Marthaen grinned happily as Alistar ran his way. He found it strange that he'd missed the diminutive angel and while he seemed very odd, to be fair everyone seemed odd to Marthaen, he liked all three of his new friends. "Friends," he tried out the word he knew the general idea the word was meant to convey but how it felt to actually have them was a new experience and was one of those rare times he enjoyed a new experience. Most of his previous "learning situations" involved pain either emotional or, in most cases, physical.

"Alistar! I am *he took a moment to consider what word best described how he felt* happy to see you again. I hope you and your virgin are well. Ah! And I smell new things from you? Have you brought more gifts for everyone? That's very nice of you. It looks like Bethany and Cymbel have gone back inside and carried your food inside with them. *He chuckled at the small ones' suggestion they discuss food preparation.* I'd be happy to talk about food with you! Though I have to admit I'm not sure what soup and bread is, and my experience with food that bi-peds consume is very limited to say the least. Food prep for me is finding it and swallowing it but I'm happy to learn more about it. Maybe if I learn enough I'll finally understand why things are "cooked." Shall we join the others inside? Maybe you can help me with something else, are we friends? And if so what does it mean to be a friend?"

Bethany nodded, "I like that idea, Cymbel. You can always tell them that your magic has driven him off and is now protecting their village from him. Oh! And let's make sure to make it clear that virgin sacrifices make him angry. The last thing we want is more people going through being rescued by that giant child. *She shuddered again at the memory of her own sacrifice.* Though I must admit in my case it's easily the best thing that's ever happened to me I'm pretty sure I'm the exception that makes the rule."

She laughed as his stomach growled in protest and hers answered in kind. "Aye. Let's go see what our guardian angel of death brought us to eat." And headed inside carrying the bag of food to the now cold hearth.

"Of course we're friends! If we weren't then that would be horrible! And I also have no idea what a virgin is, but I bet it is something good, I hope. And I can teach you a lot about cooking too!" Alistar walked inside and smiled at Bethany and Cymbel. "Hiya! Ms. Bethany, I have your clothes. I also ordered some costumes. Oh, and I need a fire. Can Mr. Marthaen breathe fire in a human form? If not I guess I could do it myself. But, it may take longer for the food to be ready." Alistar sighed, pulling out some meat and water from the bag Bethany had brought in. He pulled out the spices that he had bought before he came here. He got out a knife and started cutting the meat. "Now, you all are okay with having just some soup and bread right?" Alistar spoke quietly, still cutting the meat.

"Anything is fine with me." Cymbel replied to Alistar's question. There was no point in asking for something fancy, especially in their current situation. As long as one could eat well and sleep well, they were blessed. "I have a tinderbox you may use if that is what you need." He offered. It was fortunate that he had purchased one way back in Endapano. He wouldn't have managed to come this far without it. The costumes Alistar brought back were satisfactory for their purpose. Simple costumes could be just as convincing as flashy ones, in the right setting.

Returning to the discussion with Bethany, Cymbel agreed with the important point she mentioned. "Yes, I know just the thing to convince them to stop that outdated practice. It's rooted in superstition, though in truth the situations in which sacrificial purity is relevant are few and far between. A majority of the time, it achieves absolutely nothing. It's a terrible thing, really. It's no better than sending youth to the slaughter, just as their lives are starting. Nothing good ever came of it." Inside the hut he removed his kettle full of tea to make room for the soup in the fireplace. The over-steeped tea was no longer palatable now, but perhaps Bethany could use it to wash up. Without any soap on hand it was the next best thing. He began setting the table for the meal, checking things twice to ensure he didn't miss anything. He was nervous. Soon it would be time to put their plan into action, but would it work out in the end? Only time would tell, and he prayed that Marthaen would deliver on his part. Then it was a matter of using a great deal of misdirection, before they could call it a day.

"Okay! It'll be done in a bit! Though I'll just do it myself, it would be quicker." Alistar pulls out a pot from his bag, filling it with the meat and water. He crumpled up a few spices and spreads them through the pot. Stirring it, his hand burst into flames. He puts it under the pot and keeps stirring. "If someone could cut up the bread please? It would be very helpful. The knife is where I left it."

As Marthaen and Alistar entered the cabin Marthaen was happy to share his knowledge of virgins. "A virgin is… like a companion I guess. Bethany was my first one and now I guess you and Cymbel are as well. It's like Sona is your personal virgin."

Cymbel and Bethany were talking about virgin sacrifices and Marthaen actually felt a tinge of regret. After all, if her father hadn't sacrificed her he'd never have got the chance to be around her. And then there'd have been no need for a healer and he'd never have met Cymbel and Alistar. It's funny how this had all worked out. How through a series of seemingly random events they'd all come together and were now working together t'ward a common goal. One that was meant, even though he didn't understand it at the time, to keep him alive. Still… it might have been nice to have a few more virgins around. He was certainly enjoying the company of this group of them. "I wonder if all virgins are this nice, or is it only mine?"

Bethany smiled at Marthaens comments about virgins. Eventually she'd have to explain to him what the term actually meant but… well he was, after all, only three years old.
She had to agree with Cymbel that the sacrifices had to stop but she felt the same as Marthaen. Without this outdated practice she'd have never have met her gentle giant and crazy as it was, her life now was a hell of a lot better than one she could have hoped for before.

She'd accepted the clothes from Alistar with a small squeal of delight. They might seem plain to him but they were many times better than the hand me downs she'd lived in all her life. Clothes that were never this nice even when they were brand new. "Alistar! Thank you so much!" Slipping them on she was finally freed of the cloak Cymbel had so kindly given her. Handing it back to him she blushed a little, "Ummm, I need to wash that out for you. After me wearing it, it's likely to be a bit… ripe."

Marthaen piped up and said, "She means it stinks." He said helpfully. She sighed pensively and added. "I'm more than a little nervous about all this Cymbel. Let's talk some more about what you have in mind." Alistars' flaming hand made her hiss audibly, that could NOT be comfortable but it didn't seem to bother him at all. Once more those little niggling doubts about him gave her pause.

"And yes Marthaen, that's what I meant. Thank you ever so much for clarifying that for me." Once again the sarcasm had no effect and Marthaen went back to watching Alistar preparing the food.

"Why don't you just breathe fire out of your mouth?" He asked Alistar curiously." Meanwhile Bethany was humming a little tune and searching through the cabinets and cupboards for anything to use for the upcoming meal. "If it tastes half as good as it smells, Alistar, this will be a feast indeed!"

None of them said anything about their upcoming journey to the village. They had a lot riding on the success of this little venture not the least of whom was Marthaen and as it happened, he was the one who had the most riding on it. But that was tomorrow, for tonight they could all enjoy a meal together and bask in the warmth of both the fire and friendship.

"Well, Mr. Marthaen, a majority of us are not ruby dragons. But, it is easier for me to do other things this way. Oh, it's ready. Here, hold that and place it down where the table is, if there is one. I'm going to cut up the bread and hope that it taste good. Most of my cooking is experimental. So, I just hope you all love it." Alistar pulled some bowls out of his seemingly endless bag, as well as some spoons. He places them down and starts cutting the bread up. Once that is finished he smiles. "Andddddd that should be all! Hope it taste good!"

Cymbel remained silent as the three-year-old dragon attempted to explain the definition of a virgin to Alistar. As he and Bethany likely knew, 'companion' was not what being a 'virgin' meant. But the topic was already awkward as is, so he didn't try to correct them. It would be rude, seeing Bethany was the only woman here. He saw the understanding smile the woman had which mothers would give when preparing to dispel their children's foolish misconceptions, and knew she was likely thinking the same thing he was too. It was a strange feeling being the adult in this situation, having been the youngest in his family. When she returned his cloak he did his best to not make her feel more embarrassed than she already was. "That's alright, though to be fair I haven't exactly been able to stop and wash my clothes since the last time I left a city. If you still decide to wash it, I appreciate your consideration."

He was aware that she had probably never seen magic being performed in such a way that he and Alistar used, thus her discomfort was reasonable. "I have no objections if you wish to discuss things more after the meal. It seems I should also start rehearsing what illusions I intend to cast." Experiencing a faux pas in the middle of their performance would be absolutely unacceptable. Once the table was set, Cymbel took a seat. "Thank you, Alistar. I'm sure your culinary skills won't disappoint us." The meal was a welcome break from working out the fine details of their plan. He himself was still imagining how to best conduct his part, as to make it all flow smoothly. As long as he had the timing down it would be fine, he encouraged himself. He could only wonder what Marthaen would think about what to do when it was time for his big moment.

When the meal was over and the dishes cleared, he set the utensils used to soak. He was slowly picking up the basics of housework, having been deprived of the opportunity to learn for two centuries, and admittedly had a ways to go before he could truly call himself independent enough to manage household chores on his own. Finding Bethany he asked her, "So what did you wish to talk to me about before the meal started? I do recall you asked to know what else I had in mind." By now the sky was dimming, and his eyes were feeling much better with the day's harsh sunlight fading. He wasn't as tired as he had been before, and unless he absolutely needed to, he required little sleep. Having physical needs which were much lower maintenance than most creatures was a blessing for someone like him.

Bethany carefully raised spoon to lips and sipped at the offered food. Her eyes widened and she dug in with relish. She hadn't eaten anything in a long time and this was the best thing she'd ever had by a wide margin. Though it should be noted that she'd never had anything but the poor fare her family ate. "Alistar! This is WONDERFUL! And the bread! You don't even have to wet it to chew it. Amazing."

Marthaen eyed the stew suspiciously. Anything cooked was in his experience likely to taste pretty bad. Give him a sheep or cow any day. Still it would be rude not to try it. To his astonishment it tasted alright, good even. He stuck his face in the bowl chasing the food around it before finally turning it up and pouring it into his mouth. "Mrmph!" He announced happily, his face still stuffed with food. He knew he'd be hungry again as soon as he transformed but for now this body was full.

Bethany quirked an eyebrow at him before turning to Alistar, "I agree with his sentiment, if not the way he expressed it. It seems I owe you a great deal more gratitude than I may ever repay as well as Cymbel. I don't enjoy owing people. It's a new experience for me, thank you very much for a delicious meal and for these wonderful clothes!
She turned to Cymbel and said, "I'm not familiar with magic and I'm sure I know my part in this act. Marthaen "attacks" me and I slip away while all the attention is on him. Then Marthaen lands and roars out his fear my wrath speech. Will you and Alistar already be in the village? I also want to make sure Marthaen knows what you two will be doing so he knows when to leave. We'll make a game out of it for him." She patted Marthaens head, "You want to play a game with us, sweetie? It's very important for all of us that you do a good job."

Marthaen nodded eagerly, "I like games but most people just run, or fall down, or stick me with pointy things. It'll be fun playing with all of you! You don't do any of those things.

"That's nice Mr. Marthaen…….. Anyways, you don't owe me anything Ms. Bethany. I love helping and don't need anything from you. Your appreciation is just perfect." Alistar smiled, sitting down and playing with Sona, acting like it was a dancer. "Sona? Are you going to do this yourself? Or am I going to have to continue?" Sona jumped out of his arms and started dancing. Alistar clapping along and humming a sweet, little tune. "You're so lively when you wanna be Sona! You should express yourself more!" Alistar said quietly. Watching Sona twirl around.

Cymbel gathered his thoughts and prepared to speak with everyone to ensure they all knew what they would be doing. "Everyone, if you don't mind I'd like for all of us to review what each of us will be doing when he proceed to stage the great disappearing act tomorrow. At the moment I am clear on my role as well as Marthaen and Bethany's, however I don't recall anything regarding Alistar aside from procuring the costumes?" He then explained what he and Bethany had discussed in detail for the other two. "The general gist of the plan is as follows. Marthaen pretends to attack the village and gives his speech, he then aims to snatch up Bethany in his claws while she screams. However at that moment I will cast an illusion that renders her invisible while simultaneously an illusory substitute appears in Marthaen's claws as he swoops up into the sky. While everyone is duly distracted, the real Bethany will slip away to safety, out of sight. She will however leave behind a piece of clothing as to maintain the impression that she was taken. After that, it will come down to an elaborate display of smoke and mirrors where I supposedly drive Marthaen off. And that is where my understanding of the plan ends. If there are any points which I may have left out on accident, or items that require adjustment and clarification, please state them."

Hopefully they would all be on the same page, figuratively speaking. He did his best to be as plain as possible in his explanation so Marthaen could understand, and so he would be informed on how exactly the more difficult portions of the staged acting would play out. "A few places that I am still not clear on are how exactly will the orchestrated scene will end and how to deal with what comes after. Bringing an act to an end is equally as important, if not more so than the beginning. At the end of the day, our objectives are to mislead the townsfolk into believing the dragon menace is gone, and to dissuade them from continuing the practice of human sacrifice." All this time he had been so focused on what he was supposed to do that he had forgotten to ask how they would wrap up the entire matter. How exactly were they going to convince the townsfolk out of what might have been a long-standing superstition?