Loreling Karaxa

Part 5, Not All Meals are Joyous

"Deas be praised!" Thaylona bellowed. The elf looked to be in her hundredth year, her curly blonde locks bouncing gently in front of her emerald green eyes, while the remainder was tied up in a bun, held together with a stick of polished wood.

"Let me be the first to welcome you." N'ga spoke. "As the senior member of our little partnership over here, it's only proper. I am N'ga. You'll be glad to find food and board is on the house tonight, though I apologise for the less than stellar conditions."

Thaylona was hopping from pose to pose, eager to regain a full range of movement after the long time spent so unpleasantly wrapped. "That's quite alright. I'm just happy to have a meal instead of being one, you know? Still the hospitality is appreciated. Five stars."

"Hold on, hold on." Karaxa interjected. "Five stars? That means there's no room for improvement. Surely a little music from the greatest bard this side of the Inner Sea wouldn't go amiss? Regrettably, my lyre is stored above ground at the moment, but I still am a singer of some repute."

"Greatest bard?" N'ga quipped. "Surely you haven't forgotten Quentin the- AHHHH!"

Karaxa's hand shot out at the wyrm, and it skillfully evaded, but the Loreling wasn't done yet.

A flurry of hands shot out, blurring in the air. N'ga gracefully slipped between them, time and time again, until Karaxa's eyes widened, and the bard was staring at something behind the wyrm. N'ga took a moment to glance at whatever had been spotted, but in his moment of weakness, Karaxa's hand closed about him. He'd been duped.
The bard prodded the wyrm gently in the head, and asked him a simple question.

"N'ga, my old friend. Remind me. Who is the best bard this side of the Inner Sea?"

"Why you of course, Karaxa." N'ga replied, squirming free after his answer was judged satisfactory.

"Now, Thaylona was it? Let me show you why that's true! N'ga will dish out the food, while I set the mood."

The show began with a dance, accompanied by some rhythmic clapping. Karaxa circled the makeshift camp as they tumbled and spun. Occasionally there would be a close call with a particularly slippery rock, but Karaxa would quickly recover balance and had played the moments up for a laugh.

"We came down here, seeking our riches,

Delved through a cavern of darkest night.

Creatures skulked, their bared fang twitches,

Sensing our doom underneath their bite.

Found our way out of this death which is,

Banding together to bring them the fight.

Hope they brought, a spare pair of britches,

Those fell beasts are in for such a fright."

Thaylona burst out laughing, tears ran down her face, and Karaxa bowed. But then the tears kept flowing. The elf's shoulders jerked, and she sobbed uncontrollably. Karaxa rushed over and offered a hand, which Thaylona squeezed tightly.

"I shouldn't be enjoying myself." the elf began.
"I came down here to look for my husband Ayrun. He'd been missing for days after saying he was going to investigate this place, he told us not to worry, but after a while I feared the worst. That's when I came down to find him, but I just wound up getting caught myself... Useless!"
Thaylona wept and punched the floor. Hard. There was a bloody mark on her hand, but she didn't seem to care for it, grief superseding any other pain.

Karaxa moved to speak, but N'ga cut the bard off firmly.

"I'm sorry." N'ga spoke.

Thaylona sat with her knees pulled in towards her face, but glanced up at the curious words.

"I'm sorry." N'ga repeated. "I.. I found him. I'm sorry."

Thaylona's gaze became distant, and she looked like she'd weep. For a moment her eyes seemed gentle, and glassy. Her face lowered for a moment, and returned instead with a stare like daggers. Her teeth were clenched, and they grated against each other with a horrific whine like nails on a chalkboard.

"WHY ARE YOU LYING ABOUT THIS?" Thaylona roared. "Ayrun is FINE. He HAS to be! He has to..."

Her voice cut out and she saw what was floating in front of her. It was a wedding band. She'd recognise it anywhere. Only two like it existed. It was engraved with their oath to each other. How did it get here-.

Something broke in Thaylona, she grabbed the ring, and spoke swiftly.
"Thank you two... and goodbye."

Without any further warning she careened down the tunnel towards the spider lair, uttering every curse, and screaming bloody murder.

Karaxa and N'ga both exchanged a panicked look, and they began to dart after her.