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Post by Vic Alriikerson on Aug 23, 2019 18:05:57 GMT -5
All the merriment on Alriik's face would fade upon the mention of the blighted children.
It had to be children.
Alriik's hand would begin to shake, but he's quickly hold his hands together, his smile returning, but seeming more... Antsy. Nervous.
"W-well... I really, really hope you're not going to listen to him. Because this is the kinda job that.... I gotta go handle."
He'd walk to his things in the corner, taking his sword harness and swinging it on, though with his hands shaking he had some issue with the buckles. With a few under the breath curses, he managed.
"... Really don't want to have to alone....
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Post by Sorrum on Aug 30, 2019 13:38:29 GMT -5
Aqua stared at the visor in lucid silence as emotions swirled in her head, coming to a boiling point before Terra suggested exactly what she needed. A plan to act.
"That's what we have to figure out." Aqua replied and returned the girl's grin. She then turned and, looking over her armor that Terra had repaired, smiled at the handiwork, and began to strap it back on.
"So, without my father's blessing I'll be returning. If what he says is true, that means that those blight mages have targeted The Frontier.." She slipped her boots on and adjusted her chest piece.
"Thus the only way to get there is by trade vessel or.. pirate ship." Her face tensed as she thought of those barbarians. "Hopefully not that, but the sooner we find that mage the better. I'm not sure what's going on with the Houses, but I'm sure if it's got something to do with our Blighted foe.." She placed the last of her armor on, clipping her gauntlets on and testing the grip on her gloves, before turning and opening one of her satchels, from which she drew a long rolled up paper.
"Let's see here.." She said, walking over and unfurling the map on the table used to set the visor on. On the map, a crescent shaped island labeled The Frontier sat in the north west section of the map. A land mass west of it titled Vane, sat with a sizable ocean between it and The Frontier, yet directly east of Vane were multple waves drawn approaching it's landlines. Attached to the southwest of Vane was a mountainous region titled Beseria. North were a loose collection of islands, simply marked The Wastes, and a blackened out circle with outreaching tentacles sat isolated with multiple waves around it past them.
On this map, a line drawn from a place called Port Sandora on the southern tip of The Frontier stopped at an area labeled Shiner's Bay and cut through the continent south east, to a small village called Aldur, to a mountain some distance away, where they had delved into the abandoned mine, and finally to the city of Eulene.
"It would take a few days travel to make it to port in Shiner's Bay, then we could act as security for a trade vessel headed for Sandora. These waters are typically inhabited by pirates intercepting trade ships between Shiner's and The Frontier town of Sandora, so they're always looking for extra hands. A group of capable mages like ourselves would have no problem finding work there.." She paused, then looked at the others, pointing to the dot marked Sandora. "While it isn't a very large city, it's the only town where trade is permitted with other nations throughout the Frontier, so it's a popular hotspot for pirates like this. Not as bad as the raiders from the northern wastes, who hit the other port towns. Those are the ones I'm usually tasked defend, so I imagine The Mirage is deployed there.. likely with the first mate running ship or a stand-in captain. We can't call on them, but they should return to Meribia when word gets out that I've returned early."
"So. It'll take us a few days to travel there and we'll have to find work when we get to Shiner's, but hey, we're after a blight mage again.. joy. Will you all still come with me? I know it might be asking too much without our dragon to dispose of the crystals, but if we can catch the mage before they drop one we can not only save my homeland but figure out what their plans are. So.."
"I guess now I'm asking for your help."
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Post by Arashi on Aug 31, 2019 4:08:49 GMT -5
Elsewhere, a red dragon wandered the skies...
--
Enfurnus scouted the area where his home once was, but it was of no use. Everything was in ruins. Nothing remained...but neither did the dragons. It seemed as if they all had managed to successfully evacuate the area quickly enough. There were only a few somber scouts that had returned to survey the damage.
Nobody really seemed to be in the mood to talk.
The dragon sighed and took to the skies again. Now was not the time to think about any of this; the damage was done. He would ask the scouts to lead him to where everyone evacuated to later. He would look for Silver now, who he assumed would likely not be too far off.
He was not wrong. Not too far off among some now dead and burned trees, he spotted a small figure sitting on the ground. He landed nearby, changed to his human form, and approached the figure. She was covered by her cloak, which had clearly taken a decent amount of damage from the storm the fight had caused. It was littered with holes.
"Silver." He spoke quietly, and then slowly sat down next to her. No response.
"That was not your mother any longer. Her spirit is somewhere else. That was just a corrupted shell. Nothing more."
He sighed. He didn't really know what to say at this point. It was years; tons of them, since she had even seen her mother.
"...It is not that easy. Do you really think I can think of her that way? All I saw was my mother's face....turned in to a monster of some sort. With the same twisted dark magic that lives within me somewhere. How do I live with that?" Silver replied, after awhile of silence. Her voice was quiet and tired. It was clear she was injured in some way, but it was impossible to really tell. She was covered quite well, even with her torn up cloak.
"And now the second place I had considered as much a home as I ever had is gone too, to them. I was too weak to do anything about it, just as I was back then. Now what? What is even the purpose?"
Anger was clear in her voice, despite the quiet tone. She clenched her fists.
"Silver. You know the 'purpose' as well as I do. If anything, this should only make it more clear that you must go after them. I lost my home, too, now...but it does not matter. We can find a new home, but not if they take everything from us." Enfurnus spoke gently in reply. He did not want to rile her up in the least bit.
"...You are such an important piece of the puzzle, Silver. Your ability to deactivate the crystals means everything. You can stop it, especially with help."
Silver stayed quiet again for a few moments. She scoffed.
"Is that all that matters about me? Using me for my ability that may be slowly killing me? When it comes down to it...is that all I am good for? I did not choose any of this. I am either feared or used..."
She trailed off, not finishing that sentence. It was clear to Enfurnus at this point that her emotions were simply just too messed up for the time being for any sort of logic to work on her.
"Now come on, you know that is not true. You are being far too emotional here and not thinking clearly. You have a history of this and it only hurts you...so just think." The red dragon sighed, trying to talk some sense in to Silver. She was never all that great at controlling her thoughts, and it showed. She obviously liked the idea of companionship and friends, but was going to end up just pushing them all away. This was always a weak spot of hers that she would never admit to having.
His words, though, did not work very well. At all.
"You just don't get it. Nobody does. So just...shut it." She replied, in a rather blunt and angry manner.
"Now, now-"
Before Enfurnus could finish his sentence, Silver stood up and turned to face him. Her torn and burned cloak waved in the wind. Enfurnus could not help but notice a familiar glow in her eyes and a blank expression on her face; both of these things he had seen more times than he would have liked. He had definitelyyyy just made things worse.
He stood up to face her and braced himself. He started to speak, but before he could get any words out...
Silver rapidly shifted forms. In to a way too familiar form...just like the one she took back in the cave. In her dragin form, her various scrapes and injuries from the fight were now visible.
"...Shoot." Enfurnus spoke as he grit his teeth.
Giving him no time to react, Silver lunged at him, claws and teeth ready to kill. Darn lightning dragons were always so fast.
Enfurnus reacted quickly enough though. He managed to shift back to his dragon form and duck under her lunge. Luckily, when the blight gained control of Silver, her aim suffered severely. She was still fast, if not faster than normal, but her ability to land shots was a lot more clumsy. And that was a good thing too, because a blighted dragon is a deadly force if they can get a hold on their target.
Before Enfurnus could even move, though, Silver had landed and whipped around, lunging at him again. However, something tackled her from the side before she could connect the hit, shoving her away from Enfurnus.
It was Celestrus. Much like Enfurnus did back in the cave, Celestrus pinned Silver to the ground. He held her much easier than Enfurnus managed to, but still struggled because she was a flailing mess.
"Get out." Celestrus spoke in a calm manner, which was surprising considering the situation at hand.
"...Fine." Enfurnus replied after a moment of hesitation, before quickly launching himself in to the sky. He knew he did not have a choice. Celestrus was better equipped to deal with her, and he was just simply uncomfortable fighting with Silver. He would not be at his best if he had to fight her, even in that form, making it a tough match for him.
So off he went. For now, he intended to go find the others of the party to fill them in and try to repair the damage done. He would rely on Celestrus to keep watch on her, and go back for her after.
Celestrus, on the other hand, was now tasked with dealing with Silver. He kept her down on the ground while she failed about by pinning her wings down. She clawed at him, slashing him multiple times, but he did not seem to be phased by it. He did not flinch; his only struggle was keeping a wiggling angry dragon down.
"I cannot snap you out of this, nor do I want to be shredded while I wait for you to come back" He snarled, "so I am forced to let you go. Please do not get in to any trouble...I will watch, but that is all I can do. I do not wish to hurt you. I am sorry."
This was a tough move for him. He did not want to do it, but he also didn't really have much of a choice in the matter. He didn't want her flying off in to some town far away and killing everyone, because that would surely put a bounty on her head that would never get removed. And then everyone would know she had dark magic within her. So, he would remove her ability to fly for now.
So after a moment of hesitation, he sank his claws as deep as they could go in to one of her wings, right where it met her shoulder. Silver roared and snarled; this action amped her up even more. She began clawing and flailing around all over the place.
And at that, he quickly let go of Silver and conjured a portal for himself. He jumped in to the portal, and it closed before Silver could manage to get in to it.
She stood up and snarled, her mouth half open, leaving her massive fangs exposed. Her injured wing hung down on to the ground. The spikes along her back crackled with deadly lightning.
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Post by Swim on Sept 3, 2019 0:57:01 GMT -5
Terra listened intently as Frida outlined her plan, and watched as she retraced her own steps along her map. The elf had certainly traveled quite a way before they'd met her back in Aldur. Terra felt excited and fortunate to get to travel along with her friend. While it was true that Terra had never settled in one town for long, compared to the others she had seen very little of the world and she would relish the opportunity to explore it. Frida's plan was sound, their group would have no difficulty finding work safeguarding some merchant's ship. "My only concern is your navy," Terra remarked to Frida. "Without your father to sponsor us do you think we'll have any trouble crossing into the Frontier?"
Frida then turned to the group and asked for their continued aid against the Blight threat. While it was true that they had no means of negating the crystals without Silver, they could certainly prevent one from being placed in the ground in the first place. Terra knew what it was like to watch as her hometown was consumed by Blight, and she was determined to spare her friend the same hardship. "You have my full support," she assured Frida. Then she frowned, recalling what else Itham had said. "I wonder if we're jumping to conclusions though, in assuming that a Blight mage is at work in the Frontier. This thief, the boy who was presumed dead- probably just a case of mistaken identity. Why would the Blight mages raise a single boy from the dead and use him to steal food scraps from some random farmers? That doesn't make any sense. I'm more curious what is going on with the missing children and their apparent amnesia. Did you know any of them growing up, maybe go to school together? Your father seemed to imply that you would also become a target if you returned home, so I think questioning these children is probably a good place to start."
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Post by Sorrum on Sept 3, 2019 21:28:22 GMT -5
Aqua placed her chin in her hand and pondered Terra's words and responded to them in sequence. "Generally speaking, the navy engages trade vessels before they reach Sandora Harbor on the waters outside if there were signs of trouble. Some merchants carry flares to signal for help, but most contract mages to defend them and their cargo since it's questionable whether these ships would respond in time to pirate attacks."
"My father is in a high position in the House of Elves, thus gathering these documents wouldn't be a problem for him. I am, of course, a member of the navy and won't have any issue getting through the gates either. It would take a bureaucrat to produce those papers, so we'll have to stop at the immigration offices where we'll commission them using myself as benefactor for your visit. This will just take longer than say, my father doing it. She explained tiredly.
When it came to the subject of the walking dead, she sighed. "Depends. We could be jumping to conclusions, but a case of mistaken identity wouldn't reach as high as my father's ears, so there must be something more to the story than they know yet. I might just be overthinking things, but I don't want to take chances since we just saw what those mages are capable of."
Lastly, she brought up the children's odd behavior and Aqua's relation to them. "I was privately tutored in my use of magic, so I do not have much acquaintance with other children outside of dinner parties and birthdays. Most would attend a prestigious academy or magical school, but the human children would commonly learn trades or run family businesses."
"I want to learn more about what's going on with them too. When we make it to Sandora I can get my visor fixed, then we can get more of the story from my father. We'll reach Meribia a few days later and then we can take our next course of action; if the blight mage situation at Mt. Remorse has escalated or if the children's behavior has worsened, maybe even split up if we have to." She said, looking at Terra and now Alriik who she noticed was clutching his weapons with a nervous look. Kids got to her too, so she understood.
Was she underestimating the children and focusing on the mage too much due to her fear?
~
A few hours had gone by. Aqua sat at the same table she and the party gathered at earlier, bent over the map she unfurled earlier and scratched at it with a piece of charcoal. She charted their journey to Shiner's on her map and was calculating the costs of travel on a sheet of paper next to it. She poked her coinpurse and didn't smile at it's light weight. This journey was starting to cost her more than anticipated. She wanted to acquire a set of horses for her comrades and herself to travel there, but it was simply not feasible.
She sat back in her chair and rubbed her eyes for a moment, then looked out the window of the inn. She needed a quick way to get money. If by fate, a boy carrying papers strolled by and clipped one of the sheets to the light pole over an ad for the sumo's show from the festival. Aqua got up, strolled over to the posting and looked it over.
Mages!
"Mercenary work! The Lunar Shinery based in Shiner's Bay Village is seeking a group of mages to protect it's cargo on it's return trip to Shiner's Bay! If interested, follow the instructions below!
Aqua overlooked the instructions before stripping the sheet of paper off the pole and taking off down the street, looking for the contact for the listed job.
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Post by Bloodbane on Sept 5, 2019 18:10:25 GMT -5
Rion had remained quiet as the group gathered around the visor, only speaking briefly to introduce himself to Itham. As the conversation continued on, the things that were brought up were indeed concerning, but it seemed Frida's father was adamant on keeping her "safe" by forbidding her from returning. When the visor finally died out, Rion looked over to Terra as she seemed to vocally fantasize about sneaking into Frida's homeland. Fortunately, it seemed that Frida's plan was indeed to return regardless, and it seemed that the plan was not quite as fantastic as the one Terra was laying out. "That's good that you already have a plan... I'm not so sure I can get away with sneaking in a barrel."
When the time came for Aqua to yet again ask the group for their assistance with her plans, now that they appeared to be crossing into matters involving the Blight once more, Rion simply nodded. "I'd already made up my mind when he brought up the undead. As far as not having Silver... if it comes down to us and more of those crystals, we'll just have to cross that bridge when we get there, won't we?" Despite Silver not being around, it would appear that the prospect of dealing with more crystals was not something that particularly swayed Rion's choice to come along. Whether he had a plan of his own or not, however, would remain kept to himself for now.
----
Needless to say, given the circumstances and the fact that Shin had not stopped back in, Rion determined that funding this trip was not on the table. Fortunately, it seemed Frida had spotted something that would help, though rather than bring the flyer back inside he blinked a couple of times as she took off. "We'd, uhh... best go after her, huh?" He gave a brief chuckle before getting out of his seat and making his way out of the inn, following after Aqua quickly.
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Post by Sorrum on Sept 6, 2019 9:47:41 GMT -5
Before the night had come to a close, Aqua had returned to the hotel and told the group of her exploits. She acquired transportation via wagon to Shiner's in exchange for protective services. The job was to start the next morning, and get them to Shiner's Bay by the end of the day or, if they had to make camp, by early the following day.
~
The night had come and gone. Early the next morning, a fog covered the streets of Eulene. The town guard would leave the lanterns alight as to help the early risers stay on the road as they passed in their wagons and carts, though the street was bare by the hotel, save for one. Four horses pulled a lengthy carriage behind them, which would stop at the hotel the party was staying at.
A stocky man in a brown trench coat and fedora climbed down from where he held the horses reins, and opened the door to the carriage. Out stepped another man. The Honeyfarm serviceman from the festival, now sporting a brown suit and bowler hat that matched his mustache. His muddy boots were now dark dress shoes. Despite his different appearance and the dreary atmosphere, his joyful smile remained as he and the driver walked toward the hotel's front step, where an elf dressed in armor sat on the stoop.
"Ah, there she is." The Honeyfarm vendor declared. "Hello miss, are you and your comrades ready to go? We'll get to Shiner's and our business partner before the sun sets today thanks to you and yours taking up our job."
Aqua grinned in her visorless helmet back at the man. "Good morning to you to, Mr. Honeyfarm. Yes, they're just finishing up preparations."
"Ah good. We're passing through an area where, very rarely, we've run into some thieves. They aren't the violent type, but our driver Buck here tried to fend them off once with his saber and it didn't go so well."
"Bastards took one of my fingers off." Buck grumbled.
"Ah yeah, your pinky if I remember." Mr. Honeyfarm replied.
With a grunt, Buck turned and climbed back onto the drivers seat. "Let's get going soon so we don't draw attention."
Mr. Honeyfarm turned back to Aqua. "That's a good idea. But once more, your job is to protect us and our cargo until we reach Lunar Shinery."
With that, Aqua knocked on the door to the hotel several times, signaling to the others that it was time to go.
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Post by Vic Alriikerson on Sept 6, 2019 10:24:24 GMT -5
Alriik would have vanished from the inn after learning the plan. He would have returned in the morning, before sunrise, ready and waiting. As he paced in front of the building, he had a cold, serious look about him. He would adjust his gear and gloves, checking his swords occasionally. He would spend more time than needed checking the edges of his blades and their polish. They were ready too, but he needed to re-check. He needed to be sure. He seemed as ready as a warrior could be, though he had a small bit of what looked like silver paint under his left eye.
As the clients arrived, Alriik would suddenly switch back to his normal self. “Ah, hello!" As Aqua gathered the others, he’d approach the client, giving a small bow. “Alriik of Altiim, Sellsword Spellsword, Son of Seras Laurey, Student of-" He’d sigh. He he wasn't in the mood for it this time. “-Well, what’s in a title? Just know I'm an adventurer of 40 years and a swordsman for 50. You're in good hands with this party."
He would soon look to the other man with the client, waving. “Say, losing a pinky can actually throw off your grip and sword balance.” He'd smile, and near Buck. “Luckily, in my line of work, you learn about those who have been wounded and how they adjust. I can give you some pointers to get your sword arm back into fighting shape.” If allowed, he would spend the entire trip giving Buck tips and tricks.
Talking kept his mind off of things.
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Post by Sorrum on Sept 6, 2019 11:02:31 GMT -5
"Ah the swordsman she told me of." Honeyfarm greeted Alriik. After listening to his biography, Honeyfarm's eyes widened. "Y'know its always weird to me how long you elves can live for. 50 years would as long as one of us Honeyfarmer's stays in the business, luckily I'm only three fifths that way, ahaha."
Buck grunted at Alriik's attitude. "I use the saber in the other hand now and got an Imperial six-shooter from one of those black markets now for the handicap. Maybe we can do some sparrin' when the horses gotta stop."
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Post by Tony on Sept 6, 2019 11:44:41 GMT -5
Hien stares and chirps at the visor, tilting his head in confusion, as the communication ends. Taking in everything that was just said by Itham and listening to Aqua's plan, he chimes in. "You can count me in. There's no way I can't get involved with something like this after hearing about it."
The next morning, Arne exits the hotel at an early hour, holding a still sleeping Hien in his arms. His attention is immediately drawn towards the two people his new elven companion is speaking to, looking over to the more well dressed of the two "I assume you're our employer for this job, yes? I'm Arne. I've done some work like this before, so you can rest assured that you have someone with a bit of experience on it."
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Post by Vic Alriikerson on Sept 6, 2019 12:16:40 GMT -5
Upon hearing he had been mentioned, Alriik would smile. For a second, he felt like he was actually part of this team- An important part of the machine. It would actually take a whole half of a minute before he stepped back into reality, but it was a great feeling for while it could last. Then came the moment Honeyfarmer referenced his longevity. He would smile, and reply. “Yes, those of elven blood are known for our longevity. But I am only half elf, I am wholly a swordsman. Those 50 years were survived through blood and sweat. If I were any lesser a sword hand I doubt I would have made even a tenth of a Honeyfarmer’s time at business.”
He'd then turn to Buck. “Ah, a good call. The revolver is a wonderful weapon, and in conjunction with a blade you cover all bases. Though… I am sure I can still teach you something in our spar.” He would wait beside the two as Arne came, the splotch of silver still under his eye. He would wave to his compatriot. “Hello."
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Post by Sorrum on Sept 6, 2019 15:11:08 GMT -5
Alriik's dedication sparked a reflection on the man's face as his smile faded in awe. "That's.. amazing. Truly. Such conviction! I am beside myself, sir. I'm glad I got the right man for the job!" He laughed whole heartedly, before turning to the newcomer. "Ah hey I remember you! You took down that fat sumo guy in the festival!" He pointed at Arne. "You're incredible as well! I see the elf wasn't kidding when she said her party was stacked with good fighters."
Aqua raised her hand in acknowledgement. "Told ya."
Buck grimaced at the elf's comment, turned to adjust his reins, then he looked back at Alriik. "You uh, got some kinda crap under your eye there." He motioned with his hands to his face, still holding the reins.
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Post by Sorrum on Sept 6, 2019 15:26:25 GMT -5
Aqua saw the sleeping Hien being carried by Arne, and smiled. "Aw, he's like a little baby." She walked over to the pair and gently stroked the back of the little wyvern's neck. "Cutie." she whispered. She stepped away though, and headed for the carriage. "Don't want to wake him up early."
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Post by Vic Alriikerson on Sept 6, 2019 15:43:55 GMT -5
Alriik would beam a bit on the outside as he was praised, but he was surprised. As he learned of Arne's exploits, he pat the man on the back. “Amazing work. Sumo are known for their ability to use their large weight and momentum. Surprisingly difficult to battle.” He'd attempt to wait out the rest of the conversation, allowing his Captain to speak, when Buck noticed what was on his face. After wiping it with his face, he grimaced as he noticed the shade on his glove. “It's, uh, my blood. I'm… Weird.”
They can't know. But you aren’t a liar. Choose your next words carefully, Alriik.
“I, uh, stayed outside last night. Couldn't sleep. Got cut up a bit while I was there.”
All of that was right. And that's all they'd need to know. You choose it and when you tell them. You have control.
Alriik would return to beaming. “But a warrior like me won’t let a couple of scrapes get between me and my job.”
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Post by Swim on Sept 7, 2019 2:23:45 GMT -5
"It's wonderful to see you again Mr. Honeyfarm!" Terra beamed brightly as she stepped out of the hotel with all of her gear strapped to her back. "Yes, three of us competed in Master Fueg's Ring of Doom and held our own, I think you'll be in good hands. We actually went there right after sampling some of your honey wine, maybe next year you should think about sponsoring the event- You've certainly got my endorsement should you want it!"
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