mother.

Depression sunk into Keaton's features as she nursed her beer, gazing blankly at the nearest wall. She should probably have been used to this sort of failure, but after hundreds of years of fruitless and persistent searching, all of which had involved following complicated clues and being led to failure after failure, she was beginning to lose hope. Not even the apparently omniscient Phoenix Oracles could figure anything out--or they probably knew, and didn't tell her in favor of pelting her with metaphors and flowery purple prose.

So now the pressing question remained.

Now what?

~Keaton the Black Jackal

[Aisha deCabre]

Aisha ignored the looks that the patrons of the bar had given the party as they each slowly entered in after Gareeku.  Thankfully, they had only correctly figured that most of them were adventurers or at least had come from a gruesome battle.  Courteously, Aisha took a place at the bar where there were few other patrons...it was hard to see how any of them would tolerate the smell of entrails, however the warriors might be respected.

Already used to it, the panthress figured they'd have time to clean up later.  She watched Gareeku, already taking the liberty of a few drinks, as well as Keaton a bit after the others.  Celebrating well, if she knew her comrades, she thought with a smirk, and turned to the business of ordering something to eat...wondering if they'd still serve something breakfast-like...

...But to hell with eating light, everyone deserved to spoil themselves.  She waved one of the waiters over.  "Large stack of pancakes and a side of ham," she requested, after making sure she had a few coins on her person to pay for it.  And while Aisha waited, she watched the party members.  A motley group, no doubt, but a victorious one.  For the time being.

[Stygian]

The bat didn't even pay any heed to James' words, but Mel's suggestion wiped the smile off his face and made him quirk an eyebrow in disbelief. It wasn't entirely strange that she should want to approach these people further or even want to try and make amendments for whatever she thought she had done to them. But it wasn't entirely comforting either. He cast the woman a look that said 'are you serious?!', and then the decision was quickly taken out of his hands. The succubus had gone along with it, and was already leaving.
   Letting his shoulders slump, the bat sighed. 'Fine, fine. If that's the story...' He took one last look around the room, and hardest of all at the spot where the demon had stood up until his moment of disappearance. Unfortunately there wasn't even enough left to tell what had really happened to him. A safeguard spell to keep him from talking, I guess, he thought. So most likely he's deader than last week's steak. Nothing to do about that. He crouched over by one of the assassins and removed its hood to get a better look, starting to make his last check before leaving.
   When he left, the bat was putting a knife and a watch and some pilfered cash into his pocket, and idly spinning a fine reservoir pen between his fingers.

- -

The bat was the last to arrive at the bar and as expected the mood obviously dropped when he entered, heads turning to watch him. He shrugged his coat off like he shrugged the looks and hung it over his shoulder, walking over to the counter.
   'Vodka,' he said, putting a fat bill down on the top. 'Don't care much what else you put in it.' Then he noticed the one other person sitting away from the rest of the group. Smiling, he got his drink, and made his way over.
   The small jump she made at his voice sent a twinge of pleasure up the bat's spine. He knew that he was undetectable to 'cubi natural abilities, but he had been worried about those ears of hers. Thankfully it seemed he had been silent enough.
   'I'm a bit disappointed, I must say,' he spoke, and then walked slowly around the table. Hanging his coat over the back of a chair, he sat down. 'But I think I can tell you'll give me reason soon enough.'

[Sunblink]

Keaton sincerely didn't sense or see the bat approaching her from behind, being too engrossed with repeatedly guzzling down portions of her drink and wondering when the alcohol would kick in, as well as preoccupied with her depressing revelations. The bat's abilities to sneak past Cubi natural detections was probably the primary contributing factor, but a drunk Cubi whose senses were hindered by alcohol was an easy target for being surprised.

And surprised Keaton was indeed when the bat unexpectedly appeared behind her. Stifling a yelp, Keaton jumped slightly in her seat, drink jostling in her grip as she stared back and forth in search of the one who had slipped past her notice. Much to her dismay, it was the bat from before--but then again, she found herself conflicted in terms of whether or not to find this unfortunate. After all, she was planning on challenging him again later. She hadn't expected for the bat to follow them into the bar, though.

Ah well. Right now she was more concerned with how cryptic his message sounded to her. Draping her arm over her head, Keaton redirected her gaze forward, looking sour. "Wonderful," she droned. "What are you doing here?"

~Keaton the Black Jackal

[Stygian]

The bat tilted his head a bit, moving his blond bangs out of his black eyes and adding a bit of unexpected charm to the wickedness of his smile. Still, those fangs and eyes of his made it impossible to be at ease with his look.
   'What does it look like I'm doing?' he said, and swigged. He glanced at her over the edge of the glass. 'I'm beating you at drinking first, before you try to kill me. Then I'll probably kill you for trying.' He chuckled. 'Should be more satisfying than giving "sensitive boy" over there a bit of hard perspective,' he said, while passing a glance toward James.
   It was just needless shit-talk, of course. But fun.

[Tapewolf]

Jakob had thought that keeping away from the others would have helped, but it had simply made things worse.  To hell with this, he thought, I've got to talk to someone.

He cast his eyes over the group.  Ephrael still seemed to be a bit punch-drunk.  He could still feel Gareeku's distrust and anger, something which was likely to increase as the ale kicked in.  Gabi was preoccupied and James... well, he was still getting over the feeling that he was a monster, so Jakob was reluctant to burden him with his own worries on the subject.

His depression was only deepened by the sight of the bat-Creature.  What does he want with us now?  The demon's gone... there's nothing more he can get from us.  Why won't he just go away and leave us in peace?

Aisha... now she at least seemed to be happy.  Jakob ordered another water and sat next to the panthress.

"What's it all for, Aisha?"  He asked.  "We've killed dozens of people.  By the time we reach our goal we may have reached a hundred," he sighed.
"Do you think that what we're doing is right?"

[Sunblink]

Keaton had to admit that she was slightly taken aback, even in her agitation, when the bat had flashed her the unexpectedly, albeit wickedly, charming grin at her. Ostensibly, he displayed no signs of murderous intent, quite unlike her behavior prior to their meeting in this bar--in fact, cradled in his hand was an alcoholic beverage like her own, which he was occasionally swigging from.

The bat's further explanation continued to surprise her, something she tried to effectively mask by pressing the brim of her drink to her lips and taking a long sip from the glass. Unconsciously, when the bat brought up James, Keaton's gaze darted inexorably over to the Angel, before retreating back to the bat's black eyes.

Was there really a point to this? He probably could take advantage of drinking her under the table by seizing the moment and attacking her. Keaton would certainly be too intoxicated to resist, wouldn't she? On the contrary, she surmised that in such a crowded establishment, the bat wouldn't dare assault her, and in the unlikely event that he would be too hindered by his inebriation, she could even turn the tables on him. She wasn't concerned with being cornered. Wouldn't be the first time she made a slippery escape after doing something particularly unscrupulous in a public area. Against all common sense,  after she reached this conclusion, Keaton pushed a chair out for the bat to take a seat in with her foot.

"Yeah, go ahead," she muttered. With that final, begrudging invitation, she tilted her head back and guzzled the final remnants of the beer, downing it and setting the mug back on the table.

Almost expertly, Keaton fished through her pockets for any extra money, then smirked with satisfaction. Ah. Still had some left. Good, that would probably hold her off for some time until she was forced to steal--pardon, legally obtain more money. She ordered another beer.

~Keaton the Black Jackal

[Aisha deCabre]

As soon as Aisha's meal was delivered, it was easy to see that she didn't waste time digging into it.  She thanked the waiter with a wave and munched on the ham first; ironic that after what she had seen and done, the meat would be the first to be eaten...but, it would have taken much more to have made the panther lose her appetite.  She looked almost meditative while eating, just having her ears swivel around the bar to listen to others speak.  But she paused when she could hear the bat coming in again, and her ears flattened. He better not try anything, or I swear...

But that was when she could hear Jakob's voice, which lightly snapped her both out of darker thoughts and also out of that trance.  Swallowing, she glanced over as the gray wolf Incubus asked her what it all was for...their journey and the killings.  The adventurer turned to him with a slightly incredulous look, but neutral and polite, while she processed the question herself.

Finally, she shook her head.  "Truthfully, amigo, I don't think there is a right or a wrong.  Look at the situation.  Some of your closest people have been kidnapped, and those we have been fighting are those who have allied with those responsible...or have wanted us dead for various reasons."

Her crimson eyes narrowed.  "I would rather avoid killing as well, but when there is a situation in that the life of you and yours are on the line, you have to defend it.  If that means taking lives, so be it.  Because if you don't, then yours will be taken.  They will take your life, or your heart...by taking the lives of those close to you.  A worse pain than anything, I should know."

She then smiled, and returned her eyes to the bar.  "The best we can do for our conscience then is to at least know that we are not trying to kill just for the sake of it...but to reclaim lives.  And like we did for the bandits, take the time to respect those you've killed, even if they aimed to harm you in the first place.  Life is life, but in a world like this it would be quite hard to be a pacifist.  That has to be accepted."

She then chuckled, surprisingly warm for talking about killing.  "I think we all know this in some way.  And that doesn't make any one of us cold-hearted.  Not you, nor me, nor Gareeku, nor anyone."

[James StarRunner]

Ephrael stumbled around the bar, clearly intoxicated, singing lyrics from different songs crammed together as one. At the end of her song, she swaggered over to Aisha and Jakob and gave the two of them a big hug.

"Hay there! -hic- You ish my friends! Buddies! ...Why do you look purple? You sad?"

[Stygian]

Go ahead? the bat thought. Is that it? Sure, her rage had been a bit illogical to start with even, but that she didn't even react to him speaking like that? Even most women and sissies weren't that swingy in their moods. Was she excitable? Or was he trying too hard with the winning smile? Had she lost interest in him already?
   The bat shifted his seat and sighed, getting another vodka drink, though he made sure that they didn't put too much else into it, and a glass of water which he downed in one gulp while looking away, pondering the cubi's reaction. There seemed nothing odd about her to his senses; no off heartbeat, no strange scent, nothing immediately curious. She seemed relaxed, mostly. A little distraught and a little satisfied, but nothing more.
   The bat's ears flicked, and he smirked at Aisha's statement. 'Yeah. Or it could be that some people simply deserve it,' he said, and chuckled. And then he looked meaningfully at the jackal across the table.
   'What's your name, girl?' he asked suddenly, plainly ignoring Ephrael's slurring nonsense.

[Tapewolf]

"I have to wonder..." Jakob began, and hesitated as if he wasn't sure how to put it.  "I have to wonder what my father is likely to say - assuming we rescue him - when he finds out how many lives that rescue cost.  He chose to remain at the Academy, you know.  For research.  He doesn't have any practical experience with violence beyond what he needed to be a farmer.  And he was the one who taught me life is sacred."

He paused again and spoke in a low voice.

"I'm worried, Aisha.  You remember the fight at the inn?  The sight of blood then was enough to make me faint.  But now... I think I'm starting to overcome my squeamishness.  And that's not a good thing.  Power brings responsibility, and back in that chamber... I was... I was thinking of taking his soul, Aisha.  Not to kill it, but to torment... or to put in a new body so that Gareeku could torture him to death again."

"I haven't had thoughts like that since I went mad," Jakob whispered.  He looked scared. 

"I guess I should take some comfort that it scares me now, but... it makes me wonder what I might be capable of in a moment of recklessness..."

He broke off as a drunken Ephrael approached them.

[Aisha deCabre]

Aisha continued to listen calmly to Jakob's lamentation, while she started to dig into her pancakes.  While doing so, she wondered if she could consider herself quite lucky to have made a friend of any 'Cubi at all, moreover those who weren't at all like the monsters they were rumored to be.  She nodded calmly as he spoke.  "Well, it is still a rescue operation; I don't really know your father, but it's safe to assume that he'd just be happy to see you, and that you're safe, at that."

But she blinked when he mentioned that it scared him about his squeamishness.  She thought about it while she ordered a drink.  "Well, it's not like this one experience will make you a monster, Jakob...you can quote me when I say your concern is proof that you aren't.  But there may very well be more situations like the one we were in that will require you to make decisions that you won't be proud of.  Until our goal is reached, I suggest that you try to bear with it.  We all know you should have a will stronger than what you're making it out to be."

That was when she grimaced, having heard the bat add to their conversation.  But she couldn't deny that he had a point, when it came to it.  "Besides.  The demon was evil.  You saw how he and his minions had relentlessly beaten Gareeku.  Threatened to kill him.  Sent a miniature army against us all.  There are some who will deserve it.  Dark as it sounds, it is an inescapable truth.  And I doubt he would have easily turned a new leaf, had he been spared."

She closed her eyes solemnly.  "So if you were guilty about capturing his soul, don't be, for it's probably free now.  In any case, the best we can do now is live for today and stand together for tomorrow...you can ask anyone, surely they'd agree with me."

That was when she paused and quirked an eyebrow at Ephrael, who had already gotten quite drunk and was staggering towards them with a slurred expression and voice.  Aisha laughed when they were hugged.  "...Ay...Well, you can ask them when they're sober."

[Mel Dragonkitty]

Mel had slipped quietly into the tavern. The grey dressed grey feline took a seat in the shadows at the far end of the bar and just watched the multiple scenes playing themselves out while sipping her drink. Observing was both her business and her entertainment. She gave the bartender the cash to keep the drinks flowing to Ignatz and the amusing cubi. She had promised to buy the drinks for their insult contest.

[Sunblink]

The drinks Keaton had ordered and that Mel had unexpectedly paid for were, rather to the jackal's satisfaction, swiftly prepared and delivered to her and her drinking companion-slash-malcontent by the bartender. Upon filling them to the brim he had skillfully set each container before their respective recipients, then turned back to his further duties.

Keaton, gingerly avoiding touching the bat's designated glass, dragged her mug away and stirred the foam bobbing on the top of the rich amber liquid with the tip of her finger almost indecisively, listening to him speak over Ephrael's nearby drunken babbling. Apparently the Tasmanian Devil couldn't hold her liquor. Ah well, made for some good entertainment... and background music, although it was rather distracting.

The jackal meditatively paused, ears folding backwards. She supposed that she afforded the bat a name, there was no harm in that. After all, she was going to kill him at some point. Tipping the glass back, she took a small sip, gulping down the drink, then looked to him. "Keaton," she said. "The name's Keaton. And you're...?"

Ignatz had been what people had called him, yes, but deep down she was starting to suspect that that wasn't his true name. Not that she begrudged him of adopting a pseudonym, that was precisely the same thing she had done.

~Keaton the Black Jackal

[Stygian]

The bat looked at Keaton for a moment, pensive.
   'Ignatz Donovan. Nothing fancy about it. That's what most people call me anyway,' he said, just a bit cryptically. 'Of course I get even more of the kind of names and comments you so readily and sweetly delivered earlier.' He chuckled, and took another gulp of his drink, downing it slowly and pleasurably. 'And even other things. Though nothing I'd mention here, now.'
   The bat paused, and for a while just sat there, sipping. When he ordered his next drink, a dark amber something mixed with something else that sounded German, he looked up again, this time toward Mel. 'Any particular reason you chose for us to come along here, Shivers?' he asked, and then cast a glance toward Keaton. 'And you. You weren't with them to start with.' He spoke more silently now. Knocking half his drink back, he put the glass down carefully, scratching the claw of his index finger around in the droplets of moisture on the tabletop. 'I'm not questioning you but it seems strange. Me, I'm not used to that kind of drifting.'

[Gareeku]

After quirking an eyebrow at James as he watched his friend order a pitcher of root beer, Gareeku could not help but shake his head and laugh softly.
"I see some things never change." The wolf commented, patting his friend on the back as he took another swig of his beer.

In the back of his mind, however, something was troubling him. The disappearence of Azrul was still on his mind. Gareeku didn't know whether Azrul was alive or dead, but something told him that they may find out sometime in the future.

Shaking these thoughts from his mind, Gareeku then caught the sound of Jakob's and Aisha's conversation, one of his ears swivelled to face the direction that they were in. Listening to what they were saying, the wolf knew that what Aisha said was true. Gar would be one of the first to admit that what he was, to put it one way, messy business. However, in a world like Furrae, as unpleasant as it may have sounded, it was an everyday occurance in many people's lives, whether they be being or creature, good or evil.

[Gabi]

(OOC: you people are evil! 2 pages of posts while I'm busy correcting exams?!)

Gabi was glad that it had all mostly worked out, but she was still worried about what would come next, and especially about Keaton and Ignatz. She had a feeling that the two would bring nothing but trouble. And she wasn't quite sure about Mel, she'd appreciated her help healing Gareeku, but there was something about her that made Gabi uncomfortable and she couldn't quite pinpoint what it was.

She tried to show James her support, but everyone kept talking and she was unable to get a word in. Still, all her friends agreed with her.

When the suggestion of going to a bar was voiced, Gabi wondered whether she would look too awkward if she ordered tea. She couldn't help it, she was almost addicted to it and after going through so much tension she felt she really needed a cup. In the end she decided she didn't mind looking awkward. It wouldn't be the first time, nor the last.

She originally sat next to Ephrael, but when her conversation stopped making sense and  the talk between Jakob and Aisha got interesting, she pulled her chair and moved closer to them.

"I wish we didn't have to do this," she commented as soon as she found a gap in the conversation. "But right now I don't see any other way, and I've been thinking about it a lot. They're hurting innocents, someone has to help them. I think the best we can do is try to make sure we don't lose our sense of direction. If any of us gets to kill easily without thinking twice, or decides to hurt someone who doesn't deserve it in order to get some benefit, that will be a definite sign that what we're doing is wrong. But other than that, all we can do is... do what we can, pardon the redundancy."

[Mel Dragonkitty]

Mel swiveled on the barstool until she was looking directly at the bat. "What am I up to? I am conducting an experiment." She made a show of looking at her watch. "I am seeing how long it takes before one of these adventurers realizes that the demon telling them "north" only eliminated fifty percent of the continent from their search." She smiled a bit, "He gave up perfectly truthful information that tells them nothing."

She put more money down and bought the group another round. "After that I will test how long it takes for them to remember that someone actually looked for real information. Someone who can read the demonic language actually checked out the papers in the desk. She might have even found a clue." The feline shrugged, "Or maybe not. The ram might have only kept his comic book collection in the desk."

[Tapewolf]

"I guess you're right," said Jakob, with a faint smile.  Although it vanished quickly, his attitude became somewhat less tense.  "It's just... it feels a lot like the start of a slippery slope."

He looked around.  "I suppose we'd better plan our next move.  We've been through the mincer so I guess it will take us a day or so to recover."  He looked from Gareeku to James in particular... the ones who had been most severely injured in the battle.

[Gareeku]

"You think I don't know that?" Gareeku suddenly said, looking at Mel who was sat near him at the bar, clapping his hands slowly. "Well done. Well done. Your powers of stating the obvious have won me over. In case you hadn't noticed, the demon disappeared before I can interrogate him any further. What will you tell me next? That the demon we fought and the people we're searching for are connected in some way? Good lord, that really would blow me away."

Finishing his ale, Gareeku opted for something different, choosing to order a dark rum and coke. Taking a sip of it, the wolf then turned back to Mel.
"I know you know something. Spit it out." he said as he gave her a serious look that easily showed he meant business.

[Gabi]

Gabi was about to speak when her attention was caught by Gareeku's outburst.

"I think we'd better start planning after that is over," she said in a low voice, pointing with her head to Gareeku and Mel.

[James StarRunner]

"I wonder how far north we have to go... What a strange twist of fate it would be if this trail were to lead me home..." said James to himself, but aloud for all to hear.

It was then that Ephrael swaggered up to Gareeku and James. "Aww... yoush two look purple too. Why sos sad?" Ephrael slurred.

"Dang it!" yelled James. "Who gave HER beer?! She was dazed enough as it was!" James stood up and grabbed Ephrael by the hand. "I'll be right back. Someone here needs to sleep off the beer."

"Aww... -hic- You ish mean..." But Ephrael followed James and stumbled out of sight. She must have been put in a room since when James came back, he returned alone. Again, James took his seat by Gareeku and started drinking deeply from his root beer.

[Stygian]

The bat barked a laugh at Mel's comment and took another swig of his drink, before getting another glass of water and then yet another drink. That was the mean girl he knew her to be at her best. The one who had made him enjoy simply traveling with her.
   Alcohol was something the bat could absorb and metabolize frighteningly fast. However in the interest of contest he was letting himself go, starting to show the minute signs of drunkenness in his moves and speech. Of course, most of these were an act, while he actually continued to carefully monitor the jackal across the table and the conversation of the others. He tensed however, when Gareeku began spouting his sarcasm.
   'In the interest of perspective,' Ignatz said, as if to no one in particular, raising one clawed index finger, 'I'd like to mention that we are not obligated to surrender any information, and that forcefully extracting any from us would be massively difficult.' He smirked. 'Which means that if we give anything up, it's as a favor. Recompense for trouble, rather.'