< Never Split The Party | Ex Pulplogs | The Walker's Pets >
ST Traveling without stops it took six days for Xar and Myrrh to reach Forest End, the city of mud bubbles and dirt bricks at the end of the Meander River. Here Myrrh had come years ago to meet Manosque Rivers and find the secrets of unlocking his former tomb on Brume. It's been a long time since then, but he remembers where Rivers kept a house in the city and how to get to the sanctum of Rivers' wife.
Myrrh "Now Xeth, you and Crystal don't have any suprise grudges do you? I'd hate to have to break up another fight with a giant in stone armor..."
Xar`Rex "Another fight? Have you fought with her before?"
Myrrh "Well...no. But I did have to stop her and Rivers from smashing at each other all day. This was back before I got them to sit down and talk. That was awhile ago though." Walks down the muddy streets looking at road signs.
ST Myrrh doesn't take long to find the house where Manosque Rivers used to live.
Xar`Rex "Oh yes, it was YOU who got them back together, wasn't it." he sounds disapproving.
Myrrh "Hey, they were a cute couple when they weren't fighting..." Glances up at the house.
Xar`Rex "I'm afraid being cute isn't everything."
ST The two-story house of puce-whiteish mudbrick is well-maintained and relatively prosperous for this nowhere town. The same small rope hangs down to signal its occupant that someone is calling on them. The door, still painted a soft peach, is closed.
Myrrh "I don't know, cute has it's charms...when it doesn't have a giant rat queen." Pulls the rope.
ST After a few minutes the door opens and Manosque Rivers peers out, looking surly and annoyed much as he did the first time Myrrh called on him. The husky Dragon-Blooded has tied back his red-brown hair with a peach colored strip of cloth and shaved off his beard but other then that looks the same as he did when Myrrh last called. The man is also covering himself with a bed sheet rather then clothing. "What?!"
Rivers "Oh. Its you again? Well what do you want then?"
Myrrh glances at Rivers...clothing. "Er...are you busy?"
Rivers "Yes."
Myrrh "Is that.."
Rivers waits for Myrrh to say what he's about, looking impatient and annoyed.
Xar`Rex raises a brow at Rivers, looking mildly amused at all this
Myrrh "Your wife is certainly a long way from the jungle?"
Rivers looks even MORE surly at that. "Did you want something?"
Myrrh "Well yes, we were wondering if you were willing to take on students. You are a sorcerer correct?"
Rivers looks at Myrrh, then at the Dragon-King with its silly cape. Grunts. "I am. Come back later."
Myrrh "Er...alright. When later?"
Rivers "A few hours later." The mostly-naked Dragon-Blood closes his door firmly in their faces.
Myrrh "Well atleast he agreed to see us?"
Xar`Rex "Friendly, isn't he."
Myrrh "Well it has been a few years..."
ST Xar and Myrrh wander around the small city for a time before finding a place to eat that isnt too disgusting and try sampling some of the local "delicacies". Of course no one here has ever heard the word "delicacies". But after a few bites of some kind of fish wrapped in some sort of leaf with some sort of...fluid poured over the whole thing, they decide it's fairly good.
ST Both, however, are smart enough not to ask what the name of anything is or what exactly they are eating.
ST Eventually the food is done, dessert is arrived and then eaten. Having successfully wasted two hours, the pair sets out to spend another hour. Watching in amusement as two street musicians duel for the coins of their customers seems a good way to do so!
Xar`Rex tosses a few coins to the musicians, having decided the one on the left is the best.
Myrrh saves his money since he might need it to pay off Rivers, although he does have some ideas about instrument improvements...
ST The flute-playing musician bows to Xar in mid-song even as the lute-player on the other side of the street glowers unhappily and launches into a vastly complicated piece of work to show that he deserves money too!
Myrrh gives the man a few silver bits. or chits...
ST Three hours after having the door slammed in their faces, Xar and Myrrh return to Rivers' house and look at eachother, considering if they should ring again.
Xar`Rex "well, hopefully he will be in a better mood now."
Myrrh "Hopefully he'll have more clothes."
Myrrh rings!
Rivers answers the door again, looking somewhat less surly though a bit more sweaty. He has, at least, put on a pair of pants and a light shirt. He grunts when he sees who his visitors are. Moving away from the door he lets the pair inside. "What do you two want now?"
Xar`Rex "We want to learn sorcery." he says simply
Myrrh "We were wondering if you could train us in the art of Sorcery. You are the only person I know that could train us that wouldn't probably stab us."
Rivers looks at the two. "You have anything to offer for it?"
Xar`Rex "We can make anything you need," he says hopefully,
Rivers shifts his shoulders. "Don't need much."
Myrrh examine's Rivers home.
Xar`Rex "That, and I could tell Crystal's mother what a worthwhile man she's decided to date. With her blessing, your lives will become much easier."
Rivers keeps a spare dwelling at least judging from the room. At Xar's comment the burly Exalted stands up and growls.
Rivers "I don't need her approval! OUT!" He yells and points at the door
Xar`Rex snorts, "Obviously you don't. But she might. Do you think she's happy, estranged from her family?"
Myrrh "Xar..."
Myrrh "Well if you had any jade we could craft it into something..."
Rivers "If you think I care what that hussy's family thinks you're too foolish to learn anything!"
Xar`Rex "I think you should ask HER sometime. You're not the only one in the relationship, are you?"
Myrrh "How about money?"
Rivers "Bloody well right I'm not! Not by far!"
Xar`Rex "Then why do you hate her so much?"
Myrrh sighs and covers his eyes...this is not going well.
Rivers "She swore to me and broke it!"
Xar`Rex "Broke what?"
Rivers "THE OATH!"
Xar`Rex "What did she swear to?"
Rivers "To be my WIFE! But what does SHE do? Sleeps with some talking LIZARD."
Myrrh "...there's a lizard now?"
Xar`Rex narrows his eyes a bit.
Xar`Rex "Do you even understand who she is, and the reason she does such things? She is no mortal, like you."
Rivers "Being a god doesn't mean you can be a whore!"
Myrrh looks rather confused. Although he suposed given two extreme personalities it's only expected that one simple talk would fix things over...
Myrrh "Lizard?"
Xar`Rex 's eyes flash, and are filled with fire, his bearing becoming more regal and flames flickering over his scales, "You call her a whore? You dare? She has put her career on hold for you for years. I'm sure you have noticed that she has stopped getting invited to the gatherings of the Gods. Only partly because of you. She must commune with other gods or she loses power, loses prestige, and grows ever lesser."
Rivers "I can commune without fucking like a mad rabbit!"
Xar`Rex "Oh, so you are a God now?"
Rivers "So then all the gods spend their days screwing everyone around them! No wonder they've ruined Creation!"
Xar`Rex snorts, "Oh I can see what she must see in you."
Myrrh "I think it might be best if we all calmed down for a moment."
Rivers "You ask me to be TEACHING and then go insultin me? I told you to get out!"
Xar`Rex "I offered to do you a favor. It is you who began insulting us, your wife, and all the Gods."
Myrrh "Sir Xet-...Xar is just a bit touchy on the subjects of gods. However we would like to become your students. What do we need to do to prove ourselves worthy of your teachings?"
Rivers "Cause I can see how me teachin you is a favor to me. If I want to be insultin towards that whore I'll be as insultin as I want!"
Xar`Rex "You think she wants to see you wither and die? Aside from your attitude, of course. She has been trying to get a Peach of Immortality for you, from what I have heard."
Rivers "Ya she told me she was just doin all this to get me a present. Well I'll turn grey and wrinkly just fine if she'd stop makin up excuses to sleep with everything around!"
Xar`Rex "I believe the point was to STOP you from turning grey and wrinkly."
Rivers "I don't happen to care if it means she's going to spend all those extra years in bed with some BUG!"
Myrrh "A BUG?!"
Myrrh "A lizard I could understand..."
Rivers "In MY BED"
Xar`Rex shakes his head.
Rivers reaches for his Foe Hammer. "I told you to GET OUT!"
Rivers "I'll have none of teaching you!"
Myrrh "Xar, not one more word."
Xar`Rex mutters, "I'm going to have a word with Crystal."
Rivers "She hasn't TIME for words with anyone before she wraps her legs around them! OUT!"
Rivers looks quite willing to throw the two out if they try to stay past their well-worn-out welcome
Myrrh "Xar could you please wait outside for a moment? I'd like to talk with Rivers in private."
Xar`Rex snorts, turns on his heel, and goes looking for Crystal.
Rivers leaves the Foe Hammer where it lays on his table and strides towards Myrrh. Taking the taller man by his arm, Rivers hauls him into the air and carries him out the door. Which he then slams.
Myrrh "Rivers, wait! I'd like to- Slam Apologize..."
Stryck Wiki