Asteroid Manifest

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The docking point for all incoming refugees and reports bound for the Guild, always packed and staffed.

"Any way, really. Though we'd prefer it to be humane?" The crow called down from above, going to the next leech stuck to the hull.

"Humane?" Esk looked skeptical, then shrugged at Tala. "I could... " How well could these things move? He went to get a closer look.

The thing wriggled and squirmed like a snake, really the only trouble was that terrifying mouth and the disgusting slime but while the slime was unavoidable, the mouth certainly was if you caught the worm near the base of the head.

Esk pulled off his gloves and used his uninjured hand to grab one of the things behind the neck, pinching down hard so it couldn't move so well as he attempted to drain it's energy. Question was whether this was any faster than just stabbing them through the head.
Still, if he could drain them, it'd help heal his cut palm.

The creature squirmed all the more and made a rather grotesque pig like cry as it felt its body die. Within several seconds, the large slug thing was dead.

Well that was easy enough. Esk wiped the slime off on his pants and stood up. One down, so many more to go. He shook his head and set to work, after a while his injured hand would be healed enough that he could grab two of the disgusting things at a time to drain them.

Tala busily worked her way along the hull, pulling the creatures free and stabbing then quickly to kill them. She didn't seem terribly bothered by, or interested in, the task at hand. She was just doing it because it was what was happening.

After about half an hour, the last leech was killed, and the crow was going over the wounds and healing what he could with his own magic. Arya came back over to them, bowing slightly. "Thank you, both of you. I owe you both."

"I do too!" Explorer cheered, "Thanks, guys. Those things were hurting a lot. If you ever need a ride, I'm your guy."

Arya nodded, "If you wish to return to your ship and clean yourself off, do so. I will be posted outside. Now I must go, I need to go release the Stormhowl from his shift. We need to make sure all the infected are noticed but the man has been standing there for almost twelves hours now. Farewell."

"We are most pleased to be of service," Tala said in an unusual moment of graciousness. "It is excellent to not be infested by leeches!"

Esk blinked, wiping slime off his hands as best he could. Yeah he was gonna have to shower. "wait... stormhowl, the werewolf pride lot? Can they really sniff it out or something?" He managed to sound bored even when he was actually interested.

"Lycanthropy smells disgusting," Tala told Esk happily, "It is a scarlet banner that someone is sick nearby."

Arya nodded. "One of the reasons Lupa was so insistent on learning to tame the Beast is because once they've gained mastery over their new abilities, their scent glands can identify and hunt down others of their kind. It had been very useful in determining where there is the virus or not, and we can plan accordingly."

"And what do you do to those who won't join Lupa?" Esk asked. He glanced at Tala. "I'm sure it does. Useful to be able to root them out though."

"Those we can save, if their transformation isn't far enough along, we do, and we cure them. If their transformation is too advanced, however, we do our best to treat the symptoms, but without the mental training Lupa offers, they're forever stuck in the loop of having to lock themselves away every full moon for the rest of their lives."

"Guess some prefer that to running free and wild in the woods." Esk snickered and shook his head. "I'm going back to the ship." Nice.. hot shower yes. To get all the slime and spit off himself. At least all that leech killing had heeled the last of his hand injury. He peeled the slime coated bandage off to look at the freshly healed palm. Yep, good.

"Farewell, Esk. Farewell, Tala." Arya bowed slightly again and departed to her duties.

Tala cheerfully headed back to Vestia with Esk.

"At least we now have a favour to claim at our leisure right?" He shook his head to Tala, she was just as gross and slimey. "Can I have my knife back?"

Tala handed over the knife, which was every bit as slimy as she was. "We have debts owed to us. It has been a satisfying day!"

Esk nodded. "Better than a tour with that flower woman. Nobody should be that happy, ever."

"I have been that happy before, but I was not so noisy about it," Tala said. "It is unseemly."

Esk nodded. "it's the rubbing it in other people's faces I can't stand." He gave up trying to get the gloop off the knife, he had nothing that wasn't already slime soaked on him. He just tucked it back into his belt. He paused, then asked "Why did you come back with us?"

Tala shrugged. "I am not one for tours. Or the constant questions that people on tours ask. Much better to be home and guard her."

Esk snorted. "You're sensible, and no nonsense... You know Tala, I don't think I hate you."

Tala swished her tail happily. "You are unusually tolerable yourself."

Esk shook his head and headed off to go shower, this was a little too friendly for his comfort.

Tala went to wash herself as well.