The Search For Mana

[Srgntcuddles]

Alistair listened silently to the others' conversation about the bandit guild and large worms. He was particularly interested in this bandit guild, considering it would likely be filled with fresh bodies to...Recruit...He didn't care too much about the worm considering his last encounter with wild creatures. His scythe wasn't able to take control of them for more than a few seconds; they just turned to a pile of bones. "Tell me...Tiger...How many do you think are...In this...Guild of Bandits..."

[Shinzuu Katame: Her Tolfy]

Lazaryos' ears twitched as he heard Alistair's voice beside him. "The Guild's numbers can't be counted, necromancer. However, let's just say that they're similar to the Sailor's Guild, in respect that they are extremely strong and just choose not to participate in the war for the Mana. They're more out there for self-interest. However, the Bandit's Guild numbers well over two thousand, well over the size of a standard army, and that's just members that are known. They charge a hefty amount as tolls to pass their territory, the only wooded area of the entire continent, killing any who dare to sleep or be anywhere close to a couple miles near its borders." Lazaryos snorted and walked on. Bloody necromancer. For such a blood sucker, he sure is ignorant. Must be one of the late-bloomers.

[Vee Katame: His Wolfy]

As soon as Ember heard Alistair's voice, her pace quickened. It wasn't out of fear, but out of irritation. She wanted to be as far away from him as possible. "Why does he deem it necessary to follow us? Why can't he just go off on his own or, better yet, why can't the desert take its toll on him?" She thought to herself. She didn't see why Lazaryos even responded to him since the guy wasn't worth it and wasn't part of their alliance.

[Chrono Blackwyng]

"Do you think we can pay them with blood, or could we get one of those worms to attack the bandits?" Chrono asked while keeping his eyes mostly closed as sand rolled off the dunes and blasted him in periodic waves. "I mean, its possible to just bait one into mauling the bandits, then we could help quell the worm for safe passage and a little bit of pocket change as well..."

[Srgntcuddles]

Alistair noticed Ember moving quicker, he sensed she was growing more irritated with him. But he didn't care either way, just dismissed it as her being a woman and scared of his voice.(Not that I'm sexist) He continued to eye her under the shade of his hood. "Once this truce is done...I will kill that wench...And the tiger...Along with their infant-like companion..." He shifted his sights between all of them quickly, analyzing them, relishing the thought of cutting them open, spilling their blood on his scythe. A grin crept onto his face, invisible under the shadow of his hood.

[Shinzuu Katame: Her Tolfy]

Lazaryos growled, "The only problem is that the worms are nothing that you can pull that kind of trick on. Especially the adults. An adult worm's mouth, at full girth, is more than 100 meters wide. If you can keep them from swallowing you, you'd have to try to dodge the others that would most likely notice you along with the first. It's because of those worms that this entire continent is a desert."

[Vee Katame: His Wolfy]

Ember growled as well, but not at what Chrono had said. She was growling at the eyes she felt on her again. "Stop freakin' staring at me!" She yelled without looking back at Alistair which probably seemed really random to Chrono and Lazaryos. "You're making it very hard for me to resist melting your eyes out of their sockets right now..." Her second sentence wasn't said in a yelling voice, just an angry tone. "And if you're thinking that me moving faster has to do with anything but my irritation, don't flatter yourself." No, she couldn't read his mind, but with the kind of...guy...he was she could just guess what he'd think was causing her quickened pace after he spoke. She figured that he probably thought it was something to do with fear and she wanted to make sure he understood that that wasn't true.

[Chrono Blackwyng]

Chrono's eyes shot open at Ember's rage, and it took him a good few moments to calm down after she blew up. He went back to his 'tired' gaze for a few hours until a glint caught his gaze. He hoped it was a sword, but he would have to get closer to make sure; which wasn't going to happen if it would further anger the gargoyle woman into throwing fireballs at him. All he could hope is that Lazaryos went closer to its general direction...

[Srgntcuddles]

A cracked and dark laugh escaped Alistair when Ember defended her actions. It was amusing to him. He felt his hand creep towards his scythe on his back but looked at Lazaryos then thought for a second. His odds were not good, Lazaryos would prove troublesome, he would likely step in if he decided to decapitate Ember and shortly after Chrono would join the fray if he wasn't sulking or lost in the puzzle that was his mind. As much as it pained him, killing her now would prove more trouble than it's worth. His hand went back to it's original position away from his scythe.

[Shinzuu Katame: Her Tolfy]

Lazaryos eyed the necromancer cautiously as he watched him reach for his scythe, but then withdrew the hand. Damn. The necromancer's blood is already boiling. It seems it won't take much to set him off anymore. I hope for the love of Mana that Ember doesn't force us into a fight with him. The necromancer's not a problem, but the scythe itself will be. Lazaryos then noticed a small glint within the distance, but pretty much dismissed it as just another dead body. However, he was still curious as to what it might be and forged ahead of the group, leading them towards it. As they neared the object, Lazaryos discovered it to be just half a helmet. He was about to leave it be when he noticed that the portion that was giving off the glint was not a normal surface of the helmet, but rather the meat of the metal, signifying something had cut it extremely cleanly. "It seems that there is another Cursed Weapon among the travelers. Be wary, you two. This one cut straight through armor like a sun-baked sword through butter."

[Vee Katame: His Wolfy]

Ember groaned and rolled her eyes after Alistair laughed. Obviously her anger had amused him. She wasn't afraid of him though so she didn't care if what she did made him want to kill her. She followed Lazaryos to the glinting object and looked at it with very little interest. She didn't really care about the Cursed Weapons, she just wanted to get the the river and then on to the Mana.

[Chrono Blackwyng]

Chrono grumbled some curses along with something about a sword as his hopes of dual-wielding were dashed to the ground when the glint was actually a helmet.Seriously, out of all of the bodies we came across, not a single one had a sword?! he raged inwardly, trying to also not set off Ember with his own frustration. Lazaryos was easily flammable after all, wearing that increadibly hot cloak over his fur-covered body. "Lightning mage, I think you should at least wear that around your waist; can't have you dry up before dealing with the so-called "Guardian Dragons"..."

[Srgntcuddles]

Alistair listened to Lorazyos with mild interest. Even for mentioning someone with a cursed weapon he wasn't very interested, even if he had his own cursed weapon. But he figured staying with these three would eventually lead him to this other cursed weapon weilder soon enough. And Lorazyos seemed very knowledgable and would surely let everyone know what weapon it is, where it came from, what it does and it's shoe size. Alistair continued to follow behind them, eying them all.

[Shinzuu Katame: Her Tolfy]

The rest of the day was uneventful, though they came across more cut up armor pieces, showing that the other Cursed Weapon user is ahead of them. Another night of low temperatures plagued the party again, but the night passed quickly due to them all falling asleep quickly. The morning of the third day began with heavy rain and no sun. It brought a little joy to Lazaryos, as he filled one of the empty helmets he collected for examining with water and drank from it heartily.

[Vee Katame: His Wolfy]

Ember had a continuous urge as they walked to just turn around and set Alistair ablaze. She didn't like him following them like a lost puppy but one that would kill them without a second thought. It wasn't that she worried about him killing them since they could defend themselves just fine, but she just didn't like him there. At night, she wrapped her sleeping mat around her again to keep her warm. The next morning made her mood even more gloomy. She hated rain almost as much as she hated cold, but it was a little refreshing.