Halloween Game: Escape From Hallokyo (RPG story)

>Lucina begins to smile a little to blow off some stress by taunting the horseman.

"You hideous, spineless wretch... having naught a clue what you can do."

>Lucina then orders the party to go all-out while he's immobilized.

"Everyone, on him! Now's your chance! Don't hold back!"

>She wastes little energy to slash his armor clean off onto the ground, he didn't even pull out his sword. Boss health is down to 2.6/10.

>Lucina fought with honor and agreed to let him go... this time.

Lucina: "Someday, we will meet again, this night goes for me."

Mission Successful

While the rest of his party decides what to do with the Horseman, Avery rested against one of the grove's blackened, twisted trees. As he took a swig from his canteen however, he noticed a strange pattern of light off across the chasm.

"What on earth?"

He grabbed his binoculars and trained them on the far end of the bridge. A light haze obscured the finer details, but he'd be able to discern six great shards of some crystal floating about a very petite, very pretty younger girl.
It didn't take long for the gears to turn in his head. Tugging at Lucina's arm and offering the binoculars, he pointed at the far end and spoke aloud,

"Oi, suzy! Gal's stealin' all our loot!"

>Lucina warns the party not to hurt her. She thinks she is far too strong magic-wise, and killing such a precious traveling fairy will result in alerting Yokhai Mountain's inhabitants.
>She peers into the distance, and to her party's eyes, it is indeed Cirno, and she is a non-hostile character.
>Lucina then gives the binoculars back to Avery and says:

Lucina: "Let's ask her first about it, we can't just engage someone unless she has a warrant."

It took a few moments for Avery to comprehend that. He looked at Lucina blankly, before nodding and scrunching his brow.
His thoughts frustrated him as the party trundled across the rickety stone bridge. To think he might've killed an innocent person... Had war really taken such a toll on his psyche?
As they were nearly within earshot of the strange girl, he'd notice Relm peering over at him with concern. Avery shook his head with a smile, assuring,

"I'm fine, really! Just some old memories, that's all."

>Relm's concern was unabated by this.

"Are you sure, Avery?"

>She then cocked her head to the side and gave him a small grin.

"I know I look like a silly kid but I've been through some things too, y'know? Lucina, too. In fact, that King Gangle - Gargle, Gangrene? Whatever - she talks about reminds me of a trickster from my own world."

>Avery's smile remained unchanged. Relm skipped ahead a few paces and turned around to face him as she walked on.

"I just wanna let you know you can talk to either us if you have something to get off your chest, okay?"

>She resumed her usual, confident composure and faced forward again.

"Let's see what this Cirno person is all about. She seems friendly!"

>Guesse even Cirno doesn't remember here
>Decides to just stand

Lucina: "Cirno, we know that you are feeling lost and upset, but maybe we could help you find something you're looking after."

Awaiting Cirno's response
Possibility of triggering next quest is a 50% chance

>Lucina's party is stricken with the "Inflamed Vitals" permanent debuff, capping the max health value to 7.0.
Updating party's HUD once again to reflect new changes.

>It seems Cirno is too busy, it would be best for Lucina and her party to trek back to Hallowtown and know the mayor what happened.
Turning off party's HUD, entering a safe zone.
>Lucina walks over to the town hall and speaks to him.
Lucina: "Sir, we tried to catch the threat at the Cursed Bridge, but he got away and he cursed us instead." She shows off the Cursed Pumpkin, it looks tainted, gives off a bad smell that might attract small flies, and black in color. Anyone that possesses it is a blight to the carrier and the group's main organs.

>Lucina chooses Cirno's shop and walks over to see her showing off her newest wares.

This is Cirno's Marketplace during the daytime hours in the Autumn season.

Lucina: "Excuse us again, Cirno. We don't mind what you're doing, but more importantly, what you have currently on display [on sale]?"

The party brings out our sacks of gold.

< OOC: Why does that girl's hat have eyes? That's literally one of the cutest things I've ever seen. >

Avery yawned as he stretched out and looked about Cirno's stall. His eyes ran over all manner of fanciful weapons and tools - handcrafted swords, mapmaker's compasses, arabesque robes from far-flung lands, and much more. He'd be particularly drawn to a leather satchel filled with enchanted crossbow bolts.

Avery: "How much for these, hun?"

Lucina: "Hey, take your time, Cirno's not going until closing." she tells her party to look around her shop freely

>She immediately spots a nice blue Reimu-inspired dress that would benefit her in future battles by noting its regenerative properties.
>With her sack of gold ready, she shells out two-thousand and notifies Cirno of her purchase.

Lucina: "Here." 2000 gold is spent

While Lucina tried on her new dress behind a partition, and the rest of their party occupied themselves with Cirno's wares, Avery studied the shopkeeper out of the corner of his eye.
No doubt, this had to be the girl they'd encountered at the bridge. Those six shards of clear crystal might've been shorter and more slender, but he'd caught a sustained glimpse at her azure hair, and the dress was a dead giveaway.
In previous days he might've been furious. Though he'd hid it well over the past months in Gensokyo, the revolutionary spirit still smoldered within him, made him eager to confront and correct any and all ills. But then he'd found Gensokyo to be a rather kind land. There were no impoverished here, no hungry and destitute. The land and people alike seemed to fold open with plenty wherever he went, and even this realm had proven astonishingly generous in the apparent fortunes of its denizens.
This was a new land, with new problems he did not understand. It was perhaps for these reasons, as well as his party's blithe ignorance of the shopkeeper's previous pillaging, that Avery ultimately let it slide.
Still, he did want to have a bit of fun. Stowing the elemental bolts securely in his satchel, he put on his best "thuggish" face and leaned close to Cirno upon a bent knee.

Avery: "Say doll, you wouldn't happen to've seen a chest around here, wouldja?"

Cirno's eyes widened. So did Avery's smile.

Avery: "It was pretty big; painted bright red and gold; stocked with a tonna fancy magic stuff. Ring any bells?"

Avery grinned triumphantly as he took the bag off Cirno's hands.

"Pleasure doin' business with ya~"

At first he'd grab the anklet, but his second judgement considered whether their casters could benefit from the whit of extra swiftness. Ultimately, he'd decide to save everything for the others to take their pick.