[center][h1][color=gold]Aerith Hastings[/color][/h1][/center]

[i][center][h2]-Outside Gate 1-[/h2][/center]

Resets: 5

Deaths: 4[/i]

[hr]

One could call this man equal parts insane, or perhaps uniquely insightful in a bizarre way, depending on the words coming out of his mouth perhaps. Mostly the former, though all parts he was a madman, a true madman who cast magic without words and was leading an army of witch cultists. He went in and out of these spurts of mania like a river flowing down a crooked path, the obsession with this "Witch of Envy" being very clear cut amidst other oddities or facts she could pick up from it all. She tried to pick up how the cultists were feeling about this, but it wasn't like she could read this well when listening to Vaux right here before her. But she got the feeling he either thought her breasts were more valuable than her, which could be true, or that...maybe Joy? Aerith knew she herself also had a new power, albeit unique in its applications-....no, she was thinking too hard on this. 

Wasn't like she had any answers right now to a madman's raving, and she didn't want to become so mad as to be able to perhaps. Right now her situation was precarious as it was. Cultists wanting to raze Priestella to the ground, already a frightening thing. Then there was a probably-more-powerful-than-he-seems madman, leading a cultist army and wanting her boobs to seemingly secure the location of a witch's body hidden and buried in the city. Then, of all things, he wanted her to come back by his side to raze the city along with him. This, with instructions to come back as soon as possible with the location. 

By "Od Laguna", whatever that dove-like girl had mentioned that time ago, this was tense enough as it was! Frankly, how would she find a witch's body? Did she even want to find it, much less give its location? More important than that, even, her life, and those of any one of the others were still in this city and any civilians there, were going to be obliterated regardless if she came back or not. Genocide of human and demi-human alike. Maddened "affection" shown for "the one who loves us"....what made the influence of the witches like this, perhaps? What drove some to go so mad into this that they went about doing these maddening things? Had they been like her, but more desperate and less asking of questions? 

Ugh...

Deciding to stop overthinking things for the time being, Aerith nodded to Vaux before he had turned around. Then as he turned to leave, she took out the scroll from between her breasts, and walked promptly over towards the cart with a land dragon attached to it. She'd have to borrow a cloak to get into the city in the first place, and it wasn't like she couldn't guide a trained animal perhaps....right? 

As she eventually got on the cart to drive it, though, Aerith said a meek but directed prayer in her mind. A desperate, personal, private little thing. 

[color=gold][i]'Od Laguna? If you are a god of this world that people worship, i am in a bit of a bind right now and could use a listening ear if possible. Witches, new power, being drug to a new world by Talus, and being saved by Joy...frankly i just want to understand it all, and find the others safe if i can. Even just being able to save Hiro and Chieko would be...nice if nothing else. 

I don't know if you are listening or not, or if you exist frankly. But if you can hear me, it would be nice to get some help in this situation as a sign...and maybe some helpful info, though not about where this witch's body is. I get the feeling you might not like that if i asked for it, and i would agree...'[/i][/color]

Though Vaux did have one thing right, the dark-haired girl thought to herself, potentially. 

[i]She'd lower herself into the mud to get things done and save those she cared about enough, and push through it to soldier on and survive now. And right now was no exception.[/i]

[center][b]-------[/b][/center]

[i][center][h2]-Main Road, Cham, Priestella-[/h2][/center][/i]

Sure enough, her merchant act had at least gotten her into the city itself as a "humble clothing merchant". The cloak had helped as well for purposes of...trying to blend in better. Look like a traveler of sorts who was coming in, at least. Though despite her mask to put on appearances, her ribs still hurt just a tiny bit from Vaux's ironclad grip before. Made it slightly hurt to breathe, but little enough to mostly ignore it.  

But where should she go right now? That was the big question. She had been told to head down to the Docks to peddle wares, but...she did have one idea of where to go. Not the safest idea, mind, but she had the supplies to do a little something at least...well, try to. And if nothing else, maybe she would get out of being stabbed to death this time for all she knew. 

[color=gold]"Cheiko might be there...maybe. That was where the bandits came from, where we first met Fritzi, and where everything started to go downhill..."[/color] Aerith mumbled to herself as quietly as possible, letting out a quiet sigh afterwards. 


[center]Headed to:[h3][b]["Suttlings Basin, Priestella"][/b][/h3][/center]

[@BrokenPromise][@Rune_Alchemist]