File: FE10_Hawk_(Transformed).png (186 KB, 393x394)

186 KB PNG

"Don't stare and gawk, boys! You have a fight to attend to!"

The recently-transformed birdman Nail screeches orders to his awe-staring bandits, noticing Irene having disposed of one of them while they were all distracted.

"B-but, boss... We didn't know you could do this!" One of them shakes his head in time to avoid a Bael's clutches.

"And I just found out recently! Get over it and, uh... what's your name again? I don't recognize you all from up here."

"It's... Jeimy, sir!"

"Right... Jeimy, go inside and tell the rest of the men to get their lazy asses OUT here!"

"Oh man... That is intense!" Tobias says, chuckling from behind you. "Hey, cousin, you gotta show that off more!"

Nail does not listen, instead launching his avian form down towards Irene after rising into the air. You see Marrius hurrying between them, sword at the ready.

At about the same time, two bandits with hand axes are keeping you and Tobias between them, slowly inching in, aiming their axes at you...

>A. Attack Nail
>B. Attack one of the hand axe guys
>C. Try to draw the axe-guys into hitting each other
>D. Ask Tobias if he can fight without his stone
>E. Write-in action/response/dialogue
>F. Look around for others' situation

>>43731154
Vote time renewed, business as usual.

>>43731365
And another time renewal.

I can go late tonight in exchange for starting late if I need to. I have caffeine and no regard for my sleep schedule.

>>43731154
>C. Try to draw the axe-guys into hitting each other
>D. Ask Tobias if he can fight without his stone

File: garoutransformed.png (230 KB, 400x300)

230 KB PNG

>>43731627
"How're you in a fight, Toby?"

"Well, I can transform, and-"

"Yes, I figured, but... Without that?"

"Hmm..." He shakes his head as you push both of yourselves to the ground as the bandits toss their axes. "Warn me next time, man..."

The bandits, striking each other square in the faces, drop dead. You respond, "that would let them in on the plan. Anyway, can you fight without your stone?"

"I can get out of the way perfectly well."

You nod. "Alright, then, just do that until you can get your stone back."

"Yes, sir, Mr. Summoner!" With that, Tobias jumps onto the heads of some bandits, literally bouncing off Nail's head as he bounds away with impressive acrobatic skill, vanishing on the roof of some building.

You get up off the ground, noticing Marrius batting away Nail with a sword, the bird doubling back whenever he's swung at, too cautious to approach and attack, especially when he's also trying to dodge Irene.

Colleen and Rema are back-to-back against... About six dudes, three with axes, two with swords, one with a lance... Make that four dudes, one with an axe. Rema was quick to take out two of them on her end.

Leigh and Ansi have somehow ended up partnering up, a single bael being their only remaining backup... And it was just reduced to its essence, being stabbed through its summoned-up head by a pair of soldier-classes.

Lyeim seems to be dueling some swordmaster alone, and you can't really tell who's doing better.

In the moment, you're being ignored.

>A. Help Leigh and Ansi
>B. Help Colleen and Rema
>C. Help Irene and Marrius
>D. Help Lyeim
>E. Try to sneak around/look for signs of Demeter/Phineas/Riga

>>43731775
>D. Help Lyeim

File: redmyrm.png (5 KB, 91x75)

5 KB PNG

>>43731915
This is probably some sort of... Myrmidon thing, but that's literally a swordmaster Lyeim's fighting. He's out of his league, you're entirely certain.

"Well, then... Lyeim," the long-haired fellow says. "I'll send regards to your father when he comes for your corpse. Surely, such a great warrior..."

Lyeim strikes him, only to miss. "Hey, don't count on killing me here!" He barely swerves out of the way of a shot, then a second grazes him. "Wh-whoa! Cut a little close there..."

The hideously cliche swordmaster continues. "And in a moment, I'll have cut even closer... Feed my blade, young wolf-"

Yeah, that tears it. You're not letting a damn one-liner like that go by unpunished. You strike the swordmaster with Luna.

"U-urgh... I am undone? Be this... A devil weapon's curse? But... N-nay, I am... Far... Far too lucky... To bleed to such an amateur..."

Lyeim blinks. "Alright, you're starting to get annoying."

"You're starting to lose your head!" The swordmaster leaps forward... Literally directly into Lyeim's blade.

Not even paying attention to what the long-haired dastard has to say beyond that, Lyeim turns and sees you. "Uh... Thanks. I was in a bit deep there, but I figured this guy would just go apeshit on all of you if he wasn't focusing on a 'rival,' so..."

>A. Not a problem
>B. He still shouldn't have tried to fight someone like that
>C. Berate him for entertaining that guy
>D. Write-in response

Anyway, what now?

>E. Direct yourselves towards another duo (specify)
>F. Let Lyeim choose who to help
>G. Seek out more prisoners now

>>43732063
>A. Not a problem
>help Leigh and Ansi

File: Archmogall.gif (15 KB, 45x47)

15 KB GIF

>>43732179
"No problem, Lyeim. Now, I'm gonna go give Ansi and Leigh some support."

Lyeim nods. "Alright, I... Think I'll be with my sisters."

You don't stop him, both continuing to ignore the massive bird that's attacking your leaders.

Lyeim breaks away to do as he said right in time to save Colleen from an unfortunate stabbing-to-death from a mean fellow who disarmed her.

An Arch Mogall knocks away an enemy about to strike Leigh, but he quickly turns and crushes it before succumbing to the wounds it gave him, being finished off by Leigh.

"So you made it!" Ansi exclaims, light-blasting a guy before you launch a Luna at him.

"Been here the whole time!"

Leigh doesn't say much, simply focusing on the fight. She has that "I've killed a lot of people in the past few minutes" look in her eye that tells you that, being in "the zone," you're better off not interrupting her.

About ten or so more bandits, a couple appearing to be berserkers, emerge from inside one of the larger buildings in the outpost.

Two Berserkers quickly take to supporting Nail as the rest of the chumps with axes (and a single really big fellow who you're not certain of the class of) approach you three and the siblings over there.

>A. Hurry to Marrius and Irene's aid!
>B. Hold your ground. They'll run out of bandits eventually.
>C. Sugeest everyone try to close in on these assholes
>D. Write-in action/suggestion

>>43732313
>>A. Hurry to Marrius and Irene's aid!

File: BaelGBAIcon.gif (2 KB, 78x68)

2 KB GIF

>>43732468
"Alright, don't let these guys intimidate us; we're helping our bosses."

"That's... Awfully bold of you, Lloyd," Leigh remarks, sounding impressed.

"Right, right... Ansi, would you hurry and get us some further support?"

Ansi nods, summoning up several spiders as you, him, Leigh, Colleen, Rema, and Lyeim all rush forward. The bandits raise their axes, ready for whatever on Heaven or Earth you can throw at them...

...and promptly looking bewildered when all of you besides the spiders, Leigh, and Rema completely ignore them to support Marrius and Irene.

Bombarded with Luna, skewered by a spear, Chopped up and hit with light magic and Irene's Gespenst, the berserkers don't stand a chance, and Nail withdraws once again.

Marrius is quite hurt by Nail already, his attack pattern having become far more... Confident, when he had backup.

"Ansi, heal him," Irene commands.

To this, the summoner simply draws his Mend staff and begins waving it over Marrius...

...only to quickly be divebombed, cut into, and knocked into a building by Nail swooping back in and up again, mere moments after Marrius rises up.

The Bael disappear as Ansi is knocked out, and the six remaining axe-guys (one of which being the REALLY big dude) outnumber Leigh and Rema again.

Irene calls Ansi's name in a distressed manner before gritting her teeth. "No more messing around, everyone. Let's finish everyone off as quickly as we can!"

Leigh and Rema, naturally, stay where they are, Lyeim scrambling back to help them.

Marrius and Irene stand between Nail and the injured Ansi, Irene readying Mire.

Colleen begins. "Er, if... Someone would go with me, it might be wise to... Make sure no more reinforcements can come from that building there!"

>A. Support Rema's group against the remaining axe-guys
>B. Stick with Marrius and Irene, protecting Ansi
>C. Take Colleen up on her offer.
>D. Write-in

>>43732656
>C. Take Colleen up on her offer.

>>43732689
"Alright, let's go!"

Colleen nods, grasping her lance and waving it wildly above yourself and her, as though hoping to deter the birdman.

You hurry into the building that most of the folks have been coming out of, opening the door right in time to slam face-first into a big guy's very prominent abs.

He lifts you up with one arm, grinning menacingly and reaching for his weapon...

...before being stabbed through the face by Colleen.

"O-oh... This isn't pleasant at all..."

You both back away enough for the big dead dude to fall forward, you responding, "thanks anyway."

"A-at least this... Shows that I was right about this! There are more bandits in there!"

You nod and step into the dark building.

You're greeted in the first room of the building by three mercenary-class guys, sitting around and playing some card game. The room smells of something... Smoky?

"Yeah, though, I'm just saying it's sketch, y'hear me? Dude suddenly leaves with the nobles right before we-"

"Uh, bro, we've... Got company."

"Hm?"

The three of them look at you, one quickly drawing his sword and stepping forward.

"Uh, hey, bro, bro, bro! They've made it far enough that they can just... Straight-up walk in, and you think it's smart to charge them? Man, we're losing this shit. Why do you think we ain't out there to start with?"

The man with his sword drawn just glares at you two. You have no idea what he's gonna do.

>A. Suggest he listen to his friends
>B. Ask that they not end their conversation on your accounts
>C. Attack him before he kills you or Colleen!
>D. Write-in response
>E. Do nothing. Let Colleen handle it.

>>43732785
>A. Suggest he listen to his friends

>>43732825
"Uh... I don't know your names, but your friends seem pretty smart here."

There's a tense few moments of silence, seven eyes (one of the card-players is missing one) on the fellow with a sword... Before he sheathes his sword, taking a seat again. "Anyway, as I was sayin'... This some sketchy shit! We're attacked RIGHT AFTER the new guy leaves..."

"You sayin' we were set up?"

"I dunno what I'm sayin', just that it's... Pissing me off, bro."

"Nah, bro, nah, bro, I get it! Just... Keep cool. What's the point in dying just for some... Shit game we're just figuring we're in?"

He nods. "Figured they were the types to just... Cut a dude open for no reason, y'know? Dad said my uncle was killed by one of those types."

"Oh, boy, here's the uncle Wally story again..."

"Hey! Uncle Walter was just... Butchered, by the words of things. He had to serve under THE Willow for years, watched his girlfriend get stabbed through the fuckin' eye in a prison break... Then the person who killed Willow threatened him and his bro, bro."

"Willow, eh... Y'know, think that wyvern rider we nabbed was her granddaughter."

"No shit, really? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Way you are, you'd do somethin' horrible if you found out, man."

You and Colleen exchange uncertain looks.

>A. Ask these guys about the prisoners
>B. Ask these guys about their loyalty (or lack thereof) to Nail
>C. Let's just... Go back outside now
>D. Attack these dudes
>E. Write-in dialogue/action

>>43732941
>A. Ask these guys about the prisoners
>B. Ask these guys about their loyalty (or lack thereof) to Nail

>>43732975
"So, these... Prisoners you mentioned," you begin, "you said they're... Sent away?"

The eyepatched fellow nods. "A short time before these mercenaries showed up with some royal brats, we got this new guy. He could... Control zombies or something to that effect. Shit was crazy. We were fuckin' unstoppable with him supporting us, and prolly would've been slaughtered without him. Instead, we didn't lose a single man, and we captured those nobles. Then he just... Leaves, nobles in tow."

"That were earlier TODAY," the merc with zero defining features continues.

The hot-blooded merc says, "see what I mean? I smell a rat that wants you not to hear any of that."

Colleen continues, "so, it... Sounds like you're not particularly... Satisfied with your boss?"

"Bastard's blind to it, said we'd just rip these ones to shreds all the same. Tell me, how many of y'all have died?" The hot-blooded one asks.

"Z-zero..." Colleen responds.

"Fuckin' wyvern's-egg zero!"

"S-so, uh... Would everyone who's still inside be... Be of that mindset? That it's... Not worth dying over this?"

"Yeah," the eyepatched one says, "you, er... Proposing something?"

"Depends..." Colleen says, "how many archers do you have?"

"Hmm... We could probably count 'em for you," the generic one says, "but on one condition."

>A. And that would be
>B. No conditions
>C. The "condition" is surviving this
>D. Write-in response
>E. Be silent. Let Colleen take this

>>43733151
>A. And that would be

>>43733151
>A. And that would be

>>43733174
"And this 'condition' of yours is..."

The generic fellow responds, "see, a tall, shy wolf-girl with glasses just... Literally walks into my life. Shit's a FANTASY of mine, yo. So, er... I'll throw my weight around if you 'pay me back' later, you know what I'm gettin'-"

"Bro!" The eyepatched one says, "you're thinking of fucking getting laid? Tryna pull this shit NOW? Get all us killed for your weird fetish?"

"Hey, man, I'm not the one who fantasizes about the boss."

"Fuck off, dude! Birds are magnificent, and... You been reading my journal, bro?"

"Wanting to mate with these subhumans..." The violent one says, "fucking degenerates, the lot of you. The reason this place is awful is folks like you who won't shut up about your weird-"

"M-my dad is human!" Colleen exclaims, having simply been very flushed and embarrassed since the generic fellow's proposition. "And he's not... He's not a degenerate or anything of the sort!"

"-weird timing for this completely normal feeling towards wolves and birds and the like," the violent one says, ineffectually covering his ass. "A-anyway," he clears his throat, "now is... Poor timing. Let's just help these nice people kill our dumbass boss, shall we? Find the archers!"

Colleen takes a deep breath as the three guys start yelling around inside the building. "That was... Unexpected."

>A. Suggest she ignore them
>B. You have no idea what just happened
>C. Suggest she should be flattered
>D. Those were just assholes
>E. Suggest betraying the bandits
>F. Let's head back outside
>G. Write-in

>>43733295
>B. You have no idea what just happened
but I feel the strange desire to say "yiff in hell, furfags"

>>43733295
>>A. Suggest she ignore them

File: Archer_animation.gif (11 KB, 50x70)

11 KB GIF

>>43733350
>>43733385
"I'm... Not entirely sure what happened."

Colleen nods. "It was so fast. I never see it coming, and it's... Never really called for." She breathes in. "Nothing I haven't handled before, though!"

You blink. "That's... Concerning."

"Usually it stops when they meet Rema," Colleen explains. "...usually."

"Probably best to just... Ignore what they say, then. You'll probably never see them again after today."

Colleen nods.

After a moment, about a half-dozen archers hurry out the door.

You and Colleen step out, curious enough to follow them.

"Ah, finally! Took you long enough to get out here, archers!" Nail, sounding confident in his victory now, perches over a bleeding Irene, bleeding heavily. Around you, pretty much everyone still alive (thankfully all of your guys are) are some manner of wounded. "Just as I turn this battle in my favor with the courage my father never had... This is a revelation! Archers, finish the job so we may recover! The Groznyi Group lives on!"

"Finishing off the target, sir," one of the archers announces, before all six of them draw their bows, pointing it at the direction of Nail, Ansi, Marrius, and Irene...

Everyone looks terrified bar Nail and the archers, and even you and Colleen aren't sure you can trust these fellows any longer.

When the arrows fly, however, they honor your promise. Nail is riddled with the things, a look of confusion on his face. "Y-you... You damned traitors! How DARE you?!"

"With all due respect, sir, you're running this organization into the ground. A change of management was in order," the apparent "lead" archer answers as he and the others open fire on his reverting self.

>A. Check up on someone straight away (specify)
>B. Immediately turn on the archers
>C. Write-in dialogue/action
>D. Do nothing. Everyone could use a breather

>>43733506
>A. Check up on someone straight away
Check on the boss.

>>43733506
>A. Check up on someone straight away (specify)
Irene

>>43733524
>>43733552
You hurry over to Marrius, Irene, Ansi, and the recently-deceased Nail. Marrius, the least-wounded-looking of the bunch, is demanding Vulnerary from those who have them. Naturally, you hand yours over. You might as well beat Leigh to the punch, considering that she's a bit more hurt than you.

"Lloyd, Colleen," Marrius says as Irene consumes the healing item, "what did you do?"

"Well, it was... We went in there to clear out the... Remaining bandits before they could reinforce their boss, but instead... They turned on him."

"We talked them into it, not that the ones inside needed much help," you finish.

"So the ones still inside weren't planning on fighting us..." Marrius closes his eyes. "Regardless, thanks to both of you... Had we not received this assistance, we certainly would have died here. To think this 'Nail' had only just discovered his powers, and even when singlehanded was enough to overwhelm us... Thank you, both of you."

"We... Also heard some... Some interesting things in there," Colleen continues. "I... Think they're worth hearing."

"Go on, then," Marrius says. "Is it about where Riga and her charges are?!"

>A. Yes but that's the bad news
>B. Detail what you've learned
>C. Short version: They've been moved. Long version when you're not all dying
>D. Now's not a good time for stories
>E. Write-in response

>>43733649
>C. Short version: They've been moved. Long version when you're not all dying

>>43733663
"I'll... Give you the short version right now," you reply. "Basically, they're alive, but they've been moved. We'll... Give you further details when you're not all bleeding out and dying."

Marrius nods. "Alright, then. So... We can trust these fellows not to murder us?"

You opt to spend the night in Disler Outpost. At some point, Tobias reclaims his beaststone, then spends much of the night looking forlorn. "Dude, we could've been... The best of cousins. Why'd y'have to go and be a bandit, man..?"

The Groznyi Group turns over their supply of vulnerary on the condition that you leave them the hell alone after you're healed up, which Marrius, being himself, honors.

>A. Spend time with someone (specify)
>B. Go tell Marrius what's up
>C. Hang around alone until you're approached
>D. Write-in response

>>43733649
>C. Short version: They've been moved. Long version when you're not all dying

>>43733747
>B. Go tell Marrius what's up

>>43733747
>C. Hang around alone until you're approached

>>43733767
>>43733760
You hang around for awhile, not much better to do as people in more urgent need of attention are healed up.

Eventually, you figure that Marrius wants to hear from you, deciding to seek him out. You find him chatting up Leigh.

"And had you not distracted Nail in that moment, Leigh... I shudder to think what he would have ripped poor Lyeim in two."

"Hey, no way I'm not gonna help my companions like that. You'd do the same, sir!"

Marrius nods. "You learn well."

Leigh smiles and looks at you. "And there's the silver-tongued wizard that pulled through for us all." Despite her smile, something seems... Off about Leigh.

You can tell right away: she's really uncomfortable allying with bandits, especially with what you'd heard about the Groznyi Group literally earlier today.

Either way, you begin, "you... wanted the full story now?" From there, you tell him everything the bandits inside told you.

"Wait, wait, so... They think someone with a Necromancer in their pocket set them up to capture the nobles, send them away and die? But... What could that be?" Leigh asks. "How could that happen?"

>A. Write-in speculation. Go crazy, kids!
>B. You have no clue

>>43733877
>sounds like the necromancer needs the captured nobles? Maybe make them into Deadlords or something.
Last part is a joke.

>>43733877
>Necromancer needed the bandits as a fall guy for whatever his plan was.

>>43734008
>>43734104
"Whatever this is about, this Necromancer's group... Probably needs influence over the nobility of Noba for some reason, and most definitely expected the Groznyi to die without revealing any of this to us."

Marrius nods. "So we should... Probably take a bit of a detour to Noba, inform the duchesses." He sighs. "But... Irene is hurt. I'd feel like some sort of slavedriver, putting so much pressure on her to warp all the way to Malva."

"I'm... Certain Irene wouldn't mind, as soon as she's recovered," Leigh answers.

"She wouldn't, and that's the worst part. I know what she is and isn't capable of, and if she tries to teleport anytime in the next few days, I'm certain the strain would kill her, let alone with trying to get into Elza Oasis' barrier. I'm already planning on taking the slow path back home in light of this."

>A. Better resting in Noba than in banditland
>B. Suggest we put this out of mind until tomorrow at the very least. Rest now, worry in the morning
>C. Telling Noban authority isn't what we were hired to do
>D. Write-in response
>E. Be silent

>>43734162
>B. Suggest we put this out of mind until tomorrow at the very least. Rest now, worry in the morning

>>43734162
>B. Suggest we put this out of mind until tomorrow at the very least. Rest now, worry in the morning

>>43734225
>>43734234
"Either way, we at least need tonight," you say, "it's been a long day right on the heels of a long case, most of you are hurt, and we need time to recharge. Lyeim and his siblings just lost a long-lost cousin."

Leigh responds rather quickly, "not like they even knew him as anything but a bad person."

"Be that as it may," Marrius says, "Lyeim's family is very... Familial. Believe in putting each other before anything else, so losing a relative has got to be hard on them."

"My siblings can speak for themselves, but... Leigh's right, honestly. That bastard locked Tobias up and stole his stone for wanting to catch up," you hear Rema say from the doorway, turning towards her as she speaks.

"Still, you understand how your family tends to feel about these things."

Rema nods. "So I'm not gonna be a jerk about it to their faces. I'll just opt out of this one while they're crying about it."

She leaves you all be a moment later.

>A. Say something (specify)
>B. Look for someone (again, specify)
>C. Hang around Marrius and Leigh
>D. Write-in action
>E. Skip to... Whatever happens next

>>43734376
Er... Time renewed.

>>43734376
>E. Skip to... Whatever happens next

>>43734528
The rest of the evening is thankfully uneventful.

You spend a lot of it comforting Leigh about the prospect of falling back in with association with bandits, talking her through a rather nasty bout of anxiety.

You recall doing this a few times when you two were bandits yourselves.

Nestled around each other comfortingly, you manage to drift into rather uneasy sleep, though Leigh is visibly calmer in the morning at least.

"Alright, so, we're still not entirely certain if Irene can handle teleporting all of us back home," Marrius says to her nodding, "so you guys will have to take the slow path back to Elza Oasis. In the meantime, the way I see it, the duchesses of Noba need to be informed of this. I will be going there on behalf of Marrius' Group."

Colleen nods. "This is... Probably for the best. We should be able to meet up with dad and Romulus on the way if we walk..."

Tobias, also nearby, looks around, "heywait... Where's Rema?"

"I'm here!" She says as she runs out from one of the buildings, looking rather frazzled. "Sorry, just... Overslept a bit!"

>A. Marrius is going alone?
>B. No objections to any of these plans
>C. We should try to teleport
>D. Be silent
>E. Write-in

>>43734702
>A. Marrius is going alone?

>>43734727
"Wait, wait, wait... You plan on traveling alone?"

Marrius responds, "in the short-term, anyway. I shouldn't be gone long, and as I mentioned I know people in Noba who can get me back to Elza Oasis. I would rather not take away manpower from the company by taking anyone with me."

Ansi responds, "so... Does this mean we get your cut of the pay for this one?"

Marrius sighs. "Sure, why not. Divide the amount after dues among the five of you."

You gain a cool 1,200 each from this.

On a later evening, during your trek through the desert, Irene pulls you aside at one point.

"So, Lloyd, you think about my offer?"

>A. You have not
>B. You'd love to assist her
>C. You're gonna have to back out
>D. Write-in response

>>43734866
For my own future reference, that puts Lloyd at 11,000 gold.

>>43734866
>A. You have not

>>43734937
"I... Haven't given it much thought, honestly. A lot's happened since you offered, that I sort of... Forgot to think about it."

Irene nods. "Fair enough. Let me know as soon as you have an answer, though!"

You nod and she sits down, pulling a warm cup of some beverage out of a hat and sipping it. She rather visibly winces. Apparently she'll be in pain like this for about a week and a half (vulneraries are pretty great, but no substitution for immediate healing magic, or even the superior Elixirs and Concoctions), but... You honestly forgot about it with how well she's been trucking along. You mean, sure, she's a mage and this is a sandy place, but...

It's still pretty impressive, you think. Before you know it, you ask how she's holding up.

"You don't need to worry about me, Lloyd. I appreciate it, but... One of my mentors was pretty tough. I'd end up sore and drained of magical essence more than a few times studying under her, but... basically everything I know about fighting as a mage, I know because of her. General Corneria mainly taught me my more... Everyday magic, groomed my mind to handle deskwork with aplomb." She chuckles. "Wonder how Esmer would feel knowing how out of practice I am..."

>A. She shouldn't berate herself for not fighting enough
>B. Maybe she should do more fieldwork
>C. Who is Esmer anyway
>D. Write-in response

And...

>E. You think you will work with her
>F. You think you won't work with her
>G. You still don't know yet

>>43735039
>C. Who is Esmer anyway
and
>E. You think you will work with her

>>43735039
>A. She shouldn't berate herself for not fighting enough
>E. You think you will work with her

File: FatesWitchPortrait.png (206 KB, 382x432)

206 KB PNG

>>43735120
>>43735115
"Hey, people appreciate you for all that you do outside of battle. We have plenty of badasses and fighters and the like, but you're the only Irene in the group."

Irene smiles sweetly. "Thanks, Lloyd..."

"This... Esmer you mentioned, though. Who is she?"

"Well," Irene begins, "she was a mercenary of some regard with a group based in Noba called the Wulf company. They ended up supporting prince Lars' faction in the war 25 years ago, and from the way she spoke... The two were quite close, and they'd saved each other's lives a few times. Nowadays, she mostly spends her time serving princess Paula and Bolse, but..." She shakes her head, "haven't heard from any of them in awhile. She's a very reclusive person dedicated to serving two very reclusive people, so I... Think I understand where she's coming from." She withdraws her Witch's Pendant from her... Person, once more, showing off the pristine material. "The last time I saw her, though, she gave me this. She has one too, made of the same materials, but... Hers has the logo of the Wulf Company here on this side. It's... A wolf. Actually pretty cool-looking if you see it in person. Members have it tattooed on them and everything."

You nod. "Right, right... Er, thinking about it though... After all I said about how important you are, I'd be a hypocrite not to take you up on your offer to teach me your magical ways."

Irene's face brightens up, having faded into forlorn nostalgia while she spoke of her mentor.

>To be continued next thread
Wasn't sure where to end this one beyond "at this post," so...

Even though this chapter was full of PLOT IMPLICATIONS, I don't think we're done with the episodic part of the story quite yet.

Thanks for playing, all of you. As always, update twitter's qmgrandflocto, you can ask us stuff on http://ask.fm/qmgrandflocto or while I'm here hanging out after the thread.

I'm still surprised with how easily Lloyd makes friends. He's certainly a dude who knows what to say to who.