Nascent Goddess Quest

Winning votes:
[w] You'll be able to survive this guy, you won't be able to survive possible starvation if Liam's worst fears come true.

---

With a sigh, you and the others follow the alchemist. Much as you don't like this, it doesn't seem you have much choice in the matter. Maybe you should ask if it's possible to leave a bad review on employers after the mission. That makes you a bit happier as you march out of the city limits and into a forest.

No one dares speak on the way to the cave, lest you all be subject to another screech. However, despite all your efforts, the prattling assailing your ears does not cease. The alchemist speaks nigh endlessly on the trip; topics ranging from his hopes that you are all sufficiently competent, to speaking of your jobs demonstrating stupidity, discussing the advantages of his own upbringing, "teaching you all alchemy" with words you swear don't exist. You manage to tune out halfway through the "lesson", and stop your melodramatic thoughts. Now you can think about more important things, like literally anything.

An interesting thought does come to mind: He wouldn't notice if you started to cast Ambition Manipulation, right? And, well, if you could shift his ambitions slightly, he might end up less annoyingly talkati-Eshani, no. You can't just change people's personalities like that, it's wrong. But...would anyone really complain? It's not like you asked that one guy from your dream-memory, so this is just...practice?

[] Begin casting Ambition Manipulation.
[] No, bad.

Regardless, you'd still need to wait to do that. There is one advantage of the continuous stream of chatter: it apparently keeps monsters away...or these woods just don't have monsters. That seems more reasonable actually. The point is, you get to the cave unaccosted (unless you count the talking).

While the woods were literally just a bunch of snowy trees, the cave actually looks interesting. You also just realised how quickly the wonder of snow wore off. You're holding that against your employer too. The cave though - the walls aren't just regular rock, but rather a sort of reflective crystal. You could probably make mirrors out of it if it wasn't so jagged. The cave's entrance doesn't actually provide that much light. The only reason you can see these reflections is because of the large number of large mushrooms that litter the corners and edges, each glowing with surprising brightness. The light reflecting off the walls like that is quite enchanting.

So of course it had to be ruined by a shrill shout, "Hey, we need to go further in."

Aaaaand there goes the scene. This is something you actually like doing darn it. Still, out of the trance, you walk on further into the caves. Mira seems the most disappointed out of everyone, but Tobias has looked generally irked ever since the god-power-joke. As you walk, you feel a wet impact on the back of your neck. Looking up, you notice that the ceiling (is it even that in a cave?) is even more jagged and there are water droplets dripping down some of them. Well, you suppose that explains why the mushrooms aren't all dried up. Even further up is a bigger surprise though: an actual plant. It's mostly a mess of brambles and a few leaves, but it's definitely a plant. Is it living off mushroom-light? Plants need light, right?

As if sensing your confusion, the alchemist speaks up, "Ah yes, the tumbleberry bush. Known as such for its tendency to tumble with the wind upon reaching maturity. Wherever it stops, it replants its roots, grows several berries and flowers, and withers away."

"That got morbid," Jocelyn comments.

A shrug accompanies the response, "That's life. It would be quite effective for spreading itself, if not for the fact many never replant themselves somewhere hospitable. Despite being known for its berries, their actually quite deadly. The fresh roots however, are a part of an extremely potent curative agent."

Despite your hatred of his voice, you can't help but ask, "What are the other ingredients?"

"Hahaha! My dear, I'm afraid even if you managed to remember the recipe I give you, you'd still be unable to create it. Not to mention it being wasted on someone of your stature. That is all I will say on this subject. Now then..."

He bends down to the bush and begins to dig up a part of it. However, after a short while a loud noise echoes throughout the cave, "Gaaaahhhh! An insect! I think it bit me!"

Liam bends down as he continues yelling. "It's a cricket!" he tries to tell him over the shouting. It doesn't help.

Wait...was that noise just now an echo or a roar? Or an echo of a roar?...
[] Turn to tell him to be quiet!
[] Prepare for some monsters to show up.
[] Sigh...

Winning votes:
[w] No, bad.
[w] Prepare for some monsters to show up.

---

Grumbling to yourself, you pull out your gun. Another roar sounds, this time higher in pitch, maybe closer to a screech. At this point, you realise that your gun isn't loaded. Resisting the urge to smack yourself over the head (and the alchemist, he still hasn't stopped screaming since the grasshopper), you take out six bullets and jam them into the cylinder's holes as fast as you can. Finally, to end your combat preparations, you take a few steps back and pull down the hammer. Or, you try to, like you thought, it sticks in place a little. With a bit more force, you manage to get it down.

As your do, a skittering noise echoes through the caves alongside a definitive screeching sound. It's almost here. You raise your gun, but you don't know where to point it. There are three entrances to this room from the side the skittering is coming from. The one most to your left is fairly nondescript compared to the other two. The one directly in front of you has the cave's crystals turning a more pinkish hue. And the rightmost one has a more sinister red colouration. Amusing as it would be for the evil-looking one to the the one the monster comes from, you don't think real life works that way. You wave your gun between the three possibilities, hoping that when it arrives your arm will be close to it.

A few seconds of tense skittering later, and it appears. A giant centipede emerges from the hole you're pointing at, the leftmost one. It's not giant compared to you, but compared to normal centipedes. It's actually about the same height as you. It really doesn't seem big enough to screech so loudly though, if anything, you might even call it cute.

A smooth black carapace covers its back, while its underside is a more cream colour. Yellowish legs that seem way too close together on normal centipedes are more spread out, and end in blunt points. The legs seem a little less scaled up compared to the rest of the insect, but that just serves to make it look less intimidating. Somewhat likewise, the antennae extending from its face honestly look a lot more like a mustache than you expected.

At that moment, a second, slightly smaller centipede flops onto the first from behind, knocking it down slightly. The first pushes itself back up rapidly, knocking the smaller one onto the ground next to it. You stifle a giggle. This is more like a slapstick routine than a threat. On the other hand, while they don't seem too smart, there might be more of them around. If that's the case, you might end up overrun if you aren't careful.

Of course, your appreciation of giant insect aesthetic is not shared by your employer. He screeches louder still at the sight of the insects. You're surprised he still has vocal chords. Unfortunately, the centipedes react poorly to the loud noise. They start hissing and spreading themselves out for combat. Which in turn makes the alchemist even more terrified. He gets to his feet and starts trying to run away.

Before he can even make it two steps, Tobias has already launched himself at your retreating employer and tackled him to the ground, clamping a hand around his mouth.

"No you don't," he says.

You're glad that he won't be running off to attract more monsters or get himself killed, but at the same time, Tobias can't fight now, and you need to keep both of them safe from the insects. Finally though, finally, the alchemist stops screaming. It took being tackled and forcibly muffled, but he's quiet now. You'd wonder if he just passed out or something, but you don't have time to look back now that the insects are acting hostile.

As for the others, Mira raises her staff and begins to gesture with one hand. You don't know what she's going to cast, but you think those are tiny sparks jumping around her hand. Meanwhile, Liam has his sword and shield out. He's positioned himself between the centipedes and Mira, but not so much that she can't fire spells at them. He seems to be more focused on the grip than on the centipedes though. As for Jocelyn...you can't see he- Ah! She's already behind the centipedes and hiding against a rock.

Weapon
[] Revolver (-20 to attack rolls, large amount of damage, 25 shots) You aren't trained

Styles
[] Full Offence: +30 to hit, increased damage, no defence roll
[] Offence: +20 to hit, increased damage, -40 to defence roll
[] Balance: no bonus/penalty
[] Defence: +26 to defence roll, -26 to hit
[] Full Defence: +40 to defence roll, no attack

Parry?
[] Yes
[] No

Spells?
[] Write-in