Completed [Aylasa Caves] Craziness in the Caves (Sylvette and Asen)

[Orin Fenix]

Orin Fenix Food Equals Love 41st of Spring, 515AV Orin hiked through the underbrush, the trees arching to provide a masking canopy above his head. The light that filtered through was tinged with a slight green as it passed through the vibrant and growing leaves. The air was heavy with the scent of spring flowers and the branches were adorned with color from the blooms. It was beautiful and Orin took deep cleansing breaths on his trek. Remi had given him and Rondo both the day off the night before. She'd declared that she had run the kitchen just fine on her own for most of her life and could do with a bit of alone time. So Orin had felt perfectly happy to leave her to it. Sylvette padded at his side and Orin smiled fondly at her. The revelation that she was a Kelvic was a shock. And they were still going over the ground rules. Orin was trying desperately to get her to wear clothes when she was in her human form but it was an uphill battle every step of the way. And she was angry at him for giving her such a silly name as Ginger. Especially since now Orin had to go around and tell everyone her real name, which inevitably descended into an explanation of how she'd been toying with him but now their relationship had developed into something deeper. The bonding had certainly been a shock, albeit a pleasant one. The rush of emotions cascading over both of them had been dizzying. And Orin was still trying to wrap his head around his fate being inevitably bound and intertwined in such a permanent way to someone else's. Orin hadn't expected to have any close relationships in his life let alone one where he basically was sharing headspace. So he was incredibly guarded and careful even now with her, despite knowing, deep down, he could trust her. Sylvette for her part hadn't changed her behavior, other than becoming more fiercely protective than she already had been. So they both were working out the new limits and constraints of this relationship. For now, though, Orin was determined not to let his worries that he was either holding Sylvette back, emotionally, physically or mentally or his doubts about his ability to provide a meaningful life for her. He still thought of her as mostly dependent on him. But he could ignore that for now glorying in the nature all around him. For many days now, travelers and adventurers had been sharing tales in The Rearing Stallion about the strange creatures and relics that had bed washed up by the heavy snowmelt this Spring. Some had even brought their findings as proof of their boasts and to back up their their wild tales. Orin had seen them come and go, each seemingly more fantastic than the last. Recently, he'd been filled with an uncharacteristic longing to explore these seemingly dangerous areas and see if he could find a little something for himself. He has idly entertained the idea that this was some strange side effect of his bond with Sylvette. Regardless of the cause, his curiosity had been piqued and it had been nagging at him ever since. Until today, when he'd finally given in. He'd gotten directions already to the quickest route to the Aylasa caves, and although Orin was far from skilled at finding his way around, he'd luckily managed to find them without incident. The treeline ended a few yards from the entrance. The opening yawned at him, the entrance looking almost as if it were the maw of some terrible monster. Orin's courage failed him as he looked at that impenetrable darkness. Of course, he hadn't thought to bring a torch, although if he had the know how he could probably make one. But he didn't, so now he was stuck. Unless he was struck by a certain inspiration. Orin was pretty sure cats were supposed to have excellent night vision. And Sylvette certainly never seemed to have a problem with navigating their room in the pitch darkness. Perhaps she could see where Orin could not. He was about to ask her when an earpiercing screech broke the still air. Startled Orin glanced upwards, where the sound had originated. He could see a black dot descending towards them, plummeting at a fearful speed. "Sylvette, run!" Orin screamed as he sprinted towards the caverns and the safety he hoped they now afforded.

[Sylvette Sciath]

It ha been five days, five days since her world had changed, Sylvette finally unerstood what it meant to be bound to someone, five days since her master had learned the truth about her and accepted her in spite of it. It was a good feeling, though possibly one that was scary, Sylvette no longer felt the need to travel the world as she once had, In fact she rarely thought of doing much that did not in some way involve her master. thought these were only mild concerns that were easily outweighed by her new found connection to her master, Sylvette had already learned to read the mans emotions by the ways he wore his face or the occasional sighs that came from his mouth after long days of dealing with rondo an the like, but the connection now was different, Sylvette no longer needed to even look at her master to understand how he was feeling, it was as if there was a weak tether between them that kept Sylvette mildly aware of her masters mental state, though because of that, Sylvette was aware that this was not something her master found pleasant and thus out of respect for hi feelings Sylvette generraly tried to not pry into her masters emotions. The days after her master finding out she was a Kelvic had been a trial in many ways, one of his biggest issues was about apparel, he maintained that it was proper that whenever she was inn human form, she had to where clothing, to which Sylvettes reply was that while it did indeed make sense in public, It shouldn't matter at home or in the woods. This was likely th only source of contention in their relationship, not that there were't other issues, just none that were discussed as much. Sylvette now had plans to get Orin to teach her some about cooking if he didn't mind, Sylvette was beginning to prefer her meals cooked over having them raw. Though Sylvette had noticed that she had not changed alone, it seemed her master had gained some new found confidence, sense they had met, their excursion today was proof of the fact, Sylvette had never before imagined her master as the type to go exploring. Yet here they were walking through the quit woods towards a cave that supposedly held odd treasures that could be found if one looked hard enough. Orin who seemed pleased by the idea of finding something rare decided that he would make a day of it, and upon taking a day from work had eagerly set out in search of adventure. Needless to say this all came as a bit of a surprise to Sylvette who had taken her master to be someone who not only enjoyed but preferred his domestic existence. though these thoughts were interrupted at once by an earsplitting screech that was swiftly followed by her masters command to run. Quickly taking her place right behind her master Sylvette matched his pace and followed him from a few paces back, If necessary she would intercept whatever it was that screeching at them before it could lay beak or claw against her master, After all, She was a cat, and cats as it just so happens, eat birds. How bad could it be?

[Asen]

For the first time in several weeks, Asen was out of Syliras. Granted, it was on patrol with a few others, but it was still nice to get out of the fortress city and get some fresh air.

My feet are petchin' killin' me, the girl complained, sitting down. They were taking a break for a few chimes, and she picked a spot that was a little ways from the rest so she could take off her armor and put her weapons down.

"Oh thank gods," she sighed as the last piece came away from her clothing. The chestplate landed in the pile of the rest of her armor with a clank, the lack of weight relieving. She laid back on the grass, her blonde curls settling across her forehead. She brushed them away with the back of her hand.

It's kinda nice out. Aside from the flooding, but they figured that out. At least there's a lot of rabbits. I should go check out that cave thing when we're done patrolling, see if I can find anything.

Her musings were interrupted by a loud, sharp screech, followed by a shout. Asen sat up quickly, head whipping around towards the origin of the noises. She scrambled to her feet and began running.

Good thing I took off my armor, she thought, I'd be slowed down too much by it. Her feet pounded the earth as she approached the source. A young man and a cat were bolting into the caves.

"Hey! Why are you running!? What was that noise!?" she yelled, looking up. It sounded almost like a bird, but there weren't any birds like that around here... Were there?

Unfortunately, there were. In fact, there was one in the air above them. It was a splotch of ink against the sky, dark and dangerous. She didn't recognize what species it was -- she wasn't a birdwatcher, for Siku's sake -- but it didn't matter. What she knew was that things usually didn't make their presence known unless they intended to fight, possibly even kill.

She took off after the young man, fear and adrenaline pumping through her veins. If it was going to attack, it would have to get close. It would be easier if they got under cover so it had to fight them in a smaller space. It'd be more difficult for it to dive, if that was how it attacked.

"Go! Get under cover! Get in the caves, go! Run faster, damn it!" Shyke, shyke, shyke! Petchin' civilians, what are they doin' here!? It's too dangerous!

She had to protect them. It was her job, after all.


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[Orin Fenix]

Orin Fenix Food Equals Love Orin managed to make it to the caves throwing himself into a jarring dive at the end for good measure. He took the fall on his forearms, scraping them slightly. Better that than get caught by whatever it was out there. Sylvette was a blur a few paces behind him. And Orin faintly heard shouting before someone plowed into the caves right behind them. It was a tall lady, about Orin’s height, with a thin frame and short, slightly curly blonde hair. Orin had never seen her before and hadn’t the slightest idea who she was. ”Wh-where di you come from?” Of course the three of them had much more important issues to worry about. Balked at not catching its prey, the bird threw out its wings at the bottom of its dive. The flaring threw the bird forwards and it curved, making a circle around the clearing. Orin could see it more clearly now, and he felt the color drain from his face it fear. It had to be a Kriital, although Orin could have sworn those were just myths parents told their children. A giant bird swooping from nowhere to eat wicked children did wonders for obedience. It was enormous, with a wingspan measured in yards. Its talons and its beak were sharp and terrifying. It had mostly black feathers with a ruff of a grossly stained looking yellow, and what skin was visible was a vivid red. There was the bone helmet the bird was famed for, although it wasn’t covering the whole head, just part of the beak. Orin at first assumed that something had broken off the rest, before he realized that this wasn’t a fully-grown Kriital. In fact, it was very well possible that this was a fledgling out for its first solo hunt. Which meant that all three of them had a chance for survival, especially if their strange new friend had any combat skills at all. The Kriital, clearly frustrated made one more circuit around the clearing before landing outside the cave and taking slow, careful steps towards them. If its normal hunting patterns had been disrupted, maybe it would be slow and confused, especially if they could get it into the cave. Once it went airborne there was nothing the three of them could do. Galvanized into action by the adrenalin fear was pumping in him, Orin turned to the other. ”Look, we’ll need to work together to get out of this alive, and we’ve got very little time to argue,” Orin said, directing most of this to the newcomer. ”Now that’s a Kriital out there, but it’s still young so we’ve got a fighting chance if we work together. I’m not a tactician but I have a rough plan in mind. Sylvette, I don’t know how instantaneous your transformation is, but if we keep it distracted from the front somehow, could you, I don’t know, sneak around and tackle it from behind?” It was a desperate, last ditch idea, but Orin didn’t have any better ones. The Kriital was almost upon them and Orin drew his dagger. While his dagger might be as long, or slightly longer than the bird’s talons, it had two feet and a beak to contend with. So Orin was planning on dodging if at all possible. ”I’ll take the right side!” Then, when the bird stepped fully into the cavern, where the low ceiling would hamper any and all attempts for it to take off, Orin screamed defiance to gain its attention. It worked. Unfortunately it worked a little too well, as the Kriital zeroed in on Orin. It stabbed forward with its beak, apparently unable to use its talons while grounded. Thanking all the gods for small blessings, Orin jumped to the right side and slightly back, narrowly avoiding the beak caving his head it or slicing his throat. It did, however, catch his left arm and left a nasty cut. Orin swung his blade, held in a reverse, defensive grip, but the Kriital turned its head and blocked it with its bone plate, the shock jarring Orin’s arm. Orin couldn’t seem the bird’s eyes in the low lighting, but he imagined they were black specks of rage.

[Sylvette Sciath]

Following her master into the caves, Sylvette watched as the situation rapidly evolved into an even odder one, First the bird had come screeching at them, then master had told her to run for the caves, not quite sure what the opponent they were facing was Sylvette did as she was told. In all the chaos, another voice joined the clamor that was the chaos. Barely taking time to glance over in the direction of the voice, the voice belonged to a rather tall woman who was running towards them while yelling orders at them to again head fro the cave, which we already were, thought Sylvette with some mild irritation at taking orders from anyone who was not her master. After much panic and running the they all managed to make it to the cave unscathed, though how long they would remain that way was definitely in question as the bird approached the cave and their chances of escaping without being harmed decreased. And then the unexpected happened, Orin started to give Orders, And Sylvettes Order had been to attack it from behind, And that, was all she needed to here. Taking off the Moment Orin began to approach it Sylvette shot out like sprung coil ready to do whatever she was directed to do. Between the fact that Orin had already moved to distract it and that Sylvette ran the way she did when stalking prey hanging low to the ground and still moving rather quickly, and within moments Sylvette was again crouched behind her opponent ready to strike it waiting for an opportunity to strike. Though sadly the firs thing to strike, was the bird. who struck out against her master with blinding speed, ad though Orin was fast to react he could not avoid the strike entirely taking a blow to his left arm, from that wound came blood, and that blood, when seen by Sylvette, triggered a baser instinct in her, Letting her hind legs kick off the ground, Sylvette let her body transform, from cat to human, Her body lengthening as it moved towards the beast, her legs becoming longer and her body becoming upright until she was running at the bird in her nude human form with no disregard any more for her own safety yelling "NO ONE ATTACKS MY MASTER!!", leaping forward Sylvette dived onto the bird from behind, though without a plan her best Idea was to fight the bird like she did when preying upon it's much smaller cousins. Wrapping her arms around the birds neck and chest and her legs around the area beneath its wings, Sylvette used one of the weapons she was the mos familiar with Her teeth, Biting down On the birds neck. This was likely the most disgustig thing she had ever put in her mouth, Oily feathers that ,ad rat taste like a delicacy, but in her fury that didn't matter, tearing her mot away spitting the feathers from her mouth Sylvette again attacked the area sh had bitten, and this time Along with the taste of feathers came the taste of blood. the bird who was not taking to kindly to this treatment let out a undignified screech of rage, and continued to try to Jostle Sylvette from her place on it's back, easily bruising her unprotected body with it's movements and straining her muscles as she gripped her foe tighter and tighter as to not be shaken, clenching her arms, legs, and teeth all to gain better purchase.

[Asen]

The moment she saw the bone on the bird's beak, cold sweat ran down her spine and made her shiver. It was horrific, and she'd never seen one before. A brief 'oh, petch' appeared in her thoughts before being swept aside in the need to do her job and kill the bird.

The petch does 'e think he's doin'? Clearly 'e en't a tactitian. Don't think he's in the Order, either. An' yellin' at a cat? The whole thing seemed ridiculous. Then again, being attacked by a giant bird was ridiculous, too. Attacking the same bird was even more so.

Just my luck, ennit? I go patrolling an' I hafta save two civilians from a giant bird. What'd 'e say it was? Kriital? To Asen, it didn't matter what it was called. She just needed to kill the thing, or at least take it out as best as she could.

The half-Dhani, even though she enjoyed bird meat, didn't care for such large creatures. She preferred the songbirds her father caught for her, so long as they were roasted. The young man had chosen the right side of the bird -- or was it technically the left? -- and decided to yell to get its attention.

It worked, of course. A little too well. The Kriital turned and focused on the young man, attacking it. It was a good thing the caves had low ceilings. The thing couldn't take off properly and gain enough altitude to perform another dive.

The cat had somehow understood its master, running around behind the bird. It leapt, and Asen's heart gave a huge, heavy thump as it changed. Into a woman, no less.

Kelvic! O' course. We had plenty o' those back home, she thought. The creature was ferocious, biting down on the Kriital's neck like cats did when hunting. Unfortunately this was a giant bird, and her teeth weren't as sharp as when she was a cat, and all it did was anger the bird.

The half-Dhani had maneuvered herself around to the left -- or maybe the right -- side of the Kriital. Either way, it was opposite of the young man. She dashed forwards, diving to the ground. Her arms caught the bird's outstretched wings, and with great effort she brought her legs around the limb as well. She was more in danger of getting scratched, but it limited the mobility of the Kriital.

"Stab it or- or somethin', damn it! Kill it!" she screamed. Even with her (meager) weight hanging on the bird's wing, it was still strong enough to jostle her. She was beginning to lose her grip, fingers slipping through oily feathers, grasping desperately. If she let go, it could easily whack her in the jaw and make her see stars. It might even be game over, considering the proximity of the wicked talons.


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[Orin Fenix]

Orin Fenix Food Equals Love Miraculously, the crazy half-brained scheme Orin had baked up worked. Sylvette was now clinging to the Kriital’s neck while the young lady who had come to their rescue was underneath it, pulling its weight down and effectively hampering its movements. However their positions were more than precarious; they were downright dangerous. Although they were limiting the predator’s mobility, they were also putting themselves in danger of its talons and its beak by staying in such close proximity. Which just meant Orin would just have to move fast. Hatred burning in its eyes as its attempt to throw Sylvette and their helper failed, the Kriital turned its head, likely planning to stab at one or both of them. Orin never gave it a chance. As soon as its attention wavered from him, Orin darted forward. He wasn’t sure he could sever the bird’s neck or find its heart in time, but one target did beckon: its head. Orin was pretty sure if he stabbed with enough force he could penetrate the Kriital’s skull and pierce the brain. Which is exactly what he did. With a wild scream, Orin took his dagger in both hands, ignoring the pain in his left arm. Moving closer he raised the dagger overhead and stabbed downwards with all his might. The Kriital recognized the danger too late. As its head was still turning back to Orin, he felt his blade crunch through bone before it hit something soft. ”THAT WAS MY FAVORITE SHIRT!” Orin yelled, the battle cry totally wrong, but seeming appropriate in that moment. Orin twisted the knife savagely. The Kriital went limp, likely dead instantly, but Orin wasn’t taking any risks. After all, chicken ran around for chimes after their heads were cut off. As unlikely as it was that chickens and Kriitals were related, it simply was a remote possibility. Removing his dagger carefully, not wanting to damage the blade, Orin slit the monster’s throat, ducking away as still warm blood started oozing out. Orin cleaned his blade on his now ruined sleeve, before sheathing it. Orin’s arm burned. But he considered it a small price to pay for saving Sylvette and the stranger more serious injuries and all three of them death. Realizing that he still had no idea who this woman was, Orin faced her squarely and stuck out a hand. The nicety seemed incongruous next to the corpse but Orin fought down his chuckle. He knew it would come out as hysterical, having been in too many life or death situations for his comfort. ”Thanks for the assist. Without your help I don’t think we would’ve made it and you don’t even know us. I’m Orin Fenix and that’s Sylvette Sciath. As you probably guessed from out amateur performance against that thing, we’re not exactly hardened warriors. But you did amazingly, ma’am.” His voice was rather giddy but Orin could put that down to the after battle jitters as well. Wanting to reassure himself that Sylvette was fine, Orin rotated his head to her until he was looking her in the eyes. ”You’re alright, right? Thanks for backing me up, even if my plan was pretty terrible. But, whatever works, right? We’re all alive and whole, well mostly, enough, and that’s what counts.” However, Orin frowned, suddenly remembering Sylvette’s outburst in the midst of combat. ”Sylvette, we’ve been over this before. I am not your master, for Sylir’s sake! You know I don’t want our bond to work like that. We can be equals here, especially since I firmly believe that I get as much from our bond as you do. So, stop it, or I’ll seriously considering dissolving it.” Realizing that was a rather intimate bit of information he’d just let slip in front of a complete stranger, even if she had probably saved them, Orin returned to her and mumbled out a quick, ”I’m sorry you had to hear that.” Rubbing one leg behind the other in an unconscious gesture of anxiety, Orin was at a loss. He should probably get his arm checked out, but he didn’t want to give up now that they were so close. On top of that, it seemed wrong to just leave this woman without even offering for her to join them. After all, it was more likely they’d find nothing than something. And the probability of them finding just two items and not three were minimal. If that happened, Orin would just give up his share. ”So, I guess I should tell you that the reason we’re out here. It sounds silly now, especially since we almost just died, but Sylvette and I were going to go search out some of that salvage that got washed up. I don’t know what you were planning but ah, I think after that you’re more than welcome to join us.” Orin shrugged, embarrassed. He figured the woman would just laugh at them and leave them alone. Although, if they encountered any more nasty beasts in the dark underground it might be nice to have another fighter.

[Sylvette Sciath]

Riding the dying bird into the ground sylvette did not loosen her grip tell it it stopped twitching and lay still, pulling back and wiping the blood from her mouth Sylvette looked up at Orin who was standing victoriously over the beast. looking at him Sylvettes eyes tracked to where his arm was wounded. "Master!!... I mean Orin... you're hurt, let me bandage that for you, Fiddling with Orin's pack until she found some Cloth which would have been one of the sacks for treasure they were out to find, Reducing the cloth to strips in mere moments, Not quite sure what to do though Sylvette paused for a moment when Sylvette was hurt she always licked her wounds until they were clean so they could heal properly, and she saw no reason why she could not do the same to Orin, though with her mouth still contaminated with the beasts blood, it might not be the best Idea at this time, Taking Orin's water skin she poured water over the wound Until it looked clean and Proceeded to wrap it in the ,makeshift bandages she had created, "that looks better, I think". Then Sylvette turned back to her master, and took a mildly defensive stance in front of him, She may be smaller than her master and she may not be wearing any clothing, but Perish the thought of her not being the protector, and anyone Sylvette did not know could be a danger, with her master wounded, it was truly Sylvette's time to guard him, Or at least, in her head. Looking at the woman Sylvette really looked at her for the first time, a rather tall woman trumping Sylvettes small height easily, hawkish proud features and a semi toned body showing that she was no fair maiden. And that made her all the more likely to be a threat of some sort. After looking the woman over a couple times, "who, are, you" Said with a glower, an attempt to at least show that she would have to go through her before touching her master. An attempt at shwing she was the scary one. though Intimidation was not Sylvettes forte, and being a a 4'10 girl without much evidence of musculature didn't help. .

[Asen]

When the bird's thrashing subsided and Asen could let go, the scratches and bruises she sustained finally made themselves known. Elbows, back, tailbone, even a few lumps on her head. That thing was strong. She laid on the ground for a chime or two, groaning and not wanting to move.

"Oww," she whined as she sat up. Her curls were full of dirt, and shaking her head made her brain hurt. She gingerly rustled her hair to get most of it out, gently prodding the bruises on her skull.

"Ohh, yeah. That's a big ol' bird egg right there. That's not gonna be fun to sleep on, no ser," she mumbled to herself as her fingers danced around the tender flesh. Her bottom lip was busted and swelling, just as tender as her head.

"I almost forgot what it was like to be hurt like this. Ohh sweet gods." Her tongue swept across the bloody lip, wiping away the red liquid. She stood slowly and inhaled, standing so as to not fall over if she became dizzy.

"Yeah, no problem. You too," she replied to Orin. He had already turned back to the Kelvic, though. Who was trying to bandage up Orin's arm. It wasn't that good of a patch-up, but she'd seen worse.

Asen had a difficult time keeping her eyes from roaming across the nude Kelvic's body. Sylvette, she reminded herself, her name is Sylvette.

It appeared that the Kel- Sylvette was Orin's bondmate, not just a breeder like they were back in Riverfall. It was almost strange to see the tiny creature so protective of Orin, so defiant in the face of the half-Dhani. Asen could probably snap her like a twig.

Orin had finished explaining what the pair had been doing out in the woods. Of course they were checking out the caves, why else would they be so close to it? When he offered a place in their little group to her, she was torn.

"I really should get back to my patrol... Eh, they can handle it without me for a bit. I just gotta remember to grab my armor when we head back, she told him. The squire turned her head to look at Sylvette, fixing her with a hard glare -- or at least, what she thought was one. A headache began to make itself known, and the stuffy air of the cave only made it worse. Still, it was her job to protect those two from whatever was in the cave, so she had to stick with them.

"My name, little beastie, is Sessaschenaasen. Can you say that for me? If you can't, you can just say 'Asen.' Should be easy 'nough for you."


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[Orin Fenix]

Sylvette’s bandaging was fairly makeshift. At least she had partially cleaned the wound before putting anything on it. Since Orin didn’t have any further medical supplies, he figured this would have to do until they got back to the city. Although Orin didn’t even want to think about what might have been coating the Kriital’s beak. Removing the cloth, Orin retied them until they were almost cutting off circulation, but not quite. Blood was still coming out and Orin hoped that the tighter binding would help staunch it. The cut burned and caused his entire forearm to ache horribly. Orin really hoped it wouldn’t require stitches but realistically it probably would.

”Sylvette thanks. Hopefully that will hold until we get back to Syliras. I’m not turning back now especially after we’re so close. But, before you get mad, I will see a doctor or a healer as soon as we get back.” Orin wanted to forestall any protests Sylvette might raise. That would just delay them even more. Pointing at the water skin in her hands, Orin continued. ”If I were you I’d wash out your mouth. Did you really have to bite it?” Then Orin sighed and fidgeted, embarrassed. They really had to figure out a system for Sylvette to have clothes with her whenever she transformed. Maybe Orin could just hold onto hers for her. That way he could cover her up. Especially when they had company.

”Do you want one of us to take a look Ssahsa…Sashay…I’m just going to stick with Asen, if it’s all the same to you.” Orin smiled brightly to cover up the fact that he’d essentially just butchered the woman’s name. Asen didn’t seem to have any major injuries but Orin didn’t take chances even with minor wounds ever since a little bump on the head had nearly killed him. Asen seemed coherent if in a lot of pain, so Orin hoped that she wasn’t seriously hurt but he’d definitely keep an eye on her. ”Oh you’re a knight? No wonder you’re such a warrior. Are you sure your patrol can spare you? Sylvette and I can probably take it from here if you really can’t stay. If you can, though, great! We’ll make sure to remind you to grab your armor.”

The tension between the two women went completely over Orin’s head. ”Great! I think we’re all ready now so off we go.” Of course, when he turned to face deeper into the cave, he remember his concern from earlier. ”Hold up. I can’t see in the dark at all. Sylvette, how’s your night vision? Think you could scout out the path ahead? Unless… Orin turned to Asen. ”You don’t happen to know how to make a torch, do you? I think I’ve got flint and steel in my pack.” Orin would be incredibly angry at his own lack of foresight and poor planning if something as easily surmountable as a little darkness stopped this little journey.

Realizing that no one would ever believe that Orin, of all people, had helped slay a Kriital, Orin turned back to the corpse. He’d have to bring back a trophy or two. ”Before I forget,” Orin muttered under his breath as he approached the dead monster. Nudging the body with his boot until he had access to the bird’s feet, Orin wrinkled his nose. The smell of decomposition was nearly overpowering. It reeked, and Orin was confused about how quickly it was spoiling. That is, until he remembered someone saying that Kriital’s ate mainly dead and rotten flesh. Gagging, Orin pinched his nose with his left hand. He began sawing at the bird’s feet until first one, then the other, came off. Glancing back at the two women, Orin figured an explanation was in order. ”I just wanted some evidence, you know, since it’s, well, kind of crazy that I helped bring down a Kriital, even if it was just a baby. Do you want something for yourself?” His voice came out pinched and nasal seeing as he was still holding his nose.

There was one more souvenir that Orin wanted. Moving to the bird’s break, Orin shuddered. There was blood on it, and Orin knew it was his. Orin slipped his blade between the crest and the beak and started pulling. He increased the pressure, until with a sudden crack the crest broke into two and fell to the ground. Thanking the gods again for their victory, Orin stooped to retrieve