- ALTgray: "I'm just saying." His voice was low, drooling his dispirited attitude. "You should have told me we had a Hanzou!"

- Leek: "Again." He found it redundant to repeat himself on the simple matter. "I. Do. Not. Know. What. Or who. That. Was! And what do you mean by we, if I did have one you sure as hell ain't contribute towards getting it."

For anyone peering into the situation, it was a Hanzou protecting its master or assigned detail.

After preventing Leek from being crushed into a fine pulp any further at Karyel's hands, the Hanzou had removed itself entirely. The two could not tell if it had wholly retreated or remained close while in some camouflage.

- Leek: "Even if it had something to do with me, I'd keep your ass far away from it. Trying to run up in here because you saw a shiny toy that had not a damn thing to do with you."

An important detail they seemed to have glossed over too quickly was the owner of the Hanzou.

That simple piece of information could work either in their favor or come back to bite them in the ass just as simply.

Someone like Karyel isn't too far outside the realm of being petty enough to have deployed the entity to watch Leek, keeping enough tabs on him to repeatedly hinder any progression he set forth to make.

Though the immediate rebuttal to this is its proactive decision to keep her from harming the bird any further than she had already.

But disregarding that, this was something neither had any thoughts about, just being glad they didn't have to find some way to deal with the ogre on their own.

-ALTgray: Cutting down the overtly joking mood the two found themselves in, the suit of armor put forth a bit of composure. "So, now. What was it you were saying. About Jour 'speaking' to you?"

This conversation had started earlier but was so rudely interrupted by the short master.

- Leek: "Huh!? Oh yeah, that whole thing." His memory was not something to even remotely boast about, but out of respect he went about trying to recount the turn-based interaction.

Gray had died.

Leek did his best to resist the ticking away of his health.

Dialogue options appeared to him, in response to Jourmandier's provocation.

It agreed to accompany him after he held might, and not just his tongue.

Hit him with a bright breath weapon.. and that maybe should be it all, outside of his searing view of a naked toned woman standing above him.

-ALTgray: "Mmmm. Not going to lie to you... I'm not even shocked anymore." This response had been more tame than the ones before. "Just looking at that glaive and gauntlet, which by the way is the ss-TUPIDEST build I have ever seen in my life. I don't think anything is out of the way."

His reactions seemed to have hit its curve, taking in new information just as he would regurgitated knowledge.

In the grand aspect of everything his energy was better used in another manner, not just tiring himself out at the smallest things.

- Leek: "You saw how I was tearing it up back in the cave! Block, slash, block, slash and all. So i'll stick to it for a bit, probably until I get bored and try something else." The two casually strolled along, then Leek got a mild thought. "Hey, we might as well do this since we're out of town?"

'Something Is Occurring With The Population Of Wolves, For Whatever Reason They Have Gotten Stronger And Denser In Number |Explore The Wolves Den Above Faerilm|'

Leek shared the quest with Gray.

- ALTgray: Three moments passed before he simply accepted the offer. "Yeah. Thats cool. I need some more adventurer experience. Been ignoring it for my build recently."

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

So they were off, again.

""

-???: "We cannot let slip of the boy's actions in the matter... in the scenario this gets out we can throw all hope for pre-established connections to wade us through."

-???: "You're correct on that. But will investment in this prove fruitful in the long run, or are we resting in a bear's den to sleep on its riches?"

-???: "My reputation can assure you in my intuition. This boy may be a Dragon amongst men."

For a moment the man sat in silence at the end of his interlocutor's words... To then break out into a hysterical fit of laughter.

-???: "These words of yours my friend." His hand repeatedly smacked the table, "I SHALL FOLLOW YOUR LEAD INTO THIS KEEP, HOPING FOR A HOARD OF GOLD!"

Between the attempts at catching his breaths, the man fought to not suffocate on a surplus of cheese and mead.

Crumbs, not limiting where they landed erupted candidly from his throat, coated in his phlegm.

...

At a point during the conversation the bulbous man came to an abrupt stop, looking off to his side and staring at nothing.

No longer than a moment, a mild breeze summoned from nothing. It blew some loose papers and layers of dust around.

A minion know to be at the hand of the glutton had materialized itself, wearing black attire and exuding an empty presence.

The two engaged in an exchange of information, wasting little time before doing so.

A common practice would be to communicate in a specially crafted language, as to prevent the leaking of crucial information to any party then the intended one.

This was something the excluded party had no context for; unable to decipher without some key.

...

-???: "So Volun, my dazzling dreamer. It appears you may have been sooner in thought than later."

- Volun Sarek: "Hmmm. May it be so." The guild master had his stare fixated on an imaginary point. "This situation, though, needs immediate attention. A push of force, to put this outside of proportion would be the most appropriate... Zenrael."

The two had spoken for a while, catching themselves up properly to the actions Leek has gone about in the time between his encounter on the mountain.

- Zenrael Aheldir: "How would that be of any use? More eyes draw greater chances of being caught." The two had no illicit dealings in this particular matter, but still didn't want anyone to catch on to their thoughts.

Their eyes had not wavered in their draw for the character "Leek." To not be misconstrued with the player himself, that they had no interest in.

- Volun Sarek: "In this case, I argue the contrary. Disappointment and expectation will vastly out shadow that of a random player, and leave people questioning our big picture, not his small one."

- Zenrael Aheldir: He took a moment to contemplate the strategy. "...well, I'll gather the information heads. Make sure to prepare me a sweet reward for my return." He stood, wiping his tacky hands on the seats arm rest.

- Volun Sarek: "Of course. You're the embodiment of gluttony are you not." He thoroughly squinted at his sharp comment, giving a shallow smile to accompany it.

Time after time Zenrael had shown his battling sin to be his voracity towards anything edible, or particularly tasty.

And with this the bulbous man went about, on his way.

- Volun Sarek: *Deep sigh* "Sometimes I want to know if prestige is nothing but a mocking jest..." The small master put his face in his hands, taking this brief space in his schedule alone to relieve at least a bit of his current stress.

Using subconscious intent, the master let go of his self restraint for a moment. Slipping into a mental space more comfortable for him.

Within a short window of time he's had to deal with the recent trade restrictions, running into a Belvirian, threat from Jourmandier, growing audacity from the wolf population, dealings with a Faeriaght heir, and the need to take head of a scout group...

All while juggling the guild's petty squabbles caused by the likes of Karyel, and spearheaded by her national arm 'Zhyen.'

It was getting to be too much.

Once upon a time the office goblin 'Volun Sarek' was a name synonymous with the aspirations of an entire region. Putting into motion the tales of epics, and creating techniques viewed nothing short of fabled.

Those days have been lost to his responsibility.

Deciding to refuse his place as a pawn to the aristocrat overlords, and to take on something grander than himself.

As a separate entity from the state, the Adventurers Guild gave him the opportunity to do more without having to directly answer to some disconnected higher-up, looking to stuff their already overflowing financial reserves.

It very well may be better than what he otherwise would be doing at this time, if still used as the regions sword, but it cannot stop his mind from wandering.

During his easement, so familiar to this, the room dropped in its temperature.

In the pressing cold, falling snow.

That's where he found warmth.

Looking back up from his hands, Volun took more than a moment to fully convince himself of where he was.

Somewhere long gone to the modern day, left gently in his imperfect memory.

~~

Tracks from a person even smaller than himself, paved beyond his sight; his arms forcing themselves to continue onward.

A voice from afar, masked mostly by the rushing air, yelled out.

"Hey!! What took you so long to get down here!?

*Cough*

You're supposed to be strong!?"

~~

His head losing the battle to remain up fell back into his hands, lower than before.

"I miss you too..." His body spoke in accident.

Now resting calmly on his desk, as again his office slowly reverted back to a hospitable temperature for other living organisms.

Away from his optimistic dreaming.