A Mashed Potato Story - Dungeon Crawl 2

[Hannah Green]

Vensyn lead the way into the woods. "If we keep to a fairly rapid walk, I think we can get there in about two hours, maybe a bit more. He said, mostly just to keep the group from being totally silent. "If the pace is too fast.. Miss Maksa, would you be opposed to Haku carrying you for a while?" It would help them make better time at least.. and the woman certainly did not seem to be at her strongest.

Kahakuloa walked with Maksa, and once he noticed she was trying to keep up with him.. who in turn was trying to keep up with Ven, slowed down only to look over to Vensyn, and then to Maksa. haku hesitated. Ven had a point.. He studied her, and then thought. "I'm going to pick you up Miss Maksa, I need you to wrap your arms around my neck." Haku wasn't about to wait for an answer as he moved to do just that. "There's no time for asking questions Vensyn."

Vensyn slowed a bit, so that Haku could pick up Tathar, but once he had her, he'd be setting a swift pace again. The man had spent most of his days over the last eight months covering a lot of ground quickly, he could go like this til almost morning if he had to. He gave a slight nod. "Then just keep up." he called over his shoulder.

Tathar Maksa blinks as the two stop, and shrinks slightly as she listens to their plan. Finally, however, she gives a nod of her head, though by that point the taller man is already picking her up. Letting out a soft huff of breath, she reaches one delicate hand around the back of his neck and stares at her legs.

Kahakuloa gave Miss Maksa a smile, as he held her, carefully and then once Ven started, he headed on right after him. It only took Haku another few silent minutes to realise... "... once again we're unarmed." he surmised, his voice quiet, subdued... and the silence commenced as they walked as long as it took them to get to the village, only stopping if there were issues with footfalls.

Vensyn kept going, and didn't look back. He knew the way, and didnt hesitate as he took the correct path. "I'm not." He said.. Sword at his side, and he had two daggers on him. "Need a knife? You know, like a kid having a security blanket. Won't do much good but might make you feel better." He said dryly. "Besides, if we run into anything nasty Ill just stab it or kick it's teeth in or something." Haku likely had some snark for him then, but whether he did or didn't he'd eventually fall silent and focus on just getting there. Soon, the clearing where the village had been was up ahead "If the potato people are there, Ill try and draw fire again. Better they shoot me than Maksa."

[Hannah Green]

Tathar Maksa continues to be carried along quietly, and the fine trembling in her limbs stops after a while. She seems rather dispirited, however, and remains quiet as the two talk. They would find, upon approaching the village, that all of the potato people seem to freeze in place, transfixed by the seed carried in Haku's hand.

Kahakuloa was silent, even when Ven was trying to make the airs light with possible jokes. haku only smiled. They stopped, and haku frowned, looking at the remains of what was tryign to be rebuilt. He still had that seed clutched in his hand. haku looked to Vensyn. "... You know landi will heal you if you get too bad off. I would suggest running in, and pulling them away from the village, and Maksa and I will run after you. I'll protect her as best as I can, while she plants the seed." even if that meant overstepping a bit of polite boundaries.. IF he had to. He carefully set Maksa down and then looked over to her. "Miss maksa, as soon as vensyn runs, we'll run to the middle of the town and I will hand you the seed, and I need you to dig a small hole and bury it there ok?" He PRAYED that she got that... as he nodded for Ven to go ahead...

Vensyn blinked, glanced at the potato people, and then back to Haku. "Well, that's handy." He strolled into the village, and casually kicked one of the little bastards. "All right.. Does it have to be the center of the village? Because I think that would be past that big ass tree Landi nearly brought down on my head the last time we were hear. he glanced back at Haku. "Well, that sounds all fine and dandy, but they dont seem to be attacking." If he could he'd even pose a few of them rather stupidly, if they werent reacting to anything. Ven, was in fact trying to lighten the mood a little with a bit of twisted humor, dispite the twisting he felt in his stomch, worry for what was to come.

Tathar Maksa settles on her feet unsteadily, looking toward the frozen potato people with a tremble in her chin. Keeping close to the taller man, she watches Vensyn play with the frozen creatures, glancing away after a few moments to watch her feet, "Where should I dig?"

Kahakuloa still had the seed in his hand as he.. watched Vensyn play with .. well, food. He gave a snort and then frowned, as something was off. He slowly moved with Maksa over to where he figured the center of the village was (as it wasn't that big.. was it?) and he crouched on the ground, and moved a few of the debris out of the way. He looked at his clutched hand, and then ggestured for her to come lower to the ground, and he pointed to a specific place on the ground as he had cleared it. "I'm going to give you the seed, you will dig a hole, a small hole, like you're planting your flowers, and drop the seed in it, and cover the seed up with the dirt, and we'll then walk away." It was that simple, right? Haku held his hand out. "I'm giving you the seed now so you can dig the hole.." he reached for her hand to drop the seed in...

Vensyn stood and wiped his hands on his pants. He was just trying for a little dark humor, a coping mechinism of some sort. He moved over a few paces away to watch Tathar plant the seed, wondering if there was going to be some sort of ... powerful magical effect when it happened. His gaze moved from them and swept along the boundries of the village, or rather what was left of it. It couldn't really be this simple right?

[Hannah Green]

Tathar Maksa listens to the trade minister speak to her in rather simple terms with a grave expression on her face, the little woman reaching out for the seed as the man grabs her hand to drop it in. Clutching the magical thing with a faint sniffle, she digs through the dark jungle dirt and carefully drops her burden into it. Covering it up, the little woman looks at the small bump feeling magic slip beneath the surface of the soil like the roots of a vast tree, touching each of the forty or so potato people remaining. Reluctantly she raises her eyes to glance at the nearest potato person. Slowly, the creature melts, like icecream in the sun, his little berry eyes plopping to the ground and his body sucked beneath the earth. All over the small clearing the same thing can be seen to happen. As the last of the creatures disappear beneath the surface of the earth, the homunculus bursts into tears.

Kahakuloa watched her hands as she dug the hole, and then dropped the seed.. and then covered it up. Haku tensed, bracing for what he thought would be a sudden launch of darts in their direction when he noticed.. they all were melting. Melting?? He frowned, and looked around. It... really was just that simple. He looked up in shock to ven. Did.. did he really do it? Did they three of them just.. save the island, save Spell? haku vaguely remembered being called the keeper of Spell.. and then tonight the Bearer.. Haku was nOT sure what that meant, he knew that those.. titles were important, but Haku didn't feel like he was anything important. haku was just a man. And then Tathar burst into tears, and haku shifted and wrapped his arms around her, and carefully gathered her in his arms. "It is done. Let's go home."

Vensyn watched them melt.. Really that was all.? He frowned as Tathar started to cry... dammit he hated seeing her so sad... and then something occoured to him. "What about the.. eleven or so I have back at the guardhouse? Will they melt too or do they need to be brought here?" Better safe than sorry. If they needed brought, he could do that himself, tonight.

Tathar Maksa continues her crying, though anything the little woman tries to say by way of apology or explanation is eaten by her sobs. Slowly, flower buds poke up from the surface of the ground, and after a few more heartbeats, the three are surrounded by a sporadic circle of potato blooms, lavender with cheery yellow centers. This seems to only send the homunculus into a deeper depression, however, and after a few heartbeats she goes still and blank, face taking on the cast of a dolls. When Vensyn returns to the guard barrack, he will find his jars of potato men filled now with only dirty potato mush.

Kahakuloa shot vensyn a worried look. ".. I think it's all of them. I think you'll find melted potatoes in the jars.. but I'd probably bring them back here to be safe. Or maybe burn them." He glanced to Maksa. "I'm heading home with her. She needs to be looked after." he'd.. probably melt into a mushed mess of emotions if he had been told his lover would possibly DIE or never come back if something didn't work right.. and he prayed like mad that they did it as they were told. He frowned at the suddenly blooming plant life and shook his head. He started home, carrying the blanked woman in his arms, cradling her to him with a somber expression himself. Haku had masked his own PTSD tonight. He had fought back that surge of overwhelming 'lets just go catatonic and dead inside' state himself... becuase he was NEEDED. He walked back home in silence.

Vensyn any urge to joke had been sapped out of him, and he walked with Haku back towards town.. It seemed to take longer.. perhaps because they werent rushing, or perhaps because of the even darker mood that had settled over them. Damn, he was going to need a drink tonight, once he'd made sure those potato folk in the guardhouse were actually melted.