Chapter 3: Striped Brigand
"What happened?" Kura exclaimed more then asked. "You guys look like you've gone through a war ground."
"We kinda did." Sonluth responded.
"Here, let me get you guys some medicine." Kura said as she darted off towards the caravan.
Trix had managed to carry the chalice back, but he promptly dropped it as soon as he was close to the caravan. Bernny came over to help the others get comfortable while Kura gathered her medicines.
"That was a lot harder then I would have thought." Andy said as he winced in pain. "Next time I think I'll stay with the caravan."
"But you're the only magic user we have." Trix noted. "You're a stable in the exploring party."
"I don't think I can do this too often. I'm not quite as durable as the rest of you." Andy responded. "If you guys come up against another mage, then I'll happily go, but against brutes like that, I'm going to take a rain check on it."
Just then Kura came back with her potions and medicines. There were a few medicines with the supply the caravaners started with from home, but Kura had made a few in a bid to stretch those for emergency situations. Khajit wasn't hurt too badly as Kura sent him off rather quickly. Trix's injuries were more superficial as the chalice had blocked some of the attacks he had endured. Sonluth didn't want a check up, and made it very difficult for Kura. Eventually, Kura bashed him with her shield to knock him out cold. Other then the bump she had just given him, Sonluth had a small bit of misma poisoning, and some mana residue from the magic he had been hit with. His armour had defended him pretty good against other physical attacks. She breathed a heavy sigh and asked Bernny to move Sonluth inside the caravan to rest until he woke up.
Kura returned the medicine to its proper locations, while the caravaners all recovered from their maiden exploration. Khajit and Trix were chatting outside the caravan with Andy about their latest battle when Mogri waddled into camp.
"I've got mail Kupo!" Mogri announced joyfully.
"Mail? At this time?" Khajit asked.
"I don't think I can OPEN a letter." Andy said as he rubbed his aching shoulder.
"Are you guys all talking to yourself again?" Kura asked ash she popped her head out of the caravan. She did not see nor hear him initially, and was about to say something else when Mogri moved sideways and came into her view. "Oh, Mogri! What brings you out here?"
"I've got mail for some members of your caravan kupo!" Mogri responded.
"Really?" Kura asked as she jumped out of the caravan and quickly came over to where Mogri was standing. "Anything for me?"
"No, kupo, nothing for you." Mogri responded.
"Oh…" Kura said despondently. She drooped her shoulders and went back into the caravan.
"She must have been looking forward to a letter." Khajit remarked.
"I have something for you three and Sonluth!" Mogri broke into Khajit's remark. He waddled around and handed everyone their letters. Sonluth received one from his mother, Khajit received one from his father, Trix received one from his dad and Andy received one from his mother.
"I guess we should go wake up Sonluth…" Andy remarked as Mogri handed out the letters.
"Are you kidding?" Khajit remarked sarcastically. "Just leave him out for now, he can respond with the next batch of mail that we get."
"No can do." Mogri interrupted. "Everyone wants a response, and a souvenir of your travels."
Khajit, Trix and Andy all looked at each other.
"Well, Sonluth is the quiet type, I guess we could put three dots at the bottom in response. I'm sure his parents would be use to getting that type of response from him." The others hesitantly agreed, and put the three dots at the bottom of Sonluth's letter and sent back a small piece of copper they had found. The rest wanting to get Mogri away before Sonluth woke up skimmed over their letters, and sent home a small 'I'm alright' message and some gil and then quickly sent Mogri on his way.
As Mogri disappeared out of sight, Kura and Bernny came back outside.
"No mail for me either?" Bernny asked Trix, Khajit and Andy.
"Nope, none at all." Khajit responded.
"None for Sonluth either?" Kura asked.
The trio had a moment of awkward silence before Khajit finally responded with a moderately straight face. "No there was nothing there for Sonluth. Mogri said only things there were for the three of us present."
Kura didn't fully believe Khajit, but since she wasn't in the mood to argue she just shrugged and plopped down near to the camp fire. The trio breathed a heavy sigh of relief as the immediate danger was over. The rest was short lived as a Selkie and a Moogle approached the caravaners.
"Who are you? And where is your challace?" Trix asked as the duo came near.
"Well my name is Artemecion, and as I'm sure you know us Moogle don't need crystals to survive out here." The moogle responded. "This here is my flunkie Bal Dat. I've given him special powers that allow him to not require a challace as well."
"Sounds fishy." Khajit mused.
"That's almost too cliché coming from you." Bernny remarked.
"Whatever." Khajit remarked. "But what is it you wanted that you approached us?"
"We were looking to see if you had any Striped Apples." Bal Dat blurted out.
Everyone gave each other weird looks as Kura came back from the camp fire to investigate the visitor.
"What's going on here guys." She said as she looked over Bal Dat and Artemecion.
"These two randomly showed up and asked for a striped apple." Bernny responded.
"Yeah, and you better give it to us… or else…" Bal Dat started to say.
"Or else what?" Kura asked, unaware of the ploy and inadvertently calling his bluff.
"Umm… we haven't thought that far, but it would be a heinous crime. For we are… the Striped Brigands!" Artemecion announced.
The caravaners did not seem at all impressed and Khajit went as far as to let out a small yawn. "I think your methods need a little more work." Khajit responded after he finished yawning.
"THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE!!!" a sudden yell pierced the otherwise tranquil air. "DIE! GET OUT OF HERE!!!" A few moments later an older Selkie came into view from behind the caravan with Sonluth in pursuit.
"Ah! It's a mad Lilty! Like the Black Knight!" the elder Selkie exclaimed as he ran up to the congregation. Khajit took his time to stick out his foot to send the Selkie sprawling to the ground in front of them. Kura caught Sonluth as he was about to impale his spear into the grounded Selkie with a jump attack.
"Now this is something… You weren't trying to STEAL anything from us were you?" Trix asked.
"Of course not!" Bal Dat responded. "I've never seen this Selkie before in my life."
"LIKE HELL YOU WEREN'T!" Sonluth yelled as Kura continued to restrain him.
"Calm down Sonluth!" Kura said as she held on to him.
"No one steals ANYTHING from me!" Sonluth fired back.
"We don't KNOW him!" Artemecion exclaimed.
"Despite how he's hanging onto you to get away from Sonluth?" Trix remarked.
"Argh! Fine, Artemecion, grab Meh Gat! We're gonna pull out for now. Next time though, we'll get you caravaners! Consider yourselves lucky." Bal Dat said as he ran off.
"That's MY line!" Sonluth fired off. "Now get back here so I can impale you in honourable combat!" But by now they had disappeared beyond a ridge in the distance. "You're just going to let them get away!"
"Well Sonluth, its late in the day, and they are able to move without a challace. Even if we did chase them, they have a head start and are able to move freely without the challace to slow them down." Trix explained.
"Do you people not eat your wheaties or something! We can catch them no problem!" Sonluth said.
"Not today Sonluth." Kura responded and then she headed back over to her seat by the camp fire.
"Fine…" Sonluth said as he muttered something else and took a seat near the camp fire.
"How does she do that?" Trix asked Bernny, Andy and Khajit. No one answered him and they instead all fell inline to the camp fire. Darkness was soon upon them, and after a meal, the group talked about the events of the day and made plans to go to get their next drop of Myrrh at a place called Goblin Wall.