Reprise! Act 1!

[Rezantis]

"Well, we don't usually have to put up with these union idiots," Relm starts ticking off on her fingers, "the elves, while somewhat bigoted, are usually not quite so idiotic about it, the mages usually do their damn jobs and don't try to kill travellers, googlewyrms don't usually pop up in the middle of towns, and big black clouds of smoke don't usually come out of nowhere."

[Carthrat]

"Huh. Where I come from, there are big black clouds *everywhere*," replies Carthrat, shrugging. "Dunno about the rest of that junk.

But, say, do you know any places that make fried chicken?"

[Rezantis]

"Fried chicken?  Yes, actually.  Canucky fried chicken is known across the world.  That's where we're going, if you forgot again."

[Carthrat]

"Hang on, that's not what you called the place we were going to before," replies Carthrat, scratching her head.

[Rezantis]

"Yes it was.  You couldn't remember it half an hour ago anyway."

[Carthrat]

"I remember it wasn't.. uh.. the name you gave it just now," replies Carthrat.

[Rezantis]

"Uh-huh,"  Relm shrugged, "They're also famous for their Canucky Fried Moose."

[Carthrat]

"How much for a whole one?" replies Carthrat, ponderin-

"Halt, Abomination!" barks an Elf, swinging in front of the group, tarzan style. He levels a 12-ft long and 3-inch wide sword at Relm, holding it like a rapier, poised to strike. "Ye shall not pass beyond Karshinamolariso the Blademaster!"

[Rezantis]

"Oh."  Relm blinks.  "Alright."

She promptly makes a right turn and heads off in that direction.

[Carthrat]

..where she is met by a cameraman. "That's not they way this scene is supposed to go!" he says, his glasses falling off. "You're supposed to respond to his threats with a plea for sanity!"

[Rezantis]

"Oh . . . kay."

Relm blinked, then turned back to Karsinocrayola.

"But I'm a defiler, not an abomination.  The abomination is back that way, harassing another elf."  She points in the direction that she last saw Ryoma.

[Carthrat]

The elf blinks. "Curses! Tarisylcolamian was supposed to have slain the defilers by now!" he says, annoyed.

[Rezantis]

"Well, I think he was trying, but the abomination got in the way,"  Relm frowned sympathetically, then brightened, "But he had wings and was setting the forest on fire, and everything!  We're just walking, whereas he might fly away, so you can probably catch up to us without much trouble anyway."

She fixed sparkling eyes on the elf.

"I mean, wouldn't saving another elf, hard-pressed by a winged abomination, look so much better than just . . .well . . . waylaying a defiler?  It'd be sooooo heroic!"

[Carthrat]

The elf rubs the bridge of his nose. "Oh. Well, when you put it that way.. Fear not! I will return to splatter your guts across the forest!

If Iridiansolomsyaku doesn't do it first, anyway."

The elf dashes off..

[Rezantis]

Relm gestures to the cameraman.

"Er, shouldn't you get after him?  You'll miss the show, otherwise."