The party follows Palledoris to a run-down building on a side street. Inside, it seems like either people randomly pile their junk here, or a very messy person has lived here for quite some time. The place smells of... well I'm sure you don't want any details of that!
Palledoris: "William! Are you here?"
From the back of the building, an older male voice calls out, "Who's there?"
Palledoris: "It's Palledoris. Are you still alive?"
An older, very scruffy, skinny guy emerges from the back room and, through his glasses, studies the figure calling out to him and says, "Is it really you? It's been ages! How have you been?"
Palledoris: "Well, obviously better than you! What happened to you?"
William (sorrowfully): "Well, since Marian died, my outlook on life hasn't been that good."
Palledoris: "Yeah, I heard about that... but that was over 10 years ago! You mean to say you've been living in this filth for this long?"
William: "Well, what reason do I have to go on living?"
Palledoris: "You are truly one messed-up individual. Tell you what... How about you give your life at least some meaning and help the group of us get to Fafara."
William: "Why in the world would you want to go to that place?"
Palledoris: "One of our comrades is in prison right now onacounta what someone else did, and we need to go to Fafara to clear his name. So, will you help us?"
William paced across the cluttered floor for and scratched his head for a moment, then said, "Well, I guess I could... I do owe you for what you did for me all those years ago... but my vehicle hasn't been running for a while."
CHRIS: "Well, maybe Trithal can help you with that. He's somewhat mechanically apt."
TRITHAL and THRAX are stunned at the fact that CHRIS was actually paying attention to what was going on. TRITHAL interjected, "Maybe I can fix it. What's wrong with it?"
William leads the party to the area behind the building where he lives and shows TRITHAL his fairly-later model van which has room to seat the whole party. TRITHAL and William go back-and-forth about what's wrong with the vehicle, then TRITHAL commences to repairing it. After an hour or so, with the help of THRAX and William... and the annoying-ness of CHRIS's complete lack of common sense when it comes to automotive mechanics... they manage to get the vehicle started and running. The party climbs aboard and they drive toward the eastbound highway, stopping at a fueling station for some fresh gas along the way. THRAX is suddenly haunted by visions of his ill-fated truck ride to Itsuka more than a week ago.
As they make their way east out of Lantera City, Aelle, having known Palledoris the longest yet not knowing anything about this guy, asks, "So, how do the two of you know each other?"
Palledoris: "I guess you could say we grew up together. I was born in the village of Satartia, which is northwest of Tanchi City. When I was in the second grade, William moved to town and enrolled at my school. We became fast friends... and our friendship stayed alive for most of the rest of our lives... until he married a once-close friend of mine, Marian. Shortly afterward they moved east in persuit of a new life together... and since then we've hardly kept in contact."
William: "I guess the last time we were together as a group was more than 20 years ago. It was right after we moved here. Me and Marion opened our apothecary shop and Palledoris helped us out a bunch by buying the most-expensive item I had on our first day of business."
Palledoris: "... And I still have that item in storage. If you want, you can have it back. I don't need it anymore."
William: "Aw, you can keep it. I'm too old to be messing around with stuff like that."
The Saibot chicks wonder amongst themselves what item they're refering to when William says, "Well, it's gonna be a long ride to Fafara... so why don't y'all tell me the story behind why you're headed there?"
TRITHAL, THRAX and Palledoris go into detail as to why AXEM is in prison in Tanchi City and what they're trying to do to earn his freedom. While the group exchanges idle conversation, CHRIS pops in the CD he bought of the Battle of the Bands. When it got to the part where our band performed, the Saibot chicks (who are now hearing it for the first time) comment, "Wow! You guys were good!"
TRITHAL, being the only representative of the group present, says, "Yeah we were! It sounds even better now that it's been mixed well."
Rishna, who seems to dig the music the most out of the party, says "You guys really should record an album and tour and shit!"
TRITHAL: "Well, if we can get this mess straightened out and Axem out of jail, then maybe we could!"
The discussion continues as the CD continues to play. By early evening, the party arrives at Fafara.
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