Dragon's Nest

"Actually," Heather spoke up, pulling needles that had survived the attack from the victim's body "I promised her that she would be my personal treat." Leaning down to the body she prepared to latch on and suck the woman dry, but paused. She hovered over the profusely bleeding body, looking at the mage who had dealt the finishing blow. "You don't mind, do you?" She asked, as if she felt she needed to; in actuality it was strange to be asking, normally she planned to do as she pleased but this was a strange scenario. "This is why I travel alone."

Orin was displeased, and it was so clearly written on his face now that it was almost frightening. He hated it. He remembered the feelings after he eliminated Randall, the man who murdered his beloved. A sickening feeling had washed over him there. Randall's body had been obliterated, and no sense of life remained in Elisia's body. No magic he knew of could save her. She was beyond resurrection by that point. Even if it didn't bring her back, he had been firm in his resolve to destroy Randall. No longer would he cause trouble for the world. There was a reason he didn't make it a personal mission to rid the world of people like him, and that was because he despised killing people. It wasn't very researcher-like. However, could he turn a blind eye? No. And if anyone was going to get rid of this woman for good, it would be him.

"Yeah, I do mind," he shot at the vampire. "I suggest you step away from that body unless you want two heads to roll instead of one." He sliced the air with his blade to emphasize his point as he stepped even closer, hoping to shoo her off. It wasn't an empty threat. You couldn't kill what wasn't alive, but you sure as hell could eliminate it.

The vampire and the magic user were having an argument over how the woman should be disposed of. Of course Mangix was against the idea of further harming her, after all if she came back they could just beat her again.

"Can't we decide on a solution that doesn't involve more killing? We've beaten her, isn't that enough already?" Mangix spoke, his tone a bit more serious now.

Then before anyone could do anything to the woman, she was surrounded by what seemed to be a glowing purple barrier. The barrier stayed for a moment then disappeared when a tall man appeared out of nowhere in between the group and the woman. He had on a blue garb similar to those used by ninjas along with shin guards, arm guards, and shoulder pads. His belt was a lighter blue and had the image of some sort of serpent on it. The man's face was covered by a mask, leaving only his two glowing orange eyes exposed. Two sword hilts protruded out from their sheaths on his back.

"None shall lay a finger on her." he said with his arms crossed.

"Figures," Orin said as the people presented themselves, leaping back away from the body to get distance between him and the strangers. His magic blade faded away as he figured the man didn't want a confrontation, and neither did Orin at this point. He wanted a dead bitch, but it didn't seem likely that it was to happen today. It was better this way; he felt himself calming down. His demeanor had remained typically the same throughout the events, but he felt more at ease in reality than before. Orin waved a hand dismissively at the fellow, a gesture that was more like himself.

"If you don't want her to wind up like this again, tell her not to be so brash and arrogant. I'm sure we knocked her ego down a few pegs today," he commented nonchalantly as if the thing were a trivial matter. Stealing away the merchants supplies. The bandits trying to run away. Then her, rushing forward to make sure the supplies would never be back in the hands of the merchants again. It was actually much more dire than that. The woman and the other bandits seemed...organized. The appearance of the man to save her didn't help dissuade him from believing that there was something more at work here, granted it wasn't too uncommon. Still, it was dangerous.

Heather glowered as the man appeared to protect the bitch they had just finished off. She was supposed to be her metaphorical 'after dinner mint,' not a meal that got away. But she was rather full from the woman's lackeys and fighting this man would likely prove to be a mistake. She could not die a second time, but that did not mean she could take on anyone. Scowling, the Vampire faded back into the background, her displeased image losing vibrance after a few moments. The bitch had been lucky... this time.

The man nodded, turning around to pick up the unconscious woman and hoisting her of his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "I'm glad you chose to avoid further conflicts. No more blood will be needlessly spilled." He then held a hand in front of him, as if he was praying. Both him and the woman became enveloped in the same purple barrier as before, and after a few seconds of the man chanting something in a foreign language the two of them just disappeared.

Mangix watched the scene unfold and breathed a sigh of relief, someone came and stopped anyone else from dying. He thought he'd have to knock the vampire girl unconscious if she still wanted to eat the woman. The talking panda then went to pick up the stolen goods lying around that the ninja was kind enough not to take with him, which had been their goal to retrieve in the first place. If the ninja had taken them with him they would have still failed regardless of whether or not they won the battle.

"Let's go back now. The guys must be getting impatient." Mangix suggested with a laugh as he picked up all four of the bags.

Orin tapped his foot impatiently against the ground, taking his book from the straps behind him and opening it. He was nearly through with this one; he'd definitely need a new one soon. Again, he waved his hand dismissively. Somehow, he had returned to his normal state so easily--it was almost as if he had never lost his temper in the first place. Images of him slashing through that woman with his most powerful attack flooded his mind and he gazed over in the direction of the wounded Gladdos for a few moments before giving a shrug of his shoulders. Wasn't there some sort of wager for this battle?

"Hope that guy doesn't forget to hold up his end of the bargain," Orin said suddenly as he approached Mangix. He'd be sure to follow closely in the case of a surprise attack on him and the group, though he felt that their turmoil was over, at least for now. "I'll be expecting a free pint of something hard when we get back to civilization. I need it after the day I've had." With that, he let his eyes scan the pages of his book, taking in more information regarding the nature of creation mana and how to structure it properly into a stable spell.

Gladdos enjoyed his little out-of-body experience, but soon felt a strong force pulling him back to the world he had just left. In mere seconds, he felt himself crushing against his frozen body. It was somewhat nice to know his life was not at risk anymore, but on the other hand, now it hurt. The Dream Teller remained drifting in the painful darkness for quite some time, until his hearing started to come back. Was that Orin speaking? Something about a bargain. Was he the one to give the last hit on the woman? Not exactly surprising.

Slowly, his sense of touch came back. Whose hands were those, against his skin? From the movements, they seemed to be giving him medical care. He recalled Ariel with a First Aid Kit. If that was it, she probably saved his life. He ought to thank her later. His sight, taste and smell seemed to refuse coming back, so he didn't bother trying to get up. It was nice that way, better not to abuse luck for now...

Mangix laughed when he noticed Gladdos return to consciousness. He battle and the appearance of the ninja had almost made him forget the bet the fortune teller made. Orin mentioned it too, he landed the final hit so they would have to treat him to a pint of alcohol when they reach the capital. To tell the truth Mangix wasn't disappointed in the slightest about not winning the competition. He had traveled long enough and made good enough friends with the barkeeps that they would treat him to drinks whenever he visited.

"Ah yes, of course Orin. We'll have something for you in the capital." Mangix replied as he walked toward the direction of the caravan with the four sacks of stolen goods, "And could someone help him get back? My hands are a bit full right now."

The merchants were very grateful to see their belongings returned, and they thanked the group, promising a reward once they've returned safely to the capital. The rest of the trip was rather peaceful, for no more bandits attacked the caravan. It only took a little bit over two hours for the merchants to reach the capital, by that time the sun had just began to set. The capital was a city surrounded by a square wall, with a large gate manned four soldiers on each of the four sides of the wall. All of the buildings were constructed with roofs made of hardened slabs of clay and the walls were either made of wood which was painted either red or white, or red bricks. Near the center of the city was a large golden palace which was walled off with only one gate leading to the courtyard. That was where each of the the emperors had lived.

"Right since we still owe Orin a drink, we can meet up at the inn in an hour." Mangix told the group before wandering off with his bamboo hat on, disappearing within the crowds of people on the streets.
-----------------------------------
Scroll 00 Completed

The party receives: 500 Gold
-----------------------------------
~Weapon Shop~

+ Wooden Staff - Not quite as flexible as bamboo, but it hurts a lot more. [+2 ATK; +1 DEF; Range: 2 cells; Equippable by Mangix] (120 Gold; Number in Stock: 0)

+ Composite Longbow - A longbow made of horn, wood, and sinew, the materials allow for much more powerful shots. [+3 ATK; Range: 4 cells; Equippable by Ariel] (120 Gold; Number in Stock: 0)

+ Composite Shortbow - A shortbow made of horn, wood, and sinew, it is lightweight and provides better mobility than its longbow counterpart. [+3 ATK; +2% Evd; Range: 3 cells; Equippable by Ariel] (110 Gold; Number in Stock: 0)

+ Refined Blade - A magical blade in which the energy is more efficient and stable. [+3 INT; INT Damage; Equippable by Orin] (120 Gold; Number in Stock: 0)

+ Ninja Gloves - Black finger less gloves that is a staple to every ninja's clothing. [+3 INT; Equippable by Gladdos] (120 Gold; Number in Stock: 0)

+ Sewing Needles - Can be used as a weapon, or put them in a riceball for a special surprise. [+3 ATK; Range: 4 cells; Equippable by Heather] (100 Gold; Number in Stock: 0)

~Armor Shop~

+ Wayfarer's Clothes - Clothing worn by wanderers who have traveled far from their home. [+2 DEF; +1 SPR; Equippable by Mangix and Gladdos] (100 Gold; Number in Stock: 0)

+ Camouflage Vest - A vest that is colored different shades of green for the purpose of hiding the wearer in a forest. [+2 DEF; +1 SPR; Equippable by Ariel (100 Gold; Number in Stock: 0)

+ Tailcoat - Very fancy black clothing for special occasions. [+1 DEF; +2 SPR; Equippable by Orin] (100 Gold; Number in Stock: 0)

+ Mourning Dress - Looks more like something you would put your daughter in for her funeral. [+1 DEF; +2 SPR; Equippable by Heather] (100 Gold; Number in Stock: 0)

~Item Shop~

Ointment – A creamy white substance used to stop bleeding and help heal wounds. [Restores 20 HP over 2 turns] (50 Gold; Number in Stock: 3)

Mangix's Ale – The same ale that Mangix always drinks from his gourd. [Restores 10 MP] (40 Gold; Number in Stock: 5)

Snakebite – Rather contradictory to its name, an herb that when ingested will remove toxins from the body. [Cures Poison, Severe Poison, Venom] (30 Gold; Number in Stock: 1)

Immortality Pill – A round medicine created by alchemy that may rejuvenate the one who swallows it. [50% chance to revive a K.O.ed ally with 25% HP] (300 Gold; Number in Stock: 2)

Lockpick – Works on any chest in the world, and relatively easy to use. [Opens a Treasure Chest] (30 Gold; Number in Stock: 0)

~Forge/Blacksmith~

N/A

~Tailor~

+ Linen Piece - Linen cloth that is perfect to use for sewing clothing. (Materials: Torn Linen x3; 10 Gold)

~Medicine Man~

+ Poisoned Arrow - Arrows coated in venom extracted from Snakebite herbs. [Chance to Poison] (Materials: Wooden Arrow x1; Snakebite x3; 50 Gold)

~Inn/Bar~

Quest 01: Shortage of Supplies - Bandits have stolen the blacksmith's materials that were supposed to be made into equipment for the imperial army.

Quest 02: Rise to Power - The Xue and Ketsueki families are at it again, arguing over which family should be the next ruling dynasty.

And that was that. The merchants left them with a pocket of gold after they turned into the capitol. Ariel grinned, she had set Gladdos down a while back, so she was free of his weight. Distracted by the crowds, Ariel wandered off without really taking note of what Mangix said. She would go to the inn later, she was in want of a drink. But first, she had to attend to some things, preferably sober.

She walked right to one of the open shops, which had a sword and hammer logo on a small wooden banner. She assumed it was the weapon shop, and was pleased to find out how right she was when she saw the walls lined with all sorts of different weapons. Swords, hammers, clubs, maces, flails...there were all sorts of weapons. Ariel even thought she spotted a bladed fan in the corner of her eye. But her attention was caught by a line of bows. One of them was made from an ash tree, much like her own bow was. But this one was much better crafted, even polished. Looking at the price tag, Ariel whistled. Much too rich for her blood.

The clerk at the counter heard her whistle and chuckled. "Too expensive for you, eh lass?" He asked in a friendly manner. Ariel turned her head back and grinned at him. The clerk was well on in his years with graying hair and tired eyes. Ariel could see how much more experienced this man was than she. It was always delightful to meet someone like that. Plus, he had the look of a Ranger about him...

"I was just appreciating how well made it was," Ariel replied, tapping her own bow of ash wood. It took a certain knack to bend the wood into a favorable shape. Ariel made her own bow years ago, and it never let her down. "I think it's about time for a replacement though, this one is pretty old."

"Well, if you find something you like, just bring it on over and we'll see what we can do." The old clerk flashed a smile and got back to work on whatever he was working on. Ariel nodded and returned to the wall of bows.

Now that she looked closer, she could see some short bows mixed in with the longbows. While the longbows were heavier, they allowed for a greater reach and more precise aim. Ariel preferred them. But sometimes the benefits of a shortbow would outweigh the longbow. Well, Ariel wanted to keep a longbow for now, maybe she would try a shortbow later on. There was plenty of time, after all.

Ariel finally picked up a bow that caught her interest, and was in her price range. She carried it over to the clerk and placed it down, grinning as she set it down on the counter with the appropriate amount of gold coin. The clerk looked down at the bow, gathered up the gold and counting it quickly before giving Ariel an approving nod of assent.

Ariel buys Composite Longbow! -120 gold.

In time, Gladdos' senses came back, one by one. By the time the group got to the capital, the Dream Teller was already fully recovered, had listened to Mangix's retelling of Orin's attack and promissed the mage the drink he bet. Nodding to Mangix's final statement, he started walking around the city. It was very pretty, and reminded him of a few other worlds he had visited before. He wondered if the rest of this world followed that style of architecture.

Walking around distracted by the beautiful setting sun, Gladdos suddenly realised how torn and wasted his travelling clothes were. He needed new garments, and they had to be pretty resistant too, hopefully more than these ones. After a little bit of searching and asking around, not to mention a small help of his now-much-more-helpful cards, he was able to locate what should be the best tailor in the area: a woman that worked with armour, but apparently was able to make travelling clothing of great resilience.

Gladdos entered the shop slowly and quietly, looking around. The only one inside the shop was a woman who, from the lack of wrinkles and the youthful smile, should be around her 20s.

-Hmm, good afternoon. I know it's a little late, but I'm a traveller and I'm in need of some new clothes. Something that can take punishment.

She looked at him and smiled.

-Oh, don't worry, I wasn't closing just now anyway.

The woman took a long string and walked to the Dream Teller, starting to use it to measure him.

-I'm guessing, since you came to me, you expect this "punishment" to take the form of blades, bludgeons and possibly fire, am I right?

-Quite accurate, yes.

-And I'm guessing you expect to need these clothes as early as tomorrow morning, ready for the hacks, and slams and burns.

-I actually had in mind something like in one hour.

She smiled as she put away the string, took a step back and started observing Gladdos.

-You are very demanding, aren't you?

-I just assumed I was talking to the best.

She flashed an ironic grin, rubbing her hands.

-Please, I could do it in my twenties, and that was thirty years ago. Give me half and hour.

The Dream Teller made no effort to hide his surprise. The woman turned around to gather the leather, linen and what looked like an assortment of cast off pieces of cloth or armour. As he looked at her work, he noticed a pair of gloves in a display case. They were pitch black and looked both flexible and resistant, fingerless and with a steel plate on the forearm. Without looking away from them, he called to the woman.

-Hey, could you throw in a pair of these too?

Gladdos buys Wayfarer's Clothes and Ninja Gloves! -220 gold.

First Mangix went straight for the armor shop, the same shop he had been going to for all ten years of his travels. And during all ten years of his travels the talking panda had not grown even an inch, which made finding clothing for himself incredibly easy. While walking down the streets his large size caught several strange stares from the others, but Mangix didn't mind. He was used to it now. As long as his face isn't shown and his identity revealed then everything is fine.

As he opened the wooden doors of the shop Mangix noticed that Gladdos was already here and the woman was making something, presumably new clothing to replace Gladdos's tattered ones. He gave Gladdos a smile and a nod, approaching the counter as he scanned the store.

"Kunlin, do you have a set of new clothes for me?" Mangix asked.

"Oh, it's nice seeing you back Mangix. Over there, just take it off the hanger. You never grow so it should be your size." the woman replied, pointing toward a hanger with a set of unusually large black clothing that looked like it was meant to fit a bear of a man.

"Ah thank you. Excellent craftsmanship as always." Mangix commented as he retrieved the clothing and changed, leaving the store with the payment for the clothes.

Mangix buys and equips Wayfarer's Clothes. -100 Gold

While Ariel was in the weapon store, the doors opened and a young woman entered. She appeared to be roughly eighteen years of age but had a rather childish look about her. She wore a short white doll dress with flame-like patterns over it, red gloves, and a rather heavy-looking bracelet on her left wrist. Her orange hair were tied into twin tails and the girl carried a very expensive looking sword with her.

"Hey Gramps, did my other sword come yet?" she asked.

The clerk chuckled. "Hold on for a moment, I think I have it." He turned and went into a door which one would assume lead to the storage of the shop, with the door then shutting behind him.

It was then the woman noticed Ariel. Turning to the only other customer in the store she flashed a bright smile.

"Hello. I'm Anemone, what's your name?"

Ariel strung her new bow, testing the string for its firmness and strength. She was pretty satisfied with the wood. It was strong and flexible, and the overall shape of the bow appealed to her. Longbows were much larger, Ariel's was nearly as tall as she was. Fascinated by her bow, Ariel hardly noticed a younger woman enter the shop and speak to the clerk. It wasn't until she addressed Ariel that she noticed the newcomer.

"Hello, Miss Anemone," Ariel replied politely, beaming at the girl. "My name is Ariel, nice to meet you."

The girl's smile grew when Ariel responded to her. Most people out on the streets were usually too busy to talk to a random stranger. She was rather happy to have someone to talk to. And judging by her clothing the woman wasn't from anywhere in the country, she must be a traveler or something.

"Nice to meet your too Ariel." Anemone responded, "I haven't seen you around before. Is this the first time you're at the capital Luoyang?"

Ariel chuckled a little. So it was that obvious she wasn't from this country? No matter. Ariel meant for it to be that way. She gave no country her allegiance, and probably never would. A traveler for all her days, Ariel would probably die with her bow in her hand and an arrow in the other. Of course, Rangers were gifted with longevity, to fulfill their role as a protector of the earth and nature. Tree huggers get perks too.

"Yes, that is quite right," Ariel answered, beaming. "This is one of the first cities that I have visited in this country. Are you from around here, or are you a traveler like myself?"

Anemone giggled and shook her head, "No, not quite. I am a traveler, but my family lives here. I'm only here to visit them for a few days."

At that moment the store clerk returned from the storag. "I'm glad to see you're making friends." He chuckled as he placed a sheathed sword on the counter. On the sheath was a very intricate design of a silver serpent, with its head barely reaching the hilt of the blade. On the hilt were scale-like patterns and when Anemone took the sword and pulled it out of its sheath it reflected the light of the setting sun like no other. The blade had expert craftsmanship. Anemone twirled it in her hand once before swinging it to her side, immediately afterwards a lantern fell onto the ground, the string hanging it from the ceiling had been cut clean in half.

"Please don't cause too much damage to my shop Anemone." the clerk chuckled as if he was expecting something like that to happen.

"Yes yes, sorry Gramps." Anemone responded and placed a large amount of coins, at least seven or eight times more than what Ariel paid for her weapon, on the counter before turning back to the ranger, "I still have some time before I have to go back. I could show you around if you'd like."

Finally. The merchants had their stuff back at last. Orin would have been ecstatic about it, but not only had the events leading up to the return of the goods been extremely taxing physically and emotionally, but he had also finished his book which pissed him off more than anything. He groaned at the prospect of rereading it; the text was simple to understand, so going through it a second time would be naught but a waste. By the time the group had reached the capital, the prospect of receiving a free drink merely amplified Orin's hopes. Mangix said they could split up for now to do whatever, and in an hour, he would be able to relax with what he desperately needed...or at least part of what he desperately needed. He also required a new book, but he wasn't too sure how available good reading material was in the city.

Without saying a word, he broke away from the others who were already splitting off to take care of business or what have them. Orin looked at the sky, swarming with a plethora of warm colors as the sun was beginning to set. It was a beautiful sight, and it perked up Orin's mood a bit. He meandered stealthily into what happened to be the weapon shop. His weapon was quite unique; not many mages used blades to conduct mana, though he only did that for basic attacks. It had nothing to do with his actual spellcasting save for enhancing his intellectual properties which were needed to sustain the magic. However, in the midst of the other weapons, he was able to find one that suited him well enough and endeavored to purchase it. As he approached the counter, he noted Ariel was lingering about while some other girl took pride in receiving her own weapon--a rather elegant sword, though Orin knew not much about the ways of swordsmanship or the qualities of a full sword. His own blade was more of a dagger on the back of his hand...only completely composed of mana. It used to have a blade look to it, made out of metal and everything, but he hypercondensed the material into pure mana so he could conjure and banish the weapon at will. He would do the same with the blade he had picked from the weapon shop stock.

The encounter was unavoidable. "Yo, Ariel," he greeted casually, not worried about formalities around the likes of her. She wasn't his favorite person to be around, but he could definitely tolerate her. She was so carefree and gentle, yet so violent when the situation called for it. It was something he could relate to...somewhat. "Picking up something for yourself? I was just doing the same." He showed the clerk the weapon he was buying and left the money on the counter.

Orin purchases Refined Blade! [-120 Gold]

"Ah, Orin," Ariel smiled as she heard his voice and looked over at the younger man. She noticed him enter, but was absorbed in this Anemone girl's offer. She was grateful for a reprieve as she gazed at the young man's new blade. She grinned at him and tapped her new longbow, "Aye, I've got something here."

Ariel looked back at Anemone and beamed at her, "This here is Orin, I was traveling with him only by coincidence up to this point and got to see him in battle when bandits tried to steal merchant goods. He's a reliable person in a tight spot," Ariel explained, only saying what she thought was safe. She didn't want Orin to get mad at her for revealing his strength to a stranger. Ariel turned to Orin now, "This is Anemone, she just offered to show me around town, and I think I'm going to take her up on that offer. Would you care to join us?" Ariel inquired, genuinely curious to know more of Orin. He was an interesting fellow, even if he was a magician.

Orin eyed the new bow. It was definitely a bit nicer than her previous one, granted he was sure Ariel wouldn't have any problems wielding any kind of bow; she was very skilled. It was then he noticed the other girl nearby--the one with the rather nice sword. Anemone, apparently. Like the ones in the sea. It was an interesting name. Seemed she was a local, or at least had visited the capital a lot if she was offering them up a tour of sorts. He didn't know what kind of story she had behind her, but he frankly didn't care. The only thing that burned in his mind was the time he had to kill. He had no book, and practicing his magic in public was dangerous, especially if he worked on new spells. It didn't take him long to come up with an answer.

"Sure. There's still plenty of time to burn. I think it would be a pleasant walk, so you can count me in," he affirmed with a slight trace of a smile. He was definitely feeling better now after all that had happened, however, there was no forgetting about the drink that awaited him in a bit. He turned to the clerk. "Can you do me a favor?" The clerk nodded kindly and Orin set some more money on the counter. "Can you run over to the armory and pick me up something more suitable than I have right now? Seems the world's a bit more dangerous than I thought, and I'll need something more...protective. Just have it sent to the inn. I'll pick it up when I get there later."

Orin unwittingly purchases Tailcoat! [-100 Gold][Poor bastard...]

"Now that that's over....ah, my apologies. I forgot to express what a pleasure it was to meet you, Anemone. Your name reminds me of the sea," he said kindly to her. After all, she was nice enough to show them around. The least he could do was be at least a bit polite instead of his usual dismissive, uninterested self. He bowed his head slightly in respect.

Anemone tilted her head and stared at Orin, studying the odd weapon he had. Upon hearing Orin address herself Anemone giggled and shook her head. "No no, don't be so formal with me. It makes me feel uncomfortable. But it's nice to meet you too Orin. Huh, I never thought about my name like that that. It always reminded me of the kind of flower." Anemone said as she sheathed both her swords and walked out, "Later Gramps. Thanks for getting the sword for me."

Outside Anemone wasted no time and quickly went down the streets. It was almost nightfall, and now the streets were no longer as busy as before. There were at the most only half as many people out on the streets, the others had all either gone home or to the taverns. "Most of these houses you see in the capital are likely the homes of others. Even Gramps has a back room in his shop where he lives. If you guys are travelers there are a few places you'll need to know, one of which was Gramps's store." Anemone started to explain as she casually strolled down the street, expecting the other two to follow, "Another place is a clothing store run by an old lady named Kunlin. I heard that she sells her stuff only to travelers, never to normal people. We also have the general store, you know, medicine, ale, just day to day supplies you might need. Then there's a house on the northeast corner of the city, it's surrounded by a garden of herbs. The old man who lives there is rather odd but he's supposed to be a great alchemist that can make medicine and potions that can do just about anything from the stuff he grows in his garden."

Anemone then stopped in front of another building, "And this is Kunlin's shop. You guys should check it out. Wouldn't hurt to get a few extra clothes for the road."

Then the wooden front doors opened and out came Mangix, wearing his fresh new clothes and carrying his gourd and stick. His large hat covered his face from the three in front of the store but Ariel and Orin should be able to recognize him from his massive size. After all there aren't that many people as large as Mangix, and certainly none of them would carry a gourd and staff around.

"Ah, glad to see you two again." Mangix greeted with his booming voice while careful not to let his hat slip and reveal his identity to the stranger that was with them, "Here to shop for new clothes, or are you just passing by?"

Heather quickly disappeared into the town, disregarding what had been asked of her. She did not plan to stick around with the group much longer, especially after the mage had prevented her from finishing off the bitch. It was his fault the job could not just be said and done, now she was alive thanks to that damn ninja. But she was not going to just take off after the little encounters she had, doing so would be suicide. As powerful as she was, new equipment would not hurt her in the slightest.

Entering what appeared to be the armor shop, she was quick to grab a dress that fit her fancy. It was quite similar to her previous one, but it seemed the materials were more durable; something she was pleased with. The style was also a plus.

Heather buys Mourning Dress! -100 Gold!

She was quick to move into the weapon shop, not noticing her 'allies' leaving the store. Even if she had noticed she would not have particularly cared. Heather moved about the shop for quite awhile before throwing weapons came into sight; most of them boomerangs and kunai. It seemed this place was rather big on... less traditional weaponry. Not that needles were traditional, but by the time she reached their small supply of needles she found that the other weaponry held much more importance in this land.

Heather buys Sewing Needles! -100 Gold!