That wasn't fair of Nymira to say that, suggesting towns were filled with criminals. Sure she'd had a bit of a bad run of things so far, and as far as they knew every place she'd been had involved some kind of crooks, but that wasn't the truth of it. A lot of the smaller towns out west were plenty peaceful, the worst crimes there being someone being a bit belligerent in public from alcohol. Ethan was sure there was a handful of bad folks out that way too, but to say towns were full of them was pushing it.

So who was this anyways? According to Nymira he was a liar, but then she hardly was the kind of person you generally went to for opinions on people. Much as he tried to find light in her attitude towards others she genuinely seemed to think herself above those around here. Giving Zander's hand a friendly shake he began to turn to leave, blinking in confusion when it was snatched back. "Er... Something wrong?" Ethan asked with a smile, glancing down at their hands a bit awkwardly. How did he know about the poison? True he still felt slightly ill from it, but it was nearly out of his system by this point, or so he thought. 

When Zander had mentioned he was a healer it was assumed perhaps he was a doctor of sorts. He had a pouch with him, most likely carrying some kinds of herbs or other medicines for his practice. So as the green aura began to cover Ethan's body his eyes widened and he glanced down at himself, watching it move all over him and turn a slightly darker hue as something was pulled through his skin. It was so weird, it felt like sweating only he wasn't warm, making him squirm a bit in place. Only lasting a few seconds the green aura retracted and suddenly he felt much better, the congestion and sluggishness that had been pervading his body now gone. Amazing, just like that and it was gone, where was he yesterday? Grinning broadly Ethan flexed his hands and hopped on one foot before nodding in appreciation to the other boy. "Thanks, and don't you worry, you're in good hands with us!" 

Of course Ethan would befriend this clown, he'd befriend a damned stump if given the chance. Nymira was not a fan of Zander's whatsoever and the fact he could heal them did little to better that. Narrowing her eyes sharply when he teased her the Dimuran dug her nails into her biceps, resisting the urge to smack him with all her might. "I'll cauterize my wounds if I must, I don't want your hands anywhere near me you rat," she hissed, an eyebrow twitching as he laid it on even thicker. He was pushing her buttons purposefully, she knew he was, and yet it was driving her insane. Where was the respect? She might not hold actual authority over him but she was still nobility, that had to count for something. Scoffing when Zander even gave Cecil a suggestion Nymira rolled her eyes, following behind Ethan as he began walking off. "Wonderful, he's able to help Cecil too, we are just [i]so fortunate[/i] to have someone like you along..."

[hr]

Finding the boat shouldn't be difficult. It was a boat after all meaning it had to be on the water right? And given the single river that ran along East Orosi Ethan assumed it would be easy to find their quarry. Despite his sentiment however the general consensus was they ask around first, no use in chasing a ghost or heading in the complete wrong direction. To this end they went to the piers, and after asking around about a merchant who had lost their ship they happened across the man in question, tucked away in his shop right along the waterfront. An eccentric gentleman by the name of Lazlo, garbed in an assortment of clothing that looked just as ridiculous as it did excessive. Apparently a merchant dealing in fine fabrics and exquisite silks, some of which worth an admitted fortune, he also divulged another part of his haul; hidden in the ship were two crates of a foreign liquor, strong potent stuff usually not allowed inside the kingdom. He'd smuggled it in as part as a huge deal and now desperately wanted it back. With no one in the group being an official he saw no harm in telling them, only earning a reprimand from Nymira. 

Having learned that he was upriver at the time of the attack it seemed fitting to go that way. Given its path it shouldn't be heading too fast, Lazlo argued, and they were bound to be landing soon to unload the cargo. It was highly possible they had already done so, but he urged the group on with great urgency to save his, as he put it, "precious clothes from the filthy ne'er-do-wells". Fine way to phrase it. With their direction now set they followed the pier all the way to the edge of Orosi, and from there made it onto the road heading north out of the town. Somewhere up ahead would be the boat in question, hopefully they managed to reach it in time before the cargo was stolen.

"You know... I never really got why people like alcohol so much..." Ethan mused aloud, tilting his head to the side as his face scrunched up in confusion, "It tastes and smells really bad, and it makes you act like an idiot. I tried it once back home and I got sick, I'd never want to drink it again. You couldn't pay me enough to drink it." Yet taverns were always full with people enjoying their beers and there were even breweries in some of the larger towns he'd been told, massive buildings where all they did was make beer. Now what was the point of something like that? Why did anyone need that much liquor? 

"Some people enjoy the high it gives them, others use it to steel themselves. Many Dimuran warriors drink before they go into battle, it helps to calm nerves," Nymira said with a shrug, "I for one never partook in it, I'm not a coward. But if it allows a warrior to fight without fear then it's perfectly fine, if a crutch." Yet there were the sort in towns who drank simply to be drunk, the types who just wanted the high. Those were the people that she and Ethan could perhaps agree where there was no point to it. She even knew of a man or two who drank to drown their sorrows, but again it just seemed like a weakness to her. You had to face those kinds of problems head on otherwise you risked showing your failings before those under you, and it made you vulnerable. So she'd been told anyways, a lot of good it had done thus far with these people.

Ethan didn't know if he'd go as far to call people cowards, and he'd never known anyone to drink to make themselves braver. Some guards back home drank in celebration, or when it was a quiet day he remembered a handful would sit at the tavern and enjoy drinks together, laughing and sharing stories. He didn't care for the drink but he loved listening to them, that aspect maybe was worthwhile if not the beverage itself. "Also do we have any idea what this boat is even supposed to look like?" he asked, changing the subject with a scratch of his head, "I mean... The town is a merchant town or something, right? So there's tons of boats coming in and out I'd guess, how do we know which is ours?"