Lillian sighed, "You have more right to decide then I do." She walked up to David and gave her hand to shake. "My names, Lissy. Welcome to the group."

David took her hand, "My pleasure." He grinned and though, this was going to be fun.

The two of them followed Jonathan and soon they had exited the forest and came upon a rather large marketplace.

"True," Jonathan muttered, "but I get the feeling you would argue with me until I agreed with your way..."

Jonathan looked around the marketplace which wasn't really all that different than any marketplace he'd ever been too. Venders sold in the streets with their carts and colorful awnings and children ran through the area, enjoying the wares. It was a good camouflage for a group of travelers such as themselves.

Lillian looked down at the street and knew she made the right choice in bringing the shapeshifter along. There was quite the number of them here. Although it did seem that David was the only wolf around. And since it was barely noon she figured they'd be able to find a way to the next town before nightfall. She looked at Jonathan and asked, "Are we heading towards the east next?"

(I don't even remember where they are going anymore. do you?)

Jonathan nodded. "We are." He was surprised at the number of shapeshifters around. They were obviously a far more common sight in this kingdom than in his own. He turned his head to gaze into the east, wondering if any new disasters awaited then around the next corner so to say.

(not really. I'm kinda guessing at this point. But I do believe, we're about halfway there or something. Let's just say it's close to this kingdom's castle. In the forest towards our east. How's that sound?)

Lillian followed Jonathan's gaze but only for a moment. She turned towards the shapeshifter. "So, what's the best way to the castle?"

David directed his words at the prince, "We should head a bit north first and then we can follow the paths east. You're heading more east aren't you? So not just straight to the castle." He gave a grin at his new found discovery.

Lillian glared at David and then headed forward to the town. She'd follow his guide until it was found unnecessary and useless.

(good enough for me!)

Jonathan sighed. "Yes, we were going east and I doubt we need to go right to the castle. Something tells me what we're looking for isn't there under the thumbs of this kingdom's ruler." He followed Lillian, content now to go the way David said.

David silently followed the seemingly odd travelers. He didn't quite believe that this Lilly person was a merc. She didn't cary the sword or crossbow most used as their primary weapon. Just exactly what, he couldn't tell.

Lillian pondered as the traveled out of the town and further into the foreign kingdom. She had no idea how to get rid of this new addition to the group. As much of an asset he could be, this shapeshifter was not something Lillian longed to keep. As she was pondering the issue, Lillian failed to notice a group of hooded figures following them.

Jonathan came out of a daze of his own at the barely audible sound of a twig breaking just a little too far behind him to be one of his companions. He looked over his shoulder and nearly tripped over his feet at what he saw. He spun on his heels, shouting to his companions as he faced the hooded figures, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Who are you!" he snapped.

Lillian and David both turned at Johnathan's call. They both noticed the group of figures who were apparently following them. There were five in all, and one who seemed to be the leader of the group came forward.

"We know you are looking for a special object," the figure said, "And we have come to discover that you have the map that leads you too this object."

Lillian sighed and muttered, "Just spit it out."

The figure continued, "We are also looking for this object, and will take the map by force if necessary. We are very powerful, and I'd advise you to follow our wishes." Then apparently finished the hooded figure waited for the three travelers to take out the map and just hand it over to them.

Jonathan's eyebrow quirked. "You really do expect us to turn it over just like that!" he snapped. "Well, too bad because we are going to be the one's that get this object!" He crossed his arms over his chest and gave the cloaked leader a challenging glare.

He turned to Lillian. "Why do they always expect us to be pansies?" He made it sound as if they had fought hundreds of enemies on this quest which wasn't true in the least.

Lillian sighed as she unsheathed her dagger, "I have no idea. But this is getting tiresome." She looked over at David, "Ready for some action."

"Way ahead of you," the shapeshifter gave a smile and in a few moments he had changed to his wolf form. A rather large gray wolf.

There were five hooded figures in all. And now all five had each taken out a staff and started muttering some spell of sorts. Lillian prayed that they would make it through all five wizards as the wolf beside her made the first move and attacked the leader.

Jonathan pulled out his sword in a swift motion and charged the wizard on the left corner right behind David. A force pushed him back though as they continued to count. Jonathan tried to struggle forwards but every time he got close enough to swing his sword at the wizard, he was suddenly not close to him at all. What kind of spell were they doing?!

David was having the same type of problem with his attack. Every time he jumped at the leader, it seemed as if he had never moved, as he landed in the exact same spot from where he jumped. The wolf growled menacingly. His blue eyes glaring at the wizards.

Lillian, always the first run, had paused before she attacked and noticed what seemed to be happening with her two companions. Testing to see if the spell would have the same reaction to her, Lillian rushed forward and attacked the figure, standing right of the head wizard. Not surprised, once she had swung her dagger at the man, the girl happened to be in a different place all together. She sighed, getting slightly mad at these tricksters. She wondered if illusion was the only spell they could do.

Right on cue, a fireball was directed towards Jonathan. "Look out!" Lillian called, as she dodged the one in front of her. Her mind was racing to find a way through the spell.

Jonathan's eyes went wide as he looked up to see a fireball hurling towards him as Lillian yelled a warning to him. Quickly raising his hands and working on instinct, he summoned a stream of water from around him and drenched the fireball just in time. He switched his sword to his other hand so he could dry his palm as he stopped trying to attack, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he thought. "Lillian! Is this just an illusion spell or are they actually moving us?!"

Lillian had been pondering about the spell, the wheels in her head turning at record speed. "It looks like a mix of an illusion and a barrier!" She moved closer to Johnathan, and then whispered to him, "When I throw this dagger at them. Don't hesitate to attack." With that, she turned and threw the dagger, not at the leader but at one of the others. Judging right, the wizard in question jumped and stalled in his chant. The dagger missed, but Lillian had made her mark.

"Don't stop chanting!" The leader yelled, but it was too late.

Jonathan barely had a chance to nod before Lillian threw the dagger and he was already charging forward before he heard the chant had stopped. He jumped at the leader, swinging down his sword and hitting the flesh of the wizard's shoulder. The man fell away from Jonathan staggering back and unable to continue chanting. Tiny droplets of water hung around the blade of his sword as he pointed the tip at the wizard.

Lillian hurriedly raced to retrieve her dagger as Jonathan made his mark. Glad to see her idea worked. A few stray fireballs followed her, but she dodge most. Making them hit the wizards at the last moment.

The wolf pounced on one of the wizards, pinning him to the ground. He growled, snapping his jaws when the wizard tried to chant anything.

The leader looked at Jonathan, frightened at his own miscalculation. "Look, just give us the map and we'll be on our way." He made some sort of a sign with his usable hand, and an orange glow appeared between him and another wizard. "You don't know who your messing with." He said as he clutched his injured shoulder.

Jonathan narrowed his eyes. "No," he said flatly. "We won't give you the map." Jonathan was wary of this orange glow, but he had no idea what to do about it. Hefting his sword loosely in his hands, he stepped closer to the leader. "Are you sure you want to keep challenging us?" He asked as he pointed his sword at the leader, sure that taking him out would be the easier way to dispose of all the wizards.

"Too late now," the leader said, "And we can't leave without the map." He smiled and all at once a large firebird came out of nowhere and appeared in the sky.

David jumped away from his prisoner when the bird came diving down to attack the three companions. It's red and orange wings flickering like a fire.

Lillian looked over at Jonathan, wondering if he could do anything about this fire creature. She glared but only for a moment as her attention now belonged to escaping the firebird.

Jonathan jumped back from the leader and gaped at the sky, his confidence plummeting. The firebird swept across the sky then looped back, dipping quite low the the ground as it screeched. He could feel the heat coming off its wings even a fair distance away.

Jonathan looked around between his companions and saw that they were not able to fight this creature. which meant he would have to. Jonathan narrowed his eyes so that all he saw was the red head of the firebird and shot a small stream of water at it. A small plume of steam trailed off of the bird and it shook itself and screeched, but it seemed far more annoyed than injured.

"Not good!" Jonathan yelped as the bird turned to glare at him. "I don't think this is working. and why the hell is there a giant flaming bird attacking us?!!"

"I have no idea!" Lillian replied. The girl gave a quick glance to the group of wizards and saw them running away, as if to make a break for it. "Forget about the bird, stop those wizards!"

The wolf turned his full attention to the lead wizard. David could pick him out easily as his nose was highly efficient. Growling, he bounded towards the wizard, forgetting about the bird. His paws made quick work and soon he was on the man. His jaws closed around the man's arm, and the wizard howled in pain.

Jonathan made a quick whip of water and lassoed the other wizards and dragged them back, but now the firebird swooped even lower and Jonathan had to duck away because he was nearly touched by the flames coming off the bird.
"Okay, we have the wizards, but what the hell do we do with the bird?!" He didn't see how they could fight it, and really, he wasn't sure they could run from it either.

"Can you sense a lake nearby?" Lillian asked Jonathan, "If not our only hope is to kill the wizard. Spells disappear when the caster is dead."

Jonathan's brow furrowed and he stilled as he concentrated on his surrounding. "Yes!" he shouted suddenly. There's a lake past the trees to our left! Its not too far." He took off running in that direction, his own instincts guiding him in the right direction through the trees.

Lillian hurried after Jonathan, hopefully this new idea would work. The fire bird followed the two, much to Lillian's liking. Once they got to the lake, the two stopped. But Lillian then rushed ahead, "Jump into the lake! The water might destroy it." And with that she disappeared into the water.