They were married for a week and had only returned home briefly to put the ice knot that defined their marriage in a safe spot where they could show it to everyone. Naota had vanished briefly and it made Echo feel odd. She was left in their bedroom waiting until the god had returned with glasses of wine. She had questioned if he really had to leave to get special wine and the god just looked at her like he was hiding something. She chuckled to herself drank her wine without knowing that Angela and Naota had begun to give her fertility medicine. They spent their wedding night in absolute bliss, not that love making hadn’t been before. It was just different for some reason now.

Now they were on the road for a little bit. They weren’t going into a place absolutely dangerous but there had been a weird job that showed up for Naota. The Silver Wheel Roadhouse was sort of well known for the peculiar activity that plagued it. While normal couples went on a honeymoon to some place special, this couple was headed there to see if they could figure out whatever it was plaguing the place.

Their goal was for Naota to bless the place but once they showed up in Parvpora, he had noticed he was a tad bit weaker there. Not that it mattered too much. The other thing that seemed to bother Naota was… well, he had been feeding her a lot more. Not to mention she had been drinking a ton more since they had gotten married. She figured he was just worried about her health and had no idea he was slowly feeding her every drop of the fertility potion that Angela had made especially for her.

She took the canteen down from her lips as they finally arrived at the Roadhouse. “Are you sure you don’t want any? You’ve been really weird about sharing this canteen with me since we got here.” She sloshed the water around at him. “I suppose we should get a room and figure out what exactly is going on here.” She turned her attention back to the Roadhouse as they stared at it.

This place gave him the creeps.  There wasn’t really any other way to put it.  Going up against the undead was something he’d grown used to, though even he would admit that in his youth they had frightened him.  But, there was something different about spiritual activity: like murky fingerprints on life that figurative scrubbing couldn’t always do away with.  If that was all it was then it would be a completely different matter, but while he was able to bless and help spirits move on, he wasn’t used to this much activity.  To put it more accurately, he wasn’t used to this much activity and feeling weaker against it.  Parvpora was a nuisance to him, and despite his ascension he felt a drag against his power here.  Banishing rituals were simple enough, even if they grew dangerous, but somehow he felt as if he’d fallen from his deityhood from simply being at the Silver Wheel Roadhouse.
 
Yet the white markings on his skin hadn’t gone anywhere and if anything they only grew more intense the closer they got to the inn.  This was something he’d have to remember to ask Angela about, for if anyone would know it would be her.  Despite that, it reminded him too much of the dead zone they’d faced, a most unpleasant memory that he tried to avoid if at all possible.  But it was exciting to be back on the road again, even if it was temporary; he’d always be a hunter through and through, and while this wasn’t exactly a hunt it was still a job.
 
The trickiest part was making sure that Echo continued to drink the potion Angela had concocted for her.  She’d had so much over the last week though that he figured it would be all right to not put it in everything she consumed while they were working.  They shared food and drink so much that he wasn’t sure how many more times he would be able to deny her canteen.  Angela’s warning that despite his anatomy he had the ability to get pregnant himself on this stuff…well that was enough motivation.
 
He looked up at the inn, his mouth screwing up a little and he could already feel the presence of those that had yet to move on.  The prickling of a thousand staring eyes surrounded him, but he kept his attention forward.  Whatever was plaguing this place, it wasn’t just directly tied to the inn.  Spirits constantly roamed the lands of Revaliir, but this place was a hot spot it would seem.  No matter, he smiled and moved into the inn with his new wife and humbly dipped his head to the inn keeper; politely nodding as they thanked him for coming and doing his best to keep the energy between them calm.
 
If nothing else he could at the very least put up a barrier for the night: push whatever was in here, out.  Temporary of course, but it was better than nothing and would keep people safe as he and Echo worked through the night.  His breath clouded in front of him as they walked up the stairs to their room at the top floor, and it felt as if he were in a vacuum from how quiet it was: even his footfalls made no noise…yet every so often he heard a drop of liquid or skitter of feet.  His arm looped around Echo’s waist.
 
Their room was empty when they made it to it, too empty… “Well this is certainly an interesting way to start our new life.”  He laughed a little and pulled his jacket off, despite the drop of temperature in their room.

When Naota put his arm around her waist the halfling looked up at him and smiled. “Is this place making you that nervous Love?” Still he departed from her as soon as they made it to the room. A smile crossed her face as she touched what furniture was in the room. “I don’t know. A wicked little haunted inn seems like a good match for a pair of people like us.” She set her belonging on the table and tilted her head as she looked at the bed. “I mean we could have some fun before we worked,” her lips turned a bigger grin as she sneaked up to him and wrapped around arms around his backside. She pressed her body up against his and was tempted to undress him as her fingers flirted with the buttons of his shirt.

At least she was going to before she noticed the movement coming from the bed. She left him silently and quite on guard as she grabbed the blankets and pulled it back. A mess of bugs were on the bed and she looked disgusted before she went to swat the massive nest. As her hand came down the bugs just disappeared. “So… that’s how they are going to play with us.” She growled a bit. “Are we even going to be able to keep them out of our room.” Her eyes looked up at Naota.

“I’m not very good with spirits. I’m more of the hack and slash type of girl.” She sensed something behind her and released a dagger from her belt and threw it in the direction. It hit the wall solidly but whatever it was that she had sensed was now gone. “That is going to be more annoying as we go.” She stomped her little foot as she marched up to the wall and pulled the dagger from it. 

He smirked in agreement as she put her things on the table and double checked that their door was locked before walking towards her.  She was right: a strange and dangerous place like this suited them quite well.  He would have enjoyed anywhere in Revaliir with her of course, but both of them were just a little obsessed with what they could achieve with their skills, and a spirit infested building would call for all of them.  His hands slid down her sides to her hips and gently gripped there, pulling her closer to himself and arching an eyebrow as she began to undo the buttons of his shirt.  There would be plenty of time for scouting and investigation later…
 
As he was about to bend his head towards hers, his attention was also diverted to the bed.  Something was moving there, seemingly squirming beneath the bedsheets and comforter.  She moved from him and lifted the blankets back quickly.  A look of disgust overshadowed his own expression but just as her hand came down on them he saw the dullest aura around them.  They weren’t really there…How far did this spiritual infestation go?
 
He sighed and did his buttons back up as he walked over to his pack, rummaging through for something, “We can keep them out, but I’m sorry to say we’ll still be able to hear them.”  Keeping them at bay would be fine, but he’d prefer to at least know where they were at all times.  He pulled out two stones of decent size: smoky quartz and black obsidian.  Holding both between his hands, he charged them with his own power, giving them an extra boost though they were already quite powerful having come from The Crystal Garden back at home.
 
Long fingers drew closer to her, and he was about to send out a blast of energy before she turned and threw a dagger with great speed.  Whatever it was, it was fleeting and gone as soon as it came.  Yes, best to keep them out of the room.  He chuckled as she stomped her foot, and he set the stones in their respective corners of the room, “We can keep anything with negative intent away, that way we can save your blades from dulling against the walls.”  His eyes lifted up, watching as an ethereal arch spread from the crystals: their respective bows joined at the middle and spider webbed energy out to envelop the room in a safe bubble.
 
“There we are.  It will hold, but it might get a bit noisy when nightfall comes.”  Angry spirits weren’t known for being quiet and peaceful, and when they realized they couldn’t get into their temporary living space?  Yes, that would create a bit of unpleasantness.