Charles
*"Pfaah."*

Aatkei subtly rolled his eyes, averting his gaze from Kuouo himself, continuing to tread down the northwards path of the forest. Briefly, the dark-elven ex-highwayman goes silent, contemplating whether or not he really wanted to take up the deal.

*`Huh, well suppose I ain't got much of any other reason to hold onto what I got. Long as it isn't the goodstuffs, taarei, I couldn't give less of a shit.`*

*"Well, I can give you just 'bout the best deal you could ever hope to sees. Keepin' your head on your shoulders, that's just 'bout the most valuable thing you could have, eh?"*

He gave a silent 'heh', a slight smile renewing itself upon his face. He did, *Technically,* Have a better deal — the *`taarei`* That he had just looted off of Kovrot's unconscious body — but Kuouo didn't know that. Even then, the information he had to share would probably be of even more value to Kuouo himself; the taarei, though, was what was important to Aatkei. He wasn't willing to part with the only pay he'd seen in the past two months.

*"Now see, the people here, they don't like visitors. Well, uh, not too much, right. Give you suspicious glares 'n all, but that's 'bout it, y'sees? But there's two real slimy folk here you should be worried about."*

The village grew closer and closer in their approach, and Aatkei slightly slowed his pace in response. He didn't want to arrive *Too* Early; he still had an explanation to finish... And some remuneration for his explanation, further.

*"Their names're Kaataa 'n Otaaraa. First of the two's a pugilist... Guy's a fucken giant, like the rest of the people here. Me, uh, 'n Kovrot... We're two of the same feather. Not quite as __herculean__ 's the rest of the people in this hellhole. Both of us're elves from the Second Floor, or so I think." *
_ _

—he quieted, subtly, on the mentioning of the nature of both himself and Kovrot. Seemed like there was a bit more between the two than met the eye, yet Aatkei tried to keep it on the down-low, swiftly moving on from the digressing subtopic.

*"But that's just 't say that Kaataa ain't someone that a three, three'n'a-half cubit guy like yourself would wanna mess with. He don't take too kind to visitors, 'specially visitors he's never seen before. 'N he's always looking for a fight too. He'd break your jaw if he saw you. Kill ya first, ask your dead 'n broken body later. Wouldn't be hard either, even if you're a wizerd."*

*"Otaaraa is on a whole 'nother level, though. Guy's one of a pair with Kaataa, does rounds 'bout the Exile's Watch. He's not someone you want to fuck with, 'specially. He hasn't spoken a word since he was exiled here, but I heards from the wenchdriver in the plaza that he was exiled from the **Fifth Floor.** One of them scary Eclipse Knights. 'N he has the skills to show for it, too."* 

*"Anyhow, that's my advice. Pretty valuable stuffs, too. Kaataa wears big 'ol metal gauntlets you could spot from just 'bout anyplace in the Watch, 'n Otaaraa is donnin' a full knight's set of armor. He's got a kinda strange, red blade with him, too — thinks it's somethin' to do with the Eclipse wizerdry they use up on the Fifth Floor. You encountered any of 'em by yourself with the way you're wanderin'-about, you'd be fucken dead, I says."*

Now finishing his explanation, Aatkei continued at full-speed towards the village — the
Dolores
Before Kuouo could advance towards the village, his attention would be taken by Chumall speaking up.
```diff
- "Before you say anythin im not followin you, but it just so happens that my objectives lay in the same direction as your objectives." -
```
He stood about 30 feet away, as he spoke he began to pace in a circle, not getting any closer to Kuo but constantly moving.
His manner of speech was more relaxed than before, he sounded tired, not physically but emotionally.
```diff
- "Therein lies the issue, now im not gonna pretend to know or care why you are being hostile towards me, but the simple fact of the matter is this: you, are in my way."
```
He stopped briefly, letting the words sink in before continuing.
```diff
- "Now, far 's i see it we have 2 options here, we can continue this song an' dance an' niether of us make any progress towards our goals, or we can make a deal; you don't get in my way, and i wont get in yours, im not even saying we work together i jus' wanna be able to walk forward without you goin agro on me, is just i came here with specific goals in mind and this" -
```
He waved his hand vaguely in Kuouo's direction
```diff
- "Ain' helpin'" -
```
Jerry
```fix
"It sure is,``` 

He said in agreeance with the ex-highwayman. Beating the shit outta people can only get you so far. Being in a dangerous new world was sort of like... Robbing a bank in some kind of way; you had to analyze the environment, the responses of the people around, the obstacles you'll have to overcome, and lastly the golden pot at the end of the rainbow. But in order to obtain the spoils of your hardship, it began with ***Information.*** The bandit leaned forward, sliding the whiskey bottle neatly into his own pants pocket. He then pulled out a pen and his trusty small, yellow notepad, intent on transitioning certain points of Aatkei's spoken word into physical material.

```fix
"I intend t' stay alive my whole way through and I'm willin' to make the payment for the info I need. If all goes well, it'll be in the practice of spendin' some t' make some. Profit, ya know?"```

He pressed his thumb on the notepad, flicking his wrist forward until he reached a page without any crude notes or strangely well-drawn anime characters. He scritched his pen across the paper, dutibly noting Aatkei's exposition. 'Kata' and 'Otara' were accurately labeled as threats, Kuouo drawing icons of giant gauntlets and a cool looking swords under their names. He raised an eyebrow, never hearing the term 'eclipse magic' before but nevertheless, he wrote it down. The RASWALT also made sure to loudly translate Aatkei's soft words towards his Cohort, but Kuo half-snickered and made a mental note of that instead.

```fix
"These guys from the fifth floor sound like they're real tough. Eclipse Knight sounds like a badass title ya hear in a story! One's strong enough to kick all my teeth in and the other dude has a cool ass title and a self-vow of silence. I suppose I'll make sure I watch myself. Especially since I dunno what this 'eclipse magic' even IS.```

Aatkei quickens his pace, walking into the village perimeter. The thief breaks into a half-job before his attention is quickly snagged by the man still on his tail. His face, previously enticed by his new trade partner's river of information contorts into a simple frown.

```fix
"Fine, walk forward. But again, I'm callin' my own shots and I've got first dibs on any and everything. That means if you grab up anything that I want, yer in my way. If yer in my way, then you broke the deal and if you broke the deal, then I have no reason t' hold back in order t' get what I want. Understand? That's the deal, no 'ifs', 'ands', or 'buts.'"```

Not even giving Cumhall the courtesy to turn around and see him face to face, Kuouo put his notepad of information away, swapping it out for the whiskey he promised to pay Aatkei in return of the information. He continued to hold it tightly, not quite yet ready to hand the bottle over. Like getting gasoline, it was important to squeeze every last drop out of the nozzle before hanging it up. Upon catching up, he awaited the scruffy-haired man to answer the implied question.
Charles
*"Oooi... Oi... Oi."*
*"Son of a mother-fucken gods-bedamned bitch..."*

Aatkei, upon hearing the voice of *Another person,* Looked over his shoulder with an almost slightly disgusted visage. He grit his teeth as he witnessed that he now had not *One,* But *Two* People to worry about poking around the Exile's Watch. And the other one wasn't even *Paying him!* Damn-it-all; he didn't care much for protecting the gate, but the complications that could and would arise from this little incident would all fall on *His head.* And Kovrot's. But more his, because he was considered the weaker link of the gate-guard.

He briefly pressed his hand against his sheathed dagger, and considered his options. However, getting too hasty wouldn't help anything... And, sometimes, violence isn't the answer. As an ex-highwayman, it would be in his nature to fight his way out of trouble... But that was where the *Ex-* Came into play. Getting your shit kicked in and your life half-beaten from your body can have a massive impact on your character, after all. Aatkei lowers his tensened right hand, shifting it away from the sheathe and simply remaining in his scowl.

*"Whate'r th'-ell, man. Best not cause any fucken' trouble, though, uh?! Your bullshit falls on my nose, I'll fucken' tear both of you two's livers right out."*
_ _

...He grumbled, glowering off into the distance. Yet he would turn oncemore, and eye the extended whiskey.

*"What, -uh? You still got a question, wizerd? Noisy fucken' wizard and your noisy fucken' pals, with 'em lunar sorceries?"* 

He questioned. For a moment, he was unknowing of what Kuouo even wanted an answer to, a lifted brow and a still-aggravated expression upon his face and in his tone of voice as he turned to face the bandit behind him. 

...However, sobering himself, he took another glance down at the whiskey, and calmed. *He did want that drink...*

*"Pfeh, well... Eclipse Sorceries, huh... They're-ah, sum'n of a..."*
Matthew
*`"Hmmm... Hmmm..."`*

—the woman over his shoulders continued to snore, interrupting his statement. She had been unconscious earlier, and continued to appear unconscious, loosely hanging over Aatkei's shoulders as he carried her on his back. And so would this appearance persist, yet...

*Poke.*

With her left index finger — her arms wrapped about his neck and hanging over his shoulders, her hands obscured from the two's sight by Aatkei's torso — she jabbed him in the chest. Were it done by a normal person, it'd be a harmless motion. However, Kovrot, as she had demonstrated at the gate, was a practitioner of a certain type of forbidden, arcane knowledge: *Necromancy.* And by extension, the ability to manipulate *Necrotic energy.*

Subtly, unseen by the two who followed after the ex-highwayman, a portion of Aatkei's cloak decayed, rotting away. The rot continued through his garb and into the surface of his skin, lightly damaging his flesh in a painful, gnawing jolt.

***`"Aatkei,"`***

She whispered, her eyes still hazed and only half-open. Taarei was a powerful drug, and to willingly imbibe such great quantities of it was definitely hindering her ability to stay awake. Yet she was still conscious enough to see, hear, reason, and speak this much.

***`"Don't comply further with the intruders."`***
Charles
*"What in the fuc—"*

Aatkei bit his tongue, quieting his alarm as he stared down at the *Visible hole in his cloak, a blight of rot beginning to settle into the surface of his skin.*

*`Shit.`*
*`This bitch is still conscious? She must've taken atleast two, three pellets off that stalk... Th' thing's almost completely used up. How much fucken' taarei does she do on a daily basis?`*

He continued to stare down at the secluded portion of rot upon his chest, squinting. It seemed to have stopped growing for now, but, at any given moment, were Kovrot to allow that arcane energy to continue... She could very well burn away the rest of his chest. *Fuck, he didn't expect her to be this petty...*

Aatkei gave a deep sigh, contemplating his circumstances for once in his life. 

*`Let's see 'ere..."`*
*`...`*
*`...`*
*`.....`*
*`..........`*
*`Damn, I ain't seein' shit.`*

....Or so he attempted.
He snarled lightly under his breath. Bedamned it all if this situation wasn't the most fucken annoying thing he'd dealt with for the past few years or so. 

...Yet,
He glanced over his shoulder, and glared...

*`Fuck. All I wants is that fucken whis-kay. Why's it gots to be so hard, uh?!`*

*"Eclipse Sorcery is the stuff of the Arue! Big 'ol, mother-fucken, uhhh.. Bullshit, gots t' do with the bedamned sun 'n moon and the moon-mother, and all that shit! It's blooded, blooded-bloody magic! Now **Give me that fucken' whis-kay**, you piece've-shit!"*

He yelled belligerently, before—

*"A-a-**ACKHH...** YOU STUPID BITCH...!"*
Matthew
—The necrotic rot began to spread. Fast, painfully, across the chest. Its pace was sped, yet its path hindered; it would not go further than the surface of his skin, as if it was being purposefully controlled to inflict the least permanent damage to his body. Kovrot's finger poked into his chest with clear intent to inflict pain, yet it seemed as though she was partially holding back.

***`"Don't speak another word."`***
***`"Escape to the village. Bring me to the Thorn-Crown."`***
***`"You've done enough to help these intruders invade the fragile peace we have. I have to warn the Thorn-Crown bef—"`***
Charles
***"FUCK OFF!"***

He suddenly yelled, before *Up and **Throwing Kovrot off his shoulders, launching her seemingly-unconscious body some distance along the path.*** Heavily gasping for breath, he clutched his right hand against the rotten, necrotically-damaged section of his chest, aggressively bearing his teeth down at her collapsed form. Quickly **Snatching the whiskey,** Aatkei frustratedly yelled—

***"AAGHH!!** You stupid, bedamned, bloody mother-fucken rotten pieces of shit! You're all so fucken' annoying! I don't give a shit! I don't give a shit about the **Fucken' Root-Crown,** I don't give a shit about the fucken' villagers, and I especially don't give a **Fuck** About the gate-watch, Kovrot! You, stupid, taarei-addicted, crying, incompetent, dirt-gobblin' , titless, **BITCH!**"*

*`How many years? How many god-bedamned years, you stupid bitch, Kovrot? Uh?! You already forgotten now?! Must be that fucken' taarei, you stupid-ass addict...!`*

He yelled, slowly lowering his right hand to grasp his dagger at his hip.