<div class="floatright">(https://i.imgur.com/qSKiam5.jpg)</div><strong>Name: </strong>Xia (https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=276392.msg13585581#msg13585581)<br/><strong>Tagging: </strong>Moxie, Lauralan<br/><strong>Wearing: </strong>As pictured, chainmail beneath shirt<br/><hr/><em>The previous night</em><br/><hr/>Lugo received attention of her own if she cared to, surprisingly gentle pets from Xia, or at least gentler than one might have expected from what many would see as a barbarian.  As quiet as things were, a few winces and grunts kept the pair of women from having<em>complete</em>silence.  Adding to that was a confused gasp from Xia, as Moxie rested  her head upon her shoulder and began rubbing her belly, encouraging her through this trial.  It was an odd change for Xia, to see such a capable, fearsome fighter acting like some kind of<em>lover</em>, but she was barely any better.  She couldn't offer any disagreement with this situation, and instead settled for gently running her fingers through Moxie's hair, leading her into a peaceful sleep at last.  She deserved it, after all.<br/><br/>The rest of Xia's night went at least marginally better, a combination of trust in Moxie's advice and her own fatigue helping most of the eggs to pass more easily than the first.  Despite how thoroughly exhausted she was at this point, she simply couldn't rest.  There was no way to tell how long she stayed there, petting Moxie's hair.  There was no way to tell if her wings closed in a little more, and there was certainly no way to tell whether Xia eventually wrapped her arms protectively around the Endymion.  There was no way for Moxie to tell whether that moisture on her forehead was rain or some tear.  After all, she was already asleep.  Xia<em>did</em>play lookout for as long as she was able, until sleep came to claim her at last.<br/><hr/><br/>Xia was slow to wake, but she did eventually, and was pleased to find that Moxie was safe and warm in her little feathered shelter, though there was certainly a blush on the halfbreed's face.  When it came time to release Moxie at last, Xia seemed to avoid the Endymion, slipping somewhere else to clean and dress herself.  She needed to get away from Moxie's keen eyes for now.  Her eyes traveled down to where she'd seen the green scales just last night, narrowing when she noticed that not only were they still present, they'd spread down her legs.  They'd formed<em>stockings</em>.  How quickly did the corruptions of the Anus spread?  For that matter, what the hell was even happening to her at the end of all this?  She was no stranger to scales, given the few on her face, neck, and hips, but these<em>were not hers</em>.  They were alien and unwelcome!  With a scowl, Xia grabbed the green jacket, biting down on one end to help her rip two strips of fabric off the thing.  They'd have to do.  In short order, she placed the strips against the newly grown scales, getting dressed with some difficulty.  The former jacket did a decent enough job of hiding her new leg scales, so...mission successful?  The rest of the jack was torn in two, each half wrapped around an arm to serve as "arm warmers", even though they did nothing of the sort.  Moxie didn't need to see how she was changing, simple as that.<br/><br/>Finally, the halfbreed rejoined Moxie, giving a cold glare towards the eggs she'd birthed.  "Xia's tribe...find ways to survive.  If Xia's line, they grow strong, survive without help."  She only arranged them in an area near a wall, leaving the rest to nature.  It was time to continue their journey, soreness be damned.  That said, she did absolutely nothing to break the silence.  Moxie would speak when she was ready, and sure enough, she did just that when they took a rest by the odd little murals in motion.  The figure of the benevolent goddess struck home with the halfbreed.  It was simply too familiar to her.  That aside, she learned a lot as they traveled through the halls.  She discovered much about the fearsome woman, and how beneath all of it, she wanted to be loved, mated.  She wanted to prove she was<em>worth</em>that to her god, to Lulagos.  And in the end, what could Xia really<em>tell</em>her?  She understood her to an extent, that was for certain.  "Moxie strong.  Can be strong for another, can be strong for self.  Strength...<em>valued</em>in home.  Strength<em>everything</em>.  Must prove to Mother that all her children strong.  Strength how leaders chosen, how mates chosen...everything.  Many things Moxie can be strong for, or can be strong for Moxie.  Does not<em>have</em>to be strong if doesn't want to.  Can be weak sometimes if want."<br/><br/>She halted when Moxie and Lugo alerted her to the presence of another, likely a monster, but Xia would not let herself be forgotten this time.  The relatively small bow on her back was freed in an instant, but Xia wasn't handling it like one should with a bow.  The end pieces were shifted about, pulled apart, and soon enough, she'd "unfolded" her weapon into  a bow that was considerably larger, hitting the floor with a heavy<em>thunk</em>.  The damned thing was taller than she was, made of thick wood,<em>strong</em>wood.  The mane of some unidentified creature seemed to decorate it, along with painted markings of some sort.  Spikes made the thing intimidating enough, but what sealed the deal was the tremendous<em>javelin</em>-like object she pulled from the holster upon her back.  No, that wasn't a javelin, that was an arrow for the weapon she now wielded like it was nothing.  She stamped her foot down upon the stone floor once, twice, thrice, and nocked the arrow.  She positioned herself some distance behind Moxie, searching for the source of Lugo's discontent.  "Xia finished with monsters!  Monster come out from hiding now, or Xia pierce!"  The look on her face and in her eyes made it quite clear to Moxie that she wasn't bluffing, pulling the resistant bowstring back quite some distance.  "Xia only wait until ten." She added with a growl.