Alaina Posted June 18, 2017 Report Share Posted June 18, 2017 Alois raised an eyebrow as the littler princess seemed to not think he was telling the full truth. While it was true he probably had other stories, prior to meeting the team, they were mostly to do with either bandits or, again, his general day to day living. Neither seemed particularly fun to add though, even in jest, and so he didn't. However, as the girl said that he wasn't stuck at home he merely muttered, "oh is that what it sounded like to you?" The boy was not confined to his house, sure. But home was a lot more than one's house, and while he might not have had an entire kingdom that would try to stop him from leaving, it was still not the smartest of decisions to be un-stuck. Nevertheless, he listened to the girl as she told her story. He was, admittedly, confused, horrified, intrigued and curious as the girl went on about her story. As she finished, he digested the tale for a bit, before finally asking, "but wait, how did the rabbit-" but was cut off as the group made it to camp, where they were greeted with new faces. Meanwhile, as the large armored man "reported his status," to the chipper girl she merely slowed down her pacing. Slowly patting the man's armor she said, "good, good. Good to hear you're good." With a smile on her face, she gave the man two thumbs up, before resuming her original pace. It was then, that the group had made their way to their encampment, to which Tsetseg had turned around as they heard a friendly voice come from within the camp. As the girl in glasses made her greeting to the archer, Tsetseg countered with her own thumbs up saying, "Hange! My other favorite person! I'm doing good goodly good!" Once that was done with, Urvan had then called some of the others away, including Hange, which left the archer with only Shaoran as a familiar face with her. However, the boy then decided to give the group a tour to which she simply said, "oh yes, leave all the explaining things to Shaoran. He's like, really smart and stuff, and reads a lot. Which must mean he knows stuff!" Alois had a raised a curious eyebrow at this girl's strange energy, but didn't comment any further on it, merely following the tour guide around. He was a bit curious as to what these people sold here, and was actually somewhat intrigued by the weird trade system they probably had going. He wasn't so intrigued that he was going to comment any further on it, but the interest was there. However, as the tour had come to an end, he could suddenly feel a strange presence watching him. Glancing around, the boy saw that the littler princess's piercing eyes were on him, giving him a strange look. It was strange and with purpose. And while he couldn't read it entirely, he could tell the girl definitely wanted him to do something. "What? What are you giving me that look for. Stop. It's weird." Regardless of his aversion, though, the boy didn't really have anything else to do and followed the princess along on her adventurers. Though, were he asked to lift books, he'd merely say, "oh, sorry, I'm not doing lifting practice right now. But hey, it's never too early for you to start." Eventually dinner had come and though not much had happened during it, the group was eventually summoned by Urvan to go talk about something. Tsetseg had trailed a bit behind the rest of the group, as she wasn't directly summoned, but Alois had moved along with his group. Once there, the group learned more about what was going on. As it turned out they had managed to slay a leader of some large bandit organization, and had apparently incurred the wrath of other bandits in the region. While that was mildly amusing to the fighter, what wasn't was who supposedly hired them to kill the group in the first place. "Oh great, a Galtean noble wants us dead. Now we just need a Locrisian and Isaurian one pissed off at us and we'll get the whole of the continent after us," the boy grimly joked as the explanation happened. Regardless, once that was done with, the group was lead back to the camp they were staying in. Tsetseg said, "don't worry, I'll navigate you through our camp as no other navigator has ever navigated before to your sleeping area!" With that, she lead the group along, waving to Hange as she passed her until eventually they had managed to settle down. With that done, Tsetseg seemed to bustle off, going to her own devices for the moment. As the littler princess and the flower knight decided to go and deliberate on the matter at hand, Alois merely gave them a way and said, "good luck." With that out of the way, his attention turned to someone else. Ever since his talk with the littler princess, there was something about it that he couldn't shake. The description that he gave on person in particular, that made him start to wonder something about them. It wasn't as though he had actively been watching her since then, but the moments he had paid attention his thoughts didn't seem any less wrong. And so, with the free time upon them and the new development that the group had been presented with, he felt it a good time to go talk with her about it. Picking himself up, Alois walked over to the crown princess herself and said, "hey there Cat. Don't seem like you've got too much to do right now other than brood so, wanna spar instead?" While Tsetseg had claimed to be going about her business elsewhere, in actuality, she had circled back to where the group was. Keeping herself as best hidden as she could, the girl analyzed the group and noticed that her prey had been missing from the sight. As such, the hunter scanned the area around until she saw them moving about the rest of the camp. Moving quietly, the girl eventually began to crawl across the ground, steadily and slowly. While their prey seemed to be discussing something heavy, the girl was undeterred in wanting to catch her mark. As such, while Hange was providing to be an excellent distraction for her, the girl eventually pounced. Her hands extended out, ready to wrap around the fluffy tail of Sienna and truly test its fluffiness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asriel Dreemurr Posted June 23, 2017 Report Share Posted June 23, 2017 Edrick was not sure how he felt about being called "little dragon." On the one hand he would prefer to earn his own title, but on the other he was enormously proud to be compared to his uncle in such a way. Though the content of Urvan's answer soon distracted him from that. No word about where Elba might have gotten off to, and no explanation as to who this woman he was being told he should meet was. The first was merely disappointing. Yet another potential lead on where the thief might have gone turned to nothing, with really the only idea of where to look now being further West. And that really meant either returning to Pontus or entering Galtea, neither of which seemed like real options at the moment. For the time being he would have to do what he'd been doing: ask just about everyone they met who might know something if they'd seen her. As for the second part of his answer- "Excuse me. My name is Azar Soravati. I need a moment of your time." The stranger from before took that as the opportunity to speak to him, interrupting his train of thought. Though his chance to answer was quickly eaten up by the commotion of arriving in the camp site. Between being shown around the camp and being asked to help with dinner he really didn't have the opportunity to give her that moment she'd asked for. He was even so distracted that he barely noticed their mule had gone missing, though he just assumed it had been killed in the fighting. So he just went about what he would and added his contribution to the dinner. The preparation of Izichya, a traditional Pontic stew reliant on salted pork and candied beets, took up much of his time. In particular trying to find an appropriate substitute for Zeilla, which was integral to its preparation, took up a good bit of his time. His disappointment when he could not find any such thing within the camp was palpable. "It's not real Izichya without Zeilla..." he'd muttered as he went back to preparing the dish, trying to make up for the lack of a key ingredient through other means. The end result was a sweet and savory pot of stewed pork and beets, along with other vegetables he'd been able to scrounge up around camp. Maybe it was something the others enjoyed, and maybe Edrick was successful in getting Link to eat more of it than he poured off behind one of the tents, but the young farmer was less than impressed with it. He still ate his fill of course, and made sure the pot was scrubbed clean once everything had been eaten, but he seemed much less than thrilled about the state of the stew. Of course he was distracted from this too when Urvan reported the Pelinna Patrol's findings on the bandits to the party, during which he proudly held up Bazba's armored headpiece which he had grabbed to clean after dinner. Catriona's explanation brought his attention up from the dried blood he was cleaning from it. "My father, Roran Stronghammer for those few who have yet to be told, had much to tell me about Reginald Nabudis when he told me about the Lyonesse War. From what I was told, he does not seem the kind of man who would let even potential traitors live among the nobility. Perhaps things are different in Galtea, but in Pontus the Pontifex has the authority to execute any that are deemed traitors and the resources to find them." That was all he had to say on the matter, unless someone decided to question him. He knew what Catriona had to say about Inera's revival, and the mention of a blood ritual involving her changed little. His goal was the same, and if it truly required her blood for Inera to return then once the princess had been converted she would gladly give herself up. For now, he would simply do as he had been doing. He would protect her and those with her as best he could, and ensure that she did not meet her death before the appropriate time. Soon they broke from the meeting and were shown the tents where they could rest. After claiming one by placing his pack and, still mostly unwashed, armor within he wondered what to do. There was still time to use before sleeping, and he did not know enough prayers to fill all of it with that, so he found himself looking around camp with little idea of what to do with himself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hakima Posted June 27, 2017 Report Share Posted June 27, 2017 Link spun on his heel to return to his company when he heard them start to fade into the distance, but his boots stuck to the ground when he looked over his shoulder and saw the cub. He knew little about wolves, aside from the fact that they were harmful to livestock, but he knew something about compassion. He had left far too many behind already; he wouldn’t be able to sleep with himself if he just left the dog to die, alone, in a cold forest that was probably full of predators waiting to prey on something as young and defenseless as it. Besides, there was something… different, about it. An intelligence to its eyes that Link hadn’t ever seen in a dog before. Link sighed and kneeled in front of the cub, digging a small hole in the ground with his hands. The dirt in the area was hard and cold, and littered with tough roots that he had to strain to break. It was nothing like what he had grown up around, farming in Nalbina’s soft, fertile fields. He pulled his waterskin off his waist and poured the contents into the hole, stopping when it was nearly half full. “If you… If you can understand me, drink this, and then follow behind me. Don’t come too close or we’ll both be in trouble. I’ll sneak you some more food when I can.” The cub stared at him, tilting its head curiously, then started to lap at the water he had dumped into the hole. It wasn’t the least bit enlightening on if the canine understood him, but Link couldn’t afford to dwell. He could only hope that it worked out for the best. He hustled back to the rest after that, hoping that no one had taken notice of his absence, and that cub had been able to understand him. ~~~~ Link was relieved to find that no one had noticed his disappearance. It worried him, though, that no one noticed him slip back into step with them. If he was able to sneak up on them, who - or what - else had slipped by them? Still, in this instance, it had benefitted him. And they were all probably understandably stressed out, and lax since they were in the company of the Pelinna Patrol. He took it upon himself to keep a more watchful eye on the journey to the camp, but even he struggled to give it his full attention. His attention was stolen by thoughts of the wolf cub, and he glanced behind him searching for a pair of big, dark eyes whenever he heard a branch snap or bush rustle. The patrol’s campsite was… strange. It reminded Link more of a barracks than it did a traditional camp, with how many stationary wagons and tents had been set up. It didn’t exactly scream defensible, though, which made Link more nervous than it should have. He supposed he was just a bit jumpy from the ambush, but he wished that the patrol had at least set up a wooden barricade around the perimeter. The forest would naturally deter a horseman, but even something as simple as sharpened logs went a long way in deterring a charge. The atmosphere of the patrol brought a smile to Link’s face, if only briefly. The light-hearted ribbing and the warm atmosphere left him yearning for the Garou, and the blanket of confidence that came with knowing you could trust each and every person around you with your back. Oh, what he wouldn’t do to have one more night as a fresh-faced Garou recruit. Back before he had sold his peace of mind in the name of his country, when his shoulders weren’t quite so heavy, and it wasn’t a chore to hold up his head and face every day. He smiled wistfully, looking up toward the peaks of the forest’s trees. Would he change the way things had played out, if he could? It was something he often wondered late at night, when he couldn’t sleep, but the answer made it even harder to rest his eyes. It made him feel guilty, knowing that even if he was given a second chance, he’d still choose to let one best friend die, and break the other’s heart. “For the King,” he murmured under his breath, casting his gaze down to the ground and adjusting the weight of his sword on his hip. He had shouted the phrase so often, originally as a battlecry, but it had grown to hold a different meaning for the former soldier. It was his way of reassuring himself, that his friends hadn’t given their lives for no reason, because they were all acting on the orders of the King, and he acted only with his country in mind. Galtea was a country bought with steel and taxed in blood, and they had paid that tax gladly, so the innocent folks wouldn’t ever need to. Link was silent throughout dinner, mulling over recent events. The stew Edrick made tasted good, but Link wasn’t able to stomach much of it. He wasn’t sure if it was because he had been living off the relatively flavorless rations for so long, or if it was really that sweet, but the flavor overloaded his palate horribly. He managed to get down a bowl of it, picking out bits of pork and stuffing it in his pocket to feed to the cub, if it did show up. After dinner, they were called to a nearby clearing. Link listened quietly, and slowly, his expression shifted from a look of rapt attention to schooled inscrutability. Catriona had been kidnapped? He understood why it hadn’t been a widely discussed topic, but there was a slight sting at being kept out of the loop when even Alois (if his nonplussed reaction was anything to go off) had known. More importantly, how had it happened? Catriona was better with her sword than even he was his, and the company she kept - Anais came to mind - was just as lethal. Not to mention, she had been stationed with the Garou; they would sooner be completely annihilated than to let Catriona be taken. It had to have been after he left, meaning that at most, it had just occurred a few months ago. He wasn’t sure what to make of her declaration that her blood had been used in a ritual to revive Inera. Link had no desire to call the elder princess a liar, but… surely she was mistaken? He hadn’t really vocalized it often, but it was a fact that Link didn’t put any faith in fairy tales. There wasn’t an all powerful Goddess out there, it was just a myth that had been spread to try and explain death, because people feared it. It was the same sort of thing as the war stories people passed around, getting more outlandish with each iteration, because believing that there was a hero that had single-handedly saved the day gave people hope. And then there was the metaphorical bomb: House Salika had been behind the princess’ kidnapping, and the most recent attempt at assassination. That was… Link grit his teeth, gripping the hilt of his sword for comfort. How had he gotten himself tangled up in political warfare? He was a nobody, from nowhere - a blacksmith’s son, trained as a ranch hand. He had grown into a soldier, a wolf, a city guard, but he was still far from anything close to nobility. Politics was a battlefield he had no experience in, and walking into things blind made him uncomfortable. On top of that, Urvan informed them there was rumors of unrest with the protean tribes. Yet another thing he had no experience with; he had fought hundred of humans, but not a single beast. Out of the frying pan and directly in the fire, possibly literally, if the rest of the proteans were like Sienna. Link looked around, at the rest of the group. He had to protect them, all of them, not just the princesses. He had lived for a lot of things in his twenty-two years. Himself, Rusl, Ilia, Epona, Rohns, the Garou, the Wolves, Galtea… most of the kids had barely had time to live for themselves. Physically, he wasn’t that much older, but it felt like he was decades their senior. He was a mess, too broken and fragmented to be put back together again, but they were still young and mostly in one piece. They didn’t have to end up like him, and he was going to make sure they didn’t. He needed to get Gunther working with him. He needed to find more time to train Edrick. He needed to keep up with Penelope, because she wasn’t going to ask for the help. He needed to find out what the rest of the group knew, and where he could fill in the blanks. He needed to find out what else Catriona hadn’t told him, to make sure nothing surprised him. He needed to keep a better eye on Ciela, because damned if the girl wasn’t trying to get herself killed. He needed to check in with the new woman, and find out what her intentions were. Link had so much he needed to do, and for the first time in a long time, he had the energy to do it. Alois already was speaking with the elder princess, and Penelope had left with Gunther, but he caught sight of Edrick moving around just a bit away from him. “Edrick,” he said, approaching him. “If you’ve got an hour or two to spare, we could pick up where we left off on your training,” he offered.[spoiler=OOC] Sorry about the delay. In the process of moving, and my internet took forever to get installed because a transformer melted. Most of this was done while I was on my school's PC, but hopefully, I can use it and my phone to stay current. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yui Posted June 27, 2017 Report Share Posted June 27, 2017 Perhaps because Azar was focused on getting some conversation in with the Pontic - Edrick - the scenes of arriving at the camp and the dinner that followed were a bit of a blur to her. Her head was full of ideas that she thought were pretty innovative, but they were all more or less the same general idea of "learn about Inera and healing magic, succeed at perfecting the Rashido Method". Which in turn turned her thoughts to the man himself, and where he could have wound up. What would Pontics be doing in Palaea anyway? If they hate us like Rashido hates them they'd probably never come to Isauria to begin with, let alone the capitol. Or is that exactly why they'd go to Palaea? Kidnap Shamans, cut off dark magic at its heart, revive Inera? But it was just Rashido. What gives? The conversation Urvan had with the group after dinner helped the theory Azar had come up with during dinner. Kidnap a Galtean girl for a blood ritual to revive Inera? Of course it made sense; why wouldn't the Pontics also try to nab and deal with a few Shamans while they were at it? Every missing Shaman, after all, was one less that could help fight the thing. Now Azar definitely had to speak with Edrick. She had a goddess and form of magic to learn about, a theory to confirm, and if she wound up sticking with these people, it wouldn't hurt to get to know them. She'd also need to ask the sword girl - Catriona was her name, right? - more about her kidnapping. Leave it to nobility to be the scum of the earth. Some things never change no matter where you live I guess. After Urvan's conversation with the group was over, the team was shown to the tents where they could rest. Azar didn't carry much, enough to fit it all in a single bag, so she simply dropped her bag in a tent she'd claimed for her own, and took a bit to breathe. Bandits, kidnappings, Inera...what happened to the good old days where all Azar had to worry about was winning her next arena fight? Not that they were particularly old days or anything. Azar looked at her arms. The markings on them - copied from a Flux tome - were fading. Most of the pain from actively using the Rashido Method was gone, but there wasn't anything to do about the stinging sensation she felt over her arms. That was just part of the Method's shortcomings; it was something she wanted to fix, but first came the issue of not breaking bones and blistering skin just for using it at all. I'll need to redo those sometime soon. But not today. Azar had enough of the Method for one day during the fight earlier. Well, enough of using it anyway. Now was a good time to try and get information instead. Initially, Azar had wanted to question Edrick, but he suddenly seemed occupied with that soldier. What was his name again? It was something simple, right? She'd have to get around to Edrick some other time, but she'd have to act quickly the next time she could get him without something else getting in the way. Her second-best bet would have to be... The horse girl. She knew healing magic, which Azar had to look into for her next theory on perfecting the Rashido Method. Plus, as she recalled, the girl had wanted to talk before arriving at the camp. "Ah, am I interrupting something? You know, I'm still quite curious about your magic. I have studied Anima and healing magic considerably, but I am quite lacking in knowledge regarding elder magic. Not to mention, your usage of it was hella odd. Yeah yeah, I already did squee on you earlier during the fight though I guess you ignoring me back then makes sense. Now that we're relatively safe, can we talk about it more?" Yeah, that's what the girl said. That works out perfectly. Leaving her bag in the tent she'd claimed, but not her cloak of course, Azar got up and went on a search for the horse girl. Her name started with a C, right? Whatever her name was, the search didn't take long. Horses are pretty hard to miss after all, and the girl seemed to always be near hers. When she found the girl, Azar simply walked up to her. "You wanted to talk, right? I'm a bit late getting back to you on that, but let's talk. I was actually curious about your own magic, so we can both benefit from exchanging some information." I'm no teacher though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaina Posted June 28, 2017 Report Share Posted June 28, 2017 Catriona wasn’t exactly sure how she felt after that conversation with Urvan, more specifically after telling the group...everything. Though, not everything. Gunther had given her a strange look afterward, one she couldn’t interpret. Was it sympathy? Fear? Worry? Probably the last one, knowing him. Regardless, her problems remained her own. She wasn’t sure what to think about the Pelinna Patrol either. They seemed kind, but there was also the possibility that there was a spy amongst them. Then again, there was also the possibility that there was a spy in her group as well. Still, she could not live her life in paranoia. She would never get anything done. It was in the midst of her thoughts that a familiar fighter approached her. He alluded that she was brooding, which was probably true, but still stung her pride somewhat. However, his latter words were what caught her attention. Sparring… How long had it been? The last time had been...back at the border. Catriona nodded, and rose from her seated position. “Where to?” she asked. The boy thought about it for a moment, rubbing his chin, before saying, “well, the place we talked to Urvan earlier would probably work. Or anything similar like that. That good for you?” The woman nodded once more, and started to walk toward where they had last been. It hadn’t been that long ago, so her mind was still able to remember the path. Soon, they arrived at the clearing, which was bare of people this time around. Walking through the clearing, Alois turned to the princess and tossed her a practice blade he had acquired from the camp on their way over here. Bringing out his own practice weapon, the boy rested it on his shoulder, and with a smirk said, “ready when you are.” Catriona caught the blade expressionlessly, her mind already focused on the fight ahead. “Ready,” she said. Seeing the girl’s expression so focused, the boy’s smirk dropped a bit before he bent down into position. Bringing the wooden axe to his side, he waited for a bit, merely locking his gaze with his opponents. After only a few seconds had passed though, he did a simple charge at her, bringing the axe down in an overhead swing. Catriona stayed in position, debating a pivot to the side to avoid the blow. However...she wasn’t in the mood to dance. Instead, she raised her sword, catching the axe near the hilt of her sword. This would allow her to push back with more force if needed. Her lips curled upward, ever so slightly. She had wondered who, of the two, was stronger. Now she might just find that out. As the two “blades” collided with each other, Alois couldn’t help but smirk as well. He knew from watching her fight that this girl was definitely strong, but actually fighting her put that into perspective. However, not one to back away from a contest of sheer strength, the boy simply started putting more force into his axe, pressing down against the girl’s blade. Oh? He’s stronger than expected. Catriona’s smirk grew, her earlier dark thoughts falling from her mind, completely focused on the contest of strength going on right now. She exerted more force on her end to match. “You’re quite strong,” she said. “Though...I’d be worried if you weren’t, considering your class.” The boy chuckled at the compliment as he said, “well, as I told your sister, I used to chop a lot of wood. Besides,” the boy attempted to continue pushing forward on their lock. “You’re no slouch yourself. Where does a crown princess get so strong?” Catriona pushed back, starting to wonder how this would end, or if they would eventually have to break off. “Well, that’s one way to get stronger,” she commented. She had had to chop wood a few times in the Garou during the colder months, and it did take a certain amount of strength...and endurance. “And thank you. And as to your question…” she paused. Nobody had ever really asked her that, so she wasn’t sure how to reply. “I suppose...the way most swordsmen do. Weights.” It had started from the first time she had ever lifted a blade. Back when she was learning, she used a wooden practice sword, but she had known, even then, that the weight would be incomparable to the real thing. No, she had to get stronger. She had to be better than everybody else. Otherwise, she could not call herself a daughter of King Reginald, the man who had seen war at the age of thirteen and thrived. If one did not have the strength nor the endurance to wield a blade, then one ran the risk of losing a match from sheer exhaustion, rather than inferior skill. She would not lose from situations like those, situations she could have prevented from happening in the first place. “Weights huh?” The boy raised an eyebrow. “Well, I guess that’s like the same thing.” After offhandedly saying that, the boy then started to push harder into this struggle, trying to step forward in his push. “But, it’s not much for chopping or parrying.” Catriona pushed back even harder. Perhaps she should break it off...it didn’t seem like either one of them would give anytime soon. “It builds one’s strength, which is what counts,” she replied. As neither one had been budging, Alois said, “well, that’s true. But you should know by now that strength isn’t the only thing that matters.” With that, the boy shifted his weight away from his axe, and shoved forward with his shoulder into Cat’s torso. “Of course not,” the woman replied in a deadpan, leaning backward and twisting her body to the side. Part of her was relieved that the contest of strength had ended, another part disappointed. She took that moment to take a few steps backward, wondering what the fighter’s next move would be. While Alois had finally broken the lock between the two of them, he couldn’t help but feel a small sense of defeat go through him. Still, he didn’t let up as he regained his balance. Chasing after the girl’s backstep by quickly stepping forward, he then struck at her side with the practice axe blade. He’s not bad, Catriona thought as she watched the axe blade shoot toward her side. Twisting around so her sword could divert the blow, she completed the movement by stepping to the side, toward Alois, elbow jerking out to hopefully catch him off guard. The whoosh of forcefully expelled air told her that her action was successful. Taking advantage of that, she quickly turned to face him head-on, blade aiming for his neck. Feeling the wind knocked out of him from the girl’s elbow, Alois staggered back a bit only to see that she had already begun to follow up her attack. Bringing his axe up to defend, he blocked the blade of the princess, but was still off balance and only stumbled further away. Trying to get in a counterattack, the boy attempted to stop himself, pushing heavily down on one foot, following this with another swing of his axe towards Cat’s torso. It’s too bad that he recovered so quickly, Catriona thought, a little disappointed. If she had managed to aim for his legs during that moment of lost equilibrium, then the match could have been over. Regardless, it wouldn’t do to let her thoughts linger on past events, as he was already making another attack. Taking a swing like that head-on would not be wise. The woman hopped a few steps backward to evade. As the girl stepped back, Alois’s axe found nothing but air in its blade. With the heavy swing having missed, Alois’s already precarious balance was only thrown off more as he started to stumble forward. There! Catriona saw her opportunity in that moment, and took it. She rushed forward to whap the flat of her blade across Alois’ bowed head. Not so hard that it would knock him out, but enough to give him a headache. She stepped back a bit, voice calm as always. “I think we’re done.” However, inside she was a little impressed. He had surprised her, and had done fairly well for himself despite the natural disadvantage he held using an axe against a sword. Alois staggered back as the blade hit his head. His face grimacing with pain, as his hand went to clutch where it was hit, he let out a, “owww, fu-, gah, ow.” With spots in his vision, the boy blinked a few times to try and fix it, as he said to the princess, “alright, alright. I yield.” Rubbing his head, the boy then said, “jeez, you really are pretty good.” Turning to face her, eyes still wincing a bit from pain and it clearly on his expression, Alois asked, “so how was it? Had fun?” The woman thought for a second. Had she had fun? Her mind felt clearer, her body more energized from a good workout. Either way, her mood had certainly improved from before, so perhaps I did have fun. “It was...refreshing,” she admitted. Alois let out a slight chuckle as he said, “thought it might be.” He looked to the princess with a slight grin on his face, “after all, it’s pretty clear that you have a talent and joy for this kind of stuff.” Catriona felt a small smile tug on her lips. “Yes, sparring has multiple uses. It keeps the mind and body fresh, sharpens one’s skills, and can be used for bonding as well.” She hesitated before that last one. She had seen it in action herself, but rarely did it produce the same results when applied to her. “Well, sure, sparring yeah. But I more so meant fighting in general.” As he let it sink in he said, “you’ve got form and style that makes this not just for show fighting and you definitely got a competitive fire in you. I’m not saying you’re like blood crazed Murder Boy, but you, princess, are quite the genuine fighter.” The lord nodded in thanks. “I am glad to hear you say that.” Fighting was as much a part of her as her blood. One could even argue that it ran in her blood, due to her father’s skill, but she had never once been able to come close to his level, and probably never would. Still, to hear that Alois thought of her as a genuine fighter… A tingle of pride ran down her spine. Now was the time for her to comment on his skill, no? “You did quite well yourself. Admittedly, I underestimated you. Axes carry their own disadvantage when used against swords.” “Well,” Alois’s tone became a bit more cocky, “I am pretty amazing, and it’s not like I’m gonna have something as silly as a slight edge stop me.” This was punctuated with a slight wince of pain from his still throbbing head wound. Rubbing it a bit, he then extended his hand out for a shake, “still, it was a good bout. Anytime you need to spar, I’ll be ready to take you on again.” Catriona took the offered hand, giving it a firm shake. “Anytime,” she agreed, still smiling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sethera Posted June 29, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2017 Catriona felt...a lot better after the spar. Before, she had felt tense, weighed down with guilt despite the delicious stew she had just eaten. A few patrol members had praised Edrick's cooking skills, including Urvan's. Still, she hadn't been able to forget what had been said in the clearing. "Lord Sebastian will pay for this...if he is the culprit. I wish we had more to go on than your testimony, Catriona. You were in a distressed state. Even were you to name him to father he could not do anything about it that could not be dismissed." Penelope bit her lower lip, mulling it over. "Gunther, come, I wish to go to a tent. I need to think of all I know of Lord Sebastian, and the recent attacks. I wish for you to help me remember all the details. Perhaps there's something I can use against him if it comes to that..." The woman shook her head. "I realize that, which is why I did not return to Augusta to testify. It would have only put my enemies on high alert. But it seems that they found out anyway, though I do not know how." There were any number of people who could have told Lord Sebastian of her continued existence. A spy in Sochen, a citizen of Ithome, even the Pontics themselves. It would do her no good to mull over such things without more information. "Oh great, a Galtean noble wants us dead. Now we just need a Locrisian and Isaurian one pissed off at us and we'll get the whole of the continent after us." Catriona wondered if Inera herself had influenced the sour way their luck had turned. If so, then she wouldn't be surprised if, in the end, they did have the whole of Mysia after their lives. "My father, Roran Stronghammer for those few who have yet to be told, had much to tell me about Reginald Nabudis when he told me about the Lyonesse War. From what I was told, he does not seem the kind of man who would let even potential traitors live among the nobility. Perhaps things are different in Galtea, but in Pontus the Pontifex has the authority to execute any that are deemed traitors and the resources to find them." "Yes," Urvan said. "From what I know of the man, he would not leave things alone like that." Which implied that he knew...and purposefully did nothing. This wasn't as surprising as it might have been. Her father had always been a strategist, every action for the good of Galtea and House Nabudis, a trait which had passed on to Penelope, but had missed the firstborn. She could indeed sacrifice herself, and was prepared to as the next-in-line, but to play with others' lives like draught pieces had never appealed to her. What are you planning, father? she had wondered. So when Alois had come up to her with the offer of a spar, she had taken it, and gladly. And he had surprised her. The boy had more potential than she had assumed. The woman found herself looking forward to testing her blade against his in the future. After the spar, the woman noticed that realized that everybody had seemed to have found something to occupy themselves. Sienna was talking to that woman from earlier, and the energetic girl was following her. Edrick and Link seemed to be bonding, as were Ciela and that dark magic user from earlier. She had just talked to Alois, which left Penelope and Gunther. Catriona considered going shopping, but it might be better to do so in the morning. However, Gunther had invited her to join them, if his look was any indication, which might be for the best. So she approached the tent that the two were occupying, clearing her throat before stepping inside with a basic greeting. "Hello." -- "E-excuse me... Urvan said you've been trying to get a response from the tribes in the forest, I was wondering if you could uh... Tell me what exactly is going on, I'm really worried about my tribe..." Hange glanced up at hearing a voice, not really paying attention until they heard the word "tribes." Then the rest of the girl's words sank in. "Eh-eeeeehhh?" they jumped to their feet. "Does that mean that you're--" they ripped the hood off of Sienna's head before anybody could stop them, even Erwin who had muttered, "Not this again," while Levi clicked his tongue in the background. "Awwwww look at that! Such cute ears, such a splendid tail! Do you know, Levi, that white foxes are said to be a sign of good luck amongst the fox tribe of Pelinna? It's because of the one they call the 'First Fox,' Inari, who founded the tribe. She was known for her luxurious white coat and her nine tails. Because of that, white foxes are usually considered her chosen, and treated a bit differently, though few have been able to inherit her magical abilities..." Hange squinted their eyes at Sienna. "You don't happen to...know magic, do you?" "You're salivating. Stop being so disgusting," Levi muttered. "Aww, you're no fun!" they pouted. "Anyway," they wiped the drool off their mouth. "I don't have much, unfortunately. I've been trying to get in contact with them, but they've been refusing all my advances. What I do know, is that there's been some sort of...disturbance since late August, that's got the tribes all in an uproar. It got worse a couple days ago. From what I can glean, there's been an attack on a member of the frog tribe, and something valuable of the fox tribe got taken. But that's all I know," they shrugged. "Sooo," they started. "Can I...touch your ears? And tail?" their expression turned covetous. "Actually, I have an idea. Why don't you stay with us? I need an assistant and you're so fluffy--I mean, you'd be a good go-to between the tribes and the patrol. Whaddaya say?" "Idiot." "Don't worry yourself over it," Erwin reassured the Protean. "You have your own goals, and from what I understand, they're quite noble. Also," he looked over at Tsetseg, who had pounced on Sienna. "What are you doing?" "Tsetseg, I didn't see you there!" Hange cried out. "One-track mind." "Oh shush. Hey Tsetseg, you agree, right? That...actually, I don't think I ever caught your name," she looked at the fox girl quizzically. -- Link would find his steps dogged by a literal canine, though the presence seemed to fade away as he entered the camp, which was in a large clearing surrounded by a fence of sharpened stakes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asriel Dreemurr Posted July 1, 2017 Report Share Posted July 1, 2017 “Hmm?” The young Pontic turned his attention towards Link, a confused expression on his face. “There is more to learn? I thought I was deadly enough with what you had already taught me.” He did not rightly know what else there could possibly be to teach on the matter. As Edrick saw it, all there was really left for him to do was to- “oh, you mean practice, right? Yeah, I can do that.” He left and a few seconds later returned, holding the irreparably stained spear in one hand and his cuirass in the other. His shirt was still hanging from one of the tent poles. Link blinked a few times, but didn’t react otherwise. “You won’t need the armor,” he said, staring at the cuirass. He motioned for Edrick to follow him as he started to walk toward the edge of the camp. “You’ve never formally had any training?” The sound of metal clanking rang out, presumably from the young man tossing the armor back into the tent. “Not unless farm work counts, and I’m pretty sure it doesn’t. Well, at least now that my scythe’s broken.” He trod along behind the former soldier, letting his arm hang with the spear in it. “Dad uh...didn’t want me to be a soldier. Funny how things work out, eh?” Link nodded, but he didn’t say much else. He seemed content to let the awkward tension linger, unphased by it. “You ever do much farm work yourself?” Edrick was not. “I grew up outside Nalbina, so you’d think, but no. I worked as a ranch hand before I joined the military,” Link told him. “Oh, so you worked with horses and cattle? Didn’t have a lot of ranching on the Lanti, at least on the Pontic side. I think the Locrisians did some, if what they did counts.” “It’s probably similar. The rancher owned mostly goats, not cattle, though.” “Oh! We had goats, yeah. Well, a couple other villagers did.” By this point the pair had very nearly reached the edge of the camp, the crude palisade blocking them off from the forest. “So what’s this training you were talking about?” Link stopped just at the outskirts of the camp, far enough away to not be in the way of anyone, and turned to face Edrick. “How do you block an attack?” His demeanor changed as he asked. His expression hardened, the light of the moon - just barely piercing through the forest’s foliage - casting a shadow across his face, and his hand rested on the hilt of his sword. Edrick just blinked at the question, more confused than before it seemed. “Why would you worry about blocking an attack at all?” The suggestion was just an entirely foreign idea to him. “That’s what armor, healers, and faith are for.” “Expecting your Goddess to protect you from every single attack is unreasonable and lazy. Do you ask her to harvest your crops for you too?” “No, because that’s not the…” he paused for a moment as he thought of the word, “agreement between her and her faithful. We fight and kill for her, and in turn she protects us so long as we remain true in our faith.” Link doubled down on his argument. “Your father and your uncle both carried a shield into battle, to defend themselves. Were they not faithful enough for her protection?” “My father fought with his hammer in one hand. My uncle with his sword in the same manner. They had free hands to use shields, and by doing so they were better able to fight in Inera’s name.” He hefted the Iron Lance he had been given by Jake. “I do not have a free hand with this.” “Edrick Roranson, do not let your faith in Inera prevent you from bettering yourself.” Link took a deep breath and tried again. “Humor me, if just for the moment. How would you block an attack?” Edrick let out a sigh and paused to think, scratching the side of his neck. “I...would put my spear in the way of it? Or maybe one of my uhh…” He gestured to his forearms. “The bits of armor I wear on these.” Link nodded, drawing his sword. “And if you did that…” Link positioned his sword in the air just above Edrick’s arm, the blade only inches from his skin. He was miming his attack having been blocked. “I would be here. Assuming that I’m wearing chain, that leaves you with several good avenues of attack, whereas before you had none.” He pulled his sword back and sheathed it. “Combat is about being fluid, and keeping the momentum of the fight in your favor. Even the most aggressive fighter has to understand how to block, so that he can adapt when he is blocked. Understood?” “I...think so?” The boy really did not look sure of this, or really anything he was being told right now. This was somewhat more complex than just ‘control your breathing and thrust instead of sweeping’ after all. “So, how does this help if I end up fighting someone like you or Catriona? Seems to me I’m still relying on faith and armor as much then as I am now.” Link hesitated. How much did he really want to teach the boy? It was hard balance between how to defend himself, and arming an enemy he may have to deal with later. “If you are facing me or the princess, you’ve chosen the wrong enemies,” he said pointedly, but continued, “but… you’ve got to think on your feet. What all do you think would play to your favor, if we fought?” “I’m bigger than you, and you’re about to fall over at any second what with how you eat.” The Pontic’s response came quickly, and his voice took on an almost paternal tone. “Seriously, Link, if anything you need to be eating the most out of anyone in the group. You’re going to kill yourself if you keep going like this.” Link seemingly ignored what Edrick said in favor of continuing with the lesson. “That’s not wrong, but it only scratches the surface. You’ve got a longer reach, physically and with your weapon. It’s why lances do so well against swords. It’s that I wear chain instead of plate, so I have freedom of movement. It’s that my sword is a hand-and-a-half, meaning I can go one or two-hande-” “It’s that you’re so frail I just have to stick you and wait it out while you bleed to death before you can kill me.” Link slowly closed his mouth, and stopped talking. His hand ghosted back over to the hilt of his sword. “.... Go get your armor.” Edrick seemed startled for a moment, and then a fierce grin crossed his face. His lance was planted in the ground and he went back off to his tent. A few minutes later he returned, his armor and shirt still bloody from the earlier fighting, and tore the spear from the ground as he got into his stance. “Ready when you are, Lup.” Link drew his sword and tattered shield. He made a line in the dirt, just in front of his boots, with his sword. “I’ll give you five swings to hit me or force me to back away from this line, then, I’ll stop you with one. Understood?” “Five swings, huh? Alright.” And that was all Edrick said before lunging forward, driving the point of his spear towards the former soldier with the whole of his body mass behind it. Link didn’t take action until the tip of the spear was upon him, and at the last possible moment, he ducked underneath it and bowled into the Pontic’s legs. The boy’s momentum sent him careening over Link’s shoulder, landing face first on the ground. Link turned to face him. “One.” Edrick, meanwhile, was pushing himself off the ground and coughing as he spat out a mouthful of dirt. He didn’t bother saying anything as he got his legs back under him, and this time lunged low to the ground. Maybe because he’d figured out what he did wrong, or maybe just because he hadn’t actually gotten his balance back. Link reacted quickly this time. He stabbed his sword several inches into the ground, in the path of the attack, and then let go of it. As the iron tip of the spear struck the sword, Edrick failed to keep his grip on it. The sheer force tore it out of his gloved hands, and his attempts at holding on just ruined his balance and brought him, once again, face first into the dirt. “Two.” This time Edrick didn’t even bother getting up, he just lunged out with an open hand in an effort to grab at the hem of Link’s tunic. Link swatted the boy’s hand away with the metal-lined edge of his shield. “Three.” Link pulled his sword from the dirt and looked to Edrick. “Your momentum is gone. You’re winded, and you have no weapon. Even if you did, every attack you make from this point on won’t have as much force as your first, and that one didn’t work either. You’re playing with your strength right now, not to it. That works when you’re fighting bandits whose biggest challenge before you was some old man dressed as a fairy, but against anyone with real experience? You’re harmless.” Edrick spent much of that discussion pulling himself out of the dirt, and sitting up instead of standing. When Link was finished, he only had one thing to say. “I think I swallowed a rock.” Link honestly laughed. He put away his weapons and stepped toward Edrick, extending a hand. There was a smile on his face for possibly the first time since the boy had met him, small, but a genuine one nonetheless. “I think that’s enough for now, can’t have you too sore to march when we move in the morning. Just remember, Edrick. A sharp sword can kill a man, but a sharp mind can fell a nation.” Edrick took a moment to breath, and then reached up to take the man’s offered hand. “Yeah. Speaking of being sore.” His grip tightened, his grin came back, and he yanked down with all of his strength. “Four.” Link came down easily. He landed hard beside Edrick, but he came up too quickly - the smile that he was wearing a moment before was gone, replaced with a look of sheer terror, and he scrambled for his sword clumsily. The moment was gone as fast as it had come, leaving Link staring at Edrick, a hand still on his sword. The realization of what had just happened slowly dawned on him, and Link hurried back to his feet. “I-I’ve got to go,” he said quickly, and then turned and nearly ran out of the camp and into the forest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wind Rider Posted July 1, 2017 Report Share Posted July 1, 2017 Sienna was a little freaked out by Hange's reaction to her question and her hood suddenly getting yanked off only contributed to her fear. "Awwwww look at that! Such cute ears, such a splendid tail! Do you know, Levi, that white foxes are said to be a sign of good luck amongst the fox tribe of Pelinna? It's because of the one they call the 'First Fox,' Inari, who founded the tribe. She was known for her luxurious white coat and her nine tails. Because of that, white foxes are usually considered her chosen, and treated a bit differently, though few have been able to inherit her magical abilities..." Hange squinted their eyes at Sienna. "You don't happen to...know magic, do you?" Well... She was very knowledgeable about Sienna's tribe, though she couldn't help but rub the back of her head when she mentioned the whole chosen white fox thing, it reminded her of what her father used to tell her. Going back to Hange, they seemed to be drooling a little. "U-uh yeah... I do have a little magic... And I study it too... But uh... Back to my question, please..." "I don't have much, unfortunately. I've been trying to get in contact with them, but they've been refusing all my advances. What I do know, is that there's been some sort of...disturbance since late August, that's got the tribes all in an uproar. It got worse a couple days ago. From what I can glean, there's been an attack on a member of the frog tribe, and something valuable of the fox tribe got taken. But that's all I know," Well... That didn't sound good at all, the incidents are one thing but Sienna was worried that something big might happen. "Sooo," they started. "Can I...touch your ears? And tail?" their expression turned covetous. "Actually, I have an idea. Why don't you stay with us? I need an assistant and you're so fluffy--I mean, you'd be a good go-to between the tribes and the patrol. Whaddaya say?" "Uh... You can... So long as you... Yipe!" Sienna turned around after feeling something grab her tail, fortunately it was just Tsetseg. "As I was saying... So long as you ask..." she said blushing nervously. "Hey Tsetseg, you agree, right? That...actually, I don't think I ever caught your name," Sienna moved around nervously, not wanting to shake Tsetseg off her tail, which was fluffed up from her surprising Sienna. "Uh... My name is Sienna..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaina Posted July 3, 2017 Report Share Posted July 3, 2017 Having shaken her hand, Alois looked at the girl to meet her smile with a smirk of his own. As the bout had been finished, Cat had gone off on her own way with Alois staying behind. The boy let out a sigh as felt a twinge of pain go through his head again. Thinking about what had just transpired, he seemed to be pretty spot on about the girl, though there was something about her that still bothered him. Regardless, he shrugged and felt the headache throb again, making his thoughts go back to the fight itself. The girl was definitely stronger than him and he was completely outclassed as a fighter. With a strange fire burning in him, not wanting to be outdone in a fight by some princess, the boy simply walked further into the clearing and began to simply start practice swings. Her face filled with bliss, the girl had wrapped her hands around the fox protean's tail, sifting her fingers through them while rubbing her face in the fluffiness.Relishing in her victory, the girl couldn't help but let out a gleeful giggle as she heard someone speak to her. Looking at the person the voice belonged to, with pleasant surprise she said, "Levi!" Letting go of the tail, she then bounded back onto standing on her two legs and said, "isn't it obvious? I was grasping, petting and testing the fluffiness of this one's tail," she pointed to the fox protean. She then turned to Hange and nodded excitedly at the girl's proposition. "Oh man! That would be the best if you joined us! I mean, after all, we don't have many mages in the Patrol and you're like a super magic fox- oh also that! We don't have any foxes! So you'd be like a huge increase in our number of foxes, and man you'd increase the fluffiness of the patrol by like 110%!" As she exclaimed that, she seemed to shift to mulling over what she just said for a second only to shift back to glee as she said, "so what do you say -uh, er, um, - Sierr- no! Sienna! What do you say?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maeriberii Haan Posted July 3, 2017 Report Share Posted July 3, 2017 Ciela was silent as she listened to Cat telling the others regarding her suspicion of Lord Sebastian being a part of the conspiracy waged against her. She had seen him with his father a few times, and they...seemed to be quite friendly with each other? She never really paid much attention though, and never really wished to care about that. She didn't have any special opinion regarding him either, although even then the knowledge of the head of one of the main Galtean Noble Houses dared to commit treason by doing such thing to the heir apparent was concerning. Alois was right - they really just need to piss off some Isaurians and Locrisian jerks to have the continent go against them now. Ciela groaned a little - it seemed that the mess the group were in somehow got even bigger and bigger after each day passed. Even then though, something else was also on her mind. The mule she brought with the group earlier had gone missing, and it seemed that no one noticed it yet. She would have yelled around regarding it, but then she was visited by Azar and her attention was taken immediately by her. "You wanted to talk, right? I'm a bit late getting back to you on that, but let's talk. I was actually curious about your own magic, so we can both benefit from exchanging some information." "Yeah, right- wait uh...really? Don't isaurian really hate the Goddess' magic or something? Although...I guess you can ask the reverse to me. I guess...wait, I got this. Hang in there a bit." From her canvas bag, she pulled out two worn books and shown them to Azar. One was the original notebook belonging to Lady Nashandra, and the other was her own incomplete copy of it, a translation and rewrite of the contents from the archaic Pontic written in chicken scratch into both a more contemporary Pontic language, and also to the common language, with added footnotes by her and a far better script than Nashandra's. She had been working on it for quite a while due to her own interest on it, but until now it was just for her own personal amusement. For it to find an actual use was actually quite a nice thing to know. Despite the fact that she was talking to Azar for her own personal desire to know about her strange magic, in the end she decided to elaborate first because her pride started to get into her head again. "Healing magic comes from the Goddess, that is a fact that everyone knows. Faith in her is necessary for one to use the magic in the first place, yet of course asking for it from a lot of people present here now isn't something realistic. Mine wasn't born from that, however." She then went on a long description on the procedure of using healing magic and the training and tools necessary to even start with it, and then she went on a long explanation regarding the importance of the healer's staves and the encrusted gems on its tip, the risks of healing magic, and so on and on. All according to the half-translated notebook, of course. "And that's the basics, more or less. As for how I'm able to use it...? I...well actually I have no idea. I just tried really hard and believed in myself hard enough. Maybe a believing heart is actually the source of my magic. Then...with that said, did you catch what I'm saying?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow Posted July 6, 2017 Report Share Posted July 6, 2017 "I'm not quite sure what Lord Sebastian's diet has anything to do with..." "No no you don't get it. It's not his diet. It's what his diet does to his temperament. Do I need to get the graphs out again?" "Spirits no." "Hello." The two had been discussing things for a while now and Penelope, who seemed to be getting tired, had started trying to figure out the meaning behind increasingly small and bizarre things. She was surrounded in a veritable sea of notes and charts that she had been keeping track of while they talked. Gunther was sitting in the corner and the look he gave Catriona was of extreme gratitude. It wasn't easy to keep up with Penelope when she got on a tangent and he wasn't sure how much he could contribute to the discussion. "Catriona, hello!" Gunther flushed a bit and got to his feet, saluting. "Sorry. Um. We were discussing Lord Sebastian. So far....Not much headway." "Come on in Catriona. I've charted out Lord Sebastian's life history. If you care to check that you may, adding anything I might have missed." Said chart turned out to be currently spread out from one end of the tent to the other, with tiny handwriting that could just barely be made out without squinting. On first glance it would seem that it was Penelope's handwriting but Gunther, upon looking at it, gave a bashful smile. "Sorry it's...hard to transcribe when Penelope is speaking so fast." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yui Posted July 6, 2017 Report Share Posted July 6, 2017 "Yeah, right- wait uh...really? Don't isaurian really hate the Goddess' magic or something? Although...I guess you can ask the reverse to me." "It's a long story," Azar commented. "I guess...wait, I got this. Hang in there a bit." The girl then pulled out two worn books, showing them to Azar, who prompted to open one of them. Which was written in Pontic. Azar couldn't make heads or tails of that one; she couldn't even tell it was ancient Pontic. The other one, while also in Pontic - albeit seeming quite different - came complete with a translation Azar could actually read. She flipped through the pages, listening in as the girl continued to talk about healing magic. The notebook wasn't getting her very far, as much as she hated to admit it. Ciela's ramblings, on the other hand, were much more helpful. She discussed the origin of healing magic, the training and tools needed to start, and the importance of staves. Not tomes like Azar was used to. "And that's the basics, more or less. As for how I'm able to use it...? I...well actually I have no idea. I just tried really hard and believed in myself hard enough. Maybe a believing heart is actually the source of my magic. Then...with that said, did you catch what I'm saying?" "About as well as I can with something I've never studied before. It sounds like just believing in anything would work if you do it hard enough. I guess it's just easier for most people to believe in a deity than themselves. I guess it's my turn to share some information, but I never paid much attention in school; all I can remember for certain with dark magic, at least right now, is it was born in Palaea, and used to defeat Inera. It draws its power from life and the world around us, and hits harder than other forms of magic. Short of that, I don't know what to tell you." Azar then handed Ciela's books back to her, freeing up her hands to point to the faded tattoos on her arms and legs. "My partner and I were working on a new way to use dark magic, which is what you saw earlier. The idea was to not have to rely on a tome, instead letting the caster be the tome, so to speak. It's not perfect yet though; as it is, using dark magic like I do damages the person doing it as well as whoever they manage to hit. That's where my interest in healing magic comes from; we were trying to figure out how to counteract the side-effects without defeating the purpose." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maeriberii Haan Posted July 8, 2017 Report Share Posted July 8, 2017 "Well, from just hearing it I feel like there would be quite a big issue in integrating healing magic to your new brand of magic. Primarily, using healing magic on yourself is quite taxing in itself - with the description on how you perform your magic, you probably would just invent the most painful way to perform suicide if you integrate healing magic to it. Or at least, as is." Ciela listened to Azar's explanation of dark magic and her own brand of it attentively, and returned to explain her opinion regarding how fusing the knowledge of both would have went. After she finished though, she brought her sword-like staff forward and showcased the faded jewel encrusted on top of it. "We know that staves are quite vital to performing healing magic, and both the staff's body and especially the gem on top of it would serve as the conduit of the gathered energies that would be delivered to the healing target. Of course, from my research and studies, I learned it firsthand that it seemed your own body would also serve as a support for the whole process, from the chants to focus and start funneling the energy and everything else. The strain suffered by you would normally be minimal compared to the strain suffered by your staff, but due to this channeling said energy to yourself would push most of the strain into yourself. Your wounds might get healed but you'll feel like sheet for the rest of the day as the best-case scenario." Satisfied with her explanation, Ciela sheathed her staff back and wrapped Link's blanket around herself more properly so she could snuggle with it better. She spent a bit doing that before remembering that she wasn't really finished yet, and turned back again to Azar to continue their discussion. "Healing magic is amazing. Short of growing a new limb it could practically do almost anything. It's quite understandable how a goddess specializing in it would have so much devout follower with how potent it was. Of course though, it still has limitations. If it doesn't have any, I would walk on your side now rather than staying on top of my horse all the time. Though...taking a break from all that...I asked about your brand of magic for a reason. Years ago, I attempted my best to learn Anima-based magic on my own, but after spending years of frustration I feel like I am wholly incompatible with it. With a lack of literature about dark magic over my place, I decided to learn healing magic instead. But now, especially with our battle earlier, I feel more and more frustrated by the fact that no matter how much I wanted to do something, no matter how much I wanted to help more than just supporting others, no matter how much I want to feel like I want to make a difference, I really couldn't do much other than healing and hoping enemies would not attack me. I hate feeling like that. No matter what people say, all I do was just sitting behind everyone and watch them slaughter or be slaughtered. If I could, I want to know how it feel to have our enemies melt with my own two hands. So that's why, now that you're here, I wish to learn your magic from you. I don't care what I must do, I don't care how much it'd damage me or how much you would beat me up. I could help you learn healing magic as much as I can in exchange. Does that sound good?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sethera Posted July 8, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2017 Catriona stared at the duo in front of her, then at the notes, blinking. Eventually she began to read in detail, putting forth small comments as she did so. "I do not see why we need to know the culinary habits of Lord Sebastian," or "While it is important that we know his family members, I do not see the relevance of his second-cousin Count Sergei owning a yellow cat," or "You do realize that Link's home is near to Nalbina, correct? So if there were to be some sort of conspiracy in that area, he would most likely know about it." Her comments were quite critical of Penelope's efforts, and she seemed unaware of what effect they would have on the girl. -- Hange got even more excited when told that Sienna could use magic, but the fox wouldn't let them go off-topic. They continued, but shelved the thought for later. They were delighted after finding out that the Protean was so agreeable. What a cutie! So she would probably not mind them performing any experiments, right? Like determining if her magic worked as well while injured or exhausted, or seeing how well the fire would work against herself, in human form versus animal form, not to mention how much power she could summon in either form. Their expression became a bit manic at that. "Uh... My name is Sienna..." "Oh man! That would be the best if you joined us! I mean, after all, we don't have many mages in the Patrol and you're like a super magic fox- oh also that! We don't have any foxes! So you'd be like a huge increase in our number of foxes, and man you'd increase the fluffiness of the patrol by like 110%!" As she exclaimed that, she seemed to shift to mulling over what she just said for a second only to shift back to glee as she said, "so what do you say -uh, er, um, - Sierr- no! Sienna! What do you say?" "Tsetseg! Sister after my own heart!" Hange cried, stretching an arm out dramatically. "So yeah! What do you say?! Oh, you have to say yes, you just have to!" "She doesn't have to do anything," Erwin said, setting a restraining hand on Hange's shoulder. "You, however, have to calm down." "Yeah, shitty four-eyes. Calm down or I'll make you," Levi threatened with a roll of his own eyes. Corralled by their friends, Hange eventually stilled, the crazed gleam fading from their eyes. With that, the night started to wind to a close, and eventually the three members of the patrol would urge not only Sienna, but also Tsetseg, to get some sleep. -- The next day found the group waking up to a mist-shrouded forest, but being in the camp, where the woods were thinner, they could actually see patches of glittering sky between the dark shadows of the trees. It did not seem nearly so dreary as it had the day before. Birds could be heard going about their business, their calls varying from the piping "chee-hee-hee" to the nasal "reeh-reeh-reeh." Catriona was impressed to find many of the patrolmen already awake, a few of which were making breakfast by the smells in the air. It seemed like so long ago that she had once frowned upon breaking the fast so early in the day, used to the traditional two-meal days of the aristocracy. However, after joining the army, she had quickly learned that fighting could not easily be done on an empty stomach, personal shame at having to eat in the morning be damned. She spent much of the morning wandering the camp, her mood much improved after the spar. One of the merchants was another early riser, and presented her merchandise with great pride. Aside from sundry supplies such as rope, cloth, and nails, she also had a decent stock of iron weapons, which reminded the lord that a couple of her group's weapons were getting quite frail. Alois and Edrick would need to buy more if they didn't want to find themselves weaponless soon. Link's blade looked like it had a battle or two left, and Gunther's lance was practically spotless. Normally, she would have to look to her own sword, but it had been specially crafted to last longer, though its strength was on par with that of a normal iron sword's. She also carried a heal staff, which prompted Catriona to give her a second look, but she just shrugged and said, "Got it off a dead guy." The white-haired woman shook her head at that and ended up buying more of the basics as well as some rations for the road. Eventually she would hear a voice boom out from the middle of the camp. "All right, Squad Erwin and Squad Shaoran will stay and guard the camp. Squad Levi and Squad Hange will accompany me." The lord followed the sound to see Urvan, with the aforementioned squad leaders next to him. "We leave at nine, so two hours. Get ready in that time. We'll march till we reach the middle camp." Afterward, he started to talk in low tones with the squad leaders. Catriona decided to use that time to eat breakfast, after which she began to polish her sword. She did so until it was time to set out. Shaoran would send Penelope off with an expression of intense lament. "Though I knew you for a breath of time, it was enough to recognize you as a crane among chickens. Farewell," he waved. Urvan glanced at the mixture of the journeying group and the patrol, nodding briefly. He smiled when he saw Tsetseg, part of Squad Levi, before turning around and leading the way deeper into the forest. The trek itself wasn't that difficult. The patrol had carved paths into the woods that allowed for ease of travel. However, Catriona noticed that the patrol seemed to get more alert the farther they walked. Levi's eyes flickered here and there, though his expression remained at his perpetual frown. Hange started to positively vibrate with excitement. Urvan, on the other hand, seemed perfectly relaxed, though the swordwoman's sharp eyes caught his eyes lingering on the treeline around them longer than was strictly necessary at times. "We're getting close, so close!" Hange whisper-shouted excitedly. "I wonder if I'll get to see more furry ears!" At Catriona's quizzical look, Urvan explained in a low voice: "We'll be entering the start of the fox tribe territory soon. Keep your wits about you here." If Sienna hadn't raised her hood yet he would urge her to at this time. "Unfortunately, they have a good sense of smell, but if all goes well we'll be able to skirt past both them and the frog tribe." The lord nodded. If all Proteans were as large as Sienna, it would be wisest to avoid any confrontations. Of the group, Link in particular would notice a slight rustling in the underbrush trailing after the group. The noise was too low to the ground to belong to a full-sized human being or Protean. It was obvious that the patrolmen in the rear had dismissed it as a small animal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hakima Posted July 9, 2017 Report Share Posted July 9, 2017 Link knew how to vanish, when he really wanted to. He was confident that no one in the party could find him, if he truly chose to hide. That’s exactly what he did after he sprinted away from the camp, his chest tight and his throat lumped up by his panic attack. He ran until he lost sight of the camp, and then kept going, pushing himself until his lungs burned and he felt the familiar, stabbing stitch in his side, the pain momentarily beating out the fear and forcing him to a stop. He slumped against a thick tree, knees giving out, and slowly slid to the ground and pulled his knees up to his chest. Damn it all, he had been making progress! Edrick had been more comfortable around him, and Link had slowly started to match the younger boy’s mood, enjoying letting go and teaching. He had gotten too relaxed, and panicked when the Pontic had grabbed his hand. It hadn’t been one of his waking dreams. He had known it was Edrick, he had known he was in no danger, but he had still screamed and scrambled for his sword. Link hugged his legs tighter, and grit his teeth until they threatened to break. What was wrong with him? Why’d he have to do things like that? Why couldn’t he stop himself? Why couldn’t he just be normal? He thought back to the border, talking to the older soldiers. Asking if they ever had dreams that kept them up at night, if they were haunted by what they had done like he was. “No,” had been the resounding answer. All of them had been proud, proud to serve their country, proud to protect their family, but most all, proud to put the Pontics in their place. “Cowards invent stories, convince themselves to see things that aren’t there, so they can go home,” one grizzled old soldier had told him, face twisted into a sneer, so angry at anyone who would abandon the fight. He had cowed down, agreed with the man. Told himself that he just had to stop being a coward. But they hadn’t seen what he had. They were Garou, frontline, and those they vanquished had a chance. Face to face, steel to steel, they were given an opportunity to fight. Link had been a Night Wolf for the latter half of his service. Judge, jury, and executioner. In a battle, adrenaline pounding in your ear, it was easy to kill and to not think about what you had done - it was something entirely different to kill someone who never even saw it coming. He could still remember the smell of the trenches, earthy and stagnant, his breath clouding up in front of his face as they waited for the patrol to come. The look on the soldier’s face - a young man, underneath the helmet - as he clapped a hand over his mouth, snapped his chin up, and slashed his throat open like he wasn’t any better than a pig. The wet gargle that had been the man’s last attempt at speech, the light fading from his eyes as he weakly pawed at his throat to try and stem the river of blood. The sound his body had made hitting the ground, followed by a dozen other similar noises as the rest of the wolves disposed of their targets. Link shuddered, the stew he had eaten for dinner painfully coming back up, leaving his nose burning and eyes watering. Spirits… why was he even alive? Why was it that he had survived, when better men and women had lost their lives? He curled in on himself further, feeling small, weak, and tired. He was so damn tired, deprived of sleep for the last two days, but he didn’t want to sleep. Even if the nightmares didn’t come back, when the sun rose, he would have to wake up and come back to a world where it took a herculean effort to pretend he was alright. He f***ing wasn’t. He was sick of acting like he was. He was scared and lonely, with no friends and no family, caught up in a mess that he didn’t know how to handle, waiting for the day he would throw his life away for a princess who would never even remember who he was. He had no place in their group, allowed to follow only as an extra sword, too broken to relate with any of them. They didn’t understand that he was trying to be like the rest of them. He was trying to not let anything slip through the cracks. Telling him to eat more food, or to sleep more… He was trying his best to put himself back together again, but it was bitterly slow, and he had to fight for every inch of ground he gained. He couldn’t just wave a magic stave and rid himself of his nightmares, or snap his fingers and bring his appetite back. Link dozed off at some point, head tilted back against the trunk of the tree he had been leaning against. Sleep for him was fitful, but only a few hours passed before he was jolted awake by a twig snapping right in front of him. He instinctively went for his sword, and then scolded himself, feeling guilty again. The wolf pup stood just a few feet ahead of him, wet nose lowered to the ground, sniffing. It - he, Link could see now - stopped when he realized the soldier was awake. They exchanged a look, briefly, and then the cub broke the staring contest to step forward and start to lap at the puddle of bile beside Link. His stomach turned, watching the dog, but it was the natural way of things. Still… Link reached into his pocket and pulled out a few pieces of pork he had stashed away from dinner, and offered it to the canine. “You need a name,” he murmured, still slumped against the tree. The wolf looked up, one ear twitching as he sniffed the pork, and then snatched it away from Link’s hand to gobble it down whole. Link slowly reached out to scratch the pup behind the ear; he tensed for a moment, and then, relaxed and let him scratch it. The soldier pondered a name for the dog, too tired to do much else. Rusl? No, it would be nice, but his grandfather wouldn’t have appreciated it. Maybe… Bregor? The founder of the Garou, after all. It was a fitting name for a wolf, but… no. “How about Rohns?” he asked the malnourished pup softly, still scritching him behind his ear. Just having physical contact with something again, without being afraid they would attack him… it was comforting. The pup continued to eat, not reacting, but Link decided no answer was a good answer. It was fitting. The wolf had found him at his lowest moment, just like Rohns had in basic training, and his best friend had been a major sap. He would have loved the tribute. The rest of the night passed slowly, but comfortably. When Rohns was done eating, he walked in a circle a few times before curling up beside Link’s leg. Link continued to pet him, staring at the moon and reminiscing on the things he and the actual Rohns had gotten up to during basic training and the few times the Garou traveled with Scuten’s own. He was happy, thinking back to their old musical exploits and shenanigans, but it was bittersweet nostalgia. When the sun began to rise, Link slipped away from Rohns and sneaked back into camp, hoping Edrick had kept his absence quiet. --- Link glanced behind him, catching a glimpse of big eyes and matted fur as the creature darted from one bush to the next. His heart skipped a beat. He slowly allowed himself to lag behind, making sure not to be obvious about it, and then slipped into the bush to snap at Rohns. “Hey,” he said quietly. “You can’t be this close. They’ll hurt you!” He was oddly attached to the canine already, for some reason. Rohns stopped to lock eyes with him again, something Link wondered if other canines did, and then started to back up slowly. Link nodded and caught up with the rest of the group, tossing the last pork scraps down as he did. He hoped he hadn’t caused Rohns to leave permanently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow Posted July 13, 2017 Report Share Posted July 13, 2017 "I do not see why we need to know the culinary habits of Lord Sebastian," or "While it is important that we know his family members, I do not see the relevance of his second-cousin Count Sergei owning a yellow cat," or "You do realize that Link's home is near to Nalbina, correct? So if there were to be some sort of conspiracy in that area, he would most likely know about it." Penelope frowned more and more with each thing Catriona pointed out. Gunther's eyes widened as he saw her boiling over. "Well fine then if you don't want my help then you can just figure it out on your own." Penelope said; though she didn't look directly at Catriona when she said that. The night passed more than awkwardly as Penelope realized she did not have anywhere else to go and Gunther tried to smooth things over. If his efforts worked was up to what Catriona did from then on.--------Gunther had made sure to wake up early. And even so there were many of the patrol still up. With great care Gunther offered to help with food, making pancakes for the camp, and trying extra hard to make sure they were perfect. They could all use something tasty after everything they've been through. Penelope, upon waking up, taking care to brush her hair, and scolding Gunther for not brushing his, happily ate the pancakes he prepared. To any she could get within earshot she stated, "Did you know pancakes used to be the traditional food given on birthdays? But when the land went through a pan shortage this had to be stopped."--------"Though I knew you for a breath of time, it was enough to recognize you as a crane among chickens. Farewell," Penelope waved back with a smile and a slight blush. It was not often she was courted, or rather not often she noticed it, and it was kind of nice. "May we meet again soon!" She responded.Gunther sent the man a glare of warning. Or he tried to at least. It came off more as though he were squinting to try and see him better. As they got closer Penelope began to literally buzz with excitement as she began muttering under her breath all the facts she knew about Proteans and foxes in general.Gunther on the other hand was becoming more paranoid, almost constantly turning around to check all sides, and thus falling a bit behind most of the group.Thus he just barely managed to notice the wolf. At first he was worried until he saw Link's reaction and calmed down. He smiled faintly at the sight. So Link was good with animals too, then? Likely he even had Gunther beat on that.Could that man get any more incredible? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaina Posted July 14, 2017 Report Share Posted July 14, 2017 The night for Alois had passed without much more going on. After he had sufficiently tired himself out in an attempt to practice getting better, he moved back to where the group was sleeping for the night. With not much else to do, the night had come and gone and the morning had soon risen afterwards. Getting himself up, the boy gave a yawn as he walked to where the others in the camp were. It wasn't long before he heard Urvan speak about how they were getting ready to leave soon. As such, Alois took stock of his gear and noticed that his iron axe was starting to look weathered and soon to break. Looking at it, unamused as he remembered the one of the merchants back in Ithome, he decided to get the funds from Cat to go and purchase a Iron Axe from the vendor. It wasn't soon after that the group started to go on the move. Looking at the mage boy they had talked to earlier, Alois couldn't help but feel like he was being insulted by the boy's comments, As such, his face reflected slight irritation directed at the boy, but ultimately the group had started to leave behind the encampment. Walking forward, Alois was a bit off put by the one person's incredible enthusiasm towards seeing more of the proteans, finding the person already to be quite strange. This was only further accentuated by Urvan telling them that they were soon approaching where their effective warzone between tribes was and, while the idea of a giant frog fighting was amusing to him, getting caught up in a fight against one wasn't exactly high on his priority list. Alois wasn't the greatest scout in the world, but he still felt an air of unease around the area that made him constantly look towards the treelines, wondering what had lied beneath them. Meanwhile, Tsetseg had been traveling amongst the others, and was seemingly incredibly subdued compared to her normal enthusiastic demeanor. It wasn't as though she wasn't excited to go and see more of the fluffy fox people that Sienna was a part of, and seeing others who turned into different animals was also cool as well. However, rather than bubbling over, she merely seemed laser focused on her surroundings, not wanting to let anything pass her vision. She constantly scanned the forest line, and just the group in general, trying to see if there was anything off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yui Posted July 14, 2017 Report Share Posted July 14, 2017 "Well, from just hearing it I feel like there would be quite a big issue in integrating healing magic to your new brand of magic. Primarily, using healing magic on yourself is quite taxing in itself - with the description on how you perform your magic, you probably would just invent the most painful way to perform suicide if you integrate healing magic to it. Or at least, as is." "That's a risk I'll take later on in the future." I've still got some business in the living world to deal with first. Azar then listened as the girl went on about exactly how important staves were for healing magic, why substituting herself for a staff wasn't that great of an idea, and why Ciela learned healing magic in the first place. And she wanted Azar to teach her dark magic. Are you serious? I've got bigger fish to fry than teaching people about magic. Like finding somebody who would be a way better teacher than me. "I don't care what I must do, I don't care how much it'd damage me or how much you would beat me up. I could help you learn healing magic as much as I can in exchange. Does that sound good?" Well, she was willing to commit. She wanted to learn, and it didn't sound like she cared about what would have to happen for her to learn. Azar could make use of somebody that committed. As such, the Isaurian eventually nodded, and answered "It's a deal. As much as I'd love to say it's easy to learn, I've got a natural talent for dark magic. The man who was studying the way I use dark magic is one of the biggest experts on the subject I know, and he can barely manage even the simple stuff when it's time to cast. It's a case-by-case thing. I'll teach you dark magic, but my... rather, his particular method isn't for you, if you can't walk without that horse." Azar then reached for the bag that wasn't with her, before pausing, and adding "We'll start later. I don't have my tome on me."The night then passed, and the next day had arrived. A day of trekking through misty woods, and closing in on protean territory. Azar never did get the chance to re-apply her tattoos. Today wasn't going to be a day for testing the Rashido Method, which she was fine with. She was still sore from yesterday's "tests". Azar heard birds, and the footsteps of so many people moving along the same path. And also hooves. She walked alongside Ciela and her horse, keeping a flux tome in her hand in case things got ugly. For now, Azar had settled for giving Ciela the fundamentals of how dark magic actually worked, as best as she could remember after thinking long and hard about it the night before. Holding the tome up near Ciela, Azar explained "The most important rule of dark magic is equivalent exchange. Nothing can be gained or created for free; you'll have to lose or destroy something just as valuable in exchange. If you don't understand that, you'll have a tough time getting it to work the way you want, and may even get yourself killed. For instance, if you somehow found a way to use dark magic to get your legs to work as well as everyone else's, you'd have to leave somebody else crippled and on the floor, or maybe lose your arms or something. That's why the symbol for dark magic is a circle; it never creates or destroys energy or life, but just moves all that from one place to another. Makes sense, right?" "We'll be entering the start of the fox tribe territory soon. Keep your wits about you here. Unfortunately, they have a good sense of smell, but if all goes well we'll be able to skirt past both them and the frog tribe." "If things went well for adventurers, these people wouldn't have gotten ambushed yesterday," Azar spoke up upon hearing Urvan's announcement. It also reminded Azar that she'd have to learn more about the rest of these people. Catriona especially, since she seemed to recall the hit being on her specifically. Her and Edrick, the Pontic she still never got a chance to speak to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maeriberii Haan Posted July 17, 2017 Report Share Posted July 17, 2017 "We'll start later. I don't have my tome on me." Those words kept on being repeated in Ciela's mind after she parted ways with Azar. As much as it was unfitting for her, Ciela actually started to feel a child-like glee at the thought of finally being able to start her studies in elder magic. She was fine with just using the default method for it, since it's not like she had any strength to punch someone in the face anyway. Something as physical as that would be too straining for her. The anticipation of starting her lessons with Azar made Ciela forgot about the disappearance of her mule until the morning. Just as she was finished tending to Remy in private (it had been a while, so Ciela actually did force herself to wake up early for this), she was going to check on the mule again when she realized that it had disappeared yesterday. Right. Riding on Remy, she attempted to find Cat around the camp, but everyone was ready to move out already and already had their breakfast. She also apparently missed a chance to shop. In the end she decided to just eat the breakfast and finish packing up first. She would only end up approaching Cat later on that day as she overheard her and Urvan's conversation. At the notion of more Proteans being around, she shuddered a bit. She had grown somewhat used to Sienna and she really had to admit that she was cute...even when transformed, but the thought of other Proteans...well hopefully the rest were as cute as Sienna. Maybe one of them would be a giant bear- no, that'd be nightmarish. Pushing those thoughts out, Ciela approached Cat when she was sure that she's finished with Urvan. "Cat, someone stole our mule that I bought yesterday somehow. I guess I'm being silly for only talking about it with you right now, but like, it has some of our supplies and doesn't really walk outside of this convoy. Hell, I'm sure that it's always within the sighting range of the two of us back then. I'm not mad or anything, I guess we can just get a new one later if necessary, but I feel it's kinda concerning. Hopefully that doesn't mean we're getting followed by a suspicious party." It took a while talking about it with Cat, and after she was done with it, Ciela immediately went to Azar. Walking on her side now, the Isaurian mage started explaining her craft from the basics first. "The most important rule of dark magic is equivalent exchange. Nothing can be gained or created for free; you'll have to lose or destroy something just as valuable in exchange. If you don't understand that, you'll have a tough time getting it to work the way you want, and may even get yourself killed. For instance, if you somehow found a way to use dark magic to get your legs to work as well as everyone else's, you'd have to leave somebody else crippled and on the floor, or maybe lose your arms or something. That's why the symbol for dark magic is a circle; it never creates or destroys energy or life, but just moves all that from one place to another. Makes sense, right?" ...That is possible...? There could be a way for me to recover? No...what am I thinking...no way I'd do that...right? For a moment, Ciela's expression blanked out as Azar continued with her lesson, although as soon as she realized it she shook it out of her. So far, she understood what Azar had said. Giving and taking, sacrificing something to gain something. Ciela thought to herself, thinking that she would be wiling to sacrifice anything for her to go down into this path. Yet...as much as she thought about that, it was hard for her to simply dismiss what Azar said regarding the possibility of her legs being repaired...at a hefty cost. She couldn't even start thinking about harming anyone on this group just for that...although at points she wondered if she could sacrifice an enemy for it- though that would still not be worth it. Attempting that would probably end up with her sacrificing Remy instead. She'd prefer being a quadruple amputee rather than taking that kind of risk. Although...perhaps there could be something she could sacrifice from herself so she could walk again...? An arm perhaps? "No...that's ridiculous. I'm fine as I am now- O-oh! I'm sorry, Azar. I'm listening. You mentioned that dark magic works on the principles of equivalent exchange, however, what exactly happens when a shaman casts a spell from a dark magic tome? Does the energy it takes comes from themselves, their surrounding, or somewhere else?And...from your explanation, it seems that dark magic takes more forms than what I expected. I never heard anything about dark magic being capable of performing those...trades. What actually are those?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asriel Dreemurr Posted July 17, 2017 Report Share Posted July 17, 2017 Edrick was quick on his feet. He had crossed nearly half the continent on foot in a little less than a year, and he had started with Isauria in the Winter. On the farm, he had very nearly run down Elba several times when she had run off, and it had even become something of a game between them after a time. If anyone had witnessed his trek he may well have earned the name "Strider" as far as he had gone in so little time. And it wasn't enough. By the time he was on his feet and chasing after Link he had already lost track of the wolf. For a little while he could follow some signs, Link hadn't been terribly subtle for the first few yards of his run from camp, but the trail vanished before much longer. Just following the course of the existing trail proved to be a fruitless endeavor. Once or twice he thought he saw some sign or heard some noise, but nothing ever came of it. It was like the man had just vanished. For a few moments he considered calling out after him, and quickly decided that would be an exercise in futility. If Link didn't want to be found, he wasn't going to find him. So, though he was loath to leave the man on his own out in the woods, Edrick returned to camp before he got himself irreversibly lost. Upon his return he looked around and saw that almost nobody had noticed Link going missing. He wanted to scream at all of them and get a search party going, the man reserved that much from them at least, but he saw reason quickly enough. All that would do is worry the others, and again if Link did not want them to find him he could hide better than they could look. So Edrick retired to his tent alone that night, after making sure he found a scrap of cloth and a bucket of water to use to scrub his armor and his shirt clean. He also performed what little maintenance he could on the protective gear, but he was no blacksmith. The worst of the dents remained, and though he managed to force his bracer back into shape there was still a hole in it where the javelin had pierced. None of the straps were damaged though, which was good. That would have made the armor all but pointless, and he would have been back to fighting effectively naked. Not that he was worried for his physical well being. Rather he was worried about the earful he would receive from Penelope for doing so, and their strategist making herself sick with worry on his account if he ended up without armor. So it was that when he went to bed, after praying to a makeshift shrine to Inera he had constructed, his armor and shirt were arrayed about and hung up to dry so that they would be wearable in the morning. His sleep was troubled with visions of the morning should Link not return. Everything from them being attacked on sight when they found him to simply not finding him at all when they went looking. Edrick woke slowly the next morning, and though he deflected any questions about how he was he was still obviously troubled. Upon noting Link's return he was much more relaxed, but that quickly became agitated. Not that he discussed anything around the others, but when they gathered together and marched further along he made sure to keep an eye on the man as much as he could. If Penelope didn't tell him to march at the front he would have steadily made his way to the back of their marching order to do so more readily. As far as purchasing a new weapon, Edrick simply did not have the money to do so and did not think to. --- Their journey out of the camp had little effect on Edrick, save that he noted when the others were becoming more alert. He was not afraid, the worst that could become of him here was to die, but he did begin paying more attention to his surroundings and less to the man behind him. Eventually, something began to bother him. It was difficult to place at first, just a strange sensation and the hair on the back of his neck standing on end. Eventually, something occurred to him. "Is there something wrong with my ears," he said in a hushed tone, but still loud enough that he knew the patrolmen would hear him and pass the word on if it hadn't been noticed already, "or has it gotten very quiet around us?" Unbidden, his grip on the battered lance in his hand tightened and the wood began to creak against the leather of his gloves. It wasn't fear that motivated him, just anticipation of the next fight. They had a Galtean Noble out to kill them after all, so what was to stop another attack occurring here and now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sethera Posted July 18, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 18, 2017 Catriona had frowned at Penelope's retort. She hadn't meant to drive the girl away with her criticisms, but it appeared that she had. Not that she would take back her words. Her sister's ideas were silly and far-reaching. "This isn't a game," she said. "We have to take this seriously." The possibility that her sister was taking this seriously did not occur to her. -- BGM The next morning, Ciela approached Catriona with some concerns. "Cat, someone stole our mule that I bought yesterday somehow. I guess I'm being silly for only talking about it with you right now, but like, it has some of our supplies and doesn't really walk outside of this convoy. Hell, I'm sure that it's always within the sighting range of the two of us back then. I'm not mad or anything, I guess we can just get a new one later if necessary, but I feel it's kinda concerning. Hopefully that doesn't mean we're getting followed by a suspicious party." "That is...not good," the woman frowned, before remembering. "Oh, strange...I found the supplies it was carrying yesterday, but I'm not sure how exactly..." she shook her head. "Thank you for the warning. I shall keep a lookout." She wasn't sure why anybody would want to steal their mule, but the idea that somebody was following them was troubling. Soon after, Ciela and the stranger...Azar, if Catriona recalled correctly, had preoccupied themselves with lessons in dark magic. Something that the lord knew next to nothing of, but listening to the theory behind it was fascinating. Though dark magic was treated with respect in Galtea, there were next to no practitioners living there. The only other shaman she had met was Meifing Shen, who had hailed from the Vinuvian Forest, a mysterious place on its own. It was too bad that she had disappeared in Ithome... Catriona shook her head. She was supposed to be keeping watch, wasn't she? That was when Urvan warned the group of what they were about to walk into. "If things went well for adventurers, these people wouldn't have gotten ambushed yesterday," Azar quipped. The patrol leader gave a dry chuckle, though his visage was grim. "You have me there." "Is there something wrong with my ears," Edrick asked in a hushed tone, "or has it gotten very quiet around us?" "No, you're right. Be careful, I fear--" Urvan's words were cut off at the sudden appearance of two men in strangely-shaped hoods, their eyes glowing underneath. Their fingers ended in sharp-tipped nails, almost like claws, and they each had a bushy orange tail. "Leave now, or else!" one barked. At this, Hange hopped forward. Though their eyes were bright, their expression was uncommonly serious. They bowed briefly before straightening. "May Inari's blessings enrich you," their words were formal, and much unlike them. "We of the Pelinna Patrol are merely passing through. We hold no designs on your land or your possessions," they said. The two gazed at the person for a while, before Catriona noticed that their tails, which had been whipping at the air in agitation, started to calm, and they bowed back. "Ahh, the researcher," one said, as if that explained everything, and maybe it did. "We have heard of you, Hange-who-knows, and you are trusted by us. However," his eyes hardened. "With everything that has happened recently, we cannot let you pass. You are trusted, the others are not. Leave now, or you will regret it." "Yes," the other growled, "Humans cannot be--wait," he stiffened, sniffing the air, before his gaze zeroed in on Sienna. Catriona cursed internally. She forgot to put her hood up! "You, you're..." the second fox Protean's eyes widened, stepping forward, before he shook his head, pose aggressive. "Why do you have her with you? As a bargaining chip? What more is it that you want, humans?!" he snapped his teeth at the group. There was nothing else for it. The lord stepped forward. "She's with us," she said. "It's as Hange said. We're just passing through--" "And you just happen to have the chieftain's daughter with you?!" the fox interrupted. "No, there can be no mistake. You're coming with us, or else." "I do not think," Urvan said, finally, hand creeping nearer to his axe. "That you want to do that. They are under my protection," his voice lowered until it positively rumbled. "You are not in the position to make threats, human," the Protean sneered. "You are on fox land." "Not a threat, but a warning," the warrior said. "I have no desire to see blood shed today, whether it be fox or human," his eyes flitted over Catriona and company meaningfully. "This is for the sake of the tribe," the first one said, shaking his head. "These humans will come with us." "And I am sorry, but I cannot allow you to do that," Urvan said. "I told Lady Olivette that I would guide these people through the forest, and I am not one to go back on my word. I am sure you can understand that." "We do, and I acknowledge your dilemma," the fox said, shifting into a battle stance. "However," he transformed, his fox form even bigger than Sienna's. "We cannot turn down any possible leads," his voice came out warped, but still understandable. What happened next was almost too fast for Catriona to catch. The fox had lunged forward, teeth snapping, and Urvan had blocked its blow with his axe, but the next second the other had transformed and came up in a flanking maneuver. Levi rushed up to stop it and was quickly blown back with a sickening crack, but it was enough for Urvan to realize the precariousness of his position, and dodge the next attack. Still, he would not be able to fend them off forever. Catriona prepared to draw her sword, but stopped at hearing a voice call out. "What base treachery is this?!" The foxes whipped around. "Frogs!" BGM "Aye," two men melted out of the forest, ready to attack. One of them had long green hair in a ponytail and a sword at his hip, while the other had short red hair, notable for his black helmet. "You are in the wrong territory, frogs," the calmer of the two foxes warned. "Yet thou art in the wrong," the green-haired man replied. "Not just for this, but for the murder of our kinsman." "I told you, we didn't do it!" the more aggressive fox growled. "Lies!" With that, the man transformed, the other following suit. The first Protean had kept his cape and sword, while the other had transformed into a sleek, blue frog with what looked to be a white scarf of sorts around his neck. "You'll regret trespassing on our land, clodhoppers," the fox said, turning his attention to the frogs. "And thou shalt regret thy past actions." There was a clash as the two sides fought, the frogs attacking with kicks and lashes of their tongues, the foxes tornadoes of snapping teeth and sharp claws. They separated instantly, licking at their wounds, before diving right back in. It was in her distraction watching the spectacle, that Catriona never noticed the third, black-furred fox that went right for Penelope, and before the tactician could react, had knocked her out, and scooped her up in its jaws. Soon after, more fox Proteans appeared from ahead of them, leaping for the frogs, for the patrol, and for her friends. The sound of snarls ripped through the air, and over it all, Urvan's voice. "Retreat! Patrol, retreat!" And somebody was dragging Catriona back, but that was her sister! They have my sister, please, spirits, no! But in the end, the green frog had grabbed her, muttering a quick "Apologies, but thou must value thy life," and she could do nothing. The last she saw of Penelope was a flash of gray hair in the black fox's mouth, and she could only hope that her sister was still alive. -- It was a dispirited group that returned to the main camp. The green frog had set Catriona back down when she had recovered her wits, and the woman looked around for her companions. However, the only ones she could spot were Gunther, Alois, Edrick, and Azar. The others were nowhere to be seen. An ice cold hand clenched around her heart at the thought. No, they couldn't be... Nearby, Urvan heaved a sigh, running a hand through his hair. "Okay, that...went less than well," he looked around at the camp, at the people who had come out to see what had happened with worried eyes, at Levi whose arm was in a sling from the earlier attack, and at the incomplete company that had gathered with the patrolmen. "I'm sorry, everybody," he shook his head. "They have the others with them. One of my own as well. Damnit!" he swore, frustrated. "We can help you get them back," the green frog, who had transformed back into human form, declared with a bow. "I am Glenn, and this is Shiro. We both have'th business with the fox tribe. They have murdered Cyrus, one of our tribe and a dear friend of mine. For that, I shalt have their heads." Hange looked confused. "I'm sorry that happened. But I have a hard time believing that they would do that." "We saw the murderer ourselves!" Glenn contended heatedly. "Of course the foxes claim they had naught to do with it, but mine eyes do not lie to me!" "Fine then," Catriona nodded, not willing to argue and all too ready to believe it after what she had seen today. Not to mention what Urvan had mentioned about the Proteans being more aggressive lately. "How shall we do this?" her words were curt and cold. It felt like agony to sit here while her sister was being spirited farther and farther from her by the second. "We shalt need more allies. For that, it is best we head to our home tribe, near the shores of Lake Pelinna." "Then when are we leaving?" In a half an hour, everybody was ready to go once more. During that time, Catriona distributed a thousand gold each to Gunther, Alois, Edrick, and even Azar to spend on equipment for themselves if they hadn't already done so. Using some of her personal funds for concoctions and vulneraries, the lord spent the rest of her time pacing until they were ready to leave. "I sent a bird for backup," Urvan informed the group as they walked. Squad Levi had stayed behind this time, but Squad Hange and Squad Erwin were accompanying them now. "They're already on their way down, but this will hasten their steps...or flight," he amended. BGM It took about half the day, but eventually the group reached their destination. Glenn was concentrating on walking, but would be open to conversation were anybody to talk with him. The company had to skirt around the fox territory, which lengthened their journey, but soon enough they would spy the shores of Lake Pelinna. "We have arrived!" Glenn announced, greeting the other frog Proteans that had come out to see them. "Come and see. The village is this way." He led them around the lake, past a small stand of trees, where a hidden inlet lay. A cluster of huts stood grouped at the shore, held aloft by stilts. Catriona noticed that none of the curious inhabitants looked all that different from actual humans, which was probably why they felt safer being so open like this. The smell of smoked fish lingered in the air, and children played in the water, but they weren't games of tag or hide-and-seek, but games of "frog versus fox" and "frog frog fox" and many other games that seemed to set up the foxes as enemies. Meanwhile, the adults were sparring or training by themselves in frog form. Overall, it looked like the place was getting ready for battle. Eventually, Glenn and Shiro led them to the biggest hut, inside which sat probably the oldest person Catriona had ever seen. He sat, stooped and wizened, a cane resting on his knobby knees, and a long ash-white beard trailing from his chin to the floor. A black scholar's cap lay perched on his head. His livered face was hard to make out amidst all the wrinkles, but he smiled as the group entered. "Hello, hello," he wheezed. "It is nice to see new tadpoles--err, humans. I am the Great Frog Sage, and who may you be?" Catriona introduced herself, then waited for the others to speak. While doing so, she wondered at the age of this man. "Ahh, and what are you here for?" he asked. "We need help," the lord said simply. "Some of our company were taken by the foxes, and...we need to rescue them." She stared up at him. "If you would lend us your aid, that would be appreciated." Her eyes were hard. Whether he would choose to help them or not, she would still go after the fox tribe. "Those are nice eyes," the frog chuckled. "However," he stood up, tapping the cane against the wood floor of the hut, and three frog Proteans in human form appeared as if from out of nowhere. "I would see your determination for myself," he said, as they lunged at the group. "If you can hold off these three as well as prevent yourself from being knocked out by Glenn or Shiro, then I will acknowledge your strength." He glanced at the latter two. "No maiming, of course." -- The rest of the group would find that they had been left behind, however accidentally. Penelope in the mouth of the black fox, Link, Ciela, Sienna, and Tsetseg with her. Before any of them could make their escape, the foxes would surround them, barring them from leaving. "Well, well," said the fox from earlier. "It looks like your friends abandoned you. Pity for you, hmm?" "Leave it, brother," said the other, before turning to the group. "Now, come. No lagging behind, now." He ordered a couple of the other foxes to stay behind and continue the patrol and sent the rest ahead, before he, his brother, and the black fox carrying Penelope led the company through the forest. At some point during this journey the girl would stir back to consciousness, causing the black fox to spit her out and let her walk the rest of the way on her own two feet. Were Sienna to attempt to explain the situation, the other foxes would shush her and advise her to wait till they met her father before saying anything. Were one of the humans to try to talk to them, they would tell them to shut up in snappish tones. Sienna would recognize them as Gamboge, Persimmon, and Licorice, the first two being twin brothers who had enjoyed playing pranks. Licorice was more serious, but she was also a good listener. BGM It didn't take long for the group to arrive at the fox tribe village. The place was fairly hilly, with many of the houses built on the crests, one in particular standing above the rest. The wooden palisade around the area looked like it had been made fairly recently, and there was even a watchtower. Sienna would in fact be able to confirm that none of these defenses had been built before she left. There hadn't even been guards, but there were two now that stood at the entrance to the village. They let the group through without a word, though they did a double take after seeing Sienna. Actually, most of the foxes looked pleasantly surprised to see the girl, but they appeared suspicious of the travelers with her. A few even bared their teeth and growled. This would be a very different attitude than Sienna remembered, as the tribe had been largely neutral before, the adults warier but the younger ones curious. Now, they all seemed...angry. The group would catch a glimpse of a small shrine with a couple offerings in front of it on their way to the largest building. Inside, an older man with dark red ears and tail and a black-and-white striped scarf around his neck stood, expression grim as Gamboge greeted him with a "Chief Rufus." It brightened upon seeing Sienna, however. "Ahh, Sienna," he said, eyes closing in curved crescents as he smiled. "It does my heart good to see you again. When I heard that you were taken captive, well, I feared the worst." He switched his focus to the group, expression darkening. "As for you four human beings. What do you have to say for yourself? First you steal our sacred treasure, and now you seek to steal my daughter?!" [spoiler=OOC]Group ACatrionaGuntherAloisEdrickAzarShiroThe three frogs are a decent challenge, but not overly so. Feel free to take them down in your post, just nothing hammy like them going down in one hit. They are also actively attacking you. Glenn and Shiro are more difficult opponents. Saiku, I'll try and PM you with more information about things. If I forget, feel free to remind me. Group BPenelopeLinkCielaSiennaTsetsegIt's time to talk and straighten things out. Or you could just fight the guards. If you do, they will take multiple posts to take down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hakima Posted July 18, 2017 Report Share Posted July 18, 2017 Link was too far behind the group to witness how the clash began, but he arrived on the scene just as the fox and frog Proteans began to fight. He wrapped his hand around the leather bound hilt of his sword, but waited to draw until he was sure of what was going. That proved to be a mistake. A dark fox lunged toward Princess Penelope, unexpected, and knocked her unconscious before she could react. Everything went tits up after that. More foxes arrived, Urvan yelled something above the clamor, but Link was already moving. He would be damned if he just sat back and let them take Princess Penelope without fighting. Bodies rushed by him, the tide of battle changing as he weaved in and out of the crowd, but he was skilled at navigating battlefields. He spotted the massive grey fox, carrying the young princess limp body in its jaws. His heart stopped pumping blood for a split second, skipping a beat, and a chill ran up his spine. If she was dead… he would kill every one of them. He ripped his sword free from its sheath, nearly ripping it from his belt thanks to the force he drew it with, and surged forward toward the grey fox. He was a damned soldier, a Night Wolf, the elite of the Galtean military. It was high time he played the part. Link got close enough he was preparing to strike, sword-arm coming back, when something smashed into him from the side and sent him rolling. He barely kept his grip on his sword, rolling to a stop a few yards away, his shoulder aching. He maneuvered himself to end the roll on his feet, ready to lunge again, but stopped when it dawned on him what was going on. The Pelinna Patrol had fled, as had the rest of his company and the frogs. He was surrounded on each side by enormous proteans, hopelessly outnumbered, with the Princess still held captive. He could see that a few had been caught behind as well; Sienna and Ciela, as well as the archer from the patrol. "Well, well," said the fox from earlier. "It looks like your friends abandoned you. Pity for you, hmm?" Link grit his teeth and glanced at the others, then bowed his head, slowly sheathing his sword. This wasn’t his fight to win anymore. Now, they just needed to get out of it alive. A fox that looked nearly identical to the one that had just spoke came forward. "Leave it, brother," said the other, before turning to the group. "Now, come. No lagging behind, now." Then, the two of them, along with the fox carrying the princess, lead them away, into the forest. Link followed without word, stopping only to look at Ciela, Sienna, and Tsetseg each individually and lock eyes with them, mouthing, ‘stay quiet’. When Princess Penelope came awake, Link inconspicuously fell into step beside her. She had proven able to tell what he was saying back at Ithome, and he wondered if she could do it again. He waited until the foxes looked away to motion toward his shield, specifically at the eagle that represented House Balfon, and then back to the princess herself. Then, he put his finger to his lips. Translation: whatever you do, don’t let them know that you're important. Then he fell back again, without a word. The village wasn’t what Link was expecting, but at any other time, he would have said it was beautiful… except for the fact that it was so obviously preparing for war. They were lead through the village, past some shrine to a deity Link knew nothing about, and into a massive hut. There was a man inside, older, with an air about him that made it easy for Link to guess he was the chieftain. He also looked somewhat like Sienna, in a.. weird way. Definitely related. "It does my heart good to see you again. When I heard that you were taken captive, well, I feared the worst." He switched his focus to the group, expression darkening. "As for you four human beings. What do you have to say for yourself? First you steal our sacred treasure, and now you seek to steal my daughter?!" Link thought as much, about her being his daughter. Why he believed they kidnapped her was another thing all its own. He gave the party one last look, hoping the warnings he had given thus far sufficed, and then stepped forward. “We’ve not done any of that,” he said, his voice still soft, but different than the way he normally spoke. The hesitation was gone, replaced by a steely resolve. “We’ve been in the forest for only a few days, and spent most of that time recovering from a battle with bandits. If you need proof, ask Sienna, and if that’s not enough, follow our trail. You can track our scent, and follow our tracks, from the very first day we arrived.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wind Rider Posted July 18, 2017 Report Share Posted July 18, 2017 The walk through the forest the next morning was a quiet one, strangely enough. With the group walking through the fox tribe's territory, Sienna knew that one way or another they were being watched. Hopefully if they ran into trouble she could try to explain things to any fox they meet. This assumption would be put to the test as two hooded proteans stopped the group in their tracks and they were intent on keeping them from moving on. Hange tried to calm them down and it seemed to work, the proteans knew her to some extent. "Ahh, the researcher," one said, as if that explained everything, and maybe it did. "We have heard of you, Hange-who-knows, and you are trusted by us. However," his eyes hardened. "With everything that has happened recently, we cannot let you pass. You are trusted, the others are not. Leave now, or you will regret it." Though they still didn't seem to budge before one of them noticed Sienna. Their voices were familiar to her though, when she took note of their scent she realized it was the twins, Gamboge and Persimmon, and they immediately got the wrong idea. "Why do you have her with you? As a bargaining chip? What more is it that you want, humans?!" Bargaining chip? Did they believe her to be a captive!? With Urvan and the brothers going back and forth this was gonna turn into a fight really quickly, Sienna stepped up to say something before things got out of hand but something unexpected stopped her. Two frog proteans had entered the fray, yelling something about the foxes murdering one of the frogs' kin. The accusations soon turned into a brawl but with the two frogs being outnumbered as more foxes appeared. After chaos had ensued, the group was completely divided. Sienna looked around to find that half of her allies were gone, presumably with the frogs, leaving her, Penelope, Link, Tsetseg, and Ciela to the foxes. "Well, well," said the fox from earlier. "It looks like your friends abandoned you. Pity for you, hmm?" "Leave it, brother," said the other, before turning to the group. "Now, come. No lagging behind, now." The twins lead the way while a black fox followed beside them, with Penelope in it's jaws. From the scent, Sienna recognized the protean as Licorice, Sienna knew her and the twins from back when she was in the village, but they seemed so... Different. Sienna tried to get an explanation out of them but they simply tell her to be quiet, though they would say it more aggressively to her companions. Arriving at the village, it was almost heartwarming to see it again, but Sienna immediately took note of the differences. There were watchtowers and guards positioned around the village, people were training in the village, and everyone seemed much more hostile than she remembered. What has happened to have caused all this? This was not the home that she had left, it was so much more peaceful than it was now. Inside the largest building of the village, Sienna immediately took notice of the Chief... Her father. "Ahh, Sienna," he said, eyes closing in curved crescents as he smiled. "It does my heart good to see you again. When I heard that you were taken captive, well, I feared the worst." His worry was understandable, and it warmed Sienna's heart to see her father again. But his sudden aggressiveness towards her companions worried her. "As for you four human beings. What do you have to say for yourself? First you steal our sacred treasure, and now you seek to steal my daughter?!" “We’ve not done any of that,” Link explained. “We’ve been in the forest for only a few days, and spent most of that time recovering from a battle with bandits. If you need proof, ask Sienna, and if that’s not enough, follow our trail. You can track our scent, and follow our tracks, from the very first day we arrived.” Sienna took a deep breath out of nervousness. "Please, father, let me explain. These humans were not holding me captive, they're my companions. I met them a while back on my travels, and they have been very kind and considerate to me, they are not your enemies..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asriel Dreemurr Posted July 19, 2017 Report Share Posted July 19, 2017 Edrick was barely able to make sense of what was happening. At first when the foxes had emerged he had begun making his way to the front of their marching order, as much to help diffuse the situation as to join the battle as quickly as possible when it happened, but as soon as the frogs made their appearance it became all but impossible to keep track of events due to the swiftness of things moving. He was able to keep track of there being far more foxes than just the two, but that was to be expected of the tricksters. He heard Urvan sound the retreat, and though he was not normally about that he certainly saw the sense in leaving instead of staying and fighting. At least until he caught sight of Penelope, to whom he owed his life, snatched up in the mouth of one of the foxes and the others soon to be surrounded. His blood boiled, and he very nearly charged back in simply to try and break them free. The sense his father had managed to beat into him won over, and he realised he would be dying pointlessly. "We're coming back for you! I swear I will not let them keep you!" He shouted just before he turned to follow the group, though he loathed to leave at all. At least at the back he could strike at any who pursued them. When the group stopped to take count of those who had made it out he remained quiet, still seething in his rage and doing nothing to hide it. He was all but snarling. When there was talk of gathering allies and going to rescue their friends from the foxes, he listened but had little to say. He still wasn't sure about these proteans, but for now the enemy of his enemy was to be his friend. He very nearly protested when the others suggested they take the time to gather some things before leaving to the Frog Village, but he saw the reason in doing so quickly enough. The money which Catriona gave him, which he would also have protested if he hadn't remembered they were supposed to be a mercenary company, was enough to distract himself with, and in turn it was enough for him to acquire a potential replacement for his spear. Not that he was going to throw his battered one away just yet. Though he did sigh as he recalled the blade he had left with Jake, the scythe that had seen him through a year of travels to meet the party. In any case, his fresh spear was placed in his pack sticking out of the top like a banner pole. The rest of the coin he stored in his bag to save for something more important. Like repairs to his armor, should he meet a blacksmith. --- After the better part of the day they arrived at the Frog village, and Edrick found himself intrigued by it. Their homes, up on stilts as they were, were very much like a village he had passed through on the shores of Lake Amphis on his travels. At the time he had thought them simply Locrisians, but now he found himself wondering if he had perhaps met Proteans before without even knowing it. He decided to examine the buildings more closely when the chance came, likely that night unless they were to attack the foxes in the dark, but there were more important things now. That, and there was a thought that had occurred to him now that he was calm. The death at the apparent hands of a fox Protean was more familiar than he had thought at first. "I would see your determination first..." So, this Frog Sage wanted to test them? Very well, he would not be found wanting. Though the no maiming comment was difficult. It meant that he basically couldn't use his spear. Very well then. As the frogs that were to be their trial rushed them, he planted the spear in the ground and raised his fists in preparation. His first instinct was to rush forward and meet the Frog head on, but he remembered what Link had demonstrated the night before. Control the momentum of a fight, yes? Well, best to take advantage of his opponent rushing him. Much like Link had done he ducked beneath the rushing attacker, and only then did he push forward and upward to send the protean flipping over behind him. Unlike Link in their sparring match, he turned about immediately and raised his armored boot to stomp down on his foe. The Protean rolled to the side to avoid that, but took a sharp kick to the ribs on his retreat. Less to defeat them and more to urge them into attacking again, which they did. When the Protean recklessly lunged at him up from the ground he once more squatted down, this time catching the rush with his hands clamping down on their shoulders. "Gotcha." He said, before putting that armored band around his head to work and smashing it into the frog's forehead before shoving them back. Not that this did more than daze them, but that was all he needed. Forcing the Protean to their feet, he first brought his knee up into their gut and doubled them over. Next, he raised his hands above his head and clasped them together. The hands came down, smashing into the back of his opponent's head and sending them down for a nap in the dirt. Thus he turned to look at the Sage, the symbol of Inera around his neck having since come out from behind his breast plate. "If this test is done, I have a question for Glen and Shiro. You saw the Fox that killed your friend, yes? By chance were they large, perhaps as large as a horse, and covered in immaculately clean white fur? And a question for you, Great Frog Sage. Do you know of any outcasts from the Fox tribe who would match that description?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow Posted July 19, 2017 Report Share Posted July 19, 2017 Penelope was focused on the newcomers. All of them. Foxes and frogs both. There were so many of them! So many of a race that had such mystery to it. It was quite fascinating to see how they moved...Oh that one was moving right for her. When Penelope woke she was in a place far different than the previous. She felt a bit of dampness on her clothing and, based on the actions of the fox, she realized that she had been carried in its mouth for quite some time. She tried to start up a conversation but it seemed they were not exactly in the mood for idle chit-chat. A shame. Penelope felt she could break out some top quality chit-chat right about now. And she didn't really want to use sign language to talk with Link, who was walking almost too close to her, even Gunther didn't get this close when guarding, but she appreciated the gesture nonetheless. "What a beautiful place." Penelope couldn't hold off on speaking upon reaching the village. It was...yes quaint was the right word. Or rather it should have been. It seemed to be preparing for battle at this moment. And, given previous information, it was very clear what it was they were worried about battling. Penelope took note of the shrines, curious what kinds of gods Proteans worshiped. Was it the Goddess? That didn't seem quite right from what she had read. She focused entirely on the man, the chieftain, who spoke to them now."Ahh, Sienna," he said, eyes closing in curved crescents as he smiled. "It does my heart good to see you again. When I heard that you were taken captive, well, I feared the worst." He switched his focus to the group, expression darkening. "As for you four human beings. What do you have to say for yourself? First you steal our sacred treasure, and now you seek to steal my daughter?!"Had Sienna told them she was the chieftain's daughter earlier? Interesting.... Penelope didn't respond right away, thinking it best to let Sienna explain herself...but then the unthinkable. Link took initiative and spoke first. The young tactician looked at Link with an expression of pure excitement and pride. After Sienna spoke; Penelope nodded. "I am not even sure what this treasure you speak of is...Is it related to those shrines earlier? Could you perhaps tell me more about them? I must say I am more than a little bit curious about your culture." Gunther had planned to reach Penelope the moment that the battle started, despite being near the rear of the group, but one look at the foxes sharp fangs gave him pause. And, combined with his slow speed in general, this meant that he was unable to reach the girl before she was attacked.Still he tried to approach and was blocked off by...frogs? Yes, that was mostly certainly a Frog Protean. The combat that occurred after was hectic and fierce and Gunther found himself unable to focus on any one thing. He needed some kind of direction, any...Urvan sounded a retreat and, realizing there was nothing he could do here anymore, Gunther followed this order. It was only when they were well on their way away that Gunther realized that many of their group was missing. Including Penelope...Gunther went straight for Catriona. He hesitated in front of her, unsure what he should say, before just stammering out words on top of each other. "I'm sorry. Penelope she's, I'm sorry, it was so fast, sorry I'm sure she's fine sorry we'll get her back, I should have, I'm sorry Catriona...." Later, with the gold in his pockets, a weight more physical than the one in his heart, Gunther decided to get some last minute purchases. An Iron Lance, thinking perhaps his Steel one was making it too hard to hit targets, along with some bandages and a frying pan that was large enough to cover Gunther's head if it rained; as if something that obscure would ever be important. When the time to go to the village arrived; Gunther made sure to keep close to Catriona. He already failed one princess today he didn't want to fail another.The village was quite a marvel but Gunther could only think about how much Penelope would have loved to see this place. And when that thought came another wave of guilt hit him.He could barely pay attention to the elder's words....But he did realize pretty quickly that they were to do battle. Or rather a practice match of sort, to prove their worth.Well, the others certainly were worthy enough. But Gunther?He had to at least make sure he wasn't a hindrance. Gunther looked at his lance and, a sudden idea forming, turned it around, He gripped it right below the head of the lance, holding the wood below the metal so that the wooden end of the shaft was sticking out in front of him.He looked around quickly and quickly took note of Glenn, one of the two that had initially met with them. He seemed a bit different from the others, maybe stronger? Gunther approached him and jabbed in his direction. His intention to keep the frog preoccupied and allow the others to show their strength without this one's interference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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