The morning after Maldrek accepted the job from Tess of the tower elves, Zilo was checking on his beloved Aria. She was sleeping very calmly with a warm smile on her face, Zilo gave her a light peck on the forehead before exiting her room to see Zatrian, Tess's VIP that needed guarding.
"Man, I haven't seen her sleep that soundly in months, you have some kinda magic about you."
Zatrian smiles and remarks, "It's no different from your power I'm told. Tess tells me you trained as a bard, well my profession works in a similar fashion." Zilo tilts his head curiously. The elf takes out his book he had lent Aria and explains.
"Bardic magic need not only be expressed via the art of performing my friend. Among my people I am what is called a Chronicler. I can do what you can do with merely the written word, those who read my tales are entranced with my magic."
Zilo's eyes widen and he smiles, "That's... Incredible!"
Zatrian bats the thought aside and smiles back at the bard, "It's not all that. All that happened was I have a talent for the pen rather than the piano." Zilo grasps onto the Chronicler's hand and speaks plainly, "I must discuss this more with you, the entire reason I came to the material realm was to learn more about it! You must have accrued a veritable Tarrasque worth of knowledge."
Zatrian scratches his cheek and says, "Well I have a few dozen books on my travels but- YEEAA-" Zilo drags the Chronicler downstairs and over to Maldrek's office. As usual the Tiefling was up and working extremely early when Zilo burst through the door.
"Maldrek I want to go on the journey to the wood elves with Tess and Zatrian." Maldrek peeks up from his desk then back down at the sheet, then back on to his friend.
"On a scale of zombie to dread how bad do you want this?"
"Lich. This is a Lich scale want right here."
Maldrek waves Zilo off and says, "Then regardless of what I tell you, you are gonna go, I was gonna send Cruxis along, but Jin should be enough muscle. You have him and May as back up, go start packing up the cart."
Zilo fist pumps and runs out to begin packing up the cart. About an hour or so later May, Tess, and Jin walk out to see the cart fully packed up for the long journey. The bard smiles from atop the cart as Zatrian sits in the cart scrawling away at his blank journal.
The rest of them pile into the cart and begin their long journey to a new kingdom. They kept the pace brisk all through the day and as the sun began to set Jin asks his friends, "So how you two doin wit your trainin?"
May shrugs and says, "Well I only really get to practice on missions, but last time I had a good go of it I took down 3 ogres by myself. about 2 weeks ago." Jin nods and looks over to Zilo. Zilo thinks and says, "Well Tess and I entered a tournament a bit ago and I got to the quarter finals, lost to Leo though."
Jin stands up cracks his knuckles and says, "What I'm hearin is dat it's been too long, let's make camp and we can see how well you two can do." Jin points back to Zatrian and Tess in the front of the cart and says, "Besides It'll be a good way to show deh customer what dey just bought."
Jin, May, and Zilo square off while Zatrian and Tess begin unpacking camp. Jin motions to his friends and says, "Dis won't be any fun unless you both come at me at once." Zilo and may look to each other and shrug before squaring up together.
Jin shouts, "So we don't wanna be handicapped if de assassin strikes, so we go ta first blood, or first down, sound good!?"
"Sure thing." Shouts May.
"Ready when you are." Shouts Zilo.
Jin begins by running at the two of them. May flicks out her scythe and Zilo fires off a volley of arrows. Jin maneuvers around the shots with some twirling somersaults and dives before reaching May. Once the two of them reach melee range Zilo moves in with his sword and buckler.
May makes a wide sweep with her scythe which Jin deftly flips up over before going for a kick to her face. May dives left and avoids the attack before rotating her scythe with the momentum to warp around her body and trying to thump Jin with the shaft.
Jin puts his hand up and easily blocks the attack, and pushes forward against her, just in time to avoid a downward slash from Zilo. Once forward a step Jin he leaps back a step and plants the heel of his foot right into Zilo's midsection, making him stumble back to catch his breath.
Jin's tail flick up and the monkey takes a swig of his flask as May spins and tries to kick at Jin's midsection. Jin snaps out his hand and blocks her attack with a drunken strike, forcing May's attack to stop and rattling the bone in her leg. May follows through with another scythe swing to pincer the monk with her leg.
In a flash, Jin is gone, She looks about for her before his head rises into view with a drunken smile. He snaps forward his palms and blasts May back, making her lose grip on her scythe and tumble down to the ground.
With May down Zilo holds his blade out and forward, hoping to keep some distance between him and Jin. Jin wobbles to and fro, taking in even more of his drink. Zilo lunges in and takes a stab, but Jin leaps to the left and tries to make his way in. Zilo cuts to the left, putting the blade between them just in time to stop Jin's advance.
Jin stares up and to the side with a wide eyed expression. Zilo looks off to the side to see what the deal is, but he immediately feels his blade get kicked off to the ground followed by a solid punch to the face and his back pressed against the solid ground.
Zatrian and Tess stare at the standing monk. Zatrian smiles to Tess and says, "Tess I think we made a good investment."
Tess leans back and says, "Eh, they are okay. I would have preferred that we get Alaroc, he's their strongest." Jin's ears perk up from quite a distance away and he turns toward them with an angry smile.
"Pardon me, but whatdyou say?" The monkey walks forward and continues.
"I may have neva actually fought with good old Allie, but what I do know is I can drink him under the bar any day a da week, so keep that in mind when you thinkin bout who da strongest is."
Jin sits down for a drink at the camp as Zilo and May rub their torsos in pain and join the rest of the travelers.
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