The Crucible Campaign

17: Dry Tinder

.^^ Dragon sizes ^^

— Cassidy —

The silk clothes that Tommy had managed for us were exceptional, not that I would ever tell her so. They fit like a dream, and slid under the armor with a faint whisper of movement, up until the hardened leather overcoats were added, when they halted all movement.

My weapons were sheathed on my hips, within comfortable reach, but hidden underneath the cloak, and I had acquired some more knives, for various uses, as well as an axe with a hammer-head, for camping purposes, all sheathed around my body at easy-to-reach areas. It felt not unlike kitting out my tactical equipment, and the familiarity of it was soothing.

As I was finishing, I looked over, and Sandy smiled from her position sitting near the mirror I was looking in. "You look more relaxed, now. It's odd, but it's a good look on you." She explained.

"Is that so? Yeah... I guess it is odd to be relaxing at the thought of danger." I laughed, and smoothed my coat, nodding at the lack of noticeable bulges. It didn't even look like I was armed, which was a plus and a minus, realistically, so I slung Light Hammer on my back. I laughed suddenly, as I realized the sort of Wandering Gunslinger look I was sporting, with the long black coat with the high collar, the big rifle and the revolver, and soon I'd be lassoing horses. All I needed was a cowboy hat, and I'd be golden.

Sandy raised an eyebrow. "What's funny? I think you look rather dangerous. I approve."

"No, it's just, I'm a Texan, and where I come from, I'd be accused of trying to look like an Old-West Gunslinger, looking like this. All I'm missing is the Hat." I chuckled.

She hummed, and smiled. "Well, they must've looked very dashing, if they looked like you."

"Mm, much worse teeth." I showed her my perfect teeth, and laughed again at her confusion. "The Old West was infamous for its lack of healers or medicine, so people had diseases, literally no one had all their teeth, and their weapon's were often in disrepair. We romanticize it, because that's what we do, take normal people of the past, and make them into Icons. But let's go see everyone else, yeah? You're ready?" I asked.

She laughed and nodded, standing and grabbing her staff and satchel of mysterious things. "I've got everything I need."

"Yes you do." I smiled, and held the door as she went through, barely resisting the urge to swat her ass playfully, and instead just tapping her hip, making her jump a little.

She laughed at me as we walked towards Renata's house to collect Gladrinon, Tommy, and Karon, the new member of our party, whom Glade had apparently been guilted into teaching something or other, something he wouldn't share with anyone else, not even Tommy, to her annoyance.

They met us in the middle of the bazaar, and I waved to mom and dad, who hadn't approached. They waved back, and then disappeared into the crowds.

Tommy was dressed in the armor, except for one big difference from me: she wore a new red, X-shaped baldric, covered in metal capsules with visible fuses or crystalline protrusions.

She grinned wickedly when I raised an eyebrow. "Lookit me!!! My first RPG in a while and what do I class as? An Elemental Alchemist with the Sub-Class Grenadier, that's what!"

I sighed, pinching my eyebrow slowly. "Fucking neeeeeerd!"

"Says you, who gets all my references." She quipped dryly.

Karon looked between us, her ears twitching slowly. "You two are odd."

"Get used to it, newbie." Tommy snapped, glaring at the smaller woman.