{SP-F7} The Path of Least Resistance <<Arabian Nights - Second Night>>

[Pinball 1]

<<Scout Route>>

How long ago was it that he went on quests like these? Pinball couldn't remember. He remembered in the beginning they were exciting. In the middle they were a boring, routine chore. Towards the end - or rather, recently - they weren't something he'd paid attention to. 

So a part of him was weirdly excited (as excited as a husk can be) to get a PM from Ali, a Quest NPC from the first Arabian Nights quest. It felt nostalgic. Like he was returning to his roots, almost? But the other part of him knew why he was even considering it in the first place, and why it took so long for him to actually receive the message. 

It was because, until now, he hadn't cared about getting out of the game. And he still didn't. Not really. But he had a job - an obligation to fill, and he needed the stats he still silently loathed to do it. 

Because as much as he wanted to, he couldn't die. 

Not yet. 

Player Stats:

Spoiler

~Skills/Stats~ 

Level: 56
Health: 1120 | Energy: 112
DMG: 15 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 3
 
Skills:
 
Combat skills:
►N/A
 
Weapon skills:
►<<2H Assault Spear>> [50/50]: Rank 5 - Grandmaster
►<<1H Straight Sword>> [50/50]: Rank 5 - Grandmaster
 
Armor skills:
►N/A
 
Extra skills:
►<<Familiar Mastery: Fighter>> [18/18]: Rank 3 - Grandmaster
►<<Martial Arts>> [0/50]: N/A
►<<Survival>> ~ Active
 
Utility Skills:
►<<Hiding>> [50/50]: Rank 5 - Grandmaster
►<<Extended Mod Limit>> [2/10]: Rank 1 - Novice 
 
Modifiers:
►[Active] <<2H Assault Spear: Ferocity>>: +1 Base DMG
►[Active] <<2H Assault Spear: Finesse>> ~ Rank 3 
►[Active] <<Sneak Attack: Assassin>>
►[Active] <<Hiding: Vanish>> 
►[Active] <<Hiding: Untraceable>> 
►[Active] <<Hiding: Blindside>>
 
Inventory
»[Equipped] [Uncommon] Tyrfing: Absolute Accuracy 
»[Equipped] [Perfect] Dragon’s Skin: +3 EVA
»[Equipped] [Perfect] Warrior’s Focus: +3 ACC

Battle Ready: 
» [3x] Teleportation Crystal 
» [2x] Greater Curative Potion: +120 HP 
» [5x] Spinach-Artichoke Dip: +2 EVA  
» [5x] Hummus Dip: +2 Acc
» [Demonic 2HAS] Cold Fervor: +2 Freeze, Phase, Cursed 

House Buffs:

Spoiler

Housing Buffs: 
“Well Rested”:  -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat
“Squeaky Clean”: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 25% (rounded down)
“Filling”: Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps. Ex: A perfect T2 MIT food gives 35 MIT instead of 30
“Relaxed”: Increases HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
“Item Stash”: +1 Battle Ready Inventory Slot 

 

[Pinball 1]

"Greetings, friend! 

I hope this message finds you well. And I hope things, er, worked out with you and that red-haired girl. 
Regardless, I've got a job for you! Meet me at the 'Drunken Cane,' a seedy little hole if you've ever seen one. It's a tavern, to be clear. 
Of course, there's something in it for you, as well. 

Travel well! 

-Ali"

Pinball closed his messenger. He'd forgotten that he'd taken the first quest with Kirbs so long ago. For a moment he felt sick. Absolutely repulsive - the true embodiment of filth. And that wasn't that far from the truth, to be honest. Pinball shook his head.

She'd forgiven him. 
She probably hadn't been thinking straight. 
He had a job to do. 
He was going to get himself killed. 

After a while, his grip on his sword loosened. He hadn't even realized it'd been drawn. Sheathing the weapon and looking ahead at the expansive, mountainous terrain in front of him, Pinball nodded to nobody but himself and moved forward. 

[Pinball 1]

There was, really, a [censored] load of items out there in Aincrad made to edit your appearance. From contacts that change your eye color to potions that made you look more muscular than you were, there seemed to be no end to these vanity effects that were ultimately just... useless. Unless they were used for, uh, more mature reasons. He didn't know if that type of potion existed, but he wouldn't doubt it. Maybe in the shadier looking parts of some of these towns-? There was probably some sort of lock-function, though, so anyone under the age of eighteen wouldn't be able to access that kind of thing, and- 

-he'd spent too long thinking about sexy time potions. The town was nearly in sight now; from his spot on the mountainside, he could see the buildings and people and NPCs below him, faint brown smudges and weird looking smears. 

It was time for Pinball to finally utilize some of those vanity items he'd been wondering about earlier. 

And not that kind, you pervert. He's underage. 

[Pinball 1]

There were a couple of things he was going to be using. But first, there were the more obvious changes to make. 

The very first thing he did was ditch his coat. Too many people had seen him wearing it, and there was no way he was going to be able cover it up or anything. So it had to go. Zomekko floated lazily out of her jar to sit next to him, licking a paw that wasn't really there. Pinball then unequipped the black dragonskin, leaving him wearing nothing but a long-sleeved black shirt and pants. 

Then came out the old armor. Scarred and beaten up, its durability was likely at an all time low - but he doubted that it would break any time soon. Since when did anything? He equipped it with a bittersweet twinge of nostalgia on his tongue. 

Pulling off the pendant-made-bracelet, he returned the sword amulet to its rightful place: around his neck. 

What else, what else? That was probably it for equipment. Except... 

Scrolling through his menu again, Pinball double-tapped a cloak he'd never really worn and didn't quite remember buying. It was thick and purple, and it almost went all the way up to wrap around his mouth. It was more of a cape/scarf than anything, but it fell all the way down to his midsection. It was a ratty looking thing, but it was comfortable and warm; and to be honest, that's all that really mattered. 

That's that! Now it was time to move onto the bread and butter of any disguise. The vanity items. 

[Pinball 1]

From his inventory came three things: dye, a pair of scissors, and a bottled potion. Bringing the clippers up to his hair, he started to snip away - and shortly after, there was a pop-up menu that came up in front of him with a list full of hairstyles to choose from. Pinball kept it simple, and pretty similar to his own hair - it just looked like he parted it to the side. Edgy. 

That was the hardest part. Next was the dye, which was a similar to the haircut process - a basic application and then a list of options. His pitch black hair turned shock white. Lastly was the potion. This, he knew, wouldn't present him with a list. Its effect was clearly labeled on the front of the bottle with what had to be the eloquency of a caveman: "Eyes. Gray." He downed it. His eyes turned colors. Grand. 

Pinball was kind of glad he didn't have a mirror. It would probably be super uncomfortable to acknowledge the fact he was playing dress-up, but it was something he felt like he needed to do. It'd keep away unwanted attention, at least. Not too long ago his face had been plastered in every settlement on Aincrad. 

Luckily, Zomekko loved him the same. The foggy cat floated back into her jar without batting an eye. What a sweetheart! 

[Pinball 1]

It was a different feeling, sure, but it wasn't necessarily a bad one. It kind of was. He wasn't really too fond of hiding behind masks, after what happened with his old one. But that couldn't really happen with this sort of thing, so maybe it would be different? 

Pinball slid down the cliffside, kicking up a cloud of rocks and dirt as he did. He didn't see anybody in the field around the settlement - and the town itself didn't seem too packed with people. Then again, while he was able to see clearly from his old vantage point, he was still pretty far away. It'd be important to remember that despite his disguise, he was still had an orange cursor; and that meant the town guards weren't going to take too kindly to him sneaking into a tavern to talk with some drunk dude. 

Closer and closer. Just a little bit longer now, and he'd be there. 

[Pinball 1]

The town was easy enough to sneak into. The guards on the first ten floors were notoriously lazy - to the point where you could wonder if they were guards at all. Pinball snaked in-between houses and down alleys, quietly searching for a tavern named... the "Drunken Cane." Yikes. But at least he didn't have to fight through hordes of monsters, right? 

Yet, at least. Pinball had heard about this quest. The place you go was supposed to be crawling with baddies, and there was even some sort of boss at the end of the cave. The goal of the quest, he knew, was to kill the beast and bring back a mask to Ali. But he'd heard conflicting things about it all. Maybe this quest was different for everyone. 

Maybe there were different endings. 

Pinball finally found and ran into the Drunken Cane, pushing the door open and closing it behind him in one swift motion. 

And what he found inside proved Ali right. It was the dingiest little bar he'd ever seen - not a soul in sight, save for the bartender and the man himself at the counter. And they were both staring right at him, because now there were three assholes in the place. 

Ali squinted. Could he tell it was him through his disguise? Was that surprising at all, considering his status as an Essential NPC? Pinball shuffled awkwardly, but waited for any sort of prompt from the man. The bartender went back to cleaning his glass. You know. As bartenders do. 

"Is that you, friend-?" Ali's eyes lit up, and he stood, waving his hands and gesturing for Pinball to come forward. He laughed heartily, offering Pinball his seat. "It is you! What's with the getup, man? Got a hot date?" 

[Pinball 1]

"Uh... no." 

Anything to get the conversation going. He didn't want to risk inciting one of those famously uncomfortable Skryim-esque silences. Ali dismissed it with a wave of his hand. Or, at least, Pinball thought he did. But he kept talking about it. 

"So it's a disguise, then," Ali nodded understandingly, still grinning from ear-to-ear. Pinball didn't really remember him being this excitable when he first met him. "What's your spy name, friend? Something inconspicuous, I hope?" 

"..." 

"Aw, don't tell me." Ali threw up his hands. "You don't have a name for this alias of yours, friend?" 

As Pinball moved forward to sit down, Ali clapped the side of his shoulder. Instead of taking a seat, Pinball rested his elbows on the counter. 

"No," he replied. 

"Well, you certainly need one! What good is a disguise without an alias to go with it? The answer is: none. No good. You can't sell a new face if you don't commit to a backstory, friend!" 

Maybe that was kind of true. But Pinball didn't admit it. 

"I'll give ya a hint. Call yourself Kobold. Like one of those little lizard demons that run around in caves, yeah? They're pretty weak." Ali winked. "That's how you surprise 'em, my friend." Ali nodded like Yoda, resting his arms on the counter of the bar now too. "Two drinks, please..." 

And then he turned to Pinball again as the bartender filled up a glass. "Speaking of little beasts," Ali scoffed, looking over his shoulder...

[Pinball 1]

Ali went quiet after that. He turned his head back to the counter and stared into the cup placed in front of him. 

"...?"

Oh, right. 

"What do you mean?" 

"Well, have you heard?" Ali took a sip of his drink as the bartender slid Pinball's over to him. "They say those bandits have tamed some sort of legendary creature," he sneered, "Some foul mix between a lion, a scorpion, and a dragon. On the other side of Nimbus, up the mountain." 

Sounds like a manticore. 

"Could you maybe check it out for me?" He laughed. "Yes, slay it, and bring me back some proof. You work wonders with that sword of yours, friend, I doubt you'll be threatened by a little beast like this! Maybe teach those bastard bandits a lesson while you're at it, eh? Teach 'em not to spread rumors about this lion-squirrel nonsense." 

So it was all true. The manticore was something he knew existed, now, and that helped - it was the boss at the end of the cave. He could tell that Ali was done talking with him - and now Pinball had a new goal. Head to the thieves' hideout. 

And if there really were multiple endings, maybe he'd try to do something... different. Maybe he wouldn't have to lift his sword at all. 

[Pinball 1]

It didn't take him long to travel to their hideout. By the time he got there, however, the sun was setting. Up on the mountain, he could see it dipping below the edge of the 7th Floor, deep oranges and dark reds bathing the mountainous floor bloody. 

The thieves' hideout was a clearing on the mountain, where the trees looped around empty space and the entrance to a cave dug into the side of the cliff. Pinball could see two thieves standing at the mouth of the cave itself, their red crystals giving away their hostility. Pinball thought for a moment. How was he going to sneak past them if they were standing guard like that? 

What to do, what to do? 

Scooping up a rock and weighing it in his palm, Pinball proceeded to chuck it into the trees across from where he was hidden. The thieves' immediately jumped, and then ran over to see what the sound was. 

Oldest trick in the book. 

Pinball darted inside, Zomekko's shadow covering him in what looked like a foggy black scarf. 

Inside the cave, the walls were lined with torches. Barrels and empty chests littered the tunnels; perfect for hiding behind. There were more thieves on patrol there. Two walked side by side, and a third close behind them. Quietly, Pinball moved forward, darting between cover as they stopped and examined one thing or another. When he had nothing more to hide behind, and was already well enough inside, he pressed his back against the wall. And he vanished. In the right hand corner of his vision, he could see his stealth value - and when they looked in Pinball's direction, it didn't drop at all. They couldn't see him. 

Pinball moved on, successfully bypassing the thieves. 

                                                                                                                                                        

Action - [Stealth] 
Stealth Roll: ID#124006 LD: 14+7= 21 Stealth Rating
Thief 1 Search: ID#124007 LD: 1 (Bypassed)  
Thief 2 Search: ID#124008 LD: 1 (Bypassed) 
Thief 3 Search: ID#124009 LD: 4 (Bypassed)
Thief 4 Search: ID#124010 LD: 3 (Bypassed) 
Thief 5 Search: ID#124011 LD: 14 (Bypassed) 

[Pinball 1]

It got darker the further he traveled inside. The torches grew scarcer; fewer and farther in-between. The cave was dim now, and the deeper he traveled inside, the quieter got. He was aware of so many other sounds now - the steady drip of water on stone, the sound of his boots carrying him through the darkness, his own breathing. 

Scratching and growls. Deep and guttural, coming from somewhere just up ahead. 

But it didn't bother him. He'd fought and survived through too much to be unnerved by something like a manticore Quest Boss. He'd survived this long. It was just another day. 

Soon, the manticore's den came into sight. It was caged inside, but its door hung ajar. Metal bars seperated it from Pinball, but it didn't notice him yet. The creature scratched the rock walls of its cage. All around him he saw claw marks - engravings in the stone. Pinball quietly closed and shut the hatch for the door. 

It paid him no mind, so he backed up and checked his quest requirements. 

He'd seen the manticore. He could return to Ali now. 

So he turned around. 

                                                                                                                                                

Action Taken: Searching for the Manticore 
Finding Manticore: ID#124012 LD: 14 (Success!) 

[Pinball 1]

There was no sign of the patrolling thieves. Pinball didn't even have a reason to hide. He walked down the dimly-lit halls, his hand resting on the pommel of his sword. His face as blank as an NPC's. 

Coming out of the cave, though, he made one mistake - 

- he'd forgotten about the thieves posted outside. As soon as he realized this, he threw himself forward, unleashing two crimson barrages of energy that cut into one of the guards but missed another completely. 

And then they were on him, swinging their daggers into Pinball's unarmored form. 

"...!" 

One dagger was plunged into his shoulder, and he felt himself being forced to take a knee. Stunned. Another took advantage of his immobility and brought the knife in a fierce arc across the side of his face, finishing with a swift kick across the clearing. The teenager was sent sprawling, unable to move and temporarily defenseless. 

                                                                                                                                                

Action Taken: Sword Art - [Shadow Explosion] [-10 EN] {Well Rested} 
Senior Thief 1: ID#124017 BD: 9 (Crit!) ~ 15+1= 16*9= 144-43= 101 DMG 
Senior Thief 2: ID#124018 BD: 1+2= 3 (Miss!) 
S.Thief 1 vs Pin: ID#124019 BD: 8-1= 7 (Hit!) CD: 9 MD: 7 (Armor Pierce!) ~ 9*1= 9 DMG + STUN + 24 BLEED 
S.Thief 2vs Pin: ID#124020 BD: 10 (Crit!) CD: 3 (Infinite!) ~ 9+2= 11*5= 55 DMG + 24 BLEED

Pinball: 1063/1120 HP | 102/112 EN | 15 DMG | 4 ACC | 3 EVA [1/2 Bleed] [Stunned] 

Senior Thief 1: 85/186 HP / 9 DMG / 43 MIT / 2 ACC / 2 Savvy / 8-10/24 Bleed 
Senior Thief 2: 186/186 HP / 9 DMG / 43 MIT / 2 ACC / 2 Savvy / 8-10/24 Bleed 

[Pinball 1]

The thieves wasted no time going to work on him. As Pinball struggled to lift himself out of the dirt, his vision unsteady and his hands shaky, the first thief retrieved his dagger from out of Pinball's shoulder, while the second activated what looked like some type of Sword Art. 

Isn't that just spiffy? 

Pinball had no choice to watch as the Senior Thief carved another bloody red arc into his torso, dropping his health marginally. They were weak, plain and simple - but the problem was their status effects. If Pinball was killed by Bleed, he'd... 

He wouldn't be a very happy camper, to say the least. Finally, though, his Stun faded, and he was able to stand. The thieves spared each other a glance, and then got into their dorky ninja stances, their daggers held backwards in clenched fists. Edgy.

In turn, Pinball sighed and readied his sword. 

                                                                                                                                                                        

Action Taken: [Stunned] [+1 EN] // [-24 HP from Bleed] 
Senior Thief 1: ID#
Senior Thief 2: ID#
S.Thief 1 vs Pin: ID#124021 BD: 2+2= 4 (Miss!) 
S.Thief 2vs Pin: ID#124022 BD: 10 (Crit!) CD: 7 (Tri Pierce!) ~ 11*3= 33 DMG + 24 BLEED

Pinball: 1015/1120 HP | 103/112 EN | 15 DMG | 4 ACC | 3 EVA [1/2 Bleed] [Stunned] 

Senior Thief 1: 85/186 HP / 9 DMG / 43 MIT / 2 ACC / 2 Savvy / 8-10/24 Bleed 
Senior Thief 2: 186/186 HP / 9 DMG / 43 MIT / 2 ACC / 2 Savvy / 8-10/24 Bleed

[Pinball 1]

This fight was starting to get on his nerves. His normally blank expression morphed into a concentrated frown as Pinball, with lightning-quick reflex, carved crimson scars in the air that rocketed towards his enemies. Evidentally, though, they were expecting it. While one of the blasts caught one thief in the chest, causing him to stumble backwards, the other sidestepped - and then his form blurred. 

For a moment, Pinball lost track of him. He realized all too late that the Senior Thief actually reappeared right below him. Bringing its knife up and across Pinball's chest, before quickly shifting into two more slashes across his unarmored torso, Pinball was forced back - 

- and was pissed to see that Bleed had been refreshed. Again. 

"Tsk." 

Pinball brought Tyrfing back and rested it on his shoulder, crouching low in anticipation of another barrage of attacks. 

What to do, what to do? They were slippery, and Pinball couldn't seem to land a solid hit on either of them as he was now. 

And then it came to him. 

                                                                                                                                                        

Action Taken: Sword Art - [Shadow Explosion] [-11 EN/+1 EN] // [-24 HP from Bleed] 
Senior Thief 1: ID#124026 BD: 1+4= 5 (Miss!) 
Senior Thief 2: ID#124027 BD: 3+4= 7 (Hit!) ~ 15*9= 135-43= 92 DMG 
S.Thief 1 vs Pin: ID#124028 BD: 10 (Crit!) CD: 6 (Tri Pierce!) ~ 11*3= 33 DMG + 24 BLEED 
S.Thief 2vs Pin: ID#124029 BD: 3-1= 2 (Miss!) 

Pinball: 934/1120 HP | 92/112 EN | 15 DMG | 4 ACC | 3 EVA [1/2 Bleed]

Senior Thief 1: 85/186 HP / 9 DMG / 43 MIT / 2 ACC / 2 Savvy / 8-10/24 Bleed 
Senior Thief 2: 94/186 HP / 9 DMG / 43 MIT / 2 ACC / 2 Savvy / 8-10/24 Bleed

[Pinball 1]

Pinball's white-knuckled grip on his sword was more than obvious, but to an NPC that wouldn't matter. 

On the other hand, he wasn't sure why he was getting so into the fight. Maybe it was a pleasant distraction. Maybe it was comforting, in a way, being able to kill these things and knowing that they weren't real humans. 

But, again - thinking about it like that didn't help. It was fun to lose yourself in something small and trivial; to give something your all, just because. It takes your mind off of things. Like a hobby, really. As long as you had something to do - something healthy, that is - then you could stay... human. 

Pinball ran forward, in a flash. Zomekko's fog enveloped him. He shot the thief closest to him one last icy glare until his body, too, blurred and then blinked out of existence. 

He'd vanished. 

                                                                                                                                      

Action Taken: {Vanish} [-6 EN/+1 EN] // [-24 HP from Bleed] 
Vanish: ID#124033 LD: 3+7= 10 Stealth Rating

Pinball: 910/1120 HP | 87/112 EN | 15 DMG | 4 ACC | 3 EVA [2/2 Bleed] {1/3 Vanish}

Senior Thief 1: 85/186 HP / 9 DMG / 43 MIT / 2 ACC / 2 Savvy / 8-10/24 Bleed 
Senior Thief 2: 94/186 HP / 9 DMG / 43 MIT / 2 ACC / 2 Savvy / 8-10/24 Bleed

[Pinball 1]

For a moment, they were confused. Where'd he go? But Pinball saw them both all too clearly - and their Detection rates, he'd found, were really, really bad. Almost as bad as Neopolitan's consumables. 

He'd get a head start, and then he'd come up behind them, cutting against their backs so there wasn't a chance of him missing. Crackling crimson energy ripped through their avatars, effectively bifurcating them both without fail. Pinball reappeared, dropping stealth with the Sneak Attack, exhaling deeply. Sheathing his sword, Pinball gave the clearing he'd been fighting in one last thoughtful look before turning around and beginning to head back to Ali. 

Back to the town - back to the Drunken Cane with the information he'd now procured. Two thieves sure as hell beat fighting a manticore - but maybe it would have been more enjoyable to go up against the latter. It was kind of sad, knowing he'd never be able to get whatever drop it was he would have been given for killing the thing. Maybe if he'd gotten it, he would have kept it for himself instead of giving it to Ali. Or maybe he wouldn't have. 

He'll never know. 

                                                                                                                            

(OOC: Accidentally linked the two Sneak Attack rolls to the above post/whoops im dumb/won't happen again don't nuke my thread pls thank)

Action Taken: Sword Art - [Shadow Explosion] [-13 EN/+1 EN] {Sneak Attack} 
Senior Thief 1: ID#124041 BD: 2 LD: 11+7= 18 Stealth Rating ~ 15+3= 18*9= 162-43= 119 DMG 
Senior Thief 2: ID#124042 BD: 1 ~ 15+3= 18*9= 162-43= 119 DMG 

Pinball: 910/1120 HP | 75/112 EN | 15 DMG | 4 ACC | 3 EVA  {2/3 Vanish}

Senior Thief 1: 0/186 HP / 9 DMG / 43 MIT / 2 ACC / 2 Savvy / 8-10/24 Bleed 
Senior Thief 2: 0/186 HP / 9 DMG / 43 MIT / 2 ACC / 2 Savvy / 8-10/24 Bleed

[Pinball 1]

With the fight over and finished, it was time to return to Ali with word of the manticore's existence. For a moment, all was silent save for the peaceful lull of the forest's ambience. Fireflies floating lazily through the air, weaving golden threads of light in-between the trees, giving the forest a faint glow. 

In that instant, Pinball was overcome with a profound feeling of tranquility. Maybe everything would turn out alright in the end, after all. He let himself get lost in his thoughts - silent musings and conversations he held with no one other than himself. Reminiscing on the past and bracing himself for the future, Pinball became more and more aware of the long, painful path ahead of him.

And then, because he wasn't paying attention, Pinball's boot hit something rock solid. He looked down, trying to plant his other foot firmly in the dirt on the path. But it was the same surface his other boot had touched. 

Thunk. 

This huge boulder dislodged - with Pinball on top of it. With no way of saving himself, Pinball fell...

...and fell. All the way down the mountain, kicking up dirt and grass and rocks as he descended at a painfully steep decline, and hoping beyone hope that the boulder was stopped by trees before it flattened him as they plummetted. 

 

[Pinball 1]

Eventually, he stopped. 

Not for a while, but he did come to a stop. Standing up and brushing the dirt off, Pinball looked around. He couldn't see the town anywhere, but he recognized his surroundings. He was in a relatively empty field, filled with small hills and boulders. Most of the time, there were deep recession; and since you couldn't see over most of these hills, they made for the perfect spots to hide and set up camp. 

Unless you set up a fire. That's not very sneaky. 

He'd made that mistake before. 

It'd take him about twenty minutes to get where he needed to go. Pinball frowned. Maybe quests were tedious. And maybe that's why he used to prefer to do them with other people. Well, that wasn't exactly an option now. He started to walk. It wasn't pleasant, but he had to do it, and that was that. 

[Pinball 1]

After a bit of travel, Pinball finally made it back to the town and proceeded to sneak his way in. 

Which, again, wasn't hard. Seriously, where were all the guards? Were they that bad at their jobs? Was this particular settlement not a safe zone? Or was Pinball just that good at Stealth? It could have been anything. Maybe they'd all been killed in a PKer raid. 

He stifled a sigh. Yeah, right. He'd tried to fight a guard once. Not likely. 

Treading up the steps to the Drunken Cane and pushing open the door, Pinball was delighted to find that it was still pretty much empty. As if on cue, Ali and the bartender both turned their heads in his direction. Pinball shut the door behind him as Ali looked on expectantly. 

"Welcome back, friend," he hummed, gesturing for Pinball to take a seat beside him. "Any luck on this mystery creature? I hope those bandits didn't give you too much of a hassle."

[Pinball 1]

As Pinball pulled out his chair, Ali barked a laugh and gave him a friendly punch on the shoulder. "Bah, not likely, eh? You're an artist, friend," Ali praised, "and you paint with your sword." 

The man looked down at Tyrfing, sheathed and securely strapped to the back of his waist. "I recall you using a different weapon last we met, though, hm?" 

Pinball flinched. 

Ali was quick to dismiss the subject. "Ah, but tougher times calls for tougher equipment. That old thing you used to use looked wimpy anyway, friend." Pinball shook his head, but, again, he said nothing. 

There was a brief moment of silence. The bartender, as if stuck in a trance, rubbed one of his glasses with a towel to no real end. "Well? How'd it go? You find this lion-beaver-dragon thing?" Ali winked, smiling disbelievingly. "I can pay you well if you brought back some sort of proof." 

Pinball shook his head. "It's real. They keep it in the back of their hideout."