Standard Mission: A Bitter Rain

Salam - The Apothecary

The woman rose back to her full height and accepted Samael's handshake with a soft smile. "I'm Wren, and yes, the mold sets in pretty quickly if you don't stay ahead of it." After releasing Samael's hand, she leaned back over the counter, regarding him thoughtfully.

"I haven't the foggiest idea what makes it start, but the rain itself is nothing new." She gestured to the windows, where the soft sounds of it continued to serenade them through the glass. "There are faint hints of magic in it when it's falling, but once it's on the ground, it's no different from normal water."

"My point is, the rain comes every year, around mid-autumn. And, every year, up until this one, it has gone away in late spring. It's like clockwork, really, and we count on it. Without the rain, we wouldn't be able to produce the kind of crops we do, but river banks only contain so much water. That's why you're here." She turned her gaze back towards Samael. "If the rain doesn't let up soon, this town might just get washed off the map."

"Ah, miss?" Wren turned her gaze towards the man that had been watering the flowers. He now stood over Samael's Mandrake, still holding the watering pail. "Did you place an order for demon plants?" The man gave the Mandrake a bemused look before turning his attention back to Wren.

Zephyr Arc

As they were led out of the inn, Zephyr watched Samael dash out with nothing but an arm to shield him from the downpour for a moment, seeing him pretty much get soaked through in virtually no time at all. Not really wanting to get wet at the moment, he instead slipped his newly acquired shield off his shoulder and hoisted it above his head. Once Cherry sat back on his shoulder, he walked out the door and followed Samael at his leisure. The shield blew up once he exit the doorway, growing large enough to keep the rain from touching the two on their way. "Good thing I made the switch before this mission, eh sis?" He commented to the pixie on his shoulder as he walked.

Apothecary

Zephyr returned his shield to its proper size as they walked into the new building, finding his nose assaulted by a number of smells. Cherry quickly hopped pff his shoulder at the sight of flowers, seemingly having decides to browse the place for its fresh and pleasant sights and smells, making sure to be careful not to touch anything.

As she went off, Zephyr approached Samael and the apothecary, who had started to converse already. It didn't really seem like she had any really useful information other than "stop the river from flooding" being their mission at hand...

Zephyr sighed. "I suppose it might be a guardian situation if the onset of the rain is magical" he mused to the crowd.

Samael

Samael pondered Wren's words for a few seconds, but unfortunately he didn't seem to make any breakthroughs talking to her.  Though the rain was magical, that's obviously a sign of concern even if it became normal water after hitting the ground.

"It's always been magical right?"  Samael questioned, as he turned his gaze towards Zeyphr when he commented about the other guardian, "I honestly can only guess really, I think our best option is to explore the village and see if we can find a source, maybe question some others if there were any demon sightings."

Nearby Tulip slowly turned her gaze towards the man with the pail, shooting a gaze of somewhat irritation that the man decided to ask Wren about her instead of asking her directly. It was honestly so rude!

"Oh please!  As nice as this shop is you can't keep a beauty like me chained down here!  And I think I've seen enough water, Thank you." Tulip chimed in at the man holding the water pail, as she tried to nimbly dodge out of the way of some water that dripped out of the pail only to fall back into a nearby shelf causing another pail to fall over and pour water on her head.

"AGH!" Tulip called out, as Samael could only stifle a laugh for a few seconds before Tulip shot a gaze of hatred at the vanguard causing him to quickly avert his gaze towards Aren.

"Any recommendations?  I would prefer to avoid scouting through that rain if possible..."

Salam - The Apothecary

"Yes. As far as I'm aware, it's always carried a hint of magic." Wren responded to Samael while she watched her coworker a bemused smile. "I dabble in a little magic here and there, but anything that can affect weather on that scale and for that long is way over my head. Kind of like the river in another week or two." She snorted at her own joke, or maybe at the man's question, since he voiced it at that moment.

"No, Guy. I don't keep demon plants." Wren said as Tulip landed on the floor with water pouring over her. "They have a tendency to cause trouble, like turning over shelves. So, I like to keep my stock strictly mundane."

"I see." Guy, as she'd referred to him, sat the pail aside and offered Tulip a hand back up. "Sorry about that. I'm still new here."

Wren shook her head and turned her attention back to Samael. "Your friend mentioned a guardian." She nodded to Zephyr. "That might have some merit."

"To the best of my knowledge, this village has never been attacked by demons. On the hill overlooking the river, there's an old shrine dedicated to the spirit that protects the valley. Maybe you can find something there?"

She paused for a moment, scratching her chin. "I don't know exactly where it is, but I can give you a general idea. One of the old farmers could probably take you directly to it though. I think some of them still pray there at the end of summer, when the water levels are at the lowest."

Samael

"It's alright, I've been in the fairy forest too long." Tulip relented with a overly tragic sigh, raising her hand into the air like some professional actor.

though, Tulip' face still was flushed red after her blunder, matching the petals on her head gingerly took guy's hand trying to look like a dignified lady being helped up.  She slowly stood back up on her feet, as her gaze shifted to Wren for a few seconds with a securitizing look.

"She wasn't referring to you Tulip, you just bumped some water on you.  Most demons are rowdy." Samael quietly commented with a light smile before his eyes perked up with interest at a shrine.  What were the chances that both of these places had a guardian?

"Well it's worth a shot, Zeyphr, do you want to take the lead?  You might now better how to act around these spirits." Samael commented before turning back to Wren and saying in a stoic and serious tone, "Thanks, that's a good place to start.  Once we figure out this rain issue I'd be happy to hear about some more of your plants!"

"Though they won't compare to me" Tulip stated with a with a wink.

Zephyr Arc - Apothecary

It seemed he wasn't too far off on what the issue might be with his conjecture. He pondered on that as the woman and Samael conversed further. Cherry had taken the time to laugh at Tulip's misfortune, followed by whizzing around to look at the rest of the flowers on display.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when Samael addressed him. "Yea, the last one was pretty eccentric. If this really is a guardian situation, it's best we hurry. We almost didn't make it that time." He answered him. "It's best we go in prepared for a fight if this is anything like before. I'll lead the way, stay under my shield so you guys don't get yourselves wet again." He added, nodding at the woman at the counter before slipping his shield off and heading for the door. Being wet may not have been too major of a disadvantage, but every little thing counts in a fight.

Noticing Zephyr about to head out, Cherry quickly zipped over and landed on his shoulder, touching down with a triumphant pose like she'd just won a race.

Salam - The Apothecary

“I would love to talk about my plants with someone else.” Wren responded with a grin. “Very few of our visitors come into my shop for anything besides tonics and potions. They’re more interested in the products that they produce than then plants themselves.”

She gave Tulip a bemused look. “Yes, there’s hardly a comparison to be made.”

Behind her, wood creaked as Guy lifted the shelves back into place, not bothering to remove their contents beforehand. Wren glanced at him over her shoulder before turning back to the group wearing a dreamy look. “Anyway, you should be able to find several of the local farmers at the bar. Since it’s too wet for them to tend the fields, they’ve been sitting around playing cards instead.”

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Salam - The Bar

The musty smells of beer and wet dirt filled the air of the bar as the group entered. Several middle-aged men sat around a scratched-up pool table, who were using it as a surface to play cards instead. A lazy billow of smoke drifted from one of them, who was puffing on a pipe while he studied his cards.

Behind them, a couple older gentleman sat at a weathered bar, which appeared to have been made from driftwood, and behind the bar a petite woman was slowly drying out a mug, which she had apparently just washed. The woman gave the group a glance to let them know that she’d seen them arrive, but she made no motion to move from behind the bar.

Zephyr Arc - Bar

Making sure his cohorts stuck close, Zephyr walked out of the bar and beelined for their next destination. As the rain remained heavy, there was really no room to slow down or make detours if they wanted to stay as high and dry as possible, so he felt that was the best course of action. The village wasn't exactly large either, especially compared to Chaldea, so they reached the bar rather quickly while walking at a brisk pace.

He walked in the door lacking any delicacy as usual, opening it with force and urgency. The groul filed in out of the rain, and Zephyr shrunk his shield back down and began to dry it off. He'd noticed the look from the bar tender of course, but felt like Samael would likely do a better job with negotiations. As such, he only motioned for him to take the lead from here, and busied himself getting his shield dry for their next foray into the rain.

Cherry, on the other hand, merrily hovered over to Samael, wanting to hear what information could be gleaned.

Samael

Tulip grimaced at the sight of an unusual bar, a far contrast to the serene shop full of plants from before. Normally, Samael would be warry of these parts, something about bars always kept him on edge but going to the devil's cocktail helped a bit.... how would nena react here?

Samael walked over to the bar and give an attempt at a smile as he placed some funds down on the table, eyeing the list of drinks that were available.

He didn't understand what any of these beers would entail.... rotroot ale, barkberry stout.... what would any of these even? Ah whatever, he'll just order a round and hope for the best. Ummmm...

Samael slowly began to walk over to the bar raising up some funds and placing it on the bar. He gave an awkward and somewhat creepy smile, as his eyes squinted looking at the faded chalk displaying the names of each of the ales.

"Can we have a round of The Overcast Dust?" Samael muttered a bit reluctantly, as he placed some money on the bar, "We're new here, been trying to find a shrine over the river? Though it's a bit hard to navigate in the rain."

Salam - The Bar

The woman raised an eyebrow at Samael as he muttered his order, but she didn’t comment as she turned to retrieve a couple mugs from beneath the bar. After placing them in front of her, the woman grasped what appeared to be some kind of dried, root vegetable and a grinder. With deft motions, she zested some of the vegetable into each mug, then dipped them under the bar to fill them with an amber liquid.

“I’ve heard of the shrine, but I can’t say I’ve ever been there.” She pushed the mugs in Samael’s direction before retrieving his money from the bar and stuffing it into her apron pocket. “The fellas playing cards could probably help you find it if you can convince their drunk asses to get up and move. It might do their old bodies a bit of good to get some exercise instead of warming seats in my bar.” She raised her voice for the last sentence, and a few of the men sitting around the pool table winced.

“Now see here, Hazel,” one of them puffed puffed out his chest, looking in their direction, “it’s not like we’ve got any crops to tend right now. With all this rain, none of us have even been able to put out seed yet this year.”

“So, instead of planting crops, you’re all in here planting your asses around my pool table.” Hazel responded, rolling her eyes.

The man with the pipe chuckled as he laid his cards on the table and blew out a long puff of smoke. “Read em and weep, you bums.”

A string of muttered curses made their way around the table as each of the other men threw down their cards and slid their chips his way.

Samael

Samael took a sip of the brew and winced a bit, it was a bit stronger than he was used to but he didn't want to push away the farmers acting like some kind of outsider right? They were playing cards too, would he have to gamble?

"Is that so? Would any of you know where the shrine is? My friend and I wanted to take a look and see if it was connected to the rain problem." Samael responded taking the lull in the games to interject, as he spun around in his chair facing the farmers.

Samael took a deep breath. He wanted to get on their good side, and he knew about how little trusting some of these rural folks can be. Maybe if he...

"And if it works out, I'll pay for drinks to celebrate that night!" Samael stated with a smile, as he pointed his thumb at himself hoping that would give the farmers more of an incentive to show him the way.... as a voice began to echo in his ear for a moment.

"Hmph, I can't believe you're doing this, we can find the shrine ourselves. No need to act so uncouth." Tulip muttered in Samaels head from the gauntlet, as he simply ignored it and waited for a response.

Zephyr Arc - Bar

Watching Samael's little display as he approached the counter, Cherry pinched the bridge of her nose from her position on Zephyr's shoulder. He glanced at her confusedly for a bit before turning his attention back to the counter. It seemed they would need to convince the farmers to help them.

Well... that should be no issue, if these villagers were anything like the ones back home. Before he could interject, however, Samael already began speaking to them, promising the men a night of drinking should they help. That should work... but he wasn't entirely sure of his companion's finances. He put a hand on Samael's shoulder, motioning to him that he would pick up the tab for it.

Money was one thing he had in abundance, after all.

Salam - The Bar

One of the men at the table chuckled at Samael's offer to buy them all a drink. "Did y'all hear that? He's offering to buy me a drink, and I didn't even have to get dolled up or nothin."

A few of the men laughed, but another simply shook his head, grinning. "No, he clearly said 'if it works out', and we all know that for you, it never works out. Plus there's a long string of ladies we could ask for confirmation."

The table erupted in laughter as the first man to speak called out curses to his friends.

"I can show you where it is." A puff of smoke accompanied the words, as the man who'd won the last hand rose to his feet. "Anything to get back out in my fields and away from this lot."

"Hey, you can't leave now, old man." One of the others cut in, looking skeptical. "You won the last three hands, and we need a chance to make our money back."

Blowing another puff of smoke over the table, the old farmer rolled his eyes. "But if I leave, I won't be around to win the next three hands and take the rest of your money."

Several of the men around the table seemed to contemplate that for a moment before another of them spoke. "Actually, yes, please take this old coot out in the rain so the rest of us can gamble in peace."

With an indignant huff, the man scooped his earnings into his coin purse and made his way around the table.

"I'm guessing you lot are the Vanguards that Wren sent for?" He asked before taking another long pull on his pipe. "You can call me JT." Grinning, he extended a hand for them to shake.

Zephyr Arc - Bar

Zephyr observed as the gambl- farmers chattered about whether or not any of them were willing to help. After a bit of back-and-forth, one of them finally rose from his seat, evidently intending to lend them a hand. He swiftly excused himself from the gambling table, giving the rest a good reason to let him leave this far into the game.

The man approached, and Zephyr stepped forward to grab his hand in a shake. "Zephyr Arc. My cohorts here are Samael-" He rolled a shoulder towards him, "-and Aren." He nudged his head towards the other man. "We'd like to get you back in those fields asap as well, so we'd like to ask you to lead us to a certain shrine around these parts to take a look."

Samael - Bar

Samael's heart felt like it stopped for a moment. He felt like they could see through his illusion for a second, as his face turned a light shade of red his eyes quickly glancing down towards his chest to see that he did in fact still look like a guy..... Ugh.

"He had a good time with Basti.... wait"

What could he even respond with. His head just ran through a list of pathetic retorts, and he didn't wouldn't want to be too harsh. He needed their help...

"Funny...." Samael managed to painstakingly let out a light laugh, as he tried to play on the 'friendly' bar banter, as he turned towards the winner of the bar with a light nod. As he crossed his arms waiting for Zephyr to finished introducing themselves.....

Thank god, someone came forward

"Understand that we don't know what exactly is the cause. If some sign of trouble shows up make sure you stay safe." Samael stated with a concern but stern nod in an attempt to get some of his dignity back.

Salam - The Bar

"It's nice to meet you fellas." JT responded, giving each of the Vanguards a nod as Zephyr pointed them out. "If you're asking a bunch of half-drunk farmers about a shrine, I know exactly which one you're lookin for. It's not too far up the road, but it's a little out of the way."

He took one last drag of his pipe before turning it over and tapping out the contents into a tray on the nearest table. "Since y'all seem ready to get to work, I suppose we'd best get to it. No sense in waiting for the rain to slack." JT chuckled at his own joke as he made his way to the door.

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Salam - Shrine

"I believe this is what you're looking for." JT motioned towards a small building that had just come into view. They'd been walking for about half an hour to arrive here, although after the first fifteen minutes, there had been some cover from the trees. It didn't completely stop the rain, but it did help keep it from feeling so oppressive.

"Sara!" He suddenly yelled out as they approached, clearly expecting a response. When there wasn't one within the first few seconds, JT took a deep breath to yell again. Before he could speak, the front door slid open, and a woman with an oddly ageless appearance stood in the opening.

"There's no need to yell. Unlike some of your peers, I am not half-deaf." A pair of crystal, blue eyes moved between the Vanguards, and the beginnings of a frown pulled at the woman's mouth. "I see that you've brought guests. Please, come inside."

She turned, disappearing inside the shrine as they approached. "There is a seating area on your right." Sara called from another room.

JT didn't hesitate to flop down on a cushioned seat. "I'm getting too old to make this walk." He grumbled to himself.

"Oh, you've still got at least a dozen summers left in you." Sara responded as she stepped into the room with a tray holding a teapot and several clay cups. Kneeling at the table, she sat a cup in front of each of them before filling it them with red-orange liquid. "Please, have a cup of tea to warm yourselves up."

Again, her eyes moved over the group, although they rested for a moment longer on Cherry. "I can guess why you've come to visit my lady's shrine today. Outsiders do not normally make an appearance here, and it's even more rare that we get a demon visitor. I apologize, but I don't have any tea cups sized for you."

Zephyr Arc - Rainy Road

The farmer, JT, seemed like a nice enough person. He made some jolly conversation as he smoked his pipe. Once he was finished, he emptied the pipe's remaining content on a nearby tray before leading the group out. Zephyr equipped his shield on his arm as he stepped out, raising it over his head. It blew up in size once he entered the rain, keeping himself nice and dry.

The walk itself was uneventful, the group making a bit of small talk on the long walk until they arrived. It seemed JT was familiar with the woman that ran the place, as he shamelessly yelled for her, and spoke as if he'd known her for at least a few decades. As her gaze flitted over them, she lingered a bit on Cherry, prompting her to slip behind Zephyr's hair.

"We'll be fine." He replied to her comment on teacups. "But yes, we'd like to discuss the rain situation."

Samael

Samael stayed silent for most of the bickering between the two. He never really knew how to handle these bickering dynamics, if he tried to make a jab of his own he's half afraid he'd end up on his ass the neck moment.

Still, even with all the rain and banter going on it was nice to be offered a cup of tea to take his mind off the situation for a moment. He stared at the tea for a few moments, as he the thought of being poisoned washed through his mind before he shook his head and took a sip.... waiting for Zeyphr to finishing his comment before starting to speak himself.

"Thank you for the tea, and we're trying to find points in your town that might explain the rain. And from my experience there's always some kind of truth behind these shrines." Samael stated, as she placed the cut back down on the table, "First, has anything seemed different or off since this anomaly started? Or even something that might of seemed strange before it, no matter how small it is."

Salam - Shrine

The shrine maiden nodded at Zephyr’s comment, as if she’d known he would say that. “I’m afraid that the rain situation, as you put it, is actually just a symptom of a different problem.” She took a slow sip of her own tea, glancing in Samael’s direction. For a moment, a hint of amusement showed on her face, but it was quickly washed away by the somewhat resigned smile she’d been wearing since allowing them inside. “Not that I want to step on your toes. It does sound like you’ve looked into this sort of thing before, but I’m well aware of the rain’s source.”

JT made a sputtering noise and sat up a little straighter. “They why haven’t you fixed it?”

The look she gave him was no longer friendly, and it also made her appear much older than she’d originally seemed. “Do not assume to make a complicated situation so simple. If it was within my power to resolve it, I would have already done so.” Piercing blue eyes turned back to the Vanguards, narrowing in contemplation.

“Perhaps there’s something you visitors could do though, since you seem so eager to help.” She took another slow sip of her tea. “Unfortunately, it is not my story to share, but if you wish it, I can arrange an audience with my lady. Perhaps having an outside perspective might be cathartic for her.”

Zephyr Arc - Shrine

With the group having sat down for a bit of tea time, samael added a query of his own once Zephyr had said his piece. With that done, however, the shrine maiden began to speak. Even with the first words out of her mouth, it was apparent that they'd more than underestimated what information she had for offer.

She made it clear that she knew exactly what the cause was for the entire situation happening here, though for whatever strange reason, she apparently hadn't even told the villagers that she did, let alone any information on what it was exactly. She sounded much older, and far less friendly, than when she'd let them in as she continued on, Zephyr sipping his tea as she did so.

From her words, it appeared that this 'lady' was the one they would need to see in order to actually learn anything. Someone a shrine maiden would call their 'lady'... certainly no shrine head would go by such a gaudy title... so that left whoever, or whatever, was enshrined here, then?

"...Your lady...? A guardian spirit perhaps?" Zephyr asked, probingly, before thinking better of it and adding, "You've made quite clear you aren't permitted to speak on the topic, so I'd like to take up the offer of an audience. If she's anything like the guardian we've met previously, speaking alone shouldn't be too terribly difficult..."

Samael

Samael's eyes widened when shrine maiden motioned that she knew the source of the rain, that would be perfect! They were no longer walking around randomly in the dark, or well rain in this case!

"Yes! That would be perfect, if you know the source then that makes it all the easier for us to help!" Samael stated, as he almost knocked the glass of tea over in excitement the cup about to fall over before Tulip help her hand out to stabilize it before giving Samael a disapproving look.

Samael gazed at Tulip a rather embarrassed as he went back to his more stoic demeanor. He was normally more in control of himself, but with the recent skew of crazy missions that always ended up being stupidly chaotic it will be nice to have just a simple bargain and talk for once.

"Right, if things haven't been fixed yet though.... is there any advice? I would like the avoid doing anything that might offend your lady." Samael stated a bit more polite now, taking a sip of the tea and sitting back down calmly in his sea.

"Samael is also a great tailor! He can make quite the wardrobe if that would help." Tulip stated with a wink at the shrine maiden, as she pulled out Samael's art booklet before twisting a knowing glare at Samael that basically stated 'WHY, haven't you made me anything yet!"

Salam - Shrine

Sara took another long sip of tea as both the Vanguards spoke. “I don’t believe that guardian spirit is the correct description, but I see where you are going with this train of thought, and you are on the correct track.” She paused for a moment, contemplating something. “I believe that the local villagers pray to her as a goddess of fertility. Is this correct?” Sara addressed the question to JT, who nodded in response, still looking a little put out from her earlier retort.

“While mundane, this is a fairly accurate depiction of my lady’s role.” She smiled sadly in response to Samael’s inquiries. “If you wish to avoid offending her, I would merely suggest that you tread softly within her realm. My lady treats all life as sacred, from the oldest of men to the very grass beneath your feet.”

She sat her empty cup aside and stood. “In any case, it will take me time to arrange a visit with her. If you meet me on the northern edge of the city in the morning, I will escort you.” Her eyes came to rest on JT once more. “Well, most of you anyway. I’m afraid you know the rules.”

The older man harrumphed, looking over the Vanguards. “No one enters the valley without an invitation. Yes, I’ve been around long enough to know the rules.”

“I am sorry for that.” Sara’s facial features were softer now, almost apologetic.

With a sigh, JT pushed himself to his feet. It took the man a few seconds to straighten up completely. “Well, I guess I might as well get back to poker with the boys then. You fellas comin back to town with me, or can you find your own way?”

Samael

"I see, I'll be sure to be careful then." Samael commented about the all life is sacred comment, as he glanced down on the ground for a brief moment looking around as he glanced over his own clothes for a few moments thinking about its contents, "What about wearing clothes made from animals? That's fine right?"

There was also the question on insects that might be roaming around and he might accidentally step on it. There was so much to worry about!

"Tulip you're sensitive to plants right? Do you think you could keep an eye out?" Samael commented, as Tulip simply gave a brisk nod in response before a shiver went down her spine at the mention of 'insects'. The mandrake quickly pat down her flower head with sweet perfume smells filling the room trying to rub out the imaginary insects that had infested her hair in the last 2 seconds.

"Or I guess we could shrink and ride Cherry." Samael offhandedly commented with a completely serious shrug, as he glanced over at the pixie.

"Anyways, I think we got the information we needed. We'll take some time to discuss things, so we'll come back to town with you." Samael commented, as he grabbed the cup of tea and sipped up the last of the contents before nodding to JT.

The following morning...

Salam - Northern Road

"This way." Sara lead the group down the muddy road that wound downwards through the hills. In the misty light of the morning, her snow-white umbrella seemed to negate the rain falling atop it, rather than simply pushing it aside, creating a strange void in the space where she walked.

"My lady is not particularly keen on seeing visitors right now, but considering the circumstances, she has agreed to meet with you. I believe that she also hopes you might be able to help her with the source of our shared problem. I ask that you be respectful and understanding. It is not often that humans are premitted to enter the Valley of the Queen."

In a moment, it became apparent that they were not alone. In the downpour, it was impossible to tell if the six demons flanking them on either side had only just joined them, or if they had been following along, just out of sight, for some time now. In either case, Sara seemed unconcerned with their presence, and they offered no indication that they were here for any other reason than to watch the Vanguards proceed through their territory.

Spoiler:

Zephyr Arc - Shrine

It seemed he was right on the money with his conjecture that they were once again dealing with issues related to a guardian spirit. From the sounds of things, this one was also much more temperamental than the last one they had encountered, which had been fairly docile and, in his own personal opinion, rather friendly. The description of her temperament lead him to briefly recall Queen Titania from the fairy forest. Perhaps he wasn't quite wrong in thinking the two would end up being similar, at least as far as personality went... Not that that was necessarily a good thing as far as their mission went.

"...I could make Cherry bigger and us smaller... but I'm not sure that much is necessary, especially when we have a guide..." Zephyr replied to Samael, genuinely caught off-guard by his somewhat extreme suggestion.

Northern Road

After a quick trip back to town, the troop met up with the shrine maiden, Sara, along the Northern Road. He held his enlarged shield over his head to cover the party from the rain, his spear held tightly in his other hand as usual. The woman, who spoke as if she were far older than she appeared, told them more about her lady and tidbits of information about how truly bad the situation likely is as they walked. He noted the umbrella she carried, which appeared to hold a strange power. The rain seemed to plain and simply just... stop, when it reached the thing, vanishing as if it never existed.

She hadn't ceased speaking since they had begun their trek, even when they had been surrounded by strange, masked demons armed with large swords. Recalling what she had said earlier about the guardian spirit and her issue with lives, as well as noting that their guide didn't really seem phased, Zephyr tried to keep calm as he continued to follow her. He was, tense, gripping his spear tightly. Cherry hid behind his hair, as if trying to make herself invisible.