duskshine749 said
"Well you can count me in on that adventure," Morthos said as he entered the tavern with the group. "Bottom of this place? Terrible monster? Sounds like an incredible opportunity to learn so many things." Morthos had already learned a great deal just from the distance he traveled from the surface to where he was now. He was just waiting for a group he could join so he could travel further with them and not fear for his life. Looking around he noticed everyone else had left the tavern after the fight, "do you always clear out places like this? Or is this a rare occurrence?"

"Rare in that the people were in any condition to simply, walk off." Rue replied, she gave a sidelong glance at Crystal. "Crystal, how long have you..lived here?" She said, trying not to bring up the Chef still lying unconscious outside.

"Hm?" the barmaid turned to Rue. "I was born here." she said. If it was any indicator, she did actually look quite pale, even when compared to her father- as if she had never seen real sunlight. "Yep. Daddy came here and was one o' them adventuring types. But then he had me and had to settle down here. I take it you guys ain't from 'round these parts?"

Meanwhile, back outside, a certain Sprite was not all that happy about the current developments. Stupid Gabriel, getting himself into fights like that. Why can't we just stay somewhere safe? I don't want to see anyone get hurt anymore... Stupid Gabriel, stupid, stupid, stupid!
Deep down, Lily knew all too well that that wasn't a realistic option considering the group's collective goal, but still... She wasn't sure if she could take any more death, let alone due to someone taking unnecessary risks. Resting against a nearby wall, the Sprite silently closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around her own chest. Maybe she should just find a new spring instead of liberating her old one. Her sisters had probably done the same by now anyway. What reason was there for her to go on? Of course, that did mean she had to find a way out of here first, something that likely wasn't going to happen any time soon. "I'm still stuck, aren't I?, she whispered, more to herself than anyone around her. "I'm free from that pond, but I'm still stuck in this accursed place. Why did I ever go down here in the first place?"

Descartes said
"Hm?" the barmaid turned to Rue. "I was born here." she said. If it was any indicator, she did actually look quite pale, even when compared to her father- as if she had never seen real sunlight. "Yep. Daddy came here and was one o' them adventuring types. But then he had me and had to settle down here. I take it you guys ain't from 'round these parts?"

Rue was somewhat taken aback, to be down in the dungeon so long and still survive. Her mother once told her that even Hell must have oases, but she never quite understood the meaning until now.

"We are not. Myself, James and Gabriel are from the surface. I assume Lily and Morthos and the Stralhist are as well." She continued. "We're on something of a mission, that takes us to the lowest depths of this dungeon. And..." She paused, this was something she was taught to never say in front of a client. "I'm at a loss. I have no idea how to get further down, that doesn't involve a shovels and picks."

Crystal stared at Rue, perplexed by the thought that people actually wanted to travel through the dungeon. She had lived there her entire life and she still didn't like it much. She took it that the lot was a group of adventurers like her mother and father were. "Uh huh..." she paused a bit, still looking a little confused. The barmaid reached to the back, grabbing a mug and leaning over the counter to a keg and filling the mug. She drank a bit of it then put it back down on the counter.

She leaned back and put her hand on her chin. "Hm..." she thought. "There's this one lil' door at the far end of the village. It's open slightly and if you shine a light through it, there seems to be some kind a rope hanging there. If you've got someone strong enough, you might be able to pry the door open and climb down the rope to the lower floors" she said. "Think the Laughing Scorpion could be strong enough? He did beat my daddy, and he ain't no light weight."

Rue paused and bit her lip. "Maybe. Right now it's the only ghost of a lead we have."

Gabriel turned to Rue, "Well we don't have to leave in such a hurry. After all, there are bound to be other leads here." He then turned back to the bar-table and took a mug of ale, and drank a bit of it. He smiled at Crystal, "Ah, perfect pour of Ale. You'd be surprised on how many bar servers on the surface can muck it up. Oh, I haven't seen a mirror lately... Does my face still look damaged and bruised up? I mean, my associates did do a nice healing, but I need an opinion on the matter to confirm that it looks all better."

"Mister Knotts, perhaps you've forgotten." She paused as a biting lecture formed. "We have been commissioned by the king of Clarksland himself to rescue his daughter, now being held in the depths of this infernal madhouse-No insult intended Crystal-by his best Knight gone rogue."

"If I act, " She continued ", like we're in a hurry its because we are in one. We need to be, because the Alternative is returning to Clarksland not with the Princess, but with news of her death. And I can't accept an outcome like that. Not as a Scion of the greatest guides and navigators in the world. Not as the child of the greatest amongst those greatest. Not as the one who agreed to this fool's errant...Not as-" She stopped, blink and took a breath. She had broken another taboo, never raise your voice to the client.

"Please excuse me Mister Knotts, I've forgotten myself" She looked at Crystal again "..I'm, going to have a look at that door. End of the village, isn't it?"

The barmaid faked a smile, seriously looking at Gabriel's injuries, her eyes clearly communicating that she was worried. It had appeared that her intent was to keep the halfling's mind off of the trouble. As Gabriel spoke, Crystal nodded and said "Mhm darlin'." She waited for him to finish, then turned to Rue. The barmaid seemed to wait patiently for her turn, the same hint of concern still present in her changing expressions.

It was clear that the barmaid had no real clue what was going on, being from the dungeon and all. Crystal turned back to Gabriel. "Let me get you a drink" she said, scurrying to the kitchen again. There were sounds of a door opening. Crystal returned with an old glass bottle of something. A label was put on the front, but it seemed to have long been faded. The liquid inside the long bottle was clear and still, sealed in with a cork.

"Take this" Crystal handed the bottle to Gabriel. "S'all I can do for you for now, since yer all in a hurry an' all. It's a cask of a special drink. Usually we brew it ourselves, but daddy actually found this one back when he was an adventurer. I snuck a sip of it once- best thing you'll ever taste, and it made me feel unstoppable. Safe to say, daddy caught me pretty soon."

Gabriel took the bottle, holding it with great care as he listened to Crystal talk about the content within. "I am honored you are giving me this." He opened his backpack up as he placed the bottle within it. He smiled. "Oh if only I could be here for a little bit longer, just to be with you a little longer, to bask in the light of your presence." He then glanced at his backpack, before showing off the Huxley Traveling Circus' Logo to her. "Oh, I'm not sure if you'd be interested in hearing this, but I felt I should share. I got this backpack from the Traveling Circus where I used to work. We traveled all around performing across the land, from the darkest jungles, full of treacherous beasts of all shapes and sizes and colors, where my Mom would go find new beasts to tame for her performances whenever our Circus passed through the Jungle, to the frozen wastes, with a majestic beauty that you can experience when you look upon a glacier forged by time itself,... Anyway, this backpack, along with my knives, have been with me ever since I started adventuring."

He gave a nervous chuckle as he began rubbing the back of his head, "I apologize if that uhm, wasn't a good story." Gabriel frowned, "I'm going to be upset that I will to leave you so soon...Especially as you provided me with that wonderful brew! And, I." Gabriel tapped his two index fingers together as he looked down, "Don't really have anything to give you." He looked back up at Crystal, "Well, not a physical item. But I suppose, if anything I have given you memories to remember and look back on. Perhaps, we can work on a few more memorable moments before I have to go?" Gabriel paused as he opened up his backpack and pulled out the bottle, "I would like to share my first taste of this with you. Would you give me the honor of sharing this drink with you?"

The barmaid breathed a sigh of relief, a smile washing over her face. She gently pushed the bottle away and shook her head. "Nah, you go ahead and take it. I'm sure there are more special occasions anyway. Yeah. Keep it nice and full, so the next time you and yer fellas get way in on yer heads, you can have a drink and think about the old girl waitin' fer ya here. Kay?" she explained.

Rue arrived in front of the door, lifted up her smoked goggles and attempted to pull it open, she was thwarted of course, either by rot, rust or some other impediment. Perhaps the group as a whole would be strong enough to open it. The crack was too small to fit anything bigger than her big toe into it, so there was no chance of using her foot to pry at it. She settled for taking a quick peak inside, though she had no light, eyes of her people had little need for such things, even in the deepest darkness.

Kenneth had remained outside the tavern, watching in case the defeated bartender got up for a second go and in order to let the Laughing Scorpion do his thing with the barmaid, whatever that may be. Even if some members of his church would've frowned upon it, he was totally okay with it. No, he was more concerned with the young and innocent Lily and how she was holding up, Sprites could be a touch emotional and the girl had been through a lot. "Hey Lily...you doing okay?" he said, trying not to startle her.

As Rue peered through the crack in the door, she noticed a few thick strands of wire surrounded in a mess of more wires, clearly cut, if not rusted at the bottom tips so that the other half had gone missing. The metal wires were all covered in rust. The others, made of some strange black material seemed fine, however, albiet torn a bit at the tip. Looking down below, there were in fact several lights visible. However, there is no real bottom in sight.

Gabriel simply nodded as he held onto the bottle. He glanced at it for a bit, before he returned it into his backpack. He returned his backpack onto his back.

Okay Gabriel... You know what you've got to do. You've gotta try a more direct approach! That'd get her attention. But what if you try it and send her running away, then that entire fight was pointless! Okay, fine, it wasn't entirely pointless as she would still have her freedom, which is why you did it. But I've got to get my satisfaction, I mean I did the heroic thing, where is the golden chalice of which I seek to quench my thirst? Then again there are many stories in which the hero doesn't get all of which he seeks. But I am a bard, I need it! Yeah, I just need to be a bit more direct. But what if she says no?... What are you saying Gabriel!? YOU JUST WON A FIGHT AND FREED HER FROM THE YOKE OF TYRANNY, SHE COULDN'T POSSIBLY SAY NO! She'd say yes, but do we have enough time, or would they take me back so that we can continue our quest to fight the King's Slayer? Gabriel just sat there, as he looked down, as if he were contemplating his naval when he was thinking these thoughts.

Huh, oh yeah, I didn't put back the chest piece back on. Damn it you have to convey your intent in a way that will get the point across, but not drive her away. Am I just wasting time that would be spent in a proper manner with this!? Great, juuuuuuuust what I wanted!

Due to her emotional turmoil, it took a moment before Lily's mind registered the fact that Kenneth was talking to her. "Huh?," the girl's face jerked in Kenneth's direction. "...They're all so stupid, getting into these dumb fights," she mumbled, apparently fully expecing Kenneth to know what she was talking about. "Do you think they ever bother to stop and think about what they do? How they make other people feel? How scared they might get?"
She turned back to staring at ther feet, her lower lip trembling for a second before letting out a deep sigh. "I... I don't want to see anyone else get hurt anymore, Kenneth. I don't think I could take it." At this point the Sprite just wanted to go home, but even that was impossible. "I... I just...," she sniffled, her voice slowly breaking due to the bottled-up stress of everything that had happened. Sure, she acted all fine on the outside, but on the inside she was just as fragile as everyone else. And right now, the Sprite was about ready to shatter, only preventing herself from doing so in a failing attempt to look strong.

On the one hand, it was just what Rue needed. On the other hand..Rue couldn't stop herself from fretting. She was no spelunker and had no way of knowing if those wires could even carry her weight, much less James or Morthos. The only way to know for sure was to go in and test them herself, with this in mind she grabbed as much of the door as she could and proceeded to pull at it.

"Well, you seemed to be enjoying yourself during the fight. Mister Gabriel made it a contest between men and we couldn't just let that guy to abuse his daughter like that". Kenneth scratched his head, thinking through what he'd say to the sprite. He knew she'd be upset, but not this much. "Look, I'm...not really the best person to speak about this. I'm an adventurer by choice, I actually enjoy the dangers and the challenge. I'm not gonna lie Lily, it's a hard life and getting hurt and seeing others get hurt...it's a part of it all and something you're gonna have to learn to cope with if you want to keep going. You just have to decide whether the end goal for the journey is worth it is all". Definitely not his best motivating chat, but it was the truth, and one best told sooner rather than later.

"Something else to consider: you have a gift. You can help those who are in pain, like you did with Gabriel. Not many people can do something like that. Helping out people who you've never seen before and might not see ever again for no reason other than because it's a good thing to do...that's probably the best part of a life like mine, and makes seeing all the hurt worthwhile, because you can do something about it".

"That's true, but...," Lily started, her voice sounding at least somewhat more stabler than shortly before. It was all so confusing. Just like Kenneth said, she was enjoying herself during at least a part of the battle, if only due to Gabriel's constant cheeriness. But then that jerkface of a cook grabbed him, and punched him over and over again, and... "It's just that-, why do we need to play by some kind of code, when there are people like him that don't do the same?," Lily continued, pointing at the cook who apparently was not enough of a bother for anyone to bother dragging him off. "I know that people get hurt all the time. It's just..." The young girl's voice drifted off for a moment before she went on with her story. "It's so dumb to get hurt just because you want to play fair. Monsters don't play fair either, you know. They don't play fair at all. They'll suddenly strike without warning, attacking completely friendly creatures in the middle of the night. Why should we then in turn fight them fairly, when they kill our sisters and destroy our homes?"
Somewhere along the route, Lily's topic changed from simply talking about their current situation to how she got into this quest in the first place. Whether Kenneth or not would realize this was not really something the Sprite cared about at the moment; honestly, she didn't even truly realize it herself.

"You're right though," Lily broke the silence. "I can help people. I want to help them too. I'd just liked it if they wouldn't need the help in the first place, you know? As childish as that may sound..."

"You think we're supposed to fight fair?" James asked, taking his foot off the unconscious bartender. "A regulated duel like you just saw, and a fight for your life are two completely different things. On the battlefield, the only things that matter are survival and victory. And for a rookie, just the former will do. Cheap shots, kicking sand, or even attacking the wounded are all considered fair play when it's your life or his. Frankly, it's pretty lucky none of us have died yet."

He put a hand on Lily's shoulder, and tried to sound more comforting. "Stay back and be a healer, if that's what you'd rather do. Just someone to mend our injuries is a great boon. But if you really want to fight monsters and heathens next to us, you have to get your hands bloody."