As we made our way over Kaelen and the others were standing out of line as we look at them confused.
"Aren't we going in, what happened?"
I was confused, but Kaelen just shrugged and gestured to where an older human man sat with Jax. The man had a bald head, a large puffy white beard sat on his face as he wore a set of coveralls. Even despite the distance he had an oddly distinct smell of fish to him.
"Apparently he is the quest giver, something about the bone belonging to his greatest rival."
Liora said shrugging.
"Twas not just me greatest rival, he was also me greatest mate, for a man never does bond to an enemy like an undefeated fish."
The old man said turning to us as Jax tried to draw his attention again.
"I believe he may have gone crazy due to the prolonged time away from land, or just decay from age, because he keeps making contradictions like that."
Thalia said crossing her arms with a bit of an annoyed look on her face. Ever since Liora had told her that part of the reason she had been disconcerting to people was her lack of facial expressions, she had been practicing in a small mirror, and while it was better than before, the forced, and over exaggerated nature of them lead her to look more comical than emotional. Never the less there was effort.
It took Jax a minute as he came back over and before he said anything he gestured for us to follow him. As we rounded around one of the towers around the walls of the city and out of sight of the old man Jax sat down and started to heave like he was going to throw up. After a moment he did, as he turned back to Liora with a tearful look.
"What the hell, he has been sitting there for days, and hasn't bathed once that whole time, and he smells like month old fish, why did you all send the one with the most sensitive nose to talk to him."
Jax said trough his occasional pauses to dry heave again. Taking a moment to look myself over, we did need a bath ourselves, but that would be handled after we completed todays quest.
Liora rolled her eyes at Jax and said
"Oh grow up you big baby, it couldn't have been that bad."
Liora said crossing her arms. At this Kaelen and I rushed over to Jax's side.
"Thats too much, first we have to do the slime quest all on our own and get stripped for it, and now you're torturing Jax further with no sympathy, have you no shame!"
Kaelen said leaning into the dramatic flare. I followed by trying to be even more dramatic.
"A dogs nose can be dozens of times stronger than a humans nose, if you truly believe that it was not that bad, must we acquire a month old fish to allow for a small test? Can you truly believe you will say it couldn't have been that bad."
At the sudden teamup Liora seemed taken aback as she turned to Selene and Thalia for support. Selene gave an apologetic smile as she said.
"Y-You have been being rough on the boys recently."
She turned to Thalia as her last source of hope, however Thalia remembering the distrust and comments pretended to not notice her gaze. Liora looked around trying to find an angle before finally sighing in defeat. She looked up, as if meeting Jax's eyes was hard as she said.
"Alright fine, I was being harsh, I apologize."
Jax turned his snout at her as he huffed.
"Not good enough, if girls could just apologize and get away with everything then they would run the world and us guys would be slaving away in camps, well except for Kaelen, the pretty ones would be sold to the highest bidder."
While Will had given me the idea about the turn around on Liora, and I had talked to Kaelen and Jax about it, I have no Idea where the guy slave camp, and Kaelen being sold thing came from. Liora however just rolled her eyes as she said.
"Fine, what can I do to make it up to you?"
She said it with such a sarcastic tone I felt what little shame and guilt was building up vanish as Kaelen, Jax, and I all said in unison.
"You're the bait for this quest."
Liora looked at us with a look that was one part annoyance, one part horrified confusion, in a way it looked like she was having a stroke. Selene next to her seemed to be curious but not saying anything, while Thalia nodded and grinned, knowing what was coming next.
"Alright, sure, whatever you say."
Thalia said looking bewildered and rolling her eyes.
"I am glad you agreed, because Kaelen and Thalia have been working on something since last night."
I said dramatically reaching into my cloak as Liora's face paled realizing we had her where we wanted her. From my cloak I started to pull out the body suit, I still had no idea what it looked like, all I knew is that Kaelen and Thalia had worked on it while everyone slept and placed it in my cloak. Pulling it out I couldn't help but suppress a laugh as I saw the suit.
It wasn't anything special, just a length of rope and dozens off bones from different sources all over it. Thalia and Kaelen grabbed it and started to run around Liora wrapping her like a fighter wraps their hands before a fight. The end product was a roughly ball shaped mass of bones around Liora who stood there with an expression of deceased horror on her face.
"Well what do you think?"
Jax asked turning to everyone else.
"I think if our enemy is a bone thief, you will look like gold."
Kaelen said stifling a laugh with Thalia
"You look, very striking to bone enthusiasts."
Thalia said, and while her face only showed a small smile and slightly puffed out cheeks, that was practically a barely contained belly laugh for her.
"Enemies won't be able to grab you easily."
Selene said trying to be reassuring as she looked over the occasional bone that stuck out at an odd angle.
"I would say you look tasty, but the smell made me lose my appetite from earlier."
Jax said shaking himself like he could shake away the memories of the smell.
"I'm not gonna comment because it will make your revenge lesser against me."
I said as Will coached me trough. He had insisted on this answer despite the several bone puns I had prepared, something about survival instincts.
"We Lass, you have adorned the proper catching gear, shall ye be headed to the lair of the vile thief?"
The fisherman said making his way over, as soon as he was nearby we all greened a bit, the smell was truly horrible as I could see Jax holding his breath.
"Yea, yea totally, where is the lair?
Liora said clearly trying to conserve her breath so she didn't have to breath in the smell.
"Tis just over da we hill over yonder, I'll guide you mysel-"
He was cut off by Kaelen who held a hand up and said.
"You have already bested your rival, you shouldn't be made to best a lesser beast to get them back, leave it to us."
The old man seemed to think for an impossibly long second before shrugging and waddling off to return to his little spot. We all took a moment to breath non contaminated air as Liora leaned over to dry heave.
"Ok, that was so much worse than I thought."
We all nodded as we started towards the hill we had been directed to. As we crested the first hill, we heard an exasperated sound. Turning we saw Liora trying and failing to climb the hill fast, the bones both weighing her down, and restricting her leg movement.
"Slow, Huff, Down you, pant, Assholes!"
She said between breaths.
"She's spherical enough, want me to roll her so she doesn't slow us down?"
Jax asked turning to the rest of us.
"She's already gonna kill you in your sleep because of this, you really want to be tortured first?"
Thalia asked matter of factly.
"Come on now, don't joke about things like that."
Kaelen said giving an uncomfortable chuckle. Thalia didn't respond, just gave the 3 of us guys a genuine pitying look as we looked between each other, now worried.