Rains of Life

[Draconian]

Kell grew hesitant and suspicious. His arms crossed over his torso and while Thrax offered his full name to the mostly naked lizard lady, the non-furred adventurer did not. Golden eyes looked between the Librarian and Thrax and he wrinkled his nose.

"Don't put your mouth on that, you don't know where it's been!" Kell grabbed Thrax's shoulder to pull him away a little bit. Things didn't just come back to life. That wasn't how it worked. That wasn't how anything worked.

This librarian was undead. She must be. "I'm Onyx," his tone was clipped and he felt his options closing in on him, "I'll do what I can to make amends but all we did was touch a book - if that ruins your whole damn existence they should have put you in a tighter box."

Kell refused to be blamed for this. hmph.

[Khakana]

Khelena didn't fight Thrax as he took her hand and kissed it. Neither did she seemed perturbed, or even concerned at the large gnoll approaching her so quickly. As Thrax bent down to kiss her hand, Kell could see the realization of opportunity flash across Khelena's eyes.

"Thraxsss..." Khelena hissed slowly, lowering her muzzle just a touch to look up at the gnoll with her eyes. Her tail swooped around silently and began a feather light coil up his leg, starting just over Thrax's knee. "What a gentle gn-" She started when Kell yanked Thrax away from her, her tail flicking back behind her. She then shot Kell a glare when he referred to her like some gutter in the street.

The glare only lasted a fraction of a second, before Khelena allowed her features to express hurt and discomfort, taking a quick step forward and hugging Thrax's arm tightly between her breasts, almost hiding herself from Kell in the process. She was cold to the touch, but her scaled skin was soft and her chest filled with air with each breath she took. "Your friend doesn't need to be so mean..." She pouted, leaning her head on the Gnoll's shoulder. "All this is very sudden, I didn't ask to be released. I haven't done anything to deserve that, have I?" She asked, looking up at him with her eyes again.

[MadEmperor]

Well, he was certainly lost as an ally.

Thrax was confused at first by the attention, but he was under the spell of her wiles by time she cradled his arm with her unexpectedly shapely bosom. He gave Kell a disapproving glare, with just a hint of satisfaction. What? He was a bard.

"Seriously Kell, she's hardly dead now. Besides, it's your fault for taking the book that she's even alive."

He knew something was off about that statement, but he was too enamored to put it together.

[Draconian]

What in the world.

"Inima save me," Kell looked up at the ceiling after receiving Thrax's glare and pressed his black scaled hand to his face. A glare. What had he done to receive a glare!

"Librarian is undead now," He waved his hand to the empty spot her dried out husk had been moments before, "Don't you remember! Thrax! Get your head out of the tits! A literal magical book just brought this thing back to life and then lit its self on fire! How is that not a big alarm!" Kell moved over to put himself farther away from the new pair and close.

Kell frowned and looked towards the lizard lady, "What exactly are you after? What do you mean by 'reorient' yourself."

[MadEmperor]

"Kell, Kell, Kell. No undead has breasts like this this lovely creature," he chided, "Besides, I'll have you know that my arm is what's in the tits."

"And they're glorious."

[Khakana]

Khelena stood there as Thrax defended her... Aliveness from Kell's suspicion and doubts, and looked at Kell as he again tried to justify how she was nothing more than a monster in all likelyhood. Who knew, maybe the definition of monster had changed since she had been gone. Though, she was pleased to know that she had pegged Thrax correctly.

Khelena looked at Kell as he started to address her with his question about what she meant. She opened her maw to answer when Thrax inturrupted her to defend the honor of her... breasts. She closed her mouth for a moment, opened it to speak, then closed it again as she reconsidered. Then she took a slight step to the side, and gave Thrax a smile. "And you can be back in them, once you dry off. You are cold to the touch, and I am not a fan," She said, before turning back to Kell. "Such a Tegram, he's adorable," She said as she let out a sigh to release some tension.

"As for your question," Khelena started, waving to the room at large. "I have been trapped in this room for Xokagi knows how long. I would know, but my book is destroyed. I cannot reference the stories it wrote, and so I am blind to time," She explained, bringing her hands together and giving Kell a look of intense concern. "So I am in a strange time, which has likely turned a once familiar place into a strange one, after having been dead and resurrected in the presence of two complete strangers, as... idiotically charming one may be, accused of being undead," She said, her look growing more and more intense as she spoke. "If you think you would not be disoriented in that situation, I applaud your self confidence and suggest you volunteer for the Arena. It might take you rather far."

[Draconian]

Xokagi.

Kell tucked the name into the back of his head and watched the woman, still suspicious. Arms crossed over his chest, his own tail flicked in a wave like motion with his irritation. "The arena?" Maybe she was from Essyrn? "With the gladiators?" He had spoken quietly to his self before wrinkling his nose at the idea, not much one for bloodshed before he moved a hand to rub at his eyes.

He could be accommodating. And just because this person was undead didn't mean they didn't deserve to at least have some footing on when they were. The Librarian had a point when she'd brought up that she was disoriented.

"Well, I'm from Thanatos. We're currently in the Kishahn Jungle in a hole? tunnel? temple? in the side of a cliff." Kell looked her up and down, "You won't like... Disintegrate from water right? You're really all alive again?"

Thanx, the traitor, was not addressed and all he got from Kell was a slicing golden glance and another irritated tail flick in his general direction.

[MadEmperor]

When she brought attention to his wetness, he moved off to the side to shake some water away. There, he continued to listen.

She thinks I'm charming? Ye--wait a minute... Hey!

"Also, more importantly, am I the idiot?"

[Khakana]

"Yes," Khelena said to Kell's whispered question. "The one with the gladiators," She said, crossing her arms over her chest with a mildly annoyed look. "However, you are continuing to make my point. I have no idea what those name are. Us being in a Jungle right now, should not be correct, but you say we are and so I must believe you," She sighed, turning to look back out the gap. "I can't see much with the rain. Which will not kill me what do you think I am? Fragile?" She asked when Thrax asked his question.

She had tried to ignore the spray of water from when he shook off while she was talking. it was difficult but she managed. Then she brought her hands up to her muzzle in contemplation. "Thrax, I am very sore after so much time standing. Would you like to rub my legs when we have a chance to sit and relax?" She asked, ignoring his question.

[MadEmperor]

Thrax perked up. That would be... wait, wait, bad idea. He wasn't an idiot. He couldn't just accept being called one. But, then again, they were nice legs. Maybe he could play along anyway. Yeah, just go with the flow.

"I would like nothing more than to please m'lady."

Idiot.

Not you too.

[Draconian]

"I think you're actually a mummified corpse that's going to disintegrate in the rain." Kell snapped while rolling his eyes, wiggling his fingers at her body, "You're clearly not fragile." He then moved over and reached out to grab Thrax's shoulder before he thought better of it and kept his hands to himself.

Was he enchanted? Kell veered off to the side to continue keeping his distance away from the tall reptilian woman.

"Look," Kell said, his voice getting gravely with his frustration. "Magical Book Librarian, if you don't know either of those names and you weren't entombed in a jungle, then you've been in here for several millennia. What about Adela? Serendipity? If none of those names are familiar I don't think anything still standing is going to be."

[Khakana]

"Good Thrax," Khelena said with a smile, "I can't wait to feel how good you are with those hands," She purred before turning back to Kell. "And with that, I can focus on you again," She said, starting to pick at her claws with her thumb. "Honestly, I don't know if I'm impressed or concerned. If this is how you think mummified corpses look, your people have gotten very good at preservation, or your preferences are... Interesting," She said with a coy smile. Her tail flicked over her head in a wide arc as she turned and cocked her hip out. "I might be convinced to entertain your desires. You do look warm..." She teased.

"Regardless," She said, dropping the coy demeanor. "You're right, I likely know nothing about anything standing so far. Bringing back the point that I will need to reorient myself," She said, taking a more serious tone. "And it's Grand Librarian. I did not go through everything that I have to be called anything less. You may not respect it Kallayenasifarel but continuing to mock it will only end poorly," She snapped, walking away to examine the pile of gold.

[MadEmperor]

Oh, I'm very good with my hands.

Thrax stepped up beside Kell with a self-satisfied smirk. When Khelena was far enough away, he whispered, "Level of deadness aside, does she seem trustworthy? I mean, this her story seems weird. Why would anyone entomb a librarian?"

So, not ensorcelled, just lecherous.

[Draconian]

Kell klicked his teeth inside his mouth and resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Was she trying to seduce him? Thrax seemed well seduced already but was she going after him next? The immediate jump on his preferences had him on high alert and he shifted his stance slightly, adjusting his backpack before looking from her to Thrax again.

He eyed Thrax before his face snapped back to the awoken woman.  Kell's eyes going wide and his lips parting when she said his name. His whole name.

The name he hadn't provided her.

Kell took Thrax's arm and placed himself between the Grand Librarian and the gnoll. Casting a glance up at the furred man after he whispered his question, hoping his expression, which while turned away from the reptilian woman, was not subtle nor hidden. An expression of 'are you seriously asking me that.'

Kell turned back to Khelena.

"We're leaving as soon as the rain lets up, you can follow us if you choose or stay in here and fix your book. You've brushed off both of my attempts to help you reorient yourself by trying to find some sort of familiar location or name -the ones you know could very well have been in history books. So I'm done now, enjoy your leg massage." Kell let go of Thrax's arm, gave a dismissive nod of his head to Khelena and Thrax before he moved towards the hole they entered in and sat down against the wall, turning his body to quietly rearrange his backpack.

[MadEmperor]

Thrax looked back and forth between them. She was so very enticing, but Kell had almost become a friend over the long trip. So, with a pang of guilt, he groaned and went after the other man.

Grah! Stupid conscience!

"Look. I... I'm sorry, okay? I have a weakness for... let's say, exotic women. I've snapped out of it, I promise."

[Draconian]

"Exotic," Kell didnt role his eyes but he couldn't quite believe that just came out of his companions mouth. "Look, I paid you for your muscles, but not all your muscles."

"Womem with snouts arent my type, but you do whatever you want with your time." He wrinkled his nose, trying to envision someone with a humanoid face like his kissing someone with a snout. Would he have to unhinge his jaw? Kell stared at the opposite wall before rubbing his forehead with his fist, trying to make the mental image go away.

He paused and raised his voice, "get all the rest you can get, Librarian. We can split the rations three ways after we climb back up. Though I imagine we can all hunt for our own food if need be." Kell put his own pack under his head and layed down, arms crossed over his chest, and tried to nap. He didnt feel safe around this newest creature and had questions and concerns, but he needed rest more than he needed answers.

It was a fitful rest but the rain was soothing on his brain. A thing to both focus on and tune out. So it was the absence of the rain that had him wake up, weird bird calls and weirder animal calls. Kell didnt look behind him when he made his way to the hole, a quick stretch and like his ancestors before him, he crawled and scurried his way up the cliff side.

"Never climbing into weird unknown holes again," he grumbled to himself, rubbing his sore fingertips together before taking a deep breath of fresh air. He had meant to readjust his backpack, but instead he layed on the ground on his belly in the dirt with his eyes closed.

[MadEmperor]

Thrax groaned as he pulled himself up a few minutes later. He paused, resting with his hands on his knees. "I... really hate climbing."

He walked over to a tree and tied the rope that they should have used before around it. Returning to the cliff, he tossed the free end down to the hole. Leaning over the edge, he called down, "Your chariot awaits!"

[Khakana]

Khelena had spent the night humming idly to herself, looking over he hands just a little obsessively. In fact, she was rather infatuated with herself basically the entire night. For instance, she spent a solid hour on her back, her legs up on the pedestal so she could move them around while looking at them without holding them up herself. She also spent quite some time just dangling her tail over her head by her face, taking it all in.

The morning came, or at least, what she believed to be the morning, and she just watched as the two men got everything ready, and watched as they both struggled to climb up the bluff. Then the rope was lowered. She regarded it for a moment, a let out a soft sigh. She then grabbed hold of the rock, her claws finding the cracks and crevices with ease. It took her moments to climb up with the help of her large taloned feet and claws, climbing over the edge and brushing herself off of dirt and dust.

"Thank you for the rope," Khelena smiled at Thrax, her tongue slipping out and dragging across her muzzle before getting pulled back in. "Very considerate of you. Shall we start towards whatever civilization you plan on heading too?" She asked, looking between Thrax and Kell.

[Draconian]

Kell didn't want to move. He had to though. Or he'd just get eaten by bugs and random jungle animals. Heaving a sigh, he got up from the ground, flicking chunks of mud and ground-bits that clung to him.

"Yes, hopefully we can find our way back."

Without a further word, he glanced between the two before he started to walk, leading the way. The adventure effectively over, it wouldn't be too hard to retrace their steps - he'd taken to digging into the trees as they walked as a marker but... That was an easily missed marker. Kell was profoundly disappointed as he walked, looking for the signs for the fastest way back - which was still a few days.

Worst case scenario he could probably track their previous tracks. Look for scents. Still, the disappointment clawed at his throat at their find and his pace was languid with his tail occasionally dipping down so the tip of it dragged behind him.

[MadEmperor]

Noting the body language of disappointment, Thrax quickened his pace to catch up. He settled into a position beside the person he hoped was still a friend and opened his mouth to say something, but for once, no words came.

Trying again, the gnoll said, "I know this expedition didn't work out, but we did find something rare and ancient. Think about all the lost knowledge she could possess. Surely she knows more than the walls of some temple could tell you."