We're Going on a Trip - Wagon 3

JP with Lasersexpanther and Jaxx

After getting in the vehicle Dr. Jackal placed his medical case in a secure seat and waited till Sasha got in. He asked, "Do we have everything Ms. Lagrave?"

Sasha pulled herself up into the vehicle and sat her 'new' sword next to Dr. Jackal's bag, before taking a sheet of paper from her coat. "According to the checklist everything is in order. If anything has been forgotten at this point, we were not meant to have it and will have to do without." she said.

Dr. Jackal smirked and replied, "Well I am sure both of us have had to manage without on more than one occasion."

Sasha let out a throaty little laugh. "Doctor if we are being honest, I feel over packed. A typical trip like this would see me carrying maybe two weapons, and in comparison I have an arsenal with us." she shook her head. "But... on n'y peut rien."(it can't be helped) she said, "I don't know what we are up against and usually I am provided a bit of intel. I prefer to not go blindly into situations." Sasha added.

Dr. Jackal smirked and replied, "Espérer le meilleur et planifier le pire." (Hope for the best and plan for the worst.) Well considering we don't know what we are heading into, its best to be on the safe side. Besides the bears and wolves will be very formidable without including the trolls and werewolves or the possibility of the cult being involved. Besides if things go south and I mean deep south and we get in way over our heads.......... I want you to leave me and save the others. I can't make any promises once the other guy comes out but I'll try to buy you as much time to escape as I can." Dr. Jackal was hoping things would work out but also knew his luck was not very good.

Sasha let out an involuntary groan when the Doctor said cults. Not just for the idea of dealing with The Children of the Sea all the way out here, but any cult. Cults were tricky, she didn't like dealing with them because oftentimes they weren't 'monsters' they were just stupid poor fools roped into something they didn't understand and brainwashed into compliance by a myriad of means. But she heard him finish. "It won't come to that." she said, "But I promise to get the one's I can force to leave out." she said, "But I'll make sure Lily gets out." She offered as a meeting halfway.

Dr. Jackal gave a pained smile and a nod. He then decided to change the subject to lighten the mood. He said, "Now that the formalities are over with, I would like to inquire with you over
the local fauna and flora that would be useful for food, medicine and poison. I believe they may help us on our mission."

Sasha dug in one of the inner pockets of her coat and came out with the book she'd had when the two first met. "Won't have everything local, but will help." She said, "Field guide." She quickly explained tapping a middle finger on the book's spine. A well worn thing in leather with nothing on the cover.

Dr. Jackal smirked as he replied, “I can’t say I am surprised that you came prepared. That will be very handy.” Then Dr. Jackal pulled out a leather pouch that was cinched with a leather strap. He then said, “Before I forget, I made these for you. They look like marbles, but treat them with care. They are a thin candy coating filled with the concentrated extremely hot pepper powder. Not only will they blind your target, but the pain should also cripple them. I also bought a slingshot to shoot them with.” Dr. Jackal knew that they needed all the trump cards that they could get.

Sasha took the package and put it in yet another hidden coat pocket. "I'll put them elsewhere when we stop." she said, indicating she understood the danger they could pose.

She was quiet for a long moment unsure where to take the conversation. "Any theories as to what we will find at our destination?" She asked.

Dr. Jackal rubbed his chin as he pondered for a moment then replied, "Several actually. Of course there is the possibility of a cult being involved like before. Since the village was Dwarven it could have been attacked by werewolves seeing that they do eat Dwarves. There is the possibility of bandits as well using dwarven prisoners to mine illegally. There is a possible natural disaster involved like natural gas or toxic gas leaking from the ground but no bodies were found. Another theory is hallucinogenic plants causing the dwarves to wander off and perish. Since trolls are in the area they could have been attacked by trolls and eaten by them but I think some would have escaped in the process unless it was a lot of trolls. It could also be a possible combination of more than one theory such as bandits using hallucinogenic plants causing the dwarves to mine illegally or wander off and get eaten by werewolves. Till we get more clues we won't be able to isolate the truth." Dr. Jackal looked out to the environment to see what was around them.

"I sure hope it's not gas from the mines." she said. "We didn't really prepare for a wonder in a mine without a map and no breathable air." Sasha added. "Werewolves do eat dwarfs, but they've never been known to not leave scraps or damage behind them. Even the smarter ones. As for the hallucinogenic, I once read a hunters report about a small village that started killing anyone not from the town, and it turned out something infected their water supply and they'd all gone mad. Whatever the 'infection' was, I didn't recognize the name."

Dr. Jackal nodded and replied, "Well if it's natural gas we will see dead bodies of animals and no live animals will come near it. We can use the canary test which is putting a bird in a cage and using a long pole to help move the cage near the gas till the bird dies. This is usually frowned up but it does work nonetheless. As for water being contaminated, it could be a toxin or parasite from upstream. Water parasites in humans are microscopic organisms that cause illness when ingested through contaminated water. Some examples of water parasites include Cryptosporidium, Giardia, and Schistosoma. The general symptoms of these include: diarrhea, stomach cramps, vomiting, loss of appetite, weight loss, and fever. To prevent this we boil or filter water before drinking, avoid swimming in fresh water and dry yourself off with a towel after getting out of the water. Cryptosporidiosis: Also known as "crypto", this disease is caused by the microscopic parasite Cryptosporidium. Giardiasis: This disease is caused by the microscopic parasite Giardia intestinalis. Schistosomiasis: Also known as bilharzia, this disease is caused by the parasite Schistosoma. There are more types out there and the Science Community is constantly doing research on them."

"We'll have to keep that in mind and warn everyone about the water." she said. Sasha was quite for a few moments. "What is American like?" she asked. "I've been there once before but only a short trip, not long enough to. What's the phrase? Stretch my legs? Maine I believe it was."

Dr. Jackal pondered for a bit since it had been a long time since he thought about America. It had been a long time since he thought about it since he last lost his parents. He replied, "Well its been a while so I am sure much has changed since I was there. The thirteen colonies in the top right corner of the US are where the primary industrialization occurs. As they expand their population there are less cities and more towns and villages. While it grants many opportunities for growth it also means a lack of city resources such as hospitals, law enforcement, proper facilities, clean water, baths and proper clothing for the harsh environment. In the northern areas it gets cold and there is often snow. In the southern areas there is less snow and cold but a lot more heat and humidity. Both areas make it hard to live at times. Oddly enough the US has mostly humans there and it's rare to see other races since they tend to get taught that the Eldren are bad at a young age. Some even reference them as the boogeyman to scare the naughty children. It's rustic compared to Europe but that in itself is part of its charm."

Sasha nodded. "I do wish I had had more time there." she said. "But it was not in the cards. I will agree that what I saw had a certain charm or maybe rather an interest in its juxtaposition of what I am used to." She laughed and shook her head. "But I do not wish to live there. Even outside being in the order, it would take more than just some pretty places to be convincing enough to upheave my life here, and learn about all new beasts." she added.

Dr. Jackal nodded as he replied, "We all want different things in life. I can imagine that is why we have so many choices in fashion, food, and decor. Given your lifestyle I imagine it is a challenge to stay in one place too long."

"You would be surprised to know most of us have a home to go back to. Though I do as well it's less about myself." she said, "Tenure with The Order aside, I don't believe I will be able to leave until I retire, should I live to see that day. Not for myself but for others." she said

Dr. Jackal chuckled as he recognized the similarity to himself. He then said, "I can relate. It's rough being married to your job. Who knows how many times I missed my meals, important meetings, dating women and my personal chores for the sake of my research. If not for some concerned associates harassing me I would miss my meetings for raising grant money and research presentations. Back then I was my own worst enemy."

"I've had no issue with dating women." Sasha said, "But I am fairly married to my job." She added, shaking her head. "Weapon research also takes more time than you'd think." Sasha rapped a knuckle on the sword placed between them. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to make a silver alloy that is strong enough to function as a weapon with enough silver content to actually harm beasts?" She shook her head, "My father makes my skills in both hunting and weapons look amateur but even he struggles."

Dr. Jackal nodded as he understood what she was referring to. He replied, "Ah yes the science of Metallurgy is very complex. If you have need of aid for a project like that I am sure both Ms. Ipsum and myself can aid you with that topic. When it comes to weaponizing silver you can make silver bullets, glass marbles filled with liquid Silver Nitrate, which is a medication used for cauterization. Like the pepper balls I gave you earlier, you can fire them from a sling shot. As for swords and knives that have silver in them, that gets complicated since making a sturdy alloy is very troublesome. That is why many choose to go with electroplating since it is cheaper to recoat the blade and mass produce them. I think it's a better weapon since the silver plating can break off inside your victim and poison them from the inside. However if you want a real silver sword you will be pushing the boundaries of science. A practical "silver alloy" for a sword is essentially not possible, as pure silver is too soft and malleable to create a functional blade; most swordsmiths would use a high-carbon steel blade with silver accents or fittings made from a silver alloy like "sterling silver" (92.5% silver, 7.5% copper) for decorative purposes, as it offers better durability while retaining a silver appearance. So it's more practical and cost efficient to use silver electroplates on a high quality sword or knife."

Sasha kept her eyes on the road ahead but nodded. "Not something we do much as hunters. Bullets are common. Electroplating not so much." she said. "Typically we don't even bother with silver. Werewolves are a rare hunt for hunters like me, and cheap iron chipped iron can still take a head off the shoulders of a mortal man." she said, more matter of fact than she intended.

After a while the conversation broke down to a few exchanged words, Sasha letting the Doctor study the Flora book he brought, and she hummed songs she knew to herself, trying not to get bored having little more to watch than the carriage in front of them.