A Bloody Good Hunt (Closed to Jethro and Ezra)

Nevin stared at the jars in his basement and let out a long, aggravated sigh. Since he had quietly begun revealing his blood magic to people, he had been using blood potions more and more frequently in his shops. It went over well - astonishingly well in fact, as the potions were more effective than what he made with his normal methods. But there was a downside to this - he was now running quite low on his stores of animal blood.

Which meant, it was now time to gather more. But he needed more than what he would normally gather himself - he would need help. Well, he did have Ezra as his apprentice now - it would be a good time to introduce her to the fact that he was a blood mage, he felt it was time for her to know this fact about himself. But would the two of them be enough? He doubted it. No. They would go to one of the local bars and see if there was someone willing to help them. Elthas and Sketch weren't in town right now or he might have gone to them to recruit their aid, but as it was, he couldn't take the time to wait for them.

So he headed outside, paying one of the town kids to run to Nan's place to find Ezra and let her know where he was going to be, and asking her to meet him there. The child happily accepted the payment of two candies and ran off, waving at Nevin as they took off. That done, Nevin headed off himself, making his way to the nearby bar that he'd gone to before.

Jethro was growing bored with the mining town, there wasn't enough work to keep him interested in such a small place, especially when he could find as much work in a day, as he could find here in a week in Corone. Never the less he was in the bar, most patrons had learned that avoiding conflict with him was a good thing, most of the miners gave him a wide birth, and most others rarely spoke to him except to offer him a job. Really Jethro didn't mind, he was a man of few words except to the people that he was allied with.

Jethro did make it a point to never use his unique talents in public. This was not out of some sort of prejudices toward him, but was more his way of keeping aces in the hole. All most any one knew was that he was an outsider with strange colored skin, who was in the area doing odd jobs, and causing trouble in the local bar. In short he was typical fare for a wandering sort.

He was eating a meal, not in some dark corner but in the bar proper. The meal was mostly meat, cheese, and booze. He was sat in such a way that that he could observe the majority of the bar while he ate, so there was little surprise for him when Nevin showed up. He hadn't seen the hemomance in quite some time but still he recognized something going on with him, Jethro didn't know what it was nor did he really worry about it. Never the less the alchemist was there, and as he approached, Jethro greeted him. "Hello."

Ezra had learned why having too much of a 'good' thing was so troublesome.

Nan had been running the poor homunculus ragged today, between the housecleaning, the gardening, the cooking, and the impromptu dress up game the older woman had insisted on suddenly. They had been trapped for the last hour trying on various dresses and other garments from the old woman's youthful days, and despite their near pristine condition, the clothe were proving to be rather itchy and irritating. A knock at the door was almost a sweet reprieve from the house's madness. With rapid footfalls, the homunculus threw the door open to a young lad with a mouth full of something. A small amount of drool leaked from his mouth, and the mage knelt down and with a careful swipe of the sleeve, cleaned the boy's face. He shied away slightly in mock defiance, but let the cloth wipe his face.

"Hello, little one. Are you here to see Nan?" Ezra asked, head tilted in a curious glance. It wasn't uncommon for the children to visit Nan, as the older woman often spoiled the children with interesting stories and occasional treats. The boy shook his head, attempting to speak with the very familiar pink orbs in his mouth. Someone had been visiting Nevin, it seemed. After a few minutes of chomping, chewing, and a bit more slobber, the young lad finally got his message across. Meet Nevin at the local tavern in about ten minutes? That was quite doable; they just needed a way to head out and make sure the older woman had something to do to keep her attention while they met with the alchemist. Purple eyes shot down to the young boy, and a stroke of genius hit them like a ton of bricks.

"Little boy, let us make a deal. If you can help Nan around the house for a bit while I go see what Sir Nevin needs, I will be sure to compensate you with five candies. Is that a fair trade?" The little boy's jaw dropped and looked on in disbelief. He would get five candies for staying with Ol' Nan?! With vigorous head nodding, the homunculus stepped to the side and the boy sprinted through the doorway and around the corner to where Nan waited.

"Nan, I must convene with Sir Nevin as he has requested my presence. I shall return as soon as possible. The young one will assist you for a time while I am gone." Ezra called as they ran to their room to change into their armor and out of the frilly dress Nan had forced them to wear. Before an argument could be made, the homunculus had grabbed their hammer and sprinted out of the cottage to the tavern where freedom awaited.


Upon arrival in the tavern, a cursory glance revealed Nevin and another man speaking in the somewhat quiet tavern. They couldn't quite hear what was being said, but with calm movements Ezra had made their way through the few tables until they stood behind the alchemist with one hand behind their back and the other still holding their war hammer at their side.

"You called, Sir Nevin?"

Excellent. Jethro had gotten a reputation as a fighter in recent times, and that was exactly what was needed. Nevin took a seat at the table Jethro had been eating at, folding his hands together and smiling pleasantly at the other man. He inclined his head in response to Jethro's greeting before looking around. While most people who sought solitude would choose to sit in a corner and face away from the bar and its denizens, Jethro had purposefully sat where he could see, and be seen, by any who entered. It was a change of pace for Nevin, as he normally preferred to seclude himself in one of those very same corners. Still. To focus, and to deal with the situation at hand. "Hello, sir Jethro. A pleasure to see you again.
I might actually have need of your help, if you're willing to lend a hand - ah."

Even though she had been getting better about reading social cues, there were still some times when Ezra made a gaff without even realizing that she had done so. Walking through a bar during its business hours with a weapon clasped in one hand, was one such gaffe, and Nevin wanted to drop his head into his hands and let out a large sigh. Instead, he pulled his apprentice down into a seat next to him, shaking his head as he pushed the hammer down so it was resting on the ground. He had no idea why she had decided to stand directly behind him - usually it was angry wives who did that, and she was his apprentice. And also, well. That was an issue for other places. Instead, he smiled and shook his head ruefully.

"Ezra. I don't know what that child told you but I just needed your presence. We could have swung by Nan's place to get your warhammer before we left. Ah well. So, to business then I suppose. Ezra, the supplies for the store are running low. Specifically, animal parts. So, I intend to go hunting. Normally I would do this alone, but I think it's a good opportunity for you to learn and get some hands on experience Ezra. Sir Jethro, I would appreciate you traveling with us just in case we run into more than two people can handle. On my own I am sure of my abilities to escape but with two..." The truth was, with Ezra around, right now, Nevin couldn't go all out. He hadn't yet found a good opportunity to bring his blood magic up with the homunculus, but he would need to do so when he could find a way to bring it up. Thinking of it though, maybe he would be able to do that after this hunt. Hmm.

The meat that Jethro was eating was rare, not cool and bloody in the middle rare, more like only the edges have any sort of searing on it and the muscle was still pink. He nodded coldly at the offer that the alchemist was making him, "A hunt you say?" Jethro asked cutting a chunk of meat, and putting it into his mouth, "Are we going after deer, elk, or some larger game?"

Then he noticed the strange creature behind the alchemist, they knew each other apparently Jethro was going to be more of a body guard, than a hunter. He let them talk among themselves as he continued eating. He was a patient man, didn't mind waiting he had that kind of time. Truth be told he had already made up his mind, but it would rude to interrupt, he didn't need to any way, they would be waiting for his answer. When the conversation returned to him Jethro nodded "things do not get pretty when I'm around. But if the pay is right I'll be your body guard."

He took another bite of the meat, finished the rest of the meal, and killed the bottle of booze unflinchingly in about three gulps. He stood gave a nod to the pair and stated "when ever you two are ready" with a salamander like grate to his voice. He then picked up his bore spear, just a common wood and steel spear with a broad head, and a small brass lantern which he hooked onto the head of the spear, and let the combination rest against his shoulder.

"Apologies. The child did not specify what my presence was needed for, so I grabbed my weapon just in case it was needed sooner. However, I do recommend we hurry as the small child has been left with Nan and I do not know how long he will be able to distract her for." Ezra explained in a quiet manner, purple eyes glancing between Nevin and the man seated and eating his way through a rather uncooked steak. The man seemed to have a somewhat normal appearance; just a middle-aged human with black hair and the uncommon green eyes. His skin was somewhat blotchy, but it would have been impolite to ask about why that was. Perhaps it was just the life of an adventurer who had met a danger once upon a time. They would likely have to inquire about his story at another point in time, but for now, work called.

As the man finished his meal as well as the alcohol that accompanied it, the homunculus couldn't help but blanch slightly at the sight. They had tried alcohol once before and found the drink to be disgusting and bitter tasting. They would honestly have rather eaten a dozen of Nevin's disgusting strawberry candies at the same time than attempt to drink another form of 'mead' or whatever the villagers were drinking. They continued to stare at the man's mug for a long moment, then quietly shook their head to refocus. Meeting new people was an important thing to focus on, and being rude by getting lost in thought was not appropriate for the situation, especially doubly so when the danger could become very real.

"I am ready as well, Sir Nevin. And Sir... Jethro, was it? My name is Ezra, I am an apprentice of Nevin's alchemy shop and an average student in the art of magic. I hope to work with you, sir." The homunculus offered their hand to the man, and they simply waited for the man to shake their hand or simply ignore it and move on.

Nevin looked between the two, warriors both, clad and ready for battle. Then down at himself, dressed in his normal work clothes. He shook his head slowly, then raised an eyebrow at them.

"Well. I shall have to meet you at the gate. I was hoping to acquire company, but not to depart right this very moment. Ah, Sir Jethro, in answer to your question, anything and everything we might come across. I am primarily interested in the blood of the creatures, and you two can discuss the hides and meats. Hopefully nothing too strenuous appears in the woods, but one never knows. Now, I beg pardon, I must go get my own gear."

With that, and a bow, he slipped outside and made his way back to his shop. He hadn't expected both of them to be ready to go so quickly - he certainly hadn't expected Ezra to show up with her hammer. Still, now that he had set the ball in motion, he was not going to be the one holding the group up. So he picked up the pace, slamming into his shop and heading to gather what he needed quickly. He gathered up the bottles and headed back towards the gate.

Ezra and Jethro were both there, waiting on him already. He rubbed the back of his head and apologized. His hand tightened on his barbed whip - possibly the first time Ezra had seen the weapon, he usually kept it upstairs as he didn't often need it in Stonevale.

"So, as I said. Any beast is fine with me, I will leave the decision to you two. I just need it to have blood."

Jethro managed hand shakes as best he could, he had a sixth digit protruding from his palm, well digit was a simple description, what it was, was a barb, a razor sharp, hinged barb. He shrugged, it was a matter of fact thing, on his right hand were more bony knobs that protruded through his skin. He leaned against the wall of alchemy shop as he waited for his acquaintance to gather his supplies.

If all Nevin wanted was blood, and lots of it, than it was a simple matter of finding a red deer, or some other large animal and just bleed it dry. Best way to do that would be to hang it up side down and cut out it's tongue. The blood would flow at an incredible rate, and it would net buckets of blood in a matter of a few minutes. But, not all blood was created equal; the more powerful the blood the more useful it would be for his acquaintance; which meant specialized beasts, maybe some sentient's with particular sets of talents, or some other out there options.

Dragons, basilisks, and manticores were excellent candidates for incredibly potent blood, for sentient's there were vampires to be exterminated, werewolves to be put down, witches, druids, and wizards; all of which had potent blood but the biomancer wasn't sure as to Nevins sensibilities. Not knowing which sort of options Nevin would consider he simply asked the homunculus "what kind of creature does your friend prefer to hunt?"