Sol City was vastly different from the Crescent Isles, a grand city packed onto an island that seemed like it might spill off it's shores if a strong wave rolled over it. The boat ride had been normal enough to get to the Gold Port, maybe a bit on the pricy side, but worth the trip. Aside from the usual smells of ports, there was an unusual aroma of spices and shellfish blanketing much of the port area. Curious about the divine smell of blended spices, peppery and tangy on the tongue with garlic notes and the taste of crustacean on the back, she followed the scent to a vendor.

Inside a comically sized pot, there were dozens of crabs boiling in a bright red brine bath along side fresh herbs and various vegetables she'd never seen before. Fascinated, she walked right up to the stall, her forked tongue scooping up the aerial morsels to bring back to her nose. A rainbow cascade of peppers hung above the oven, slowly roasting in the billowing heat of the oven. After a few minutes, a man in a white apron that was streaked with color from making the delicious concoction came up to Taki.

"Greetin's to ye miss, ye're a sight ta behold to this ol' codger. I seen a snake once, looked just like you, in a book we'd been terrified by as a babe. Not here for a bite of me are ya?"

"Not at all, Sser, the delightful scent of your food drew me from the docks to hear, it's spices are delightfully fragrant, vibrant and balanced."

"Good good, will ya be likin' a bowl of me crab boil then?"

"I'm afraid I'd have to work for it, after the trip here, I'm a little short of funding."

"That be no problem miss, ya eat ya fill of this here tasty crab, and bring me more when ya done. We's had an invasion some days ago, lots still around the city. Likely, dem's not long for da world anyway, not enough food for us and the crabbies. Bring me one of these here' buckets full o' fresh, live clampies, and we's got a deal." Explained the merchant, who'd spent the time cleaning and sharpening his knife before starting to prepare more vegetables, crab and spices. 

"Same goes to any!! Ye eat first, then ye bring more crabs, and we be havin' a deal!" They shouted to the crowd, surely the town would keep them busy though Taki, just based on the smell alone.

How did this even happen?

Sure, Sol City was an island and an errant crab wandering around in the streets after a storm probably isn't crazy, but the sheer number of these crustacean critters was beyond what is natural. There wasn't even any recent storms to blame in the first place. 

Whatever, Zarius wasn't a marine biologist or crab expert. He was just a guy. A guy with a dignitary title and crime lordship to inherit in the Ash Lands. No big deal. 

And that was earnest, it wasn't a big deal and he wasn't above grunt work. That's why, even though he couldn't give two flying leaps what was best for Sol City, he and his employees were in the streets of the city picking up crabs and tossing them in big barrels to be distributed across the city to whoever wanted to cook them anyway.

Well, it wasn't just that he felt like being a good Samaritan today. During the great crabpocalypse, apparently some of the critters broke in a smuggler's stash of illicit drugs and quite possibly ingested the substances. It was very possible that these drugged up critters would end up in someone's crab boil and it wasn't like the smuggler could just go to the local guard and warn them. So, instead, they reached out to a contact who passed along the information to the fellblood criminal once they learned he would be around the city for a few days. 

Zarius accepted the task, but not without making some significant demands of the contact and the smuggler. If they wanted his held, they had better offer him something worthwhile. It was just business. 

Tagging along behind the fellblood is a catfolk archer and an half-elf swordsman who have rolled up their sleeves to get down and scoop armfuls of exhausted crabs into buckets and barrels on the back of a horse drawn wagon they had commandeered from the contact. Disguising their search for the very toxic crabs as an effort to help clean up and feed the community was one of the easiest and best covers they could ask for and the guards have been none the wiser. 

As they run out of room from this first haul, still no sight of their specific group of crabs, they roll on past the little crab shack to drop off their load. It was a good opportunity to check if someone else had found the pesky critters and hopefully spare some poor soul from consuming the tainted meat. 

Zarius steps up to the stall and glances about the crowd. So far, so good. No one was sick and none of the crabs the vendor was using looked like they were behaving high.

He overhears the conversation between the vendor and a new arrival in town. Some sort of lizard or snake folk person, he's not quite sure, who is strapped for cash but encouraged to still eat and then work off the tab afterward. Not an unreasonable deal given the circumstances really. 

"Pardon me," he speaks up to the reptilian civilian. "After we unload our wagon we will be heading back up the street to collect more. If you are interested, you can ride with us." 

More hands meant they could get this work down faster, and more eyes meant they could keep a better watch for any crabs acting weird.

Slurping down a heaping chunk of the stew, Taki looked up at the dark skinned fellow as he addressed the serpentine woman. A pair of workers behind him unloaded a cart full of barrels and buckets filled with crab, and none of the endeavor seemed terribly out of the ordinary at a glance. She pondered the thought a moment, knowing many hands meant light work. As she finished the bowl of hearty, spicy stew, she replied to the man.

"Very well, so long as you take no issue with me paying my own debt from our haul, I shall join you. My name is Shitakibo, though it usually gets shortened to Taki for anyone who struggles with the name. You seem to grasp the situation's needs, I look forward to joining you." Her accent was somewhat thick, exasperated by the heat of the spicy meal and it's many peppery spices. Taki stood from her seat, stretched and thanked the chef for the delicious experience. Usually not one who enjoyed the mechanical conveyances of others, she moved up along side the cart but made no move to try and load into it.

Each of the three seemed professional enough, though as to what that profession was, the shaman could only guess. She thought of communing with the spirits for guidance, but stopped herself. One did not earn the respect of others, let alone their trust, by prying into the privacy of their lives unwanted. Going through the motions, Taki made sure her gear was all secured and made ready to depart.

"That sounds fair," the fellblood agrees.

Whatever terms the snake woman wanted to set were fine with him. Though probably best she didn't claim the tainted crabs should they actually be successful in finding them. 

"My name is Zarius, this is Snow and Eirynor," he says as he gestures to the catfolk and the tall half-elf respectively.

The catfolk waves while the half-elf nods in response. The pair swap out the full barrels of crustaceans for a few empty ones which they load up into the back of the wagon. The fellblood doesn't lift a finger in assistance, instead focusing on exchanging pleasantries with Taki. 

"Pleasure to meet you," the fellblood speaks again. "You have an interesting accent, are you from the Crescent Isles?"

Zarius had met a samurai and a cleric from the Crescent Isles before. Though their accents weren't quite the same as Taki's. The island chain was pretty unique since it embraced isolationism. The culture was quite different than other places in Charon and it was sometimes hard for outsiders to feel welcome there. That said, those who are from that region and are traveling abroad tend to be quite friendly and pleasant by comparison. 

Perhaps that is why they travel, because they do not feel it necessary to be as closed off to the rest of the world and the various people across Charon. He could only speculate. 

Once Snow and Eirynor have things situated, the group heads off down the street to clean up the next block where there are still many crabs stuck in gutters and clustered in alleys. Zarius and Snow take to the roofs, able to easily climb the walls while Eirynor stays on the ground to collect any crabs the two toss down.

"I am indeed from the Crescent Isles, and it's nice to meet all of you." Shitakibo replied, following along with the others. She watched in amazement as the pair of adventurers scaled the buildings and began to toss down crabs from the rooftops. Grabbing a bucket from the wagon, she stuffed the falling crabs into it as quickly as they were being launched. Once full, Taki grabbed another, continuing the cycle. 

Invigorated by the meal, the serpent spent the day in the company of adventurers, loading buckets with offending trespassers from various houses. The group of four cleared one block, then another, on and on through the day. How had so many crabs invaded the island city? Why were they swarming the buildings and streets in such numbers? Taki pondered a great many ideas through the day, only stopping for a drink between buckets or when the group were moving to the next area. 

All over town, the sounds of other adventurers up to the same task could be heard. Each went about it in their own way, and Taki grew curious as to their methods. As the afternoon sun started to sink low, the wagon's springs bowed and groaned with each bump in the road. The heavily laden cart strained from the weight, and Taki was glad she'd rather walk that burden the poor animal pulling such a load with her own body. This cleanup would take an immense effort, from more people than the shaman had ever considered to take to a singular task. 

Once more the inexperience, isolation, and oddness of it all made Shitakibo feel out of place. Her kin had lived deep in the forest, only rarely even seeing someone outside the tall green of the bamboo shoots. What other wonders would the spirits show her in this life time?

As the afternoon turns to evening and evening turns to dusk, Zarius feels the frustration building with each bucketfull of crabs which, for all intents and purposes, are perfectly normal. This was bad. There were plenty of other people picking up crabs throughout the city and they have still not come across the right batch themselves. The chances of someone having gotten a bucket full of drugged up crustaceans was astronomically high as the sun kisses the horizon. 

The fellblood pulls the catfolk and half-elf aside. "This is not working. Any ideas?"

Snow scratches the back of their head, their fur matted with ichor from some less than intact crabs. "What does a high crab even look or act like?"

The half-elf shrugs, not having any idea. The concept was ludicrous in itself. 

Zarius sighs. "We may just have to cut our losses then."

"It was a pretty tall order to begin with given just how many crabs were here," the catfolk admits. "For all we know the guards could have swept them up in the first clean up attempt."

"That is true," the fellblood puts his hands on his hips and stretches his back. "Alright, we have done what we can."

Just as he turns to Taki to tell her this is the last load they're going to be taking back to the vendor, there's a surprised scream from a human woman down the street from them. The fellblood exchanges a look with the catfolk and half-elf before approaching Taki. 

"If you are not busy, do you mind if we see what the commotion is about?"

"Lead on Zarius, I am in your care until my debts are paid." Taki said, loading the full bucket in her lean arms. The sound had come from further up the street, so Taki began walking in that direction as the others prepared to move the wagon. A few stray crabs skittered about, clacking their claws together or rummaging through whatever scraps looked edible. As the shaman approached the end of the street, an older woman nearly knocked her down in a panic.

"It's alright miss, what is wrong?" Taki stated, surprised by the sudden collision and barely managing to keep her feet beneath her.

"Crabs, crazy ones... they's bustin' me jars, eatin' me goods and chasin' the dogs.... they isn't right I tell ya!!" Her panic stricken words punctuated by heavy breaths.

"See the cart coming up the street just there? We're here to clean up the mess, get yourself somewhere safe for now." She did her best to calm the woman down, then waved back to the cart in an effort to hurry them forward. She felt a pinch against the fabric of her pants, looked down, and saw a crab wildly clawing at anything and everything around itself, turning in circles one moment, then rushing sidelong into a wall the next and digging at it with all their might. She looked about, and indeed there were a group of the creatures... there had to be dozens, possibly hundreds, all acting erratically. What in the world was going on here? 

Oh...dear. Okay. Well. They found the crabs. There's...a lot more than expected. This would not be easy. 

Zarius walks up next to Taki and surveys the scene as the woman flees back towards the cart with Snow and Eirynor. The poor critters were certainly under the influence and were bubbling madly while waving their claws around in the air. They very likely would not survive the nasty trip they were currently on. 

He scratches his head. "I do not think these ones will be good to eat. Something seems wrong with them. We should keep them separate."

Explaining to Taki that the crabs' behavior was likely due to illicit drugs was probably not the best idea. Taki wasn't from Sol City but that didn't mean she didn't hold a high regard for authority and wouldn't tell the guards about this. It was best to chock it up to the heat or being out of the water for so long or any other explanation other than being high. 

"If we corner them in that alley there," he points towards a dead end street between two buildings. "We might have an easier time loading them into the barrels."

Pulling a staff out from under the cloak draped across his shoulders, he starts to poke and prod the crazy crabs back towards the alleyway. He's not terribly gentle about it and punts a few with the tip of his shoe when they try to retaliate. 

Taki nods, not fully sure what to make of the whole scene. Something was indeed wrong with these creatures, though she wasn't sure if Zarius was being fully honest as to what the cause might be. Seeing him treating the crabs cruelly was a bit much for her though and she walked over, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"There should be an easier way... let me try something before we resort to slaughter and abuse..." The serpent woman hissed, part passion for the living, part warning that being cruel to the creatures of nature would surely infuriate the shaman. She walked into the center of the area, closed her eyes and clasped her hands together. A gentle breeze, carrying the salty spray of the ocean drifted through. After a few moments, Taki began to whisper, a soft sound that was difficult to distinguish from a snake's hisses. 

Her arms unfolded, and the blue scaled skin of the serpentine shaman began to sway and move. Her body moved, danced, all the while maintaining a melody of soft hissing sounds. After a few minutes, the enraptured mass of crabs had gathered in the street, forming a swaying, entranced mass around her. While she danced, she waved the others to approach and begin to collect the mesmerized crustaceans. It had been some time since she'd let her body move so freely, and though her meditative state was similar to her normal routine, the dancing and communing with spirits had created a new and invigorating experience altogether.

She danced on and on, keeping the horde enraptured with the scintillating patterns of light and shadow she created with her motions. Taki thanked the spirits as she swayed, glad she could hear their wisdom and share it, even spare lives from time to time.

Zarius pulls back to whack another crab when Taki places her hand on his shoulder to stop him. He looks at her with a curious head tilt and lowers his staff, watching her closely after getting hissed at. It was a little strange to be scolded about this when they had taken the healthy crabs in droves to be boiled alive and eaten, but he wasn't exactly the type to question other peoples' morals to their faces. 

He stands by and lets Taki attempt whatever it was she was attempting. Surprisingly it was working. The crabs seem to follow her movements and become a lot more docile. It was like watching a snake charmer only the charmer was the snake and the charmed were the crabs. So not like watching a snake charmer at all. But regardless, it was working and that is what matters the most. 

While Taki keeps the crabs distracted, Zarius, Snow, and Eirynor manage to clean up the crab horde until the street is clean of all the sick crustaceans. To ensure they don't escape or get mixed in with the healthy crabs, they put the lids on the barrels and secure them. It takes a lot of effort, and by the time they shove the last crab in a barrel the sun has set and the street lanterns are being lit. 

Zarius whips his brow and looks at Taki. 

"That was impressive. Thank you for all your assistance, you certainly have a way with animals."

"You're most welcome, Zarius. My thanks to you and your crew for letting me join you. If you are ever around the Crescent Isles, feel free to come find me." Replied the shaman, who'd been straightening her clothing out while the others finished loading. All that moving and swaying had loosened some of the layers, which would be indecent if she hadn't fixed them. Taki walked beside the wagon, glad to have time to reflect on the experience. It would be a long journey home when the time came for doing so, but this adventure had been insightful in it's own ways.

When they had made it back to Gold Port, Taki returned the kind chef's bucket, full to the brim with crab. After a brief exchange, the shaman returned to the cart to help offload the rest. Some intuitive part of her knew they wouldn't unload the last batch, the ones that seemed odd. Zarius and crew would set them aside, push them into the back corner of the cart to be hauled off when they left. Wanting to question the group, and also wanting to respect their kindness, she struggled to decide on a course of action for most of the unloading.

As the last few barrels were set out, and the cart was being buttoned up, she figured it best to not stick her nose in the business of others. Grateful for letting her tag along, but also wary of Zarius' casual attitude towards harming animals, the shaman decided that the dignity of a few crabs wasn't worth opening a can of worms she was unprepared for. The job was done, and all around the city things were starting to return to normal. That was enough for Shitakibo.

"Safe travels, and may your ventures be fruitful." She said to the crew, waving as she boarded a boat heading home. There would be much work to tend to, and plenty of new adventures ahead as things happened, changed.

The fellblood nods in response to Taki.

"I appreciate the offer. I will keep you in mind should I journey that far southwest."

He considers apologizing for how he treated the crabs when it was clear she had the better solution for dealing with the problem. Really, he didn't care too much about the creatures, but if he wanted to keep a good report with the snake woman, best to admit fault even if he does not feel any real guilt about his actions. 

"I apologize for attacking the crabs. I should have asked if you had a way to deal with them better first." He bows a bit out of respect for her skills. She really did save them a lot of trouble. 

After unloading the healthy crabs, the group does keep the strange behaving crabs on the cart. There was nothing that could be done for the poor critters and they needed to get rid of any evidence of the smuggler's operation. Zarius already had a means in mind to safety dispose of the tainted crabs and ensure no other people or animals ingest them. Nothing like a little trip to a volcano for an overkill crab boil. 

He looks back over at Taki. 

"Likewise. Safe travels."

With their business concluded, Zarius and his companions set off to load the remaining barrels on a ship destined for the Ash Lands.