|
Post by Swim on Oct 24, 2018 15:27:36 GMT -5
Terra had found some blankets and wrapped herself up in one, but hadn't had the same luck finding new clothing. She continued exploring the cavern, marveling at the crystal formations and examining Logan's medical equipment. Rion's father was an interesting man, she'd like to question him if they had an opportunity later. Then again, it might be best if she leave the party. Her presence had put the others in danger, and would continue to do so if the House were to learn that she had survived last night's attempt on her life. For the briefest moment she considered leaving right away, before the others could return for her. But Terra knew immediately that wouldn't be right, they deserved to know what she'd gotten them involved in. There was a possibility, even if it was an unlikely one, that the House might target her friends due to prior association with her. Or as an act of vengeance for killing their men last night. Either way, they had to know so they could be on guard. After that she'd strike out on her own again, maybe go back to Aldur and cause enough ruckus to draw attention away from her friends.
|
|
|
Post by Arashi on Nov 7, 2018 2:29:31 GMT -5
Silver awoke in the morning quite quickly, startled. She had managed to sleep well, probably thanks to the light crystals having some sort of effect on her, but her last bit of peaceful sleep was interrupted by dreams of her past. Nightmares, perhaps it could be called, but it was more so just...memories. She sighed and got out of bed, then sat down on it. It was just a dream, which was a relief. It was in the past; but it had been awhile since she had that sort of dream.
However, something else wasn't. Today was probably the last day of their relaxation. It would be back to reality of sorts, facing the blight head-on again. Sure it was her mission to take it out, but...it was also kind of hard sometimes. It brought back a lot of memories of when she, too, fought against the blight with her friends and family, and lost many of them. Now it was happening all over again from the start, and she couldn't help but fear losing them all over again too.
She sighed as she got up and put on her armor, face mask and all. Perhaps if Aqua agreed with her spa idea, she could relax for a little bit longer.
Silver went downstairs to the lobby and didn't spot anybody, so she sat in a comfy looking chair by a window and watched outside, deciding it was best to wait for someone. It was a contrast to when they first arrived here; she watched the festival decorations being taken down instead of being put up this time around.
~
Enfurnus, on the other hand, decided to stay in the quiet of his room for a bit after waking up. He needed to decide on his next action soon. From what he had heard, things may be at risk back home. He would hope to hear some sort of update on that from Celestrus today. He didn't want to act too quickly though, in case he would be needed elsewhere, at least for the time being. Worry, however, couldn't really be helped.
He shook his head. Celestrus was weird, but he was also always honest. If assistance was needed or if the situation became dire, he would be told.
|
|
|
Post by Swim on Nov 8, 2018 22:19:33 GMT -5
As Terra was making her plans the lift began to move, and before long Logan and Frida's faces appeared. The elf had apparently come alone, Terra couldn't see the rest of their party with her. Terra let the blanket drop and Logan examined her briefly before leaving the pair of them alone. "Frida, I'm so, so sorry," Terra began. "I never meant to put any of you in danger, I should have told you back in Aldur when I realized they were looking for me. I never should have fought Master Fueg and drawn attention to myself... As long as I'm around I'm placing all of you in harms way, not to mention putting the mission to stop the Blight spread in jeopardy. I think it might be best if I went my own way again..."
Aqua shook her head. "No, no I don't think that's wise. You're strong enough that you could have taken all of those men by yourself, but you were worried about me, that's why you gave yourself up to them. Because I wasn't prepared." Aqua removed her helmet, holding it in front of her waist. She again looked at the woman with compassion. "It's my fault you were injured.. because I was too late to get help. I should've stayed with you. I'm sorry, Terra. Those men... whatever reason they were after you for.. I'll protect you from them next time. So don't go off by yourself, ok?"
Terra had expected her to respond this way, and while she was touched by Frida's care for her it made Terra all the more determined that her friends remain safe. "Frida, I appreciate your saying so, if nothing else this whole ordeal has convinced me about the value of your friendship. But I can't let you make an offer like that, not knowing the full danger those men represent. The people that sent them have eyes in every town and city and unlimited resources. I won't let you or any of the others lay down your lives on my account. I've put you in enough danger already."
"You're just going to keep running from them, then?" Aqua frowned. "I'm not saying you can't, but that's a terrible way to live. And, truth be told, I've grown really fond of you in these past few days we've spent together. I can't rest knowing that you're in danger, so if you have to abandon us then I'll just have to follow you myself, with or without your permission."
"It is an awful way to live," Terra agreed. "And I've lived that way for longer than you know, avoiding the more populous towns and earning a bit of coin in local arenas. That was the reason I was so concerned about going to Agrova you know? Why I left you and Enfurnus so suddenly in that cafe. I wouldn't want to subject you to that life."
"I wanted to ask about that, but the only time we've had alone together was when.." Aqua hesitated. "Either way... those guys will only end up coming back. I'd rather we fight them together instead of leaving you on your own. And what's to say that we aren't involved now that we've killed their men?" Then Aqua's eyes looked off to the side. "Brutally.."
"If they learn your names they may come after you all as well," Terra acknowledged. "After telling you what I know about this group my plan was to go my separate way and draw their attention away from you, make it seem as though we had no association and hopefully they'll leave you alone. Especially since I had Enfurnus burn up my corpse, that ought to buy me enough time enough to move a couple cities over before I start attracting their attention. This is really my burden to bear, if I can prevent you all from becoming ensnared as well I will."
"If they do come, it'd be better to have you with us.. and I can't just let you throw yourself on the blade for us like this, not when we've only just started to get to know each other."
"I can't let you-" Terra protested but stopped short. Frida was going to be just as stubborn as she was on this point. "You need to know what you're volunteering to fight against," she said finally.
"They're called the House of Lords," Terra began. "They're a cabal of wealthy societal elites who run everything from the shadows. Their members include politicians, military personnel, religious leaders. In fact, I'm not sure how familiar you are with religions outside The Frontier but the most predominant one here, the Lord's House, exists as a front for the House of Lords. They have a church in every major city. It's how they influence the masses and present a respectable public face so they can conduct criminal activity behind the scenes. I know all of this because that's where they took me the first time I crossed them... "
Terra was a bit nervous about how Frida would receive this news but at the same time, it felt good to confide in her friend. It was past time that Frida knew about her past. "Several years ago my town was consumed by Blight," she began. "I lost my father, my brothers, my friends, everyone I ever cared for. In order to survive I had to travel from town to town, begging for food. Then I discovered arena fighting, and that I was really good at it. I earned a decent amount of coin because none of the speculators wanted to wager on a dirty little girl from the streets, so I bet on myself and walked away with the money time after time. It may have been dishonest, I never revealed that I was a mage, never threw a fireball or did anything flashy. But thanks to my Earth magic I had more stamina than all of the other fighters combined. Eventually, people stopped underestimating me and began betting on me, so I'd have to pack up and move on to another town where my face was unknown and start again from the bottom. One day I ended up beating a fighter that someone in the House of Lords had bet a lot of money on. When I came to collect my winnings they jumped me. When I awoke they had tied me to a chair and began beating me senseless. After several minutes of that my skin started to harden and... well you saw what happened with Master Fueg. I escaped, and in the process ended up burning the building down. Once I got outside I realized it was the Lord's House I'd set ablaze. They've hunted me ever since. I've been able to escape their notice by hiding in smaller towns and villages such as Aldur, where they have less of a presence, but it's impossible for me to stay in one place for too long. One way or another I've always wound up back on the road..."
Aqua's listened intently as the woman spoke, not interrupting. "Well, you're right at home then. We're not staying anywhere long either." Aqua said sharply. "You're right. I do not know much about this Lord's House as the presence of religion in The Frontier is practiced differently, yet harmoniously, between the seperate races. I am not going to deny their power, but you may find a home in my country if you wish to avoid their persecution." Aqua said flatly. "I have the connections available.. yet I'm afraid tournament fighting isn't a legitimate career option. You'll have to find something else you're good at." Aqua showed a small smile amid the tension. "Though the way you tore through that rock wall in the mines, I'm sure you won't have anything to stand in your way."
Aqua shifted, standing tall. Her eyes filled with fire and passion as her voice rose. "Now then. Listen to me. I am Captain Frida "Aqua" Nyharllothor of The Blue, naval vanguard of The Frontier. Whatever threat approaches my country or its citizens are dealt with by my crew and I in diplomacy or combat. I have been sworn to uphold the safety and freedoms gifted to those under my aid and those I would put under my aid." She flicked down her visor now, yet here eyes could still be seen shining. "I'll not let any religious zealots or coin-hungry mercenary near you again."
Terra hadn't considered this option. As far as she knew the House's reach was endless, and yet if they really had no presence in Frida's country she might be able to assume a new identity, start over. She couldn't in good faith endanger Frida's people, but the elf was inflexible on this point, and as long as she didn't draw attention to herself it seemed a good enough plan. "It's a generous offer," Terra admitted. "Definitely tempting. I won't go off on my own. Let's go and speak with the others, figure out our next move. But make me this promise Frida, if you insist on sharing this burden with me - that I will never have the lives of you or your crew on my conscience. I don't want to wake up and find your throat has been cut in the dead of night. You might praise my strength but I could never bear that."
"Of course," Aqua replied without hesitation. "Now then, I believe the others should be wondering where I am now. Let's go meet them together." Aqua said happily, ushering Terra onto the lift. They stopped in to say a quick goodbye to Logan who gifted Terra with a brown hooded cloak. Terra thanked him once again before she and Aqua walked back to rejoin the rest of their party.
|
|
|
Post by Tony on Nov 15, 2018 3:44:30 GMT -5
Arne walks down into into the lobby, Hien following closely behind. He takes a quick around, seeing only one other person there. While he didn't recognize her at first, he quickly remembered seeing her at the clinic last night. Realizing she must be part of the group, he walks over and sits next to her... "Hey, you're part of Dyna's group, right? I'm Arne. I'm gonna be traveling with you for a while."
Hien, lands on Arne's lap... looking up at the woman and chirping.
"And this here is Hien." Arne pats the small Wyvern's head... causing him to purr. "Sorry for not introducing myself earlier, but... with everything that was going on. I'm sure you understand. Anyway, I'm looking forward to traveling with all of you."
|
|
|
Post by Bloodbane on Nov 15, 2018 23:07:07 GMT -5
Right around the time Logan was preparing to bring the food he prepared for his guests, the entryway to the lift opened and out came Terra and Aqua. "Just in time-- Oh? Leaving so soon?" He said, not taking long at all to figure out that the two were already planning on taking off and heading back to wherever Aqua was staying. He tilted his head for a second, then nodded, taking the toast he had prepared and using it to make sandwiches out of the eggs and meat. "For the road, then. And one more thing... it'll only take a moment." He stated, stepping away after handing each of them a breakfast sandwich before coming back with a cloak for Terra. "Yours was far too damaged to be of much good anymore, and we keep plenty on-hand for travelers such as yourselves; here you go." the doctor added as he handed the cloak over to Terra, looking to the ladies with a smile and chuckling as they thanked him.
"There's no need to thank me for doing my duty. And with friends like you two, as well as the others... I think Rion's in good hands." Logan replied after Terra and Aqua thanked him for his services, bidding the ladies goodbye with a wave as they left the clinic.
-----
Shortly after Terra and Aqua returned and the group began to gather in the lobby, Rion eventually made his way down, stretching his arms. He gave a brief yawn, still somewhat recovering from all of the excitement of the previous day. "Looks like we're all just about here..." He said, looking around and noting that a couple of people were missing still. "So what's the plan now?" He asked curiously. From what he understood, there had been no new orders or information leading to Blight crystals, though he imagined it would likely take some time for Shin to gather that information, which left Rion wondering if the group should stay in Eulene a while longer or head elsewhere.
|
|
|
Post by Sorrum on Nov 16, 2018 10:45:13 GMT -5
Aqua nodded to Logan as the girls made their way out of the clinic. "Thank you for your help. Oh, that looks lovely." She said taking the breakfast with her. "We'll be heading out, thanks again." She said, waving as she led Terra back to the hotel.
~
Back at the hotel, everyone had gathered in the lobby. Once she spotted Silver, she approached the girl and handed her the flier for the hot spring. "I think it's a good idea, you should be the one to suggest it though."
|
|
|
Post by Swim on Nov 18, 2018 17:59:12 GMT -5
Once Lucas Boltin reached Bultaranis he wasted no time in procuring equipment and space for his new lab. The previous night's experiments were fresh in his memory and he wanted to catalog the results immediately. Once his notes had been organized he flipped back to the section on human anatomy and slid a sample taken from the bandit under a microscope.
Several hours later Lucas stretched and stood up. As far as he could tell there had been no meaningful change to the bandit's cellular structure, everything appeared identical to that of a normal corpse. Lucas couldn't shake the feeling that he was close, just missing one variable that would be obvious in hindsight. He'd recreated the circumstances as best he could, but for now it seemed he'd reached another frustrating dead end. His gaze settled on the deactivated blight crystal sitting on the table beside him. Perhaps he'd take a break from his experimentation with lightning and finally examine the crystal he'd retrieved. Later on he could come back to his lightning studies with fresh eyes.
The crystal was comprised of a hard substance but with some effort Lucas was able to break off a chunk small enough to examine under a microscope. It was a mineral quite unlike anything he'd ever encountered before. Even though the blight had gone, it was apparent that the vessel itself had innate magical properties. It was as if the crystal were made to contain vast amounts of energy. Once again, Lucas pondered whether it would be possible to imbue the crystal with a new element. If he could unlock its secret he could develop a way to recharge his energy level mid-battle - or create a battery strong enough to power entire towns! After more experimentation Lucas found that the crystal could be ground down even further into a powder, and that held exciting possibilities in itself. If he could find a similar compound it might even be possible to create a synthetic crystal that he could keep as a control experiment.
Feeling rejuvenated by his discoveries, Lucas peered out the window to see the sun was already up. It looked to be close to midday, probably a good time to buy something to eat. After breaking his fast Lucas began to familiarize himself with the new town he'd be residing in. The market was bustling and lively, there were families, there were nobles and there were vagrants and beggars. There were also prostitutes, Lucas noted, spying a brothel. After Agrova he'd developed a certain fondness for sex workers, they had a variety of uses and were rarely missed, making them ideal test subjects. On a whim he stepped into the brothel and emerged minutes later with a young woman. She had been easy going and agreeable, and seemed interested in experimentation. The pair of them walked arm in arm back to Lucas' dwelling.
After a few hours of entertainment the woman got up to refresh herself, leaving Lucas alone with his thoughts for a few minutes. The silence was promptly shattered by a shriek from the next room. Lucas leapt out of bed and threw open the door to discover the catalyst for the woman's distress, she'd stumbled across his lab equipment. Lucas cursed himself, he hadn't had time to properly stow everything away when they'd arrived back and the woman had no doubt expected to find something of monetary value hidden away. Instead she'd found the container of bandit remains and his anatomy notebook. She'd also found the crystal and was brandishing it like a weapon.
"You sick freak!" she cried, cracking Lucas across the face with the crystal and knocking him to the floor. "You monster!" She raised the crystal up and prepared to bash his skull in, but Lucas reacted quicker. He stretched out a hand and lightning leapt from his fingertips, striking the woman and sending her flying across the room.
Lucas stood up and cursed himself once more for his carelessness, then he crossed the room to examine the woman. There was no pulse, but when he reached to free the crystal from her grasp there was an electric shock and a groan passed from her lips. Stupefied, Lucas felt again for her pulse and found it steady. She was alive.
|
|
|
Post by Arashi on Nov 26, 2018 4:31:36 GMT -5
Silver looked a bit startled as Arne spoke to her. She didn't expect someone to come up next to her like that.
"O-oh, yeah! Hi! I'm Silver. Nice to meet you." She smiled a small bit, though luckily her mask hid her nervousness. More new people? Then a cute little wyvern landed on the man's lap. Her expression immediately changed to one of happiness and her focus shifted.
"Hello little guy! Hold on, I have something you might like..." Silver dig around in one of her pockets for a moment, and then pulled out a small satchel. Out of the satchel, she pulled out what looked like a bit of some sort of meat jerky. She held it out in her hand, offering it to Hien.
Soon enough, the group had gathered.
Enfurnus, now having joined the group, looked to Rion.
"Well, I have a bit of some news. I need to find out a bit more though before I call us to action though, so maybe while I wait for Celestrus to show up we can maybe stay here for a bit...or maybe Shin will hear something before I do. Why not relax a bit longer? I don't see us getting this sort of opportunity all that often..."
|
|
|
Post by Sorrum on Nov 27, 2018 16:41:20 GMT -5
Aqua stepped forward. "If just to pass the time, there's this place.." she said while pulling out another copy of the flyer for the bathhouse. "It shouldn't be too bad. I hear it's one of the attractions that runs year round in this town, so we should at least give it a look if we're not going anywhere."
|
|
|
Post by Bloodbane on Nov 28, 2018 23:21:21 GMT -5
Rion looked at the flyer for the bathhouse that Aqua pulled out. "Oh...?" He tilted his head, before looking to Enfurnus, who stated he was waiting to hear back from Celestrus about a particular lead. "Is that so... well, I suppose if we have time to kill, I don't particularly mind taking a little more time to relax." He added, looking around to the others. "If everyone's all right with that, let's look into this hot spring." While he himself was uncertain about anything like a hot spring, he was sure he could hang around the edge of one of the pools or something to keep from having to remove his armor. He looked to Silver with a shrug, noticing Aqua had given her a similar flyer. "Well, what do you think? Does that sound good?" He asked curiously.
|
|
|
Post by Arashi on Dec 6, 2018 22:47:31 GMT -5
Silver looked at Aqua and smiled a bit as she suggested the bath house. Silver was far too shy to do it herself, and she thought that Aqua had the confidence much more suited for the task. She decided to not mention she was the one that found it for the time being. That didn't really matter much to her. She gave Aqua a small nod after looking down at the flyer she was handed.
Rion then looked at her and asked what she thought about the idea. She looked a bit hesitant, but nodded. Part of her didn't think the group would agree so easily, and this probably would be a bit different than natural hot springs, but...it'd be enjoyable none the less.
"Yeah, sure! It will be nice to relax, and I have never been to a fake hot spring. At least that's what it looks like it is...right?"
~
With that, the group headed out towards the hot spring via the map on the back of the flyer. Once they arrived, a kind lady greeted them. There was a side for women and a side for men, and swim suits could be rented if the person was okay with leaving their armor with the receptionist to ensure nobody stole a bathing suit. The place looked very nice inside, and the prices were pretty great for the festival discount. It was pleasantly warm, but not hot, in the building.
Since it was also still rather early in the day, they were pretty much the only customers currently in the building so it was quiet and peaceful.
Silver looked at the others, waiting for one of them to take charge. She wasn't really sure what to do past this point and figured the others probably had more experience with this sort of thing. She couldn't help but not understand what she was paying for, but at least it looked cheap so it didn't matter much to her.
|
|
|
Post by Swim on Jan 6, 2019 2:57:34 GMT -5
The idea of visiting the bathhouse filled Terra with some anxiety. On one hand, hot water and a massage would do wonders for the stiffness in her joints; but she had been expecting to leave Eulene right away. She looked over at Frida incredulously as the elf proposed the idea, she had said nothing of this bathhouse on the way over. And surely after all Terra had just told her, Frida had to know how serious the danger was if they stayed. If they had to linger in Eulene for Celestrus or Shin to bring them a message then surely there was someplace safer to wait than a bathhouse. But the others all seemed in favor of the idea, and so despite her misgivings Terra walked to the spa with her party. She wanted to share with everyone the same information she'd told Frida, but the hotel lobby was not a place she could speak openly about such things. There was no telling who'd be listening. She'd bring it up once they were back on the road if no one questioned her about last night's events before then.
Once they'd reached the spa they were asked to leave their armor with the reception and change into bathing suits. This presented an obstacle for Terra, who at that moment was still paranoid about being recognized by assailants and feeling very much like she might never remove the hooded cloak she'd received from Logan. She gave the receptionist a furtive look. "We're going to be the only ones in there right? No one else can get in?" Frida met her frightened eyes with a look of reassurance and Terra realized that if she wanted to avoid attention the most important thing she could do was not make a scene. Their full party was together and the House had to be licking their wounds as well after last night. She shook her head, clamping down on her fears and anxieties. Then she accepted her bathing suit and towel and followed Frida into the bathhouse.
|
|
|
Post by Sorrum on Jan 8, 2019 12:22:25 GMT -5
Aqua looked around at her new surroundings with mild curiosity. It wasn't her first time in a bath house, but was amused that this facility had separate areas for the men and women, quite different from the venues at The Frontier. Was there concern that the guests wouldn't be able to behave themselves? Then again, there was different houses like this for elf and human kind, so she didn't dwell on it.
After handing the attendant payment, she noticed Terra's calamity taking place. It occurred to her she hadn't said anything about this. She pulled her aside to reassure her. "Sorry Terra, I guess I forgot to mention it while we were talking, earlier. But I doubt anything will happen here, the House would be looking where we stayed if anything, and they've got to compensate for the larger force this time around." It wasn't much, but she felt she relaxed a little. It was all she could offer before she could get her out of this area.
Aqua changed into the swimsuit, a black bikini that covered her light skin and proportions appropriately. She placed her weapons and armor in a wicker basket and covered them with a towel, grabbed another towel for herself and let her hair down. She glanced momentarily at the tie she used and thought of when she used it to tie Enfurnus's wound, realizing the dragon hadn't made mention of the injury since they entered town, only that he had returned her tie at some point. She'd like to see the wound and if his healing was as great as he'd claimed it was.
Carrying her basket, she took point and lead the other girls into the bath. Inside the room a thick steam obscured the room that details became hard to make out. Small stools and buckets sat in front of a long mirror that stretched across one side of the room. Grey pillars led to a vaulted, high ceiling. In the center sat a large bath dug into the ground, a few meters wide and shaped like a crescent on either side of a fountain that sat between matching pools. Minerals of different color made up the floor tiles, and there was a calming music being played over speakers placed near vents at the top of the room. Aqua hadn't noticed anyone else inside the room, thus they had the place to themselves.
"Ooo, this is rather nice.." Aqua grinned. She carried her equipment to one of the stools and began filling a bucket from one of the faucets. She beckoned the two girls to join her with a wave, had they remained stiff at the doorway.
|
|
|
Post by Swim on Jan 8, 2019 18:02:57 GMT -5
Terra left her armor and weapons with the reception and once she was inside she quickly changed into her bathing suit, a black two piece. When she opened the door to the bath she was greeted with a burst of steam. It was a beautiful room, every surface glistened luxuriously. Terra had never had the money to treat herself to anything so nice before. Dominating the center of the room was an enormous bath, but there were beautiful fountains and stone carvings along the walls, even a sauna in the back of the room that she might like to use later. For the time being she elected to join Frida in the bath.
"For the record I'm not completely comfortable with this idea," Terra told her friend, making long slow strides down the stairs, being careful not to splash. When she was deep enough to submerge her torso she took a seat on the stone basin and let the warmth wash over her and take her breath away. She was still very stiff from the previous night and the warm water did wonders for her sore muscles. "But I can't deny I needed this..."
Eventually the door opened once more revealing Silver in the doorway. Terra beckoned her over with a wave of her hand, "Come on in, I promise you'll enjoy it more than the dunk tanks."
|
|
|
Post by Bloodbane on Jan 10, 2019 0:17:10 GMT -5
Rion nodded when Silver described the place as a "fake" hot spring, chuckling briefly. "It's... well, I guess that's a pretty good way to describe it, huh?" He looked around, unsure who else in the group was familiar with the concept. From there it took no time at all for the group to find the location and get settled in. Once everything was paid for and the party was broken up into the two chambers, it was only then that Rion was faced with a slight problem... how exactly was he going to handle dealing with a spa given his current situation? He certainly could not take off all of his equipment, after all...
As the group of men received their swimwear, Rion decided it would be simple enough to keep the upper portion of his attire on, as it was little more than a shirt and the armor that covered his arm. It wouldn't have been the first time the armor got wet, and he was sure it was far from the last. As such, he opted to head in first, wasting little time getting changed before heading inside. All in all, there were no differences when comparing the men's area to that of the ladies. "Don't take too long in there, this is pretty great!" He called out after wading into one of the pools.
|
|