Saturday, May 19, 2018

Master of Strings Ch38: Curious Wanderer

Zilo and Leo stand between their mysterious savior and the fallen friend, Jin. The being that stands before them looks to be a normal man, with a black robe and some black gauntlets and grieves. While his appearance may be typical-

"Typical! Screw you!" Remarks the red-headed, pony tailed man from another world. The man holds the sheet of Jin Shi, which currently has zero HP.

"Typical! Really, the guy who just one-shotted a bandersnatch and is dressed in all black!?"

"I wouldn't say one-shotted, we hit is a few times." Says the man with the hat and Zilo's character sheet.

"Either way, He cutscened the attack, clearly he's stronger than most things we've come across." Says the skinny man with Leo's sheet. Meanwhile Zilo and Leo keep their weapons gripped tightly as the stranger motions to them.

"If you really believe that you can strike me down then please, try." Speaks the man in a condescending monotone deep voice. Zilo and Leo side look to each other, and Leo sheaths his blade. Zilo changes his bow back to it's musical form. Leo is the first to address the figure.

"Do you mean us harm?"

"How presumptive, I don't even know you. I suppose I have no benefit from your death, so no."

Zilo smiles and puts out his hand without fear, "Thank you for saving us, friend."

The figure stoically takes the gesture in, but doesn't look to physically respond. "May I ask why you three decided to engage a creature beyond your ability?"

At that Zilo looks back to the creature and takes out an empty vial, as he responds, "We needed some of it's sweat for our friend." Zilo skips over to the dead beast and swipes off some of the sweat from the beast's body.

"Does he typically risk his life over such tasks?" The man asks Leo. Leo is much less open then Zilo, still keeping his body still and focusing everything on the stranger.

"Zilo puts everything into everything, I don't think 'restraint' is in his vocabulary."

"And its in yours?"

Now on his favorite subject Leo thumb points to himself and lets out a smug smile, "Let's just say I'll help if it benefits me, and this little trip will make our boss rather happy, which helps me."

The man looks Leo up and down then to Jin and he says, "I would ask your... Ally, but he seems too wounded at the moment to get a feel for his character."

Leo looks over to Jin and answers for the downed monk, "That's Jin, He's always looking for a fight and drinking... I'm sure there is more than that, but to be fair, he's a recent addition."

"He looks to have something wrong with him."

Leo looks to see that the black on Jin's arm had spread up past his shoulder and onto his neck. Leo panics and shouts, "ZILO, GET OVER HERE!"

Zilo runs back to Jin's side as Leo looms over. Leo bites his thumb and says, "His condition is worse, can you use your Sending Shells to tell Maldrek our position, and have him teleport us?"

"I already had Aria do a task today, We need to wait til dawn to use it again." Leo spins about and throws his hands up, and says, "We don't have until dawn! He's lucky if he gets an hour!"

Zilo takes off Jin's robe and looks at how far it's spread, then he shakes his head.

"Sadly, its less, that fight must have made his blood pump. It's advanced to his torso, his organs will be shot in as little as a few minutes." Leo punches a tree and shouts, "Damn the gods! Can you do anything!?"

Zilo stops for a moment and solemnly shakes his head. Leo kicks a nearby rock into the tree line, and the stranger walks up to him, and says, "Do you intend to attract the rest of the predators of this forest, because you are on the right track." Leo looks at the man, who kneels down beside Zilo and asks, "What ails your friend?"

"He was bit by a werewolf that has vampire blood."

"No normal medicine can save him then." And with that, Zilo's heart drops. Zilo kneels back, spreading his legs forward and falling back to his back. He slams his fist into the ground in frustration. The man stands and begins to make his way back down the path, but once he is no more than a few steps away, Leo shouts,

"What do you mean 'normal medicine'!?" The wanderer turns his head back and stares at Leo as Zilo sits up again, hopeful with remnants of tears forming on his face.

"I see no point in explaining."

"NO!" Shouts Zilo, standing up. "You know how to save him! So help us!"

The man turns back around and says, "I would need something you cannot give, for it is not yours to give."

"So who's is it?" Asks Leo. Then the man points to the motionless monkey. Zilo looks to his friend and shouts, "I don't know where you come from, but where we are from, we don't like to die! If you really need something of his, then I promise you, as his good friend, I know he would give it in a heartbeat!"

The man looks the stalwart bard in the eyes, and notes his conviction. The man closes his eyes and hangs his head, then with a dejected sigh he walks back to Zilo and Jin.

"What do you want us to do?" Asks Leo. The man kneels down to Jin and says, "Leave."

"What!?" Asks Leo, confused.

"Do you want me to save him or not? Continue on the path, and leave us." Says the man, with a more stern tone than before. Leo's face shows his frustration, but Zilo places his hand to Leo's shoulder and with a smile he says,

"Jin's gonna be fine, don't worry." Leo looks back to his friend and the man, then he and Zilo continue down the path to the elven city.

The path to the city looked clear for the next half a day's walk, but Zilo and Leo decided to camp out away from the city, since they still suspected the elves were responsible for the attack on the dwarves. After another half day, just as the sun began setting Zilo spotted the crew of their ship walking down the path to the city. Leo was resting for the trip back to the ship.

Once he looks over the group, Zilo begins shaking Leo awake. With the magus forced awake he looks to see the crew as well, and leading them toward the City was a familiar figure. Jin Shi Wukong smiled happily with his drink suspended from his tail and a smile so wide that he forced his eyes closed.

Jin waved his arm, which now looks to be fully healed. Leo and Zilo whisper back and forth wondering what to think, but they both decided it didn't matter, since their friend now seemed to be standing tall.

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