Arkngthan

Hazarmaveth just leans back as poor Fenris has his episode, starting to consider withdrawing his statement of sanity, not that he blames him for it. The sound of a Shalom gateway closing is heard and out of the corner of his eye he catches a glimpse of Borne and one of his seekers, the former hunched and mouth agape. It is implied he may have been there for a while.

"What was that?" Borne mutters.

He storms up to Fenris and Hazarmaveth, latter whom looks to his seeker motioning towards the clearly still intoxicated halfbreed. The seeker reacts only by shrugging while holding and petting Enyo.

"Di-did you bribe seeker Tulin with a ferret?" The god of death asks in disbelief. "You weren't supposed to arrive until you were sobe-"

"Yeah, I'm s-sober enough," he says, his speech somewhat slurred and slouching quite a bit, "Sober enough to see... this... t-this..."

He looks Fenris over, scrutinizing him for every detail. He then leans back and his eyes widen into a look of disbelief.

"Eh... elf?" a clear uncertainty in his tone as he gets up into Fenris's face. "You... are elven, right, boy?"

"Yes, he is." Hazarmaveth responds.

Borne glances over at his mentor then back to Fenris and shrugs backing away, Hazarmaveth clearly relieved and a bit surprised he didn't strike poor Fenris. The halfbreed turns towards Lycaon and his daughter Nymeria.

"Oh, would you look at this place and you guys, do any good smiting lately?"

Hazarmaveth pokes Borne in the back of the head with his cane, to which nearly causes him to lose balance and topple into the floor.

"Greetings lord Lycaon, lady Nymeria..." he says with forced elegance, then he looks to Fenris. "I am Winston Borne, the divine joke and apparent cheater of death."

He takes a bow, then raises up with a smirk upon his face.

"Hope you don't take offense but I do have a request should we succeed in this... venture."

Fenris did not like animals. He did not like flowers, or Lycaon, or the quest ahead of him. He really didn't like Nymeria's misunderstandings. He wanted, desperately, to explain just how disinterested he was in trying to seduce her, but he knew his tongue would only make more of a fool of him. "...I apologize, Ms. Nymeria." That 'king' is nothing to the true elf people. You can't read my thoughts can you? Why am I here?! Even the man with one-arm was more qualified than Fenris.
"A request?" Fenris asked. Is it that I stay here? Because I would gladly do so. "There is not much that I can do or offer." He stepped away from the owl. "I was told there would be a platypus accompanying us, not an avian." He didn't like flying creatures. He didn't like mammals either, but at least platipodes had the good decency to realize what a mistake mammals were and did their damnedest to do something else. "I'm sorry, everyone. I do not ask to be left out of cowardice, but it is clear I'm the least suited for this. Perhaps I should be sent ahead; I will do what I can to soften Ulm's defenses and the rest of you can benefit from my absence. Unless you need a scribe, cartographer, cook, caddy, armorer, scout, or musician." He didn't list his proficiencies as any level of boast. "...I don't mean to be rude, but I can't supply my own instrument. Any string or wind would be acceptable. Bagpipes? I know some wilting funeral orations. N-not that I expect to need them for any of you, of course. You're all... great warriors and everything... and I'm..." he sighed and scratched his jaw. "Lycaon, I very humbly appreciate you offering your home, but I would be more comfortable in Azal. Not that your palace is subpar in any respect. I just wouldn't want to inconvenience you. I'm sure there's plenty of space and everything, though."
Fenris wouldn't turn down the owl if everyone else did, but he wouldn't jump at the opportunity either. Nymeria's overreaction to a misunderstanding of his romantic intentions (or lack thereof) was insulting but not unexpected. He finally bet down to collect the necklace; he examined it before putting it back around his neck. At the very least his sneezing had subsided before he covered the rest of his new friends. "Ms. Nymeria again I very much apologize. It is a pleasure to meet you and I want nothing more. Of all Klethi's qualities, understanding is foremost and she won't make anything happen I don't want to." Unfortunately, he believed that. "So don't worry at all about me, or you, or us, or whatever."

"L-lycaon, thank you very much." Fenris took the lute from the servant slowly, like it might metamorphize into a snake at any moment. He pulled at each string once with his index finger. "...it can be any instrument? Can it be multiple at once?" He could orchestrate an entire band. Hopefully a sufficient performance would make Klethi forget about his seduction sidequest.
"Liquor?" Fenris asked Nymeria. In Azal it was still morning. Regardless, "I don't like alcohol. If a milk or fruit juice can be substituted, I would be much obliged. I mean, I'm obliged at all to be welcome in Lycaon's great hall. But I do not wish to partake in quaffing from the chalice of inebriation. But I a appreciate the offer, thank you."
And there was a platypus. That could talk. And it had better manners than him? Well excuse me Ms. Nymeria, but he wasn't given an introduction by the goddess of awkward situations. "Are you Aeristhatia's champion?" He disregarded the goddess herself entirely; she didn't receive the same difference Hazarmaveth did. "I am Fenris. It is... a rarity to make your acquaintance. "If I may, noble platypode, may I suggest you refrain from using terms like 'robust' to describe women. It is my belief they prefer affections like 'perky.'"

Fenris had, fortunately, found quiet places of solace where he was able to test his gift without interruption and without bothering anyone. He asked where he could acquire food and drink, rather than requesting it be brought to him, had no preference for his sleeping quarters, and-despite the abundance the god-king experienced-asked for and took as little as he could. It was clear to everyone he was uncomfortable in Arkngthan.
More than once Fenris would be caught staring at his future companions. Despite his dislike for animals, Mercutio was treated well. By and large he avoided everyone when he could, especially when trying his new instrument. He couldn't avoid everyone when summoned by Lycaon, though. He stood in a line with everyone, near the center despite his preference to be standing on the wings, with a silver flute in his pocket. While he hadn't asked for much, he wore new clothes better suited to the mountains than what he had worn in Azal. Klethi was foremost in judging the collection. "Nymeria will no doubt kill a few things, but I still don't see how anyone expects one-arm to beat Fenris," she remarked while secretly betting very well against her chosen hero.
The display of wolves didn't impress Fenris. In fact, it annoyed him. It bothered him that Lycaon manipulated the world so carelessly. He also hated riding animals, so when they were instantly transported however many miles and dimensions away, he materialized in a bad mood. "I would prefer to walk."

In the weeks Borne had spent much of his time to himself, and surprisingly kept relatively sober. When he wasn't trying to keep his skills sharp he was carving a piece of wood with his nail, talking to his ferret, and looking into a jar of black liquid. What interactions he did with the others were brief and at times awkward, but he tried to be more courteous than he was before. With the platypus he kept mentioning that Enyo is a talking animal too and that it was nice for her to no longer be the only one, likely to even Mercutio's confusion. It grew clear that he had very little interactions with other people, having hinted he essentially been raised by Hazarmaveth after his mother's death, some of it showed more but he remained relatively crude, sleeping wherever he felt tired not too unlike an animal.

At the time of the gathering he had taken his cloak and worn it specifically over his missing arm. It was clear from the weight that it was converted in order to hold his various instruments including knives and self-made devices, knowing well he'd need quite a few.

He squinted quite a bit in front of Lycaon, all the bright light was a bit much for him, in between each flash trying to make some he had tried to pose a question, then soon found himself atop a warg and not far from the Ulmish mountain border.

"Well," Borne groaned. "At least we are done zapping about... I think."

Enyo squirms in the pack on his back. As usual he acts as if this means something more than being restless.

"Huh? What? Yeah, did we happen to have a... plan?"