War of the Lost Kingdom

She shrugged helplessly.

"I was only here for a couple weeks, and not really in the fortress..."

"Fuck the Let-Gate’s office!" said Greta with a snarl. "I don’t care about your paper Ian." she said with not a little venom.

Looking around at the group the barbarian declared "We need to get out of here and find Axu’s people, and then escape this dung-heap of a city before we wind up like those ... clackers! " as she points down the hallway towards where the skeletons were.

"Where is Toyacheck?" asks Greta as she gets well within Axu’s personal space.

After Zifu had fallen, Ian winced and paused a moment to listen before turning to offer her a hand. "You okay?" Probably for the first time, the long haired human had sounded genuinely concerned. At Greta's declaration, though he nodded, "Okay, I can' keep you. This is somethin' I'm gonna do, though. If'n you wanna split up, I'll wish you all the best but if this plague really is intelligently controlled then more people than us're in danger. I ain' gonna do things half-assed." He looks between them for a moment.

"If anybody wants ta head on out I won' think less'a ya. It might even be completely pointless headin' ta the Legate's office but I really ain' willin' ta leave that stone unturned. If'n y'head down inta the city I'll catch up as soon as I can."

"What is so important there?" Greta demands.

Rubbing his hands on his face for a moment he sighs. "Everything the Legate knew about the plague, hopefully. Anything that they've discovered all the time they've been up here. Not to mention information about that possessed woman we fought in'the jail.
How would you like it if we escaped an then realized that she had made'a few trips south while infected. That'the plague was now comin' up north as well? Might be useful. Might affect your plans on where ta go, what ta do."

He starts to head towards the door to the mess hall, shrugging at the taller woman, "Knowledge is power, Greta. Whoever controls this plague has more knowledge than me an that is'a power imbalance I'm not one ta tolerate."

She points her sword at Ian and says "Power is power." as she makes a fist with her left hand.

"But if you think we can find something up there besides your papers, we go there and then get out of this tomb."

He snorts in amusement, "Well. Tell ya what. Anythin' that ain' nailed down, take." He grins a bit more as he goes to lead them through the mess hall, "Unless we find'a hammer or'a crowbar. Then don' ferget'the nails."

I like taking things. But please, let me do the lock picking.

Zifu had absently accepted the hand-up, even before she realized who it was that offered. "I'm fine," she said, then let the conversation between Ian and Greta continue.

She had her own thoughts on the temporary impasse, but kept them to herself as it appeared a decision was made to try for the Legate's office. Zifu fell into step with the party and headed down the north corridor to the mess hall.

Along the way, she whispered to Greta, "Who's Ian?"

Did you find Axu's friends? she thought to her owl as Hu appeared.

Greta looks at Zifu with confusion and points at the red headed charlatan "That one."

The barbarian muscles her way past Ian and takes the lead position. Unslinging her shield, the woman unconsciously grimaces at the sting of pain from her multiple stab wounds, which would probably have killed an ordinary human outright.

Zifu considered the answer silently. She positioned herself in the middle of the line, similar to a previously suggested formation.

I move behind Greta, probably uncomfortably so.

The redhead frowns concernedly at Greta, "Hey, let me take point. Until you get'a chance ta rest it's smarter that I'm out front." He gives her a small smile, tapping his own chest he says, "Anvil," before tapping her arm with a sword, "Hammer."

Zifu seemed hesitant to argue, but she said, "I'm not certain the one with bad eyesight ought to be in front. I trust Ingvarsdottir's instincts in this case."

Greta frowns at Ian’s suggestion. "I’m up front."

Shrugging, Ian sighs quietly, "Okay, but don' hog all the fun when we get inta trouble." Moving behind her, he glances over at Zifu with a confused look on his face, "What? No, I don' wanna put you up front. That'd be the worst idea. 'Specially since yer about ten minutes from gettin' the chills." He points to her silk robes, that seem excellent at absorbing water.

Axu broke in suddenly. "I got in through the mess hall. Toyachek, Venna, and Sjarvil are currently there."


She spoke as if she wasn't incredibly late to the conversation, or to Greta's question about Toyachek.

Zifu blinked. "What?" she said, clearly offset by the complete difference in intepretation. "I said Ingvarsdottir should... you know what? Nevermind." Her temples quivered and she held up both her hands to stave off further conversation.

Upon hearing Axu's answer Greta states: "The Let-gate can wait. Fist we go to the mess hall."