[IC] The Narrow Path

[Skinner35]

"Okay..." He said, still slightly uneasy, but he could tell that she wasn't an enemy. "Hello Eve. I am Tobias. My friends over there are Gobbo and Jen. What are you doing around this area?" He asked, she looked out of place in the slum area. He then retracted his blade and started to let his hand cool off.

[Gardevoiran]

"Explorin' the world, gettin' to know the people before I finally attempt to claim my title as the Phoenix Queen." For a second Eve looked confident before she hunched over a bit and tapped her claws together. "... I'm not actually that strong compared to the current queen..." she said before she looked at you again and noticed your party, especially the snake. "You seem to be lacking in friends... did something happen to your troop?" she asks enthusiastically.

[Skinner35]

"Ah. Yes. We are missing a few. They were kidnapped during an attack on a friends shop. We are on our way to recover the rest of them now." He said while processing the information she gave. "Oh... Uh... You can meet the team if you please." He said as he walked towards the tent, then waved her over as he retrieved his bag.

[Gardevoiran]

"Tobias. Who is the harpy?" Jen asks inquisitively when you walk over, Eve staying behind to grab her things that were dropped when she burned that thug. "She seems pretty powerful, if I must be honest."

Gobbo suddenly joins the conversation while playing with a green cloudy mist. "She ish Evelyn Pyrothol, apparently." How did Gobbo know her full name? Eve didn't give that to you, and Gobbo wasn't even there for the conversation. Odd.

[Skinner35]

"Well... As Gobbo said, she is Eve." He said, as he stepped inside the tent to change. "Be nice, I'll be back in a minute."

[Skinner35]

"Well... As Gobbo said, she is Eve." He said, as he stepped inside the tent to change. "Be nice, I'll be back in a minute."

[Gardevoiran]

You step outside the tent to see Gobbo mortified where he sat (for reasons unknown), and you see Jen and Eve talking between each other. Eve sees you and flies back over to you, cooing affectionately. As soon as she realizes what sound she made, she backs up away from you while holding onto your metal arm. "S-sorry... you're just warm."

Jen grabs her things and starts breaking down her tent. "We are wasting daylight. We must find Magdalene and get her back."

[Skinner35]

"It's okay, it is still cooling from the fireball." He said softly as he saw Gobbo. He then knelt next to him. "Hey bud. Is everything alright?" He asked as Jen made her call. "Cmon, tell me along the way." He said as he helped Gobbo up to him back.

[Gardevoiran]

"Sh," Gobbo says as he raises a finger up to your mouth. "I-I will eckshplain everything later." The goblin then rides on your back in silence.

Eve follows behind you and your friends as Jen leads the way to the Rich District, and as soon as you get there you see the snootiest snobs around. Better yet, you see the supposed slaves of those snobs. All of them female, at that.

The rich snobs look at you and Jen like you two had fourteen eyes each. Jen looks at you and whispers to you "Why are they observing us, Tobias...?"

[Skinner35]

"Because we just came from the slums with a harpy and a goblin." He whispered back as he looked around. He noticed the slaves. "I'm breaking them out on the way out of here, whether or not you help me." He whispered to Jen, then looked at Eve. "You willing to help?"

[Gardevoiran]

"Oh yeah," Eve responded. The look on her face even said the words that she had spoken, maybe even moreso than her actual words.

Jen looks at you with a face of slight caution as she grabs you, Gobbo, and Eve and pulls you into a nearby alley and into cover. "I know why they are observing us," Jen starts. "Slaves. The goblin and Evelyn are fine, but you and me are not. We must disguise one of us to fit in with the crowds." You notice a flame ignite on the top of Eve's head as she gets slightly annoyed at the mention of her name. She must not like being called Evelyn.

[Skinner35]

"Well... Considering that you're in armor, it may as well be me." He said, adjusting his clothes. He then looked at Eve, calming her. "Save that anger for later. We'll need it."

[Gardevoiran]

"Uh..." Jen starts as she pulls your shirt back down. "My armor is in the tent soaking in water. Every slave out there is female, at that. I will take the arrow for the group." Jen begins to fix her clothes, pulling out a small knife as she begins to tear her shirt into a crop top, removing the sleeves as well. Before long, she appears to be just a cleaner slave. Nice.

Gobbo speaks up to Jen as he stands beside Eve, patting her on the back in attempts to calm her down. "Toby should carry your shield and mashe. If you carry them it looksh shushpishioush."

Eve simply stands there, breathing deeply before she mutters a sentence under her breath. "I don't like being called Evelyn."

[Skinner35]

"Okay." He said as he picked up the shield and the mace. "Eve. No one else will call you that." He then looked out of the alley. "Just be ready to catch the shield if needed."

[Gardevoiran]

You reenter the crowds of people, not as many people looking at you this time as you are accompanied by your posse of plucky heroes. Jen is clearly not having a good time with this, as she stares at the ground and has a visible face of embarrassment. Eve is more or less neutral about it, however she's still smiling through it all. Gobbo's walking beside you as opposed to on your back, as to not arouse any suspicion.

As you take a few more steps, an unfamiliar voice calls to you. "Howdy feller." Turning around would reveal it as a man dressed in the finest country clothes money could by, even with sequined boots and a hat. "Those are some 'ighty fine slaves y'got there." You notice the man eyeing Jen up and down as he walks over, a short and scrawny girl in very thin clothes accompanying him, a veil obscuring her face. "Where'd y'get 'em from?"

[Skinner35]

"Well 'Partner,' none of your business. They're not for sale." He said with force as he turned away and kept walking. Gobbo not seeming to happy about the situation. He whispered to Jen, "I need you to be ready for whatever happens." He kept walking, hoping that Eve would follow his lead.

[Gardevoiran]

You notice two burly men walk in front of your group as you hear the man's voice again. "Now hold on there pardner. You don't blow away Nigel Montana that easily."

The sleazy Nigel grabs his slave by the shoulder and pseudo-throws her towards you, her legs stumbling as she falls to the ground, her veil lifting to reveal none other than Magdalene. She's been cuffed on her hands and ankles, but it is her for sure. "How 'bout we make a trade? Y'got that real piece of a lady right there," Nigel points at Jen while he speaks, "and I'd be more than willin' to trade ya' this gnomish tall-dwarf mutt in exchange."

Jen doesn't look at you, nor does Eve or Gobbo. They're busy being in character for this schtick.

Time to make a choice.

[Skinner35]

'Shit.' He thought to himself. He knew that this was going to get ugly. So... with no peaceful outcomes left. He helped Maggie up, and turned to Eve. "Want to start a fire?" He asked with a smile. He then extended his blade to full length, and drew a pistol. "Both of them are coming with me." He said to Nigel.

[Gardevoiran]

Eve catches on fire as she begins to fly, diving towards the ground and making a small barrier around your group and Nigel. The country man stands there, unphased as the harpy flies, before he simply raises his hands. "Alright alright, no need t'be so hostile." Nigel's men back away from you as Eve stops flying, shaking off as a way to extinguish herself.

"Take the mutt. I'm no idiot, I know when I should stop somethin'. I ain't gonna die like that." Nigel steps forward towards you as his men take to his back. "Y'better watch yer' back, pardner. This place don't take kindly t'strangers."

With that, Nigel walks away.

Magdalene makes a few grunting noises as she tries to stand back up, but simply falls back to the ground. She's cuffed and can't walk, after all.

[Skinner35]

"Well, then I guess I'll be waiting to finally kill you. Later on." He said as Nigel walked away. He then broke Maggies chains and helped her stand. "Jesus. What happened to you?"