Sylvia let out an "Ow," after Pylia flicks her forehead. She rubbed her forehead as she listened to Pylia's words. At first she smiled hesitantly and abashed at Pylia's kind words, but when Pylia's menacing air appeared, she stopped. It was clear that Pylia was suspicious of her now. She simply nodded at her advice, answering her with an "OK," As Pylia would head back and Sylvia followed behind her, Sylvia thought sadly, with her smile fading for a moment,

"Pylia. You really should take your own advice to heart,"

The worry and concern she had for Pylia regarding whatever she was dealing with right now made Sylvia feel sick. Why doesn't Pylia talk about that being if it was an old friend? Was it forcing her to do anything that she didn't want to do? How long had she been in contact with it?

They reached the room, and there was a lot of food here. She waved back to Shortfang as he waved, with a smile on her face. She followed through with Pylia's request, and quickly put on the spare robe that Pylia had in her bag. She thanked Pylia, before turning her attention back to Shortfang and Buddy. She answered Shortfang, "A little. A marinated sirloin steak? Wow, it sounds good,"

She then read Buddy's note, and her expression grew serious as she looked at Buddy in the eyes. She mouthed quietly, making sure that Pylia didn't see her lips move, "We'll Talk Later," before turning her attention back to Shortfang and she asked "Sorry we left without warning, Shortfang. You and Buddy weren't too bored were you?"

Shortfang shook his head. "Nah, Buddy good friend. Been teaching him game pa taught me. Called Pathfinder!" The kobold says with a wry smile. "Got no pieces, so we use coin and stuff. Buddy is dwarf warrior going to fight my big dragon, who is this cup." Shortfang uses a small empty cup as his dragon proxy and a single gold coin as the dwarf. "But! Dragon has minions! Zombie minions." Shortfang used copper coins as his zombie minions. "We do rolls and stuff, see if Buddy can kill zombies, he strong so should be easy. But Dragon have traps! Many cunning traps." Shortfang continued to explain how Pathfinder was played, and frankly it seemed more like he was playing by himself with Buddy rolling the dice. Soon there was a knock on the door as a voice called out for room service. Buddy went to answer the door to find one of the tavern maidens with some fresh linens and another plate of food, which got Shortfang excited.

Buddy went to change the sheets on the beds while Shortfang ate his steak, cutting it half to share with you. He even portioned out the carrots and potatoes for you too, giving you a considerable amount. "Eat up! Shortfang getting stuffed, so he just eat some." He hands you a knife and fork to eat your food, even pouring you some ale into the "dragon" cup. Between bites Shortfang chatted with you. "Hey hey! Where you go? Ask Buddy, he give shrug. Shortfang wanna go too but didn't wanna get lost and trouble. But! People here kinda nice. Big humie give me problem when Shortfang go get food, but weird mask elf step in, say humie drink to much. He use magic! Shortfang can tell." Feeling particularly chatty and possibly drunk, Shortfang started rambling on and on a lot about what he saw during his short jaunt from the room to the front desk.

"Got to see back, saw orc, and funny looking elf! She have green scale, kinda like Shortfang but kinda ugly. She look scary! And make Shortfang wonder, how are orcs and elves in Gransys? Back at Shortfang tribe, lotta bad orcs and elves. Both raid and attack a lot. Orcs have big ships with big boomy weapons, and elves ride big animals and attack villages. Shortfang tribe live underground so not bother by orc or elf, but see them a lot when out hunting. Shortfang's tribe, Shadowrun, called that because we travel fast in dark. Run in shadows. What about boss? What about boss's family?"

Sylvia listened as Shortfang answered her question. When he described Pathfinder, she couldn't help but get this vague sense that she might have heard of this game before, possibly in passing when she lived on Earth. She chuckled and joked, "I'm rooting for your dwarf warrior, Buddy," She watched as Buddy answered the door for the room service before she could and he changed the sheets. She accepted the half of steak and carrots and potatoes, and silverware, from Shortfang with a "Thank you," after he told her to eat up. As she ate, she did choke a little and cough quietly at his question as to where she went. Thankfully, that didn't last long and he had gone on to talk about other topics while she ate slowly and listened.

A weird elf in a mask? She made a mental note so that if she saw him, she could thank him for standing up for Shortfang when she couldn't be there.

She also wondered what kind of person was an elf with green scales...nothing she could think of fit the description.

When he asked about how elves and orcs live in Gransys, she wasn't sure how to answer. She wasn't sure either, considering her lack of knowledge regarding Keratia. When he asked about her family, she gave a smile and she answered "Oh, my family?" She didn't mind talking about her family, so she continued,

"Well...my family is actually pretty small, but we lived in a city kinda like Gransys. I lived with my grandparents, and I don't really know if I have any other family members other than them," She smiled fondly at the memories she had and she continued, "My grandmother actually taught me how to cook, and my grandfather taught me the basics of martial arts, and how to properly meditate,"

“Ah yeah, med-di-tate. You fight like fist fighter! Shortfang only see few fist fighter, like you. Shortfang wanna Be fist fighter when young, but he too small, fist don’t hurt enough.” Shortfang finishes up his meal and piled the plate on top of themselves before drinking more ale. “Hey hey, what’s grandparent? They like... Greater parent?” He seemed confused at the term. Might not be something kobolds are familiar with.

Sylvia chuckled at his words about how he wanted to be a fist fighter, and she commented "Funny enough, Shortfang, I'm not using sheer strength for martial arts. I use the speed of my attacks and where to hit my enemies to be effective in a fight," When he asked her what grandparents were, she answered him, "I think so? Well, grandparents are your parents' parents. For example, Skinwalker's mother would be your grandmother!"

“Ooooooh, so like ancestor?” How Shortfang knew the word ancestor but not grandparent was something of a mystery, however he seemed to understand the jist of it. “Shortfang don’t know grandparents. Pa’s parents dead before Shortfang born, so is ma’s parents. Shortfang have brothers and sisters, but dunno where they go. Thought Shortfang find at Sewer Dragons, but nah.” Taking a coin in his hands, Shortfang gave them a quick snap, causing them to spin around on the table like a top. “Why Boss live with grandparents and not parents? Parents die?” He asked bluntly.

Sylvia nodded and answered his first question, "Yeah! Kinda like an ancestor!" She listened as he talked about his family, and she did feel a bit bad that he couldn't find his siblings here with the Sewer Dragons. When he asked about her parents, she quietly sighed a bit and answered him, "Something like that. My mother died a little after I was born, so I didn't really know her. And my father...well, I don't know what really happened to him. Nobody really did. He kinda...disappeared after Mom died, and normally it wouldn't be a problem to find someone back home, but there was nothing. No paper trail, no evidence, nothing. I think Grampa simply chalked it up to Dad simply being a Deadbeat,"

Shortfang nodded. “Mhmm. Shortfang understand that. Deadbeat, like person who leave tribe but don’t give back what they take. Shadowrun have that problem. Lotta mommy kobolds, but no papa kobolds. Shortfang’s pa stay in tribe to help sisters who no have papa kobolds.” Soon Pylia came out from the water closet and called you over. “The water is warm now, so go ahead and wash up. I’ve mended the clothes and I’ll wash them after you’re done so we don’t waste any water. By the way Shortfang, have you washed already?” The kobold grunts. “Shortfang not stinky! Is okay. Go do silly human washy thingie!”

Sylvia nodded in agreement with Shortfang's definition of Deadbeat. She listened as Shortfang talked about how Shadowrun has that problem. She quietly answered "I see..." She felt bad for the kobolds of Shadowrun. Before she could say anything else, Pylia came out and told her that the water was warm. She didn't say anything regarding Shortfang's answer about bathing. She supposed it was fine for now, since they still have business to take care of in the sewers tomorrow, but that might be a different story before meeting Duke Erod when he comes back.

She answered the both of them, "Thank you, Pylia. I won't be too long," She then went over to bathe, hopefully with privacy so that the others don't really see her, and she quickly bathes herself, using the soap to help get the smell of the sewers off of her.

As soon as she is done, she comes out and tells Pylia, "OK, Pylia. I've finished,"

“Alright. It’s getting late, you should head to bed.” Pylia says as she walks over. “I’ll try to be quiet, though frankly a lot of our things need a thorough washing... Ah, if it wasn’t this late Is hire someone to launder everything... Alas. Anyways goodnight, if you go to keep before I do.” Pylia heads inside of the water closet, closing the door behind her as she washes up and cleans the filth out of the clothes. Shortfang had taken the dishes outside of the room, leaving you alone with Buddy who was standing by the door as he often does. He seemed to be doing maintenance on his axe, cleaning, piling, and sharpening it.

Sylvia nodded to Pylia and after looking at Buddy for a second, she told her friends, “Okay. I’m gonna hit the hay. Night guys,” She then headed for her bed, and lied down. She was planning on telling Buddy what she saw while going through the usual out of body experience. Maybe he will know something about what she saw. It did not take long for Sylvia to close her eyes and get herself to sleep.

Indeed, it barely took you more than five minutes before you’d fall asleep. It has been a very long and tiring day for you after all. Shortfang himself was still awake making a few crossbow bolts by the fire while Pylia could be heard washing her clothes in the nearby water closet. When Buddy saw your ghostly form he finished cleaning his axe and looked to you. ”How did it go? Pylia does not seem harmed.”

Sylvia sighed as she appeared next to Buddy. She crossed her arms, and she answered Buddy, “I was able to follow her and not get caught until the both of us were back in the inn. I was concerned before, now I’m worried about Pylia,”

She continued, “I saw the red smoke you mentioned before, Buddy...along with something else. There was a blackened skeleton, and It had a short conversation with Pylia about something. I couldn’t understand a word they said. Pylia made it leave by touching her holy symbol,”

”A black skeleton? That sounds profane. Pylia’s magic is divine in nature which could explain how she made it leave, but why would it approach her on the first place? And you said it only spoke to her... Not fight her? That does sound similar to when I spotted her. She was dirty from falling to her knees, but she had no weapons or wounds. This is all very strange.” Buddy crossed his arms and tried to think of a reason when Pylia peeked her head out. She seemed to have washed up already and went over to the closet to grab her pack. She glances over to the beds to see you asleep and Shortfang busy with his crafting before returning to the water closet with her pack. Buddy stood still as a statue but watched.

”I wonder what she plans to do with that. Sometimes tells me she is t just doing laundry in there.”

Sylvia answered Buddy’s questions “There wasn’t any fighting between them. Heck, she wasn’t even bothered when it appeared. The doll said it was an old friend, new enemy, so I’m getting the impression that Pylia May have been in contact with this thing longer than just that night and now,”

She watched as Pylia re-emerged from the water closet and grabbed her pack. When Buddy asked his question, Sylvia commented “That’s what she said...but I don’t think it’ll hurt to double check. Just in case. Hang on a sec,”

She then moved to the water closet and peeked in to see if Pylia was truly doing the laundry. She hated suspecting Pylia, but she knew she had no idea what she and the skeleton were talking about, and if it told her to do something here...

You see Pylia haunches over on a stool, her robe hanging off a hook on the side. In front of her was the wash basin filled with water and soap, dirty from the blood and grime from today’s adventure. You see Pylia grasping what looked like a white pipe in her hands, lighting it with her magic before taking a puff. Smoke soon filled the air but it didn’t vanish; it lingered for a while. Pylia continued to do the laundry as the smoke lingered, but looking closer you could see shapes in the smoke. The details were hard to make out due to the dimlight, but you could see images of Pylia in the smoke, but younger. She seemed happy. You see images of her playing in an open field or around a temple, with other girls her age. They dressed simply, likely a time where Pylia grew up at the temple.

As time would pass the images would change and show the same repeating images, most of them of Pylia’s whimsical childhood. One stood out to you though. Pylia walking through a field, kneeling down, and picking up what looked like a skull. And then another girl around Pylia’s age approaching her from the other side, kneeling down in front of Pylia and holding the skull with her. They smiled, and then the image would fade and repeat.

Sylvia blinked as she watched Pylia smoke from a pipe and summon up a cloud of smoke. She watched the smoke and saw the images play out. Were they...Pylia's memories? And that other girl...was she the profane skeleton she saw earlier? When she saw that the images were on repeat, she pulled herself out of the water closet and back to Buddy. She told him, "She is doing laundry, as well as smoking. I think she's watching a memory of hers on repeat. It's when she was a little girl, and she found a skull with another girl..."

"That sounds unusual and profane." Buddy says plainly. "Nothing about her magic indicates she channels negative energy but... Skeletons, smoke, skulls.... Sounds as if Pylia dabbled in necromancy. I do not wish to accuse her of anything of course, but I do believe there are questions which need answers. Have you spoken to her about any of this yet?" By now Shortfang was done making his arrows, telling Buddy goodnight as he went over to the other bottom bunkbed, curling up underneath the sheets and looking like a small bun. Buddy went to prod the fire, spreading the wood so that it would slowly fizzle out and minimize any sparks or embers escaping. "You should speak to her and find out if this entity intends to continue meeting her. The undead are not positive creatures. Their very existence is an anathema to life and death itself, feeding off the living and stealing from the dead. I would hope that her intent is against them, and not aligned with them."

Sylvia ran her hand through her hair as she answered Buddy, "I haven't spoken to her about it yet. I wanted to talk to her about what the doll told me earlier, but she went off to meet with Skeletor all of a sudden," She watched as Shortfang left to go to sleep, and Buddy tended to the fire. She answered him clearly in thought over his words, "I want to speak to her about it, and I intend to. But I think it may be wise to do it away from bystanders,"

She then asked Buddy, "Hey, Buddy...I was able to see your memories when I possessed you. But do you think it's possible for me to show you my memories? I heard their conversation, but I couldn't understand the language they were speaking. Maybe understanding that conversation will give us a better idea of the undead's intentions..."

Buddy shrugged. ”You may try, but I cannot guarantee success. I do not understand the language that Pylia uses for her incantation any more than you do. But at the very least I will do my best to record what they said, and perhaps you may find someone who is capable of translating what they said. Buddy walked back to stand by the door and waited for you to try and possess him. It was going to be a strange process considering it will be your first time doing something like this specifically, but it wasn’t outside the realm of possibility.