Chapter 5: Return to the Surface

Hunter freezes in the process of taking a final bit of bread to her lips, her other hand on the butter knife. After a bit of mental processing, and determining that she is indeed the target of Elfog's ire, Hunter answers with all seriousness, "What?"

His face starting to redden with anger, Elfog takes a deep breath, and slams both of his palms down on the table, leaning forward, directly towards Hunter.

"YOU. AIN'T. RIGHT!" he yells. "Stealing the eatery! Forgettin' things that just been said! Laughing at jokes no one eve' told."

"You ain't right!"

Elfog takes another deep breath and sits down hard into his chair, crossing his arms in front of his chest, and staring directly at Hunter.

Hunter narrows her eyes and plants the butter knife point-first onto the table, and rests her hand upon it. Her other hand is on her hip, as though holding court. "What's got into your granite ass?" she asks, irritably.

Elfog continues to stare directly at Hunter, silently steaming, and doesn't say a word.

"No? Anyone else? Get it out right now while we have time," snaps Hunter, pressing the rounded point of the butter knife into the table. Her lower eyelid twitches on one side, causing her to squint in severe concentration.

Elfog looks around the table at the others, "Just me then, eh?"

"What happened with that necklace, Hunter? The one you've been obsessing over."

"I have the necklace," says Hunter, reaching up with her butter knife-wielding hand to pull a part of her robes open and flash the large onyx with encircling diamonds around her neck, dangerously baring more skin than is decent and pressing the blade to her collarbone. "What does it have to do with anything? Does it make you jealous that I have it? Does it feel like a callous lover left you for undamaged goods?"

As she rants, Hunter voice has taken on a quiver. Her eyes glisten, shades of pink touching the corners where tears threaten to overflow.

"You have not been yourself, Hunter. Elfog is not the only one who has noticed." Mai'ngor says in his deep voice. "If I had to guess, I would say that necklace has put an enchantment over you."

"Now please put down the knife."

"It's pretty and it's flawless, unlike myself," she mutters in a low voice, a tear streaking down Hunter's cheek.

She pulls her hand down and casts her eyes upon the dull blade, smeared with fat and oil. She snorts and looks back to Mai'ngor. "Like this could do anything," she spits, whether at Mai'ngor's intimation or her own folly is left unclear. Hunter pulls her robes back together and stalks out of room, legs picking up speed as she passes the counter and moves to exit the building.

I stare after Hunter as she walks out. "We need to help her before that necklace messes her up for good..."

"We'll make sure of it!" Elfog responds to Lanniver as he heads out just behind Xeliss.

"What makes ya think it's the lass' necklace?" he asks.

"I heard the shopkeeper at the jewelry store. The necklace is called Elayna's Sorrow. There is a legend attached, something about a heartbroken farm girl who threw herself to her death. I fear our dear Hunter may be possessed by Elayna, and that she may end up hurting herself."

"I'm still not sure. I never saw her buy that necklace and thought nothing of it, but then she was looking over a necklace the other night in the room. It looked kinda similar, although I didn't get a good look at it in the store. And then she started acting all funny..."

Hunter does not know where she is going, only that she wishes to leave. Almost without realizing that she still has the butter knife and the slice of bread, the half-elf slips the blade into her sash and nibbles absently on the food while she strides on.