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[indent][indent][indent][color=gray][sub][right][color=#dc143c][b]Location:[/b][/color] The Dungeon -- The City-State of Thorinn, Aetheria[/right][/sub][/color]
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There was work to be done. The party wouldn't get another respite until the dungeon's end, so it was best they prepared for what challenges lay ahead. Their fearless leader, Benkei, was working with Rael to account for all the supplies they had to work with. They'd gotten to work mere moments after the attendant left-- were they just putting on a brave face? Or did a chance encounter with death really not scare them?

[color=dc143c]"Could use a snack."[/color] He cleared his throat on approach, burying his shame for another day. He hadn't expended much energy thus far, but he was still peckish. It was weird. He didn't get nearly so hungry so quickly in the real world. Was it all the extra muscle he'd put on in the game? An odd thing to mull over as he reached down and collected a sizeable bit of food. After a moment's thought and a glance over his shoulder he picked up a second share. 

Then his eyes went to the collection of special items and potions they'd laid out. Graves hadn't taken the time to drop by the alchemist in Thorinn before the raid, stupidly enough. He'd gotten cocky, excepted to run through this no problem. [color=dc143c]"I could use one'a them ironskins too."[/color] He reached down and plucked one up, slipping it into a specially made loop in his belt. There was another vial hanging next to it that he pulled from its string. [color=dc143c]"Don't like takin' without offerin' anything back,"[/color] he said, tossing it to Rael. [color=dc143c]"Extracted straight from a basilisk's fang. The guy said the poison's so potent it'll burn you just by lookin' at it too long."[/color]

Graves winced just at the memory of it, a hand moving up to rub his shoulder. [color=dc143c]"Think I believe him, too."[/color]

That single, concentrated extract was worth almost a quarter of the kill by itself. It would've made for a hell of a hunting tool in his arsenal if the world hadn't gone to shit. Now, all he could hope was that it saved a couple'a lives before the day was done. [color=dc143c]"Maybe hand it over to the archer. Can only imagine what a shot of that shit through the eye would feel like. But, y'know,"[/color] he shrugged, [color=dc143c]"I trust your judgement any which way."[/color]

With a final, over-exaggerated bow, he turned away and was off.

His path brought him over to where Seele was "helping" the much larger Alja to her feet. Evidently they'd managed to work through her panic attack together. That brought some comfort, he had to admit. Alja was good at what she did and they needed her help if they were going to get through this. She might not be back to her usual, chipper self for awhile, but this would have to do. Seele'd done good.

[color=dc143c]"Here."[/color] Graves offered the second serving of food he'd taken over to Alja, plopping down on the ground where she'd once been to scarf down his own meal.[color=dc143c] "Goshta keep yer shtrengthh up."[/color] He sloshed out between chunks of jerky and dried out fruit.  
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