{PP-F4} Fiery Winds

[Pinball 1]

The wind howled loudly, carrying with it fresh snow and colder temperatures.
There was a shallow cave nestled into the side of this mountain, and Pinball sat there, sitting criss-cross in front of a crackling fire. He stared deeply into the flames, his mind devoid of anything save for the orange glow and the warmth that spread through his fingers. He wore no jacket or coat - the only thing keeping him warm was the thin, long-sleeved black shirt he normally wore and the thin leather pads that covered it. Despite having been born in Florida, Pinball had grown accustomed to the cold. He found a comfort in it. And even though there was an unpleasantly chill blast of wind that shocked his system, more often than not it was a welcome feeling. His necklace dangled around his neck, the transluscent jewel catching the light of the flames and almost shining, a beacon in the morning gloom. DawnBringer laid across his lap, the golden blade glowed bright orange when reflecting the burning light of the fire.

His gaze shifted from his campfire to the sword, and then up to the heavily armored man approaching his little alcove. Maybe he was in a really bad state of mind right then - or maybe Mars was rubbing off on him - but he stood, dragging DawnBringer through the snow as he pulled it into his loose grip. He cocked his head a little to the side, a small grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. His voice rang out loud and clear across the white forest in front of him, dripping with a cynical confidence reminiscient of his proud rival. 
"You here to try and bring me in?" 

@Prometheus

[Prometheus 0]

Prometheus wakes up and looks around. What the hell? Did I sleep in the bar? Sh*t, It must be late. “Hey, you’re scaring off the customers, outta here tin can.” The bartender jokes, taken aback by the sudden roar of the player in the metal casing. “What did you call me?” He drags the bartender over the counter and drops him to the ground. I’m gonna break every bone in his body. You talk with respect and die with dignity. You talk down to me, I’ll lay you out like a child in a cradle. He lets go of the bartender, knowing that despite his rather high opinion of himself, he couldn’t take on the ten people in this room by himself. If I’m gonna cause problems, I’m gonna need back up. The man stands, turns and walks out into the cold bitter nip of the fourth floor.

Tired and a bit out of it, he stumbles through the field, somehow avoiding monsters and players alike, until he smells it. The bitter burn in his nose alerts him to the one thing he loves in the world. Fire. He begins to follow the smell, through the brush of the snowy floor up into a mountain, noticing an opening in the rocks, a glow that matches his eyes flickers on the wall. Heh, seems like my kind of bachelor pad. He approaches the gaping mouth of the mountain and approaches a player. The player, seeming rather on edge, stands and asks a question.

”You here to try and bring me in?” The boy asks. It makes the man think. I probably can’t take him, if he’s fast and confident. Plus, that sword, looks like it has a paralysis effect. That’s dangerous. He smiles, reaching up and removing his helmet to reveal the smile, cocky by nature and matching with look. His eyes, no longer the fiery orange but instead an icy blue. His gaze falls on the fire, and he can’t seem to peel his eyes away, but his mind continues on without him. “I’m not here to fight, I’m not here to take you in. I’m here seeking shelter. And you appear to have a fire, so I thought I’d ask. Though I understand if you don’t trust a random stranger with armor like mine.” The katana on his back may have gone unnoticed, but when he shifts his weight, and sits against the wall tucked to the side, hidden from the entrance of the cave. “It’s cold as hell in here, that fire must be nice and warm.” He stares into the fire, a face he knew all too well, yet his own saying that he had never seen it before. His eyes sparked with an almost childish curiosity as he stares into the open flame.

@Pinball

[Pinball 1]

Pinball felt his sword lower. He looked the guy up and down, and then shook his head dismissively. "Hrmmnng, whatever," he grumbled. Despite what he thought, he felt a small part of him that was... a bit disappointed to find out the armored man wasn't here to fight. A sick part of him. An ugly part. Pinball felt nauseous as he was assaulted by bad memories. He wrinkled his nose in a harsh grimace, and tossed DawnBringer acrossed the cave. It clattered against the rock loudly. 
As the man explained himself, Pinball sat down, uninterested. He should feel in danger, right? It was strange that a man, armed to the teeth, would just so happen to stumble across the campfire of a wanted killer. A little too convenient, wasn't it? 
"Yeah, no, that's fine," he finally murmured, staring into the fire. "Have a seat." 
There were no seats. Just cold, hard stone, the crackle of the fire, and the roaring of the winter winds outside of the cave. Pinball made no further attempts at conversation, but pulled his knees up to his chest and hugged them, resting his head on the top. 

[Prometheus 0]

The fire held the man’s attention, so much so, that he completely ignored his host. Until he decided to speak to the boy. “You look familiar, did we hunt a bee together?” He asks, trying to figure out a way to talk to the boy. “You are him... You’re the cocky prick who used a twig to kill it. Kind of stupid in my book, but at least you did some damage.” He smiles, looking at the boy and pulling out a cigar. He also pulls out a drink, which appeared to be whiskey. I wonder if he likes to drink, he looks to be one of the people who hates the stuff. Which, if you drink the wrong kind, is a fair assessment. But if you like it, it can be a good time. He holds the bottle up and looks at the boy with a questioning look. “You want some? It’s pathetic when you drink your stolen whiskey alone.” He smiles like what he said was a normal thing, though to him it was.

The Giant man equips a more casual outfit, It almost made him look like a normal person, aside from the burn above his right eye. A scar he used the mask to cover most of the time but came to care less about it. The burn is a reminder. A reminder of what happens to those who screw me over. To those who hurt the ones I care about. He takes a drink and puffs the cigar, releasing the smoke and staring opposite the entrance. “The alcohol does nothing in this game, but the flavor is still the same, so why not drink it?” He asks with a smile, putting the cigar back in his mouth and pulling the smoke in between his lips.

@Pinball

[Pinball 1]

He lifted his eyes to get a better look at the guy. They had met before? Pinball didn't recognize him for a second... and then he realized that it was because he wasn't wearing a helmet. 
What was his name again? ProZD? Pythagoras? Oh! It came to him then. "Prometheus," he mumbled, looking him up and down. "I'm not much of a drinker," Pinball responded, and then added, "I prefer Honey Mead. From one of the bars on the First Floor." He had only gone there once, what seemed to be at least a year ago, though it felt a lot longer. 
Well, a lot's happened since then. Pinball shook his head, mostly to himself, and then went back to making an effort to commit the man's face to memory. Tousled black hair, black eyes, burn above his right eye... He seemed to like hiding behind that threatening looking helmet, and Pinball saw that as a weakness he could exploit. Then he made another disgusted face. God, now you're thinking like Mars. 
"I'll be alright. Thanks for the offer."
Pinball's responses were about as dull as the bleak atmosphere outside of the comparatively comfortable cave. 

[Prometheus 0]

Prometheus watches the fire and smokes his cigar, while also glancing out of the cave every now and then, but nothing too suspicious. It looked more like he was making sure no one was sneaking up on them. “So you use a sword now. Call me crazy, but I was sure you used a spear at first.” He thinks back to when they fought the bee and he nods. “You used a stick, but you used it like a spear, not just anyone is confident enough to do that. So that makes you either an idiot or a former spear user. Why’d you give it up?” He asks, knowing damn well that when it comes to switching weapons he can’t complain. He had gone from 2 handed straight sword, to curved sword and now he has a huge katana on his back. “I also brought like... milk or something.” He tries to think of something a child would like to drink. It had been so long since he had drank anything other than alcohol, he had no idea why he even carried around that one jar of milk. 

@Pinball

[Pinball 1]

Pinball's gaze once again came to rest on the man's face. He smoked a cigar - something Pinball had had yet to see in Aincrad. For a moment he wondered where you'd even buy that, but then he dropped the thought. Not like he cared. Prometheus commented on his weapon switch, which actually caught Pinball by surprise for a moment. He forgot that Prometheus had met him before everything had happened. But that didn't matter, either. It didn't change anything. Pinball stayed silent until Prometheus was done, and then replied, "Makes me both, probably." And, when he was asked why he gave it up, he only commented, "Spears are too heavy." 

Now, Pinball had been in a gloomy mood since even before Prometheus arrived. What he usually did was try to distract himself from feeling like that - usually his go-to was to fall asleep. Which, given the fact he was sitting alone in a cave he didn't entirely trust, wasn't an option. The other was the uglier choice. A part of him he barely let show, but was now slowly letting out into the open with Mars' consistent prodding. It was stupid, but it always got his blood pumping. Pinball wanted to fight something. He didn't show it, though, and he didn't say anything else after that, except when he asked his next question. "What are you doing out here?" 

[Prometheus 0]

“You know the usual story, got kicked out of my bar, wandered into the forest, got lost. Then I stumbled on a cave. It only made sense the I check it out.” The man explains, listening closely to the world outside the cave. The small opening caught a lot of noises, it was like an ear, with four smaller ears inside, it made sneaking up on it incredibly difficult. Though it also caught the sounds of monsters passing by in their search for players. It kept Prometheus on edge, every crunch of the snow, he twitched, his hand moving up towards his sword slightly. Was I followed? I didn’t do something do terrible that I should be hunted down. I’m not a killer in this world. Even if I was, being hunted down for setting someone free? Sounds like cruel and unusual punishment. He looks over to the younger player, the boy he was trying to make an honest friend out of at this point. “What’s weird isn’t being washed up, kicked out, and stumbling on a cave in the wilderness. What’s weird is stumbling across a player in a cave in the wilderness. I told you why I’m here, why are you?” He says, an inquisitive look on his face, “also, to add to my story, it was either a cave or paratrooping.” He smiles reaching his hand out into the fire and just holding it there.

@Pinball

[Pinball 1]

Twitchy. He noticed that. Now that he was actively analzying the man, he found that he noticed a lot of things. Was this something that happened when you actuall paid attention to people? Maybe he needed to make that a habit. It really did beg the question though: what was he all on edge for? Pinball knew from personal experience that he got like that when he was being hunted, because, well, he still was like that right now. But what could he have done to deserve being hunted down? He was still green, so he couldn't have done anything illegal. 
Pinball looked Prometheus up and down, but the armored man only seemed concerned with the fire. 
The only sound that could be heard above the crackle of flame and howling of winter winds was the sound of the occasional mob roaming around outside of the cave. 
So was it the monsters? Was he of such low level that the mobs on the Fourth Floor were still dangerous? Was he actually being hunted by players? All of the above? Neither? Or was it just force of habit? 
Pinball processed all of these thoughts at once, but wouldn't have been able to put it into words even if he had tried. Because Pinball didn't learn by actively thinking. He learned by putting himself in the shoes of another. Pinball learned by feeling. 

But maybe all of his assumptions were completely wrong. He knew he wasn't smart; probably not smart enough to find out if any of that was true - hell, he didn't even know what he would need to ask to get an answer in the first place. It was just a gut feeling, and Pinball knew he shouldn't act on those. So he changed the subject, largely ignoring Prometheus' own inquiry. Instead, Pinball almost smiled, looking up at Prometheus with curious eyes as he replied with his own question. "Kicked out of a bar? How'd that happen?" 

[Prometheus 0]

The man smiles at the question. These questions were his favorite to answer. So much so that he completely ignored the fire the entire time he thought of a witty answer. Which for him wasn't long. "Why for knowing how to have fun of course." He chuckles a little, looking back towards the boy. "Yeah, I was at the bar, doing nothing wrong. Then some prick insults me, so I throw him across the room." He looks back at the fire a smile on his face as he equips his helmet once again. He stands up, his horns on the armor he wears reaching up to 6'5". "Anyways, I'm headed back to finish the job, wanna come?" He yawns under his helmet. It was almost like he hadn't just said he was going to beat some innocent man to a pulp. I'm gonna break his legs off and shove them in his ears. Then I'm gonna tear his head off and use it to feed the fire. He grins under his helmet. I'll give him a parting gift too. A jolly green foot up his... He turns and walks out of the cave. His hand moves down, opening his menu and pulling out his sword. The large katana dangling from his back is rather unusual for someone who's going for intimidation, after all, an axe is generally much more threatening than a curved sword. "Come on tiny, let's get this show on the road." He rushes the player in the cave.

@Pinball 

[Pinball 1]

For knowing how to have fun. 
Pinball grimaced. Prometheus had turned, pushing his helmet back on and turning to ask if Pinball wanted to tag along to help finish the job. He felt his heart start to race. He didn't want to. Well, a part of him did, but Pinball didn't want to act on-
"Come on tiny, let's get this show on the road."
Pinball winced. He pushed himself to his feet. He tried his hardest not to think about what he had just decided to do. Pinball trudged over to DawnBringer, retrieving the weapon he had carelessly flung against the rocks. He held it in his hands for a second, studying the faint crackle of electricity that occasionally sparked along the length of the blade. 
He had recently come into posession of a new weapon. One he could call his own. But Pinball didn't want that to be associated with him yet. 
Not yet. Pinball mumbled a reply. "One second." 
He had bought a new cloak, one just as dark as the Cloak of the Harbingers but without the guild's sigil. He remembered that guild fondly, and it hurt him to do... bad things while wearing it. 
Pinball then donned his mask, the kitsune face just barely visible under the dark and shady hood of his cloak. Sheathing DawnBringer, and making sure Zomekko's jar was securely fastened to his belt, Pinball rushed on up to stand beside Prometheus. 
He had made it a habit, while under his mask, to mimic the way his rival and friend, Mars, walked, talked, and just generally behaved. And Pinball, apparently, was a damn good actor when he knew his face couldn't be seen. That, or his bloodlust was showing. His voice rattled out smoothly and strangely confident from behind the mask. 
"Let's get going." 

Edited December 12, 2018 by Pinball

[Prometheus 0]

He probably hates who he is behind that mask. I understand, that's how I was when I started wearing them. He cuts through his least favorite forest on his least favorite floor. His cursor not being orange made it easier for him to hide in plain sight from the players who hated people like him. "That one right there. I'll go in, they are a little less accepting of your kind there. Kids." He stands, walking across and entering the building. "HEY KID! IT'S GOOD IN HERE!" He shouts from the door as he walks in. He takes note of everyone here. One in a black cloak at the bar, the bartender from before who seemed a little more confident than the last time he saw Prometheus, and a small boy in the back with a brown cloak hiding who he truly is. "On scotch on the rocks and one bloody Garry... I'm sorry I meant Mary." He reaches across the bar and pulls the man in close sharply. "They better be on the house after what happened earlier." He smiles under his helmet, not noticing the boy in the back flinching but being given hand signals by the bartender. "I'll also have your best burger and whatever my friend here wants." He pats Pinball on the head.

@Pinball

[Pinball 1]

This guy was weirdly confident. 
But behind a mask, Pinball found, so was he. 
There was a strange sense of security that came with donning this new face. Playing somebody else's part. Pretending he was somebody he wasn't. But he knew it was fake. A lie. He hated himself for it, but these days, what didn't he hate himself for? Pinball was never the type to lie - still wasn't, but he couldn't make up his mind as to whether or not this persona of his was a lie or a performance. 
Maybe it was a mix of both. 

They came upon the edge of the Safe Zone quickly. The nip in the air must have sped them along, because the travel back to town had seemed much quicker to Pinball than stumbling his way into the discovery of his cave. He slowed to a stop, regarding Prometheus with a masked stare. Pinball knew it was dangerous for him to enter town; it always was, and if he was caught causing trouble the guards wouldn't try to just kick him out. They'd attack him on sight. Thing was, Pinball was usually quick enough to evade trouble, but he had had a little too many scraps with the guards lately than he was comfortable with. He watched, heart beating hard and fast as Prometheus made his way into the Safe Zone, down the road, and into a building he had pointed out as the bar. 

"HEY KID! IT'S GOOD IN HERE!"

Show time, I guess. Pinball swallowed his fear, and, gathering what false confidence he could manage under the guise of Ares, quickly sped up to the building and through the door, pulling his hood down low over his masked face. He noticed a few things immediately. The bar was pretty much empty except for them, the bartender, and two cloaked figures. Shady, was his first impression, though he quickly brushed off his uneasiness and walked up to stand beside Prometheus, who had already started a small bit of a scrap with the bartender. Prometheus let go of the guy as Pinball approached, having finished making his pretty aggressive order. There was something strange he had just barely caught from behind the imposing presence of Prometheus' armor, though - why was the Bartender waving his hands around like that..? Instinctively he had glanced to the corner of the room, but Prometheus' armored hand came to rest on his head, and Pinball returned his attention to the bartender. "I'll have a burger too, please," he said promptly. He paused, then quickly added, "And water, too, if you have it." 

Edited December 14, 2018 by Pinball

[Prometheus 0]

Water? What a wimp? He's a kid though, they usually haven't tried scotch. At least he has good taste in food. The man behind the counter grabs the food and pours the drinks. "One Scotch on the rocks, One water and Two Burgers." He sets them down in front of the two, as Prometheus grabs them and begins to walk away. "That'll be 200 col, Tin Man." These words make Prometheus stop dead in his tracks. "You and me, we're going on an adventure." He reaches across the bar, grabbing the man by the hair and slamming his face on the counter. His other hand moves across, grabbing the waistband on his pants and throwing him over the counter top. "I would've played nice if you would've left it at..." Prometheus monologues as he walks towards the scared blob of a man, when he gets caught off guard by a smile on his face. What does he have to be so chipper about? I'm winning, from what I've seen, I can kill him no sweat. What does he have on me? Sh*t, it's the people in here. One of them is a... He spins seeing a player high above his head with a touch of blue showing behind his cloak. The player's sword held behind his back like one of the knights in the movies. "Son of a..."

@Pinball

[Pinball 1]

It happened really quickly. Prometheus' reaction was quick and violent, and he felt his heart skip a beat as it happened, followed immediately by a shocking rush of adrenaline through his system. He watched with bated breath as Prometheus swung the bartender over the counter and onto the floor, and then followed as he sauntered over to the ragdoll of a dude. 
But something else caught his eye. A flash of motion. Pinball was brought back to doing quests with Reinholt. He had dragged the guy on some stupid quests with him, and if Pinball hadn't been actively protecting him...
The cloaked figure in the corner had charged and thrown himself into the air, effectively trying to pounce on Prometheus.
Not very smart considering the amount of splkes the guy had on his armor, but Pinball didn't have time to think that. He only had time to react. 

Just like pole vaulting with your spear, were the words going through his head as he gripped Prometheus' shoulder plate. 
Pinball yanked himself into the air, bringing his leg up and out to meet the jumping figure. Either his knee would connect against the guy's chest and send him sprawling, or he'd impact Pinball and they'd both hit the floor together. Either way, Pinball's quick and protective nature would spare Prometheus the unpleasant impact... since they were in a Safe Zone. Pinball's last thoughts before the events that unfolded next were of angry guards bursting through the bar's door with weapons drawn. 

@Dustin

[Dustin 0]

Dustin sat in the corner, waiting for something to happen. After all, he had been asked to protect the bartender due to recent events. This is 100% the most boring gig a boy could get. Watching a bar to make sure the owner doesn't get attacked... How did I end up so low on the totem pole? He smiles, taking another drink of his bourbon. Smooth, as it should be. The only other person in here is the person he asked last night, and he is just here to have drinks. Oh, I stand corrected, these two are a bit more sketchy than before. He slips the hood on his tan cloak up, hiding most of his face from the new customers.

"That'll be 200 col, Tin man." Idiot... Dustin moves a little, getting ready to hop in and attack the spiky tower of a player, when the tower attacks faster than Dustin can even think of a plan. I don't know if I can handle two players at a time, but I have to try. Maybe I'm lucky and they're beginners. But who is that kitsune Prick? He runs in, jumping off of a bar stool and soaring through the air. If I do this right, I can take them both out and get the man out of here. Come on, please let this work. He notices the smile on the bartenders face. I'm never protecting anyone again...

Suddenly a knee flies up and collides with Dustin, which would've knocked him further back had he not caught the player's knee after the collision. They were within arms reach, and Dustin had the advantage of having his sword drawn, but Dustin had no urge to fight. Recent events made him want to better himself, which also meant learning when not to fight as well. You're outnumbered and outclassed, your only hope was the element of surprise. Now to make sure I don't get killed I'll have to fight my way through. And I'm damn sure not gonna win with this cloak distracting me. "Let's get this party started..." Dustin removes his cloak in a distracting fashion, and just before he would attack, guards came bursting in. Good call Kayaba, someone was gonna get hurt. He looks down at the sword in his hand as the guards rushed in and sheathed it.

@Prometheus @Pinball

[Prometheus 0]

The man was smiling under his mask. So he has a kind heart... Nice. "Aww, you remembered." He said in a girly voice looking down at the owner of the bar as he slowly walked towards him, grabbing him and picking him up. The man now matched Prometheus's height. "Let's watch a show, I call it, 'Bodyguards bleed too...' Let's see what happens." He Chuckles. Let's see how serious this kid is about protecting his contract. Then the cloak flies off and the guards bust in and everything is ruined. Damn, we can't handle guards. Prometheus grabs a chair and chucks one at the first guard right as he makes it through the door, then he runs, Trucking right through the next. He spins, and kicks the last guards legs out from under him. "I can't hold them off forever kid, let's get out of here." He says, waving his hands as he sees three more squad units coming for the bar. Guess I'm still pretty good at causing a ruckus. Good to know. "We have to get out of here... NOW!" He draws his katana, fully prepared to fight and die for the boy who had come to fight with him. Guess if I'm gonna die, this is a fitting end. He smiles contently under his helmet. Though I would've been happier if I had a burn weapon. He smiles at the thought of fire surrounding his blade.

@Pinball

[Pinball 1]

And when the guards came bursting through the bar door like he knew they would, it was for a moment almost like Pinball had gotten his name not from the cat but from the actual arcade game. He hit the floor, and was face to face with Dustin. Then the door burst open and Pinball launched himself backwards with a signature hop that carried him more than a couple of feet backwards. He jumped again, and now he was on a table. He turned, hopping from table to table, and then flipping onto the corner of the counter, where he had a view of everything in the bar. 

They'll see me and immediately be hostile, so Prometheus'll probably be fine as long as he just- 
If that chair wasn't an immortal object, it would have fallen apart as soon as it hit the poor guy's face. He watched, surprised as Prometheus barreled into the next guard and then pushed outside of the bar. Pinball was of a mind to follow. He launched himself forward, hitting the ground but pausing by the doorway. He stared at Dustin, and didn't know what to do - what he should say. Or if he should even do anything. So, he did the first thing that popped into his head. Pinball raised his arm and flipped him off. 

He flew out the door laughing, taking to the air in an impressive jump and coming to land by Prometheus. He found himself grinning wildly. 
This is what he loved. The rush, the uncertainty and, the danger. Pinball found himself relishing it. The adrenaline and the fear and the excitement of it all. These were the moments he lived for, and even if he couldn't come to terms with this side of himself he knew it to be true. He was made for this. He was made to have a good time. 
He tapped Prometheus' back. "Come on, come on," he laughed, "let's go, let's go!" Pinball whirled off running, but turned to Prometheus to make sure the guy followed. "Quickly!" 
As he ran down the street at a breakneck pace (which probably wasn't smart in the snow), Pinball found himself unhooking DawnBringer, sheathe and all, from his belt. He held it to the side as he charged. 

Before he reached the edge of the Safe Zone, Pinball stopped and twirled back around to face the direction of the bar. He cast the sword's scabbard to the side, and shoved the sword into the dirt and snow. Then, cupping his hands around his mask where his mouth would be, he shouted out gleefully, "See ya soon, Dusty Baby!" And then he turned and kept running, disappearing into the white forest and whatever winter foliage was left. 

- REMOVED: [Perfect T1 1HSS] DawnBringer: +2 DMG, +1 Para 

Edited December 15, 2018 by Pinball

[Dustin 0]

Dustin charges through town, trying to keep up with the player. His legs couldn't muster the strength to keep up with the masked criminal, but Dustin wouldn't give up until he had caught the prick. His eyes flicker through the streets as he climbs up a building and follows where he thinks the player would've snuck off to. I can't believe he flipped me off. As a player, I understand his agitation, but as a fighter, it's just disrespectful. The mouth that boy had spewed so many insults towards other people forms into a frown. To be fair, I've said and done worse. He begins to rush towards the nearest exit of town that he could see, when suddenly he sees a spark of golden lightning dance towards the ground. No f*cking way. Is that? He jumps down off of the building and lands next to his old blade, the one he had replaced with his new gray sword. "So... Pinball was in town. Guess it's my lucky day." He pulls the blade out, putting his hood up and walking away, not even getting the col from the bartender he was paid to protect.

- GAINED: [Perfect T1 1HSS] DawnBringer: +2 DMG, +1 Para 

@Prometheus @Pinball

<<Dustin Leaves the Thread>>

[Prometheus 0]

Prometheus smiles as Pinball rockets past him. So the boy finally took action. Guess I should get going too. He begins to jog through the streets, the opposite direction of the player he was there with. He hears another set of footsteps, quickly fading into the direction his shorter buddy had chosen to follow. "Sh*t, I should tell him he's being followed." He smirks, and neglects to do so. Nah, he can handle that kid. He might even kill him. He keeps making his way through the gate of town, the guard or two that had chosen to follow him stopping as soon as he left the town. Maybe the kid is heading back to the cave. I'll go check that way. Even if he's not, free shelter, ya know? He shrugs and trucks right through the snowy wasteland he hated so much.

He kicks a branch out of his way, and it snaps right back where he had moved it from, but he keeps cutting his own path. He reaches a cave he recognized, but there was no orange fiery glow. "Maybe the kid got lost. I'll tell him where to meet up again." He smiles. His hand moves down, as he looks through the list of player names for that floor. What was his name? He stops on the name Pinball. Nah that ain't it... I guess that was the last time we'll ever have so much fun. He frowns under his helmet.

@Pinball