LogFAQs > #904632640

Her arm was badly injured and she held it against her side while trying to ignore the pain. She couldn't entirely put her weight onto her left foot. And...

"Your nose is bleeding," Dismas said, as he walked up. "You might want to block that up for a while. Or at least wipe it away."

Maria looked over at him, and noticed that he was holding something. It was the potion of regeneration they had been arguing about earlier. And he seemed to be offering it to her. "You think that will help?" She looked over at the others gathered near the wagon. "I think there are others who would want it before me."

"It's mine," Dismas said. "I'll do whatever I want with it."

As he was saying that, the chained man took out a handkerchief and handed it to Maria.

"Ah. Thank you." She took it with a polite expression and used it to wipe the blood off of her face. Then she held it over her nose to stop more from coming out. "To what do I owe this honor, then?" In her experience, nothing in this world was free.

"I could give it to someone strong and help keep everyone safe. I could do something nice and make people happy by giving it to a person they wanted me to heal. Truth is... I'd rather think about keeping myself safe, and giving it to someone who'll stick by me and watch my back." Dismas held the potion forward. "I'm saying I want you to join my team."

"Forming our own teams now?" Maria replied in a half-joking manner, but this remark was only meant to deflect the conversation so she could take a moment to decide. This allowed her to remain calm and make the choice that was best for herself without leaving an awkward pause. It didn't take long. Her entire body was in pain. She took the potion. "I've grown weary of the leadership here, in any case, and no one else seems prone to throwing a revolution."

"You'd think... people from Hendrake... would be..." Abom muttered. It was strange for the big man to talk, or to try and make a joke. But this sudden outburst, emphasized by the hesitant tone, drew the laughter of both Dismas and Maria. As they started to dictate the terms of their partnership, Cata returned from the wagon and joined them.

Those four had already gone off on their own by the time the man from out of town arrived. The first thing he saw was Lancer Aaron, sitting on the ground, having stripped all of his armor off, and hammering it out for himself. His broken lance was on the ground. If he could repair some of the dents in that armor, it would be nice. But finding a way to fix the broken haft of his lance would be essential.

The magical blade wasn't something that could break easily.

But Aaron had no desire to forge it into a new weapon. Better to continue to use it in the fashion he had grown used to. The open charge was all that he understood.

Leone went to where Aaron was and sat down beside him. "I'm sorry..." the hooded figure muttered. "Things aren't really that easy out here. I shouldn't be placing blame on you, for..."

Torin noticed the man from out of town and gave him a wave. "Are you a late arrival?" The older gentleman asked. "Or a traveler? Come on and join our fire."

"I wasn't eavesdropping, I swear," was the reply given by the man in the long coat. "I'm Enoch. Was coming to Cain's to meet up with an old friend, but..." The buildings in town were all destroyed or collapsing. The estate itself had fallen into a state of disrepair and had a dark look about it. "Seems as if these lands have seen better days."
---

~* Now I only see your dull imposter ~*
https://imgur.com/tdhOSKc