Overlord Thraka

The Magical Planet - Ecetopia - Open

@lmpkio

Mergoux turns to stare at Nebulius in indignation.
"...Skirt around them? Like hell we are. We execute the scum! They shouldn't be left alive to hurt anyone!" She growls angrily.
She draws her crossbow and creeps towards the fire, ready to shoot them if they really are bandits.

She sees several rough looking men swilling grog.
She nods to herself and takes careful aim.
"Alright you scum..." she mutters as she pulls the trigger, sending a bolt careening into a man's throat. He claps his hands to his throat and gurgles weakly before collapsing across the fire, his body lights up and fills the area with the foul odor of burning flesh.
Mergoux draws her Claymore, yells a warcry and sprints at the men. As they rise she hacks at one's throat, killing him in a spray of blood then deflects a sword strike from a third man. The remaining two close in on her as she kicks out at her foe's knee, then slams him with the pommel of her sword. She is forced to back up slightly as the other two close in and begin assaulting her with thier weapons.

The Magical Planet - Ecetopia - Open

@Silvan Haven

Understood! Won't interfere then, but if @LMPKIO wants, then we shall join you. I'd be interested in doing that, but I'll leave it up to him.

The Magical Planet - Ecetopia - Open

@antarctic termite
I had intended for it to be just a generic bandit camp, kinda to show off Mergoux's insanity a little. But I actually like your idea more!

The Magical Planet - Ecetopia - Open

@lmpkio @antarctic termite

Mergoux looks after where Smudge vanished, considering for a moment.
"...We trail her. At least until she's out of the woods. Safer then." she says.
She looks back at Nebulius.
"And don't dismiss a debt. It's bad luck." she cautions. "Now lets go, I'm not sure how fast she travels or how far she's gone."
She slides her helmet back on and follows after the trail left by Smudge crashing angrily through the brush.

Not too far away, huddled around a fire, are a dozen or so men dressed in the ragged, mismatched clothing of robbers and bandits. They sit around the fire, passing around a cask of ale and planning a stakeout on the nearby road for some highway robberies.

The Magical Planet - Ecetopia - Open

@LMPKIO @Antarctic termite

Mergoux curses under her breath, angry at herself. She sighs and calls after the girl.
"Fine! Go then! "
She growls and mumbles under her breath, angry at how she dealt with the situation.
She sighs then looks over at Nebulius.
"Thanks for killing the demon... Guess I owe you then..."
She double checks her gear and looks at him.
"Think we should tail her? Like I said, there are plenty of bandits out here, and I don't- Well if she really is just a kid, she shouldn't have to endure what they'd do to her"

The Magical Planet - Ecetopia - Open

@lmpkio @antarctic termite

Mergoux stands aside, arms cross and fuming, though she tries to calm herself, it isn't working for her.
She shrugs Nebulius's hand off her shoulder and turns to face him.
"Don't touch me" she says, not rudely for once but instead more softly and politely, albeit without a 'please'
She listens to what he has to say then glances at Smudge, her mind slowly changing about the creature as she thinks of how she's acted. She claimed she was just a girl... and her actions had done well to reinforce that...
Mergoux sighs to herself and swallows her pride.
"No, if she's really... Well she shouldn't be out here wandering alone. It's dangerous out here, bandits and the like..."
She looks over at the girl, her anger receding to be replaced with pity, as she was in Smudges situation herself when she was in her 20s.
"Hey, you. What's your name?" she calls over to Smudge, again not meanly, but with less harshness than in her usual tones.

The Magical Planet - Ecetopia - Open

@antarctic termite

Yeah I understand that. Merg's also talking about her time as a slave, but isn't going to exactly bring that up among near strangers just to win a stupid argument

The Magical Planet - Ecetopia - Open

@antarctic termite @LMPKIO

Mergoux stops, sighs, takes of her helmet and looks at Smudge.
"You don't look like any girl I've ever seen, but that's not the point..."
She sighs again and looks at Smudge more...gently. Her glare is gone, but she still frowns
"I'm... sorry..."
Smudges burrowing eyes sense a great level of repressed anger, bitterness and pain. Suddenly however she snaps and walks right up to Smudge. She doesn't lay a hand on her, or do anything threatening, but snarls at her in fury.
"Don't you dare say you know what it's like to be treated like sh*t around me! Why do you think I wear the fething helmet!? It's because I'm a bloody Half-Elf! It's because I've got to appear human!"
She would go on but is too angry to, instead she just turns and looks away from Smudge, clenching and unclenching her fists

The Magical Planet - Ecetopia - Open

@LMPKIO @Antarctic termite

Mergoux snarls at Smudge, her face contorted in anger and distrust.
"You want to know what my problem is?!"
She takes several steps towards Smudge, brandishing her crossbow menacingly.
"My problem is that for the last 8 hours I've had no idea what's going on, came across you, some... thing, stealing from a man, then attacked by a DEMON who seems to have a personal grudge! As it is right now, I'm ready to shoot you just to be done with this whole sh*tshow!"

Mergoux pauses as Nebulius explains how the monster saved the man. Her brow furrows then clears as she realizes what he meant with the soul example.
"So... if we find a corpse, we can give him his life back..."
She slowly lowers her crossbow and frowns at them both.
"...Fine. Let's see if we can't find some poor sod or a bandit to kill."
She slings her crossbow over her back, walks over to her sword and picks it up, sheathing it also on her back.
"Let's get moving. The sooner we help the man, the sooner we can deal with the... creature."
She jams her helmet back onto her head and looks between them both impatiently

The Magical Planet - Ecetopia - Open

@LMPKIO @antarctic termite

Mergoux snarls at Nebulius, angry at his interference and trusting him less and less as the moment goes on.
"Speak for yourself. I'll eradicate whatever I see as a danger."
She gestures to Smudge angrily.
"And that thing qualifies!"

She glares suspiciously at Smudge.
"What the hell do you mean you saved him!? He's dead! and you ate his brain!"