[color=662d91][h1]Serena[/h1][/color][hr][hr]

[color=662d91]"Give the kid a break, grumpy."[/color] Serena rolled her eyes as Caderyn glared down Arc as if he wanted to vaporize him with the strength of his gaze along. [color=662d91]"I don't get what you have against the kid. He's a bit loud, sure, but harmless for the most part. . . and makes for good eye candy for a few of the village girls if the rumor mill is anything to go by. Makes good business when they come and try to talk to the dolt."[/color]

With that said, the red-haired woman looked over to see that Claire was still talking with Nia, but didn't seem to be taking down any notes like you'd expect an interviewer to do. Taking a sip from one of the glasses in front of her, Serena wondered what the spectacled reported had in mind but decided to leave her to it. She had done her part in setting everything up and telling Aiden that the girl was here, so everything else was up to him.

[color=662d91]"Before Ria comes and collects you both, either of you wants this drink? Seems like Nia and Company are stealing our reporter away from us and I'd hate to see it go to waste."[/color] [center][@j8cob][@pkken][@Sanguine Rose][h3]-----------------[/h3][/center]

[b]"Glad to see you guys don't lose your sense of humor around here."[/b] Claire couldn't help but join Nia in her laughter as the strange blonde started to pose for seemingly no reason. She gave a nod of acknowledgment to Nia and Lee as she followed them over, risking a glance over at Serena as she did so. Seemed like the redhead wasn't moving to intercept her, so she was likely free to proceed with the group on their job. Glancing over at Lee, she couldn't help but notice another figure skulking around along the edges of the guildhall, with little lights that acted in a similar fashion to the stranges. . . illusions she wanted to say that the pale man had around him.

[b]"Uh. . . excuse me for assuming but. . . do you know that little girl over there? The one with the lights popping in and out of sight over her head?"[/b][center][@Hero][@Grey][@KiwiTime][h3]-----------------[/h3][/center]
[h1]Road to Hilsgerd[/h1][hr][hr]

For one Trixia Blackfang, the last few days had been. . . less than stellar. Two days of nothing but watching the scenery go by, chilly nights on the roadside, a rather tasteless campfire broth, and similarly unappetizing trail rations. So far, the rest of today seemed likely to just be more of that as she sat on the back of the wagon while the trader that had requested the job managed the oxen pulling them along with nary a word to say. The entire trip he'd been fairly quiet and averse to conversation, speaking only in one or two words responses at best. 

[color=aba000]"HEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeyyyyyy Trixie. . . whatcha lookin' at?"[/color]
[hider=Odin][img]https://i.pinimg.com/564x/bf/83/74/bf83744e30b792cf477d260dcae0e89a.jpg[/img][/hider]
(Un)Fortunately, the man's son, Odin, proved to be much more sociable sort, having poked and prodded at the young girl for details and stories about how the guild was like, about her magic, about her life before the guild, and any other number of topics that a young merchant's son could think of as he tried his best to either get to know or irritate the girl. At present, he was sitting next to his father, turned around to give the young girl one of his beaming over-exuberant smiles.

[color=aba000]"I can't wait to show you the sights at Hilsgerd. Most people tend to think it's just a sleepy little town, but I'm telling you that if you know where to look, it can be quiet the fun little destination."[/color] He continued without even giving her room to really answer, gesturing to the road ahead where one could just make out the signature Windmill that marked the boundary town. While explicitly on the border between this region and the rest of Fiore proper, it was the first major settlement that people from Fiore are likely to pass through and as a result, often sees quite a bit of trade flowing through it. [color=aba000]"There's that one pie shop that mother always loved to visit, the minstrel shows that play around midday, not to mention sneaking up to the old windmill. Oh, and let's not forget. . . "[/color]

And so the boy would likely continue, spouting off about all of the mundane little pleasure to be found in the town unless Trixie saw fit to interrupt him.[center][@Quincy][h3]-----------------[/h3][/center]
[color=brown][h1]Bludmach: Outskirts[/h1][/color][hr][hr]

As the trio got themselves sorted out after their tumble in the back of the wagon, Klaus and Eldrid both would be made privy to another noise entering the marshlands, if only just so. Hidden in between the bursts of toxic bursts. . . a low grumble that was coming from. . . [i]below.[/i] They would have only an instant to react before the entire wagon was suddenly launched skyward, flipping end over end and sending any unable to react in time soaring as well. Where the wagon had been situated, a [url=https://i.pinimg.com/564x/7c/f5/96/7cf59640453d1eb3ce6902c2dda91655.jpg]shadowy creature[/url] stood instead, its form flickering as if it was not but a mirage brought on by the toxic swamp gases. 

But the strength which had launched the wagon was very much real and so was the toxic muck that some of the crew was about to fall into. Contact with the red mud with any exposed flesh would bring forth an almost searing pain as the caustic stuff began to eat away at their very flesh. Malone, for his part, was already getting ready to break his fall, curling into a ball to disperse as much of the force from landing as he could manage. That, mixed with the soft nature of the soil, made it so the force of the fall would not be too bad for anyone taking similar precautions, though it still knocked the wind out of him upon impact, seemingly unable to get up right away as he tried to catch his breath.

They would be given scarely a moment to breath, however, as the creature continued its assault by tearing a path straight towards the weakest link in the group: Malon.
[center][@Severance][@OwO][@Asura][/center]