On the edge of the conversation, Cynthia stood and let her arms melt back into hands, the blood sliding off like it was on glass. She cleaned herself quickly, hearing the words they were saying and feeling a deep shame coming over her. "Another crazy murder machine...." She whispered, unable to contain her thoughts this time. Nyrette's voice pierced the tension.

"What do you mean 'You have no idea what you've done, do you?'" She mocked Luke. "Thus far, she's proven that she's closer to human than most of the people we've met today." She stood next to Quin. Cynthia approached but kept her distance from Iisska, seeing that he was extremely uncomfortable and disturbed. "I-I apologize." She tried to say. "I did what..."

"Don't apologize to them," Quin cut her off, "There was going to be a fight regardless."

"A fight. Not a carving contest," Iisska argued.

"A carving contest would be something Zen would do. This was a simple and clean kill. In case you don't remember, Vibroswords do the same kind of cutting." Nyrette retorted.

"Not my point," he said, "These jackasses were entry level chumps. That was overkill."

"Haemonculi don't have a limit. When they set out to do something it is done quickly and to completion even if their means go far beyond human sensibilities. There is no grey area. You can't reign them back in. You can't tell them to tone it down. It doesn't work that way," Luke crossed his arms.

"To speak of Haemonculi like that, is almost same as if speaking of droid." Cheshik said, approaching as he cleaned his halberd blade of blood. "Remind me of when first droid began to gain life, understand death. See what love and loss is. Before, they were servant, as I am sure you want Cynthia to be." He said, shouldering the halberd. "Luke. You are very wrong."

The man's eyes narrowed and he sized Cheshik up very carefully.

"Pardon me, but a what?" he asked quietly.

"A...Auto-matron? Quin, remind me of word." Cheshik said.

"Automaton," She quipped.

"Yes. Automaton. Marquis in home is droid. His skin metal, but heartbeat is true like warrior. Same is said of Cynthia, but skin is just very very hard, not metal," He finished.

Luke looked around at the group in shock and even Tristan perked up at the mention of such a thing.

"Seriously?" Tristan asked.

"No," Luke snapped, "You people are raising golems and giving them names and souls now too? What is wrong with you outlanders?"

"Golem?" Cheshik said.

"Regardless." Nyrette spoke before Luke said anything else. "If you don't like how we handle ourselves, you can take yourselves that a-way." She pointed away from them and towards the road. "I'm sure the guards would love to hit on you and your lover too." She would have glared if she had eyes. 

"Wait no!" Tristan interrupted and ran forward, "I wanna see this thing. Also, ew. Also, guards. Also..."

He wrapped an arm around his brother's shoulders and turned him away from the group for another argumentative whispering match. Luke straightened and huffed out of his nose and looked like he was going to strangle someone. Tristan looked like an overexcited child.

“Come on. For me. Please?” Tristan begged, “I know you’re interested too. Don’t lie. Liars go to--”

“Fine!” Luke spat.

He turned around to the group once more and tried his best to relax.

“I’m s-- sr-- I’m sorry. I was out of line and we would very much like to meet this… ‘droid?’ If you would allow us,” he said.

Nyrette crossed her arms and gave Tristan a smug look. “I’m not sure.” She said finally. “I’ll let you see Marquis if…” She pointed at luke. “If he apologizes to Cynthia and mean it.”

“I already did, just now,” Luke said.

“Don’t you take this away from me,” Tristan threatened, “Just do it. Look at this freak show-- Ahg, I mean… Lovely people… How exciting is this?”

“Ya know, because of the freak show bit, now you both have to kiss her hand and apologize really nicely.” Nyrette smirked.

“Doooo it. Doooo it. Doooo it! Doooo it!” Cheshik chanted.

“I would be honored,” Tristan put on his best grin and urged his brother on.

He strode up to Cynthia with only a few long, graceful steps and went down on one knee. He took her hand in his so very gently and looked up into her eyes.

“My lady,” his words were soft and elegant, “Please accept our most sincere apologies.”

Then he kissed her hand.

She was very embarrassed. Enough to want to just hide because of all the hate towards her from the boys yet the love from the girls and Cheshik. Again, she was presented with an inability to know how to deal with the emotions. In the end, she just patted Tristan on the head.

“You too, Luukyloo.” Nyrette chimed.

“I will not be responding to that demeaning pet name,” Luke said as he walked past her.

He too took Cynthia’s hand and looked her in the eye, but did not smile nor kneel like his showboating fool of a twin.

“Please accept my apology. I’ll be keeping a tighter reign on my tongue,” he said.

He placed a quick peck on the back of her hand before dropping it.

“That was adorable,” Tristan giggled.

“Don’t talk to me,” Luke growled.

“L-lets just...get out of here…” Cynthia said, quickly scooting away in embarrassment.

Once the group finished with their bloody festivities, they made their way back to the animals, whom had promptly dumped most of the items the gear that was on their backs out of boredom and was playing with one another in the field next to the road. After some scolding from both Cheshik and Iisska, they reloaded the gear and headed off again towards the ship.

The entire trip however, Cynthia avoided Iisska's gaze. She was embarrassed and mortified of herself. To her, she saw an alien. An outlander that had seen what the stars were like and experienced things she couldn't even dream of. He was fascinating and she had driven him to sheer uncontrollable rage because...

"Another crazy murder machine..." she whispered to herself. From in front, riding on Snickers' back, Nyrette craned her head after having heard Cynthia's hushed words.

"What?" She said, finally.

"N-no. Nothing." Cynthia said quietly.

Nyrette wasn't convinced. It was obvious that the Haemonculus wasn't accustomed to hiding her emotions from her face. Nyrette could see that she was distraught. She hopped off of snickers and snuck back to walk with her. "What's wrong?" She didn't respond.

"Is this about earlier?" Nyrette said. Cynthia's eyes darted away for a moment. "Don't worry about it. Iisska's just going through a lot what with Zen being in a coma and everything." She smiled.

"How...how do you control yourself?" Cynthia said, wringing her hands.

"What do you mean?" Nyrette replied.

"Your...feelings. How do you control them?" Her cheeks glowed a slight blue, embarrassment marring them.

"My feelings? I...just do. I never let them take over my life. You...must be going through just as much as Iisska since taking off your mask. God, no wonder you went nuts against the bandits." Nyrette bit her lip, realizing that Cynthia was a ticking time bomb.

She looked towards the ground and took a deep breath. "I'll be fine. I'll learn to manage my emotions more easily." She smiled at Nyrette. The nervousness Nyrette felt in the pit of her stomach only grew a little more when she saw Cynthia's attitude change. 

"Um. Alright then." She shrugged and went back to Snickers' back with Quin, whom had been listening in on the conversation. She ended up holding Quin's hand for the duration of the trip back.

The rest of the trip back went rather quickly now that the animals had traveled it once before and they didn't have to deal with a back full of supplies. The food held together nicely on Kobel's back while Snickers carried the weapons, gear, and alcohol. They even managed to pick up a few tools while they were in town too. Not great tools, but good replacements for the bits of metal that Iisska called tools.

It was nearing sundown when they finally stopped and dismounted the animals. The day had gone from a bright and sunny to an overcast, blotting own the sun and leaving them with a bright grey that threatened to turn into rain. A mist had rolled in from the lake as well, though Cheshik had no trouble finding his way into it to finally take a bath. 

"Marquis! We're back!" Nyrette yelled. Not soon after she yelled Marquis came down the ship ramp looking angry as ever. 

"So." Marquis started. "Trip go alright?"

"Yeah. Here. From all of us." Nyrette fished out the [url=http://www.lawranceordnance.com/the_sharpened_edge/swords_european/images/italian_rapier/1.jpg]Rapier[/url] that she had bought for him in town and handed it to him. 

"Oh my." He exclaimed, his eye turning bright yellow as his mood finally lifted a bit as he handled the blade. "How did you know that I had been trained to use a sword?"

"You seemed like the kind of person whom would know." She replied.

"You were right." He exclaimed as he slashed the air with it a few times to test it before returning it to the sheath. "Thank you."

"Anything happen while we were out?" She said as she started to unpack the supplies with Iisska."

"WELL." He placed his hands on his hip. "I have...great news and horrible news!" He coughed. "A lot of the ship's facilities came back online. The thrusters and turrets will not respond, but I did check the pipes and electrical systems. A lot made it through the crash and bathrooms are running as well as everything in the lounge...Zen really made that room indestructible...speaking of which."

Marquis paused for a moment to watch Cheshik yell and jump out of the lake to race to the ship and take a long hot shower. Nyrette clicked her fingers in front of his face a few times. "What's the horrible news?"

"Um...how to put this lightly...." He looked at Iisska. "Not my fault, I do not know what prompted it or what happened to him but...."

"But?" Nyrette frowned.

"Zen woke up." Marquis said flatly. "He got his speeder working and took off into the forest. This was a day after you left. I do not know where he went."

____

Meanwhile. On the floor of a bar nearly a hundred miles away in the middle of nowhere.

Zen lay on the floor, a flagon of ale still in his steel grip, face down and passed out. His head shot up with a snort and a gasp. "Fuck me. Cheshik'll be pissed." He put his head back down and went back to sleep.