Fiore [IC]

Aix · June 10, 2014

An Original RP by Aix

There was nothing more soothing than the rhythmic crackle of a campfire after a day on the road. The air was still damp and cool after the rain, providing a comfortable contrast against the stark heat of the flame. In the background, there were the symphonic sounds of the night as it came alive with various nocturnal birds and beasts. Irodel, despite being the land of the Church, was filled to the brim with creatures who hid in the darkness and was as a result eerily quiet during the day. Various daemons, too, were drawn to the area, usually wild, feral ones as wargs, trolls and brownies, the kind that would often plague travellers, but the Iron Church, by practice, staged regular daemon hunts every month in order to keep the land safe. They could not possibly be utterly thorough in their searches, however, and Lady Ann made note of her gut feeling that something unnatural was within a large radius of them. Still a certain distance away, it would seem, and Lady Ann could only hope it would not bother them.

She was not one who feared the daemons, however. In the days past of her youth, she had dealt with daemons numerous times, more so than she could count; the little known fact being that she had been raised by them herself. The same fearlessness could not necessarily be said for the others, however, and she glanced over at Markis who looked slightly uncomfortable with the chirping of the various animals in the forest. She gave a wry smile at him. Markis was a coward, she knew, and it had caused troubles in the past over the few years which she’s travelled with him. Irodel was his least favourite of places to do business.

Looking away from him, Lady Ann subconsciously directed her gaze towards the sky. It was fortunate that the rain had passed them by quickly, and they had received sufficient time to get a campfire going before it got too late. The dazzling array of stars came into sight above them, forming a massive shimmering butterfly, with vast wings spread across almost a quarter of the night sky. This was the constellation of May, the butterfly fae, the legendary trickster whose stories were known to little ones everywhere. Most famously, it was her who had sown the seeds to the multitude of beautiful wildflowers that all bloomed across Fiore from East to West.

“Is it almost ready yet?” asked Markis and Lady Ann looked back at the pot that boiled over the fire. Indeed it was about ready to be served, Markis must have known this without asking, but was simply eager to be given his food.

Lady Ann smirked quite mischievously. “Indeed, it is ready. Perhaps you would be most gracious to serve us.”

The old man scrunched his eyebrows quite fiercely and the two eldest members of the caravan came to a standoff. The others dared not step in, Lady Ann was the figure of authority in this group, her word could be taken equivalent to law. Meekly, after several moments had passed, Markis sighed and propped up onto his feet. He waddled over to the pot, grabbing a bowl and ladle and scooping some in before handing a bowl over to the nearest man - Mumei, small statured young man with tired-looking eyes and unkempt black hair.

Swiftly, Markis turned back after Mumei took it, filling another bowl and handing it to the girlish little boy from the Orient that sat to his left. Yuumei was his name, and Markis found the coincidence of the similarity of names between Yuumei and Mumei amusing. Perhaps the kid wasn’t quite as young as he looked, but Markis often treated him as a child nonetheless. “Eat up, boy, or you’ll never grow to be a fine man as myself,” said Markis, jokingly, while Lady Ann scoffed in the background.

Next up was Alicia, a tall, elegant beauty who shared his love of tricorne caps, or at least he thought she did. She often wore a tricorne like he did, and she wore it considerably better than him, her imposing figure giving her closer to an air of grandiosity rather than silliness like when he donned his hat.

Fourth served was ‘Azab, their bodyguard and scout, a native of the treacherous Lael Desert, a good ways away from Western Fiore. Their kind was not common here, and their language was one which neither Markis nor Lady Ann knew. Yuumei, however, was able to speak the language, having come from a country close enough to the Lael, and it so ended up that he was their conduit of communication with the Lael native.

Last of all, Markis handed a bowl to Lady Ann, and retrieved one for himself before plopping down, with a tremendous sigh, back onto his rock. Unable to stand it any longer, he dug in immediately into the delicious broth, getting some onto his mustache much to Lady Ann’s amusement.

They began to eat relative comfort, with the occasional engagement of conversation, but most of them were weary from travel. It was then when a piercing howl struck the air, a bone-chilling call that left the forest in silence. Lady Ann's feeling was right, this was the call of a dire wolf, one of the kings of wolves, and their howl bade the beasts of the forest gather beneath their command. However, Lady Ann was left to wonder, what agitated the great wolf so that it would utter such a cry?

There was shuffling in the brush and a girl with brilliant white hair stumbled out. Evidently agitated, she cried out with an affrighted look. "Wolves!"

Astolfo · June 11, 2014

[font=lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif][color=#ffcc00]"E-etto…"[/color][/font] Yuumei shifted about, slightly nervous. Despite having been in the company of Lady Ann and the others for a while, it was still an intense mental struggle to attempt to socialize or otherwise fit in. Taking a deep breath, the scent of the freshly rained-upon grass soothed him slightly. Despite all this, a strange sensation came over Yuumei. He couldn't quite place his finger on it, but it was an unnerving sensation, and he shivered involuntarily. Walking over to the campfire to relax, he picked up a delicious scent, and his face flushed when there was a large growl in reply. He noticed an argument between Lady Ann and Markis, but tried to focus on something else. The clashing personalities intimidated him slightly, and he just hoped it would end soon. Sighing in relief quietly when Markis stood down, he squeaked out a thanks when he was served his food. He began to savor the broth when he heard Markis speak up. [i]"Eat up, boy, or you’ll never grow to be a fine man as myself."[/i] Not sure if Markis was speaking to him or the tired looking man, he froze, and when there was no further replies to be heard, he let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding.

Sneaking furtive peeks at the grizzled man from the Lael, he looked away instantly whenever he thought 'Azab might have noticed. While he knew Lady Ann trusted 'Azab as a bodyguard and scout, and while he trusted Lady Ann, he despaired at his own misfortune at times, when he was reminded of one of the things he helped with - namely, intercommunication between the others and 'Azab. It meant he repeatedly had to engage in conversation with 'Azab - who frightened Yuumei somewhat, even despite how friendly 'Azab was - and the others - who also inflamed his shyness. Lady Ann was pretty much the only thing tying him down to this group, because he didn't want to leave her presence, as he trusted her deeply, and she was the one person that kept everything running smoothly.

Mulling in thoughts over the newest turn of events, as well as wandering off randomly in thought, when a monstrous howling sound shattered the peaceful air, he almost jumped into the air with fright, just barely preventing himself from shouting out. Edging over closer to the rest of the group, he flinched when he heard a rustling sound in the bushes behind him, and a girl with snow-white hair stumbled out. Her next words confirmed his disturbing feelings from before, and Yuumei began to cower slightly. Shuffling closer to Lady Ann, it was clear as day Yuumei was panicked. Stuttering, he spoke feverishly, partly to himself. [font=lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif][color=#ffcc00]"W-whatdowedoarewefastenoughtoruncanwefightbutitswolveswhatdowedo-"[/color][/font] Looking to the one person he trusted, he waited nervously for her next words.

Maeriberii Haan · June 11, 2014

The world is a book, and one who does not travel read only a page

The quote, whose original source couldn’t be remembered by Alicia, had been echoing inside her head from the time she stumbled upon it on a book. It was not too long ago, but that quote alone convinced her that staying on her job in the city wasn’t really her calling in life. Not to mention life inside the protection of a city was starting to feel dull.

Her condition back then couldn’t be called bad at all. She was serving as a ‘bodyguard’ of some sort to a landlady, a former lover of hers that even though she noticed that Alicia lied about her background and everything else, still decided to employ her on the position. Their relationship was pleasant too, and it seemed that the landlady was still having feelings for her, a fact that became somewhat apparent to Alicia when she resigned from her job.

But that was the past, and Alicia was not the type of person to be stuck on it for long. Life needed motion, and one must keep moving forward to not be swallowed by the cruel force of time. She never once regretted her decision to leave her comfort zone, to return to the hard life on the road.

Now, she travelled alongside the merchant caravan from Taern, and everyone was resting round a campfire after a long day on the road. Night slowly crept in replacing the light of the day, and the dampness after a rain could still be felt on the air. Alicia somewhat hated nighttime, she was not exactly the bravest of person, and could easily be scared with tales of daemons and anything else lurking in the dark, but in groups like this, her fear could be slightly alleviated.

The old man, Markis, was now handing bowls of food to the others, starting with the young man that looked like a mess, in the sense of both that his hair was unkempt, and how he looked like he’s completely tired of his life. Mumei.. yeah, that was his name, Alicia thought.

Near him was Yuumei, a petite young man (?) that should pretty much better of as a young woman, in Alicia’s opinion. She admitted that Yuumei was pretty cute, and considered to hit on him, though his shyness made her realize that it could be hard, and besides, she really shouldn’t hit on two people at once. He seemed to be afraid of the other person that sat near her, though the reason of why was not really clear. Probably due to his imposing look.

“Thank you for the food, sir Markis.”
Alicia accepted the bowl of food, but decided to wait for it to cool down a bit, while she watched the others do whatever they were currently doing.

Markis was a merchant working under the Rosenfield Company, from what she knew. She hadn’t been with the group long enough to know more about him, or the rest of the group really. But mostly about him. His clothing did look quite silly on him, so that might mean something about his personality.

And then, there’s the guide and scout from the Lael Desert, ‘Azab, the person that sat near her. Quite thinner than what Alicia expected from a person from the dangerous desert, but she knew that he’s pretty physically fit. Direct communication with him was hard due to her not understanding the language he used. Alicia considered utilizing sign language for the next times she tried to communicate with him, and if she stayed with the convoy long enough, maybe trying to learn about the language from him. It’d be a useful skill, probably. Would never hurt to learn more about new things.

And finally, the most important person in the group, and the primary reason why Alicia decided to join this group, Lady Anastasia Rosenfield, the leader of the group. She’s the epitome of womanly charisma, her tall posture was imposing, yet alluring. Her hair, her mismatching eyes, her almost-mystical charms, her figure, ah, Alicia could talk all day about what attracted her to this fine woman. Alicia met her not too long ago, on the nearest city from their current position. When she knew that Lady Ann was travelling with a merchant group, she immediately asked her personally to join the group. But so far, she hadn’t really made any moves towards her, as she still wanted to learn more about her, to know about how should she approach her. Any thoughts about the possibility that she was just too shy to ask her out was immediately removed from her mind.

Alicia continued her fantasies of Lady Ann, completely ignorant about the conversations that happened around her, and her already-cold food. But her fantasies were cut off abruptly by the howl of what could be assumed as a dire wolf. It snapped her back into reality, just in time as she and some others noticed a cute young girl stumbling out from the bushes, looking completely not fine. Her cries pretty much confirmed that there’re wolves indeed around the place.
Grabbing the rapier from her belt, Alicia stood up. The wolves hadn't appeared yet, but just standing idle would mean that they’ll be completely defenseless against those vicious beasts.

“Milady, what is the action that I and the others must execute at this moment? I am sure that your wise judgment would be the best for all of us.” she asked Lady Ann.

If she needed to fight the wolves, she wouldn’t mind it much. It’d be a good way to keep her skills sharp, and maybe, she could really impress Lady Ann that way. Maybe.

Makο · June 11, 2014

The scent of a well-cooked meal had 'Azab quickly abandon his current activity and return right to the camp. Speaking of, he didn't know what he was doing anyway; no stake in keeping it up.

His Ballistic Rail shifted uncomfortably on his back; the leather shoulder harness recently snapped while climbing a small rock outcropping, leaving him with two useless pieces of leather and a scratched up weapon. He was forced to retrieve some rope from his belt in order to create a makeshift harness, something he'd rather not have done. Rope is uncomfortable and rough, and it slides everywhere. Merely keeping it slung over his shoulder for a minute is enough for it to fall off again without him noticing. Keeping it across his back is even worse, as the rope might as well be actively attempting to choke him.

Note: Locate armorsmith. Fix harness... comfort

He made it back to camp before he could finish mulling over the costs of a new harness. There he saw a large, width wise, man serving food to the others. With a gracious smile and a slight nod, he accepted his concoction and immediately began to dig in. Utensils not required, nor are they necessary. Not enough time in the world to be fussy over proper eating etiquette. He wondered what exactly he was eating, though not slowing down to find out.

As he ate, his companions caught his eye; sure, they weren't doing anything different than usual, per se, but they were curious none the less. More so the fact that this band was... colorful, to say the least.

Boss Lady, Ann or something, kept everyone in line. No going against her orders. The slightest stare can evoke a chill as bad as hearing an approaching band of daemons. And 'Azab has heard a lot of those. She was the one who ended up having him travel with her. After all, he didn't exactly have an objective in mind once he reached the west. Tired, broke, and low on supplies, she practically saved his life. Won't forget that any time soon.

Alicia, what a dame. Not someone you would want to mess with. He can tell by her eyes; well concealed, but still scheming. Impossible to tell what. Friendly enough. Troubled past, or maybe relationship troubles. Also a roamer, as told by more subtle movements, but for different reasons most likely.

Yuumei. Only man he knows that can speak his own language. Frail and timid, though. Communication difficult at times. Probably doesn't trust many around him, aside from Boss Lady. Still, only effective means of communicating with the rest of the band, using the term "effective" lightly.

Mumei. Or maybe Yuumei. The words were too similar to tell apart at times. A broken man as one has ever seen one. Well, probably a man. Sometimes hard to tell.

Somehow, Markis wasn't even interesting enough to make note of. Defining features, fat and well versed in merchant language. Otherwise, nothing.

Having been a swift eater since a very young age, he polished off the meal as he scrapped the bottom for anything left over. At a same time, a familiar sound struck his eardrums, prompting him to immediately drop his bowl and dash over to a nearby rock outcropping, pressing against it. He unslung his Rail, checking and double-checking to assure himself that it was properly loaded, before peering over the edge of the formation.

Wolves. Fast and efficient, the ideal hunter. 'Azab had been pursued by a multitude of packs over the years, always escaping by the skin of his neck or the blast of his Rail, and never without some loss. Injuries, missing supplies, lost or used ammunition. Damn wolves. With a sudden burst of worry, he peered over at his companions; should the wolves quickly encircle, would they have enough time to escape? He would be able to escape without too much trouble, but can they?

He rested his rail on the rocks and took aim in the direction he assumed the sound came from. Perhaps fighting would be the best way o-

He jumped a little at the appearance of a young, silver-haired girl. This was unexpected, why would such a young child be out here in the woods at night?

Raine · June 11, 2014

“Where the hell is it?” Mei muttered to himself as he rifled through his belongings on in the caravan wagon. Mei was breathing heavily as he noted the position of his comrades gathering around a fire. He was out of drink, he should be fine but it was not an ideal position for him to be in. In truth, he had required less since joining with Lady Ann and her travelling band of merry compatriots. Mei slide to the ground with his back to the wagon in resignation. How did he end up here? Damn woman, he thought. It was her leadership that made him keep getting up every morning but he didn’t have to like it. Mei had managed to earn his keep around the caravan without too much outward interaction striking up high selling and low buying prices with his particular talents so he didn’t feel like dead weight.

Mumei got to his feet and brushed the dirt off his clothes. He recognized he was just cranky, Lady Ann was a good person that’s the reason he came in the first place. He remembers their interaction in that backwater trade town. Mumei placed his hand near his heart, “You would have liked her too,” he whispered. Mumei put on a straight face; he had to accessible to his colleagues.

Mumei turned from the wagon so the others could see him; he noticed that Ann was playfully quarreling with Markis about the food. He approached the fire and grabbed a free bowl before offering it to Markis who was serving over the fire, “Please?” Mei put on his pleasant smile. Markis and Mumei had an unsaid rule; they both had no strong feelings toward each other so they went along as being mutually pleasant. Markis filled the bowl and he went on his way.

It was still hard for him to eat on a regular basis, though he was adapting by forcing himself. He was making a sour expression again. Not here, he thought and corrected his content grin. Mumei noticed Yuumei get his own dinner. Yuumei was an interesting character; out of everyone here he was his second favorite. Mumei didn’t have much motivation for anything unnecessary let alone getting much interaction with his fellow associates but he enjoyed his personality. He was socially frail and fun to watch, ‘he’s such a kid’, Mumei reminded himself and let out a single chuckle. While on the topic, he scanned the camp.

‘Azab? Mumei was still underwhelmed by the idea of him being the muscle of the group. Apparently he was an explorer according to those in the camp who could actually understand the barbarian. Still, he had good ethic and that primeval projectile weapon of his has been trustworthy. Mumei just didn’t like the idea of someone he couldn’t communicate effectively with, it just plays to his own weaknesses. His actions too didn’t settle well with his own conservative mindset. Regardless, he was reliable. Mumei recognized long ago he didn’t need much else from him and didn’t waste faking enthusiasm or other persona around him solely in most circumstances. He fears however this caused ‘Azab to have a dark impression of himself, not that he could ask if he did.

Mumei’s eyes shot to his right as he poured more mediocre soup down his throat. Alicia was grabbed her own bowl from Markis. Alicia was the only person in the caravan Mumei had any initial trouble accepting. He knew her type well enough, and he wasn’t pleased about it. It takes a liar to know another liar. He had no reason to trust her nor did he have a need to. Mumei had resigned to just avoid unnecessary contact with her to avoid any unwanted emotions.

Mumei’s thoughts were broken by animal from the woods. Wolves he thought before being confirmed by a shout from behind him. He jumped from his seat and spun to face. A girl? “Damn it, a kid?” Mumei said instinctively. He had a weakness for children, he imagined what would hap-, no he couldn’t bear the thought. Yuumei was stuttering behind him, Mumei’s eyes widened. “Yuumei!” he shouted while bracing himself, “Stay behind ‘Azab.” He couldn’t wait for Ann if there was actually approaching wolves. Mumei sprinted off towards the girl knocking over his bowl. He kneeled down a few yards in front of the frightened girl and offered his hand, her white hair and terrified face apparent to him. “Come now, we’re friendly. You’ll be safe.” He knew ‘Azab’s personality well enough that he was behind him covering the perimeter with his weapon. He had to get this girl to Lady Ann where they could protect her easier before the wolves begin assaulting.

Aix · June 11, 2014

Everything just happened at once. She found herself in the forest, in a tree, and she suddenly lost her balance and fell from its branches. Groaning with pain, she picked herself up from the bush she fell onto and brushed herself off. An uneasy expression crossed her doll-like face. It was dark, it was cold, and the next thing she heard was a low, threatening growl.

She spun towards the source, and fear stabbed into her heart when she chanced upon those monstrous yellow eyes. Her legs turned to jelly and she started to tremble without stop. Her mind went blank; there was nothing, nothing except the massive black form that towered from a few meters away. It growled again at her, and snarled, almost seeming to speak, but Claire was frozen with terror. Then, the beast reared its head to the sky and let loose a resounding howl. It felt like her eardrums had been torn asunder, but she was jolted into action. Without further hesitation she had turned and ran. Her legs felt weak, still shaking heavily and ready to give way beneath her at any moment. She was unused to exertion, but here she ran for her life.

A sleek silver shape appeared to her right. And another. They were yet passive, waiting for the rest of their pack, but their growls threatened her with images of her impending doom. There. She saw a light ahead, the flicker of flames through the trees and slightly to her left. Fate would not abandon her yet, and she broke through the tree line into the clearing where she was greeted by a small camp.

"Wolves!" she had cried.

There were six of them around a campfire, but Claire's attention was drawn as one of them came close and extended a hand to her. The gentleness of his approach distracted her for a moment, and she managed to calm herself a bit. Her heart continued to pound in her delicate ribcage, but she was able to say more than one-syllable words. "There's a big one, a huge one in the back. A daemon," she told the man as he lead her back.

"A dire wolf, we know." Claire turned to face an imposing auburn-haired woman who treated her with a comforting smile. "Stay close to the fire," she said. "Wolves are afraid of flames."

Claire nodded sagely, and did as she was told. These people would know what they were doing. That was the expectation that she always had. When she was sad, he would have always come to comfort her, as well as the priests and nuns that tended to her well-being. They were always there for her and made her feel secure. Now she was lost, without a clue in the world where she was, but she had already found a new group of people who were ready to defend her. A small and tender smile managed to creep its way onto her face.

Lady Ann, on the hand, was not so sure of their situation. A dire wolf attack would always result in a few deaths, if not the doom of them all. The flames close by dulled her visibility of what lay farther out, but she knew the wolves were there, circling their camp, and waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Undoubtedly, they would attack when the dire wolf came. "Markis, pass everyone a torch from the wagon," she said, and the diminutive man scrambled into action. There were no complaints from him this time. Wolves did not habitually attack camps, they tended to avoid humans unless provoked, but the dire wolf was driving them forth. If anything, they would keep attacking until the dire wolf was taken care of. Narrowing her eyes, she took a torch from Markis and pulled out her dirk.

The dire wolf she did not need her eyes to see. She felt his presence right there. He had joined the line of wolves outside the perimeter of the camp and Lady Ann braced herself. "Get ready, they are going to attack."

No sooner than said, several wolves leapt out, and Claire screeched, almost stepping back into the fire. Lady Ann, however, met the wolves head on. She struck one wolf with her torch as it leapt for her, and using her other hand, she drove the blade of her dirk into the beast's throat. The other wolves became wary with the death of their comrade, and Lady Ann thrust her torch out towards them, forcing them back.

"Kill them, you fools."

The guttural voice, which only Lady Ann could understand, came from the forest. The dire wolf had not stepped forth yet, and Lady Ann narrowed her eyes again as she pondered why. Finding no conclusions that would come to mind, she called out to Yuumei. "Tell Azab to shoot the dire wolf first. I think it intends to just sit back and allow the wolves to do its dirty work. Killing it will make the rest of the wolves go away."

Makο · June 13, 2014

Of course, Yuumei relayed instructions with "relative" haste and effectiveness, if only because it was Boss Lady who asked him too. 'Azab shifted firing positions, angling himself slightly more westward to the outcropping he was currently on. Maybe... 12 meters away, concealed by the shadow of night, stood a large beast of war, skulking red eyes piercing all that gaze upon it.

He was slightly taken aback by the appearance of this boss monster; all other wolf packs he had faced were no more than groups of timber wolves scavenging for whatever they could find. However, they had no actual leader, let alone one that was... probably giving them orders. The attacking wolves seemed far more organized than usual, though still disorderly in the wolf sort of way. He wondered on whether these wolves had an actual objective or not. After all, it'd take some seriously brave wolves to attack a camp with a fire pit, something they normally steer clear of.

Taking aim for the Dire Wolf, he secured the combustion cap and locked in the steel barb. Two paces to the left, a nudge down, square into its forehead. At least, probably the forehead. Aiming somewhere between two glowing red eyes will probably get you somewhere. Deep, calm breaths. Time seems to slow, your focus intensifies. You got one shot, and it takes several seconds to load another. Several seconds in which your entire band could be killed.

No pressure.

With a loud crash and a bright flash, a swift pull of the trigger launched the steel barb into the dark at an incredible speed.

A thud, and a loud yelp. A hit.

But there was a yelp. Non-lethal. He instantly began to load another cap.

...Shit...

Raine · June 15, 2014

Mumei clenched his fist around the base of the torch tight enough to begin hurting his hand. She wanted him to fend for himself in this. Cursed woman, she has no regard for others! He stood near the camp fire, grasping his weapon of fire. Mumei bit his lip, torches and tools of man will fend off these simple wolves but not a damned dire wolf. He didn’t have the will to fight this kind of fate, his grip of his torch weakened as he heard the growls of the approaching creatures.

Bang! ‘Azab attack struck in the distance, the sound knocked Mumei back into the fray. He quickly reexamined his surroundings, the wolves were now clearly visible and encircling the fire. “Figures we wouldn’t be so lucky that they’d just leave,” he said to himself as he backup closer to the main flame of the camp. His eyes quickly picked out Claire and Yuumei, the only ones of the camp he figured needed to be protected. If the gods are real, I pray they forgive the wolf that gets too close to Lady Ann. “Yuumei, new girl!” Mumei instinctively moved adjacent to Claire, “You two need to stay behind someone!”

Mumei had no chance if he was attacked by a wolf, but he didn’t care so long as he could divert their attention from the younger members. He couldn’t help but smile at his own stupidity in that fact. His only actions were to swat at the wolves with the fire and attempt to scare them off long enough for the others to fight. All his administrative and social knowledge and his life came down to hungry animals and possessed dog, fantastic, he said to himself ironically.

An idea rushed past Mumei’s head. “Markis, where are you?” he swiveled his head to keep an eye on the wolves and look for his comrade. The lighting was hard in the dead of night with the only visibility being the dim red-orange glow from multiple fires centered on the camp. “Markis, did you waste all the cooking oil!? Give me what we have!,” he called out. “We might just be able to fend off a dire wolf temporarily with a big enough fire…” he said grinning.

Maeriberii Haan · June 15, 2014

"...This could prove to be a quite dire situation indeed."

Wolves were bad news. Though not as bad as bears or a group of dire wolves, they're very formidable while in packs, Alicia soon realized that trying to be a heroine in this time would be a very idiotic thing to do, and decided to just stay with the group, using her torch and rapier to attack the incoming wolves. Though, at least it seemed like Lady Ann was able to defend herself convincingly, with her graceful, elegant moves...Alicia's thought trailed for a second, but the howls from the attacking wolves snapped her from it.

A dire wolf was around, yes. Alicia noticed that 'Azab tried to aim for it first, though it seemed as if his assault didn't left much more than a scratch on the formidable beast. Before she could comment or react to that, she overheard about Muumei's plan to use the leftover cooking oil to ignite a big enough fire to temporarily scare off the dire wolf.

"....Don't use too much of the oil. We don't want to run out of them now, and we definitely do not want to be cooked alive. in the middle of this forest."

Alicia said flatly. The cooked alive part was definitely an exaggeration, but she was indeed concerned about the possibility that they would run out of cooking oil before being close enough to a town or village. Hunting could've solved that, but eh. Also, the possibility of forest fire was another concern of hers. And not to mention just fending off the dire wolf would mean that-

"Ugh, no time to be a worrywart.

Muumei, tell me more about your plan."

She wasn't really sure that 'Azab would be able to finish off or significantly wound the dire wolf fast enough, and pretty much she was too tired to think for an alternative. Or to think straight about anything else, really.

But eh, as long as she could live for another day.

Astolfo · June 16, 2014

Breathing unevenly, Yuumei's heart felt like it was going to burst. When several wolves leapt out, he cowered, and whispered a silent thanks to Lady Ann, who drove them off. Although the situation was bad, he felt much safer with Lady Ann. The Dire Wolf's command moments later however, struck a spear of ice through his heart. When Lady Ann commanded him to tell 'Azab to fire at the dire wolf, his shock delayed his moment of understanding. [font=lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif][color=#ffcc00]"H-huh? Ah, yes!"[/color][/font] Stumbling over his own tongue, he quickly stuttered out the command. As 'Azab loaded and prepared his cannon weapon, Yuumei prayed it would successfully kill or otherwise drive off the wolves. When he heard the yelp, he cheered inside slightly, but it turned sour when he realized that meant the Dire Wolf was still alive.
Everyone was moving quickly, trying to figure out what to do, and when the tired looking guy from before yelled at him to stay behind someone, he ran over to Lady Ann, almost tripping over his own feet. He was close enough to hear the idea about the cooking oil however, and despite the fear ruining his calm thinking capabilities, he tried to predict all the possible results and paths, depending on how it was carried out. He hated himself for being so weak, and he wanted to be able to help out at least in some small way. Looking around for any other possible ideas or tools around, he spoke up, his throat tight. [i][font=lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif][color=#ffcc00]Fire possible? Check. Wood? Check. Torches and something to spread the fire? Check…? But what to shoot it up or get it high enough to be easily visible? Gun….[/color][/font][/i] Looking around, he spotted Azab's gun. While it was the only one real weapon, he had somewhat of an idea. [font=lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif][color=#ffcc00]"H-h-hello!"[/color][/font] Calling out to 'Azab in his own language, he spoke. [font=lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif][color=#ffcc00]"'Azab! I know it's risky, but I have an idea! If we use your combustible caps with your cannon stick, and maybe some of the oil or something to create a flare of sorts, could we make a signal, to see if anyone else can come help us?"[/color][/font] Quickly conveying the idea to the rest of the group in the common tongue, he wondered if his idea would work, and hoped someone could maybe come help them, but he also knew the risks, and it made him afraid. What if they listened to his idea, and it failed, and it got someone injured, or even worse, killed? Shivering, his knees felt like they had turned to jelly, and he collapsed into a somewhat distorted sitting posture, breathing heavily.

Aix · June 18, 2014

"Oil? My supply is rather expensive... I..." Markis was at a loss. "E-Everyone knows that you fight daemons with cold steel... huh..." Of course, he wasn't willing to suggest that. For sure, he wasn't going to charge into the woods at the dire wolf. There was another bang and a yelp that made him leap. 'Azab had landed another hit on the beast. Angered, the beast let out a loud roar, urging the wolves forwards again. In the ensuing skirmish, Lady Ann herself was able to kill another wolf, and drive the rest back with Alicia and her rapier skills at her side. 'Azab's Ballistic Rail sounded again, but this time it struck a tree and went out with a spark. Lady Ann remembered that it had recently rained and the fire wasn't going to catch in these still-wet conditions.

"A fire's not happening, it just rained," spoke Lady Ann creasing her eyebrows. They were running out of options. But then she brightened up. The missed shot seemed to have cowed the dire wolf.

Iron was truly something that could be deadly to the daemonkind, it scalded them on touch and poisoned their very being. Lady Ann realized that she had underestimated the power of such a weapon as she felt the dire wolf back off while it considered its options. She would assume it would not be able to merely sit back, the current venture would become a trial of time between when that loud, projectile weapon struck home enough times and when the wolves manage to overrun the group. Wolves, however, were not cowards, and prideful creatures to boot. It would not hold the respect of the mundane wolf pack if it simply stood back and let others do the hunting.

It wasn't long before Claire realized that indeed their situation was dire. From the reactions of those around her, they were ill-prepared to face such a monster. "We just need to cast a Large Barrier spell..." stuttered Claire rather meekly, but no one really paid her any heed. Now that she looked at it, none of the group seemed to be using magic. That strange and loud weapon, however, did seem effective, but there was little else at their disposal.

The boy beside her who was speaking Lael to the desert dweller collapsed to the ground, and woke her up from her stunned reverie. Her first instinct lead her to help and she kneeled down before him. "Are you okay?" she asked tentatively. She proceeded to place both hands on his shoulders. He was shaking terribly, she could feel it, and, immediately, she pulled him into a hug. What was she doing? She had no clue how to act in such situations, but it was always her first job as a priestess to bring peace to others.

"It's coming!" cried Lady Ann. She ran forth and held her dirk and torch in a stance, ready to meet it head on. Not a second later, it broke out of the trees. A loud bang immediately followed and the creature's eye exploded, knocking the beast a bit off course, but it headed on roaring with frenzy, the wolves following behind.

Lady Ann jabbed her dirk forward for its remaining eye, and sidestepping the wolf's maw. The blade drew a long gash across the side of its face, but had little effect elsewise, and Lady Ann was then knocked into the air as the rest of the wolf's bulk hit her, sending her a few meters back. It's objective was not her however. Rather, it was headed for the two young ones by the fire.

Claire had turned at Lady Ann's call to face the commotion, and she was frozen in fear as the world seemed to pass in slow motion. As the dire wolf's slobbering fangs came headed straight for her, she screamed out. The world turned black as she promptly fainted.

Contrarily for everyone else there was a flash of light as the beast caught fire, brilliant azure flames blazing with incredible intensity, but then it all disappeared, faded away, not even leaving ashes behind. Lady Ann got up, dumbfounded, before then doubling over in pain.

Raine · June 19, 2014

Just as the others seemed on board with his plan, Ann struck him down. Sure, it wasn’t the was the most brilliant of ideas but it was worth giving half a damn about without an alternative. Yuumei was running away with his strategy, nice as it was, he didn’t quick put that level of thought into it considering the situation. Mumei swiped his fire in the direction of the wolves again before tilting his head towards Alicia, “Sorry, Princess, Boss says no”.

Mumei’s adrenaline from earlier was fading quickly now, he didn’t have the strength or will to keep up with his more lively members if this kept up. The hopelessness and despair were already creeping into this thoughts. He really wasn’t cut out for survival in the wilderness; he would’ve been these same wolves dinner nights ago were he alone. Mumei took several deep breaths and kept his vision clear. Not now, he thought. Now, I have others, that’s more important than my self-loathing. “Move,” he whispered, “Move, you pathetic man!” Mumei knocked himself out of his stun and started strafing with his torch to Alicia.

He tapped Alicia’s shoulder hastily, “You’re responsible for Yuumei.” He didn’t wait for a reply before moving again. He didn’t have time for a witty, half-cocked rebuttal. She’d have to do it with Lady Ann present. He quickly made his way to be beside the new girl, Claire. He took up a defensive stance. "We just need to cast a Large Barrier spell..." said Claire to his left.

Mumei froze and turned, “Barrier spell?” Mumei’s process that information for a second. He chuckled and turned his head away, “Albino hair’s a witch… go figure.”

Mumei’s attention was instantly drawn to Lady Ann battling the feral beast. She’s going for a killing strike? That idiot! He was too far away but that was irrelevant as she was soon blasted away by the sheer strength of the creature. No! He had focused on Ann for too long, the wolf was now blazing towards Claire and Yuumei closer to the fire. He didn’t have any defense. Mumei slide to place himself between them and the beast. Suddenly, a blinding light blocked his vision. Mumei landed poorly on his shoulder and picked himself up slowly.

It was gone. No, not gone but... eradicated. That could only be magic, normal people can’t do something like that. The dots connected in Mumei’s head. He slowly focused on Claire with stunned eyes, “…no shit…”

Astolfo · June 21, 2014

His breathing ragged, Yuumei looked like a rag doll, and his vision was going hazy when someone suddenly embraced him warmly. Trying to force his eyelids opened, it registered somewhere in the back of his mind it was the girl from before. Weakly, he reached out and put a hand on her face, trying to keep himself attached to reality, so he wouldn't lose himself. In the following chaos which ensued, the idea that he would die didn't make him feel scared, surprisingly. If he could think about it, it would be closer to regret, that the girl with him would die. The one who had helped him, and kept him close. When she screamed out and collapsed, he wondered if this would be the end, with a disembodied feeling, like he was looking through a tunnel at himself with the others. The moment the scorchingly hot fire erupted, the blast of heat took out Yuumei, and he slumped over, his body falling over Claire protectively, before he lost consciousness entirely.

Aix · June 21, 2014

Pain stabbed through her chest, lifting a hand to her chest, she realized that she was quite badly hurt from the impact. Mostly likely, she had fractured or broken some of her ribs. She lifted herself up again, clenching her teeth at the pain. "Markis, brew me some herbal tea," she managed to croak as she propped herself down onto a log. The diminutive old man, who had hobbled over to see if she was alright, quickly scrambled back to the wagon and pulled out a small wooden box where their basic medicinal herbs and supplies were kept. Taking a few that had painkilling properties, he put them into a small pot and hung it over the fire.

While the tea brewed, Lady Ann looked over to Alicia and Mumei who looked tired, but still able. "Those two are probably just out from shock," said Lady Ann, nodding towards the two unconscious children. "If you could lay them into bedrolls, that would be enough. I believe I have a spare in my wagon." She coughed and cringed at the pain that racked her chest. "We'll need to be up early tomorrow. Get some rest and we'll figure out what happened on the road tomorrow."

"Ah, thank you," she said as Markis handed her a small bowl of tea. She blew it and drank slowly. "Where's 'Azab?" she asked. Looking around, it seemed the desert dweller had wandered off again, perhaps to scout the area, after the wolves ran off. Hopefully, he'd come back soon. Though, if anything, he could sleep in the wagon the next day. "I don't think I'll be able to sleep yet with this pain, so I'll take first watch. After me shall be Alicia, then Mumei, then Markis... and I suppose that'll be all for tonight."

Maeriberii Haan · June 22, 2014

“…Well, isn’t this interesting?”

Alicia made a quick recap on what had happened. First, Muumei’s idea was rejected by Lady Ann’s amazing common sense, and then immediately afterwards, the white-haired little girl seemed to do…something that drove the wolves away. It wasn’t really clear, and Alicia didn’t actually pay much attention to it, since she noticed Lady Ann was hurt when she tried to fight the dire wolf valiantly. She immediately ran off to Lady Ann’s side, worried about her well-being.

Thankfully, one glance to her ~~glorious chest~~ uh, she mean, the place where Lady Ann was hurt, assured Alicia that the injury was not severe, hopefully. She remember reading about that (and about first aid for several occasions) several years ago, but lack of opportunity to practice that made her forget about most of it. So hopefully, her wild guess was right. And it seemed like it, as Lady Ann started to talk to her and Muumei, despite looking really burdened by the pain she felt.

"Those two are probably just out from shock,"

"If you could lay them into bedrolls, that would be enough. I believe I have a spare in my wagon."

"We'll need to be up early tomorrow. Get some rest and we'll figure out what happened on the road tomorrow."

"I don't think I'll be able to sleep yet with this pain, so I'll take first watch. After me shall be Alicia, then Mumei, then Markis... and I suppose that'll be all for tonight."

“As you wish, milady.”

Alicia considered offering herself to stay up alongside Lady Ann during her shift, but from what she had seen; Lady Ann won’t really appreciate that. And besides, she was completely drained. It won’t be good for her image if she suddenly collapsed tomorrow in the middle of the road.

After helping with laying the two young ones to the bedrolls, she picked her own, and placed it near the kids. Staring over the unconscious boy(?) and girl, Alicia noticed that the two was far cuter when they’re unconscious compared to when they're awake.

A wide grin formed on her face. She didn’t realize that it looked stupid on her, but thankfully it seemed like no one saw her doing that.

Raine · June 23, 2014

Mumei listened calmly to Lady Ann’s voice as she took reprieve and safety was finally felt in the camp. Mumei didn’t react to her words only saying, “It’s as you say.”

Mumei took short notice of the two children taking their rest as he stood by the fire. The heat was radiating and was beginning to make him sweat. Alicia had laid out their beds moment earlier. Mumei was breathing deeply. “I need to take a piss,” he said softly as he turned to the trees behind the wagon, away from the fire.

As soon as he was out of direct sight of the others, Mumei stopped. His palm fell on bark of the tree adjacent him and his breathing hastened as he tried to catch his breath. His heart rate hadn’t fallen, Mumei was panicking. “I can’t worry anyone,” he whispered desperately. He collapsed desperately with his back to the tree pressing his hand to his chest. He wasn’t prepared to fight emotionally and now it’s costing him. Calm down, he repeated to himself in his head.

His head was drowning in in a mixture of instinctive survival reminiscent from the attack and same memories that drive him mad. Alicia, Lady Ann, Yuumei, ‘Azab, Markis, the girl; I don’t have the right to worry them, he thought. Calm down, he repeated again. He tried his usual strategies of remembering his happier memories and finding peace in them but it only took the edge off. His heart rate was still fast and he couldn’t think clearly. How I can go back to the camp-. Mumei’s eyes narrowed as he let out a gasp, then a light laugh. He knew how to deal with every scenario. He finally calmed himself and confessed to the nighttime air, “lie”.

Mumei strolled back into the camp with a content smile. Lady Ann was on guard watching over the others as they tried to sleep. Every looked peaceful in sleep despite the intensity they just faced. Mumei catch Lady Ann’s attention as he came back into view. He grinned and gave a thumbs up as a gesture of approval for her actions. He found his way swiftly to his bedroll. Mumei began drifting to sleep as he stared up to the starry sky. He was going to leave this caravan in the next town. He had decided.

Makο · June 24, 2014

Slinging a wolf over his shoulder, he realized–with a bit of disgust–that it was bleeding all over his overcoat. Brain giblets and little pieces of skull bounced to the ground, leaving him to shudder at the sight. Still, wolf pelt catches a fair price, and it's often said that wolves following a Dire will grow fuller and softer coats. Even if this rumor isn't true, it can still be used to snag a higher price, assuming the band doesn't use it in some way.

Speaking of the band, once the Dire Wolf had been incinerated, off 'Azab went to secure the surrounding area. Wolves are crafty, and when not in the presence of fire, hardly scared of anything. Some might decide to wait just outside camp for everyone to settle down, the pounce. After all, Pa sometimes used to mention how Dire Wolf packs that lose their leader will grow a new one from their ranks, only after achieving a feat of great courage and wolfy honor. And what's better than succeeding in a task in which the previous leader had failed?

Regardless, there happened to be just one of them nearby. And of course, it pounced. Gonna need to get what's left of his undershirt tailored up. And perhaps some medical supplies, to patch up the gaping claw mark on his chest. Does it hurt? Yes, like a thousand whippings back home. But when you win in hand to hand combat with a wolf, your wounds tend to take the backseat to the fact that you just won hand to hand combat with a wolf. In particular, kicking it off your chest into a nearby bush, before scrambling to grab anything to bash it with. It happened to be a rock. Not too large, but large and sharp enough to smash the skull in. Didn't even let out a yelp; almost worthy of pity.

By the center of the camp, he tossed it down before lying down on top of it. Pretty warm, since it's a recent kill, and the fur feels fantastic. Though, perhaps it should be cleaned, as any nearby scavengers might jump at the opportunity.

...Eh, whatever.

Four or so caps down. A rather large loss. Only around 24 or so left. Expensive to make, impossible to find outside of Lael. Though, there's nothing worse than having more caps than barbs. Around 14 barbs, to be precise. Of course, it doesn't take an expert to make barbs; any blacksmith worth his salt in any city would be able to copy the design, for the most part. And iron is on the lesser end of the price range as well.

He looked around at his nearby companions. All of them worn out, some completely out cold, a couple injured.

Injured...

He gazed down at his own wounds, still seeping a red syrup through his tattered clothing. Adrenaline and his intense pride began to subside, as sheer pain took its place.

...Perhaps I should patch myself up.

Aix · June 24, 2014

The night passed uneventfully. Ever present was the chattering of the forest, but Lady Ann had become accustomed to that long ago. It provided an entertaining distraction to the boredom that inevitably ensued with keeping watch, and kept her mind off the pain in her chest. Every now and then, she would sneak a glance at the pearly-haired young girl who now slept soundlessly by the fire pit. Many questions formed in her mind as she gazed upon that innocent-looking face. Where did she come from? How did she end up in the middle of the forest at night? Most important of all, was the question of the blue flames that had appeared when the dire wolf approached to attack them. There was no doubt this young maiden was the cause of that. But how? Was she a mage? Such people were rare in this age, but not non-existent. What was nigh unheard of, however, was such a powerful one. Long ago, the ties between humans and the World of Chaos, the origin of Magic, had been severed. Any links were tentative at best. However, this girl, the flames had incinerated the dire wolf without trace. She had erased its existence and the awesome spectacle had sent the wolves scrambling. The girl was out cold, more unconscious than sleeping. It would seem that such magic had taken its toll on her, but it was extraordinary nonetheless. Inhuman even.

She could confirm, however, that this girl was human. There was no hint of daemonic influence upon her, no otherworldly presence that would suggest otherwise. Shrugging away her thoughts, she glanced at the moon to find that her watch was over. Slowly getting up, wincing slightly at the pain from suddenly moving, she walked over and woke Alicia up, before quietly heading over to where Markis had lain out her own bedroll went to sleep.

The next morning was one full of cheer and sunshine, they woke to the sound of birdsong and small forest animals scurrying about. "Bright mornings, bright omens. 'Tis a bright day to do business," declared Lady Ann, as she puffed her chest out in a stance to greet the new day. She regretted it a moment later as she felt the recoil hit her broken ribs. Not letting this get to her, she roused everyone up, and quickly directed everyone to the wagons. There were three, each pulled by a single horse each. Lady Ann and Markis each drove one, and the driver of the last varied. Whoever felt up for it was allowed to drive it, after all, it wasn't difficult.

Finally recalling the occurrences of the previous night, Lady glanced over to the white-haired girl, still curled up in a bedroll. She was a rather deep sleeper it seemed, but she was indeed actually asleep now rather than out cold like when Lady Ann last saw her. Sighing, Lady Ann walked over and gently shook her shoulder.

"Ahh..." the girl moaned sleepily. She turned over and promptly continued to slumber. Lady Ann creased her eyebrows in an amused manner, and shook the girl again. "Five more..." the girl began to speak before suddenly blinking her eyes awake. She sat up and stared at Lady Ann, rather unsure of herself. A few moments later, she opened her mouth again. "Where am I?"

Claire had woken to a cast of unfamiliar faces in an unfamiliar place. She was in some sort of forest, but not in the forests of her homeland. The local wildflowers here were violets and Claire racked her head to think of which country in Fiore it was which this flower grew most prominently. "Irya...?" Yes, that was the country. She still felt woozy from sleep, but her brain was still working.

"You're in the Forest of Saint Waltis." Claire, again, stared at the woman crouched before her. She had heterochromia, Claire noted as the woman stared back, her eyes were of quite unnatural colouring - one a very vibrant green and the other was eerie and yellow. It was slightly unsettling, and Claire felt that the woman rather resembled an elf, but she certainly seemed human enough. Besides, her ears weren't really pointy. However, now was not the time to be remarking upon the pointedness of people's ears. The Forest of Saint Waltis, the woman had said. Claire didn't actually have the entire map of Fiore memorized, but she was sure she hadn't heard of a Saint Waltis before. After all, she had lived in a church and monastery all her life, and she had spent hours poring over the Heartland Cathedral's vast historical archives.

"How do I get back to Altria?" asked Claire, giving up on trying to connect the name to a place on the map. It was the woman's turn to look confused.

Altria... Lady Ann gave little care to history, but she was pretty sure that was the name of what was once the de facto capital of the world, the sacred Kingdom of Altria. The entire kingdom was lost as the geography of the world changed during the Cataclysm and many adventurers sought to find the legendary place. Last she had heard, no one is said to have succeeded. However, this girl... this girl was claiming to have come from that august land? Realizing that any further delay would be problemsome, she stood up. "Come on, we'll talk more on the road. We must get going now."

Raine · June 26, 2014

“I broke over again,” Mumei stated as he took out his frustration by chewing a toothpick. He sat in the shade of the wagon under Alicia’s care surrounded by multiple decks of playing cards all lined up neatly and shuffled. Mumei didn’t have many responsibilities on the road so he tended to waste his time on honing his skills. He had a practiced skill of card counting which worked well enough for taverns however it’s a talent that becomes easier to use the more one does it.

Mumei had a solemn moment as he remembered his decision from the night before. He did indeed intended to leave this company of merry fellows. Mumei thought about it as he drifted to sleep the night before. He would pull this last job for Ann as he negotiator. He would hold off on telling the group until the last moment, he didn’t intend to cause any drama. He had made enough earnings so far to purchase a room and eventually some hired transport to somewhere more urban. He couldn’t fight monsters and direwolves in the backwoods of some penniless zealot country to save albino children. He didn’t have that in him, not since a long time. The group wouldn’t need him anyways; Lady Ann can do his job easily and probably with better success. Is being here what ‘she’ would have wanted for me… “Yeah, this is a good decision,” he whispered to himself with a somber grin.

The wagon in front of him caught his eye. Mumei propped himself up in the opening to he was beside Alicia. Lady Ann could be seen in the forward cart with Claire. Whatever they were talking about, it had Lady Ann’s ear. That in itself is a feat. He remembered the night before and the magic fire. Mumei realized he may not know much but that kind of magic is not a thing to be trifled with. However, he didn’t want to bother setting himself up for any involvement that might interfere with his plans but curiosity is the deadliest of poisons.

“Hey, Princess,” Mumei called to Alicia as he collected and shuffled his cards back into their holder, “What’s with Lady Ann? Got an idea why she’s taken an interest in our hitchhiker?” She does have a habit of keeping unusual company but her actions were never random.

Maeriberii Haan · June 27, 2014

“Hey, Princess,”

"....What?"

Princess, huh? Not a bad title. Or might it be a stealth insult?

Probably. Who cares.

“What’s with Lady Ann? Got an idea why she’s taken an interest in our hitchhiker?”

"Well, first of all, she's a cute little girl. Can't go wrong with that.

Second, did you see what happened last night? Seems like this girl is able to use magic. The real thing.

That alone is quite intriguing.

Depending on her circumstances, she could be very useful here."

Ah, right. That girl.

She's cute, Alicia admitted that. But the amount of attention she gained from Lady Ann, that made her jealous.

Mage or not, Alicia didn't care.

If she stood in her way, then....

"Ooops!"

While thinking about the girl, Alicia failed to pay enough attention for the wagon, and it almost went way offroad.

Thankfully she managed to regain control, so nothing too serious in the end happened.

"Sorry, sorry! Probably still somewhat tired, and my concentration breaks for a second there.

Once again, sorry!"

The apology was only words, she didn't actually feel any remorse or guilt. It was just said to make her look polite.

Astolfo · June 29, 2014

The morning came, and with it, Yuumei's tiredness melted away - although he'd prefer sleeping more. As the sun shined through into the carriage, he yawned, stretching his arms out. Looking around, it seemed everyone else was already awake. Noticing Claire over by Lady Ann, he moved over to join the two of them, calling out. [font=lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif][color=#ffcc00]"Yahello~"[/color][/font] Looking over to Claire, it seemed she was fine, so he sighed in relief before pausing half-sigh. [font=lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif][color=#ffcc00][i]H-huh? Why did I sigh in relief?[/i][/color][/font] At that very thought, the memories of last night came back to him. Tapping Claire on the shoulder gently, he looked at her. [font=lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif][color=#ffcc00]"Are you sure you d-didn't overexert yourself? Sorry about touching you and getting on top of you last night when you were unconscious, was I too rough?"[/color][/font] Unaware of the innuendo-esque interpretability of what he just said, he just peered over to Claire innocently.

Raine · June 30, 2014

Mumei gave Alicia a sour glance as she put the wagon back onto the road. Mumei wasn’t entirely convinced he understood what went on inside of Alicia’s head but he knew he didn’t like it. She did raise a valid point however. When Mumei was from magic was so rare it was the stuff of fairy tales and storybooks or the rumors spread by old housewives. It wasn’t until he was exposed to the urban sprawls that he had the rare opportunity to see magic, however, it was never on the caliber he saw last night. Claire? He spun her name in his head, it had the taste of ill omen to him.

“Don’t worry about it,” Mumei didn’t quite relish the idea of spending the rest of the trip next to her so he spun his body over the seat so he was next to Alicia and stood up. The wooded region was clearing, on the horizon he could make out the faint shapes of man-made building. “Oh,” he said involuntarily, “I guess we’re closer than we thought.”

Mumei whistled loud enough for the next wagon to hear him. “Is that our destination!?” Mumei called out pointing in the direction of the town.

Aix · July 2, 2014

Claire tilted her head unsure of what the boy meant. Touching? Rough? All she remembered was the wolf coming and... she creased her eyebrows as she tried to recall what happened after that. The boy sure spoke strangely, and it wasn't just his accent.

"Come on, now. You aren't going to just stay here, are you?" said Lady Ann without even looking back.

"Ah!" Jolted into motion, Claire got up and hurried over while Markis, sighing, gathered her bedroll. Soon, they were on the road and Claire found herself sitting squeezed amongst the various goods in Lady Ann's wagon.

"Are you comfortable?" asked Lady Ann, and, despite wearing a comical frown that showed she most certainly wasn't, Claire nodded at her. Still rather lost at everything that had happened, she was quite nervous and afraid to be a bother to anyone. "Feel free to move any of the stuff around... just be careful with that," said Lady Ann, smiling to herself at the young girl's expression, but Claire sat quite still like a frightened animal.

It was a while before Lady Ann decided to speak again. She felt the girl's tension and hoped that she would relax a bit before her inquisition began. May was the season for flowers all around Fiore, and the fields were in full bloom. To the rhythmic rocking of the wagon over rustic country roads, Lady Ann relaxed herself while enjoying the relief of the breeze against the already warm weather. Patches of purple sprawled across the grass while a few sparks of other colours were dispersed in between. Violets may dominate the fields of Irodel, but the flora in Fiore was diverse and multifold. "So, where are you from?" asked Lady Ann casually, although the girl had already given hint of her origins. The older woman's eyes stayed on the road in front of her and it was a good moment before Claire realized she was being spoken to.

"Ah... I'm..." She thought about it for a moment, seeming rather suspicious now of strangers after she had collected herself. "Altria. The Heartland," she spoke finally.

"Al--" Lady Ann stopped herself. Again, the girl didn't seem to be joking... but Altria... "So why are you all the way here in Irodel?"

The girl was silent. As the seconds passed when Lady Ann was about to ask another question, the girl replied. "I... I don't know."

Now this was strange. Of course, it was strange enough that this girl had appeared at their camp in the lateness of the evening and claim that she was from Altria, but it seemed there was an interesting tale behind all of this. Lady Ann curled a corner of her mouth in a wry expression as she realized her own stories could be just as strange. It had been a while since she had really gone into the world of the strange and wonderful. "I see," said Lady Ann deciding to drop it. She could already see the town coming into view and she would need to focus her mind on setting up shop.

“Is that our destination!?” Mumei called out from the wagon in the back. Lady Ann replied in the affirmative as the town gates rolled into view.

Astolfo · July 5, 2014

Yuumei's eyes sparkled with excitement as the town gates ever closer. When they turned the last curve, there Judal stood in its grand beauty, massive, majestic. [font='lucida sans unicode']"So this is Judal! The castle is incredible, it's huge!"[/font] Nearly falling out of the side of the carriage with excitement, he just barely held himself in. As the group was admitted through the gates, Yuumei took in everything he saw, starting to make a mental map of the town. "Mumei, Markis, get ready to set up the shop, I'll join you two in a minute. Alicia, help out, will you?” Lady Ann’s voice struck out orders quickly. Turning to look over her shoulder at Claire and Yuumei, she spoke. “Claire, I know you’re excited to look around, but you’re a young girl, so be careful, alright? Actually, just stay with Yuumei, I think he’ll be able to take care of you.” Lady Ann and the others left to start setting up the shop, leaving the two behind to explore the town.

Claire turned towards Yuumei. “Yuu… mei?” Enunciating his name carefully, she looked at Yuumei to see if it was right. Realizing he hadn’t introduced himself or the name of the town yet, he took the initiative. [font='lucida sans unicode']“Claire, my name’s Yuumei, I-I’ll be taking care of you until whenever you want to come back and join the rest of the group, and this town’s name is Judal.”[/font] He wasn’t quite sure why, but he felt weird, being with Claire alone, it was both pleasant and unpleasant, and although it was strange, he felt nervous and calm at the same time. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he held his hand out for Claire to follow him. After a moment, Claire took his hand, and they left the carriage to explore the town.

~~~

As they walked through the town, the two of them started to run, unable to hold their excitement in any longer, looking at every stall and vendor along the way. “Whoa... look at that... and that!” Claire flitted quickly from one marvel to the next, her eyes shining at every new thing she saw. Unable to contain her excitement any longer by just looking, she reached out to take a candied apple from the stall of a very grumpy-looking and muscular merchant. Just as her hand was about to make contact with the wondrous, sugar-coated treat, her wrist was suddenly grabbed in a pincer hold. Looking up, Claire came eye to eye with the man’s squinty, bloodshot eyes. She screamed and tried to jump back, but the man’s hand had clamped onto her like iron manacles. Waving his hand in front of the vendor’s eyes to get the man’s attention, he quickly apologized, bowing in style with his eastern culture. Straightening up again, he looked over to Claire and spoke. [font='lucida sans unicode']“Claire, it costs money if you want to get this.”[/font]

Claire’s head tilted to the side again, she was rather fond of that gesture it seemed. “Money...?” she inquired.

Not sure what Claire was referring to, Yuumei tried to clarify. [font='lucida sans unicode']“You know, coins?”[/font]

Claire put a finger to her lips as she pondered this. Finally, she broke into a smile as if understanding. “I don’t have any!”

Yuumei sighed at this. Looking through a pouch of his to check if he had any money, he took out a gold coin, having no idea of the price. [font='lucida sans unicode']“Is this enough?”[/font] The vendor’s eyes widened and lighted up with greed. Eagerly realizing this opportunity, he nodded. “That’s just enough for a candied apple, you’re in luck!” Taking the gold coin before Yuumei could say another word, he shoved the apple at Claire, who just barely managed to catch it before it hit the ground. Completely ignorant of the fact he was just scammed, Yuumei thanked the man and went on his way with Claire, who eagerly dug into the quite ‘expensive’ snack. [font='lucida sans unicode']“Claire, tell me if you’re going to do something like that, next time. Please. Anyways, are you hurt?”[/font]

Claire paused from her eating and looked at him, then looked to her wrist where the man had left a red ring when he had grabbed her. “I’m okay!” she said brightly, before looking at her apple again. “Thanks for saving me back there!” She looked to him again and flashed him a grateful smile, before turning back to the heavy business of devouring the treat. His face suddenly feeling warm, Yuumei stuttered out a brief reply, knowing she couldn’t hear him. [font='lucida sans unicode']“I-it’s fine, I’m glad you l-like it.”[/font]

It wasn’t long before Claire had almost finished, and began diverting her interest to other things. As they were passing it by, Claire stopped before a strange black tent and Yuumei took a good few steps before realizing that he had left her behind. [font='lucida sans unicode']“Claire…?”[/font]

Oblivious to Yuumei’s concern, she pulled open the flap and ducked inside. Worried, Yuumei quickly backtracked and followed her inside as well.

~~~

The inside was lit by an eerie green flame, and their shadows danced to its flickering. Claire looked outright awestruck at the candle set arranged upon the altar before them, while Yuumei was a little more than anxious at this eldritch setting. An involuntary shiver running down his spine, he whispered into Claire’s ear. [font='lucida sans unicode']“Uh, don’t you think we should lea-”[/font]

“Hello!” A shadow in the corner leaped before them and the duo flinched at the shrouded figure’s sudden debut. “My name is Fumei, and I specialize in dark magic. Ever wanted to put a curse on someone? Revive a lost one? Use the Evil Eye? Then I’m the man… or girlbutthat’snotabigdeal.” The snarky-looking redhead was quick to proclaim her business to the two potential clients that had the audacity to enter her tent. Claire looked at the girl in concern as she was dressed in nothing but a ragged burlap cloak and grimy, equally worn clothing underneath that could be seen through the holes in the brown fabric. Looking at the girl, Yuumei judged her to be around fifteen, she couldn’t be older than sixteen at most, at which a most unpleasant thought interjected into his mind. [font='lucida sans unicode']Unless she used dark magic to change herself.[/font] Shaking his head to rid the thought, he sighed. [font='lucida sans unicode']“This is obviously a scam. No one can do magic let alone dark ma-”[/font] Closing his mouth as he remembered what Claire did just the night before, he felt like things kept getting weirder and weirder.

“Shishishishi!” The girl broke into a weird laugh and looked Yuumei in the eye. “Fumei is no con, little boy. Fumei is the greatest dark magician girl you will ever have the fortune, or misfortune, to meet! Be it summoning daemons or bringing back the dead, Fumei can do it all!” Cackling, she looked at the two. “I’m sure you two would love to buy something, no? Bring back the dead? I haven’t had anyone dare try that one for a while.” [font='lucida sans unicode']“Um, thanks for your offer, but we’re good. Claire, let’s go.”[/font] Taking her hand gently and turning to leave, he was about to open the door flap when the red-haired girl appeared in front of them, blocking their path. “Oh no, please don’t leave yet, you should definitely buy something. Yes, definitely.” There was a desperate-sounding undertone in her words.

“You sound hungry!” Claire exclaimed, surprising the others with her sudden outburst. “Do you want a candy apple too?” Looking at Yuumei with bright eyes sparkling with hope. “Hey, Yuu-chan, can we get her a candy apple too? Please?”

Closing his eyes, he muttered. [font='lucida sans unicode']“You know that’s not fair, Claire.”[/font] But Claire showed no signs of relenting, or even understanding what he meant. Grimacing, and pacing around for a bit, he couldn’t resist it any longer. Giving in, he agreed. [font='lucida sans unicode']“Fumei-san, erm, Fumei, come with us. You’re getting a treat today.”[/font] He had corrected himself as he realized he wasn’t back in the Orient any more, Claire’s surprising use of honorifics throwing him off.

“I don’t--” Fumei stopped as her stomach rumbled.

[font='lucida sans unicode']“I’ll take that as a yes.”[/font] Motioning for the two girls to follow him, he made his way back to the vendor from before. [font='lucida sans unicode']“H-h-hello, I want to get a treat for...”[/font] He considered what to call her when Claire leaped in. “Fumicchi!” Ignoring her, Yuumei continued, opting out of using that extremely familiar nickname that Claire had come up with. [font='lucida sans unicode']“For Fumei here. Do you mind?”[/font] The muscled man took one look at Fumei and sneered, before spitting on the ground. “Why are you treating the orphaned brat? All she does is take up space and scam people.” Although Yuumei didn’t particularly care for Fumei either, he felt this was a bit harsh. [font='lucida sans unicode']“Can we just get an apple please?”[/font] The man’s mood lifting up at the memory of the hefty scam of his own earlier, he nodded quickly. Taking out another gold coin, he tossed it at the man who almost tripped over himself trying to catch it, before leaving with the apple, his mood being somewhat dampened by the vendor’s behavior.

Avoiding Fumei's eyes stubbornly, he held out the apple to her. [font='lucida sans unicode']“Here, it’s yours.”[/font]

"Yay, Fumicchi got an apple, too!" cried Claire as she steered them away from the candied apple stall. She decided the man was rather scary and would ruin the mood between them, oblivious to the fact that Fumei and Yuumei were hardly the best of friends. Peering at Fumei out of the side of his eyes, he noticed she wasn’t eating her apple. [font='lucida sans unicode']“What’s wrong?”[/font]

Looking up, surprised that Yuumei actually talked to her, she replied. “Why’d you let yourself get scammed by Riverra? There’s no way that a candied apple costs a gold coin, and judging from the girl besides you, it seems like you already got scammed before by that stinky old man.”
This time, it was Yuumei’s turn to be confused. [font='lucida sans unicode']“I… got scammed? E-etto, what do you mean? How much should it cost?”[/font]

"Bah, just one Iron Round should've been more than enough for this kind of cheap treat. Doesn’t matter, just steal it back and take a few apples too, that’s what I’ve always done.”

"Ehhh...! You shouldn't steal, Fumicchi!" said Claire, shocked at the very notion of theft.

Fumei glared at her and Claire flinched at this scary side of her newfound friend. "Well no one would buy my services, what do you expect me to do? Just lie down and starve to death? What's a magician to do if she can't make use of her talents?”

Yuumei considered if he should ask if she could actually do magic, but felt like it would probably be a negative, and just further rub it in her face, and decided against it. Looking at the sky as if seeking divine guidance on how to resolve this rift in their conversation, he suddenly realized that he and Claire had been already out on their own for hours. Getting Claire’s attention, he spoke to her quickly. [font='lucida sans unicode']“I think you know, we need to get back now.”[/font] Looking over at Fumei, he was about to say a goodbye, but the words wouldn’t come out of his mouth. Trying to find something that wouldn’t make either of them unhappy, he struggled, eventually coming out with a half-garbled goodbye. [font='lucida sans unicode']“I have to - I mean we have to go Fumei, we’re part of a merchant group. I don’t want to say this as a goodbye, since it feels like we won’t see each other again, but maybe if fate allows, we will see each other again.”[/font]

Even the stoic-seeming Fumei then appeared down at this statement. "Very well, but next time come with a task for me. This ol' wizardess is getting bored just sitting around."

Yuumei nodded to placate her before tugging on Claire again. The two waved to Fumei as they turned back to find the rest of the group they had been with.

"Bye, Fumicchi!" called Claire, though the redhaired girl had already scurried away.

Finding their way after a few mishaps, they both waved to Lady Ann, calling out as they ran over.

~~~

“What were you two doing? You’ve been gone for hours! You haven’t been doing anything… inappropriate, have you?” Lady Ann questioned, albeit jokingly. At this, both Yuumei and Claire cocked their heads. Inappropriate? [font='lucida sans unicode']What’s she talking about?[/font] Realizing she was getting nowhere, she motioned to signify it didn’t really matter. Still curious though, she asked again. “So, what were you two doing?”

The duo thought of everything that happened, from Claire learning what money was, to Fumei, the new friend the two had made, and the deal with the candied apples. As Claire began to relay all the things she had seen that day, Yuumei stopped her. He looked Lady Ann in the eye and simply said, "It's a long story."

Makο · July 5, 2014

A town. Thank lord, a town. A few choice encounters when scouting for the band had eaten his supplies down to a dangerous level. Lost most of his barbs once the pouch tore open; he would've stayed behind to recover them if he wasn't being chased by some small creature with sharp claws. Small it may have been, but the large, fresh claw marks running down his arm deterred his fighting spirit. It was fast and vicious, and 'Azab hoped he would never encounter one again.

One torn pouch that needed stitching. A new sling for his Rail, as it was becoming difficult to carry it around. At least 40 new barbs, and 20 or so new percussion caps. You know, on the off chance they even had them. His pants needed stitching, his shirt was basically in rags... what a mess.

He entered into the city with the rest of the party, holding off on the far right side just to gain entrance. Once he had done so, he was off. Right, and down a few stair steps. Left, and up again. He pushed his way past groups of shoppers, thieves, guards. He almost ran up a wall, up and over the fence at the top of it, darting to the left again. Slowly but surely, as he almost ran through the alleyways, he found the crowds beginning to thin. The area became less... pristine. He surroundings had become a half-slum, of sorts. People appeared less well-to-do, the shiftier became more frequent, guards were less common. This was where he was looking for. It was a long-shot, but if he could only find it...

...there. A brownish-tan tarp, covering the entrance to an alleyway. He slowed down to a trot, stopping completely as he stood before the piece of cloth. Just to the left of this shifty entrance in a run-down alley, he saw a small tablet hanging from the wall. Most living beings in such a city would dismiss them as scribbles, but they were a welcome sight for 'Azab. At almost a crawl, he swept aside the tarp and entered. Extra care was put into making sure to sweep the tarp to the left; he was a mere guest, and a first time entry to boot. He might have left his culture behind, but you can't take the culture out of the man.

The first sight seen upon entering was a man, dressed in traditional craftsman's garbs from the people of Lael; an older gentleman, perhaps in his 50s, with short grey hair and a medium length grey beard. He had stopped his work long before 'Azab walked in, intently staring at the noises and slight panting coming from outside his entrance.He appeared stern as soon as 'Azab had walked in, but his face relaxed just as quick. In a far off land, surrounded by strange people, nothing is more comforting than familiarity, and no matter how torn or ruined the newcomer's garbs were, they were instantly recognizable.

'Azab stopped in his place as soon as he made eye contact with the owner. He placed a curled fist right beneath his neck and bowed deep before the man, who had slowly stood up and faced him.

"I am most humbled to enter your establishment, fine craftsman. I wish your wares be strong and your profits me plenty, as we conduct business today."

The man almost smirked at this sign of courtesy, bowing a shallow, yet still meaningful, bow in return.

"May your journeys be long and safe, and may your fortune be genuine. Your fellow travelers be strong, and your spirit be never bending."

Coming out of the bow, the store owner gave him a large, tight hug. Oh, the scent of the sands. This man obviously dealt with goods from home, and often. Nothing more comforting. He came out of the hug, keeping his hands on 'Azab's shoulders.

"Ma'mun. Fifth in line, one of 3."

"'Azab. First in line, and only. It's a relief to meet someone like you, after all this time."

The man finally released 'Azab, sitting himself down and returning to his work. He had been restitching a piece of fabric, obviously torn in some household conniption; there was even a drink stain on it, still freshly dripping, if only slightly. Had him wonder why the owner of the garment even bothered keeping it. In the mean time, he had managed to catch a quick glimpse of the small alleyway; there was a makeshift furnace in the back, currently smelting something. Somehow, the smoke didn't flood the entire alley. Pouches and packs and sticks and stacks hung from the walls, stacks of clothes and cloths and other Lael relics were lined neatly against the walls on the floor. A toolbox sat next to the craftsman, filled with all sort of tools. The alley itself had a warm, homey feel to it. Well, to any Lael native it might. Otherwise...

"So what brings you here, young one? It would appear that your garments need fixing, for sure. It looks uncomfortable to hold your Rail in that way as well. Perhaps something else?"

'Azab couldn't help but gleefully smile at the craftsman; his experience in the field shows. He politely sat crossed legged next to the man, piling torn garments in from of his. Next, he lay his rail in front of him, with the broken strap dangling off of it.

"My Barb pouch needs repairing. My shirt has been torn to shreds, so I'd like a new one; though, if it's not too much trouble, I'd love it if you would sew the old shirt into a headband. My Ballistic Rail's sling needs to be reconnected. I also need around 40 Barbs and 20 caps. I hope I'm not placing a large burden on your stocks, and I'll pay any price reasonable to all."

The man stopped working for a second, placing his hand to his chin. He appeared in thought, before peering back to the customer.

"Two hours. The job will be completed. In those two pouches on the wall, you'll find the caps and barbs. I require 10 silver pieces."

The man stopped to think for a second.

"Actually, 8. It has been so long since I've seen one of my kind, you have no idea; I was beginning to fear the caps I ordered nearly 3 cycles ago would go to waste, since no one in the city seems to know what a Rail is, let alone use one."

'Azab bowed gratefully before pulling out his coin pouch and placing the 8 pieces on the floor next to the man, in a neat stack. He retrieved the new caps and barbs from the pouches, being careful to not take even one more than he was allowed; the Lael people, if anything, are capable of keeping track of their stock, and it is extremely rude to betray a man's trust like this regardless. He sat down back to the spot he was, watching as the man switched his priority from the stained cloth to the Rail's sling.

---------------------------------------------------------

"Your work is solid and clever; I am awed by your skill. Stay profitable."

"Your pay will not be wasted; it will go into the next generation of business. Stay full of spirit."

One last bow, one last hug, one last thought, and 'Azab was off, a new pouch around his waste, a new sling around his shoulder, and a well-made headband keeping sweat from his eyes. He backtracked his previous steps to where he had split from his band the first time, and trailed them through the city before finally catching up to them, smiling at Lady Ann upon seeing her.

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