"It'th important to know your blood type," Ysnor tells Aviri. "Different typeth have different valueth in Tempetht County. And making change can be difficult."
On the opposite side of the hole, two otter girls finish tying a rope to a Waddles, while Eve supervises. Oops and Uh-oh helpfully tie the other end of the rope to a tree trunk.
"Wood floats," Trilup notes. "But can it swim? Or dive?" she asks Linyala.
Aviri nods, though his eyes look more than frightened. "Should I aim for valuable blood, or invaluable?"
"Well, you'll have to get it aththayed, if you aren't thure what type you are," the hunchbacked Skreek advises. "You theem to frighten eathily, that could add thome flavor and increathe the value."
Linyala ditches her pack by a larger rock and sets the zapper on top of the pack to keep it well away from water for the time being. "Dunno." She chirps and hopps up on the magic chest, "Lets find out. Waddles, advance!" She points dramatically towards the lake.
The enchanted trunk rises up on its legs.. and just stands there. "Try pointing with the key!" Trilup suggests.
The Lapi gulps. "Er, right. Do I want valuable blood, or will that just make everyone kill me quicker? Or will some powerful vampire start prote ..." he stops short and turns pale. Well, paler. "N-nevermind," he says. "I'll just wear plate armor." He chuckles. "So where could I get it 'aththayed'?"
The otter takes the key from around her neck and tries again, holding the key out over the side. "For loot and smoked capers!" She cries, trying to strike a heroic pose.
Waddles begins to waddle towards the water.. and then stops at the edge and starts to go around.
"At a blood bank, of courthe," Ysnor says. He then reaches up and taps the Lapi's shirt, right in the center where the talisman hangs. "Not thure how folkth would react to thith though. Protection from Undead, ithn't it?"
Aviri looks down at the little lump it makes in his shirt. "Yeah. Seems to work, too. Vampires are undead, right? So ... don't have to get my blood changed!" He beams at Ysnor.
Lin hopps off quickly and scoots back over to where she left her pack. "Alright. I'm gonna hope you're just tryin' not to drown me so I'll lead this time, okay?" She asks Waddles as she takes off her adventuring clothes and hat until she's down to her leather shorts and knife. She tightens up the cord on the key so it isn't dangling before heading out into the water.
"Well, they might think you're a Hunter and have their minionth attack you," Ysnor suggests.
"Be careful!" Eve calls. "We.. uh.. don't know what might live in there."
"If something starts to eat you, throw me the key!" Trilup advises.
Aviri's grows furrow and he looks down at himself again. "Rrriiiight," he says slowly, obviously not believing that anyone would be able to think he's a hunter. "Where's a blood bank, then? Should I get some taken out. An offering to the vampires for safe passage?"
"Oh, there thould be one or two when you get to Tempetht," the butler claims. "Vampireth uthe them after all. Probably the mortalth too."
Lin stopps when she's in up to her waist and glowers. "Yeah, sure. And it's only an ancient temple or something that's prolly charged with necromantic energy or summat. It's not like there's anything livi-" She yelps and trhashes then disapears under the water.
"Ah! Throw the key Lin!" Trilup squeals, running to the water's edge! Waddles begins to enter the water as well, little legs kicking furiously. It does float. It just doesn't swim very well.
"We could use the zapper!" Eve suggests, grabbing the device from Lin's pile of stuff. "That should stun everything in the water!"
"Alright," Aviri says, nodding. "Stop by bloodbank. Er, again, should I change to low-value blood...?" He looks over at the water, concerned. "Er, that has been demonsterfied, right?"
"Well, no, it hathn't.." Ysnor notes.
Lin blows a bubble ring and paddles gently to keep herself at the bottom of the shallow water.
Waddles paddles about like an inebriated duck, until it finally reaches Lin.. and now she has to avoid being kicked since it's right on top of her in the shallow water.
Sighing, Aviri trots to the pond, giving Waddles as wide a berth as possible, peering across the water, trying to see any sign of Lin.
The water is terribly murky, but since Waddles seems to be trying to keep to one spot, it isn't hard to guess that that is where Lin is.. or at least, Waddles' control key.
Lin takes a pointy little foot to the shin before wriggling out from under the box and patting it affectionately on the lid. "Waddles, you can swim!" She praises it, "Just needed a little persuasion, I see."
"But it can't dive," Trilup point out.
Something licks the backs of Lin's calves as she stands in the water.
Aviri shakes his head and returns to Ysnor, muttering something about wolves. "Alright, so, you've still not answered my question."
"Which quethtion, young marthter?" Ysnor asks.
Aviri says, "Which is better: valuable blood, which could make me a bigger target, or invaluable blood, which means nobody'd care if I died?" Aviri asks with a tone of calm and patience that indicates both might be wearing a bit thin."
"Valuable currenthy meanth you uthe lethth of it," Ysnor notes.
"Okay." Aviri nods again, then stops and looks worried. "Is blood the currency?"
Lin barks and clambers up on top of Waddles. "Something licked me!" She says acusatorialy, glaring at the water. She leans over the side towards shore so the key is slightly away from the box.
"I believe tho, but my information may be dated," Ysnor admits.
Waddles begins paddling back towards shore..
"Ewwww," Trilup comments. "It's probably a monster. Who else would want to lick you?"
The two young Titanians begin hauling on the rope, dragging the trunk and rider back to shore faster than Waddles can trunk-paddle.
Aviri casts another look at Lin, at her accusation of lake lickings, but returns his attention to Ysnor, unconcerned as she looks pretty safe. "I'll keep that in mind. Hope it's not. That'd be weird." His face scrunches.
A big black hump rises in the center of the lake, but Waddles gets traction by then and carries Lin up away from the water.
"I wonder what kind of monster though. I'd immagine anything really monstery would bite first an' skip the licking part." Lin chirps as Waddles trundles its way onto the shore. She picks up a rock about the size of her fist and sets it ontop of the box. "Maybe if we tie a whole bunch of rocks to it? Though we don't even know if it's waterproof. Of course, we could prolly flip it over to make a little air pocket."
"I don't think we should try to find out here," Trilup squeaks. The monster-hump sinks below the water again before Lin can see it though.
Having been looking the other way, Aviri doesn't notice the hump either. "Any other advice? Are certain colors forbidden? Are togas common? Should I tie my ears up or something?" He lifts his ears up above his head.
"What? Why?" Lin turns around and looks back at the lake and sees nothing, "It was prolly just an uppity frog or something." She leads Waddles up to her pile of stuff and starts stowing it away.
"It thould be mothtly humanth there," the Skreek claims. "Do you know what thothe look like?"
"We still don't know if a person can ride in there," Trilup notes.
Aviri nods. "We were waited on by some," he says. "So no chance of blending in. Got it. And my blood is money. Excellent." He glances over his shoulder at the pool. "And gonna be diving to unknown sunken fortresses with a demonic box. This trip's gonna be great. What could possibly go wrong!" He starts laughing, verging on manically.
"What's the joke?" Eve asks as she comes over. "I like jokes!"
Lin opens the lid and looks inside at her folded clothes. "The only thing even a little sentient I put in here was that butt sword from Eve's basement and it didn't like it in there at all. Any volounteers?" She asks, "I'd rather not wind up with the key inside the box 'cause then it could get stuck or something."
"Oh, I volunteer to hold the key for you while you climb into the box then," Trilup offers with a big grin.
Luckily, at least for Aviri's sanity, the Lapi manages to stop laughing, and even wipes a tear of mirth off his cheek. "Oh, just thinking about how insane this adventure is," he explains. "I'll all work out alright, though. Surely."
"I should give you a letter of introduction," Eve says, looking like she just had a great idea. "The Count owes my brother a favor I think. I bet he'd let you stay in his castle overnight."
Lin peers into the pleasant smelling, clean depths of the magic box and then backs up a couple steps. "Ma'd prolly smack me one for this but this is our best bet for gettin' Aviri down there in one piece." She takes off the key and looks back and forth between it, Waddles, and Trilup.
Trilup holds her hand out for the key, and smiles. "How long before I should open up the lid? Or are you gonna even close it?" she asks.
Aviri breathes a little sigh of relief. "That'd be nice," he says, "though I'd hate to have your brother waste his favor on us." He looks over at Linyala, Trilup, and Waddles and calls "I can hold my breath you know!" He looks back at Eve and Ysnor. "Are the surroundings there any more dangerous than here?"
"How about you count to ten after I close the lid." Lin suggests and hands Trilup the key. She stands next to the box looking mighty hesitant.
"Well, they were almost invaded by the Gallisians," Eve notes. "So.. maybe?"
"So.. like one, two, three.. or backwards, like ten, nine, eight?" Trilup asks for clarification, in case the order is important. "And what should I do if I open it up and you're gone?"
"Hmmm," Aviri says, frowning. "Was hoping we could just camp outside of towns. Or ... something. We survived the trip up here..." He pauses "... though we did seek refuge in towns at every opportunity." He licks his hips in thought. "I mean, if your brother'd be fine spending his favor on us...!"
"Well, it's not really a favor so much as.. uh.. getting along with neighbors?" Eve says. "Besides, if you stayed outside of town, I think you could be hunted or something.."
"Hunted? That doesn't sound pleasant." Aviri's eyes half glaze-over, and he shakes himself out of whatever thoughts the idea planted in his head. "Y-yeah, best avoid that! Thanks, Duchess."
"How about down from ten. Ten, nine, eight, and on. Open it up on zero." Lin says, looking skeptically at Waddles. "If I'm gone... Hit it woth something heavy or sharp until it spits me out." With that, she steps over the edge of the box and sits down. She gently lowers the lid.
"Oh.. are you going to wish Lin luck?" Eve asks, looking back towards the others.
Trilup starts her countdown. Inside the box.. it is completely dark for Lin. And then the floor drops out from under her she's caught in a storm, with wind and water blowing her from all directions and tossing her about!
Aviri turns to see the preceedings happening around the chest, and supresses a shiver. "Yeah," he says, and trots over, idly searching for an axe or some other wood-murderizing instrument should the box chose this moment to reveal evil intentions.
"..four, three, two, one.. wait, do I go to zero?" Trilup asks the air, tapping her chin with the key. "Or just to one? Eh.." she then opens up the lid.
Lin is sitting in the box, her shorts folded next to her. All of her fur has been washed and blown and is curly.
"That was awesome!" Lin exclaims and leaps out of the box. It's huge in there and it's like the biggest storm I'd ever seen. It was freaky at first but then it was just fun and I was tumbling all over the place. Didn't see the ground though. It was just storm. How long was I in there?" She chatters and then notices her fur is curly, eeks, and starts trying to smooth it down.
Having failed to find a weapon, and relieved to see Linyala not vanished, Aviri stops his approach well short of actually getting close to Waddles. He twitches at Lin's description, and nods. "I'll hold my breath, then," he decides.
"Ten seconds," Trilup says, blinking. "So.. if we put a person in there, it'll strip off all their clothes and make them look all.. poodle-like. Oh wow.. I can think of lots of people to do that to!"
"Maybe if you let it go longer it'll do better styling," Eve suggests.
Lin goes back over to Waddles and picks up her shorts. She gives them a big sniff. "I'd try it, but I deffinitely don't wanna take the key in there. If it fell out in the storm, who knows if it could be opeed again."
"It's gonna take time to comb your fur straight though," Trilup notes, poking at one of the curls on Lin's back. "I don't think I'd want to look all curly!"
Aviri shudders again and takes a step away from the box. "Th-though, you do look pretty goofy," he notes to Lin.
Eve looks behind Aviri, probably at his tail.. likely wondering what it would look like all curly.
Linyala huffs and digs her comb and brush out of Waddles and sets to work laying things flat. "Well, at least it couldn't get more curly. Eve could be right about styling and stuff if it's left on longer. This is crazy." She tries to lick some of the fur down than follows up with more brushing.
Aviri notices Eve's look and turns himself to put the tail out of sight, looking uncomfortable and nervous.
"You might want to leave the curls on your head though," Eve suggests, turning away quickly when Aviri catches her. "It looks like you almost have hair."
"Hair is good for hiding things in," Trilup chirps.
"Oh!" Aviri says brightly. "If we shaved the rest of you, you might even look human! Disguises!"
"We could put wigs on you!" Eve says, clasping her hands at the idea.
"Why'd I want hair?" Lin asks, "It mucks up swimming and I already have pockets and stuff." She licks her paw then rubbing it on her head to try to get the mini-afro to lay flat.
"Shaved otters are weird looking," Trilup counters. "Shaved rabbits too!"
"Well, you could stash a stilleto in there, maybe," Eve admits. "If you got captured and all your stuff was taken, they might not check your curls."
"Yeah, but cover up with some clothes, some cosmetic surgery on your nose, and you'd fit right in!" Aviri says gleefully, even giggling.
"You got a problem with my nose?" Lin asks, advancing menacingly. Her curls are all vibrating with mock rage.
"Yeah," Aviri says confidently, still practically swimming with mirth. "It's too un-human! Not squat enough. Too wide. Too mouthy." He giggles again.
Lin tries to shove Aviri into the box. "Meany!"
Aviri easily dodges, and Lin easily recovers, despite being curly. Waddles is indifferent to it all.
Aviri dances lightly backward, grinning and cackling.
Lin blows a raspberry at Aviri and tries to fluff up his head fur. "See how you like being all curly!"
"Can Lapi ears be curled?" Trilup wonders out loud.
Aviri backs up more, still giggling, grippign his ears with one hand and fending off Linyala's attacks with the other.
"You really should try to get is back to the water," Eve suggests.
Lin tries one last time to push Aviri into the box. She tries to shoulder check and then tickle him.
Once again the Lapi dances away, this time trotting and doing a little twirl before coming to a stop and trying to reign in his giggling. "Alrightalright," he says, "I'll stop. Just thought it'd be funny to try passing you off as human."
Lin huffs and swats him on the arm. "I like my face an' fur just the way they are, thanks. No way am I lettin' anyone dress me up like one of those weird monkey things permanently." She pauses momentarily then adds, "Maybe for a day or two just for fun."
"You may want to wear some high-collared shirts all the same," Eve suggests. "You Akwavi have long necks, after all.."
Aviri grins, then looks between Waddles and the pond. "Hey, there might be monsters in the lake, right? We should test if it can survive them! Ysnor says this pond's not been de-monsterfied...!"
"Good idea!" Lin chirps. She points at the lake and says, "Waddled, eat." Seconds pass and nothing happens. She slowly turns towards Trilup. "Can I please have the key back?"
"You're going to go fishing for monsters with Waddles as bait?" Trilup asks, aghast. She hugs the key to her chest! "That thing was huge and black, and that's just the bit it poked up out of the water!"
Lin blinks at Trilup slowly and turns to look out at the lake. "What big black thing?" She asks, carefully saying each of the words as though they might turn arount and bite her.
"Why not?" Aviri asks. "If there're monsters between us and our goal, and that ... thing is our transportation, we've gotta make sure it survives!" He looks to Lin. "Right?"
"Your back was to it!" Trilup says. "It was big! It tasted you already! It's bigger than Old Swampy!"
Aviri looks warily at the pool. "There is a monster in there?!"
A big bubble pops at the surface of the lake, right in the center, as Aviri looks.
"It's probably a giant eel," Eve suggests.
Aviri flinches at the bubble. "Well," he says, and clears his throat. "Well, this is the perfect time to test the Dem ... to test Waddles!"
What fur Lin had managed to smooth down stands on end. "And you didn't think to mention this earlier?" She squaks, "We'll need some kind of... I don't know!" The otter takes several deep breaths and patts down some of the spooked fur. "Okay, so we just need a way to kill a giant, maybe undead lake thing bigger than Old Swampy. Easy..."
"How do you plan on getting the box into the water without leading it?" Ysnor asks reasonably. "One of you would have to take the key and get thwallowed by the beatht."
"Does it not just follow the key?" Aviri asks. "Could tie a string to it, throw it in the middle of the lake." He points to where the bubble and burst. "Or throw something there and tell the thing to fetch."
"Maybe we could hide in Waddles with the lid slightly open and wave a sword at the monster?" Lin offers.
"No!" Trilup cries. "No no no! That'll get the key lost or Waddles swallowed and then what?"
"Well, if the thing can't survive a monster," Aviri says calmly, "then what good is it trusting our lives to it in unknown waters, anyway?"
"It's probably too big for the zapper to work on it," Eve notes. "And.. uh.. what would we do with the corpse if you managed to kill it?"
"Well, we could always try the zapper. At worse, it'll make it mad and we'll have to run away." Lin looks around for the zapper, "I thought I left it on my pack."
"Though I'd recommend not being inside of it," Aviri says to Lin. "If it can't survive, then you'd be gone, too."
"Maybe we should just leave it alone and never come back," Trilup suggests. Eve shows Lin where she set down the zapper.. after admitting that she was about to zap the lake when Lin looked like she'd been yanked under..
Lin lets that slide with only a skeptical eyebrow raise and starts cranking it up. "Okay, so let's see if this gets some kinda reaction from that licking monster." Lin growls when the device is charged. She makes sure her toes aren't touching the water before touching the lake with the end of the zapper and pulling the trigger.
The zapper discharges with a crackling sound, and soon after something rising up out of the center of the lake. It's like a snake, but with fins.. and not quite a big eel so much as a lake dragon sort of thing. It also has glowing warts on its skin, which electricity arcs across now and then.
"I think you just flirted with it!" Trilup yelps, and runs. This means that Waddles chases after her of course, since she still has the key.
Aviri flinches at the crackle, and the sight of the dragon floating to the surface, petrified at the sight of it.
"Then maybe it'll be friendly?" Lin says, trying to sound hopeful. Having missed the opportunity to dive onto Waddles as Trilup bolted, she starts winding up the zapper again just in case.
"I'll.. uh.." Eve says, and hikes up her skirt to run as well. Ysnor is a bit slower.
Aviri manages a step back. "Er, Lin, the one zap only seemed to make it interested. Don't think another'll hurt it."
The creature seems to home in on Lin, and starts moving towards her.
The device humms at the ready. Lin is staring defiantly up at the dragon, holding the zapper up across her chest and ready to use. She's held in place by what seems to be a mixture of fear, curiosity, and determination.
"Lin, run!" Aviri calls as he finally manages to turn tail and follow the others' examples, even trying to help Ysnor along.
The great monstrous head dips down towards Lin, and lips part to show row upon row of teeth.. with little lightning bolts zipping between them!
The dragon's breath blowing static charges into Lin's fluffed up fur seems to snap her out of it. She calmly reaches down, discharges the zapper into the lake, and then books it, running for her life.
Carrying the zapper slows her down a little.. and there's a ZOT! A moment later, Lin finds herself looking up at the trees, her muscles twitching and her fur really poofed out. At least the curls are gone now though. There's also a disturbing scent of burnt fur though.
Lin lets out a pained "gzzzz" sound fron the back of her throat and mumbles, "Not... Not as bad the second time." She tries to get to her feet and keep going away from the lake, looking behind her to see what hit her.
The monster is gone! And a few steps help get the otter's muscles back under control. There is a hole in her shorts though and some scorched fur on her tail.. and probably on her back too.
The snap of electricity makes Aviri turn, and see a smouldering Awkwavi trying to move on the ground. "Lin!" he cries, noting the dragoneel had vanished and rushing toward her.
The smouldering otter doesn't seem to notice Aviri and keeps jogging away from the lake. She's not quite able to run yet as she's still shaking from the return fire from the dragon, her own zapper still clutches in her hands.
When Aviri sees that Lin is moving, seemingly of her own volition, he arcs his path to return to the group, keeping a good few feet between them at all times in case the residual charge feels antsy sticking around her.
Nobody else seems that eager to touch the poofy otter either. "Well.. I guess we know we can use the zapper to cook food with now.." Trilup jokes nervously.
"Could always still test the box in those waters," Aviri says, stopping his trot a good dozen yards from Waddles. "T'would be good to know it can survive that!"
"We already knew that." Lin says, "Oops and Uh-oh said about potatos and corn." She sits on Waddles and starts smoothing down her fur. "Is my butt okay? I think that dragon burnt it."
"Well.." Trilup says, taking a look. "You still won't pass for human, but you'd do well to keep your shorts on more often.."