It takes them the better part of 2 hours to talk her out of the bag. It really comes to 'no new magic items or shopping ' to get her to come out. She was fully willing to live in there eating stuff from her cloak and crapping in a bucket.
(the Hermit laughed his head off, first time her ever heard of anyone hiding inside a magic bag before with long term plans to do so.)
Aysun grins at Hel, "In her present state of mind if the assassins guild tried to come for you, they may have to fight her to get you."
Hel nods, "I almost feel sorry for them if they did, when her emotions are up she is even more dangerous than she is normally."
Mel, "Sometimes she acts all grown up then suddenly she goes back to being a little girl. They messed her up but good."
Brani, "She is an Elf, she is only 55 years old, that is like a teenager for a human. Remember they reach physical maturity at 25, but emotional maturity around 100. So emotionally speaking she is around 13 or 14 by our standards."
Eveyone looks at her, she shrugs, "I grew up here, you learn these things."
They nod, Brani is a local, and these are the border lands between the Human lands and the Elf lands.
"So for the next 40 years her emotions will be all over the place. Gets worse when her time of the month comes."
Mel looks thoughtful, "Flamesinger when was the last time you had your bleeding time ?"
FlameSinger thinks, "Well I was trapped in between for years inside the portal from what I have learned recently, so I can't really say. But um from how I feel, its getting close I think. Not sure, could just be nerves to. I get the same kinds of cramps either way."
que group face palm.
"PMS and the Psionically Inclined, Run." giggles FlameSinger.
Hel "PMS ?"
"Post Menstral Syndrome, aka that time of the month." she supplies, "I don't recall what my moods are like. But I suppose you best hope I am not one of the angry types."
Mel, "yeah two of us like that would be bad."
Brani Nods, "Mel is normally angry, but when that time hits, she is worse."
FlameSinger thinks about it, "Other than with the dragon I have not seen Mel be angry. Been pretty nice really. Though I still don't like riding horses, my butt is not happy with you about that."
Mel grins, "Give yourself a few months, it will be better by then."
Frowns, "I want a flying carpet, Much softer seats."
And she is back on That track, the others prefer this conversation over the one where she wants to crawl in to the bag and hide from the world.
Da'Rune sighs, "Well we still need work what you gave us is nice but we can't live on it very long."
FlameSinger sits, "I could hire you to get me to the capital and help me with this inherintance stuff. I do have other money."
Brani sighs, "11 gold won't do it sweety."
FlameSinger opens the side pouch she Never uses and drops her hand in to it, pulls out a handful of platinum, "I don't mean that. I got money. About 1600 platinum actually."
Brani whimpers. The others about faint at the sight of all that coin.
Hel ask, "Where did you get that ?'
"Stole it from mom, a little bit at a time over several years. I was making plans to run away at some point." FlameSinger easily lies.
Da'Rune laughs her pretty butt off, "Oh gods and goddesses. You have all that money, no wonder giving us 100 gold did not bother you."
Hel nods, "and you did not tell us till now because you were used to keeping it secret. But now you have the need to use it. If I were evil" she starts.
"I would not be with you. I know evil when I see it. I see more than anyone understands." She says with deadly calm. Hel gets it, the Zen training. in that state she see's all. At the dragon, had she sensed any them as evil she would have just left, or killed them. She is pretty certain with her powers, she could do it. That undead was taken down scary fast. None in the party could have done that. Had she not been there that undead paladin would have killed them all. She is pretty certain of that. Well the dragon would have likely gotten them first, if she is being honest with herself. She does not need them as guards, not really, just needs a guide and people to talk to, people she has come to trust in the short time she has known them. They were probably the closest she has ever had to real friends. having to live in hiding all the time. That was a hard life, harder than most will ever realize.
Aysun nods, "Ok so what is your opening bid to hire us ?"
"1 gold a day plus expences, Inns no more expensive than this one. Use of my horses."
Da'Rune, "We will need a mule to carry all the stuff we will need for this trip. Its about 20 to 30 days to the capital by horse, weather permitting."
"I got a mule in the cloak." FlameSinger reminds her with that same deadly calm, "It comes with cargo harness and saddle bags."
They nod.
Aysun, "How long can you maintain that Zen state ?"
"If I am awake I can maintain it. Not so asleep, but I am a light sleeper most of the time." that one they know, except for the first time riding a horse. That day she slept like the dead.
Brani ask, "Why don't you do that all the time ?"
"Who says I don't. I am just keeping my mask in place right now. Controlling my emotions is not easy. It sometimes feels like there are 2 people in my mind. The calm cool one and the overly emotional one. Then there is the 3rd one, it tends to focus on magic and collecting."
Da'Rune nods, "Yeah I know what you mean. I got that one to. Mages tend to be attracted to power in one form or another."
"We will need supplies and I for one would like a better tent and my own bed roll, or 2." that gets some nods.
Hel, "so we can actually get some descent gear this time."
FlameSinger nods, "Yes, it is a practical expense after all." she gets up and looks out the window, "Oh, a new caravan just arrived. Maybe we will find some useful stuff."
As it's only mid morning they head down. "oh this is not good, about half this caravan are demons in human skins, lots of cursed items to. Hel go inform the magistrate and the mages please, this is not a good thing. I am going to do a bit of scouting. Brani go with Hel. See if the high Priest is still here, we may need his paladins."
They actually do as she says, which surprised her a bit.
She walks toward the caravan, acting like your average curious person.
At one place a 'fortune teller is setting up. He pulls out a deck of tarot cards, to FlameSingers eyes they are highly magical. Neutral power signature.
Demon, "Care to have your fortune read miss ?"
She approaches, "Hm, how are you doing it ?"
He spreads the cards out, "You pick any 3 cards and turn them over then we go from there."
She nods and runs her fingers over them, noting that several of the 'good cards' are glued to very bad cards. her scan shows it is normal kind of glue. so using a cantrip she goes to remove the glue.
"Ut Ut, no magic now. " the demon purrs, she smiles and brings up her Paladin aura, pushing him back, then she removes the glue, her smile is leathal, "Let me show you a nice trick." with the glue disolved she turns over the moon card, it has 3 rays - 3 wishes, "I wish all the cursed items in this caravan and demon possessed items will disolve in to nothing. I wish all the evil spirits will discorperate and free those they have taken possession, I wish all those who knowingly serve the demons in this place be put in chains, so they can not escape or cast spells." all 3 rays glow and fade, the caravans goods vanish, over half the merchants in the caravan vanish while others just fall over, their strings cut. about 10 people around town and 3 in the caravan are suddenly in magical chains.
She sighs, "Nice"
On impulse she flips the Page of Wands, a beautiful asian woman steps out of the In Between and kneels beside her Mistress - FlameSinger knows her but does not know how she knows her. "Welcome Mei Ling Kyotian."
"Thank you for calling me My Mistress, I and Sakura await your every order." The pretty Ninja says to her sworn Master.
"what not the dragon to ?" teasing tone.
She looks up, "My soul partner to swears her alliegence to you Our Mistress." the flame dragon spirit nods and rubs her Mistresses hand.
"you may rise." the woman does so.
The Magistrate, the Paladins and Priest and many towns folk saw all the caravan become nothing. The horses all fell over, nothing but rotting corpes, the now freed merchants looks like starved refuges. The only ones in good health are in chains.
FlameSinger gathers the cards and carefully seperates them. Good cards one stack, bad cards in the other. Ties them both off. Pocketing the good ones while taking the bad ones to the head paladin.
She looks the tall elf in the eye (they are the same height), "Hello sorry for the drama." her aura is still up, which makes him think she is a paladin in disguise.
"No problem, what happened here ?' he ask.
"Demon possessed caravan, most of their goods were designed to steal peoples souls and replace them with demons. Probably to make soldiers for the demon army. Idiots gave me the means of their destruction. She hands him the cards, "Deck of Fate. Corellon lead my hand to the Moon Card, 3 wishes of Neutral Power " she repeats back her wishes in order. "The cards can't be destroyed, they can be sealed away. I suggest causion, if one flips over what ever horror is on it will be released."
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
He nods, "Understood. Thank you for your service recruit."
She shakes her head, "I am not a Paladin, just blessed with the power by our Lords and Ladies in this our time of need."
He nods slowly then looks at the High Priest Avaar'nech who just smiles benevolently at them all. mouths to him 'will explain later'.
FlameSinger leans in "Had some of the training, just not well suited for it. I serve in a different form now."
He nods with a grin. He knows not all who attempt to become a paladin make it. Most go on to serve in another form. Makeing them stronger for it, or so he believes. Steps back, bows to him and steps back one more time before walking away.
To Hel and Brani who come in for the sides, "well so much for shopping. They will handle clean up."
Hel ask, "who is the woman following you."
"Her name is Mei Ling Kyotian, she is an assassin working exclusively for me. We met in the In Between but I did not remember till I 'defeated' these demons, The moment I did so she was released to come serve me. Don't know exactly why though. Why now and not before."
Hel nods, Brani just watches the woman curiously. "She has a nice outfit."
Mei Ling smiles and nods to Brani. FlameSinger, "She speaks the same languages I do as well as the language Aysun speaks."
Hel thinks, "Wait, Kyotian was the name of that fictious Ninja ... oh crap another one."
Mei Ling giggles softly, "Kyotian is a family name. There is actually a series of stories about a fictional Ninja that has the family name. That is possibly what your thinking of."
"Mei Ling is a warrior assassin predominately, she has some personal magical abilites as well. As well as her sword Sakura. She is a combination servent and body guard." FlameSinger explains.
Brani ask, "So what does she pay you ?"
Mei Ling considers, "Room and board is standard for my lot. I am a slave, though happy to be for her."
FlameSinger stares straight ahead. The others don't even comment. Finally FlameSinger says it, "She is kinky type, personality. Like Brani but more submissive."
Hel grins, Brani is now giving her a more speculative look.
"It's her choice Brani, I won't command her to sleep with anyone."
Mei Ling Nods, "I appreciate the Consideration, Master." the way she said Master was dripping with sex appeal.
Hel looks at FlameSinger, who is bright red, "She is likely to embaress you to death isn't she." FlameSinger nods, "As an assassin she is trained in seduction and torture, both physcial and mental. I think she enjoys torturing me."
Mei Ling, "Well you keep refusing to use me, so I have to get off somehow." she pouts.
"Mei Ling, Before we were just Spirit, it was not Possible to do that there."
She considers that then nods, "Ok point made."
Hel can't help but think on how horny someone had to be to carry it over to the after life then back to life.
Though she understands Mei Lings attraction, she is just good at keeping it to herself. FlameSinger is a stunning beauty and she admits she would love to get in to the girls pants at some point. The combination of dangerous and innocent is a real turn on to her. She does not mind sharing either. But she has to keep up her professionalism,
FlameSinger says to Mei Ling, "Hel is something like you Mei Ling, Professional Monster. Though I think she has you beat on self control."
Hel and Brani turn in to a general store / camp supply type place, FlameSinger follows. Brani to FS, "This is where we can get good supplies at a fair price, Mistress." she ends in a teasing tone.
"Brani, don't you start to. I don't want to shop in Zen mode. Takes the fun out of shopping." FlameSinger admonishes.
They find more than they need including special cots so you don't have to sleep on the ground. FlameSinger is surprised that they even had those and a few other 'modern' type items like a camp style drip coffee pot (MINE says the coffee fiend) She gets a lot, but she also looks for quality in what she gets. They get a round 10 man tent that has space for a 'portable' stove (portable if you are using a wagon), the store also sells the wagons. Hel talks her out of it, they are not merchants, they don't need a wagon. They do need a horse for Mei Ling. So on to the stables, there are actually 3 stables in town, one does almost exclusively war horses. They look at several and at one point FlameSinger is laughing, The medium warhorse she was checking has the Vaagu brand on it. She points it out to the girls. She had to explain that all their horse were from the Vaagu stables originally. The owner of the stable say's they got a good eye then. They are fine horses. Later mostly on her own (followed by professional shadow aka Mei Ling) FlameSinger finds a nice little partially hidden store. They specialize in magic items. Her inner collector is Squeeing. She decides to be practicle though (limits her spending). She finds 2 saddle bags of holding and a 'treasure chest' of holding (stable space so she can put her other bags in it) after Mei Ling tells the shop owner if that chest telelports back to him with their stuff in it, she would be comeing for him, he handed over the spell to teleport it to the owner (bit of a crook that one. They made sure to get Every copy of the spell for that chest - then reported him to the guard with the whole scheme). Was not the first complaint they had on him. Seems he had been paying off the assistant to the magistrate, learned his pay off was no good anymore as that fellow was in jail for a different crime. The Magistrate Can Not be bought off and is happy to take the fellow and some other criminal types who had been paying off his assistant in to custody. He managed to borrow a couple of the Elven Paladins to help out, given the reduced man power caused by the chaos the A.G. closing has caused.
(Items 'collected' After the store owner was arrested - ear ring of Mind Shielding - anklet of underwater breathing - Mask of the Theif (hide in shadow and steath + 20%) - Bracelet *Djinn summoning but unidentified, was pretty so she snagged it - telekinesis and invisibilty are useful skills, especially if your not all that honest yourself - she turned the guy in to keep him from stealing back her new things)
If asked, she will claim the items were in the chest she bought and thus her's by right. (given she can't be compelled to tell the truth and her skill as a story teller / liar she is most likely believed).
The others like her find of the chest. It makes carrying all their new camping supplies SO much easier.
The Summoning of the Mule and a new Med, leather armored horse they have everything they need to travel.
The summong of the new horse has the girls, pinning FlameSinger to a wall, "ok what is with the new horse, out of your cloak ?" Hel ask in a dangerous way.
FlameSinger shrugs, "I told you about it when we first met, Patches take 1 to 4 days to replace. 'I' don't replace them, the cloak does. Sorry if you misunderstood."
Brani, "So it has another bag of coins then ?" FlameSinger nods.
Da'Rune leans in, "This is not an ordinary Cloak of the Vagabond is it ?"
"It's not a Cloak of the Vagabond, I never said it was, I said it's the Cloak of Vag. Totally different items. This one is a Holy Relic to the god Vag. Only a follower of Vag can use it properly. Otherwise its a beat up looking cloak of fire resistance ..." she admits under the combined stares of the ladies.
Hel shakes her head, "She is walking around with a holy relic of a minor god. Why am I not surprised."
Mei Ling clears her throat, "Vag is not a minor god, he is an Elder God. A step above the God Kings. But he is a bit of a recluse to, so it's understandable that you would not know that."
Da'Rune, "Ok what is an Elder God ?"
Cloak, "Parents of the Present Gods usually. Most of my children rule the human pantheons. Though not all pantheons. Some call us Titans, for reference."
FlameSinger, "Answer your question Da'Rune ? "
She nods and they back off.
Hel ask, "Why do you need us again ?"
"I don't know how to get to the capital, and I like your company. Also other than the cloak, Vag does not do much. He is a pacifist. So people like me have to take care of the unpleasant things." FlameSinger explains.
Mel nods, "Well I am here cause I am still training you in proper horsemanship as per our agreement, the pay is just a nice bonus in my case."
Da'Rune ask, "What happened to that angry woman we all knew and tolerated ?"
Mel, smiling, "I was proven right by a real Goddess. I feel so much better since then. Though if I ever meet Shrek Na I am going to pound him in to so much hamburger."
FlameSinger nods, "I will help, I hold him you punch."
Mel nods smiling broadly.
Mei Ling, "Or we could just round house him, between the 3 of us he will be a very sorry pest."
Mel is loving these ideas.