Quest A Howl In the Night

[Hina]

Hina had lost touch with reality again and the word "guide" snapped her back as the whisp hid its presence from the strange speaking man. Hina giggled as she was reminded of an old ally of hers.
"Excuse my challenge, but-"
She was interrupted by a wretched noise and the lit flames and bodies of townsfolk. Hina grumbled and also took a moment to adjust her hair into a messy bun and she raises the hood on her cloak. She held out her hand for her bow to appear before her. She bagan to have a conversation with her wisp, but to everyone else she seemed to be loudly whispering to herself.
"Saber, take to the skies."
"But what about-"
"Now's not the time for that, I need you to watch from above. It's also dark enough where you shouldn't be noticed."
"I don't like where this is going, but I trust you"
After this short conversation, the wisp will hastily head upwards and grow into a large phoenix-like creature cloaked in black flames while Hina grips the stone looped around her waist. She turns to the group, bow in one hand and a death grip on the rune in the other. Her voice is still delicate but with tension as her easy going personality begins to quiver."
"I think we should go check that out, does uhh. . . anyone have a stealthy plan or any plan?"
As the flames and the crowd become more visible, Hina begins to breathe heavily. A trauma based response. She knows better than this, she is better than this. So why is she freaking out now?

 

[Orrak Lan]

"It is just the village folk, Hina," Prowler said to the young elf. "Nothing to cause-" a shape stood in the near distance before them. Too big to be a man. Back bent at an odd angle, and a long, narrow head with pointed ears and shaggy tufts of hair about its body.

Prowler's eyes grew wide as the shape seemed to sniff the air. She held ready her spear.

The shape turned about. Seemed to see them and stood still as it stared.

Hina Sinuhe Caits

 

[Sinuhe]

Sinuhe put one hand over his nose, and scrunched up his face. "Ugh, there it is," he said. "That smell again." Like wet dog, mixed with something else. Blood, maybe.

He stepped round, boots scuffing in the sand of the open beach, looking first at the silhouette of the beast in front of them, then at the gathering mob pooling out from the village center behind them. Torches and fires lit the shoreline up like a second sunset.

Lowering his hand from his face, Sinuhe squared off against the crowd. "There's not enough time to hide," he said to the elf girl. His stance was firm, his eyes hard. A far cry from from guileless persona he had cast before. "Stay close. We'll find out shortly, if they're after us, or that thing over there."

The beast, still too far away to be seen properly, raised its head, and let out a long, mournful howl.

Caits Hina Orrak Lan

 

[Caits]

He watched as the mood changed among them.
"Aaaye..."
His eyes followed their gaze to the large unsightly shadow.
"...shite!"
He ducked behind the others.
"Is tha devil so tis. Seen it afore. Skulkin 'bout. Folk ar missin'!"
Nervousness crept into his voice. "Ah fear nae man er beastie buh thah, is nae natural!"
Eagerly he gripped the handle of his dagger and began to sweat.
Of course he came back, he just got paid more than he had in months. Sure course he was gonna die right after!

Orrak Lan Sinuhe Hina

 

[Hina]

Hina took another deep breath, quivering slightly. The tension went high as they had to quickly make a decision. Sinuhe was right, they didn't have time to avoid being in the middle of the confrontation. She clears her throat. "I will not faulter. I came here to complete a task and by whatever you believe in, I'm going to see it through." She turns to face the stranger that just recently accompanied them. "If you are good at talking with the people, could you buy us some time with the townsfolk?"
She'll turn to the others and very plainly ask if they are ready. Hina's Bow and spells are already prepared, so she need only the go ahead to proceed. As wretched as the odor was, those with torches and pitchforks seem to have been through this before. Hina isn't here to be a hero, she's here to investigate and eliminate. As much as she is haunted by things she can't remember, ascertaining victory is the only way for her to get paid.
"Don't do anything reckless Hina! I'll watch from above."

Orrak Lan Sinuhe Caits

 

[Orrak Lan]

Prowler gripped her weapon tight, dropped it's head down to aim at the strange and mournful shape before them, its wave patterned head gleamed and traced with the moons' glow.

With luck, between their party, they would be able to put down the beast-turned assailant. It did not move towards them, it Though her silver was in her arrowheads, and a knife, her spear would have to-

The sound of small steps came from the distance, breaking from a shaded place along the bluffs.

"You bastards!" came a familiar voice.

Prowler's eyes cut to the new sound with a shift, her hands tensed, but her spear point stayed low and pointed at the creature on the beach.

The young orc boy from before raced across the sands. Sand kicked up behind his feet. "You leave my brother alone!" he tripped and fell into the sand with a crash.

The strange being snapped its attention to the boy. Made a sound like a whiper and a yelp and raced towards the boy.

Prowler's eyes reset upon the creature, she sprang after it, and the mob of citizens shouted their attentions to the scene down on the beach. Harpoons, nets, and fish spears hoisted into the air.

Hina Sinuhe Caits

 

[Sinuhe]

The beast, as Sinuhe had been so quick to name it, had a brother.

Sinuhe shifted uneasily in the sand as the young orcish boy bolted past them. His resolve was thrown off balance by the revelation. The bright reds and purples of the Zu'dagh tribe marked the boy's robes. They fluttered in the wind, reflecting silken off the torchlight of the approaching mob.

Sinuhe made his decision.

The boy tripped and rolled across the sandy beach. With long strides, Sinuhe went to his side, and stood over the boy. He didn't step close right away, remembering the smart of stones thrown from last time. "What makes Zu'dagh textiles interesting is that the patterns are painted blind, with an invisible mordant. Only when the cloth is dyed and washed, is the design revealed." He crossed his arms over his chest, looking contemplatively at the horizonline which stretched out so far into the fading dusk that, from all the way out there, the commotion on the beach would look like nothing. Sinuhe clicked his tongue against his tusks. "Must be nervewracking. But it also makes every design unique."

"What're you talking about, ya weirdo? Get-get away from me!" The boy kicked sand at him as he tried to scramble away. "I'm not letting you hurt my brother!"

"I read somewhere that if you give a werewolf a piece of their own clothing, it can pull them out of their beastial rage." Sinuhe held his hand out, offering to help the boy up. "Let's find out if that's true."

The boy stilled, eyes wide. Then he grabbed Sinuhe's hand. "You're... helping us?"

Sinuhe only hummed at that, as he pulled the kid up. Solemn as ever, he turned round to call after the elf and the newcomer. Prowler was already off to face the creature. "Hina, and erm... the good ser! Could you find some way to misdirect these townsfolk? Stall for time? I think we can quell the beast, but not if they're throwing nets at it."

All the actors on the beach were almost at a convergence. They only had a few moments left, before everyone collided.

Caits Hina Orrak Lan

 

[Caits]

"Oh aye, nay problem!"
Caits blurted as sarcastically as possible. Talk down a town of raging fishermen? Easy, yeah.
Still he was happy to not get any closer to the monster or its target.
So he turned to the crowd.
Not the first time a lot of people armed and yelling approached him.
"Nae,"
He held his hands up to try and gain some calm.
"I knae wha this looks like. An afore ya get that judgin anything..."
"KILL THE BEAST!" Someone shouted which prompted Caits to wave his hands in air to try and suppress the growing tension.
"Nae, NAE. THARS NAE NEED FAR THAH! IS JUST A WEE FAMLY ISSUE NATHIN TA SEE HERE!"
Would they listen? He was very unsure but he gave it his best.

Sinuhe Orrak Lan Hina