When the train pulled into Itsuka, our party exited from the train onto a busy station full of people. Everywhere people were getting on and off of trains, reading maps and schedules, and buying items from the vendors on the platform. Our party was nearly lost in the crowd, but managed to stay together.
While making their way out of the busy station to the slightly-less busy town square, the party happens upon a character sitting on a corner holding a cardboard sign that reads "Mercenary for Hire -- Cheap!" The party decides to approach the person just to possibly humor him, and almost immediately recognize their estranged friend THRAX.
THRAX: "'the hell? Is it really you guys?"
AXEM helps him to his feet and says, "Hey Thrax! Where the hell have you been?"
THRAX: "Everywhere! I'd ask where you guys have been, but everyone in almost every town along the Over-Land route has been talking about you. Did you guys really kill Liiche?"
TRITHAL: "Yeah we did! You missed it!
THRAX takes a good look at the hot young sword-carrying girl who is with his friends and says, "So I take it this is the Princess? Haijimemashite! I'm Thrax the Hell-Fire"
Ali: "Uh, yoroshiku. I'm Princess Ali of Mount Sabretooth."
Passer-by: "Did you say you were Princess Ali of Mount Sabretooth?! Hey everyone! It's the Princess!"
Suddenly a large horde of people begin to converge on the spot where the party was standing shouting "Princess! Princess!" THRAX then motions the party to follow him down an alley to a tavern he's familiar with because he banged rhythmically on a sign outdoors during the time he has been in the town to furnish the meals he had there a couple of times. The party runs away and ducks behind a corner, dodging the crowd.
Once inside the tavern, the party, amazed that such a place in the part of town they were in was so clean, sits down at a booth. THRAX begins to tell of his adventures since he was seperated from the party.
THRAX: "... well after I ruined that pack of cigarettes I headed up the overland route trying to catch up to you guys. By the time I got to Tsuitachi, I found out I was two days behind you. While I was at the Sleezy-Mart buying cigarettes I heard on the radio that the princess had been captured by Liiche, who was consequently defeated by a trio of mercenaries. I then high-tailed it out of town toward Futsuka hoping to catch up with you there when I was confronted by a couple of ice demons. The battle went sorta like this:
Ice Demon #1: "Well lookie here! We got ourselves some breakfast!"
Ice Demon #2: "Oh boy, oh boy! Save me a leg! Hehe..."
THRAX: (thinking to himself) "I don't have time for this bullshit!"
THRAX casts hellfire on the ice demons, flames surround the demons killing one of them instantly and leaving the other with only 4hp left. THRAX uses 5 SP.
The remaining ice demon pummels THRAX with its ice rod. THRAX loses 3 HP.
THRAX swipes the ice demon with his short sword. The Ice demon is dead. THRAX gains 23 EXP.
THRAX casts HEAL 1 and restores his lost HP and uses 3 SP in the process.
THRAX
Lv.3 (20/20 HP; 44/52 SP; 141/3000 EXP)
THRAX lights a smoke and moves on....
THRAX continues: "After that battle it was late and the sun had set. I managed to hitch a ride with a trucker headed to Itsuka. I figured if I didn't catch up with you along the way I'd meet you here. On the way we passed Futsuka, and it looked like a damn Mardi Gras party happened a day earlier. We kept going until we got to Mikka, where we stopped for Diesel. While there I met up with Matt and Tony from Trithal's old band. They were pissed that Dice had left them there when they were supposed to go to the Battle of the Bands in Yokka that was set to begin in just two hours. When the trucker was done paying, we loaded back up and continued west. By the time we got to Yokka the competition was almost over. There was a huge crowd there and I didn't feel like going through it searching for you guys so we continued on to Itsuka. When we got here, the trucker swindled me outta all my money. I do not wish to discuss it, but he led me into believing that the ride he was giving was free, and that I owed him much more than I really did. Since then I've been here for almost two days trying to either find a fast way to get money or... work. Since this is where the major roads and railways of the region intersect, I thought it would be easy to find a job or something... but I guess I'm wrong. I was just about ready to give up and find someone to kill me... and that's about the time you guys found me."
TRITHAL, AXEM and CHRIS then bring THRAX up to speed on what's been happening with them. THRAX is now pissed that he missed out on it.
THRAX (to AXEM): "So Chris really stormed off the battle field when Ali requested that you watch over her?"
AXEM: Yup.
CHRIS is standing right there pretending like nothing was said about him and as usual, plays it off like nothing fubar was done that day.
After hanging at the bar for a few hours, the group paid their tab with some of the money they won at the competition. Then they worked up the courage to wade through the crowds and make their way toward the Mountain castle. As soon as they walked out onto the street, someone spotted the princess and alerted the mob. The party immediately ran in the opposite direction and were shortly confronted by a group of 4 soldiers. The soldiers knelt to the princess and offered to escort her and her friends to the palace. Wanting to avoid a melee, she accepts.
In just under an hour's time, the party makes their way out of Itsuka in a military coach, up the short drive to the Mountain Castle.
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