Cindy
```fix
"Should be easy 'nuff t' find a way of speakin' t' her then. How far along is this village yer talkin' bout?"```

Kuouo asked, squinting his eyes in the same direction as Taash to no avail, for it too was concealed by the dense fog. He initially didn't think much of it — after all, out of the two floors, the latter has battered them with biting wind and flurries of snow... Fog wasn't all that out of the ordinary. However, the bandit's mind would soon change upon observing Taash attempting to lock on the village with no dice, a sudden question asked of the two outsiders with a hesitant, almost anxious demeanor:

***"Who else is here with you?"***

As Taash's fingers softly wrapped around the hilt of her weapon, Kuo peeked at Abstral out of the corner of his eye, giving him a moment carefully explain themselves to the knight. Despite the subtle threat presented by Taash, Kuo would take this moment to gauge Abstral's manner of speaking under the pressure of an imminent threat, knowing that the presence of a few more outsiders was *Indeed* A possible issue, but that Taash'd have no other choice to accept the conditions the way they were — this was their only chance, and it was already in motion. The best the bandit could do in this very moment was to fill the holes left in Abstral's explanation, chiming in with an addendum of missing information.

```fix
"We've come 'ere with three others,"```

He began with a semi-hushed tone,

```fix
"Y'got Cumhall, an older kinda mercenary. Can't say if he's like-minded 'r not, but won't join the likes of Tvoktei — but will probably start fightin' anyone who gets in 'is way. There's the Rook, a behemoth of a man but he's kind of a dunderhead... He's seems pretty nice though, didn't seem like much of a fighter despite the terrifyin' weight he carries. Thirdly is some kinda nekomimi - Y'know, a human with cat ears. Not too sure about them, although quiet, they were young an' looked somewhat hungry for adventure. Could go either way that one."```

Kuouo finished, fixing his eyes on Taash's hand before furrowing his brow.

```fix
"If we're in some kinda imminent danger, y'oughta tell us now. Otherwise, there ain't no reason t' have yer hand on yer blade. Calm yerself. If there's an issue with the other outsiders, we can work around it, I assure ya. If that's the case, the best thing we can do is head int' that village and get to work before any of 'em does somethin' we regret. Damage control, ya know?"```

And so the bandit waited. If there was indeed an immediate danger, he'd quickly pull *Infernium* Without a moment of hesitance. Otherwise, he'd glare at the knight until she stopped counter-intuitively threatening them.
Kimber
The knight immediately seemed less than pleased as Abstral explained that the two outsiders had not come alone.
She already knew that there were outsiders beyond Abstral and Kuouo, but to see that they *Knew* There were other outsiders who had embarked unto the Second Floor, yet did not share such knowledge beforehand... It seemed to sour her disposition. Her posture firmed, her hand's grip remained, and she squinted, her eyes of silver faintly visible beyond her pearlescent visor.

The wind howls.

*`"The illusory barrier is manifest."`*
*`"The other outsiders have been seen as a threat."`*

In a cold, slightly perturbed, and explanatory tone, Taash explained. She remained with her hawkish glare, eyes of silver peering forward toward the two as the subtle winds whipped past her armor. As she had just made clear, the inexplicable darkness which shrouded the distant village was the direct result of an illusory barrier — a barrier which the outsiders, which Abstral mentioned, and Kuouo named, had set off.

*`"If only I had known this sooner,"`*
*`"I would have departed ahead of you."`*

*`"So that I could stop them."`*

*`"..."`*

The knight turned, glaring back toward the village off in the distance. She took two steps forward, before pausing, and bowing her head slightly.

*`"It will work against our dream if they fight with the residents of the common people."`*
*`"They will eventually fight. It's only a matter of time."`*
_ _

Displaying for the first time what was a sentiment of emotion before the two outsiders, Taash took a deep breath in, and sighed with both regret and ire. Finally releasing the sheath of her silver blade, the knight disarmed the little hostile intent that she displayed toward the two, seeing as they had honestly answered her question. She initially thought them to have been intentionally withholding information from her — perhaps to allow their yet-unseen companions to act in the shadows — but swiftly quelled such doubts in the instant of their response.

Going against appearances and the intuition one may have about her character, Taash was not a skeptical person in the slightest. She thought ahead, certainly — but she was remarkably incautious in such a manner that it made her easily-trusting. She found no sign of lie in their words, and thusly believed it to be a mismanagement of communication; a slip of their minds.

*`"I will not blame you for this,"`*
*`"But, in the future, do not conceal any other information from me."`*

Taash remarked with a sincere warning, before taking hasty, long strides forward, across the snowy path ahead of herself. Then, that hastened walk soon evolved into a subtle jog, then a full-paced run, and then broke entirely into sprint. With little warning, she dashed far forward, expecting the two to match her pace within a moment's notice.

*`"The knight unbound to nobility, who resides in service to Tokko, will intercept the outsiders soon."`*
*`"The course of their interaction may decide whether or not your existence as outsiders will be a blessing or a curse to the Second Floor."`*
*`"We will intercept them before he can."`*
_ _

She briefly explained, crossing tremendous distance in such a short time. Her maximum sprint-speed was far beyond that of a human's own, and with what leisure she had in her gait, it seemed the pace she currently kept herself at — which would be, just barely, matchable by the average person — was only a percentage of her true top speed. Each stride sent her flying forth, and yet she seemed unbothered in breath; she spoke words clearly and without gasp at such speeds, and if they were to match her pace, they would soon be to arrive at the village once so far off in the distance.

The people of the *Ark* Were, indeed, from a world beyond that of Earth. From their superhuman feats in strength and speed to their towering statures that reached heights far beyond what was seemed possible, they felt almost as though they were a *Race that had evolved beyond humankind.*

Now, the sight of the village grew close, and they would swift be required to begin their search.
Nancy
As the two finished their explanations to Taash, hoping they were enough, Abstral almost wanted to hang his head as Taash seemed to lose what little violent intent she had but scolded them nonetheless. 

 How could he have been so careless as to forget about the others? Had he hoped that they'd be out of sight and therefore out of mind? That they'd end up anywhere else that *Wasn't* The giant focal point that was the city ahead of them? Foolishness, the two of them- no, **He** Should have informed both Ochre and Taash of this potential roadblock sooner. 

Abstral nodded at Taash's request to not conceal anymore information from her any longer before setting off. If they needed to make haste, especially to stop the potential interlopers to Ochre's plan, he needed to be faster. Gathering his aura around himself briefly, he began flying, low to the ground to not be detected.

They neared the village and Abstral hoped they were not too late.