[Elise]

They reached Nanea a few hours after the skies darkened. The village looked almost like someplace from 15th century England. The medieval setting appealed to Elise, though the condition of the buildings didn’t. The pub they’d entered, for instance that the black timbered-roofs had missing shingles and splotches of mud and unrecognizable red stuff stained the walls.

She unshouldered her backpack, letting it dangle in her right arm. Turning toward the group, she smiled weakly. The journey from Yapet’s portal to Nanea had taken over three days with the group traveling most of the time. Elise couldn’t count the times they’d been attacked. It seemed to her that they’d spent the entire journey fighting. Whatever time spent out of fighting was used for travel; the longest they’d slept was three hours.

Shrubbery covered the moorland and chilling winds bit at skin. She wished Dora were with them every time it began to rain. The water drenched everyone's clothes each time and it took hours to dry and traveling in soggy clothing was terribly uncomfortable. It became apparent to Elise that the land barely had any food when the first creature attacked them. An emaciated beast-dragon attempted to have the group for breakfast. It was pathetic—really. It snapped its jaws at Zephyr and was subsequently discouraged by a few punches and a dagger in its neck. Wyverns, fireworms, and even imp dragons attacked them the rest of the way. Maximus had suffered a painful burn from the imp dragon, but he fought despite the pain, treating it only after the dragon was dead. Castalia’s potions easily took care of the burn, shrinking the patch of dark red skin and returning most of its healthy color.

The next encounter hadn’t been so lucky. The group encountered a trio of dragons on the third day---they were of the serpentine sort and reminded Elise of the Chinese dragons in some of Piper’s books. The battle for their lives seemingly lasted for hours and Elise found herself surrounded by serpentine scales almost half of the time. Zephyr’s owl remained out of action but its owner ducked in and out, slashing at the scales. Maximus was a formidable opponent as well. His swordplay was accurate and dealt deep gashes almost every time. Daoine was finally able to flood the dragons’ minds with fear and scare the beasts away. It surprised Elise how Daoine could fight and manage emotions at the same time.

“What should we do? Can we get food before we look for the aide?” She felt guilty for delaying the task but she was hungry and everyone else probably was too.

[Maximus]

Max opened his mouth, about to say that finding the aide should be their first priority, when his stomach betrayed him, letting out a deep growl. He smiled sheepishly.

"Well, I doubt he'll be leaving anytime soon, since he's been here for Xanth knows how long. Grub first, I think we've earnt it." Max decided, and glanced up at the chalkboard that displayed the menu in big, loopy letters. He pondered for a moment.

"I'm having the steak, I think. What's anyone else having?" He asked, looking around to find a table big enough for them all.

[Zephyr]

Zephyr grimaced as his stomache grumbled and Spirit once again squaked for food. He'd only been able to get food Spirit would eat once in the past days of travel. At the sound of the word 'steak' Zephyr's eyes shot to the menu board. "I'll get a steak for me, and some trout for Spirit." Zephyr said, his voice slightly raspy and weak from the travel without sleep or water. He could deal with one at a time, but both in concert killed his concentration.

Looking around, Zephyr eyed a table with four wooden chairs. "There's a table over there." He said, heading over to it to sit down. Realizing he still had his weapons on, he flipped the char around so it's back would press against his chest and sat leaned into it, letting his legs hand loose n the floor.

[Namiko]

Namiko glugged from his tankard, before dragging a grubby sleeved arm across his mouth. Little bubbles of beer twinkled in his 5 day stubble. It was official-Miko had let himself go. His days stretched out in the grungy pub-stumble in at 11, and drink himself into a stupor until early evening. If he was lucky he might be able to pick a fight with some unknowing character. Beating the stuffing out of an innocent man was the only thing that bought him even the smallest of pleasures anymore. As Miko stared into the empty tankard, his mind wandered to days long gone-Xanth, Elysia, his dragons....and her. He shook his head, as if doing so would throw out his memories. Looking up, he noticed the newcomers. A straggly group, barely a challenge for an ex-aide. He sighed. Where had all the good fighters gone?

[Elise]

A smile sneaked its way to her lips as she guiltily looked at the menu. "Thanks, Max. We can ask around the pub afterwards. Smoked salmon for me..." She really shouldn't be guilty anyway. Eating was for their own good, cause who can walk around on an empty stomach? Taking the seat beside Zephyr, she set her backpack beside her chair. Her weapons were within and she was looked completely harmless. She was fitting in perfectly---she hoped.

Propping her elbows on the table, she tiredly rubbed her eyes, then looked around. The pub was bustling with people---sources of information. Soft candlelight flickered in wooden chandeliers. She'd frequent this place every night if it weren't for the types of characters she saw around here. Two burly giants who were occupied with slapping each other in the back and clanking their mugs. In the corner, a woman (who was so scantily clad that Elise nearly shook her head in disapproval) flirted with a group of men. A few more tables away, a dishevelled looking man drank from a large tankard of beer, messily wiping the spilt liquid from his face. And she didn't even want to notice the drunkard sitting beside their table...the half-conscious man had rolled under his table and launched into a ditty about a husband who left his wife for a pot of gold...

((OMG NAMIKO! <3))

[Zephyr]

Zephyr didn't even look up when he heard the voice. The smell of the man was bad enough, and it grew worse when he opened his mouth. "Dang it! What kind of money do they have here?!" Zephyr wondered s he realised that they had none. The bar was grim and dirty. It reminded him of a few places he'd been to after being cast out of his tribe.

Zephyr contemplated the idea of threatening him with one of his throwing knives, but decided against it. He didn't have the energy to fight anyone right now, and neither did Spirit. "No. Go away." He decided to say. Spirit chimed in with a small squack after Zephyr finished speaking. The poor bird was so hungry, and so was Zephyr. He simply hadn't brought enough food for the journey they'd taken.

[Daoine]

Slightly worn out by the events of the past few days -the encounter with the trio of dragons had been especially hard on her, it had been a challenge changing the emotions of 3 stronger beings- Daoine sat down at one of the wooden chairs and looked around the place. It was interesting to say the least. "I think I'll have a steak also. And I would do anything for a good cup of coffee, but I doubt this is the right place for that." she replied to Max's question.

Shortly after they were approached by a drunk figure. Although Zephyr tried to shoo him away, he turned his attention to Elise and Daoine. It seemed he was just drunk and had no harmful intentions but Daoine still kept her guard up as she knew that could change within a matter of seconds.

[Maximus]

Max nodded as everyone gave their food requests. Dropping his bag by the table, Max walked up to the bar. Like everything else in the pub, it eas grimy, but as Max wandered past the kitchen the smell was enough to bring a smile to his lips. It seemed this meal would be tasty enough to have waited so long for. The barman turned round and grunted at Max. Taking this as an invitation to speak, Max ordered.

"3 steaks, one smoked salmon. Oh, and a coffee, a jug of water and a couple of beers please." Max finished, fishing around in his pocket for some coins. He held his palm out open to the barman.

"Do you take Elysian gold?" He asked, already knowing the answer as the barman's eyes lit up. He slip a couple of coins across the table, and smiled at the barman, who nodded. After recieving some strange silver coins as change, Max returned to the table, the mix of foreign and Elysian coins held loosely in his hand.

"Food's on it's way." Max said happily, before sinking into his seat and groaning with the pleasure of finally being off his feet.

[Elise]

She pointedly kept her eyes at the bar as the drunkard spoke to Zephyr. Maximus slid a few coins toward the barkeep and Elise's eyes widened as she realized the currency change. Surprisingly, the barkeep nodded and accepted the money.

The tankard moved uncomfortably close to her face, and she held out her hand in reflex, pushing it away. "Sorry, I don't have any money on me," she smiled politely. She did, but they were Elysian coins, and she didn't want to see how people would react to foreign money.

((OOC: Gmed Bobby Bo w/ Permission))

[Zephyr]

Zephyr scowled as the man didn't go away. as the drunken idiot continued to beg from his companions, Zephyr glared at him. He wish that he could finally get the trick behind the red dragon's ability to intimidate others down, but he still had no luck in it.

As theman returned to him, Zephyr ignored him as he spoke. Until he poked him. The moment of the touch, Zephyr looked up and his hand sped over to the drunks. Taking a tight hold on the fingers, Zephyr squeezed his fist in as he stood up. Zephyr's chair fell to the ground in a loud clatter as he twisted the stranger's arm up behind his back. "Leave us alone." Zephyr whispered in the man's ear.

Zephyr didn't notice, but as he moved, Spirit responded by jumping out of his bag and squaking loudly. The poor bird assumed that this was yet another battle, and responded accordingly. As Spirit hopped up and down on the table, Zephyr continued to pull at the man's arm. "Y'hear?" He said snidely. The red Dragon was extremely tired and hungry, this made him more irritable than usual and he'd now hit his break point. Eyeing the other men in the bar who appeared ready to attack, Zephyr glared at them. "Bring it on!" He thought angrily.

(((gmodding permission of the sentient granted by it's player.

p.s. joy is cool)))

[Zephyr]

Zephyr's hand gripped around the drunkard's first punch and the Dragon started to smirk. "Fool? Surely you didn't me--" Zephyr's mocking comment was cut off when the second hand hit his gut. He'd been too focused on gloating to realize this drunk wasn't quite as dumb as he seemed.

"That's it." Zephyr said in a low voice as he regained his breath. Zephyr squeezed his right hand over the mans fist tightly and attempted to shove him back and to the side. Quickly relleasing his hand, Zephyr pulled his fron leg up and released a powerful side kick that would hopefully knock the drunk a few feet away.

[Daoine]

When Max came back, Daoine smiled at him thankfully for ordering and paying the bartender.

The drunkard was still hovering around their table and when he didn't get the response from Elise that he'd hoped for, he turned his attention to Zephyr again. Daoine focused her mind on his emotions as she registered that his innocent drunkness was turning into irritation. Then in a matter of seconds the situation between Zephyr and the drunkard escalated.

Daoine was tired and hungry, and she realized that getting into a fight in this bar in Nanea would not make their quest any easier. She turned around on her chair and focused on the drunkard. She sent soothing emotions his way and tried to suppress his agression. Then she sent a friendly emotion to Zephyr in an attempt to make him understand she was intervening.

[Namiko]

Miko staggered to his feet, planning to drown himself in another tankard of ale. As he did so, he felt a twitch down by his leg. A small black dragon grasped at Miko's threadbare trousers with it's minute teeth. Miko swatted it away impatiently, his plate sized hand easily bundling the imp aside. He took another step towards the bar as a message flooded his head. Letting his guard down for a moment, Miko listened.

"Haven't you drank enough today?" A stern voice asked, causing Miko to roll his eyes.

"Thanks for the advice Jack, but I can handle myself." Miko flashed back his reply, wondering if his female companion would ever stop nagging. Still, he did appreciate her being there-the past 2000 years would have been unbearable without her. Just as Miko was going to raise his mental barrier, he frowned. Another dragon, sending thoughts. He'd managed to intercept the signal...how curious. It was normally only numbskull humans and braindead halfbreeds in the bar. But a vaguely intelligent being, and a dragon too? Suddenly sober, Miko turned his head, trying to search out the party. Seeing a mixed group at a table in the corner, he strode over to them.

As soon as he arrived on the scene, Miko realised why he'd heard a calming message. Things seemed pretty heated. He recognised the guy at the heart of the trouble. He frequented the bar often enough to know the troublemakers, and this guy didn't know the meaning of peace. Miko plucked him out of the way by his collar, sinking a punch into the drunken man's gut before throwing him aside. He reached for a stool and skidded it along the ground, before plonking his frame down onto it.

"I see you're causing trouble already." He announced gruffly, looking down awkwardly at the table. As he did so, his eyes caught the glint of something shiny-coins. Miko aknowledged the familiar coins of Acantha, but something was intermingled with the heap. With a frown, Miko reached across the table and fingered a foreign coin. He tried to hide his surprise.

"Elysian coins." He announced, his voice still deep.

"Why are you here?" He asked simply.

[Elise]

Even without dragon abilities, Elise could sense the tension in the air. She opened her mouth in attempt to send the man away when Zephyr suddenly got up and twisted the man's arm. "Zeph---" but the drunkard was already fighting back. She scooted from the table to avoid the fight, getting to her feet in the process. This wasn't her fight and the drunk man was obviously out of his mind. Looking helplessly at Maximus and Daoine, she noticed the look of concentration on Daoine's face. At least she was trying.

Elise turned toward the stranger that had made his way to the table. Without warning, he yanked the drunkard by the collar and threw him aside. It was the dishevelled man at the far table. She watched passively as he took a coin from the table. Bu it wasn't just a coin...it was money from Earth. "Um," she said uncomfortably.

"Why are you here?" the man asked simply. Elise shut her mouth. Suddenly, it seemed to Elise that this man spoke with authority...when sober. But what's it to him that they're here? If he was an authority, would he view them as spies? Elysians weren't supposed to be here, afterall.

Dodging his question, she asked cautiously, "How do you know our coins?"

[Namiko]

Miko sighed. His first thought was to simply brush this girl aside, with her interfering questions. But did he really not want to answer, he asked himself. Maybe speaking about the past would do him good. Maybe not. He began to speak.

I've....heard of them. Through gossip. I had a good friend who used them once too." Miko said, analysing every word before he spoke it, not wanting to give anything away.

"Not too many people around here have them." He continued, wondering if these people were Elysians. He supposed they must be-but then what was their purpose here? They had to be either humans, or dragons, he mused thoughtfully, or Danea would sense them at once. He fingered the coin once more, turning it over in his rough fingers.

"They bring back some memories, that's all." Miko smiled. His face turned serious.

"So, are we going to dodge questions all night, or are you going to tell me what kind of mission you're on?"