Isecant - Party based LitRPG-lite / Progression adventure

"It's been a while since I saw your Verde Pepenes bouncing into my eyesight." Wardi flirted with his wise words. A smile which quickly turned into a grin as a pen the size of a short sword flies past his face, burying itself into the ceiling, blasting dust around, and for a moment, the room shook.

"If voices could kill, yours would be the one that takes me out. Wardi, you cheeky bugger, it's been a while since you sorted my cobwebs out, how the gods are ya?" Her deep, authoritative voice could rally an army on the battlefield.

Hattie was Half Scaq on her father's side. She had the shimmering green that tree leaves have as spring comes in, covering all her skin. She had the look of one meant for the sea life and the tail to boot, but being half Felidhan she also had fur in places one would expect, feet, hands, head, though it seems she inherited most of her father's looks in the face it would seem.

"I'm doing fine, Hattie; though, I think we can't say that of Et-Navn? His face turned serious, and he moved closer towards her. "What's been happening here, this place seems to have gone to dritt?"

"I wish I could say… It's been like this for days, weeks even, I'm not sure anymore. One night, I was here, and I heard a scream. The next minute, Von Manor lit up, white, a pure, blinding white. It gave me the creeps, Wardi. Ever since then, the town's been quieter and quieter, the streets are empty, and business has taken a hit." Her words were filled with anxiety, her face riddled with worry.

"Not just me either!" Spontaneously reinvigorated, continuing.

"All the stores have taken a hit, and I've asked around and the townspeople all say the same thing, nobody has seen Larry" Last I heard, he was heading to Von Manor then he just disappeared without a trace." Hattie slumped back into her overly sized soft chair, deflated.

"Well, this is starting to get interesting, though not in the good way that brings me fun and happiness, any leads for me to go off? or is there anything I need to know before we start causing a scene around town?" Wardi began to prep his toolkit in between chatting.

Hattie took her time answering, mumbling a few things that just sound like incoherent nonsense to Wardi, though, he was almost sure he heard the name Lee or Clodopeng maybe she is talking about Lilia Clondening, a Jeweller? He thought.

Though, when he tried to ask, she just replied "You daft Azukuch." Very naughty words indeed.

"A merchant was selling some unusual knick-knacks, it looked to be from the far north or possibly old world Terran, likely Dornam tech though. Whispers in the tavern ranged from a detector for low-grade minerals to a soul extraction device, usual beer talk. Sorry, bubs, hope it wasn't a wasted trip coming up here and seeing little old me."

Wardi laughed in his head at the word little whilst biting his tongue to curb the laughter aloud. "Always a pleasure gorgeous." Taking her by the hand, he kissed it gently, then bowed and left the room. He could practically hear the blushing after particularly as her stomping about in excitement was shaking the building. "Bless her cotton socks" he thought.

We spent the time between Wardi breaking yet another heart upstairs, discussing what's, where's, and when's for after we solve the Et-Navn dilemma. Rhua made a fair point that the southern lands haven't had much in the way requests lately.

Horace's suggestion of heading west was probably our best bet, we all agreed east is probably beyond our ability if what appeared to make Viv nervous is anything to go off. Lucy was the first to notice Wardi heading back over to us.

"Speaking with Hattie was a bust… she said the only thing worth noting was some peddling merchant had been selling Dornam tech, simply not worth the time if you ask me" Wardi says, his tone certainly gave him vibes of done with this madness.

We all let out a sigh in harmony just at varying degrees of effort.

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Rhua, brimmed with newfound energy and said to us, "Looks like we're going to have to follow up on it regardless, there are no other leads, let's do that, then we should rest up until nighttime, then take a visit to Chateau Le Von…"

"What's put a spring in your step then? Wardi says to Rhua, pointing at cups of beer she had drunk without anyone noticing.

"RHUA, you drank everyone's CUPS." Horace piped, causing Rhua to grin even more.

Before leaving the tavern, I say to the rest of the group that I think it would be best if we stick together, strength in numbers and all that military talk. I spotted Kungle and his wife Pana bouncing around as we walked out. Beckoning him over after calling his name.

"OH, good seeing you lot out here, I see you even found the girl in the hat too!" Kungle bounced forth enthusiastically, his wife Pana quickly closed in on us to with a "ELLO, ello everyone, hope you're having a springing time! What brings you to Et-Navn?"

"The usual madness, you beautiful Impies, what about yourselves?" Wardi says.

"OH, well we're just off springing about, ten thousand springs a day the medicae recommend, have you been over to that Manor lately? We tried bouncing to its rooftops, and it only went and bounced us back! Invisible barriers all over the darn place! Cheek of it…I'm in my right mind to have a round or two with the idiot responsible. We Impies have rights too!"

Pana, springing with energy, says. "It's all right, dear, here." The puckering smooches were not that bad to hear. The overly slurping kisses are so gross I thought.

"Well, we better get going, we still have another one thousand three hundred and thirty-seven springs to go, nice seeing you all!" Kungle abruptly left our talk and bounced over at least three houses.

"Oh Kungle! You're a cheeky bouncer, come here!" Pana says, her voice slowly fades as she quickly tries to catch up with his bouncing away and out of sight.

Trying to keep us focused after that ludicrous display of affection, Rhua said, "ANYWAY."

"That's the first I've heard of a barrier? Not many capable of creating barriers of that calibre…" Wardi began to look over to the Manor as he finished speaking.

"Maybe it's an item BARRIER, technology is improving fast AFTER ALL, we should investigate, if it's non-Art in origin IT'LL BE EASIER TO get rid of it!" Wardi responded to Horace's piping up with a nod.

When we did eventually find the needle in a not-so-small haystack, Wardi hurried us over to the alleyway nearby and released the seal on the keg. Slowly and creepily, the red liquid came out, forming a red scale above him. Lucy turned away and Horace looked at the floor out of fear.

"Gross as always man" I said, Rhua nodding in agreement he replied with an "Aye" and slowly the scales began fading out of view. We'll watch from here I said, and we waited in the alley whilst he approached the merchant.

"How do lass? I think you're the only merchant I've seen since I got here. What are ya selling? I'm after froot but can't tell if you got any."

"Where does he get all these strange-sounding ways of talking?" Lucy has always struggled with our Terran dialect and was often confused, even after all these years.

"I'm afraid I have no froot in my cart. I'm Fijetta, a reconstructor, not a merchant. It seems most of the town has gotten confused by my profession. I modify unwanted tech, weapons, armour accessories, and I try to make new things with the combinations. This piece of tech was made for finding ore in mines, with my skill, I merged it with an Art tome. Now it can scan around, mapping out traps. I call it the OWIE. I only deal in materials by the way." She finished talking and the scale ascended behind her.

"I judge thy being worthy of blessings." A warm voice in the air whispered, and the softest red light engulfed Fijetta.

"Strange, all of a sudden, I feel great, really great in fact."

"You all right?" Wardi pretended to show concern.

She smiled and replied "Yes absolutely, I've not felt this good in a long time! Here you should take this porter box, you just place the items you don't want in to it and it'll transport them to me, I can send it back over when I've finished, just make sure to put your name on the materials though, creations have gone to the wrong people on occasion."

Wardi just stared at Fijetta, her fast and droning talking hurt him mentally, I know she said something to me in the blur of word vomit. Wardi thought to himself.

"Well, thanks for that Fijetta, I do have some spare Mushay from a request I was partaking in and a bandit I beat had this extender pole on him if you're interested in a trade for the OWIE?" She paused for a minute thinking, then nodded. Give me the goods and I'll get working on it!

"Deal, pleasure to have met you, I hope to use you again someti-." She'd already wandered off before he even finished the sentence… Strange girl…a reconstructor could prove useful if we get some high-grade materials, thinking to himself about the possible combinations for new swords.