Open Chronicles Back in The Big City - Alliria!

[Ashieron]

Ash scratches his head looking around the huge city. It made him a but worried he was back here in such a large ine considering what had happened in Elbion. It did not help that he felt Devil’s presence even more now, like she was waiting for him to slip up. More like she was making it increasingly possible for him to slip up so she could have her own fun instead of him hogging all of it. In her exact words. Atleast Allira was a bit different.

Ash was on edge even more now that she has not been letting him catch a wink of sleep, pestering him with all the headaches, followed by his nose, ears and eyes bleeding. It we definitely starting to become a one sided relationship. Which the elf hated.

His stomach growled as he looked around for an inn to hopefully crash at for the night after grabbing a bite to eat. Eventually he found it. The glorious inn named, The Traveler’s Roost. With a twitch in his eye just at the wierdness of the name Ash enters the establishment.

It is a cozy place, with a hearth in the center of the dining area. In the corner next to the stair leading up to the innrooms stood a dwarf, using a box to make him stand the height of the table. The brown haired dwarf looks up at the elf after he introduces himself and with a huff, “My name is Stout. What room you looking for traveller? We go a room for two and a room for one.” He says lighting a pipe.

“A room for two please.” Ash tells him placing a few gold coins down on the table. “No interruptions please as well.” He says giving the dwarf a smile and a wink. The dwarf gives him a nod and hands over the key, “I have set food out in a few.” Ash gives his thanks and heads up to his room and collapses onto his bed, enbracing its comfort and its feather pillow. After a moment he unpacks his items and gets changed into a much more comfortable outfit. Before heading down to a small feast of Shepard's pie and other foods. His belly rumbling Ash licks his lips and he sits down and starts to dig into the food offered.

 

[Vidrakos Polarios]

A tall Kivren walked into the inn carrying a thick book and wearing a blue trench coat. He is panting for breath and walks up to the Dwarven innkeep, nearly tripping on a loose floorboard.

"A glass of ale and a room for the foreseeable future." The Kivren says placing the gold pieces for the ale and paying for 5 nights upfront. "Vidrakos, you're gonna kill yourself doing these petty crimes one day." Stout says shaking his head. "Stout, you should do three things. Relax, fix that floorboard, and remember to call me Squidy." He chugs his ale and then bounds up the stairs to his room, hearing Ash's belly rumbling from the room next door.

 

[Ailsa de Paor]

Ailsa made her way into the tavern without a care in the world. It had been a good few months since she’d last returned to anything resembling any semblance of civilisations and she had begun to miss many of the comforts and luxuries that even a lowly tavern had to offer. She strode comfortably towards one of the open bar stools and, when settled, lowered her hood and mask.

Stout began, his eyes resting on the elf and, initially, registering her as a stranger. “My name is Stou- Oh… It’s you.” His gruff demeanour soured as he recognised her, the usual dwarven sternness became stony and irritable. “I’m assuming you remember the ground rules? No explosions, no smoke and you have to pay a premium on your drinks”. Ailsa beamed, grinning from ear to ear and thought back to the very fond memories that required such rules to now be in place. “I think you’ll be glad to hear that I’m all out of herbs and unstable compounds today, so just give me a glass of your finest ale and a room of course”. He grunted, his eyes focused intently on her as if to size her up before he delivered the bad news. “I’m afraid I’ve just given away the last room, you’ll have to find somewhere else to stay tonight”.

She sighed. “Fine, well, give me two ales then and I might call on you for a character reference later to get me into another tavern… Oh, and I want what he’s having”. She gestured vaguely in Ash’s direction, as the scent of his food set her stomach off in a cacophony of grumbles and whines. Her order was met with yet another grunt and, after a quick exchange of coins, he passed two frothing tankards of ale her way and set about making her food.

 

[Szesh]

Szesh ducked through the door and stepped into the inn, drawing his wings in close as passed through the frame. The light of the hearth danced off his silver scales and flickered in his inky eyes. Alliria was one of the few places where he did not feel completely out of place. While he wouldn't be able to hide in any room he set foot in, he was at the very least tolerated as one of the "stranger" visitors to the city. The bustling and ever-changing populace of the city was responsible for that, and it also presented near-limitless business opportunities.

Which is why Szesh was surprised and frustrated when, crossing to the notice board, he saw no bounties to claim. Not one. The same had been true at the last inn, and the one before that. It was a strange and infuriating stroke of bad luck, and Szesh, tired from a long flight, decided to call it a night.

The dwarf, to his credit, only paused momentarily when he saw the large reptile. "My name is Stout. I am very sorry, traveller, but we are full up for the night."

"Your stable will suffice," Szesh rasped in a thick accent. The interior rooms were usually too cramped, anyway. He passed a few solid coins to the dwarf. "Boar, if you have it." Stout nodded, and Szesh sat a table nearby, the chair groaning in protest but holding him all the same.

His eyes darted around the room, their movements imperceptible. It was a full inn with a good assortment of characters. Perhaps one of them would have an opportunity for him. And... was that a Kivren? That explained why he had not surprised the innkeeper so much...

 

[Vidrakos Polarios]

Vidrakos stood up and shouted over to Stout “Get me some salmon and deliver it with this guy’s order!” while walking over to the draconic figure at a nearby table. He sized up the being sitting across from him and said “You a Draconian? Saw you checking out the bounty board. I heard an elvish criminal from Elbion is somewhere in the city and there’s always a pirate to kill. By the way, name’s Vidrakos Polarios, but you can just call me Squidy.” He then proceeds to pull on his chin tendrils and begins to read a book he was carrying and begins to draw a rough image of the Draconian in front of him.

 

[Jirou]

The door to the inn creaked once more as Jirou made his way in. His straw hat being removed out of politeness as he entered in. He took a look at Szesh and Vidrakos as he entered and Vidrakos' words gave Jirou the information he needed. However now there was an impedement, whoever this was was looking for Ash. The ronin cursed himself for having let them get split up by the flood in the river, he should not have been so careless.

He quietly approached the stand with his eyes narrowed on Stout, the innkeeper.

"What'll it be stranger? The rooms are full, I hate to say." The dwarf spoke sincerely. Jirou had to think. He knew that Ash would likely have come to Alliria since they were nearby. He was fearful of the happenings that could occur with that devil cursing his blood. Those surrounding would grow curious if he asked about Ash yet he could not leave. Something told the exorcist that the elf was certainly here.

"Has there by chance been anyone who asked for a room for two? I am a late arrival, you see." He spoke with a quiet smile across his face. He hadn't known of how Ash had asked for the room and his question was received with a strange look. Before Stout had the opportunity to speak, the smell of food filled the air.

Shepard's pie. Ah, so this is what Ash had been speaking of. With hardly a look around, he found the elf indulging in the meal he'd mentioned just before they'd left the outskirts of Elbion. Jirou walked over and sat directly across from Ash.

"To think I'd lost you completely." Jirou let a chuckle escape his lips.

 

[Ashieron]

Ash looks up at Jirou taking a drink from a cup before shaking his head. "You know it will take more than a flood to get me lost. You'd better think again." The elf motions to a plate and some drink he set aside for his friend. "Even this demonic armor dude almost got the best of me. Nearly broke all my ribs. Never ran so fast with such an injury in my life." Ash smiles remembering the poor tormented soul he has tried to help.

Leaning back in his chair with his arms to the back of his head. Ash lets out a sigh, "Haven't been getting much sleep with all the nosebleeds and other blood head shit though." Ash takes a piece of paper and rolls up some tobacco into it before lighting it with some magic. Taking a puff he blows a little smoke ring.

"I got a room for the both of us also. Kind of figured you'd be close by eventually." Ash uses the cigarette to inform Jirou that he overheard what the other cosumers were discussing. "How about we eat up and head up to the room. I'm exhausted. Then we can do some catching up old friend."

 

[Szesh]

The Kivren was very forward. Szesh was not used to people acting friendly towards him, but he supposed he didn’t look all that strange to this person. Humans and elves probably looked just as odd to the aquatic race.

He nodded in confirmation of his own race. His people were not extensively documented, so Vidrakos must be either well travelled or well read.

”Szesh,” he said, indicating himself with a large clawed hand. While he was somewhat skeptical of jobs offered out of the blue, he was grateful for the tip. If Vidrakos, or “Squidy” as he preferred, were a bounty hunter he was apparently of the school of thought that “more hands make easy work.” Some people in this line of work preferred to act alone, taking all the reward for themselves. By nature of his great strength and his antisocial attitude Szesh tended to fall into this category. Others, however, preferred to go it as a team. This split the reward but made the jobs easier, and they could do more.

”Are you looking for this elf? Or just here to draw?” he asked. He took note of the trailing tentacles on Squidy’s face, and the pleasing blue and purple hues of his skin. He had met a Kivren once before and found him to be good company. Perhaps he felt a natural closeness to those with scales.

The meat was delivered shortly thereafter, and Szesh allowed himself to be distracted by the tender meal for a time.

 

[Jirou]

Though Jirou's eyes never drifted from his friend, his peripherals kept Vidrakos Polarios and Szesh in his view. While the draconian seemed to be rather collected, the Kivren had blatantly stated his reasons for being here and he the ronin could not trust his actions if he caught wind that Ash was the elf. They should be quick, but ensure they didn't seem to be rushing.

He inched a bit close to Ash after his friend had finished talking, but his volume didn't change as he was actively trying to avoid suspicion. "Well if you want my opinion on it, sickness is easily quelled with water and..." He pointed at the cigarette. "Less tobacco. It seems minor, did you suffer some head trauma against whatever it was you faced on your way here?" He knew it was the devil's doing. He'd seen the same symptoms near Elbion. This conversation felt much more natural than blurting out "well that's what you get for being possessed."

He pointed at the meal he was eating. "That must be the Shepard's pie you were referring to. Here, I'll order myself some and bring us both some water."

He stood up and approached Stout once again, his warm smile reappearing.

"Need something?" The dwarf asked well uh. Stoutly.

"May I have the meal my friend there has purchased? As well as some water for the both of us?" Stout nodded towards him and Jirou stood in wait for the water.

 

[Ailsa de Paor]

Ailsa smiled contently to herself at the two large tankards placed before her, her mind bustling with thoughts and ideas. Almost immediately, from the moment Stout turned his back on her, her hands dove into her herbal pouches at her waist and, with two well-practised flourishes, she began to season her drinks with a weird medley of dried herbs and residue.

After a few seconds, a small whoosh was audible from the beverages, the ale frothed and foamed threatening dangerously close to spilling before calming and turning several shades darker. "Perfect, that should be strong enough" she mused out loud, thankfully Stout hadn't noticed - although she was paying the premium for this reason.

As she supped her supercharged ale, Ailsa withdrew a small notepad and pencil and begun her daily challenge. Many people find benefit in tasking themselves with small challenges and routine tasks to keep their brain active - some find solace in crosswords or sudoku, but Ailsa's was somewhat more amusing and significantly more challenging. Her gaze wandered around the room, her pencil writing some quick and easy formulae, but today she paused. She hadn't accounted for the Draconian and Kivren seated a few tables from her, nor could she - they were both very rare to see. Her scribbling ceased momentarily and share stared thoughtfully, and curiously, at the two figures.

 

[Vidrakos Polarios]

Vidrakos smiled at Szesh as they ate their meals. "While I admit that the bounty is quite large, I've heard the elf is a mighty opponent. We would be better off fighting some criminals. I just so happen to have a bounty poster for a werewolf.". At that moment he pulled out a poster saying "WANTED:Leroy Jenkins and his Werewolf Crew 996 gold pieces DEAD or ALIVE" with a picture of a seemingly rabid werewolf. "I can't take them on myself, so I need a team. Wanna join?" He then looked over at Ailsa "I see you. You can join if you want."

 

[Ashieron]

Ash watches Jirou walk away to order his next meal. His ear flicks a bit when they water creature mentioned teaming up with two other patrons. All he could do is be hopeful that his hair having turned black and his eye color changed it would be easier to get by them. However he remained calm and composed, taking another bite of pie.

One was a lizardfolk, other was a squid and finally what seemed like a human, judging by a reflection in Jirou’s eyes as they spoke. Ash was about to take another bite of pie when some blood dripped from his nose again, and it continued to run like a slight turned on faucet. All over his comfortable clothes also!

Gods damn it. Ash thinks grabbing a napkin to hold up against his nose as he tasted copper in his mouth. It was definitely an appetite ruined. Snuffing out his cigarette between his fingers he puts it into his pocket as he stood up. His previous injury from the fire during the Battle of Ninagal was acting up with whatever the devil was doing now. Causing a coughing fit. He’d manage to walk past Jirou, “I’ll be upstairs. Just stay down here and enjoy your food okay?” He smiles and pats Jirou’s shoulder before he headed up the stairs.

 

[Ailsa de Paor]

Ailsa shook, suddenly, transported out of her thoughts and back into the Traveller's Roost. Vidrakos had surprised her, she often forgot that staring can draw the attention, or the ire, of strangers - especially ones who had alcohol in their system. "Oh no, I'm more a scholar than a fighter, nor could I ever chase one of my kin." She gestured towards her ears before carrying on. "If you need any poultices or elixirs, before your fight, or fixing up afterwards then that's my time to shine."

Her attention drifted as she spoke and she smiled a polite apology towards Vidrakos. At that moment, her calculators interrupted, she put down her notepad and pencil and, by chance, glanced towards her kinsman in the room. A flash of blood proceded a sudden torrent of the stuff, however, it was quickly held at bay with a napkin. The coughing fit followed and Ailsa's mind raced with various poultices, compounds, elixirs an endless stream of information and potential solutions to this problem she had witnessed.

As the elf went upstairs, Ailsa carried her, now one and a half tankards, towards Jirou and sat across from him. Having not thought this far ahead, she simply stared at the man, before finishing off her half-emptied tankard. "Is your friend okay? I'm quite a seasoned herbalist and I'd be happy to treat him if he'd let me?" Her speech was fast, concerned, she hated to see someone ill and she cast a curious glance up the stairs in the direction Ash ran.

She paused, acutely aware that she could be misconstrued as a quack selling her wares. "I have proofs of my skill, don't worry, I'm not one of those crazies" she continued, producing several official seals and documents professing her trade and expertise.

 

[Vidrakos Polarios]

“I believe you’re mistaken of my intentions. I believe that elf is much too powerful to attack and would honestly be a better ally. I am after a werewolf. I still need help though and you’re free to join.” Vidrakos shouts toward to Ailsa sighing and face palming.

 

[Szesh]

Szesh looked at the bounty notice. A decent pool of gold was at stake, but werewolves were no easy targets. Strong, fast, and with incredible healing abilities. It had been quite some time since he had tangled with one, and he was not eager to do so again. However, if he were teamed up with another it might go more smoothly.

There did not seem to be any other options, and werewolves would be easier to pick out than an elf. There must be thousands of elves in this city. "We'll need silver." Szesh said in acceptance, passing the bounty back.

He ripped off another piece of the boar from the leg he'd been served, looking up just in time to see a man walk upstairs holding his nose. Wouldn't it be funny if that were the elf Vidrakos had spoken of? If only it were that easy.

 

[Vidrakos Polarios]

Vidrakos smiled as Szesh as he racked his mind for places to get silvered weapons. "My scimitar Swashy is a silvered blade." He says as he pulls a silver scimitar with a gold spiraled hilt and a silver blade with a sapphire carved with an eye embedded in its center; carved with an eye. "My sticky fingers should be able to requisition silvered weapons. Merely tell me what type of weapon you want and I'll get it to you Szesh. Meet me at the docks at sunrise. The werewolves will be asleep.” He starts walking towards the door stopping about a foot away.

 

[Jirou]

As his food arrived he thanked Stout happily and wandered back over to Ash, handing him some water for him to drink. In that instant in seemed that more symptoms were arriving. The elf was quick to realize this was becoming problematic and started to take his leave. The ronin stopped him quickly and made sure he took his water along with him. "I will do that, but make sure you're getting sufficient rest. Don't let your illness overcome you." He smiled at Ash and waved him off before turning and facing his own meal. It would actually be beneficial for him to lay low down here and see what he could hear.

As he watched Ash take his leave, an elven woman approached him almost instantaneously as Ash fled. Was this going to be an inquiry on who Ash was, already? Were the ones down here preparing to do something? His worries were quickly washed away as she inquired about Ash's health. He finished his bite of shepards pie with his hand over his mouth before speaking. "Worry not friend. They faced a rough battle recently and their head and body have been a bit out of sorts since. There was no poison nor infections, just lots of traveling with no rest. Their sickness is just a product of that matter and sleep and water should suffice." He tilted his head and closed his eyes with a warm smile.

It did seem as though the Kivren and Draconian had decided to not pursue Ash due to the fact that they thought him a formidable opponent. They weren't exactly wrong about that. His first encounter with his elven friend was quite the display.

 

[Ailsa de Paor]

She thought to herself, nodding eagerly as the human spoke. While the symptoms had seemed significant, she had just chugged some potent alcohol and it wouldn't surprise her to learn that she had inflated the severity of what she witnessed. "Ah, my apologies. Well if they don't pass or he needs some relief I can whip something up in no time." Her speech slowed, not fuelled by excitement and wonder like earlier, and she quickly collected her bundles of paper and certificates, throwing them into her bag haphazardly.

"Well then, in that case," She said, whilst sprinkling some more powder into her remaining tankard. "Let us drink to good health - cheers!" Ailsa raised her tankard, another whooshing sound releasing from the liquid and, in a single motion she had emptied it.

 

[Jirou]

He waved to Ailsa, "No need to apologize friend. Your concern is appreciated. It's blessing enough that you even thought to offer. Most would not show such kindness." He held his smile looked upon Ailsa. She was clearly intoxicated and he didn't sense a threatening vibe from her. This was genuine concern. He felt a rush of guilt for continually analyzing the people around him. It wasn't their fault for seeing Ash's name in bounty boards. Really all the situation did was continue the grief he felt for his friend. He caught his eyes wandering up to the ceiling as he thought of Ashieron.

The woman offered him a cheers and before he could raise his water glass to hers she'd already glugged her entire drink down. He still had a meal to finish so maybe he should just... Make sure she could walk before he left her unattended. He needed to hurry to Ash to ensure nothing went wrong but it should be okay for a few more minutes. He inquired, "What brings you here tonight? Are you traveling?"

 

[Szesh]

Szesh could not deny that Vidrakos’ offer was appealing. While he had a fair amount of coin, a silver blade would be expensive, not to mention difficult to come by as it was rather unconventional. His eyes moved over the Kivren’s sword. It was beautifully crafted, with an elegant curved design.

He already had a spear. A shorter sword, much like this one, would compliment it nicely. ”A blade like that would suit me well.” he said in a low, hissing voice. ”If you can find a sword, my help, and thanks, you have.” If “Squidy” were as good a thief as he claimed, Szesh wondered why he was chasing bounties at all. Best not to worry about it. It was a stroke of good luck that he was here. Even if the bounty went sour, a new sword was quite a nice consolation.

He overheard the female elf mention her alchemy prowess. Normally he would take care of his wounds on his own, but werewolves wounds would likely fester. He had never heard of one of his own kind being infected, either, but he would prefer to have safeguards in place.

He stood and slowly approached Ailsa and Jirou. ”Excuse me,” he began, leaning heavily on the “s” sounds. ”You, brew potions?” He looked at the woman. ”Can you guard against lycanthropy?”

 

[Vidrakos Polarios]

Take into account Szesh’s preferences, Vidrakos handed him a stone with arcane sigils bouncing around its smooth, black surface. “To contact next with. I’ll get in touch when I‘ve got the blade.“

 

[Ashieron]

Opening up the door the the room, still holding the cup of water in his hand and a napkin to his nose. Which was soaked in blood at this point. Ash felt a bit of nausia over take him due to the blood taste and the probability of him swallowing some blood. Fighting it down with some good magic medicine Ash sighs and looks at the water in the cup taking a few sips of it before setting it down on one of the end tables for one of the beds.

Whispering a bit of a spell the napkin becomes a pile of ash which he tosses out the window so the breeze can take care of it. Sitting at the edge of his bed Ash glares is his wrist, “Just let me sleep, I’ll be no use to you fucking having a heart attack you bitch.” He growls at it hearing a faint laugh and nothing else in the back of his mind.

Taking that as a maybe, he’d start to get change into a not bloodied shirt, careful not to get blood on it as he did. Freshening himself up with a few simple spells and tying his now incredibly long hair back after brushing it out. Ash looks at the bed before deciding to sleep on the floor. Not wanting to ruin what beds the establishment had with his blood. Leaving a note on of the beds saying, I know I am on the floor. I just didnt want to ruin the bed and pillows with blood . Promptly he would find what sleep he could in a matter of seconds.

 

[Ailsa de Paor]

She smiled happily from the rim of her tankard, slurping down the last few droplets, before returning it to the table. It was a nice change drinking with someone, even if they were a stranger in a tavern - still, any company was a luxury she missed on her travels. She caught his eyes wandering towards the stairs, catching glimpses of concern in his face. "Oh, I came in to restock on supplies and drop off some research to a colleague of mine" She paused, staring thoughtfully at him. "Don't feel a need to entertain me, by the way, feel free to go up and check on your friend if you're worried."

As if on cue, Szesh wandered into the conversation and immediately her mind was set racing at his request. "You're in luck, I'd just popped in town to restock my supplies so I can certainly whip up something." She reached into her satchel gleefully, withdrawing a pristine leather-bound tome, roughly as thick as her forearm, and carefully set about turning the pages.

Finally, after a long, drawn-out, period of silence, Ailsa released a triumphant squeak - having found the correct page. "I can mock up a paste for cleaning lycan inflicted wounds... Simple enough - just some wolfsbane and silver shavings." The last bit she mumbled as if confirming the recipe more to herself. Pausing, she muttered something incomprehensible and turned to study the Draconian and Kivren for an almost uncomfortable period of time. "I... would also suggest some quicksilver to ingest in case of more serious wounds. However, it is incredibly toxic and without knowing more about your races I cannot recommend a safe dosage for it."

As she paused, her hands darted back into one of her satchels and, alarmingly quick, she withdrew a small phial of mercury. "Unless you're absolutely certain of your foe's strength, I would have it at hand to be safe. The paste, however, I will need an hour or so to prepare." She finished with a warm smile towards the Draconian, talking herbs and potions always left her excited.

 

[Jirou]

Jirou took a last bite of his pie while he listened to Ailsa's reason for being in the area. Business was never ending. He felt glad for her being able to find some time to wind down. Traveling has weighed a ton on he and Ash. Ash especially. What a trooper he was. "I will be heading up there to check in in just a bit. Need to clean my area and leave a tip, any how. I hope that your deliveries go uninterrupted, and safe travels!" He stood up and grabbed his dishes and silverware and began to turn to the counter again when Szesh appeared and spoke to the herbalist.

Jirou was no specialist in the field of medicine, but did know a great deal of knowledge when it came to facing more difficult beasts. He dropped off his dishes with Stout and left him a few coins for his trouble with a light bow. Before heading upstairs he wandered back to the table and cleared his throat. "Forgive my intrusion on your conversation." He looked towards Szesh. "While being careful in your hunt is always a smart plan, do not feel the need to overestimate your opponent. Werewolves are still flesh. A ruptured tendon or broken bone can still cause a halt to its behavior without the need for silver. Plus werewolves are still intelligent. When falls the moon they can be talked to. Just my two cents." He smiled warmly at the draconian and flipped his hat back onto his head. He nodded and waved and he and Ailsa before beginning to traverse the staircase.

While outside of Ash's room, he still knocked. Likely out of habit. Even he felt a bit silly about it.

 

[Ashieron]

Ash wasnt really dreaming, it was more of a light sleep. But it would still take a few good knocks for him to get up and answer the door to see Jirou. With a tired smile he leaves the door open and goes back to lay down, some blood had gotten onto the floor but it stopped thankfully. Even though there was dry blood still running down his nose which was easily taken care of with a spell.

“You know you do not need to knock.” He comments with a bit of a laugh in his eyes. “After all we’ve been traveling together for a while now.” Ash lays back in the bed with his arms spread wide, “We shouldn’t stay too long. Since those guys were talking about that bounty on me. There is bound to be more.” The weary elf sighs lookimg like he wanted this whole thing to be over. He felt like years have been taken off his life just from that little incident. “Can’t you try something to get rid of Devil?” He asks Jirou looking at the ceiling and counting the lines on it wooden beams. Only to get another nosebleed and a pounding headache, “I was just joking fucker!” He growls in elvish this time just using his shirt and sitting up with his head down and some blood dripped from his eyes, only to be caught in his shirt.