On The Shores of Despair (Part 3)

[Biot-Savart]

Biot was so hungry as always that he forgot about Pwdn's question a bit earlier.

"I don't know exactly how do describe it Pwdn. I have a lust for the battle, but I draw great power from killing. When I don't kill I feel weaker, sometimes I get weaker faster than other times. Food also helps me keep my strength up for a bit longer I recognized the last few days. That's why I keep making a big of myself."

Biot then quickly grabbed another piece of corn before there's nothing left.

[Ra'Sona Races-The-Wind]

Pwdn's loaves were a greyish-white inside, and broke along a definite grain as she pulled pieces from it to offer those who were hungry. "Just something I discovered along the way. The stuff is normally quite harmful, but one of my earlier. . . well, acquaintances liked to use poisons and found from a confrontation with a Thayvian evoker that after prolonged exposure to heat the poison broke down and rendered it harmless. I experimented, and being so common found that it could be made into this, it tastes rather plain but it's filling and the fungus itself will grow anywhere given half a chance. There was some nearby and I persuaded it to expand so I could make the loaves for everyone." She took a piece herself, and smiled. "I find it's rather pleasant, just don't try to toast it; it goes up quickly enough to be used as quality kindling."

Lyon joined them for the meal, as Frad investigated the ham. "I din't ever say there was no place fer honey, jus' that some think there's no place fer sugar. They're wrong, and I already proved that; honey has its' uses an' all, but fer sweetness on yer desserts it just don't compare ta sugar." He smirked somewhat as he had an idea. "Unless yeh'd like ta wager on it?" He gave her a wicked grin as he tried the fungus loaf Pwdn had made.

Biot's response was not exactly what Pwdn was hoping for, but at the mention of food she smiled somewhat. "Well, I can at least try and keep you fed. I wish there was something I could do to help." Lyon interrupted at this point, though enjoying the meal greatly as he'd been too distracted to eat properly. "Well, I'll fight you if it needs to be done?" Pwdn turned and stared at him, trying to figure what he was doing. "I mean, if someone has to die then it might as well be someone willing, right? Better than having to hunt for someone to slaughter." Pwdn still was stunned by this. She'd known Lyon was keen on the heroism but this was something more than she'd expected from him. "Of course, I'm of some understanding that my death wouldn't be exactly permanant." He winked at Pwdn who nodded slowly, still in shock.

[Biot-Savart]

Biot looked at Pwdn and smiled. "They always say the way to a mans sword is through his stomach. Or is that heart? I forget..."

Biot listened to what Lyon was proposing. "What do you mean that your death wont be permanent?" Biot asked with a confused look on his face.

[veraka]

((:lol: Biot I think you meant 'soul'))

Veraka had downed the corn by this time, and was working on one of Pwdn's loaves when Lyon blurted out his offer to fight Biot if need be; the mighty warrior nearly choked on the bite that he just took. Smashing his fist into his chest, he swallowed hard, getting the small piece of bread down, then turned to Lyon.

"Are you nuts, lad? Biot just explained that gobbling down enough food satiates his craving if only temporarily. You would want to fight him just to satiate his lust for battle? I must say nay to this; although, the idea is plausible there are other options, and I'm sure Pwdn would resuscitate you just to hammer some sense into that skull of yours," he finished, shaking his head at the young warrior, and giving Pwdn small smile, knowing that she herself had said the same thing to him a while back.

[CinderSuru]

" I will leave the making of sweets up to you Frad if you say that sugar works best for deserts I will take it as the gospel truth, it is a fact that I have not tasted such candies as made by you. But I should like to learn some time, if you will be so kind. "

The platter of sliced ham went around the fire, Cinder took out her sharp dagger and jabbed a cob of corn with it and buttered it and another piece of bread for the wolf with the other, she was going to enjoy spoiling Aurora . " Here Verake is the butter for your corn " she passed it to him.

" Have some ham with your bread Biot, you must be ravished "

She was very surprised at Meldrin's seemingly unconcern with the Winter wolf, she went to the corn and choose another piece, there was plenty. " The horses got a peice of candy so considering your good behaviour you get a cob of corn but only one. " she sat down in front of the Caribou and he took the corn gladly.

[Adian Novar]

Adian had slid off the wolf as she settled down among the party...and was amused at her obvious enjoyment of all the attention she was getting.

Biot, however, had certainly posed a problem. They were entering the deep wilderness now, and there were far lower possibilities of encountering foes that might sate his cursed bloodlust. It was entirely possible that the party themselves would be the only sentient life they might encounter over the next week.

The mention of food reminded him that he needed to eat as well...the ride having blown such concerns from his mind. Now he helped himself to whatever remained...bread, corn, whatever else.

[CinderSuru]

After dinner was cleaned up Cinder took out a bag of beads and started string small amethyst seed beads then sewing them to a peice of caribou hide in piticular pattren as she leaned on Mildrin who was still reasting comfortably on the ground.
" So there is no sentient life were we are going that sounds bleak, but I thought that people were getting killed, I am confussed Adain. " She said puzzled. " I am glad to see that Pwdn you can expand on our food supply."

[Adian Novar]

"The cave is deep in the wilderness," Adian explained. "Teardrop Lake is much closer to Bitterleaf. Proyo said that there was a connection between the people vanishing at the lake and the cave. We are investigating the cave before we go to the lake...unlike others who have apparently tried to go to the lake first and also vanished...in a flash of light."

[CinderSuru]

" Vanished, in a flash of light, so this mysterious source seems to be coming from the cave in the middle of now were, so what you are saying is that our future looks quite bleak " Cinder considered. " I guess we don't have to worry about any fearsome creatures what ever it is just devours everything? It is a dragon of some kind is that what is supposed at this point or a mad Druid ? how long has this been going on ? "

[Adian Novar]

"We don't know how the cave is connected to the thing in the lake," Adian corrected. "Only that the priest believes there is one. The disappearances at the lake have been going on for...I believe it has been about a year or so, perhaps less.

"No one knows what it is," he added. "That is what we are here to find out. Perhaps the cave holds the key to it...or a method for destroying whatever is haunting the lake. Or perhaps it only holds knowledge about it. We do not know. Since all direct investigations of the lake have failed, we are taking this route to the mystery."

[CinderSuru]

" Forgive me but I am completely unfamiliar with this place we are going, has it always been this way or is this mysterious source the reason for there being no sentient life " Cinder found this odd indeed. " I am wondering I guess, what kind of history is there in this part of the forest. I am interested in what kind of growing things there might be as well "

[Biot-Savart]

"Veraka, I always get confused with the idioms because I haven't been around civilized people much." Biot said while holding his stomach as he laughed. "I'm so stuffed but won't mind some of that ham." Biot takes a piece of ham and rolls it around a corn cob and takes a big bite, crunching away. He sees some of the group looking at him funny. "Sorry if you think its weird eating the entire corn cob, but this isn't the hardest thing I have had to eat."

Biot listened intently as Adian and Cinder talked about the mission at hand.

[Adian Novar]

"You know as much as I, Cinder," Adian said with a shrug. "I am completely new to this region, and know nothing of its history. The Captain of the outpost hinted that he may have known a few things, but...well...we've seen on Biot just how trustworthy he was."

[CinderSuru]

" I am certain that we will at least find some clue as to what is causing this disturbance. i have never been in a forest that was void of sentient beings, i am quite fascinated
" Cinder continued " I am wondering if this source is the reason for this absence, I wonder if this something and what ever is causing the problems at the lake was dormant, but somehow affected the area for a long time. I would like to focus my intuition on this line of thought. I am so use to hearing the forest so busy with the sounds of animal life, it should be interesting what i might hear, and what the trees might have to say. "

[Ra'Sona Races-The-Wind]

Pwdn was shaking her head as Veraka spoke, bemused by Lyon's offer. "I would have to, but I suppose what Lyon means is, he'd be willing to make that sacrifice to prevent the pain Biot suffers. There's a certain amount of non-interference expected between each other in the temple, otherwise we'd get so tangled up in each other's affairs and trying to help those closest that nothing would ever get done at all." She shuffled over to Lyon. "But what about the holes in your armour, or the shattered shield you'd be left with soon afterwards? You'd propose, I imagine, to try and wrestle? Would that really be a battle, or just you being snapped like a stick?" She shoved him again, and unprepared for this he fell backwards off his seat to sprawl on the ground. "It's a kind idea, Lyon, but you'll have to think about it harder than that." He opened his mouth to ask her how, and she nodded to Biot instead. "Oh, right."

Lyon sat up and addressed Biot. "Well, as she said, it's not exactly the best of ideas but. . . well, if Pwdn is willing to return me afterwards then it would do far more good than harm, right? What about. . . " He thought for a while about this. "Say if we scheduled such combat for first thing in the morning, and fought with quarterstaves? I mean assuming you're not well-practised with those either. If Pwdn hasn't the energy to aid us both afterwards I should imagine there will already have been heavy combat, and the while ritual won't be necessary at all." He looked over to Pwdn hopefully, but she was watching Biot for his answer. Cinder's comment elected a shy nod of thanks; Pwdn wasn't that much of a cook, she'd just picked up a few simple things here and there.

Frad nudged Veraka and grinned. "Girls these days, ya gotta kill yerself ta get their attention, eh?" He refused the ham, instead going to check on his own contribution once he was done eating. "I don't care fer pig meat, makes my gut turn. Mutton in mint sauce, now that's tha kinda meal I'd go fer right now." He returned with, of all things, mint-flavoured milk icicles. He'd boiled down some bonbons for the flavouring and mixed that with the milk he'd claimed from the trounced cook, then using simple waxed cloth rolled into cones had formed them into icicle shapes. "Right, not much but best as I can do fer now. Hope ya enjoy 'em."