Sharpening Cold Iron
Log Info
- Title: Sharpening Cold Iron
- Emitter: Slixvah
- Place: Lower Markets
- Summary: Slix, Aelwyn, and Vaera plan and discuss the misfortune of their recent excursion, and gear up to delve back in.
- Lower Markets, Early Evening
The misty day in the markets doesn't fare to well for the mood. Coming in from a tough bout and from the bridge is a group of folks. One of which an egalrin woman, who's normally bright and vibrant demeanor is a scowl, hand cupping her beak in deep thought.
They arrive to the shopping centre with roughly an hour left to purchase anything before its closed for the day. Without warning, Slixvah suddenly barks, "Damn it!" A fist slams against a brick wall. She winces, shaking it out. "I appreciate th' balls on that girl bu'- ugh! Why didn' I jump after her!"
The short ruddy sith-makar, bloodied from the fight and with a bandage wrapped around his arm, slowly walks in after the egalrin woman. He puts his hand on her shoulder. "Then there would be two missing," The sith-makar reminds her. The draconian then leans back and puts his hand down on his hip. "And we are stronger with more hands unchained."
The sombre results of their mission seems to have affected the draconian too - but then he flashes his teeth. "Besides, it is more enjoyable to take leaps to unknown in a vibrant city, and not dead abandoned mineshafts." His orange eyes glance around the market - and then he glances at his glaive. He gives it a consolation pat along its finely engraved blade. "Hmmh. Still, irritating adversaries." He lets out a firm click of his teeth.
Vaera was looking mostly alright, save for seeming more than a bit on edge. The tall red makari chuffs once, and nods. "It would be foolish to go further unprepared. I should have done something to stop her, but I was in no place to do so."
"I can only hope they will be alright by the time we return, better equipped than last."
Slixvah's tense shoulders lax under Aelwyn's reassurance, her reaching up to hold his hand for the moment it's there. "I know. Ain't th' first time I've dove head first inta th' unknown ta rescue someone. Jus', ugh. Sucks all 'round."
Shuddering, she turns to rest against the wall. "Irritating for me too. Ya fire ain't work. They resist m'magic. I was yellin' 'bout gettin' in that holy circle because tha' succubus, once it nabs ya mind, you're screwed. I didn' wanna fight m'friends."
She looks to Vaera, gaze softened some. "Aye. I hope so too Maybe we need to get a cold iron hammer fo' them when we find 'em. I jus'- hate it when a plan goes tail up." She attempts a smile, but its wan. "Name's Slixvah by the by. Didn't really have time ta get names an' all tha'."
Aelwyn bumps his hips against Slixvah's. "Not the first time someone with curvaceous figure 'nabs the mind', this one thinks." He flickers his tongue out in rumbling amusement. Still, the point remained.
And the ruddy sith-makar stares at his glaive. Some truths were hard to come to terms with - maybe fire wasn't the solution to everything. "Hmmh, we still managed to push them to a rout. Yet," He crosses his arms and lifts his chin up. "Maybe cold iron has its merits."
At the introductions, he tilts his head, and bows his own.
"You are being hard on yourself, I understand. But we were already dealing with a storm of fire threatening us, and none expected her to not retreat as well." The hunter chuffs. "You did not ask for it on the way back. "Vaera, I wish I could have been more of use there."
"The problem with cold iron is that it can not simply be cast. I expect at least one sleepless night if I hope to have enough ammunition to return. But for that, finding someone to sell the metal in an unworked state is a challenge."
Slix makes a 'tch' sound, chuckling. "Yes. But I'd prefer a curvaceous figure to not 'eat my soul' at the same time." A small breath leaves her. "We did rout them. But it took a /lot/. Loo', hon, I kno' ya like ya glaive, but sometimes ya gotta swap the dance up, yeah? Ya lil' routine ya did out there was amazing. Don't need nothin' fancy, maybe like, a big spear?"
She rubs her face. "Yeah. You're right. Vaera. Cute. I like it. Feels spicy on the beak."
She tilts her head. "Whuddya mean? Can' jus' get cold iron ammunition? At th' very least, some arrows? I saw ya shoot a bow prett' good."
Aelwyn flashes his teeth at Slixvah again, swaying in place. "Tch, there is eating and there is eating, this one supposes." He flickers his tongue out; the twin tips flicking opposite directions. The draconian then tilts his head up. "There is a dance, Ribbon, and then there is dance one lives for. The one rhythm that drives the heart."
And then he looks towards Vaera and Slixvah. "One know of which - two glaives cannot be worse than one."
At Vaera, the draconian gets a sympathetic look. "This one saw her struggling. Next time this one will move in front, to shield her."
"Arrows would work, but I would prefer to keep those as a back up plan. They were supposed to be, but it seems succubi care little for silver. A mistake I will not make again."
The red makari chuffs, and lightly smacks the dragoon with their tail. "I feel as if I should bemore concerned keeping you out of trouble, if you are not wary of succubi, or are close to staying in a raging inferno to see what happens." They chuckle. "If only it were so easy, but none in town sell the ammunition I need, though arrows would save time there. I'll have to kake them myself, as I have never seen any shipments from charn selling cold iron weaponry."
Slix playfully rolls her eyes. "Of course ya'd just get 'nother glaive. Besides, I'd rather /not/ dance wit' a succubus. I already have enough crap in my head I gotta deal wit'." Her magics are always so esoteric.
She snorts. "Flutter here /loves/ fire. So much so that I'm surprise he hasn't exploded yet. Buut he's got a good head on his shoulders. /Most/ of the time," she teases.
Pondering as she looks out to the stalls, a little sigh escapes her. "Ya prolly might have ta jus' do both. Grab d'arrows for a backup, scoop up some cold iron bars fo' ammo and make 'em on th' road when we set back out. Either way ya cut it, ya gonna need cold iron. And I gotta consult wit' some stuff ta find mojo tha' ain't gonna get countered easily."
Aelwyn rumbles as he gets slapped and his own tail playfully coils, as he looks between the two. "Tch, what can this one say? Though those winged ones, the incubi - they seem to have common decency to get up close and personal. Now there's a taste." He flickers his tongue again. "Can't feel the heat leering from afar." The Dragoon turns towards Slixvah with a most innocuous grin. "This one appreciates her confidence."
Looking towards Vaera though, he raise up his glaive and lightly leans against it. "She has not? Are we all stuck with not finding any weapons in this market?" He glances towards the district, then back at the others. "This one supposes time is of the essence."
"It was good thinking on your part, things may have gone much worse without such wards. I would not want anyone to be harmed by me, or to have to harm someone." Vaera agrees gravely. "That would explain a lot, like why I feel he needs to have his head dunked in the river. Fire should not be left unchecked."
"Special case, not something you need to worry about." Vaera answers, taking a look around. "Cold iron is quite common place in Alexandria actually, given the fact that the wards are supposed to keep them out. Wares to defend ones self from them are common enough, as a result. Arrows and ore will probably suffice, for myself."
"Aelwyn, do /not/ sleep wit' th' friggin demons. Or I will steal your glaive and throw it off a big mountain wit' a big drop inta' th' bottom of a big ocean," Slix threatens with a groan. "Yes they are sexy. But it ain't the good sexy. It ain' confidence, it's experience. And ri' now ya not doin' so good."
She just cackles at Vaera having to dunk Aelwyn into a river. "Hah! Ah, I needed that. Anywho, thanks. I'll double up on wards ta keep 'em from blastin' ya minds. Or rip they control outta it. I'm going ta need... something. Might pay a visit ta th' University. Get a scroll tha' loosens ya bonds all easy like. Be real good on th' Majesty. But ya two? Stock up on cold iron. For reals."
Aelwyn lets out a rumbling laugh at that as well, before he elbows Slixvah. "Tch, this one has prettier in sight, anyway." He flicks his tail about and looks between the two. "Did Ribbon manage to see what was inside the hole?" He asks then, tilting his head. "Weapons aside, a long shaft with little escape does sound difficult fight, no matter how one prepares."
"... and what do they wish from a bird of fire, anyway?" The Dragoon asks then, tilting his head. He didn't do much more than read the job description.
"Yes, no good can come from consorting with demons and devils." Vaera chuffs. "Especially since they managed to capture a phoenix, of all things."
"Don't worry, I'll make sure that I am prepared this time. I did not expect to run across demons, rather just a routine look into some fires. It seems I'm out of practice in some regards." The red makari sighs. "Yes, were you able to spy anything before we retreated? We will need to make sure we can get down quickly and safely, but also return with haste if necessary."
Slixvah's face floofs some at that. "Oh stop it you," she giggles, thwacking his arm playfully. "Naw. I saw somethin' 'boutta explode tho'. I figure it's a straight shot down inta right where the Phoenix is 'cause th' incubus flew straight down an' I started hearin' squawking."
She inhales deeply. "So... we're prolly there until we purge every demon there. 'cause we ain't gettin' out 'til then. I can emergency evacuate a few people, but not a whole crew."
She blinks at Aelwyn. "... Aelwyn. It's... not just a bird of fire. It's a Phoenix. Bird of rebirth. Flames so pure it can heal sickness and burn away wounds. Man, this bird /is/ exactly ya kind of creature. It is the purest of fire!"
A phoenix. Aelwyn for a moment, seems to look past Slixvah; somewhere where fires burned, conjured by feathers and masks... "Hmmh, this one knows the Phoenix." He says and rolls his hand along Slixvah's feathers for a touch, before he leans back. "Yet that does not answer why there, why the demons?" He rumbles, then flashes his teeth. "Do not let the pretty fire from a pretty bird distract her, Ribbon."
Turning towards Vaera, the draconian nods. "Perhaps there is a winch or some sort that we could employ in a pinch. Goblintown surely has a solution." He was being serious too.
"I do not think we will have a chance to leave again, yes." Vaera nods gravely. "But I worry if they might have plans to stop the entrance from being used again, a way to vacate it may prove useful."
"If you know the phoenix, then you are lucky indeed, they are usually good omens." Vaera grins. "It would not due for them to remain captive. Myself and Rune made a promise to those two firehawks regardless, and they may burn that village down, should we fail."
Slix gives a sharp huff. "Think, hon," she taps his noggin as he messes with her feathers. "Demons thrive off of corrupting and torturing th' pure. Inflictin' pain on a creature li' this? Sublime ta them. Maybe usin' it ta fuel nefarious rituals. Maybe theys usin' the Pheonix's magic like a weapon? Fire Storm is a BIG spell. And they prolly makin' 'em use it against they will."
She shakes her head. "I ain't know 'em, but magic birds is kinda like a big thing in egalrin culture." The witch blinks at Vaera. "Yeah uh, lets not let that happen. We's can get 'em out. Speakin' of, prolly need ta visit Goblintown too. Good idea."
She gestures to the markets. "Let's get gear fit ta save a Phoenix, yeah?"
Aelwyn wrinkles his nostrils and he lets out an unhappy rumble, but he bows his head afterwards. "Let us. This one suspects there will be a long trip of us, again." The glaive is hoisted on his shoulder, and he turns to look towards Vaera. "She know where we should be headed for the iron?"
"It should not happen, but it would bring up the importance of the task at hand." Vaera shrugs. "Goblintown may have some scrap metal that will work for my purposes, And for anything already made, I know a few spots." She answers, gesturing outward. "Come, let us get our preparations underway, the sooner, the better."
-End Scene-