The Stolen Candle - Chapter 2

Kai picks up all the arrows, "If you case trouble in the area I'll put these back in and that seems complicated..." he warns.

"Ach. Held by cabbage, rescued by imbeciles. My luck is steady, for that."

She happily accepts the offer of a ride.

Tipolei surveying the previously occupied area, notices that the coalbalds dragged their dead away. There is a far bit of litter left, from biological waste to broken items, to things like chairs and a few tents that they left behind. The DBees themselves are making time fast toward the south. A trail of litter and trampled ground should make them easy to follow for a weeks.

Sure there is Ben, as long as she doesn't mind sitting up there with the firepower. Er... on second thoughts, maybe one of us should sit up there and she can sit safely with us below.

Suddenly, Tipolei's face brightens up, Tipolei go on top ! Wind feel good in face ! And he hurries outside...

"Thanks, Tip," Ben says as people begin taking there seats. "We can look around a bit more if you'd like, but I suspect it's maybe not the best for the moment. Perhaps we could get back to town, and re-group, as well as let the Coffin Nails know what's happening out here. Maybe they've got some intel for us. Sound good?"

You scout around and eventually return to Cartouche without trouble. Candle is exhausted and tired and just plain bitchy, but she suggests you talk to the Coffin Nails sooner rather than later, so maybe she'll be allowed to sleep all the following day.

You show up at the bar that the Coffin Nails keep (in a skidding spray of gravel, which earns Chay a squeak from the Mystic). You all climb out (or land) and can go inside. They offer you a selection of their apple based drinks, and ask for the news.

"Sort out those mysterious squatters?"

"well I found a piece of flooring with a lot of blood that lead to finding some ugly humans in the forest and they had a candle lady tied up they left but I didn't think they wanted to since I took her... I'm unsure if she's a ball buster yet or if I have balls..." Kai explains giving out the big picture rundown from his point of view.

Chay enjoying yet another dramatic entrance, hops out of the driver's seat and enters the bar with the group. Listening to Kai's succinct description of the past events he adds, What he said, smiling at Kai and snickering. That pretty much sums it up.

Singer, particle rifle strapped across her back rocks on her one leg and says, "I thought dragons were supposed to be wise. Maybe when they get bigger? How big before you find your wisdom, little one?"

Bully Welch says, "Pretty effin big."

They laugh, but it isn't mean spirited laughter, more call it, professional rivalry.

"Danny Doom, miss Candle," he says timidly, obviously smitten with the new person. He steps back, unsure.

The others laugh at him, too, and introductions go around as the apple drinks go down.

"Maybe I'll figure it out by the time I'm 7 months old.." Kai mused before wondering off to relax outside in his normal form.

"Did he say seven months old? That can't be right?" Shrugs accompany the proclamation.

They'll all for now details, a blow by blow recap of you're willing to provide it, and they'll cheer on the exciting bits. People love good stories. People in bars more than most.

"in a very abridged, and perhaps more literal then needed version of events, yes, that's pretty much what happened," says Ben confirming Kai story. "However, I'm curious about the fact that they seemed comfortable with eating people, and were camped just outside town. Did any patrols see them?"

They shake their heads. Danny explains, "No, we hadn't tracked them down yet. Truth was, they hadn't caused any real mischief, although we wanted to make sure they didn't start."

"Cannibals indeed. They were close to bringing the whole tribe. They were going to attack in the night, capture everyone o ye for their cook pots. Maybe another week, then," she makes a squerching noise with her cheek.

"Mostly because some readhead killed one of their kind... Wait was that you?" Kai states snaking his head in and stares and Candle.

"Candle, you know for certain that there are even more of those beings on the way, and enough to comfortably capture the entire town? If so, how do you know?" Ben asks. He awaits his response patiently. "We probably need a better perimeter patrol to keep an eye on things out here. Castle Refuge may help out if things get bad, but it probably isn't going to be an instantaneous response. Better to assume we're on our own. Do you think you have enough people to make sure nothing is able to sneak up on the citizens?"

Candle looks grumpy at Kai's observation. She says nothing.

To Ben, she says, "You saw them all. They're armed and dangerous, but maybe if everyone in this town has armor and weapons like you have, they'll be safe. The Coalbalds didn't think that was the case, and are planning to attack. Or were. I don't know now, you gave them a beating they won't forget."

That we did, Chay says to Candle, wide grin beaming at her. At this point Chay is no longer shy about his appearance and rarely uses his kerchief anymore. He is a hero now after-all.

"Oi, Are you the one that killed Dav and got them riled up so they'd attack the town? It's a simple question Lady." Kai states clearly from outside standing up blocking out any sunlight from outside Standing up fully before shoving his head all the way in.