Wiping sweat from his brow, the red tiefling walked up the mountain glancing back at the violet tiefling who had tagged along giving a small grin "How you doing back there Morri? Making it?" he questioned with a small chuckle, as his tail moved a bit behind him. The climb was a bit hellish but at least he had some handsome company along. His jacket was off for once leaving him in his white shirt and usual pants and boots. He glanced back ahead to make sure he wouldn't tumble or trip as they walked on. "This man we are going to find best be handsome if we are climbing all the way up here. Is this what it's like with the castles in fairytales? highest room in the tallest tower and all that jazz?" He knew talking could only cause further exhaustion but the bloody silence was boring to him and getting a bit annoying. After a few more steps he reached to his side and got his small canteen of water taking a swig before putting it back and wiping his mouth, glancing back every so often to make sure the other was alright and making it up without tripping and such.

The scorching desert sun, thankfully, had prepared Morrigan for the heat of the Ash Lands.

They’d visited Darkveil a couple times before- once with Kvasir, and another to peruse the fabrics of Darkveil for a costume, where they’d gotten wrapped up in some… unpleasant business. This trip had been a spur of the moment decision between themselves and their current travel companion- the rugged, charming pirate Flynn, whom Morrigan had the pleasure of meeting some time ago in Moonglade. He was good fun to be around, and when they’d come upon a job regarding a missing researcher up in Mount Drakolt, Morrigan figured they’d let themselves have a little whimsy and adventure while they waited for Kvasir to finish making his rounds and return to Zeinav.

Traveling with Flynn provided a different kind of entertainment, though- just like Morrigan, he was constantly flirty and had a laid back attitude to boot. Even now he was cracking jokes the further they hiked up the side of the mountain, neither one really paying much attention to their surroundings. Morrigan themselves was laughing along to Flynn’s assertion that their researcher would have to be a handsome man to make this effort worth it.

Morrigan was currently keeping themselves cool with an ornate fan- decorated in elaborate blacks, silvers, and violets, a gift from their dear medic. It was doing a cracking job keeping them cool despite the heat, and as Flynn took a swig of water from his bottle, Morrigan politely fanned him a couple of times to make sure he was cool. Morrigan had also shed their jacket by now, showing off the plethora of tattoos down their arm.

“Hanging in there just fine for now- the view certainly helps.” Though they were seriously lamenting wearing the wrong boots for walking. “And considering that he has been lost up here for a few days, I would say it is safe to assume they're not looking in the best condition.” They huffed out an amused laugh.

Really, though, Morrigan couldn’t care less what they looked like as long as they were still alive. Morrigan and Flynn would not get paid for a dead researcher, and money was what Morrigan was looking for. Honestly- their miracles did not come cheap!

“I only hope they haven’t taken a tumble into the lava.” Morrigan said, another lighthearted laugh escaping their lips. “Apparently he was sent up here because they think that Mount Drakolt is erupting. It looks pretty unerupted to me.” They kicked at a rock at their feet to emphasize their point.

“But wherever they are, we’d better find them quickly as their dashing saviors, yes?”

Flynn smiled thanking him as he was fanned for a moment before he chuckled looking back at him again “I do hope I’m that helpful view handsome” he joked flirtatiously as they continued. “And hey rugged isn’t a bad look if done properly I’m sure he could still be handsome even if a bit of a mess” he grinned as he looked around making sure no trouble was around. He then glanced down to his wrist tattoo which pointed north at all times to check their heading “yes let’s hope he hasn’t decided a swim to be a proper course of action or a little trip. Either way though I can cover your pay if he is. Don’t want you going penniless whilst you can’t do your little schemes after all. And yes dashing is how I would like to remain to rescue the unfortunate soul” he remarked as his tail flicked a bit in thought. After a few moments he glanced back “how’s your sweetie boy doing? Well I hope?” He asked sincerely. Yes he still flirted with the other but now it was just for fun as he wasn’t the type to pursue someone in a happy relationship or in their way to one

“I don’t see any other dashing pirates around here, do I?” Morrigan teased right back, continuing on with their fanning. They couldn’t help but laugh at Flynn’s insistence that their researcher would be handsome despite the fact that he had been up here for days. “You, my friend, are incorrigible.” They wondered if Flynn would be singing the same praises once they found their mysterious researcher covered in soot and grime and… probably eating bugs, or whatever people did when they were lost in the mountains. Admittedly, Morrigan didn’t know much about wilderness survival.

Just in case, they pulled out a silver elixir from their bag, tipping the contents into their mouth. Morrigan blinked while their eyesight sharpened, allowing them to make out minute details in the horizon through the smoke pouring from the mountain and the craggy rock outcroppings that grew more violent the closer they got to the volcano.^[1] Still, they couldn’t make out hide nor hair of this lost researcher. “Looks like he’s hiding further up than this.”

As they continued to walk, Morrigan was thrown off-guard by Flynn’s question. “My… sweetie…?” Their brows furrowed as they tried to remember who Flynn could have been talking about. “Oh, you mean my Kvasir!” Secretly, they couldn’t help but be pleased at the endearing title Flynn had assigned Kvasir. The two had not committed to any relationship, nor had time to make sense of their tangled mess of emotions considering everything that had happened to them, but it was a nice thought to entertain.

“He is well. Last I heard, he was making his rounds through Charon. Helping the needy and whatnot.” There was a certain level of irony in a criminal and confidence man having forged such a quick friendship with a medic who was so selfless, but they made it work. Not to mention that Morrigan made enough money for both of them.

Speaking of…

Morrigan tapped at their chin as they considered how feasible it would be to pull a scam over on this researcher. While they were going to get paid from this venture, there was no harm in trying to make a little extra cash on the side, and have some fun with it. They did enjoy a good scam- not to mention pulling a con on an academic posed an added challenge that Morrigan enjoyed. “Flynn, dear, how easy do you think it would be to sell some patented dragon-be-gone to the unfortunate scientist?”

---

1. Eagle's Sight Potion (1/2)

“Why thank you I feel quite honored” he chuckled brushing the hair back and out of his face before chuckling at what the other said “I take that as a compliment luv” he winked just enjoying the fun and interesting conversation for the time being. It was nice to at least have a friend besides his crew in all honesty especially one so easy going and who could flirt back with him.

“Well then up we go it seems” he nodded as his gaze wandered upward looking for any possible signs of movement. He then nodded hearing the name kvasir “indeed! I want to know if there are any updates~ details dear.” He teased nodding as he heard what the other was up to “how sweet he is hm? Your knight in shining armor?” He glanced back with a smile

“Not sure about dragon be gone here Morri, but maybe some anti heat potion or something like that could be quite a useful thing around here I would say. Just remind me to be careful doing business around here in the future if we do so” He remarked considering the idea a good bit and weighing it against other possible outcomes

Morrigan was taken aback as Flynn asked more about Kvasir, a teasing grin on his face, as if there was a something to be talking about. Morrigan huffed as they fanned themselves, tail flicking behind them while they considered what to say. Bringing up the whole ‘he tried to kill me while possessed’ thing probably wouldn’t go over well, and it was far too morose a topic for a pleasant walk up the volcano.

“He is rather sweet. We had a lovely visit to this very mountain not too long ago in search of Ash Roses.” They flashed Flynn a humorous smirk. “Not exactly the most romantic of dates…” In fact, Morrigan would hardly have considered it a date at all. Perhaps there were feelings between charlatan and healer- both knew something small was budding there, and perhaps one of them might have acted on it, until… Frostgale happened. Morrigan was by no means deterred from remaining by Kvasir’s side, but Kasra’s unwelcome appearance had certainly put a damper on any romantic inclinations while the two tried to sift through the pieces of their current relationship and build it into something newer, like a potter collecting pieces of broken pots and carefully stitching them together with golden paint.

Morrigan pulled themselves from their musings as another burst of heat blasted them in the face, messing up their carefully styled hair. They shrieked, immediately stopping in their tracks to fix the damage. “This researcher had better be damned grateful that we’re doing this for him!”

Flynn made a rather good point about the dragon-be-gone. Morrigan hummed thoughtfully as they rethought this particular scam. Perhaps something more topical would be required here, something that would entice this particular researcher once they found him.

“I have a proposal for you then, my friend.” Morrigan said after a moment of deliberation. “How about we combine our efforts and tag team him? You lay down the sugar and I bring the spice.” Perhaps Flynn could flirt with him, and lower his defenses so Morrigan could sell some new “Cold Brew” potion that could allegedly help him beat the heat, and definitely help Morrigan make a little extra coin on the side. If Flynn wasn’t interested, they’d drop the scam, of course, but it could prove interesting.

He smiled listening to the other talk about his love interest and nodded “sounds like a good one. Hold onto him.” He grinned as they walked chuckling as he heard they had been up here recently “perhaps we can find more of those flowers for your dear medic then? They could be of use” he remarked as they continued on letting the other contemplate in silence while he needed. He then paused and swiftly turned hearing the others yell, hand going to his rapier thinking something was horribly wrong. He stopped however seeing the others hair a mess, quickly covering his shit eating grin and trying to muffle his laughter “well aren’t you a hot mess darling?” He joked “would you like some help fixing it?” He asked tilting his head and walking over to help it a bit. He then nodded thinking over the plan after the hair was fixed “not my normal type of team activities but it works” he chuckled and nodded “just tell me what to do love” he remarked as they continued on up wondering what to do and where this researcher could be. He had definitely made it pretty far that was for sure

“I’m going to try my damndest.” Morrigan replied, because they had a feeling they were going to have to fight to do so.

Flynn pulled out his rapier as Morrigan shrieked, which was honestly a bit touching- but then he nearly burst into laughter at Morrigan’s hair misfortune, which earned him a petulant glower in response. “At least I’m a hot one.” And right now, they meant that in both the literal and metaphorical sense. The sheer heat from the volcano was making them sweat like a sinner in a church. They still bent over and allowed Flynn to help fix their hair before it became tangled in their horns.

“All you’re really going to have to do is flirt like your life depends on it.” Morrigan explained. “I’ll do the potion selling, yeah?” Ideally, the researcher would be too busy paying attention to Flynn, a rather attractive distraction, that he’d buy anything Morrigan tried to peddle.

It was almost a bit surprising to learn that Flynn didn’t normally engage in group criminal activities, given what Morrigan knew of his real profession. He could call himself a sailor all he wanted, but Morrigan had grown up around enough liars and crooks to know the look of a pirate when they saw one.

“What kind of group activities do you normally engage in, if not charming the coin out of some poor fool’s wallet?” They asked.

Now that Flynn had brought it up though, Morrigan wondered if there might be more Ash Roses in the area. They didn’t get to keep the ones they’d found, unfortunately- those went to the Consortium so that they could gain access to the guild. “That’s not a horrible idea. They usually grow around the lava pits down below… but it wouldn’t hurt to check.”

Morrigan stepped off the beaten path they were on, curious to see if they could spot any of the pretty black flowers along the craggy volcano side. Morrigan and Flynn had made decent progress up the side of the mountain, and so the steep hill Morrigan was standing at the precipice of only looked more daunting. The sight did not make Morrigan dizzy as it might have made some others, though- they relished the height, and the power it gave them.

So maybe that was why they weren’t as careful when they turned back to look at Flynn, disappointed- “I don’t see any Ash Roses. Maybe we’ll find some up above-“

-And tripped, losing their footing as they were thrown down the hill into the dark, rocky pit below.

Flynn nodded "I'll cheer ya on mate" he grinned glancing back before chuckling hearing the others comment about being a mess "you're always a hot one darling"

He focused on carefully untangling the hair from the others horns and nodded "flirting I can definitely do" he remarked stepping back when the hair was all finished and in place "there we are back to perfect. Let's see would a few undone buttons help?" he chuckled moving a hand to his shirt buttons.

He walked along with him pausing at the question to think "It depends on what sounds fun. Stealing from the arse holes of the world is quite enjoyable, flirting with those good looking, helping a few small towns by getting rid of a monster or a problem. Or bugging a royal fleet by looting and humiliating them" He chuckled "What about you? What do you do when you arent being charming for coin luv"

"right well I'll keep my eyes out for roses dear" His gaze roamed for signs of flowers wanting to help the other . He looked over about to say something before his eyes widened diving towards the other reaching out as they followed over the edge, grabbing the other in the air and covering their head and as much of the other as they could to keep them from getting hurt, trying to use his body as a shield as they plummeted.

“I appreciate the assistance.” Perhaps a ghost of a genuine smile might have graced the charlatan’s lips for a moment- a rare flash of real emotion behind the facade. “And I think we can both agree that the both of us would be too hot for any researcher to handle.” they paused as they considered his question before coming to an eventual conclusion- “Yes, lose the top two buttons. Not one more, or one less.” If that wasn’t enough to have any scrawny nerd falling at Flynn’s feet, then they had a bigger problem on their hands.

“I get that, my friend.” Morrigan replied. They of all people understood what it meant to be a creature of whimsy. Though they came from different walks of life, the two tieflings were more similar than just a few shared superficial features. In this regard, they were cut from the same cloth. “Humiliation seems like a wonderful endeavor. I’ve done my fair share of that as well.” They did take a moment to consider Flynn’s question, though. “When I’m not being charming for coin, I’d say I’m often being charming for free. Like right now.” They added with a wink.

They might have added more, if they hadn’t chosen that particular moment to take a spontaneous tumble down the side of the pit. Flynn, who’d been keeping an eye out for Ash Roses a little bit away, immediately darted out in an attempt to catch Morrigan- as the both of them fell, Flynn twisted, shielding Morrigan from most of the damage as they tumbled down the side, twisting and turning every which way. The world spun all the way down, and Morrigan wasn’t sure how long they’d been falling for, until the ground eventually flattened out beneath them and they rolled to a stop at the bottom of a ravine.

“Ahhh…” Morrigan groaned as they tried to pick themselves up, still dizzy from being thrown around so much. Their head throbbed, but they were still conscious- they had no idea how Flynn had fared after that. “Flynn? Are you awake?”

Despite the pain they were feeling from the scrapes and bruises all over their body, Morrigan reached into their bag and pulled out a swirling vial of dark liquid that looked more like a galaxy contained within crystal glass than a potion. While Flynn was recovering, they nudged him in an attempt to wake him up. “Here, drink this. I promise it’s the real deal for once.”^[1]

---

1. Minor Health Potion

“Hm true we do make a dangerous combo” he had chuckled and undone the top two buttons as requested, showing some of his chest. “Oh how irresistible that charm is” he remarked with a smile speaking in a playful manner as he walked with the other. They fell for what seemed like hours as he winced scraping against a few rocks as they were tossed about before wincing hearing a few concerning noises from his body upon landing with a wince. The back of his head felt warm from the blood and his arms were scraped up along with his legs barely conscious “y-you okay morri?” He asked not really able to focus but worried for the other. It took a moment for him to accept but he soon did take the potion feeling most of the wounds heal his head still aching some “bloody hell who knew falling for you could hurt so much” he joked a bit still feeling a little weak as he worked on sitting up “but seriously are you okay?” He asked looking the other over not overly concerned about himself. He gently lifted the others chin turning his head a bit to make sure he wasn’t bleeding or cut

“This mortal vessel is unharmed.” Morrigan replied after a moment’s hesitation, checking their body to make sure that there was nothing too terribly injured. Their pants were torn, they realized with a grimace. “But this mortal cloth, it seems, did not survive the fall so easily.”

They nodded in satisfaction as Flynn’s injuries patched themselves up, pleased with their work. They didn’t often make genuine healing elixirs, and it was even rarer they got to see their potions in action. Based on how Flynn’s own wounds had mostly returned to normal, Morrigan was pleased to see that the sparkling potion had the intended effect.

“I’ve been told the road to hell is paved with good intentions, but after today, I’d tell anyone spouting such sentiments that they’re full of shit.” They laughed as they pried their boot off, shaking a handful of pebbles and dust out of it. “After that tumble I’d say the road to hell is only paved with rocks.”

At least Flynn managed to sit up and crack another joke, though it was one that seemingly held more meaning than Morrigan knew how to interpret. They flashed him a brilliant, fanged smile as he inspected Morrigan for any further injuries.

“Others have said much the same, but I doubt they meant it quite so literally.” They joked. “I am fine. I am hardly a porcelain doll, and you shielded me from most of the damage.”

They forced themselves to stand, taking stock of the situation. They were currently in the middle of a deep ravine, ash falling in rivulets like snow around them. There was no lava around, which was a small mercy- as far as the pirate and charlatan were concerned, they were in the middle of a steep basin that could fill up any moment if they didn’t get out as soon as possible.

“Hmm.” Well, this was a bit of a problem.

“We need to find a way to get up out of here.” They said, as simply as if they were talking about taking a stroll up a hill rather than scaling an entire mountain. “We’re no good to this mysterious researcher if we can’t even save ourselves, are we?” They asked with a bit of humor in their voice as they clapped their hands together, rings clicking from the motion. Internally, they were… less confident than they looked. While getting up the ravine might have been child’s play for someone possessing the skillset Morrigan frequently boasted of, it was at times like these that they were woefully reminded of the fact that they could not, in fact, move the air to lift the two of them safely to the top. Not to mention Flynn was still injured…

“But if we cannot make it up then we will simply have to walk along the bottom for now.” Morrigan concluded, tail flicking behind them. They offered a hand to help Flynn up in support, still wearing that easy, charming smile on their face. “I suppose it’s my turn to help you now after you saved me, yes?”

Flynn gave a soft chuckle hearing the other just thankful he was okay and wasn't hurt "That's good I was worried about that" he remarked "torn clothes don't sound too bad though~" he tried to flirt a bit even in his aching state of pain "thank the gods you have some real good potion skills or this would be far worse darling" he remarked as he looked to the other thankful to have him there

"Mm rocks indeed love, lots of pointed uncomfortable rocks. And if that good deed is what sends me to hell then damn it all" he joked some thankful the other was in a good mood. It made it easier to carry on with the other around to lift him up. There was a pang in his heart as his joke had been taken fully at face value from earlier but it was one he knew and accepted. He would get through it he knew that though it was hard at times to be content with his silence. From what he heard about this other man however he sounded amazing and a far better pick for Morrigan. So he would carry on as usual and cheer the two on."What can I say? I do love being literal" he joked "I'm glad you didn't get hurt though. Couldn't leave loverboy all sad without someone like you eh?" he ruffled the others hair a little

"Quite true darling I am sure we can find an exit somewhere but it may be a bit difficult" He remarked looking around before to the other taking his hand "I would say fair is fair" he joked getting up with the others help "If we can find a sturdy enough spot I may be able to get us out of here I think"

Morrigan couldn’t help but laugh at Flynn’s continued attempts at flirting despite the situation they’d found themselves in. “Oh, you flatter me.” They replied. “But you’re correct. In the right situation, a bit of torn clothing could be fun.” Just not in this particular predicament, though Morrigan would admit it made the heat a little more bearable. “And of course I have real potion skills. The fake stuff is just a way to have easy money and have a bit of fun on the side.” They boasted.

Morrigan’s real bread and butter, in actuality, depended on their ability to create miracles from crushed plants and roots. Where real spells failed them, they brewed artificial magic. It was all part of the illusion that made up the Wizard of the Wastes. Most like Flynn who saw through the ruse assumed that Morrigan truly had no talent at brewing, but they would be wrong. But why would Morrigan ever sell the really expensive stuff when they could make easy money with placebo elixirs?

“If you’re going to the underworld for that, then I’m not far behind you.” Morrigan said with another bout of laughter. They noticed the odd strain in Flynn’s voice as he mentioned Morrigan’s sweetheart once more, but they weren’t sure why. Flynn had been asking about Kvasir for a while now, but hadn’t seemed to have a problem with Kvasir until now. Morrigan tilted their head, gaze suddenly calculating but not saying anything while Flynn ruffled their styled hair affectionately. “I’m fairly certain if he caught wind of this little tumble he’d go on about how I’ll cause him a heart attack by forty. And if I died, he’d probably make good on his threats of resurrecting me just to kill me himself.”

With the lofty goal of escaping in mind, Morrigan and Flynn set off, with Morrigan helping the still-injured pirate wherever they could. The potion seemed to have worked well enough to keep him functional, but Morrigan wondered how long this burst of energy would last for. Hopefully long enough for them to find an exit. “A sturdy place, hmm?” Morrigan mused as they regarded the steep ravine. “Is your daring plan to climb up yourself? It would probably work if you only had yourself to worry about, or if you weren’t injured.” Still, it was the best option they had for now, so Morrigan kept their eye out for any sturdy parts of the ravine as they made their way along the bottom.

Progress was slow, and given Morrigan’s natural inability to shut their incessant chattering, surprisingly silent. They were too busy trying to take stock of their assets, and figure out where to go from here. Morrigan had their elixirs, and their fan, but poisons would do little good against an environmental obstacle like a cliff. Flynn had his sword and his strength, but that only presented the same problem.

Just as Morrigan was about to lament about their poor fortune, Morrigan heard a voice call out, soft and hoarse from disuse. It was so quiet that Morrigan would have missed it had they not been silent while they were mulling over a plan.

“Hello? Is someone there?”

"Ah I see well I must say the real things are quite good" he chuckled as he walked carefully along with the other "You are quite the potion maker morri" he smiled as they continued on laughing as he heard the others reply "Good to know I wont be lonely in such a case then ear" he nodded some

He listened to the other talking about kvasir and nodded with a smile "Well then the secret is safe with me. Don't need you getting in trouble do we?" he asked as the walked on. "well if I can get up with my daggers I can throw down a rope to help you up, that way we can both get out" he nodded some

He immediately stopped upon hearing the voice and walked towards the sound looking around his voice loud but his tone soft "hello? We are here to help you friend hang in there. If you can here me keep talking enough so we can find you alright?" he remarked as he searched for where the other was, crouching before him when he found him, moving some rubble off him and propping him up "Right let's get you some water and a way out of here alright?" he asked as he gave the other some water and moved to lift the other giving him a piggy back ride seeing as the other was weak. He ignored the aching in his muscles and moments of pain as he hid it with a grin looking to Morri "Ready to get out of here?"