FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

"Urgent request? From who?" asked Ariana, a regal manticore, a cloak hiding her brown and blue fur, save for the dark blue scorpion-like tail slowly swaying, as if playing with the cloak. "This town doesn't usually receive urgent quests, as it's a remote town, quite far from the center of the kingdom" "Well, the request arrived from the small village at the foot of the Genir mountain." The guild clerk started explaining. "According to their emissary, monsters' appearances have risen exponentially over the last week. The inhabitants and town guard are dealing with the monsters but cannot find a cause for the sudden increase. Thus, they request the help of capable adventurers to investigate and to put a stop to it." finished the guild clerk. "Furthermore, we have also received reports that claim a guardian was seen making its way to the mountain." "Oh, so that is why you have called us! The town's guard isn't capable of handling a guardian!" - Though, I wonder why a guardian has made its way to the mountain, as it has been scoured through and through many times, with nothing memorable found within it." Ariana thought out loud. The sound of the guild's heavy door opening interrupted her thoughts, and she turned towards the rogue sauntering inside, the heavy door slowly closing. "Oi, Shey! Over here!" Ariana called out. Turning towards her, Shey, a shark with slim figure, clothed in leather over his gray and cream toned skin; he smiled warmly- "Ariana! Long time no see! Been faring well?" Ariana shrugged; "The usual! A lightning wielding manticore is always wanted." She answered smiling warmly and continued- "Arix is here too, surrounded by fans. His newfound fame attracted a whole crowd of admirers over" "Hmm, the hero of the Merestan battle is gracing us with his presence?" quirked Shey; "Don't tease him! He's already embarrassed enough without you teasing him" Ariana scolded Shey. "He earned it, that's for sure though. Flying with full armor for miles to a lost battle and turning the tide all on his own? Truly is a hero's feat." "Yeah, that's true. I kept hearing of it no matter where I went! I was just about to leave town when I met with the herald, who told me I was urgently needed and gave me his horse to ride here. Seeing as you and Arix are already here, I assume it's something serious." "Oh, just the usual trouble. Apparently, a Guardian has made its way nearby." replied Ariana with a sigh. "I was abou--" "SHEEEEEEEEEEEEEY! No one told me you were coming!" A bellowing roar came from a group of people and interrupted Ariana, where the red-scaled dragon stood surrounded by adventurers. Merely seconds later, Shey got pulled to his embrace, his rough scales barely obscured by his woven shirt, as Arix was strongly clapping him on the back. "Hey, I missed you too!" Shey said as he tried to pull away from Arix's strong embrace; "It's great to see you're well! Who would've thought you'd get yourself famous in the short time we were separated" taunted Shey, once he freed himself from Arix hefty arms "Well, you know me. All about helping! On the other hand, I heard nothing about you! That's a good sign, knowing you" replied Arix, grinning crookedly. "Enough banter, you two. We need to discuss what are we are going to do tomorrow." Ariana interjected; "I was thinking we gather supplies today and head towards the town at the foot of Genir mountain first thing tomorrow. It's a day long trip by cart, and we want to get there fast." Ariana continued; "So, here's what I want you two to do. Go buy general antidotes, parchments, a quill and ink. Might as well get a cart- a sturdy one, as the mountain roads won't be forgiving. Get a messenger hawk as well. Meanwhile, I'll go and talk to whoever might've came from the direction of the mountain for more information and get us rooms at the inn." Ariana took charge, giving them directions. "We'll meet up at the local inn after sundown." At that, Ariana turned her attention back to the guild clerk, suggesting to him that the guild send medical supplies to aid the assaulted town with them. "Well, we should get going too. We've got plenty of stuff to buy and a cart to rent. You know potions better than me. Can you get them and the writing supplies? I'll get the filolials, messenger hawk and food." Arix started striding towards the doors. "Get something that doesn't have meat for me!" Shey rushed to him, elbowing him gently; "We don't want a repeat of last time where you forgot about me!" "Oh yeah, that time wasn't pretty. Never knew you could be so scary!" Arix said, smiling at the memory. "See you at the inn!" * Later that day, at the inn * "So, did you get everything?" asked Ariana, pulling a chair by the hearth to sit, after grabbing a drink from the inn keep, a short and stout man, with an impressive explosion of ginger hair. "Yeah, I got everything. quills, ink, parchment, the potions, and I got a little surprise as well, for some extra firepower- just in case we need it. All that's left is the cart and hawk." Shey had a sly smile that made Ariana question what exactly he meant in 'oompgh'. "Oh Arix, you're here. Did you find a suitable cart? Ariana asked, taking a sip of her cider. "Yeah, I talked to the merchant guild, and they've agreed to lend us the cart they use when traversing mountains and rough terrain. They also recommended me filolials instead of horses, if we're in a hurry. As for the messenger hawk, it's in the cart with our supplies." "What is a filolial though? Arix signaled the inn keep, requesting ginger tea and horse meat. "Oh, right. A filolial kind of looks like a chicken. It's about the same size as a horse and stronger than one." "Arix, did you bring food suitable for Shey? We definitely don't want a repeat of last time it happened" inquired Ariana, her brow furrowed, and Shey giggled, sitting beside her. "Oh, come on! It happened just once! Yes, I bought food for him too. And I still got elven rations as well, just in case" Arix took a bite from his meal, downing it with his tea. Smiling, Shey sipped his drink, joining the conversation, and the three of them chatted happily until the fire at the hearth dimmed. They bid each other good night, retiring to their rooms. At the crack of dawn, they left the inn, gazing at the silent street, surrounded by stone buildings, with the occasional passerby's. Arix donning his heavy armor, holding his shield, standing tall and chatting with a passerby that happened to recognize him. Ariana wore her travel worn trousers, a simple tunic and donned thin chain mail it fastened with a studded belt securing it to her lithe body. Hearing the faint sound of wheels on stone, Arix and Ariana turned towards the cart, staring at the strange sight of a cart pulled by oversized chickens and steered by a shark sitting at the front of the cart, reins in hand. Bidding good good morning to the winged pair, Shey pulled the reins lightly and the snow-white filolials pulled the cart to halt; "So, what are we waiting for? Hop on! We got a Guardian to track down." Bidding the passerby farewell, Arix pulled himself to the front of the cart and sat beside Shey, followed by Ariana climbing to the back of the cart, taking a sit on the bench, tying the cart curtain to the side of the cart. With a jolt, the cart started rolling forward, moving lazily towards the city gates, and to the mountain. Arriving at the gates, the guard stepped outside, signaling them to halt. "What are your business leaving town at this hour?" inquired the guard, a spotted leopard, donning leather armor and wielding a spear. Producing the parchment issued by the guild, Shey handed it to the guard; "We are heading to the town at the foot of Genir. I trust you have been informed ahead of time of this." Inspecting the parchment, the guard nodded. "Wait, aren't you the hero of the Merestan battlefield?" The guard gave the parchment back to Shey, turning his attention to the smiling dragon. "My uncle was there. He says that he's only alive thanks to you." The guard bowed to Arix, which in turn bowed his head back. "It was my duty. As long as I have a breath in my chest, I will not let anyone beside me die!" Arix claimed boldly. The guard thanked him and returned to the guardhouse. Shey loosened his hold on the rains, letting the filolials pull the cart from the gates, and at his command, started trotting on the dirt road towards the Genir mountain: their destination and the last known location of the Guardian. As they rolled away from the town, Arix stood up, stretching his wings and joined Ariana at the back of the cart, leaving Shey to steer the cart. "By the way, Ariana. I took the liberty of getting a book detailing all the known Guardians in this continent. Hopefully it'll have information on what made its way to this mountain and why. I also got a book about the mountain's history as well." "Pray tell, Shey. Did you actually *buy* it, this time around? Ariana replied, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. "Well, I left money on the counter this time!" Shey said sheepishly, turning his head back to the road. "You know, all that sneaking around will come back and bite you eventually. You can't keep breaking into places!" flicking her tail in annoyance, she continued; "At least you had the decency to leave something behind this time around. Next time you do that though, I'm zapping you!" "Yes mom, I'm sorry". Shey replied gingerly, and turned his attention to the dragon sprawled at the back of the cart; "Arix, could you hand me the gray rucksack? I didn't put my equipment on yet." Grabbing it, Arix handed it over to Shey, who untied it and pulled his leather armor, a belt, pouch, leather gauntlets and finally his short sword, curved dagger and a small, weirdly shaped device. "Shey, what is that?" Ariana asked, joining Shey at the front of the cart, while Shey was mounting the strange device on his forearm. "That?" lifting his arm so Ariana can see it better; "I made it with a smith, a few days ago. It's a small bow. I had it made to be mounted on my hand. The trigger is like that of a crossbow. I just need to flex my any of my fingers in a certain way, and it fires a small bolt. It can fire 5 arrows before it needs to be loaded again. I had thought of it while hunting a rabid bear. The design was a bit harder to make though, I ended up getting help from a blacksmith to make it. You should've seen the prototype! It could do anything other than fire a bolt." Shey explained, smiling at the last part as the memory of the making of it resurfaced. "It can't be very powerful then. What are its capabilities?" asked Ariana, her eyes lightning up in fascination. "Well, it isn't strong, as expected. I can fire a bolt maybe 10 meters far before it losses strength. It isn't strong enough to kill anything, only injure." "So, what's the point of it?" Arix's voice drifted from the back of the cart, where he was sharpening his sword; "You have your crossbow too. Why not just use that? Shifting slightly in his seat, Shey explained- "Well, while it doesn't pack a punch, its easily accessible. I could easily blind something with it, and it's small enough that it won't be noticed. Oh, and I laced the bolts with a potent paralyzing poison. "Aha! I knew it! Arix, you owe me. I told you he'd lace something with poison!" Ariana grinned, showing her sharp fangs. Sighing, Arix mumbled quietly to himself "Of course he'd poison it. Why wouldn't he? Some shark he is." Settling in the back, he had drifted to light sleep. Reaching to the bench at the back of the cart, Ariana took the book about the Genir mountain, burying herself within the pages, humming a strange melody to herself. Shey stretched, produced a whetstone and began sharpening his own weaponry, occasionally pulling at the reins to redirect the cart. They had encountered a slight trickle of traffic coming from the Genir mountain, mostly travelling merchants, nodding as they passed each other on the road. As the sun have touched the horizon, the city walls appeared in front of them glistening at the setting sun's light, still a distance away. Straining their ears, Shey and Ariana could hear the faint sounds of yelling and the clanging of metal, hinting at an ongoing battle. Ariana jumped to the back of the cart, nudging Arix awake; "Wake up, we're almost there. It seems like they're fighting near the city gates." Immediately alert, Arix stood up, clambering to the front of the cart "Should you and I fly there and help?" he suggested, listening to the sounds coming from the direction of the gates. "You two should fly there and help. I'll be right after you. We can't quite abandon the cart with the medical supplies the guild gave us to deliver to the town. Once I'm close enough, I'll help with the crossbow." Shey said, pulling his crossbow, lodging an arrow and nocking the string. Nodding, the two of them unfurled their wings and taking flight, Arix evidentially straining with the weight of his armor. The sound their wings quickly faded as they rushed towards the gates. "Yah! Faster!" Shey yelled, pressing the filolials to speed up towards the gates. He himself stood up, raising his crossbow and taking aim, as he neared the raging battle. As Arix and Ariana landed, two goblins rushed to meet them and were cut down quickly by Arix's sword, flashing forward and relieving them of their heads. Meanwhile, Ariana ran towards the guards fighting by the gates, casting magic missiles at nearby goblins and naga to aid the guards. Just as a Naga turned his attention to her, a crossbow bolt lodged itself within his temple fired from the road where a cart was edging closer and more following it killing off any enemies' unfortunate enough to catch Shey's eye. Minutes later, the tide of the battle turned, the monsters driven away from the city gates. "You two okay?" Shey called out once he arrived with the cart, jumping off and quickly striding towards Arix and Ariana. Arix only grunted, wiping the blood off his sword with a cloth, as Ariana nodded and took charge; "All those injured during the battle, come here! We have received your request for aid and have come to assist. We have also brought medical supplies, courtesy of the Adventuring Guild in the city of Elric." Who is in charge here? "Ay, that'll be me." A gruff voice answered, belonging to a blue-furred raccoon donning heavy mail and brandishing a mace. He was leaning heavily on his mace handle, panting at the battle's exertion. "We never thought help will arrive so quickly. We had only sent the request two days ago. But, we're glad you came. You may have saved this town from destruction." Lifting his mace up, he nodded to Shey, and upon glancing upon Arix he gave a yell of triumph; "The hero of the Merestan battlefield have come to our aid!" The other guards still at the battlefield all turned to them, cheering; "The hero of Merestan! We're saved!" could be heard from some of the guards. "Let me show you in. May I take the liberty of dispensing the medical supplies? We are in desperate need of bandages and ointments." Nodding, Ariana walked towards the cart, unloading her, Shey and Arix's belongings as well as some rations. "Take the cart, use it to take those that cannot walk back to the town and to spread the supplies. There are rations as well in case those are needed." Ariana instructed a couple of guards, which looked at their commander who nodded in agreement. "Im Ezekiel, by the way. Let me take you inside, I'll take you to the mayor. She'll want to see you." Striding towards the gates, now opened by the guards that stood inside. The town had seen better days. Some buildings were ravaged, and one was on fire, almost extinguished by the citizens and a few guards. "Excuse me for a second" Ezekiel said before running to one of the guards, speaking quickly. The guard in turn replied, letting him know that all the goblins that managed to enter the town were dealt with, the only thing left the fire. Sighing in relief, Ezekiel returned to the adventurers; "Sorry about that. A few goblins dug under the wall and caused havoc within the town. Let us continue, we're almost there. Leading them to a short house, he knocked at the door and waited. Moments later, a young red-haired woman wearing a dress opened the door, holding a candlestick. Greeting Ezekiel warmly, she focused her attention at the three adventurers by the doorstep. "I'm so glad you're safe and sound! I was so worried!" Before she could speak again, Ariana stepped forward with authority; "We're adventurers from the city of Elric. We have received your request and have come to aid you." Continuing her sentence; "We brought medical supplies and rations with us as well." Stress leaving from the red-haired woman's hazel eyes, she breathed deeply. "I'm Asha, the town's mayor. I'm glad you came to us. Come on in, I'll fill you up on everything." Entering the house, Asha led them to the kitchen, where a table and chairs waited for them, lit by multiple candles. A small fire crackled in the stove, where a pot was hung by a hook. "I'm afraid I don't have I cannot offer you more. Managing the town amid those attacks have taken its toll. Some of our buildings suffered damage, we lost all of our crops and merchants fear travelling here." "This week, something changed in the mountain. It started feeling more oppressive, suffocating, and monster activity had risen. At first, we thought it'll go by itself, and we were wrong. A day later, our town was attacked by naga, which aren't frequent to this area. In fact, this is the first time in our town's history a naga appeared. We have been attacked every night since, sometimes as much as three times in one night. That is when Ezekiel here suggested we send one of our town folks to the adventuring guild in Elric and request assistance." Asha gestured to Ezekiel, who was tending to a wound his forearm sustained. "We aren't sure what caused the surge in activity either. We had opted to stay within the town walls and wait for help to arrive." "I got something too" Ezekiel had finished tending to his wound, and now strode from the doorstep into the room; "I suspect that a guardian appeared. All the wildlife has fled, and when I went out seeking for the reason, I have met with considerable retaliation of Naga that forced me to retreat. I attempted to circle around them, but there were more stationed in the forest surrounding the mountain. I thought it was eerie, but I didn't have the opportunity to delve deeper once the monsters' attacks have begun." "You know, that book you brought may solve this for us, Shey." Ariana said, pulling the book about Genir mountain from her bag and setting it on the table. "This chapter claims a very potent fountain had once existed inside this mountain. Many tried to seek it, and many failed. As Asha said as well, Naga aren't frequent to these areas. That means that the fountain mentioned in the book may real and is attracting the Naga here. I'll look at the book detailing guardians to see if anything might tie up to the Naga. Arix, I'd would like you to accompany Ezekiel, at least until we are certain the town is secure. Your very presence will boost moral as well." "Understood. Ezekiel, shall we?" As Arix and Ezekiel stepped out of the house, Ezekiel looked back in concern. "Don't worry about me, Ez. I'll be fine. I have this fine adventurer keeping me company!" Asha smiled warmly, waving him off. "Ariana, I'm going to scout around. I want to see this blockade that Ezekiel talked of and investigate a bit on my own. Might even find where this so-called fountain is, and the guardian's location." Shey had set his bag down by Ariana's, leaving the manticore to keep Asha company. "Be careful!" Ariana called out after him before opening her bag, producing parchment, ink and a quill. She laid the parchment beside the book, and started scribbling, humming and with the occasional mutter. She also occasionally glanced at the book detailing guardians, her brow furrowed. Sometime later, Asha had also left, leaving Ariana to her books. Much later that night, Ariana closed both books, smiling triumphantly and holding the parchment, filled with her neat handwriting. Wiping the quill clean, she turned as Arix opened the door, clambering inside, followed by Ezekiel and Asha. "Any luck?" Arix inquired while pulling chair to sit. He rummaged in his bag, pulling dried horse meat and cheese to chew on. "Actually, yes. I think I figured out who is the guardian and what is his objective here. Ariana turned to the table, lighting another candle; the current one had grown dim, his fuel running low. "the guardian is Gruth'Kul." Ariana and Arix turned in their place, Arix grabbing the handle of his sword on surprise. Shey stood at the corner of the room, covered in blood. "What happened to you, and whose blood is that? Are you injured?" Ariana grabbed her sack, pulling bandages in a hurry. "Yeah, I'm okay. The blood isn't mine. I just encountered a couple of naga while investigating. No need for the bandages, but I will need a wet towel to clean up." Arix handed him a rough-woven cloth, which Shey soaked in the water sink and wiped the blood from his face. "I recognized the guardian. It's Gruth'Kul, the brine serpent. We encountered his handiwork back in the swamp of Tamil, if you remember." "Those monstrosities were his work? We must deal with him quickly then!" Ariana stood up, holding the parchment; "The book you got me had some information regarding him as well. According to it, he is obsessed with creating the perfect naga and immortality. Furthermore, he is powerful. He can spit acid and his tail is venomous. He is probably skilled with a long reaching weapon to fit his size." Ariana put down the parchment. "So, what are you going to do with him?" Ezekiel inquired, eying Ariana. Isn't it obvious? We'll go and kill him!" Arix replied, grinning. "It'll be an easy feat for the three of us. We've dealt with worse." "I think that the fountain is able to empower those who drink from it, but it comes as a cost. The book didn't specify what though. If Gruth'Kul had drunk from the fountain, he may be a difficult mark." Ariana yawned, obviously tired from the long day. "We should rest for now. Tomorrow, we shall set out and deal with Gruth'kul once and for all. We cannot overlook the horrors we saw at the swamp, nor his current actions. He may bring destruction to this town if we allow him to stay any longer. At sunrise, let's meet up at the gates." "You can stay here for the night. I have a spare room for Ariana here. Ezekiel, could you show Shey and Arix where they could lodge for the night?" Asha opened a door, showing Ariana the room she was welcome to stay in. "Sure, I'll show them to my house. Come with me, you two." Ezekiel stepped outside followed by Arix and Shey, shouldering their bags, walking into the night. The following morning, Arix and Shey walked together to the gates, accompanied by Ezekiel. "You guys sure you can handle the guardian?" Ezekiel asked, his eyes filled with concern. "Can't lose more people to this wretched creature than we already have." "Don't you worry. We have fought together many times and returned victorious. Besides, we absolutely cannot leave such a dangerous creature to harass the townsfolk nor place any of you in danger. Place your trust in us!" Arix vowed, puffing his chest proudly, though it went unseen underneath his armor. Arriving at the gates, they had spotted Ariana there, speaking with one of the guards. As they neared, Ariana turned to them; "You two ready? I spoke the guard; he says nothing of significance was seen during the night." "As ready as one gets. Shey, care to lead the way?" Arix replied and turned his attention to Shey; "Heh, took the words right out of my mouth" Shey grinned, slipping out of the now open gates. Ariana and Arix rushed out of the gates after Shey, their steps making audible sound compared to Shey's silent steps. "Shey, wait up! Some of us are wearing heavy armor!" Arix called out, panting lightly from the exertion of chasing the nimble shark, with Ariana close behind. Stopping near a tall tree, Shey leaned on it, toying with a leaf while waiting for Arix and Ariana. "Where are you- rushing to?" Ariana breathed deeply, trying to calm the thumping in her chest. Shey pointed to a small opening in the mountain, where two naga waited, curved scimitars fastened with a belt. "The well is there, and Gruth'Kul is there too. I suspect by now he would've attempted to drink from the well." Shey spoke in a hushed voice, pulling his knife from its sheath. "Shey, can you take those two naga out? If we want to get in quietly, we must avoid being noticed." Ariana asked, adjusting her voice to speak softly, her eyes fixed on the cave entrance. "I wouldn't recommend it. I've been to the cave last night, and it is a terrible place to fight in. I would suggest luring him out, fighting him out here in the open." He replied. "You do that. Arix, I want you to be ready as well. The moment that guardian is out of the cave, you need to block the entrance. We can't allow him to slither his way back in." Ariana ordered Arix just as Shey slipped away, sneaking towards the naga, his knife drawn. As silent as falling snow, Shey felled the two naga, twisting the knife to ensure they have died. He then dashed inside, his short sword in hand as Arix moved to the front of the cave, dragging the corpses from the path, to avoid alerting Gruth'Kul when he is lured out. Arix climbed above the entrance of the cave, crouching with his wings spread to keep balance. He had intended to strike Gruth'Kul from above, both blocking his escape and at the very least injuring him. Ariana fluttered to the top of a low tree overlooking the surrounding area, so nothing will surprise the three of them in their upcoming battle. For long minutes, all that could be heard is the rustling of leaves in the wind. Silence enveloping Arix and Ariana as they waited in anticipation for any movement within the cave. Shey dashed out of the cave's entrance, dancing between sword lashes deftly. He jumped backwards and fired a bolt from his hand mounted bow before taunting the emerging guardian. Shey stood in place, his sword dripping blood and taunted Gruth'Kul- "You won't hit a tree with those wild swings!" Gruth'Kul hissed, launching himself forward just as a crackle could be heard- Ariana had conjured a lightning, which hit Gruth'Kul. At the same moment Arix leaped roaring from the ledge, his sword aimed to their opponent chest. Ariana's hands were glowing with an eerie light, as she conjured a fire bolt and sending it flying at the goblin at the guardian's toes. Gruth'Kul groaned, hissing in pain and attempted to slither backwards as Arix landed on top of him, crashing him to the ground and burying his sword in his abdomen. Gruth'Kul's tail flashed forward, Arix blocking it with his shield. Pulling his sword out Arix attempted to swing again, and Gruth'Kul lifted his sword in retaliation, forcing Arix to deflect the vicious blade. The strength of the blow sent him staggering backwards, as he shielded himself from another tail stab, which was now glistening with a viscous fluid. Gruth'Kul flexed his tail, straightening and lifting his sword again. The wound made by the bolt already staunched, slowly healing. Arix and Shey circled him carefully, with Ariana standing near Arix by the cave's entrance. Ariana focused again, channeling magic and empowering Arix. With renewed confidence Arix lunged forward, sweeping his sword in a wide arc which Gruth'kul parried with his scimitar, And Arix slammed his shield forcefully against the Naga's firm body. Shey dashed forward with a stab, lodging his blade in Gruth'Kul's abdomen, near the wound Arix had dealt him. Pulling the sword out, blood rippling across the blade he swung it again, this time towards the tail that crept towards him and separating the stinger from its owner. Gruth'Kul howled in pain as Ariana conjured another fireball, launching it at the Naga as Arix and Shey jumped backwards. Meeting the fireball head on, Gruth'Kul hissed in pain, puffing his chest. "He's going to spit acid! Stand back!" Ariana yelled out, retreating along with Arix. Shey had also dashed backwards aiming his hand mounted bow at the Naga. Just as Gruth'Kul started spitting acid, Shey fired the rest of the bolts in quick succession, lodging themselves in Gruth'Kul's eyes, which started thrashing in pain and attempted slithering towards the entrance of the cave. "Oh, you aren't going anywhere!" Ariana's hands started glowing in metallic blue, as she started conjuring another lightning strike- Flashing forward, Arix drove his sword deep into the injured Naga's tail and into the ground, locking it in its place. "Arix! Stand back and when far enough, breath fire at this!" Shey called out holding a small bundled package. Arix left his sword, running backwards as Shey threw the package at Gruth'Kul. Ariana had launched her second lightning, electrifying the injured guardian once again. Arix breathed deeply, calling upon his draconic ancestry and breathing fire in a long line, at the small bundle above Gruth'Kul. A loud boom could be heard, as fire spread in all directions, obscuring the guardian and the entrance to the cave. A wave of heat met the three adventurers with force that threw them off their feet, and the sound of crumbling and rolling stones could scarcely be heard over the hiss of the flames. Slowly standing up, Arix groaned at the ringing in his ears, as he was the closest one. "Shey, care to tell what was that?" Arix spoke, and when seeing no one heard him, yelled this time around. "What? If you're asking about our hearing, give it a few minutes!" Shey stood up as well, yelling to no one in particular. He scanned for Ariana, taking long steps towards her. She sat up looking disorientated, blood slowly trickling from a cut in her temple. A small bloodied stone laid nearby, evidentially the cause of her injury. Arix joined them, and they sat in silence waiting for their hearing to recover. "So, again. Shey, care to explain what was that?" Arix asked once again, gazing at the flaming corpse of Gruth'Kul which was partly covered in debris from cave's entrance which had collapsed. "Um... I can tell it has Sulphite in it! I met this alchemist that burned his lab a few weeks ago, and he gave it to me and instructed me on how to use it" Shey grinned, wiping his sword on the grass. "He also warned me that it will produce a loud sound and not to stand anywhere near it when it catches fire." The three of them looked at the charred corpse of Gruth'Kul and the cave's entrance- "Well, I guess we won't have to deal with the fountain after all." Ariana said a loudly, as her hearing didn't quite return yet. Standing up, she wiped the blood from the cut. "Let's go back to the town for the report, shall we?"