A handful of hours later the trio found a quaint little inn just outside a decent sized hamlet, for two kobolds and an elf to ride into town caused quite a stir at first but after promising not to steal any chickens or whisk away any children they found a pair of rooms for a decent cost. Blushing Fleet Spear excused herself into their shared room, asking Xing Lei to come back after a few hours. The process of evolution took time, much longer than those few hours, but she was embarrassed by how the egg she'd become was created and would much rather not see her in such a state. Licking his cheek tenderly she closed the door leaving him to Alustriea's company.
Crossing the corridor and knocking on Alustriea's door he slipped inside, stopping a moment to see the elf meditating on her bed. Moving to the chair and table in the room, he sat down to wait for her to finish, ordering his thoughts as he watched the elf calming herself. A few minutes later her emerald eyes blinked open and a rosy tinge filled her cheeks, "You came."
Xing Lei nodded simply, "You asked so I'll tell, but before I begin, are you sure this is what you want Alustriea? I know you are curious about a wide degree of topics but this topic is often best sought yourself."
The elf nodded her head leaning forward to listen to his voice, "Please tell me, I need to know."
Sighing Xing Lei leaned back resting in the chair as he spoke, "I am not a youthful kobold, well, physically I am. But spiritually I am a human man that has lived for close to four centuries. I died in my old life, and thanks to fates blessing I was given the chance to live again with my knowledge intact."
Watching her eyes he gave a slight smile, he could see the disbelief erupting in her emerald gaze, "Yes humans generally don't live that long but once one becomes a cultivator, your entire existence is to thwart the heavens. Even life span is a moot point, despite being over four hundred my original looks stopped changing around my mid thirties. Same for my wives and concubines. As well as my companions who walked beside me during the final march to immortality."
Alustriea reeled in shock, the simple explanation exposed a great deal about this kobold, or at least his old self. Wives AND concubines? Only despotic tyrants indulged to such degrees! Though it did explain how open Xing Lei was towards sharing his bed with her, Fleet Spear and Leaf Dancer. Wait.
"Were we all suppose to take up those roles?" Her emerald eyes grew cold staring at the kobold who sat soun concerned as if her mounting rage was not his concern.
Xing Lei shook his head, "No? Maybe? To be honest I truly had not had a plan at the time. I merely sought to cure Leaf and respond to Fleet's feelings. Of course knowing your feelings, I would easily welcome you as well. Why not? You are certainly beautiful and passionate."
Alustriea frowned even as her cheeks burned, even her pointed ears were hot even to herself. "So the true Xing Lei is nothing more than another lech?"
Xing Lei laughter and shook his head, "No not at all Alustriea. I merely exist in the moment, I have no plan other than my life goal, but why can I not pause to enjoy life as I live? That is not to say any pretty flower could attract me, merely I am fully willing to respond to your own feelings should you choose to explore them."
Watching the fury rising up in Alustriea he raised a hand, "Please, I meant no insult, it is simply how I am, but this is not the line of questions you had for me was it?"
Frowning but calming her breathing she nodded, "What happened out there Xing Lei? You left to get a treasure for Turk and before you came back it was like the gates of hell threw wide its doors to let its horrors run rampant."
Xing Lei settled in to tell the tale of crossing the grasslands to trying his first spell, grudgingly she congratulated him on his first true spell but then listened as he reached the ruins and panther folk. He spoke of sneaking through the camp of finding the door, of meeting Hazim then the tasks. Hearing the riddles Alustriea blinked at how simple they seemed, even the door was just bait to lull takers into a false sense of ease. Then he spoke of the final trial, of Hazim watching him running around like a fool.
Xing Lei looked into her eyes and then spoke of his discovery, of who and what Hazim truly was and finally what the true treasure was. By the time he spoke of genies and boon wishes a hand had covered her mouth, she looked to Xing Lei, her eyes begging him not to say what was next, but he continued meeting her gaze evenly as he spoke of freeing the genies bound servants and then the wish she dreaded to hear.
It was his fault monsters now roamed the face of the world. He could have wished for the resources but a finite amount was finite, so instead he wished for the world to reproduce what he needed. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she gazed at her 'savior'. Xing Lei was no hero, not with fully knowing that dozens if not hundreds of peasant families across the kingdoms would lose their lives or homes... all for his power.
Sobbing softly she buried her face in her hands, how could one person do such a thing? To choose personal gain over the lives of countless people. Alustriea's body shook as she cried, the depth of despair that her 'hero' had damned so many for personal gain tore her heart apart. What of her own people? Were they beset by beasts while she lounged in an inn with their proxy killer? A hand rested on her shoulder and her body jerked back as if electrocuted. The humiliation of the orc that had torn her robe, the goblins that had pinned her to the ground, their touches were now the soft caress of entities that knew no better, but that scaled touch was the touch of the demonic!
She scurried back on the bed away from Xing Lei, who watched her with outstretched arm, "go away..." Her whisper barely got through her lips as Xing Lei stepped closer. "NO! Get away from me! Please! Leave my room Lei.... I can't, I just can't look at you right now! Please leave me alone, I need time to think."
Shrugging he retracted his offered hand and stepped towards the door slipping outside without a word, as that one reassuring back vanished, Alustriea broke down burying her face in the bed and screaming her anguish, the loss, the death, the suffering of all those faceless villagers was by his act! How could she face such casual disregard for life?! How could she continue to ride by such a blatant monster?! Thoughts of Xing Lei helping her versus all those ruined villages warred in her mind till her poor young mind could handle it no more and sleep claimed her.
Xing Lei rested against the closed door listening to her cries, her mumbling and finally the surrender to unconsciousness due to being unable to come to terms how her hero could possibly damn so many to death. Shaking his head, he left her be. Walking down the hall and out of the in, the towns folk gave him a wide berth, he was a monster to them, not because they knew what Alustriea knew but because he looked it. They, he paid no mind to. Rather he took his time exploring the town, after all a place of this size should have at least an herbalist. As he moved around town he became more aware of the stares he was getting, to some degree it was expected, he was a kobold after all but it was starting to become a little too abundant.
Looking down at himself he sighed, to townsfolk he must look like a savage wearing this suit of boar hide armor, perhaps it was time to adjust his appearance, now that they were free of the savage grasslands continuing to blend in with them would prove detracting to other relations. Spotting a tailor shop he approached the door and moved to step inside when a woman in a thick dress blocked his path, a broom swatting at him, "Shoo with ye, we don't serve yer kind around here, go on git!"
Grimacing he stepped away from the shop and looked around, the other store keepers were glaring his way, similarly blocking entrance to a variety of other shops. His eyes glanced over them in amusement, "What you all don't take gold and silver for your wares?"
A burly man frowned from nearby, his stained apron and cleaver spoke volumes for what he practiced, "Aye we do, from people. Beasts and monsters? Go back where ye came from!"
The crowd that was gathering yelled their agreement, it would seem money didn't talk as well out here on the edges of the Ironhand kingdom, rather the close knit community was dead set on expelling this little monstrous interloper. Holding up his hands he backed away, mostly due to the presence of the guard who were taking too much of an interest in the situation, thus a withdrawal was in order. Between the distraught Alustriea and the evolving Fleet Spear, getting away from trouble in town would prove, troublesome.
Leaving the merchant street Xing Lei made his way back to the inn, slipping into the room with the egg and stroked its surface lightly, he could feel the warmth of she that was inside and wondered how much she'd change when she hatched. With his companions unavailable there was not much he could do, the town was particularly hostile to him for some reason, yet they'd said nothing when the trio entered. Something fishy was happening and it bore waiting out. Settling into the corner he crossed his legs and focused on reviewing what he needed to advance further.
Silence fell on the inn other than the slow breathing kobold, his senses piqued when he heard footsteps coming down the hall, someone was trying their door handle as Xing Lei moved into the blind spot of the inward swinging door, his spear on hand as a figure slipped into the room, for a moment Xing Lei mistook the intruder for Alustriea only this elf had ink black hair, plus was about a few inches taller. As the elf crept in, it looked around warily, frowning at the egg before drawing a slender dagger that shined of silver and quietly rose it above the calmly sitting egg.
As the would be assassin prepared to strike the end of a spear gently tapped his shoulder then his cheek. Behind him, emerging from the darkness like some avenging ghost, "Now who are you and why do you want to stab that egg?"
The elf grit its teeth and stayed quiet, the blade had slid from the would be killers fingers to thunk into the floor, the fact the blade almost vanished completely made it likely that the knife was enchanted. Xing Lei eyed his silent captive and shrugged quickly bringing his spear sideways to clock the silent killer, that slender elven body slumping to the floor. Binding legs and arms he pulled the mask away, unsurprised the elf could be considered quite handsome he left the would be killer bound on the floor as he crossed the corridor and knocked at Alustriea's door. Without waiting he pushed the door open and wasn't really surprised to see a second dark cloaked elf kneeling before an awkward looking Alustriea.