Private Tales The Friend of the Fire Eaters

[Smiling One]

Willis raised an eyebrow while he crossing his arms, that's interesting an Asmodeus that keeps coming to the same territory even after when is killed. It probably means that they find the Steppe more specifically the Fire Eaters Tribe to be worthy foes. "Just because you don't want it gone for good doesn't that others would appreciate that same sentiment," Willis replied. "The Asmodeus is a restless monster and will attack anyone that comes in its way. It needs to be taken out otherwise innocent lives will be at stake."

 

[Ghivri]

“Fair enough.” She said. “Though to be honest, we’ve done just that before and they just keep coming back. So yes we do actually kill it ‘for good’ more just keep appearing. Besides, it seems to kill more of us than anyone else.”

 

[Smiling One]

"It probably means that the Asmodeus thinks that you are worthy opponents," Willis said staring at the bonfire. "We need to find a way to have the Asmodeus leave the place for good." The young man stared at Ghivri. "The thing is the creature is so rare that we Monster Hunters don't get a chance to study it properly."

 

[Ghivri]

"It probably means that the Asmodeus thinks that you are worthy opponents," Willis said staring at the bonfire. "We need to find a way to have the Asmodeus leave the place for good." The young man stared at Ghivri. "The thing is the creature is so rare that we Monster Hunters don't get a chance to study it properly."

“Then just have some of your people over here for a chance to study it. It comes around every couple of decades as I said before. But trust me, that won’t be likely if you prevent it from returning. As I said, it’s of cultural significance to us, a very close part of our culture, so our people won’t take kindly to you or your people if you do that. Besides, it’s us that it usually targets, and we want it to come to us.”

 

[Smiling One]

Willis shook his head "not many Monster Hunters often come to the Steppe," he said. "There's hardly any contracts being offered in this area. "I mean there are no safehouses in the Steppe area as well." Willis recalled a time where the Monster Hunters considered building a safehouse here but it never went past the planning stages. "At this point I'm doubtful any Monster Hunter would want to come here not without significant pay."

The young man did receive a large of sum of coin to come here but that was from the Grandmaster's pocket rather than one funded by the Monster Hunters. "At this point," Willis said. "I might as well study the damn beast myself."

 

[Ghivri]

Willis shook his head "not many Monster Hunters often come to the Steppe," he said. "There's hardly any contracts being offered in this area. "I mean there are no safehouses in the Steppe area as well." Willis recalled a time where the Monster Hunters considered building a safehouse here but it never went past the planning stages. "At this point I'm doubtful any Monster Hunter would want to come here not without significant pay."

The young man did receive a large of sum of coin to come here but that was from the Grandmaster's pocket rather than one funded by the Monster Hunters. "At this point," Willi said. "I might as well study the damn beast myself."

“You May If you wish. I’ll make sure that I can accommodate you for the duration of your stay, for however long that is.” She said kindly. “Just keep your flirting to a minimum please, at least while people are around. Please.”

She was fully willing to allow him to stay with her so that he could study the Fire Lion, or Asmodeus as he called it. “We might actually have more information on it than you do. Though I don’t know how keen the Shaman would be on sharing this knowledge with someone who is an outsider. That’s not to say it’s impossible, but it won’t be easy either.”

 

[Smiling One]

"Very well," Willis shrugged. "But we leave in the morning, we'll be headed to the place where I got attacked. Hopefully the Asmodeus left some markings there, I can use that to get a lead of some sort. The young man then smirked. "I'll keep the flirting to a minimum." he said. "Though I have to say the way you want to follow me around makes me think. I guess you just don't want a handsome guy like me out of your sight."

 

[Ghivri]

At this she rolled her eyes. “I just want in on the action.” The new she said in a low voice, “And if I’m being honest, I’ve never hunted dangerous game before and the Fire Lion is the most dangerous of all of them, so I’d feather have someone with me who knows what their doing. If anyone were to hear this they’d call it cowardice, which is a death sentence in our society. So I want to accompany you in order to keep that fact hidden while making sure that I have a higher chance of survival. You, know what you’re doing, but you’re not from here, so nobody would give it a second thought.”

In other words, she was scared and afraid to admit it.

 

[Smiling One]

Willis sighed and placed a hand on Ghivri shoulder. "It's okay to be afraid," he said. "It's fear that drives to be the best that we can. The only time person can be afraid is when they're brave. A least that's what the Monster Hunter: John Vinderbeck said somewhere in the Age of Wonders." Sadly it turned out that Ghivri was a bit inexperienced when it came to hunting Monsters. Still the young woman looked like she can fend for herself after all she was the one who rescued him from the Asmodeus.

"But don't worry," Willis said smiling. "I'll protect you if things go south."

 

[Ghivri]

"I'll protect you if things go south."

She chuckled, “I feel safer already. I appreciate it. But while I’m inexperienced I’m not going to shy away from the fight. I’ll be involved, I was just hoping for someone who knew what they were doing is all. A teacher of sorts I suppose.”

She looked up at the group of dancing people, and seeing a woman who was without a partner she gently shoved him forward at precisely the right moment and watched the fireworks.

 

[Smiling One]

As Willis pushed towards a woman who was without a dance partner, a man presumably her boyfriend swooped in and began dancing with her. The young man smirked but also saw the fireworks being launched from the sky. They reminded him of the fireworks back in Allria where they celebrated the Oracle's creation of the merchant city. Willis turned to Ghivri and grabbed her hand. "So my delightful beauty," Willis whispered. "You're the only woman without a dance partner. So may we tango?"

 

[Ghivri]

(It was figurative fireworks. Referring to him being force down into dancing, not actual fireworks. XD )

"So my delightful beauty," Willis whispered. "You're the only woman without a dance partner. So may we tango?"

Her blush returned, and she was disappointed that her mischief had been foiled. “If we must.”

 

[Smiling One]

Willis held Givri's hip as he began to waltz around the bonfire, he wasn't much of a dancer but he did learn a few tricks from Captain Davis when he was a Pirate. "So," Willis gently placed his forehead against Ghivri. "Have you been dancing long?"

 

[Ghivri]

This was a strange dance. She was unsure of it, especially of his hand on her mostly bare hip. “Not this kind. What is this?”

 

[Smiling One]

"It's called a waltz," Willis said as he gripped her mostly bare hip. "What about you? How do you dance?" Willis looked around feeling pretty sheepish that he and Ghivri were the only ones who weren't dancing the way the Fire Eaters were.

 

[Ghivri]

“It’s usually a bit more lively. Though not a specific form, it usually involves stomps and grunts for men, women usually stride or pivot. I don’t know how to explain it.” She says trying to get the step right.

 

[Smiling One]

Willis raised an eyebrow as he began to stomp and growl, it felt awkward doing so. Willis was like a Gnoll Priestess performing a ritual to summon a Maw Demon. The young man began dancing around Ghivri snarling and yapping becoming more embarrassed in the process. "Like that?" he asked still stomping around.

 

[Ghivri]

She giggled, “something like that.”

She herself showed far more experience in doing it, her own motions being graceful and fluid. He was actually following the way the men did it pretty closely, and doing pretty well.

 

[Smiling One]

The two of them began to dance as the flames in the firepit grew larger the more the Fire Eaters danced. The Shamans continued to magically summon fireworks mostly to entertain the children, it transformed into small butterflies that disappeared the moment the children touched them. Willis got closer to Ghivri and smiled. "This is intense," he whispered close to her.

 

[Ghivri]

“Yes, it tends to be.” She said. “When the men start romping it gets very intense. That’s usually when the ground starts shaking ever so slightly.”

He’d feel what she was talking about soon after she mentioned it. The ground would feel as though it were vibrating with the synchronized stomping of the men around the fire.

 

[Smiling One]

At first Willis thought there was an Earthquake but it turned out to be the men stomping in unison around the bonfire. Willis joined in amused and feeling a rush adrenaline stomping and growling at the same time. He turned to Ghivri and smirked getting close to her nearly naked body and pressing his lips against hers.

 

[Ghivri]

This basically stopped her heart. Her face went from its usual color to strawberry red. She went rigid, and couldn’t move. When he pulled away she stammered, and shied away. She sat down and tried to make herself look small. It would be cute to those who saw her and knew what had happened, the rest would be a little curious.

“I...” She started, then kept her mouth shut. She was simply mortified.

 

[Smiling One]

Willis sat next to Ghivri feeling a little guilty, there he goes again submitting to his indulgencies. She warned him multiple times not to make her feel uncomfortable and of course he leaned in for the kiss like an impulsive fool. "Sorry about that," Willis said breathlessly.

 

[Ghivri]

"Sorry about that,"

“Don’t worry about it. It’s fine, just, I didn’t expect it.” She said, trying to tell him that she didn’t mind it. She truthfully had never been properly kissed by anyone before, and it was just strange to her. “I didn’t think that you’d um... do that, is all.”

 

[Smiling One]

Willis sat there his cheeks heating up staring at the rest of the dancers who were hollering and overall having a good time unlike the young pair who were just sitting in the corner observing it all. "Say," Willis gulped trying to disrupt the awkward silence. "Do you want to go to sleep? Maybe we can get a head start in the morning to track down the Asmodeus."