Golems and Egalrins

The day is bright and sunny, though chilly in the shade. The Gobbo wanted to be free of the dungeon's oppressiveness, and so here they are. She's fully decked out for adventure, leather armor, her backpack full of useful stuff.. and her violin. The music precedes her as they go along, jaunty travel music since they left the ferry. "Do you think I may die before a cure comes along, Zeke? And do you worry for Chay?" Slightly morbid questions considering the otherwise cheerful day.

Zeke walks along looking far less prepared for adventuring than does Acedia. He has his quarterstaff in his one visible claw however, which is in of itself a certain concession to the fact that they are no longer in Alexandria proper. The sith-makar keeps a sharp eye on Acedia as she goes along; the last time they went out they were accosted by bandits after all. He didn't trust that something likewise might not happen. "Thisss one thinkss that there mussst be a cure sssoon." This is seemingly an answer to both questions.

The Gobbo pauses and casts her eyes skywards, above a large bird of prey circles about, its keening call heard several times. "It must be nice to fly.", she says softly, before looking to Zeke. "I hope so, Zeke. It will make all the waiting worth it. You two must be tired of being cooped up with me in confined spaces."

The sith's eyes flick skyward briefly, but he shrugs subtly with his right shoulder. "Thisss one doesss not want you and Chay to be alone all the time. Thisss isss why thisss one bringsss giftss and helpss with ressearch. Sssomething will be found, and then we will be free to do ass we pleasse."

Acedia pauses and eyes Zeke. "Thank you. For helping and keeping our spirits up." She looks melancholy briefly before smiling brightly. "What will we do after? When we're cured? And people are saved?"

Zeke looks unhappy with the momentary melancholy. He says nothing however about it, only nodding to her. He clearly does not feel that he has done anything special. He has not. The sith-makar is silent for a long span of seconds, trying to think of things that can be done once everyone is well again. "A picnic? In the foresst? Othersss perhapss will want more, but thisss one would think that we could take a nisce picnic."

Acedia smiles again and nods. "With apple pie? And ice cream?", she wonders. "And fish!" She lets out a long sigh. "I actually miss playing in the pubs and taverns." The Gobbo looks to the Sith. "Do you miss having the freedom you had before the plague hit? What did you do, Zeke?"

"With whatever makesss you happy." Zeke agrees easily, following along in her wake like a giant shadow. "Thisss one took care of the sssick before the plague, and will take care of them when the plague hass passst. Thisss one actually takess more... freedom now than before the plague." This was true mostly because before the plague he only had time for the sick. Now he had kin and friends to attend to as well.

The Gobbo nods at that, smiling again. "You're a good person, Zeke. People are lucky to have you in their lives." She goes quiet for a little while, leading the pair down a small goat path into a small copse of trees clinging to the mountain. "What makes you happy, Zeke? What makes you smile?"

Zeke thinks about this for a long period of time. "Ssspending time with kin." That... The thought of /having/ kin made him happy. He tilts his head toward the sky. "Thingsss like thisss. The open air and sssky. Healing the sssick and knowing that they can sssee this sssame ssky.”

"So who is your kin here in Alexandria? Chay, yes?" Acedia comes to a stop near a recently fallen tree, and climbs up to settle down upon the trunk. "Whew. Can we rest a little?" She wiggles her toes and stretches. The Gobbo pulls the pack from her back and rummages around inside it. "Would you like some trail mix? Nuts and dried fruits, including a few fruits from Am'shere." She removes a carefully wrapped paper bag and opens it, offering it up to Zeke.

The blue-scaled sith waves his claw at her offer, leaning the quarterstaff against his shoulder for a moment so that he can make the gesture. "Thisss one thanksss you, but no. Thisss one isss not hungry." He stops though of course, seemingly happy to stop here for a while. His tail wraps around him comfortably.

"Chay iss my kin. Chay'ss kin iss kin. Thisss iss all." Something about Zeke's words sounds... off, and his green eyes are off again, looking at the place where they've come to a stop.

She crunches on something noisily, and peers curiously at the Sith, taking the time to swallow. Which gives him more time to continue. "Only Chay and his kin? Could I be kin, then?", she wonders, popping a dried apricot into her mouth. This seems to be quite delicious to her, for she takes a long time savouring it.

Zeke leans heavily against his quarterstaff, and finds himself staring at the wood as though it holds some answer which it does not. "Kin isss... compicated. Kin isss not made easssily. Not all sssith are kin, and we do not call one another ssso unlesss there iss reasson. We are the People, but not all the People are kin." He huffs. "Thissss one isss not a good one to assk of sssuch things."

A warm day in a small copse of trees, two travellers have taken their rest in a small clearing. A blue-scale Sith leans against his quarterstaff, while a wee Gobbo is settled upon a newly fallen tree, popping nuts and dried fruits into her mouth.

"But aren't you your own best decider of who is or isn't kin?", Acedia asks of Zeke. "I mean, I kind of consider you family. I really don't have anyone else. And we've been through a few things together. Bonding moments, yes?"

Finaly Zeke shrugs again. Just a slow roll of his right shoulder and that one alone. "Thisss one isss a bad judge of sssuch thingsss." Is the only answer he seems to have. He finally glances toward her out of the corner of his eye. "Do you have no kin of your own Ascedia?"

A shadow passes over the clearing. Instinct might tell you that by the size of the winged shadow, the creature casting it must be from a low flying bird - yet there is no such bird flying low over the clearing. Instead the source is a giant winged form higher in the sky. It must be nearly Roc-sized. Only, it seems to be wearing clothes.

"If I do, they are far away. In the sandsea. My parents were... strange, even for Goblins. I left as soon as I was able." The Gobbo savours a dried plum, and licks at her lips afterwards. "You can trust your judgement, Zeke." She blinks then, and peers up once more. "That is a large bird." Her eyes narrow as she squints into the bright blue. "One of the bird people?"

Zeke looks up, eyes blinking at the thing flying above them. "It mussst be. Thisss one hasss never sssseen one in flight before however."

The large form banks slowly. It seems to be gliding more than flying, slowly but surely losing altitude. It also seems to be reducing in size. Soon enough it touches down, on the other side of the clearing, now no larger than a normal humanoid. Pelka gasps for air, clearly winded. He raises a taloned hand in greeting.

Acedia watches the Eaglekin as they come to land, and she hops from the log. Soon standing behind the blue-scaled Sith. "Well, I've never seen one so close.", she says quietly to Zeke. "Do you think he's friendly?

"Peasce on your nessst." Zeke offers to the be-winged man, offering a short nod as he steps forward away from Acedia. His form still blocks hers but they're slightly further away though. "Thisss one isss Zeke, and one here... Is Ascedia." He motions during the pause to the goblin mostly behind him and offers another nod to the one whom had so recently come from the sky.

Munch jogs along the trail, headed back towards the city. Or at least, away from the deeper wilds, are quite a few places to go from here, if one is willing. The metal man travels at a ground eating lope, having little need for rest, and little concern for whatever he might happen across. Finding the latest clearing occupied, Munch slows to a walk, raising a hand in greeting to those also present.

Pelka's breathing slows until he's only breathing hard now. "Yes!" he chirps. "Very friendly. Just tired." He looks between the two, glances at the approaching Munch, then finally offers, "I'm Pelka!"

The Gobbo blinks at the Golem's arrival, and she again hides behind the blue-scale Sith. Peeking out at Pelka, she nods. "N..nice to meet you, Pelka. Enjoying the sunshine?"

Zeke looks from one person to the next and then offers a polite greeting to the golem. "Peassce on your nesst." The blue-scaled sith's tail gives a little flick. He steps to the side sligthtly. "Many pardonsss if we are in the way. It isss a pleassure to meet you both."

Munch absently grabs a quarterstaff-sized tree branch as he passes, ripping it free to drag behind him as he ambles closer. "Munch. Noun, not the verb. I mean, there was verb, until it became noun." He buzzes softly a moment, and tries again. "My name is Munch. Munch Terrormaw."

Pelka stares unblinkingly at the golem. The he tears his gaze away and looks back and forth between all the three. "Not in my way," he assures. "There's plenty of room in these lands for everyone."

"Is it safe to say that Munch is both your name and what you do?", the Gobbo asks of the Golem. She does her best to remain behind Zeke, despite his shuffling about. She glances to Pelka and nods. "That's good. I don't want to take up your space. Is flying fun?" Acedia looks to Zeke then. "Did you want to sit a while?"

"Thisss one isss fine sstanding thank you." Zeke nods again to Munch whom had given his introduction and his tail flick-flicks behind him. He risks a glance behind him at Acedia and then back at the pair of individuals before him. "We were only sstopping for a little while. Do you care to join ussss?"

Munch's face splits open, the ceramic plates pulling back from layer upon layer of gleaming metal fangs embedded inside. Holding up the recently acquired branch, three quick bites removes about a foot of wood as the plates close again with a muffled grinding. "Yeah, Munch is what I do. Not the only thing I do, but the main thing I do. What do you do?"

The Gobbo steps forward, moving in front of Zeke, staring wide-eyed at the branch getting mulched. She cants her head slightly, and returns to the log upon which she was once seated. Climbing up, she takes up the violin which had been placed there, and temporarily forgotten. Putting the bow to the strings, she plays through a quick ditty, a snappy little song that tempts one to dance. A beat also starts, a middling bass sound coming from somewhere nearby.

Zeke holds very still and then with a light rumble shakes his head. "Thisss isss what Ascedia doess." He glances toward the goblin, clearly bemused. Then he steps away from her, just in case she wishes to add a bit of dancing to her music.

Munch buzzes quietly, watching Acedia a moment. "Fiddle gob. I know you. You were in the dungeons, yeah?" He glances to Zeke, curious. "And what do you do?"

"Thisss one... Thisss one caresss for the ssick." Zeke looks at Acedia, clearly a little uncertain if he should be talking at all. Then he nods low to them both. "Which... Thisss one sshould return to. Pardon. Ascedia... Thisss one will ssee you later yesss?"

-End