[F27-PP] <<TMD: Srona>> Herb Embers

[NIGHT 0]

<<The Mysterious Divide: Srona>>

"Whaaaaaaaaat."

It was DAY who slumped forward this time, as Koga had been making the transaction for a caravan. Almost theatrical, NIGHT had her arms folded, watching the woman in amusement as she righted herself just as their friend was escorted to pick their vehicle of choice. No doubt it wouldn't be as private as the party would've liked it to be, but at least they had their own space as opposed to squeezing in with the other travelers heading out in the moment.

The murmurs from the entity seemed saddened, almost pitiful, eyes wistful. "My great plan... C'mon..."

NIGHT considered this quietly, tentative. "Your 'great plan'?"

A side eye was shot her way, alongside a look of neutrality that slunk into an uncaring smile. Almost like a cover up. "I mean, it's fine!" DAY announced, a palm on her chest puffed out, construct glowing as though she'd never known disappointment. "It's nothing important. Really, I'm over reacting is all."

Self awareness? In Pride incarnated, it was awfully suspect of the entity. If NIGHT kicked herself back on edge, it was all she could do to lean in closer, trying to pressure her companion into spilling her secrets. Instead, her approach only got her an innocent look and a fluttering of eyelashes.

Ocean eyes that stared right at NIGHT, then to her lips and back. The player caught everything.

"Well?" A coo, DAY shifting her posture to lean closer to her opponent. Slick. Skillful. Her hands were tucked behind her back. "Why, happen to be worried about me?"

NIGHT tapped her fingers on her tracksuit, upon her upper arm.

"You know I try to keep my promises, now."

She wasn't convinced. Not entirely, at least.

So distracted, the whisper for a subject change was completely unforeseen. "Were you worried I wasn't going to room with you earlier? What, did you think you would really miss me, if I'd left you alone?"

"..."

And so there was the tell-tale flush, and the woman subjecting herself to looking over elsewhere, pretending she hadn't gotten in close for her own personal benefit -- 'no, not in that way, I swear'. NIGHT rolled her eyes, jaw tightening, before realizing her perspective was void of Koga's shopping for a suitable wagon for their journey. Not that she believed the man actually cared for which vehicle they took.

The hook of DAY's arm around the player's was calculated. Her escort of the woman over to Koga's side, less so. With no time to recover from her fluster, NIGHT followed along, graciously hushed, lowering their grip from an arm hold to interlocked fingers. Not that her other protested to it.

Rather, she shot a mischievous gleam back to the player before addressing their party member. "So how long do you think it'll take to get there? Enough time for a good rest? Extra stops we need to make?"

| NIGHT  | Lv. 112 >> P. 80, Lv. 32  | Status: //  Notes:  //

Spoiler NIGHT | HP: 960/960 | EN: 134/134 | DMG: 21 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 3 | MIT: 44 | LM: 2 | HLY: 8 | PHASE | LD: 6 | BH: 38 | Stealth Rating: 6 equipped Orgoth's Legacy ACC, PHASE, HOLY (8) Tracksuit of Unfathomable Fashionability MIT (24), LM II Silver Crescent Necklace ACC II, EVA II battle-ready inventory // skills Spoiler mod count: 5/5 2HSS | RANK 5/5 focus, stamina, precision shift: aoe CLOTH ARMOR | RANK 5/5 athletics, nimble COMBAT MASTERY: DMG | RANK 3/3 SEARCHING | RANK 4+1/5 BATTLE HEALING | RANK 5/5 EXTENDED MOD LIMIT ENERGIST FAMILIAR: PROFESSION QUICK CHANGE extra SURVIVAL CONCENTRATION HIDING blindside, untraceable, vanish, surprise attack-t buffs Spoiler statue OROCHI | +1 LD consumables - - - - - - paragon Lv. 5 | Gain additional col equivalent to 15% of EXP earned in that thread. Lv. 10 | +1 LD to looting. sword arts Spoiler en cost matches multiplier unless stated otherwise. shift underlined. ST | x12 -> x15 | x20 AOE | x15 -> x18 TECH-A | x12 | STUN | 13EN TECH-B | x12 | DELAY TECH-D | x12 | SHATTER TECH-G | x12 | BURN misc. Spoiler housing Dimensional Backpack, Item Stash | +2 Battle-Ready Inventory Slots. Well Rested | -1 EN for the first three expenditures of each combat.  Relaxed | +(5 * Tier) HP per out-of-combat post. Full energy restoration occurs after two turns out of combat. Squeaky Clean | -25% DoT damage taken from the first DoT applied to this player in a thread. Skylight: Searching | +1 Expertise to declared utility skill. Cooldown of 30 days to reassign. Multipurpose | +1 LD/Prosperity/Stealth/Detection to one post per thread. Can be applied after a roll. Filling | +1 T1 slot to a food consumed by this player in a thread. Can exceed Cook enhancement caps. Col Deposit | +5% col from loot-minimum mobs, +10% col from treasure chests. gathering Greenhouse | +2 G.EXP, +1 CD&LD to gathering attempts. Familiar: Profession | +2 G.EXP Demeter's Cornucopia | +1 CD to gathering attempts.

 

[Koga 0]

k o g a the elder wolf Spoiler notes: i didnt read the quest description trololololol Koga, Lvl 32/42 | HP: 840/840 | EN: 118/118 | DMG: 23 | EVA: 2 | MIT: 30 | ACC: 5 | LD: 3 | BRN: 56 | BLT: 32/20 | FALN: 8 | REC: 4 | B.HEALING: 46/92 equipped battle-ready inventory T4 Demonic Katana <<Tsuki no Hikari>> [ CRSD // BRN I // BLT I // FALN I ] T4 Perfect Light Armor <<Twilight Coat>> [ EVA II // REC I ] T1 Perfect Trinket <<Kashira Cable - Wolf>> [ ACC III ] none skills Spoiler | UTILITY Searching III | +1 LD per rank. +1 to Stealth Detection per rank. | 14 SP Night Vision | Ignores any penalties from low light or darkness. Negates the bonus Stealth Rating from low light or darkness. | 3 SP | COMBAT Combat Shift: Single Target | For the following Sword Arts, +3 to multipliers and +2 to EN cost; ST-I, ST-II, ST-B. No other Shifts may be taken. | 10 SP Mastery: Damage III | Gain 1 * Tier Damage per rank | 13 SP Battle Healing V | Recover 5% (rounded down) of your maximum HP at the start of your turn | 30 SP Emergency Recovery | When non-fatal damage would leave you with 25% or less of your maximum HP, recover 10% of your maximum HP after the attack resolves. Effect cannot occur more than once per thread.  When activated if the player has lower than 10 energy remaining, simply reduce the player's energy to 0. | 6 SP EN Cost: 10 Energist | Increase Base Energy by 5 * Tier | 8 SP Charge | Perform a single attack/Sword Art with +5 base damage. Charge attacks have a -1 Accuracy debuff and cannot be affected by any auto-hit effects. | 10 SP Cooldown: 3 Posts | WEAPON Katana V | +7 DMG when equipped with a Katana | 30 SP Stamina | Reduces the energy of all Katana attacks by 2 EN | 4 SP Precision | Gain +1 ACC. | 2 SP Ferocity | +2 DMG when using Katana Sword Arts | 4 SP | ARMOR Light Armor V | +30 MIT when equipped with Light Armor, -2 Stealth | 30 SP Meticulous | +1 DMG when equipped with Light Armor | 4 SP Resolve | +1 ACC and +10 * Tier HP when equipped with Light Armor | 6 SP | EXTRAS Familiar Master: Rending | You and your familiar attack in tandem, applying Rend [7*tier unmitigatable damage] to the target that lasts for two turns. | 10 SP Cooldown: 5 Turns Survival | Increases Healing effects received from all sources by 10%. Grants immunity to all damage dealing environmental attacks/effects. | 0 SP Parry | Apply the energy cost upon proc, not activation. Reduces the final damage of the next successful attack against you by 50% (rounded down) and negates stun/paralysis effects of that attack. If hit by multiple attacks, only apply parry to the first attack against you. Parry lasts for three turns. Cooldown starts when the player activates the Skill. If the player is hit when using Parry, the cooldown is reset to 3 turns. | 10 SP 9 EN, Cooldown: 3 Turns Vengeful Riposte | A successful Parry also returns 50% (rounded down) of the raw damage that would be dealt to you back to your opponent. The reflected damage can be mitigated by the opponent. | 6 SP Cooldown: 4 Turns buffs Spoiler | PARAGON REWARDS Lv. 5 | Earn Col equivalent to 15% of player’s EXP earned in thread. Lv. 10 | +1 LD to Looting | BUFFS <<Well Rested>> | -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat. <<Squeaky Clean>> | The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 25% (rounded down). <<Filling>> | Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. <<Item Stash>> | +1 Battle Ready Inventory Slot <<Tasty>> | Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast. A Lesser Feast contains 4 portions of the food items sacrificed. Lesser Feasts created this way cannot be used outside of the thread they are created. Limit 1 item created per thread. <<Relaxed>> | Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts. <<Multipurpose>> | Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll.

Despite the fact that Koga was still less than enthused by their treatment by the mayor, Koga managed to let out a wry chuckle at DAY's antic before she asked how long it might take to get their next destination. "Beats me," Koga said with a shrug as he settled into his seat, the wood creaking as he shifted slightly and crossed his arms. "Hopefully not too long though."

Who knew what the scale of this floor was anyways? They may have been graced with a map by Cardinal, but it didn't really give much of a scale to judge distance, nor did Koga have any idea how quickly horses could travel. He hadn't even ridden in a carriage until today, so it was all a mystery to him at this point.

"Say, DAY," the man then asked, "why'd you want your own room anyways? You seemed real eager for it and all."

Edited February 21, 2022 by Koga

[NIGHT 0]

Climbing onto the wagon was of no issue. As the village folk bustled about to get the rest of their travelling provisions in order, a simple clatter of horse steps across cobblestone marked as the start of their travels. And despite the clouds that started to grow thicker in the dark overhead, the light breeze from their travel onwards spoke nothing of impending showers just yet. NIGHT might've had her sights on the path they were taking out of Dagan, but her mind was solely on conversation, the woman sat with with her elbow on her knee.

So she didn't catch DAY's look of pleasant surprise at being asked the question. The construct waved a hand about as she spoke. "Well, it's not every day I get to go on adventures like these. Sometimes quests scale to different party sizes, especially those related to combat." There was a dim look on her face as she continued, fingers slowly retreating into a loose fist. "And in those situations... that means I'm brought to involvement. ...One of the only times Cardinal recognizes my existence, and it's where I put NIGHT in further danger."

The player huffed as she turned away even more. She didn't need to be reminded of the one dungeon they'd blown through on the tenth to understand the danger behind the entity's involvement.

"... Likewise," DAY added, leaning backwards as she turned to face her original. "NIGHT thinks it's for the best that I stay hidden for some reason. Something about my presence being unusual and... 'keeping me safe' and all that."

A tossed glare towards the construct. NIGHT whipped her head around with a frown, saying nothing, before grabbing the system by her wrist. Light brushing of her thumb across soft skin. Too real. While the party was still stunned by the move, she glanced to Koga. "It was just a hunch," was her weak justification. "But look to the last boss fight. You remember how everyone was quick to draw their weapons on Gabrandr once he was asking for mercy, right?"

That idle touch only went back to DAY's hands, and NIGHT placed her own fingers in the spaces between the entity's. The taunting she remembered on the seventh wasn't akin to begging; the Gemini as she knew it didn't have an inch of remorse in its voice. The threat it made still held true, and only gave rise to even more complications, now that time had passed and tensions, new and recently uncovered, ebbed and flowed.

How many of them had owned the Disguise skill? And, thinking back on it, how many of them were left to stand up to speak on the Fallen King's behalf?

"If word got out about DAY's presence-- even if I wasn't involved in it..."

NIGHT gave the hand in hers a squeeze, before pulling it away.

"I don't think it would look pretty."

"..."

Silence, for a while. Enough for DAY to turn her sights to the wood beneath their feet, the world passing in between the gaps of the rickety cart.

And then when NIGHT scowled back at Koga, she'd nearly inched out of her seat at the fright. "So that's why you have to be more careful next time! Really; sending the invitation to her rather than me -- you have some nerve trying to put either of our reputations at risk!"

Shock registered, but was taken in stride by the entity. Without missing a beat, DAY had her hand on her chest, brimming with confidence. "You don't need to be so envious, NIGHT! That's just what happens when you're just as brilliant and irresistible as I am~!"

"You! Don't encourage him!"

"Oh--!"

The entity clapped her hands together, realizing she hadn't fully answered their friend's question yet. "Right, so the room--"

"Don't change the subject...!"

Though NIGHT had protested eagerly, she simmered, too, before the construct spoke. A devious plan, unveiled? Though she had no confirmation of what it entailed, it was more surprising to her that Koga would've been told the answer behind it, rather than herself.

"It's not every day that I get treated like a player," she motioned, proudly, an index in the air. "And since we're all in a party for this quest line, I figured, 'why not'? It would be closer to how other groups of players operate even though you two are both known for adventuring on your own."

[Koga 0]

Koga hadn't really thought too much about the implications of DAY's existence, but now that the construct mentioned it, he was actually somewhat surprised that Cardinal hadn't taken some sort of action to remove her from the game. As far as Koga knew, Gemini's didn't exist outside their quest. From a systems standpoint, he imagined that they were destroyed upon the quest's completion, regardless of whether or not the player chose to spare them. But, for whatever reason, DAY had been spared...a glitch perhaps?

"Actually, NIGHT's right, you are pretty unusual," Koga commented, lacking any teasing tone to let the others know that he wasn't joking around. "I haven't ever heard of another Gemini existing outside of the bounds of their quest. Or any NPC, if I'm being honest. Gabby not being an exception. Technically, I think that whole Landonian-Galtean War was a side-quest or something." Koga's eyes were drawn to the floor as he thought on the subject more. Not that he would come to any conclusion.

"Of course I remember that, NIGHT," Koga almost spat, perhaps a little defensive. It wasn't exactly one of his favorite memories. "I get where you're coming from. Mobs are predictable, people are not," Koga turned to look at DAY. The only thing that separated her appearance from that of a player's was the lack of a cursor. Beyond that, she looked entirely human.

"To be honest, I'm surprised I'm known for anything. It's not exactly like either of us have much a reputation to uphold anyways," Koga said off-handedly, looking over his shoulder at the passing scenery. "Well, I don't at least. I dunno about you." Another shrug. "But DAY's not stupid. I'm sure she knows to be careful. Besides," Koga looked at NIGHT this time, "its not like she doesn't go to the market with you. Can't get more exposure than that."

[NIGHT 0]

"Please don't make it sound like I'm known for anything."

NIGHT relaxed into her seat once again, arms folded. Even amongst the front, she didn't seem to know where she stood against the sea of other players. That was good, on the surface. "If you had to ask me, having a blank slate for a reputation is better than being known for something. Especially if it was something negative in kind." Her eyes then drifted to her construct, still contemplating on Koga's words. The markets were fine. "You'd be surprised, if you did your research. Players have house attendants all the time. It wouldn't look too out of place if she followed me around in domestic settings."

When DAY brightened at her suggestion, things started to get woozy for the player.

"They're just a little obscure to get a hold of," NIGHT breathed, choosing not to study her doppel's image. "That's all."

"-- Besides," she added, after a brief moment of respite, "You? Without a reputation?" Her tone was only barely mocking, a slight smirk at the edge of her lips. "With that Christmas party of yours, I highly doubt that would be the case for long. Plus, you'd actually been sociable enough to get close with people." She didn't need to think twice about his presence in lieu of social gatherings, the few though far between that they had attended together. "So I doubt it. Although it would surprise me if it was anything but positive reviews."

[Koga 0]

Koga almost laughed at the thought of NIGHT not being known, at the very least throughout the Front. It felt kinda like a football team who didn't know who one of their star players were, it just didn't make sense. "NIGHT, I'm pretty sure you're the resident 'strong, silent type' of the Front. I'd be more surprised if someone didn't know your name," Koga said to his friend. "Remember, you stood to defend Gabrandr, no one batted an eye outta respect. Me, pretty sure half of them still wanna stick my head on a pike."

"Mm, I guess you're right," he then hummed in response. He had heard vague mention of NPC caretakers. Probably from NIGHT herself, but she wasn't the sort to disillusion herself, let alone to that degree.

A long groan of anguish echoed throughout the continent as soon as NIGHT mentioned his ill fated Christmas party. "First of all, I am always sociable," Koga said, rather emphatically. "I just don't like people. Second, that went about as well trying to snort Sriracha up your nose. It was a dumpster fire. -10/5 stars on Yelp is what the reviews are gonna say. Don't kid me, NIGHT." 

[NIGHT 0]

"I'd rather no one did know my name."

NIGHT listened, turning away for a moment. And just the same, her gaze met her counterpart's, the woman grinning back all the same at that news. No words were said, but with the smile directed her way, she wondered if it was all in attempt to make her flush.

"That's not even remotely true," she argued back, snapping back to Koga before she felt warm again. "Baldur called us both out on it. And don't think I didn't catch the side eyes a lot of the veterans were giving us, either. Just because I made the first move in Hirru's defense doesn't mean I would be exempt from their ire."

A small interruption from DAY tapping on the player's lap. With an upturned hand, it seemed as though the construct was asking for something, but NIGHT wasn't sure what for. So she placed her palm upon it, loosening her defensive posture. "You two should talk about this more often," the entity drawled, tracing over the outlines of her original's digits. "I never did get to hear what happened in these raids."

"Only because it's hard to remember what's happened," the woman fought back. DAY's reply was only a hum, uncertain apparent, before Koga continued their discussion.

"See," NIGHT added, feeling the weight of DAY's skin fold around her own hands, "I'm pretty sure we've never had parties like those before, but I've always believed things end badly in them. So that having been no exception straight up doesn't surprise me. Also, I don't think we have Yelp in Aincrad, so you're fine. Especially if you're not planning for another house party, Koga. And besides -- if you really detested these people as you said, then why in the world are you still out with them? Saves you the headache if you only keep to yourself, since you believe in it so strongly."

[Koga 0]

For whatever reason, the part of Koga that craved conflict wanted to argue with NIGHT more, but was thankfully interrupted by DAY. Koga nodded along with NIGHT. Even if it was his first raid, it figured that most would be ran in a similar manner, both by the players and by Cardinal. And the whole thing with being given the spare/kill choices and the whole sky-battle afterwards, Koga got the distinct feeling those were very uncommon.

Koga sighed as NIGHT wound up binging up a question he hadn't ever considered before. Yeah, he didn't really like people in the general sense of the term. He found them rather taxing as a whole, a huge drain on his already limited energy reserves. But lately, he'd come across quite a few people he'd actually found enjoyable. It made things...difficult. A part of him wanted to do nothing but push them away, to protect himself. But the rest of him, it longed for some kind of companionship.

The man turned to look past the wagon's front, at whatever lay ahead of them. "I guess that's got more to do with human nature, than it does me," Koga answered her, "us being social creatures and all." A small shrug as he turned, inhaled, and closed his eyes, head rocking back to rest. "Or who knows, maybe, I'm just masochist."

[NIGHT 0]

As Koga started to relax, so too did NIGHT turn towards the road. She ruminated over his answer, keeping the construct's hazy figure in her sights. "'No one is an island' and all that, you mean." Though she stopped, considering his input afterwards with a grin and sarcasm. "Yeah, like you look like the type."

"Oh, you're judging us now?"

And if the woman stopped speaking afterwards, it was in her observation of how their surroundings were starting to fade from rocky plateaus with farmlands bare to a growing number of saplings crowding their gradual descent. The forest wasn't dense yet -- one could still make out the shades of territorial markings from the lights of the rocks in the background, and yet the terrain, though dark, was hospitable to a number of shrubbery, however thin. Grey stalks shadowed the hooves of their couriers, NIGHT registering mentally just how different their environment was from their passage.

Then, and only then, did the comment from her secondary hit her. Wide indigos met calm blues, and her lips only pressed in a thin line continued to maintain their quiet as they travelled onto Srona territory.

[Koga 0]

In the dark behind shut eyelids, Koga could hear NIGHT's teasing remark, followed by DAY's retort. The man grinned, letting out an amused scoff aimed at the pair of...people. Players, AIs constructed by Cardinal, in a simple moment like this, it hardly seemed to matter. To Koga, they were just people.

---

Sleep overtook the man for the rest of the day long journey. The first real rest he'd had in ages. Though it wasn't filled with pleasant things, like sunshine or flower blossoms or such others. But it was devoid of the usual terrors sleep had brought with them. Long gone faces he'd not see until his life came to an end. Faces still with him, but fading away into darkness.

No, Koga was treated to the restful respite of a dreamless sleep.

---

The man awoke to screaming and clamor and chaos, a sinister orange glow casting DAY and NIGHT's faces in shadow despite the dark of night Koga found himself in. "What the f-" Koga scrambled upright from his inclined position, and looked towards the source of the light, a burning blaze, with countless NPCs hurrying about it, passing along buckets of water, throwing it onto the fire, attempting to quell the inferno that was consuming the building that birthed it.

"Fucking Christ," Koga swore as the carriage came to a stop, and NIGHT and DAY got off first. The man hurried off the wagon, his boots striking the dirt path with a small cloud of dust before he moved to start helping put the fire out.

[NIGHT 0]

Mysterious blaze indeed. For it was partway through their journey that the two women had to disembark and set up fabric over their shelter before the vehicle could continue moving. Rain poured light, then heavy and back again over the tarp overhead. And in the comforts of the darkness within, it was difficult not to stay close for warmth, despite the other civilians present adapting well, and NIGHT forced herself to huddle next to the entity despite being in public.

No one would know. No one would know. Chanted over and over again in her head, until she fell to slumber. Likewise, in solidarity, the construct closed her eyes, leaning into the player's scalp. Ever vigil, ever sleepless, DAY's watch continued without complaint.

Until the smell of smoke. And she was first to wake, to rouse the woman beside her to life. A small mutter of confusion came from NIGHT, still clinging tight onto that comforting white mantle.

"We're here. There's a fire raging on."

So it was no surprise to Koga how the two had managed to stay on alert as their wagon came to a stop. NIGHT hopped off, with her aid on her heels -- what she could make of the burning site was a half-scorched shed, and a few villagers desperately fleeing, looking for assistance. Part of the group that had arrived with them were starting to haul buckets off towards a nearby well, while others were running towards the trees clustered nearby with axes to clear the surroundings of flammables.

A glance to DAY told the player of her plans -- her work would've been the most efficient, and less regarded as long as she'd stayed away from the main stage. With a wave, the entity was on her way towards the forest, a makeshift battle-axe in hand.

The door of the burning building busted open just then, with a flood of alchemists running out, ingredients in tow. And though some spilled their collected stock onto the ground outside, they ran back in, shouting orders to one another.

"We need more hands!"
"Quickly, quickly!"
"Did everyone make it out okay?!"

That was their cue. So NIGHT followed suit into the building, skipping over the items spilled across the ground. To look for supplies -- or a victim of the fire, somehow?

---

ID204003 | cd9 | part 1: the mysterious blaze (9/30)

[Koga 0]

Already the two others of his party were quick to set to work. DAY set off towards the trees, presumably to help clear out the perimeter and prevent the blaze becoming an unmanageable wildfire, assuming Cardinal would even allow that.

NIGHT, for her part, did not hesitate to walk into the burning building. Koga nearly shouted at her that she was crazy, but he doubted she'd hear him even if he did. He other things he needed to do if he wanted to make sure she didn't burn to a crisp while inside.

The man was quick to join the line of NPCs tossing buckets of water onto the fire, doing their best to quell it. Okami ran back and forth from one end of the line to the other, ferrying the empty buckets almost faster than they could be filled.

Sweat poured off of Koga's face, the heat blistering in intensity. Each toss of the bucket seemed to evaporate, the sizzling drowned out by the all consuming roar of flames, before it even struck the burning wood. Were they making any progress at all? And what the hell was NIGHT doing in there?

| 204008, CD7, The Mysterious Blaze (16/30)

Edited February 23, 2022 by Koga

[NIGHT 0]

Good question. NIGHT too was wondering what the people inside were doing, because wandering back into a burning building was definitely not what she'd expected from their behavior. So she had half a mind to watch for what was to occur -- but the other part of her willed in favour of movement.

Within, it was chaotic -- the noise almost parallel to the echoes of the rabble in a raid boss arena. Nothing she could discern. Though to her benefit, her tracksuit was practically made for storage of tiny items; herbs, vials or otherwise. As she collected what little she could still left on the nearby desks, it was then that the few villagers still in the building rushed their way out, with a handful more moving quicker than the others, laggers asking their companions in front to hurry.

"How much Ushiame did we manage to save?!"
"Not enough! We need to head back in for more--"

And what personnel were ready to rush back in dropped a few blue leaves tinged with colors of a sunset; some scarred, scraped and crumpled. Eyes alight with purpose, NIGHT turned to watch the last few saviours of the herb head further into the shed, and she tailed along in hopes to help.

---

ID204026 | cd1 | part 1: the mysterious blaze (17/30)

[Koga 0]

Nothing that Koga could hear made any sense to the man. Almost nothing was discernable. It all simply mixed together in a cacophony of sound, a discordant orchestra. The deep rumble of the roaring flames and air-splitting cracks of burning wood served as the drums and cymbals, and the shouting, each it's own string. The music of chaos filled the air tonight.

"More water! We need more water!"

"You there, move anyone not able to help back! Make room!"

"We need medicine here! We have wounded!"

All Koga could do here was fulfill the task he'd assigned himself. Getting this damn fire out. Bucket after bucket. Passed to him by some faceless NPC, who's cracked hands he had practically memorized by now, blackened by soot. Every protruding veins, the chipped, gnawed on fingernails, even the hairs on the man's arms, revealed by the rolled up sleeves. Perhaps he was a blacksmith?

Of all the things going on at the moment, for some reason, this was what Koga chose to latch onto. All he could think about as his mind went into autopilot, throwing bucket after bucket of water onto the fire, was how much detail Cardinal had put into each of it's NPCs, no matter how insignificant they were.

---

| 204203, CD9, 26/30

Edited February 26, 2022 by Koga

[NIGHT 0]

So she didn't need to think twice about where to get the herbs. In fact, in some sort of miracle, one of the alchemists noticed her presence at the last moment. Immediately, the Ushiame was shoved into her hands -- heaps upon heaps of leaves, alongside a barked order: "You! Help us get this batch outside. Quickly!"

Stunned. But she was made to move in haste. "Please -- that's the most of what we could save," the villager mentioned, and NIGHT could see the edges burnt out at a glance, what remaining remnants saved from the scorch, the burn. In her slow backpedal, she watched as the rest of the stragglers stuff their hands full with other various bottles and pages.

She was just lucky she made it out before the rest of them did.

A scatter of those herbs on the grassy floor. The fire had been ripe -- but what work the rest of the others had done to put it out left only the back half of the building crumbled, blackened, a section of it that she must've not seen while on her way out. That part that had been marked for destruction long ago, NIGHT wondered, looking upon it just as the last singes of flame were put out on the roof of the building.

Now in a better state to carry the lot, she stopped to gather the bundle in a summoned layer of cloth, just as the rest of the crowd were slowly starting to gather once again.

---

ID204204 | cd7 | part 1: the mysterious blaze (33/30) we're done babeyyy

[Koga 0]

NPCs poured out of the burning hut, and one by one unceremoniously dumped whatever they were holding on the ground, while two or three others did their best to sort through it all, separating whatever could still be salvaged from what could not, categorizing taking inventory.

It seemed so little.

Koga threw one last bucket of water onto the fire as it died down. Though it still burned in some places, it seemed like it was running out of fuel, slowly receding until it would eventually die. The swords mans lowered himself to the ground, panting slightly as he wiped sweat from his brow, a black smudge of soot appearing on the back of his hand before looking up again.

NIGHT? Where was she? It was a few moments before the man actually spotted the dark haired woman, and the man stood with a groan before walking over to her. "Well, that's one way to welcome some guests."

[NIGHT 0]

Faded and hazy. If it was only the women as copies, NIGHT would've admitted she was still waking up from the sudden nightmare. Instead, her eyes were glued to the herbs in her arms, rather than the growing audience before a couple of village leaders. Her voice was faint, figure small, without the suit to keep her form ambiguous. "You can say that again."

The player found herself resistant to the heat, though not lacking of ashes stuck to cloth and hair. Had she looked in the mirror, she might've avoided being blunt while turning to Koga. "Also, you look like a mess."

Her words were interspersed by the shuffling of grass. Right behind her friend's figure was their construct looking no worse for wear as the players seemed. Past a quick "Heeeeey~", DAY was quick to examine the man's appearance with a glance, only to smile and turn between the two. "I take it we have time to stop at this village for a longer rest, then? You two need cleaning up."

"And I'm assuming they'll want us to repair whatever just happened here," NIGHT mused, glancing to the charred shed. Her sights trailed towards the crowd, then, their chatter too ambient for her to want attention towards. Rather, she took notice to the sizable group off to one side, with multitudes of different reagents spread across a table, corners scorched. A look downwards to the leaves in her bundle, and she pieced the puzzle together, taking a few steps forward.

"I think this belongs to them. ... Give me a moment."

[Koga 0]

Well...at least Koga knew for certain that NIGHT was okay. Snarky remarks inbound, she was perfectly fine. Koga rolled his eyes, at the woman and crossed his arms. "You're not looking too great there yourself, sunshine," he quipped back before the actual ray of sunshine made it's appearance.

A brief nod was all Koga felt was necessary at this point. "Yeah, an inn sounds like a good idea at this point," he agreed. Before NIGHT wandered off to return her bundle of herbs to the village. "We'll be here," the swordsman called after her, watching her go for a moment before turning towards DAY. "Guess, you'll be getting that room you wanted after all," he remarked to the woman. Pristine as always. Koga supposed that was just a perk of being one of Cardinal's facsimiles.

Koga looked back at the still smoldering pile of rubble that had been the apothecary. Thin wisps of smoke rose and quickly disappeared into the darkness of the night, lingering in the air like hidden whispers of something foreboding, waiting to spring forth at them. "So, what do you think the next part of the quest is gonna be?" Koga inquired, wondering if the construct had anymore insight into what they would be doing.

[NIGHT 0]

Small pieces of information scattered since their arrival. All she had to do was put them together, looking over the ingredients at the far table, the mess disorganized, and DAY knew of what was to come.

"Well, we were here for our mission, but aside from that. Tiberius wanted a courier sent back to Dagan with some medicine for the injured miners, right?"

The construct bowed her head towards her original, as NIGHT left, making sure that the man would catch her hint. Once that was conveyed, she turned to examine the path to the village. Though they were only stopped in a valley, the presence of an apocethary already present before the safe-zone only spoke to what the region held as their core purpose. Down the winding road was a large tree, the region's central landmark, with which the sanctuary that they were looking for neighbored.

DAY closed her eyes.

Srona was a locale filled with flora, with most of its species overgrown. Almost like a forest from an alien planet, as the developers' notes might've described. Tropical, flourishing and wild in the darkness. Some parts of the landscape even seemed to glow.

Though the players had been asleep during the ride, the construct still devoured the information given to her, as Cardinal willed it. Even without her acknowledgement of vision. The construct traced the vertices, the tips of the tallest models they'd passed on their route. Then she returned to the present.

The herbs they were looking for were only specific to this part of the Srona. At a glance, she could tell. So DAY turned to Koga, earnest. "It'd be better for you two to take the rest once you're done here. Ylvon might be a short walk away, but given the chances of a shortage..."

It was at that mention that the mutterings at the table began to pick up in volume. There might've been a foreign present person, one from the wagon they'd travelled on. The entity raised her voice to adapt. "--Well, Cardinal does like making things complicated. So, no doubt--"

NIGHT made a quick about turn from her spot.

"--Right on cue."

The player slipped her arm through the jacket as she unraveled it from its once-compact state. A troubled look spoke of problems not unforeseen, but rather untold. DAY studied her face with a knowing, careful eye.

"They're out of herbs to make the medicine," NIGHT elaborated, fitting snugly back into her suit. "Looks like they need our help."

Her hands fidgeted with the zipper.

"Percival -- that's their leader -- needed more of this... 'ushiame' thing. Said we could find them at some special grove nearby. And something about a warning."

DAY hummed at the mention of the threat in their complication. It drew a raised brow from her original, to which the entity shook her head with a smile.

"It's nothing~ Well, I'm ready whenever you two are."

[Koga 0]

Koga listened as DAY reminded Koga of why they'd first come to Srona to begin with, a fact he'd since forgotten in the chaos that had ensued upon their arrival. She closed her eyes a moment, to do what, the man didn't know, but when she opened her eyes, she gave an almost cryptic answer. "Ylvon?" Koga assumed that was the name of some other nearby town or location, but to what purpose? His answer came soon after as NIGHT marched back to them, zipping up her jacket.

"Nothing's ever easy," Koga sighed before looking at DAY. "If you know something, feel free to share," he said. "There's something to be said about preparation and whatnot." The more they knew about what they had to do next the better. Already, Koga could tell he would be unhappy, the prospect of gathering already giving the man a bloodclot, but the quiet hum elicited by DAY made him wonder if there was more to worry about.