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Post by Sorrum on Sept 7, 2019 19:34:59 GMT -5
"Oh and then there's this little firecracker!" Honeyfarm greeted Terra warmly. "Yes, I heard about your match in particular. Customers went through several rounds watching the girl covered in mud go blow for blow with the big fat guy. Heard you took up all of his time left, that's impressive since he was until a point throwing people out without breaking a sweat. Aye, I figure any would-be thieves will have their work cut out for them with you alone!"
"Sponsorship for those kinds of events is risky, but I will say we sold quite a bit more during those last rounds. I hear Yung Fueg is getting involved with some kind of annual tournament in Berseria, maybe I'll send him a letter about your idea for his "shows" before he gets any further away from Eulene. He invited you to his school right? I think but I'm not sure if it's in Berseria, but he should be heading that way regardless."
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Post by Swim on Sept 8, 2019 20:12:25 GMT -5
Terra pulled out invitation that Yung had awarded her with and saw that the school was indeed in Berseria. The name hadn't meant much to her at the time, she had assumed their mission to stop the Blight mages would take priority over anything else and that she probably wouldn't have time to train with Master Fueg for the foreseeable future. But she had remembered seeing the name on Frida's map the night before and that it wasn't all that far from the Frontier, perhaps they'd be able to make time to pass through Berseria.
One thing at a time though, her immediate priority was getting Frida to the Frontier and once that was secure there'd be ample time for her to pursue her own goals. For the time being she climbed into the carriage and carefully secured her bags so they wouldn't shift around.
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Post by Swim on Sept 8, 2019 21:17:34 GMT -5
~Elsewhere~
"Our men have confirmed that she's still in Eulene. She's joined with a party of mages and they're all preparing to take a wagon up to Shiner's Bay. From there she'll have access to ships traveling to all corners of the world and we'll lose her again."
The hooded man at the alter stopped flipping through his book and began drumming his fingers as he considered his underling's report. The gall of that woman irked him to no end. Not only had she not succumbed to her injuries, she had remained in Eulene for more than a week and was now traveling openly. He held up a photograph of the woman and the companions who had made her so bold as to openly defy his will. She was more than a nuisance, her mere survival was a threat to everything that the House stood for.
"Send word to our contacts in the outlier towns, make sure everyone knows that the bounty for her head will be substantial. Perhaps one of her new 'friends' will decide that their pockets are feeling light. And if not, there will be no shortage of coin hungry cutthroats in Shiner's Bay. The garbage will take care of itself."
The attendant bowed deeply. "Your will be done Your Excellency."
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Post by Sorrum on Sept 10, 2019 17:32:47 GMT -5
The party boarded their carriage with their belongings and set off, bidding Eulene a fair well until fate pulled them back to the town. Memories of the the events that had taken place here filled their minds, among the good and bad they had all come to grow a little closer to each other throughout their ordeals.
As the carriage rode through the gate and onto the open road, Aqua pulled back the curtains and looked out the window at the spot where she had stopped the ice sled. The ice had melted fully and the grass left no trace of their tracks from the mountain cave, just as the Blight Mage they had fought alongside the dragon Enfurnus left no clue to his next move.
The shadowy image of the three headed dragon still haunted the elf's mind. She shut the curtain and thought of home.
~
Some time had passed since their trip had started. Aqua had dozed off in this time due to the uneventful trip, until the carriage pulled over, rolling over rocky terrain. Honeyfarm pulled out his watch and studied it's face. "Been a while since we left now. Sun should be up." He pulled the curtain open to look, bringing the light directly on the sleeping elf's face, who squirmed to cover herself. "Ah, er, sorry about that." he apologized.
Aqua rubbed her face and peered out the window, squinting at the details. Outside the carriage was a river some dozen meters wide alight in the morning sun. The last of the morning dew fell off the weeds and flowers nearby, and in the trees birds could be heard tweeting and rising. The peaceful scenery was disrupted by the sight of another carriage nearby, and another and another.
"Eulene River." Honeyfarm said, hunched over and staring out. "Popular spot for fishing, watering horses, doing laundry, anything you can think of. A stream runs off here and feeds the farms, and we filter what we use here for making the drinks too." Aqua tried to think of something to say to make it sound like she was interested in this right now, but just waved her hand in acknowledgment.
Outside, Buck took buckets to the river and placed them in front of the horses. "Too much hassle to get em strapped back in. We've gone a ways but we ain't that far yet." He said to whoever was listening. He began to stretch, then removed his coat and hat, revealing his hair was trimmed short on the side and the top was slicked back and tied into a ponytail that reached down just between his shoulder blades. His face was bare of any facial hair, but he had a thin white scar on his lips that ran down his chin.
He reached up to the drivers seat and pulled a saber in it's sheath from the footrest. "Alriik, was it? The horses will get spooked if we get some sparring in here, so let's head over to that clearing." He motioned toward a plateau nearby with a green field of grass and a tree overlooking it.
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Post by Vic Alriikerson on Sept 11, 2019 12:59:24 GMT -5
Alriik would have ridden on the front, talking at length whenever anyone spoke to him, and being stone silent the time. As they arrived, Alriik would grin. “Sounds good.” He'd hop from the front of the carriage and would crack his neck, approaching the clearing. “So... In the spirit of not scaring our animal companions, I'm going to have to ask you to not use the revolver.” As he neared the tree, he placed his bag down beside it, before taking off the harness that held his swords, laying them gently beside the bag.
He would proceed to leap into the air, grabbing a branch from the tree, pulling it off as he fell. “So, I’ll take a handicap as well.” He’d pull off extraneous divergent sticks from the branch, leaving it a solid-looking, straight stick about the same width down, extending about 2 foot. He'd swing it through the air, the wind audibly whipping with each swing. “Come at me like I'm coming to kill you. Don't hold back, don’t hesitate.” He'd take a loose fighting stance.
“And let me see what you can do.”
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Post by Sorrum on Sept 11, 2019 23:09:04 GMT -5
Buck looked down at his revolver, still in his holster. "Weren't planning on it, but if it's all the same.." he said as he loosened the gun from his belt and set it down next to the tree along with Alriik's belongings.
Buck looked up for a branch the same size that Alriik pulled off the tree, before he called it a handicap. "Well, if you say so." Buck said pulling his sword from his scabbard, holding it in his left hand and adopting the stance of a formal duelist, his off hand behind his back and his sword tip at eye level. "I ain't trying to hurt ya so don't get upset if I cut you a little."
Buck stepped into Alriik's range with his sword and held his sword about to touch, ready for the elf's reply to touch swords for an honorable duel.
"I'll not hold back!" Buck growled, and stepped forth, swiping Alriik's stick to Alriik's right and, following a faint at the elf's throat, spun around backward, backstepping and pushing a wide swing from below as he stepped back into the elf!
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Post by Sorrum on Sept 11, 2019 23:17:33 GMT -5
Aqua climbed out of the carriage and followed the boys to the clearing, setting herself down by the tree.
"This is nice and shady.." she said aloud, patting the ground next to her for everyone else. "Sit here! It'll be like watching the sumo fights again!" She said cheerfully.
As the two crossed swords, she made a mental note to block any would be fatal blows with her ice, until Alriik boasted his ability with the sword. She puffed up her cheeks before she covered her face with hands and yelled "Don't get overconfident!" Before she quieted down and settled into watching.
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Post by Vic Alriikerson on Sept 15, 2019 19:10:15 GMT -5
Alriik may seem guy thingyy, overconfident. Buck may be a skilled. However, there was something to note about Alriik: he had been at this decades longer and still had all of his fingers.
He watched Buck begin his attack: he began with swiping at his weapon. Smart. Open the opponent up, perhaps even disarm them. Buck was a thinker, good.
Alriik would lower his ‘blade', and step back.
Second, a throat thrust. A simple, effective way to end a fight.
Alriik would lean back, out of the range of the sabre's thrust.
As the thrust proved itself a feint, Alriik would grin widely. Buck was good, and there was nothing Alriik could teach him, only experience.
Well, almost nothing.
As he stepped back and swung low, Alriik would hold the branch in the direction the sword was coming, as he stepped in to his opponent's attack…. And driving his forehead hard into Buck's. “HEAD-BUCK!!”
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Post by Sorrum on Sept 16, 2019 18:25:14 GMT -5
Buck came face to face with the elf and collided. His attack had been blocked and he was knocked back from the head butt. "Gah!" He jumped back and held his "sword" up with both hands to block. He looked more surprised from the attack than injured. "Well, I guess you can read me fine. How about this though?" He said, going back in and swinging down at the elf's shoulder, then swinging again horizontally, down again, up, and finally trying to jab Alriik in the gut with the last swing of his combo.
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Post by Swim on Sept 16, 2019 19:00:38 GMT -5
As the group stopped to water their horses by the river Terra yawned and stretched, flexing her arms and then bending over to reach her toes. The trip had been uneventful thus far and the warm sun coming through the carriage windows had made her drowsy. She was glad for an excuse to move around. After feeling invigorated from the fresh air and some breathing exercises, Terra joined Frida on a patch of grass and observed the sparring match between Alriik and Buck.
Alriik had of course regaled the entire group by this time with tales of his bravery and his amazing feats. Terra hadn't had much time in the blight fields to watch him fight, and she was pleased to discover that the elf wasn't all talk. Alriik was certainly skilled, even with his improvised weaponry. Terra winced a little bit for poor Buck as Alriik headbutt him, clearly not a move he'd been ready to guard against. Terra could tell that Alriik had received extensive weapons training, certainly more than she had, but maybe more important was that he had imagination. It was the trait that enabled her to stand against stronger arena fighters, and even Yung Fueg. Plenty of trained soldiers she knew weren't capable of adaptation, of using their environment, of changing tactics to catch an enemy off guard. Alriik had that in spades, and it meant he was someone that she could rely on if their backs were up against a wall. Good to know.
Terra glanced over at Frida as Alriik and Buck continued their fight. She wondered if her friend would be at all familiar with the Altiim that the other elf had mentioned. "He's not bad is he? Where do you suppose he was trained to fight?"
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Post by Sorrum on Sept 16, 2019 19:31:10 GMT -5
Aqua too winced as Alriik's headbutt hit, knocking Buck back and spurring the man into a combat rush.
She thought to Terra's question for a moment, then turned to her. "As I recall, the Altiim elves are an isolated sect of elves that reside in The Frontier. They only associate with the Houses annually or if there's an emergency, and most times they choose to remain aloof; and take similar disposition to anyone interested in them. I've only met their representative one or two times and they aren't always present at these annual meets."
"They're kind of mysterious, and what's fact and myth is hard to say. I know they produce excellent fighters though, because their clan has protected itself from invaders and spies well enough, and I recall our friend here telling us some tales about his exploits that don't seem like lies. He fared well against the dragon, and he's making childs play of this bodyguard.."
Aqua looked at the amount of weapons Alriik was carrying, and felt relived that he was only playing with a stick.
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Post by Vic Alriikerson on Sept 16, 2019 21:42:48 GMT -5
After his strike, Alriik would step back, grinning. “Not bad at all. Great posture, solid stance, excellent technique… You're the kind of man who steps into any match with a normal opponent and has the upper hand. But what if I suddenly started bellowing lava? Or grew an extra pair of arms?” He would watch as Buck readied himself. "You gotta be ready for weird. Or else it’ll always catch you off guard. For example.”
He would begin to talk and move, not missing a beat. As Buck began his first swing, Alriik would twist his torso, and jab the end of the stick at Buck's sword. “An opponent catches your attack with a stick-" Alriik would proceed to shove the stick and blade away, ending his combo before it began. He would thenb step in and swing a back fist straight at Buck's neck, stopping short and only tapping his Adam's apple. "Then crushes your windpipe." He would chuckle, stepping back. "If you don't expect the unexpected, the weird will always catch you off guard."
He would begin to offer a handshake to Buck, but would stop. His expression would change. His ears would twitch. The girls may swear they heard his swords shift and clank against each other for a second. He'd quickly flash Buck a nervous smile, suddenly sweating. "Just one moment."
Alriik would walk back to his swords, and place a hand on them, muttering something in a different language. He would take a deep breath... And suddenly was fine. He would put his weapon harness back on, before returning to Buck and offering the handshake in earnest. "Still, you're obviously very skilled. A real duelist. "
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Post by Sorrum on Sept 17, 2019 21:40:44 GMT -5
"What?" Buck only understood half of what Alriik had said about fighting weird opponents. "This is just a sword fight ain't it?"
After nearly having his throat whacked, he jumped back. "Dangit!" Then Alriik told him to expect the unexpected. "Well er, I guess that's true for how them bandits took my finger. But there was a lot of em, like a bunch."
When Alriik went for the handshake, Buck assumed it was over. "Felt like we were just gettin' started to me, but alright." He extended his left hand with all the fingers on it, before Alriik twitched. "Uh, sorry, just how things are now with the finger and all.."
When Alriik stopped and walked away, Buck stared at him confused. "Uh.. you sick or something?"
Buck stood silently as the elf returned. Whatever happened just now was over as far as he could tell but he was a little cautious regarding this strange behavior. He dropped the stick to show he was unarmed and wasn't gonna take any cheap swings at Alriik who seemed uneasy, clasped Alriik's hand and shook. "I appreciate it, thanks. You need some water?" He offered, trying to move on from the scene.
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Post by Sorrum on Sept 17, 2019 21:54:47 GMT -5
Aqua turned toward the fighters, having finished her explanation of what she knew of the Altiim. "Oh, it's over already? That didn't last very long.." before she noticed Alriik shift and acting strange. "..You alright?" she called out, but was ignored. Nearby, she thought she heard metal clanking. She looked toward the men's weapons, but they hadn't been moved, except Alriik's seemed to have shifted slightly. Was it the wind?
She turned to Terra with a concerned face, before looking at the elf who now was mumbling something to his weapons and now turning back to shake hands with the driver. Aqua looked around to see if anybody else had been watching the sparring, to see if anyone had noticed something weird happen with Alriik.
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Post by Tony on Sept 20, 2019 11:30:27 GMT -5
Arne stepped out from the carriage soon after they stopped holding onto the still sleeping Hien, the young wyverns stirs and wakes with a yawn as sunlight hit his face. "Finally awake, are you?" Arne says to his companion, letting him go as he takes to the air. Hien chirps in response, then flys over to the river... landing once there and taking a drink. Took a look around, everything seemed peaceful... for now. While he would like for that to continue, he knew it was probably not likely to happen. After Hien returns, the duo go to join the rest of the group... missing Alriik's sparring match... but showing up just in time to notice him muttering something to his weapons. "What was that about?"
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