Wings of Fury 2

Guillairme nibbled at dinner, listening to the songs of the inn's bard and the hum of lively conversation that surrounded him. He had honestly been relieved when the appearance of Sir Henri had taken the expectation of 'host' off of his shoulders, and for now was content to sit and take in the atmosphere for a bit.

He did glance over at the colorful halfling, and thought he seemed rather laid back as well. "So, may I ask, Goodman Brom, are you in the business of adventuring as well?" So many here were, but it remained an open question with those who had not confirmed such.

Terzi turns to Rozenn, giving her full attention.

"Yes, well- hm. One moment."

She digs into a pack on her waist, producing a charcoal pen. She turns over the orc's note, looks up, then stares blankly as Rozenn writes like four more notes for different people.

"... By the Songs, you should learn to handle a needle and thread. You move your hands... Incredibly quickly."

She shakes her head and scrawls out a response, taking a bit longer, then slides it to Rozenn. Terzi's written Chunadie is grammatically accurate, but some of the flourishes on her letters betray her own cultural influences.

[Sorry, it would be quite rude to talk about him while he's literally there.

My read on the chef is that his puppet is therapeutic. If I had to guess, it's how he communicates. I was part of an order of healers back on Salin. Illnesses of the mind weren't something we could heal with Second Song... At least, it was forbidden. Third Song, however... We had a few Third Song users. The Sisters were rather strict about allowing them entry.

Our preferred method was to treat patients and help them find ways to live enriching lives. Zrucan was, in my experience, the most accepting of Salin arcologies in that regard. Apparently surviving a mass disaster helps encourage empathy. I haven't seen many places of healing that accepting since, so I'm greatly curious about where the chef hails from. Also, of course, the source of his puppet. I can tell that puppet has seen more use than standard cloth tools do. The stitching is precise and tight, the felt doesn't seem like felt until you look closely at it, it's so well made.

I won't drive the poor man into a panic to find out. I don't think I was out of line. I gave him space the moment it was clear he needed it.

Stews are fine, I suppose. My sense of taste isn't very sharp. The most enjoyment I get from a meal is from interesting textures.]

Terzi starts to pass the note, then stops, adds one last bit.

[I don't know how to pick good wine because I usually take advantage of that to drink the cheapest, strongest thing I can get. The barmaid picked this one for me.]

She takes a sip of wine, smirking, and passes the note on.

Zaya raises her glass to Grok. Maybe that's a proper greeting here. "Yes. Stemspire. My current home. I'm from Zrucan, but living by the stem is. Beneficial for a lot of reasons. More access to the outside. Mainly. Also closer to my... well. Biggest find. Supposedly biggest. Didn't end very well. More questions than answers."

She stares off into space for an uncomfortably long time before suddenly snapping back to attention. "Um. Miss it, though? Mostly. Miss Zrucan more. Stemspire is. Impersonal. Vast. Easy to get lost in. Crowded. Nice to explore, though. Abandoned areas on the outskirts. Old maintenance tunnels. So many things forgotten from... older days. If you don't know much about the arcologies, they're all. Far older than anyone alive. Built before the Dissonance. Not like anything on Alma. Or anywhere else. Dragons interest me, but. The past interests me more. Everywhere. So much lost. Want to know why."

By this point, the night had moved into its later stages. Business in the salon was starting to slow down, and the staff was beginning to clean up. They'd have a bit more time to resolve their conversations and the like, but they'd probably need to clear out soonish.

A large, gentle hand pats Grok on the shoulder, followed with a genuinely warm smile and a hand holding a note.

"There's no need to apologize. I'm sorry if I came off forceful. It's just... when I hear the word 'noble,' it feels like it just means 'someone who's better than someone else'. I don't really think there are any nobles, even if there are a lot of people who think they're nobles. So if you thought I was someone who thought that way, it would be pretty sad, because I'm not. I want to do all I can to help whoever I can, because that's what being a knight means to me.  I hope we can help Sir Henri realize he's not noble either, before it's the death of him."

Once he's reading it, she reads Terzi's note, blushes, and gives her one in return!

"Oh! I wasn't aware, but I suppose I get a lot of practice, haha. Hands are pretty important when you can't use your voice! Don't know what I'd do without them. Maybe I'll look into it, if you'd like to give me any advice :D One of my mothers was versed in clothwork, but neither of us ever had the time to look into it. I had schooling and practice, she had her duties to attend to.

I hope whatever's causing him pain is soon soothed and mended. He seems very sweet. I'd like to become friends with him, but I don't want to bother him if it will set his anxiety off. For what it's worth, I think you acted admirably! Approaching with a common interest, offering your compliments regarding that interest, and then backing off when it isn't reciprocated is top friend-making form!!! :) I'm willing to bet that he'll share his ideas with you once you two form a closer bond, and once you figure out how he's comfortable talking to you.

What do you find so interesting about his puppet anyhow? And you minid telling me a bit about life in Zrucan, or Sarin in general? :o People are always sort of scant on the details there. I know that something happened there, but I don't really know what. If it's painful or private, though, please don't feel obligated!"

Finally, to Zaya, before the talk about Zrucan gets so dark:

"Noted!!! I'm surprised you guys don't have dairy :O Have you had cheese yet??? It's really good!!!"

And after:

"I'm really sorry to hear about all you've lost. Do you mind if I ask a little bit about the Arcologies tomorrow? I've got so many questions about the other worlds, but it feels rude asking, especially when they've experienced such tragedies. I don't even know what this whole Dissonance thing is, honestly -- which is bad, because I'd love to help people deal with it, or at least help people who will help deal with it someday. I'll be gathering information from Terzi, too, so don't feel obligated to get into it -- but just know that if you need to talk, I'm here and I'm ready to listen."

Satisfied with the array of answers on food, Rozenn marks down some stew ingredients for a possible meal over the coming journey. She'll have to pick them up from the shops in the morning!

Avag nodded along with the story, and then grinned as the conversation shifted towards Stemspire, Zrucan and Salin as a whole. "I'll be honest, I don't know much about the worlds beyond this one," he said. "They sound like exciting places, but it's so bizarre to hear how they are described! When you've lived your whole life on a giant ball of rock and water, then hearing about worlds where reality falls apart around you on a regular basis, I mean, it makes me wonder how people even live there!" He grinned. "I've never had much love for history, could never remember what order things were supposed to happen, but hearing about ancient stuff and the things it left behind, it really makes you think. But the travel, the sights, the things you can see on other worlds, that's got to be something else entirely! Imagine what it must be like to see a world from the outside! I can't even imagine it. Hey Zaya, have you ever seen a world from outside?"

Caulind first, picked up the note with an eyebrow raise, quickly skimming through it. One with sign language, another with a puppet, some verbal atypical members here.

"Right. Well, firstly, who doesn't love stew?"

"Now. As far as I know, they remain together. The prince, who shall remain nameless obviously as has been the case so far, preferred the wild himself, collecting as many pets as his lover. Big animal lovers that pair. So, let's say renounced his title to be with his husband. There was a very sweet not-pirate captain officiated marriage. I sang during the dancing afterwards." Looking just a little proud of himself.

His expression faded briefly at the awareness Zaya displayed of the history of the region. "Yes, I was actually...Some friends of mine had passed through during that particular time. I was following up on that." Apart from a brief stumble, simply matching Zaya's tone of how, yes, it was indeed an awful event. Which, carried over to Grak's comment as he raised a hand in a vague gesture. "They weren't...natural, hope. Something heretical. Their minds didn't make sense. Grim business best left in the past if afforded."

Zaya shrugs briefly at Rozenn. "Breach of Zrucan was a long time ago. Only ever known its current state. Don't know if it can be fixed. Harmony Cores... Old as the arcologies. Best we can do to keep them running. The Dissonance is... what happens when Songs lose harmony. Consumed Salin. Surprised it's not really. Happening out here. ...Something for another day, though. Feel free to ask tomorrow. Going to be traveling a while."

Before she really has a chance to think too hard about how things on her homeworld suck, Zaya realizes Avag has been talking for a while, and her name was in there!

"Uh. From outside? Yes. Every world.

"Salin... it's hard to look at. Swirling orb of color and chaos. Can see where the Dissonance is at its apex. Supposed to be able to feel the Song you're attuned to. Didn't work for me.

"Inek... maybe hit even worse than Salin. Maybe. Pulled apart. Sinew of a world dangling on the bone. Can see the core of the world even from the branch. Beautiful to look at, but. You'd never survive seeing it up close.

"Tirag. A world divided in half. Blazing desert, frigid wasteland. You can just barely see the thin ring around the middle that is neither. No one lives there permanently, but... have to wonder if you could live in that band. The ruins, though... those interest me. Someone used to live there.

"Erass... least visually impressive of the worlds. Just a ball of glass. From the ship, wasn't much to see. Shiny and gray. The worlds all look like fruits hanging from the tree, but. That's almost all Erass looks like from outside. Never been inside.

"Tereen... might be the most impressive to look at. The... 'sun', I think they call it. Glowing orb in the center, surrounded by continents that float around it. Need to be honest. I stared for too long. Hurt my eyes looking at it. One of the worlds the tsavari evacuated Salin to. Might've been the right choice.

"And... Alma. Biggest planet. Green and blue and white orb. Continents and oceans, almost arranged like nothing ever happened here. Too easy to see where the continent was shattered in two, though. Made me wonder if Salin looked like this, once. Peaceful. Intact. It's... a hell of a thing to look at."

Zaya pauses, realizing just how much she's just rambled about planets. "...Took a ship across the whole branch. Wanted to talk about it. I don't think words really capture it, though. Have to see it."

Guillairme actually shook his head with a solemn expression at Caulind's assessment. "Heretical creatures...well, let us say they are thankfully quite singular, and quite solitary. They are known to come into conflict quite quickly with others like themselves, upon meeting. If these beasts were many... In the most optimistic case, a god or a faction of mortals had created them sterile, for this conflict alone. More likely though, that those beasts now inhabit that area, whether they are recent creations or not. I would advise caution if you travel back that way."

He listened to Zaya's description of the wonders of the cosmos. "It sounds lovely, though..." Guy smiled, thinking back to the illustrated manuscripts and a particularly beautiful wooden model of planets suspended like delicate apples, that had been gifted to the Forked Stream Monastery. "Were you able to catch a glimpse of the Trunk? I've read that it can manifest in partial harmony, but that our view planetside is obscured by the Stems."

[If the good chef is comfortable communicating through his puppet and this works for him... I don't see much to soothe or heal? Unless he'd want to, of course. That's what interests me so much about his puppet- his use of it. He seems to have used it to adapt to severe social anxiety. I'd almost call it a coping mechanism but that's not doing it justice. He's taken something made of cloth and is using it as a sort of prosthesis... Most prostheses are much more difficult to mend or repair than something made of cloth. It's just something I find very interesting.

As for Salin, you know it's unfortunate situation, yes? The Dissonance. The Songs warp and ravage the surface of the planet at whims near impossible to read and predict. This is what we live in the shadow of, day by day, in Arcologies, settlements that predate nearly all of our records. Repairing and maintaining them is difficult and arcane. And, sometimes, either by sabotage or mere disaster, they fail... Zrucan was nearly one such case, but they pulled things together in time. As such, they stress community, working together, and helping survivors of other fallen Arcologies. I actually almost considered joining the DRC- sorry, Dissonance Relief Committee. A lot of people just call them The Drakons? Nobody off Salin has heard of them, understandably so.]

Terzi takes another drink of wine.

[Zrucan isn't the most comfortable Arcology to live in but it's the friendliest. I'd have stayed there but my interests in lost Second Song knowledge brought me outwards. Besides, once you live on Salin, you learn to have an interest and respect for ruins of what came before.]

"Your biggest discovery was a 'disaster'?" Grok asks Zaya. "Now that  you'll have to tell me abo--"

Rozenn has now returned with a smile on her face, another note for Grokzurl, and a comforting pat on the shoulder. It's more than a little embarrassing, given how much taller she is than him. Even so, he does his best to smile, thanking her and glancing briefly at the note, before setting it aside. As soon as she's turned away, he downs what's left of his colorful drink in a single gulp.

"...Anyway, you'd describe Stemspire as....impersonal? That's about the last word I'd use for Zanya," he adds with a chuckle. Maybe that's how they'd ended up on Alma; simply to escape the cold cityscape they'd hailed from. "Suppose you're right though, Zaya, about losing history to the past....Lots of mysteries about our little worlds, even here. Maybe at some point you can show me some of your findings? Or theories, whichever. You seem like you're really well read! I can't say the same."

---

A few minutes later, Grok unfolds Rozenn's latest note and quickly scans its contents. If nothing else, she's certainly straightforward with her words, a fact that makes it pretty easy to shake off his earlier embarrassment. She seems sincere, downright earnest even. He chuckles to himself before penning another response.

"Right, I understand! I won't make that same mistake twice." He scribbles another quick little smile, hoping to convey that everything is fine. "As for Henri though, I'm not sure he'll want to believe you....it might be easier to help keep him alive in other ways, at least for this journey." Grok passes this last note back to Rozenn, before finally standing in his chair. He turns to the group he's spent most of the night chatting with, giving a wave and hoisting his bow onto his back.

"Alright, best I start looking for an inn to rest at," he tells his new friends. "You're more than welcome to join, my friends! If not, I'll be seeing you bright and early! Take care."

Grokzurl then approaches Guillairme, a bit sheepishly. "Hello again," he says plainly. "I'm a bit new to the city, but since Sir Henri has offered to cover lodgings, I wonder if you might know where I could stay tonight. Does this salon have inn rooms?"

Rozenn's back to writing!! She really needs to get people learnin' sign so she can join in on these big conversations. Still, they're all being very accomodating, so she's more than happy to help!

To Zaya:

"I will. I'll start brainstorming things I might be able to do to assist, too! I don't know if the dissonance can be stabbed, but I know people can always be helped. I look forward to learning more!! Till we continue, my friend :)"

To Terzi:

"Of course!! If this works for him, I'm not looking to take it. I meant only that I hope his anxieties trouble him less one of these days. His tools and methods are more than welcome to stay. :)

It's interesting thinking of it as a prosthesis! Cloth ones seem a lot more inviting than the ones I've seen. The most notable was an iron fist a knight named Theodore had fitted themselves with back home. It caused him such awful aches after using it too long :( Here's hoping scholars come further with that sort of technology one day.

Zrucan sounds like my sort of place, then! Habitability is always a concern, but if people are kind, they'll make do. Maybe I can visit one day!! I was mentioning to Zaya earlier that I'd be interested in seeing how a knight might be able to contribute. I'll need to return home to help out someday, but for now I need to do what I can to see what the worlds have to offer."

To Caulind:

"Got it!! Stew it is :) I'm happy to hear they ended up happy! I'll have to ask you about your adventures next time we chat. I'll be going on a few myself, and it sounds like you have some great tips!!"

Finally, to Grok, she offers a happy little wave goodbye!

She'll also take notes on the planets and what Zaya has to say about them!

Guillairme excused himself from the group to assist Grokzurl, taking a few steps away from the group to let him speak one on one. "Ah, no, it's somewhat different here in the city--In taverns like this, for merchants and knights, they tend to be a more...singular purpose establishment. Upstairs is where the staff's quarters are, though you might be able to rent with someone regardless, it's not the same as an inn room."

"When you exit the salon, turn left. There's a woodshed and a barber's lanternpost, just beyond that you'll find La Poule à Trois Ailes, which is the inn Sir Henri and I will be staying at. You can rent a single room, but they also have barracks style, if that's more comfortable." The first night Guy had ever slept in his own room had been at the monastery--it had been a hell of an adjustment. "Sir Henri has an open tab with them...but if you like, I can come along to make sure everything's squared away," he offered.

Avag listened in rapt wonder to Zaya describe her journey through the heavens. "That's incredible," he said. "That must be a real sight. You're super lucky, being able to take a trip like that. Wow! All the worlds, all looking so different! I hope I get to see it all, one day. That'd be a hell of a thing to retire on! So beetleships like that just fly out of Stemspire whenever, right? I wonder if there's anywhere like that on Alma, where you can just hop on a beetleship whenever. Or was it super complicated? Or expensive? I don't really know how that stuff works, but it's something I'd love to do one day!"

He looked around, noticing the emptying bar. "Also, wasn't the knight supposed to be covering our rooms? I thought we'd have heard a little more about that." He turned and called over to Grok and Guillairme. "Hey, is that what you're talking about over there? Can I tag along when you go?"

"The trunk?" Zaya shakes her head at Guy. "Not really. Could see... traces? Bright lines in the sky. Where it should be. Beetle sailors told me it's much too far to really see. No one crazy enough to mount an expedition out there to look."

She pauses. "Not actually true. No one competent enough to come back. Maybe impossible. Doubt it."

---

Zaya then turns to Grok! "Impersonal as in. Very big. No sense of community. I mean. Community as a whole. Plenty of smaller communities in Stemspire, but. City itself is just a city. Doesn't look out for people like Zrucan does. Still. Decent enough. Easy to get books there. I like that part."

---

At Rozenn's note about helping people, Zaya just smiles. "I like the attitude. Can't stab the Dissonance away. But we do what we can for each other. No point otherwise."

---

And finally, to Avag! "Beetleship ports are in... the Nedakean Islands. Landed in Taagan. Passage, though... expensive. Very expensive. Less expensive if you're a Third Song user. Helps for navigating the Branch. ...I don't actually have enough to make it back. Reward from Sir Henri should cover it, though. I think. Worst case, have to earn some money here first."

Zaya stands, grabbing one last pretzel. Delicious. "Getting late. Should go soon. Good talking, everyone."

On the way out, though, she takes notice of a big, ostentatious hat she'd failed to really look much at before! Zaya walks over to Brom. "Oh. Hi. Didn't talk to you yet. Assume you're going with us? Nice hat. Only decorative? Or... portable plant cultivator? Interesting. I'll ask you about it tomorrow. Long evening."

And with that, Zaya gave Brom a chance to respond and then took her leave!

"Oh, certainly," Guillairme said, looking back to Avag. "We have a tab open at the inn down the road--look for the sign of the three winged hen," he pointed in the proper direction. "But should you desire lodgings elsewhere, Sir Henri will reimburse your costs."

"I'm fine with whatever you're offering," said Avag with a grin. "I'm not picky. Dunno if I have much enough to pay for anywhere else in this fancy city up front, even if I'm getting reimbursed. Seriously, you can tell the big guy I appreciate the food and beds! But, well, Zaya has the right idea. If we're gonna be off hiking toward the mountains tomorrow, we'd better get some rest tonight!" He crammed the last of his meal into his mouth, then hopped off his chair to head out.

Holek puts on the chef puppet again "See you later, my new friends! I might have not talked with all you, but I do hope we will get along swimmingly, as I will provide you delicious nourishment, in tandem with the likewise chefly knowledged Brom. As we say in Saurguard, friendship is forged in fire! And I do think the fire of cooking counts too! Haha!".

He then takes off the puppet, and mumbles out the door.

"Hm. Saurguard, then."

Terzi pulls out a notebook from her bag to make a note, then puts it away. She nods politely to Rozenn.

"I need to get back to my inn. It's in a, hm, interesting part of town, to put it lightly, so I shouldn't return too late. I've already once had to teach a mugger that he wasn't handling his dagger correctly since I've arrived in this town. His arm might have recovered by now and I don't want to give him the chance to show me how much he's improved. Thank you for the conversation."

She stepped away from the Orc knight to address Sir Henri.

"Sir Henri, I'm Terzi, seamstress and songstress. I'm offering my services of healing to your expedition. When will we be departing in the morn? And from where?"

"No, I should be alright," Grok tells Guillairme. "If I run into trouble I'm sure I'll see you both there!"

With that, Grok sets off to get settled in for the night.

"From the Three Winged Hen down the street," Sir Henri told Terzi as he got up. "We shall be leaving once everybody is up and about, and our rallying point shall be the Three Winged Hen itself! Once we're on the road it'll be hard marching and tired camping, so enjoy your rests tonight my friends!"

The rest of the night passed quickly, and soon enough they walked to the Three Winged Hen as a group. A servant there gave them all their keys, and they found their rooms to be comfortable, cozy, and well-furnished with feather mattresses and sturdy wooden furniture.

A good rest later, and they were all on the road with Sir Henri up into the Giant's Tail Mountains. Sir Henri was now dressed in his beautiful, professionally-crafted platemail, and rode a large warhorse adorned in his family colors: red, blue, and gold. Over the days of marching, the farmlands and vineyards of Marray gave way to the rolling hills and light woodland of northern Marray. Sir Henri was happy to entertain them with stories of monsters and marauders that had been battled within those rough lands, if anybody cared to listen. He was an energetic storyteller, even if he never told a story the same way twice.

Then they began to ascend up into the mountains, following thin trails and paths up cliffs and through canyons alike. As they ascended a final rocky path up towards the dragon's home, Henri turned to look at them all.

"We begin our final approach," he told them. "The dragon's lair lies less than two miles from where we are. On the other end of this path lies a grassy meadow where I shall do battle. If you have gods, pray to them now."

He grinned and looked down the path. He had yet to tell any of them what his plan was, consistently telling them that it was a surprise best left unspoiled.

Terzi was humming and massaging her hands. If anyone was knowledgeable, it would be clear she was channeling minor second song healing.

She hadn't really asked Henri what his plan was, not seeming too concerned.

"Well, I mean we're 'bards'. We are supposed to help you and that involves proper communication," Brom shrugs. He wasn't really speaking to anyone in particular. "If you don't tell us our plan, well. At least you'll be a lot better at Fourth Song soon, Henri. Like your squire."

Though Zaya had spent the journey fairly talkative - even when it seemed like she was mostly talking to herself - but now she was altogether too quiet, scanning the horizon for any trace of airborne, incendiary danger. She still didn't have much of an idea of how she was going to help with fighting a dragon - so, really, the best hope was that Sir Henri really did know what he was doing.

Again, this seemed unlikely.

Terzi began stretching and massaging her lower leg muscles, humming to them as well.