Convergence (Play-test Mini-Event, Part 1)

The midday sun beamed down on the town of Zendar, a small merchant settlement in the Free Lands. Her white cloak almost glowing in the sunlight, Kairi Thorne walked down the main concourse of Zendar, mind focused and purpose clear. She reached the only inn the town had to offer, The Eldritch Moon, and swiftly breezed inside. The Eldritch Moon was a fairly well-kept establishment, with Zendar's small size allowing it to remain out of the consideration of either the Conclave or the Alliance. Most importantly, it was out of the way, which is why Shran had selected it as the meeting place for Kairi and her prospective allies. Kairi ordered herself a chicken soup, and sat at a table facing the door. She left her sword Starlight against the wall beside her, and tucked into her soup.

While she ate, Kairi began to analyze the information she had acquired up to now. She knew Thassa had set up camp at the old mining town of Yoniva. Yoniva was abandoned when the Red Fang raided it years ago, but the mine itself had been shut down even before that. It hadn't been recorded on maps since then, which made it a good place to not be found. The people Kairi was meeting intrigued her also. First there were the three warriors that Shran had encountered at Khudan Forest. Kairi had heard of the descendants of Dalrodir Shor and Ren the Hornless, but besides their bloodline she did not know too much about them. She knew even less of Rex von Broven, though Shran was impressed with his fighting skills, which was good enough for her. An Asentari accompanying an Eldari and a Heanta to meet a Human, she thought, necessity creates unusual encounters it would seem. She continued eating her soup.

After the events of the days before, Vala, Fayla and Rex had found the time to eat and rest before setting out for Zendar early in the morning. It was now midday, and the group had finally arrived. Vala was absorbed into her own thoughts which consisted primarily of thinking about a hot bath. Despite the fact that she'd been a scout for almost 10 years and spent a great deal of time in the wilderness, she actually hated it. Mostly because extended exposer resulted in her hair becoming dirty, and it was very hard to find a place to bath. For all her grit, she was a bit of a princess in that regard.

Fortunately, her trials were almost over for a brief time, as they had finally arrived in the town. She didn't stop to announce this, and made a beeline straight for the eldrich moon. opening the door and stepping in, she was greeted by the innkeeper, who had a small counter by the door. "Ah, Miss Valatrix, miss Faylandrea. its nice to see you both looking so well." The man said. He looked at Rex. "And you have a companion. I'm Bartley, welcome to my humble little in. Will you be staying a while, friends?" he said, looking between Vala and Fayla. "A night atleast. Are the usual rooms free?" Vala asked. "Absolutely. I'll have them prepared for you. Do you want a bath prepared too?" he asked her.

It was all she wanted, to fall head first into a steaming hot bath, but she shook her head. "You know I do. But hold off, we're here to meet someone. A woman with a white cloak." She said. "Ah, I see. Yes she's in the lounge near the back. You can't miss her." He said. "Thank's Bartley." Vala said with a smile and made to move. "Thank you for not eating me." He said and she laughed before pushing through the door. She spotted the woman quickly, and Kairi probably spotted them since she was facing the door.

Vala weaved through the seats and sat across from Kairi. "You must be the Sunlight covenant soldier Shran was talking about. Nice to meet you, I'm Vala."


What had gotten into her. Running off to help other people. Bethany was as confused about this sudden desire to aid Kairi in her fight, as she had been when she'd helped Sieg fight those bandits. She'd half decided to turn back and head to Zendar when she'd met Sieg, and after he mentioned he was heading that way, she'd fully decided to. And she wasn't even being paid. Maybe she was still drunk from the fight the day before. But there was was, walking towards Zendar with Sieg, about to go meet Kairi and her freinds to kick the shit out of some dying suns bitch. Atleast that mgiht be fun.

He had explained that it was literally just as it sounded, a chat. No scores or anything. He hadn't even met Seigfried personally. Though the thought of teaching them Draconic did amuse him. Maybe he will. Still, Rex had decided to wear the black version of his noble clothes, with silver trim, but kept his sword in his more practical scabbard and on his back. His scythe was in his large bag.

He did introduce himself to the inn keeper. "Rex, nice to meet you." He gave a slight bow. The fact that the man knew these two, and personally, intrigued him. And so did that bath...perhaps he was a bit of a spoiled prince in that regard. He could handle the outdoors and all, but nothing beats a nice bed and a warm bath.

Vala went straight towards the woman. Who was hard to miss. "You two want anything? I'm up for some food..." He'd get food for his companions, if they wanted anything, along with drinks, again, should they want anything. He'll stay quiet for the moment. And just let the women talk.

Siegfried sighed, as he walked with Mercy into the town that Vala had told him about, in Karim. It was as she described, not a very big town, so a good place to plan an attack. He didn't know most of the people he was meeting with, the only other one besides Mercy was Vala. But, he had heard of one of them. The Asentari, Rex von Braven. He knew that the meeting between them would be....awkward. Sieg had left Edia without letting anyone know, after all. So, he knew questions would be raised about that. In any case, he made for the what appeared to be the inn, a place called the Eldritch Moon, with Mercy following not far behind.

He walked in, and made straight for the inn keeper. The man gave him a look, before asking, "Welcome. What can I do for you?" "I'm looking for a woman. She goes by the name of Vala? I'm supposed to meet with her here." The inn keeper nodded, and pointed towards the door. "The lounge, in the back." Sieg nodded, and said, "Thanks." He walked in, and saw where the group was. Coming over, he introduced himself. "Hello. I'm Siegfried des Sturms. Vala here already knows me." He looked at Rex, and spoke to him, using their home language, Draconic. "Hello, Rex von Braven. I'm surprised that a member of the Oculi would get wrapped up in something like this." Sieg would then take a seat, so he wasn't looming over them all, taking Balmung off his back, and leaning it against the wall, much like Kairi had done with her sword. He looked at a window, and noticed something strange, but didn't point it out to anyone. A pure white falcon was sitting in the window, watching the meeting.

Kairi smiled in greeting as the first people began to arrive. They were the warriors that Shran told her about in her meeting with him. They seemed... young, especially the Eldari. She knew that Eldari appearances could be deceiving because of their long lifespans and rate of growth, but there was a youthful exuberance in their bearing that both reassured and worried Kairi at the same time. But if they were as capable as Shran said, then the youthfulness was not a problem at all. Kairi stood up and bowed. Vala introduced herself. "A pleasure, Vala." Kairi looked at Fayla and smiled. "You must be Faylandrea?" Fayla pouted a little. "Um, just Fayla is fine." Fayla accepted Kairi's handshake and put her weapon harness against the wall with her backpack. Kairi bowed. "I do apologise, Fayla" Fayla immediately perked up. "No worries! Nice to meet you Kairi!" Rex simply ignored Kairi and asked the other two girls if they wanted anything. Fayla looked at him disapprovingly. "Aren't you gonna introduce yourself? You're being rude." Kairi simply chuckled. "It's quite alright. Logic dictates that you must be Rex. Nice to meet you."

Shortly after, two more people arrived. Kairi recognized Bethany, but the man she arrived with was unfamiliar to her. She smiled warmly at Bethany and offered a handshake. "I am grateful for you being here, Mercy. Thank you." The man identified himself as Siegfried des Sturms. He certainly looked the part of a warrior, at least, but he too looked young. Siegfried began to converse with Rex in what she assumed was their native language. Either Siegfried had learned fluent Asentari, or he was an Asentari. Kairi found it fascinating either way.

When everyone had drinks and/or food, Kairi commenced the meeting. "Well, I'd just like to thank you all for coming here today. I'm not going to start barking out orders or anything, because I'm not your leader. I'll tell you what I know and why I'm here and see what you think." Kairi pulled out a map of the area and unfurled it on the table. It had the target location marked. "The Sunlight Covenant has been keeping tabs on the Dying Suns' operations out here. The operation has been ongoing for a few months, but we finally had a breakthrough recently. My contact, Shran, intercepted a Suns messenger as he fled his camp with a message from Thalbjorn to Thassa. Turns out his camp was being wrecked by someone's distraction." Fayla snickered. "Yup, good times." Kairi smiled. "Shran thought it was particularly clever too. Anyway, Shran managed to get Thassa's location, and it's here." She gestured to the mark on the map. "It's heavily guarded, and Thassa herself is a formidable warrior. I need help." Kairi sat down and looked at the others. "What do you think?"

Vala looked at Rex, while Fayla called him out on being rude. "Its alright Rex, sit down and relax. The staff here will take care of us." She said to him. "We've spent allot of time in the Eldrich Moon, its like a second home to us." she explained. She looked over as the door opened and Seigfried walked in with a woman. Siegfried walked over and introduced himself. Vala stood up to greet him. "Hey Sieg you actually came. Who's your girlfriend?" she asked. As she did, Kairi spoke and said how pleased she was to see Mercy. Vala's eyes snapped onto the dark skinned woman. Mercy was looking at Rex and listening to what Sieg had said. "I'd like to know that myself. Good to see your still alive kid." She said, slapping Rex on the shoulder before trying to step over and say hello to Kairi.

Almost bumping into Vala, Mercy finally noticed the heanta and looked at her properly, sizing her up. She pushed past Vala and went over to Kairi. "Hey. I ran into Sieg over there, and when he mentioned he was on his way here I decided to lend a hand. I usually have a price, but we can talk about that later." She said. Bethany looked at Fayla and smiled. "And who is this lovely girl? Let me guess, Faylandrea Shor. I'm guessing the short one is Valatrix." Bethany said, pointing behind her. "Short?!" Vala spluttered, but Bethany ignored her and kept speaking. "Is there another nickname I can call you by? Faylandrea is a lovely name but it seems so long and formal, and I really dislike formalities. It stops people becoming close."

Vala shook her head. Was Mercy flirting with Fayla? She was pretty sure that was flirting. "Can we get on with it?" She said with exasperation. Kairi began to speak. Vala listened to her and nodded. When she was done, vala began to explain to them everything they had learned at the camp. "We've also personally faught Thassa before, and she's tough. We beat her, but just barely. However Fayla and I have a score to settle with her, so she's ours. That's non negotiable." She added.  "Are you sure you can handle her? Cause, no offense, all I see is two kids in over their head and dragging others into it." Bethany said. "We can handle her. What we can't handle is the hundred odd soldiers in there. Maybe you can shut your mouth and think of a way to deal with them." Vala snapped back.

"That's easy. Kairi sends for a proper assault team, and you, Fayla and Rex leave this to the professionals. This isn't a game, and I'd rather not see more kids die at the hands of these red fang bastards." Bethany replied. "Dying suns, and We're not kids! You don't even know me or Fayla, and you barely know Rex." Vala retorted indignantly. "And you do? Didn't you only meet a few days ago? But You've dragged him into this mess. Are you sure you want to get involved in this Rex?"

Rex appeared flustered. He didn't mean to be rude...but he was starving. "Sorry, yes, I'm Rex von Broven." He introduced himself and sat down as per Vala's orders. The waitress had a smile on her face the entire time and sat down in front of him a type of thick steak with potatoes and mixed vegetables, with fruit on the side. He dug in, not even acknowledging the newcomers or seeing them until he heard who they were. Looking back, he gave a wave, despite having a mouthful of food. Swallowing, he spoke in Draconic. "First of all, I'm an honorary member, not a full fledged Oculi. I'm a mere apprentice. Get it right. Secondly, it's Broven. Thirdly, I need to have a chat with you, Siegfried. Be thankful that you are who you are or I'd be gunning for your head for abandonment instead of offering a way out of the military and you keeping said head. You'll find out soon enough how I got involved. And why I decided to stay. And it's nice to see you too, Beth." He smiled kindly at the fire Asentari.

Then the meeting began. And Vala and Beth did not like each other. And he frowned at what Beth said anyways. "Beth...out of all of us here...I'm the least experienced and the youngest. I'm only twenty-two years old. Which is still considered young by human standards, but I'm still wildly considered a fledgling still by everyone else, despite it still being considered of age. The Dying Suns were attacking travelers. That's how I got involved in the first place. Thally can deny it all he wants, but they were doing it for awhile, so it wasn't completely out of their mission scope as he claims. And then Kronos is a part of them. And no doubt is already with her with more men from the camp we wrecked.

We're young, true...but we're not being dumb about this nor being reckless. If we were...well, the three of us wouldn't be here. Also seeking help. It's true I'd be more comfortable with two to three more people...especially if one of them was a full fledged Oculi. And surely we can find a few more strong fighters.

But also, even discounting my rival being there, how else am I supposed to get experience? I'm tired of dealing with bandits...I want actual battle experience against actual organized military. With Kronos in the lead, that's what Thassa has, even without her own experience. I need to stand up on my own two feet if I'm ever to become a full fledged member of the Oculi Draconis...a group who needs to be used to being outnumbered.

That said...don't forget who trained me. Alura Wanderweich, the strongest Asentari since our race's conception, her second Jonah Mare. Sai-Tan, the Behemoth. Kircheis, the youngest ever full fledged Oculi Draconis member and second to Sai-Tan of the Elite Guard. Shade, leader of the Assassin's Guild, and his second Kira. Vera Schifers of the Air Corps. and her second Jonathon. Don't underestimate me. And I'm sure Fayla and Vala had to prove their names aren't just for show either." He looked at the two girls for confirmation. Then give Beth a hard stare. He needed to grow. Wasn't that why Alura sent him out here?

"Speaking of Kronos, now that he's in my sights...I would like him alive if possible. But don't let yourselves get killed because of that. If the opportunity presents itself to finish it...take it. Because he won't hesitate." Just so everyone was on the same page. And if he needed to describe him to the other two people here, he would.

Kairi listened intently as the company made acquaintances. Bethany introduced Siegfried to her and she bowed her head politely. "Nice to meet you Siegfried." Fayla blushed when Bethany turned and complemented her appearance and her name. She seemed to recognize Vala, though she dismissed her somewhat as she seemed to be more interested in Fayla. "Um... everyone calls me Fayla." Vala bailed her out though by asking to get on with the meeting. Fayla exhaled deeply, shaking her head in confusion. Kairi chuckled at the young Eldari's reaction. "You've much to learn." Fayla pouted as Kairi studied the others. Vala and Bethany clearly had a history, and not a friendly one. Siegfried and Rex also seemed to know each other, and though she could not understand Draconic she could see there was a tension there too. It was a ragtag group, to be sure, but if they were as good as she had been informed, they might actually be able to make it work. The only one who didn't seem to have a pre-existing feud with anybody was Fayla, who had seemingly composed herself after her encounter with Bethany. Kairi decided to consult her first.

"So Fayla, what's your take on all of this?" Fayla glanced at her and then looked around at the others. "Well, I only really know Vala and Rex. Me and Vala have been friends for years. We kinda just go around doing jobs that need to be done. I get assignments from the Watch too, but I'm not an actual member. She's as good as me in a fight, though she uses her fists rather than a sword." She gestured to Rex. "As for Rex here, we only met him the other day. He helped us fight the camp in the Khudan forest. He's a little stuck-up if you ask me, but he seems to be good under all that sass." Fayla looked at Bethany and Siegfried. "Vala got into a fight with Siegfried. She got the better of him, but he's still really tough. Your friend Mercy seems... nice." Fayla blushed a little again but shook her head. "She's very forward though and not-at-all-my-type and stuff." Kairi chuckled again. "She's certainly unique."

After Kairi had finished her piece, the group began to have their say. Vala immediately backed herself and Fayla. Bethany wasn't convinced, but Fayla nodded in agreement with Vala. "No we actually fought her. She got away, but we're better now than we were back then. We can do it!" Bethany then brought Rex into the argument, to which the young Asentari launched into a speech, outlining his credentials. He rattled off a bunch of names that trained him, and used Fayla and Vala as examples to his point. Fayla simply shook her head. "You have no idea."

Kairi picked a moment to get in on the conversation. "I do agree somewhat with Bethany. I would rather avoid putting others in harm's way, especially such a young set of folks. However," she looked at Bethany as Fayla began to sulk. "I do trust Shran's judgment. Also I think it would take far too much time to get reinforcements from Sunshield Hold. We're spread pretty thin these days, between guarding the Edaria trade routes and securing the Hold itself, I'm not even sure the manpower would be there. In any case, Shran vouches at least for Fayla, Vala and Rex. Vala says Rex is good enough too, so I'm at least willing to hear them out and give them a chance."

Siegfried then asked for information about what they would be facing. Kairi nodded and filled them all in on what Shran had told her, and Vala and Rex filled out any gaps. "In my opinion, I believe the escape tunnel is the best bet. But we will need to spread out once we're inside, to stop us from being cornered in one area. I think teams of two is the ideal strategy." Fayla piped up. "Good idea. We still need to locate Thassa once inside, so pairing up will keep us mobile while a keeping safe."

Bethany was to busy arguing with Vala to pay attention to the conversation between Kairi and Fayla. However after expressing her opinion on the matter of the assembled forces, Kairi responded by saying she somewhat agreed, however she trusted what her informant had told her. When she mentioned how long it would take to gather the extra forces, Bethany just sighed. "Figures." Fayla chimed in a few times, and then Rex began his speech. With his first few words, she shook her head and said, "Kinda proving my point here." However Vala was quick to retort. "Let him speak.", earning herself a glare from Bethany.

However Bethany let him speak, and listened to him explain his reason for fighting. He mentioned a lot of names, but only one meant something to her. Alura. And even though Bethany hadn't included Sieg in the list of people she though should stay out of this, he did have his own piece to say, particularly about Vala. And Vala jumped to her own and Fayla's defense. "I'm a born and raised heanta, even if I don't act like one. Every day of my life has been spent fighting to survive. I've had a target on my back since the day I was born because of who my grandfather was. I would be dead by now if I wasn't strong enough to survive. And believe me when I say that Fayla might not have my experiences, but she is as good as I am and she has never showed an ounce of weakness in all the time we've been together." Vala finished with a snap.

Bethany sighed deeply. "Fine." She said. "Fine. Six against one hundred, not including the potential for Kronos and his merry band. We're probably going to die, but fine. I'll just watch it all over again. But if its all the same to you, I'm getting drunk first." She said. Vala sighed. "Lovely. Get drunk, it'll help." She said. "Your damn right it will Valette." Bethany said, before realising what she'd said with a start. "It's Vala." Vala corrected, confused. Bethany just shook her head. "Shut up." Before she stood up and walked off to the bar. Vala looked between Kairi and Sieg.

"Well, she's fucking delightful. Where did you two find her?" Vala asked. "More to the point, how do we know we can rely on her?" Bethany was still at the bar, and had drank almost half a bottle of something stong that she couldn't quite place when they moved on to the strategy, but she finally returned as Kairi suggested taking the escape entrance and splitting into groups of two. "Very well. I'm guessing Fayla and Vala will want to stick together." She said, slightly slurred. "I'll stick with you Kairi. Maybe we can sneak into the town and start some fires before we head on in. Draw some of them out of the tunnels." She looked at Rex. "That leaves you and Sieg. I trust him, so stick close to him and you'll get your battle experience."

Rex nodded as it seemed he got the point across. Along with snippets from the others. At least they had her on board now. Maybe? Beth left to go get drunk. "She's Mercy. That mercenary you heard of. She may have a drinking problem due to...personal issues that I am not at liberty to speak of, but she didn't get a reputation for being unreliable and weak. I'd trust her with my back.

My only issue with the pairings is...well..." Rex undid his bag just enough for him to grab his collapsed scythe. And uncollapsed it to its full length. "I doubt those tunnels are large enough for two guys with large weapons cleaving hapless souls in half to move around and do that. You sure you want me to stick by him?" Rex looked sheepish. He never showed Beth his primary weapon. He collapsed it again and stuck it back in his bag. There was another issue he had though.

"You think any hardened veteran will fall for that? Kronos will likely keep them inside and let the town burn. Save anything of value maybe, but otherwise, he'd know we're coming and make adjustments. Well, they probably already know we're coming and should be prepared for traps. Are you sure there is no one else we can call on?" If they could get just one or two more people...it might work out. But as it was...without a majorly thorough plan, he didn't have high confidence.

Kairi nodded in agreement with Rex and Siegfried as they replied to Vala's question of Bethany's reliability, after the Asentari had gone to the bar to get a drink. "Agreed. She has her quirks, but she was still a vital factor when we freed some prisoners from a Red Fang camp not too far from here. While I am hesitant to pass judgement on someone after fighting with them only once, I believe in her enough to make an exception."

Bethany returned as Kairi made her suggestion on a course of action. She agreed and suggested pairings. Fayla and Vala, Kairi and Bethany, Rex and Siegfried. The latter pairing brought up an objection from the two Asentari men, who pointed to the size of their weapons as an obstacle. Fayla rolled her eyes. "Typical men." Kairi let out and involuntary snort. Fayla eyed up the sword on Rex's back. "Maybe your scythe is too big, but is that thing on your back just for decoration?" Kairi thought for a moment before replying. "Perhaps. Ideally, the pairings will keep us mobile enough that we wouldn't get caught in tight passages." The Human stroked her chin. "Very well. Myself and Mercy have experience fighting together, and presumably so do Fayla and Vala. But for this to work we need to all be comfortable with our partners." Kairi glanced at Siegfried. "I will go with Siegfried then. I believe our fighting styles should complement each other well. That would leave Mercy and Rex. The most experienced paired with the least experienced." She gave a polite nod to Rex. "No offense meant, Rex. How does that sound?"

The discussion then moved on to cover the plan itself. Vala made a suggestion involving a fire diversion. Kairi nodded, it was a reasonable start. "Makes sense. It would help to thin out some of the numbers we may encounter. The more we can minimize the encounters before reching our goal, the better." Fayla nodded in agreement. "Well, we don't have a Fenroc, but fire will do." But Rex wasn't convinced, pointing out that Kronos might see through a diversion like that, and once again inquiring about reinforcements. Kairi pondered it as Fayla glanced at Rex. "You're such a killjoy. Kronos doesn't know everything you know. If he's such a genius, why don't you just marry the guy?" Kairi ignored Fayla's childish statement and glanced at Rex as Siegfried mentioned the time it would take for any help to arrive. "Indeed. That's if we could even convince anyone to help. We are on our own." Then she shifted gears as she stood up and began pacing. "I fully believe this Kronos is a competent commander and experienced veteran, but I still think we may have an advantage." She stopped pacing and gestured to Rex, Fayla and Vala. "So far, the only people he would be expecting to break into the town are you three. Myself and Mercy encountered him at the Red Fang camp, but there's no reason for him to expect us to be there. I'm not sure if he has met Siegfried or not, but I imagine he would have brought it up by now if he had." She sat back down again. "Even if he anticipated the three of you getting help to go to his base, and we can't even be certain of that, there's no way he could guess what help they would bring if any. Not to mention he has no idea when this attack would happen."

Fayla suddenly realized something and piped up. She pointed at the map where Thassa's name was circled. "There's another factor we have to take into account. Kronos isn't the main leader in this situation. Thassa is gonna be the one in overall charge. She won't be expecting any of this either." Kairi nodded. "That's true, though we have to assume by now that Kronos has been debriefed on what happened at the Khudan base." Kairi studied the map. "As I see it, any kind of diversion will help us out. I think two teams should enter the town, while the other makes for the outer escape tunnel. One team sets off a diversion and makes for an available entrance. They will have to be quick, while the other team engages small groups of enemies. The engaging team will need to be well-prepared, as they will have to deal with the brunt of the garrison. I think that should be Siegfried and me. We won't engage out right, but we will make enough of a nuisance that they will have to deal with us." Fayla chirped up again. "Me and Vala are the fastest I reckon. We also might be the stealthiest." Kairi nodded. "Right. You two should go for the escape tunnel. Try and avoid engagement if possible." She then looked at Mercy. "Mercy, I've seen you make a big fiery mess before. Think you could do it again?" She then sat back and glanced at everyone. "That's my suggestion. Opinions?"

"If you say so. But I dont like her." Vala said. The topic moved on, and they began discussing the issues of weapons and the mines tighter areas. Vala looked at Seig skeptically. "Sieg you have Divinium guantlets. Try punching people? Its what I do, and It works for me." Vala said. Mercy also shot Seig a look before looking at Rex and his large scythe."I see why you hesitate. But Fayla's right, you do have a sword. I've seen you use it." However, Kairi suggested a change of teams to make things easier, and perhaps use their strengths a little better.

"That's fine with me. Just mean's i'm now responsible for you, Rex. Don't die, I don't wan't to throw down with Alura because you got killed under my watch." Bethany said, though she doubted it would come to that. Vala nodded. "Myself and Falya will be fine. Even if her sword is almost as big as Siegs, when we hit tight areas I can do most of the ass wooping." Vala said confidently. Kairi asked bethany to start a fire and she nodded. "Starting fires is my forte." She said. Vala let out a snort. "I'm sure the pure alcohol gas you exude helps with that." Bethany shrugged. "Don't you have some slaves to eat or something, heanta?"

Rex gave a small grin at the comments. "And when there's a stream of flames aiming to burn me alive? You expect me to hide behind Seig and hope he's strong enough to take it? My scythe doesn't just have a few physical traits...it's enchanted...it absorbs offensive magic and I can fire them right back as a lightning blast. So excuse me for preferring to use it over my sword for the most part. I'm not against using it...but considering what I hope to accomplish, I'd rather have my scythe out, just in case." Hopefully that explained all they needed to know. Kronos wasn't above turning a tunnel into a lava tube, but with flames instead of lava. And if he or anyone tried to counter it with their own elemental breath...that could end badly for all parties.

Then came the change in teams, and Rex nodded. "That sounds good to me. And I doubt that would end well for you, Beth..." Seriously...she wasn't known as the Skull Crusher for nothing.

Then came Fayla's comment. Which turned him redder than Beth's scales, more from the insinuation…which wasn't all false...not that he would admit it. "Never said he knew everything. More than likely, he'd expect a larger force than this, but full of grunts. Nobodies. Not a smaller, but more elite team like this one. And as Kairi pointed out, that's probably our best saving grace. I would doubt him not knowing when the attack will be is that big a deal. If anything, he might want to hurry up and leave. But as Fayla pointed out, he isn't the one in charge, Thassa is. And I don't know her. We can try it, but if there are fewer coming out than expected...any plan B? Or are the two teams just gonna go on a rampage then and hope that stirs the hornets' nest?" He was feeling a little more confident now.

Though he did give Vala and Fayla a look. He could argue both the fastest and stealthiest. But that wasn't here nor there. Then more bickering from Beth and Vala. Earning them both a disapproving look from him. "Really? Stay focused here...bicker after the job."

Kairi nodded as Rex made a point about a plan B if the diversion falls short."True. We'll have to make sure we make it a damn big diversion I suppose. We can adapt our plan if need be. I believe the town is our best weapon here. We'll need to use it as best we can if things go south." Rex tried to restore order as Bethany and Vala began to argue again. Fayla turned and glared at Bethany. "Hey lady! Only I can insult Vala like that. You better lay off her or I'll sword your face off!" Meanwhile, Siegfried informed Rex of the futility of his efforts, before excusing himself from the meeting. Kairi stood and gave him a small bow. "Indeed. Thank you Siegfried. Sleep well."

Kairi turned to the rest of them. "Well, if that is what everyone is happy to go with, I see no reason to hold you up here any longer. We'll leave in the morning. If Kronos is as good as you say Rex, then the time of day will not matter." She stood up and bowed to them all. "I suggest getting all of the supplies you need and resting up. Tomorrow will be tough on us all. See you all later." With that Kairi followed Siegfried out.

Mercy and Vala were glaring at each other as everyone around them tried to calm them down. Bethany ignored Rex, who was still a little red after Fayla told him he should just marry Kronos. However when Fayla burst in with her comment about swording Bethany's face off, she looked at the girl and started to smile. "You are just precious!" She said as she stood up. "Oh I bet you would do such a good job of swording my face off, you little cutie." She patted Fayla on the head, and if Fayla turned beet red like she expected, she laughed seductively and walked towards the door as everyone else started to leave. "I'm going to see if I can find a more disreputable tavern to drink in. See you in the morning." She said before disappearing out the door. Vala watched her leave, before looking back to Fayla and Rex.

"I really don't like her. I'd like to kick that smug grin off her face.." Vala said. "She called me short. And I think she was hitting on you." She looked at Rex. "Was she?" She shook her head and sighed. "Well, whatever. Atleast we have more numbers now. And a plan." She said.

Rex simply nodded. And finished what little he had left. Then he nodded at Vala. "She prefers the company of women instead of men. And apparently has no racial preferences..." He gave Fayla a wink. Then he got up. "I'm gonna go get a room and take a bath. Then sleep. See ya in the morning." He left to do exactly that. Tomorrow was going to be an interesting time.

~Thread End~