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Irondale Inn, Irondale 3:56PM

Life slowly stirs in the comatose woman. Kiysa's eyes flutter open with the less than welcome light that has begun to shine at her from the afternoon sun. The aches she already feels in her arms and legs tells her that getting up isn't going to be a painless affair.

“Oh she's still alive,” A guttural voice carries across the room as light flashes off the blue blade of her sword as it flies about her room. “You were so out of it that I thought you died a few times.”

“Didn't bother getting a doctor huh.” Kiysa groans as she forces herself to get it out of the way and sit up in a single motion, every muscle in her core berating her for doing so.

“Seeing you wake up in the Veil would have been a good bit. So how are you feeling,” Jingo asks as Kiysa swings her legs over the side of the bed with some difficulty.

“Like every muscle is torn in half. Haven't had to push myself that far in a long time. It's not too bad though, not like I'm actually Injured. Thanks, by the way,” Kiysa looks up at her floating sword. “If it weren't for you stepping in I wouldn't be complaining about a little soreness right now.”

“That's what partners are for, right? All we have to do now is get strong enough that we won't end up in a situation like that again.”

Her stomach’'s sudden growl interrupts them. “Looks like getting some beer and overpriced food in me is the first step.” Kiysa stands and stretches for a few moments, getting a feel for what shape her body is currently in and how far she can push it. “Then we go find Priscilla.”

“There haven't been any Forgotten in the mountains since the Pureborn showed up. She's likely working again. That's a lot of mountains to cover.”

“And this time, we don't have to scour every rock and shadow for hidden camps,” Kiysa smirks as she performs one final stretch.

“Hmm, true. We should be able to fly through the mountains all tonight then.”

“Yep. I already wasted too much time sleeping. We gotta tell Priscilla, and get back to Wabacha and find Utu too. I want to tell them the good news both in person.” Kiysa makes sure her side bag is still secure after she noticed she slept with it on before opening the room door. Jingo slips through above her as they head out on one of their last adventures before dedicating themselves to their Master's training.

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Irondale Tavern, Irondale 4:21PM

The place was far busier than the last time Kiysa and Jingo were here. With the unified warband of the Forgotten Dragon Tycorphian destroyed, traffic between the dwarf and human kingdoms was renewed, and Wabachan relief efforts were able to more readily reach the town and the nearby mountain dwarf villages. Still Kiysa is alone at the bar. Even though words of her deeds have spread through Irondale, both residents and newcomers dare not approach the demonic presence that surrounds Kiysa. Thousands of years of rightfully earned fear and hate creates distrust towards the swordswoman and her unholy sword. Kiysa never minds. They don't bother her, and she won't bother them any more than her presence already does. She's far more focused on finishing off her bangers and mash, and picking up her third dwarven brew again.

Looks like a lot more adventurers than the last time, Jingo speaks in her mind to not bother anyone. Kiysa turns away from the bar and looks at the rest of the bar while she takes a drink from her tankard. Glints of light off armor, weapons, and decorative metal on spellbooks are the only interaction she gets. Just from their gear and their body language she sees they range from entry level to quite skilled, none want to make eye contact however.

Kiysa lets them be as she continues to drink. The collective conversations in the bar weren't hushed, making it easy for her keen ears to pick up hints about the current state of the Ironpeak Mountains. A lot of monsters were displaced when that warband moved in. Them being gone now and the monsters coming back probably changed the territorial status quo between them all.

A monster free for all with civilization in the crossfire.

Sounds like it. Kiysa turns back around and sets the tankard back on the countertop. She already had heard the bartender silently clear her empty plate when she was turned around, and makes no reaction to finding it gone. Priscilla may be contracted with a guild now to take adventurers through the mountains.

That should make good money.

Yeah.

They listen for a while to the conversations behind them, looking for any mention of a dwarf guide. Luckily it does not take long. They pick up from a booth by the door that they were waiting rather impatiently for a dwarf guide to come back to Irondale, after a different party makes it back from the dwarf kingdom with her help. A smile sneaks onto her face, hidden by downing the last of her drink. Sounds like Priscilla. With that she pulls up her bag to find her coinpouch as the dwarven bartender approaches. He's scrubbing the tankard in his hand with more force than is necessary as he looks at her with an impatient, strained look. He's silent, like he hasn't decided how much he wants to charge this time to make sure she doesn't come back. She is driving customers away from the bar after all. She's used to it. “I had another beer compared to last time, guess I couldn't help myself,” Kiysa confidently talks aloud mostly to herself as she starts counting the coins up in her hand. Ten, twenty, forty, sixty, making a noticeable show for the bartender, showing she doesn't mind his exorbitant prices. “No one brews them like a dwarf. Based on the number last time, each beer should be about this, right?”

Kiysa knows there are people in the bar that can hear her, but she doesn't make a show of how much she's paying this, and she doesn't hold the gold aloft. It's only the bartender that sees the stacks totalling seventy gold pieces that Kiysa places on the counter, her body blocking the sight from the other patrons of the bar. The bartender looks down at the gold, and looks back up at her, the same hard look in his eye. Kiysa doesn't want to make a scene or try to throw mud at the bar owner for how much she's being charged. She just wants to show him that charging her crazy prices won't drive her away. The bartender holds her stare for some time, before he lets out a grunt and reaches for the gold.

“It seems I had misremembered the cost of your meal the last time you were here.” The gold pieces clink against each other as they are pushed back towards Kiysa's hand. “Since you overpaid, I'll take this off your credit.” The bartender picks up her tankard and walks over to his sink behind the counter, beginning to diligently clean it as Kiysa looks at him with silent shock. The bartender doesn't make eye contact again, very focused on his task. Light returns to Kiysa's eyes as she smiles, silently scooping the gold back into her bag.

“... Thank you.”

The bartender just grunts in response. “Now if you're done, clear on out of here. There are other ignorant folk who want to use the bar.”

Kiysa can feel some in the bar bristle at the bartenders words regarding them and closes her eyes, allowing herself to enjoy the moment, just for a second. “You got it boss,” Kiysa spins off the barstool as Jingo flies into her hand, making for the door.

“When you see that guide…” Kiysa pauses and half turns around as she rests Jingo on her shoulder. The bartender is making eye contact now. He still has a hard look in his eye, though some stress seems to have been lifted from them. “Could you give her a message for me?”

“Hm? Sure.”

“Just… Tell her I apologize.”

Kiysa eyes him for a moment, unaware of what had happened after she had left, but doesn't pry. “I will.”

The dwarf behind the bar just nods before silently returning to his duties, the door shutting soon behind the demon swordswoman.