Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars

[mcd900]

Laniva had spent much of the journey to Sipa in as little of her armor as possible, due to the heat - not again, she'd thought as the temperatures rose - though admittedly on this leg of their journey, the feelings she had about their travel were somewhat different than the last time they'd weathered this kind of heat. Sure, there was Syta along for the trip - her and her insatiable desire for Laniva's ears - but the lack of things to do while avoiding the heat left her alone to ponder what had happened.

She was the first to admit that she was poor with magic, but even with her lack of ability, it had been easy to tell how much power had lain within Mercuria - it had taken the efforts of so many of their own powerful mages, something like a veritable confluence of sheer magical talent and knowledge in order to stop her from worming her way into her and Alvira's minds... and the cost they'd paid in the blade going silent was one nobody could really say the full significance of yet. 

It... was a shame as well that they couldn't bring it along. The Escaflowne had been such a nice blade; really all she'd seen herself were plain, perhaps a finer silver sword here or there among senior knights... well, perhaps it was for the best. She had such a terrible habit of breaking them after all.

Today in particular, though, she'd decided to fully don her armor - who knows what might happen once they'd arrived, after all - and she was paying the price in heat for it, slumping back against the side of the wagon from inside. "Mrahh... I know we have to ration the water, but really..."

[Nanami Touko]

"Mm, later, Renais~" Sipa wasn't Cerezia. As much as Mikoto wanted to stalk after Renais and keep an eye on her, her ears would be a dead giveaway of her nature. Her tails were magic, and with some effort, they could be disappeared, temporarily, but her ears... Too large. Too fluffy. Impossible to remove with magic. She sat up and pondered about summoning Akai, but a large wolf could cause similar issues if he were spotted. Sipa was a village, not a city, far less places to slink around... She stretched and leaned into Aegean, nuzzling up against her, nodding slightly. "Yes, Gean, we're here, darling... You can wake up at your leisure. It doesn't look like we'll be allowed to do much, given we're in Islexia, but perhaps once we reach this fabled Eslcas, we'll be able to move freely." Not that I expect anyone in this dinky little village to be able to harm me, but I don't want to alert anyone that can to a serious danger...

"You shouldn't have gotten armored up then, silly." Syta slid over in the wagon and gently pressed her knuckles against the shoulder of Laniva's armor, smirking. "It's gonna stay warm, so you should just stay in your slacks, pretty kitty. As long as we're careful, we shouldn't be getting into any fights... And it's not like you're offending anyone walking around without the stuff on. You're pretty built, aren'cha?" Syta shrugged, finally flopping against the cat. "If you're gonna stay in it, though, you can have some of my water. Here." She idly held out her waterskin towards Lani, not afraid of the heat or sharing. Being from a rural village in Lufiria, Syta was used to the heat, almost enjoying it. It was going to be a fun summer~

Ren yawned and walked out towards the Evokers, sighing quietly after another breath re-entered their lungs. "Excuse me, miss Tio, miss Elisa... Is there anything you need me to do?" Ever since Celine had practically shooed them away, Ren had been worried, trying to do everything they could to be of use to make it feel like this had been the right decision; like it had been worth doing. I still don't believe this was entirely the right choice, but I have to make Celine's wishes worth it, right? ... I don't know who I'm asking, but I hope someone will answer. It's... Stressing me out, not knowing how well Celine is doing. She's probably pushing herself too hard again. Ugh... They sighed once more, staring towards the ground, not even watching the women they'd addressed.

---

Mari made sure the two were following her, letting them to their little conversation as they proceeded into Siba. It was a small village, but well enough off in the Gaffney's lands-- for now. Kazran's patience would run out as soon as he needed a new toy to play with and the man was so far from above razing a village just for kicks. Especially a village in the protection of a 'beast lover' like Owen. Fine for you to use them as toys to get your kicks, but as soon as someone genuinely cares, it's a problem, huh? Fehh... Marigold pissed herself off just thinking about that piece of dirt, her scowl slowly lifting as one of her contacts came into view.

"Yo, Nita, babe... How's tricks?" Mari lazily threw a hand up to wave at the tanned swordswoman, stretching as she got close. "You're not gonna believe this, but guess who found an entire mercenary group that fit the boss' bill? Me~ Feel free to start the praise shower; I deserve it. Been one hell of a trip... Renais! Miria! This is Nita. Say hi. No sudden movements though-- Muran swordswomen are twitchy~"

Edited June 4, 2023 by Nanami Touko

[Mercenary on the Winds]

"I needn't say it, but be careful." The words were arguably more for her, and then, suddenly Miria and Renais as they spoke up to head to meet their contacts with Marigold. Tio had better people in mind, but Miria and Renais weren't the worst options. That dishonor was always going to fall to their warlord tagalong, and Nyx especially after what Celine had warned them of before. Where are the two of them anyway... Syndra was always going to be under Tio's watchful eye now that they were just over a week on from knowing that they were essentially walking right into Islexia with a known fugitive, but Nyx being singled out as a potential vector for the underground to act against them meant that she was going to have to be added to the list. They'd so far been fortunate as far as she could tell; Versaris had pointed out that the underground was likely involved with the Crows, so retaliation was always in the cards. 

Tio sighed as Ren walked up, and, as they had for the entire time they'd been together, asked if there was anything they could do. The pink haired cleric had been busying herself with whatever they could, and Tio couldn't fault the concern. They'd wanted to stay with Celine as the commander had pushed herself way too far in their pursuit of the Escaflowne--admittedly for incredibly altruistic reasons. Somehow, though, Celine managed to convince the cleric, and really, all of the knights to come along with them. Tio smiled at the cleric, "Oh, Ren. From that yawn, I would say that resting is probably something worth doing, but... for now, really, all we can do is wait, unless you wanted to go along with the messenger group..." Tio paused for a moment, and then nodded, "That's... not entirely true. There is one thing. Do you know where Syndra and Nyx are? The two of them really shouldn't be out of sight for long under these circumstances."

---

The tanned woman flinched with a small yelp as she was directly addressed, hand flying to the hilt of her sword before her amber eyes fell upon the source of the prompting. She blinked, "...Marigold? Y-You're back? When did you? Did you say that you found people?" The woman's voice was deeper than one might have expected from the yelp. Her eyes darted between Miria and Renais, before her mouth started sliding open. "Oh bless the land we walk... Uh, come on then, Kieran's inside... Finally... We were getting worried that something had happened to you, Mari... been waaaaaaaay too long since you sent anything back... but it looks like you got it done... Sorry, a lil' jumpy with all of, yeah."

Nita bowed to both Renais and Miria, "No words could possibly-- I mean, you both don't know how much this means... I'm Nita, a swordswoman under Lord Owen's employ... not from here. But... they've been working so hard to protect from Kazran, and, and--" She bowed sharper, "Thank you!"

Edited June 5, 2023 by Mercenary on the Winds

[mcd900]

"Mrahhh... I just feel more comfortable in it. Even... if it makes me less comfortable." Laniva took the waterskin eagerly, though blushing at the little compliment, fidgeting in her seat as she drank from the waterskin. She really didn't hear this kind of thing very much, but it seemed to be becoming rather more frequent as of late...

"Hahhh... I needed that. Thanks, Syta... ah...?" She glanced down from the waterskin to see Syta leaning against her, and she sat back again; undoubtedly there was something of a warm and fuzzy feeling from her doing it, but at a time and place like this she was distinctly feeling more of the warm than the fuzzy. "How are you... so unaffected by this temperature, jeez..."

[Nanami Touko]

"Hmmm? How? I grew up in it. It's a lot warmer in central Lufiria, Lani. This is perfectly normal for me... And I don't have a full suit of armor on, you silly kitty. Just the arms. Gotta keep the dextrous bits safe..." Syta, in her lean, idly reached a hand up and began to pet the resting cat, sighing. "Honestly, we're gonna be stuck in this cart until we get stuck in a room, so you really don't need the armor, I think... Maybe just lose the upper half, for now? Just so you can stay comfy? I'm a little worried about you, pretty kitty..." It was a bit distressing to see Laniva so exhausted just sitting around. Maybe if she had to get moving, it'd get easier for her, but there was no guarantee of any of that...

---

"Come on, stand up." Mari walked past Nita and put a hand on her shoulder to yank her out of her bow as she did, sighing. "They're getting paid, not saviors of the realm. Paid in safe passage and gold, so you don't have to prostrate yourself for them... Though they are good people, but, still. You can just act like normal... I guess jumpy is your normal, but this is more jumpy than usual. Did something happen while I was gone?" Marigold stretched out the arm she'd shoved Nita up with, rolling the shoulder, the odd silence from the joint perhaps alarming were anyone paying attention to it. "After you two, Renais, Miria. We'll walk you in. Kieran's here too, eh? He doing well?"

[TheRoon]

Renais kept her eyes out as the group walked along, Sipa really did fit the image that Syndra made for her. She kept conversation to a minimum for the sake of not being distracted, but once the group had approached a tanned swordswoman the pinkette turned her attention to her. The yelp was a little unexpected, but Renais didn't pay it any mind. "It's nice to meet you, lady Nita. No thanks are needed, we're just doing our job." The cleric then turned to Marigold. "Very well, miss Marigold. Come on, Miria." She took her best friend's hand and lead the two inside. Normally, Renais would have been a little skittish around circumstances like this, but she felt very determined to prove herself under the weight of responsibility.

[GoldsbroTSG]

The cub kept next to Renais, she was gonna let Mari do the talking until she was addressed. What really surprised Miria was when they met Mari's friend(?), Nita, she immediately began bowing in respect of the two girls. "It is nice to meet you, Miss Nita." Though the honorifics may not have been needed, Miria gave a small bow in response to Nita's.

Mari kept on, assuring the woman that they she didn't have to do anything extra like bowing for them, which Miria agreed with. She just saw it as her doing her job, and helping people as normal. She kept her happy smile, and waited for someone to address her, first; trying to maintain a more calm demeanor. She gave a small yelp when Renais took her hand and started going inside, "A-ah! Alright, okay, yes ma'am~" She spoke, keeping up with Renais. She gave Marigold a thumbs-up.

[MRDRHAWK]

Tanya hadn’t spoken up when Marigold - that was her name, right? - had asked for volunteers to go with her, and Miria went too. Really, she should be with them, even if Tanya knew that the little hero was more than capable of taking care of herself. Not to mention, she was a bit of an anxious kitty, right now, what with her wondering who else might have been coming in from Lufiria. Hopefully not Papa, or, god forbid, Yuyu, but… really, Tanya had no clue anymore. She needed to destress, and fast. But what could she do, as a Clouded in Islexia, especially with everyone else splitting off already?

---

Nyx was dead. This weather sucked, and she hated it. And to top it off, she couldn’t even use her girlfriend as a walking cooler, now. At the very least, she could stay out of the sun to keep it from entirely roasting her. But, of course, that couldn’t last, because someone started talking about her. Nyx peeked her head out of the caravan and squinted over at Tio.

”M’not goin’ anywhere right now. Fuckin’ heat’s too much, s’gonna cook me alive.” Nyx grumbled, looking over at the shortie that was with Tio. Wasn’t that one of Celine’s? “N’ye don’ needa give me a babysitter or some shit. ‘ve been behavin’ already, ain’t I?” She’d probably be a bit more convincing if she wasn’t sweating, having had to swap back to her old lighter clothes and keep the suit tucked in her bag. Shame; she knew, damn well, that she looked fuckin’ good in the suit.

[Bluemask 96]

Jesse brought up the rear of their group as they came to a stop. The young knight pulled out her waterskin, not for her, but for her horse. She had faith in Charlon, but she was worried about their current water situation. Truth be told, Jesse had been quiet for most of their journey since leaving Celine. Sure she was now traveling with her new friend Miria, and had some other familiar faces alongside her, but leaving Celine and the others by themselves when they were particularly exhausted didn't feel great. Orders were orders though, and into Islexia they went. For now there wasn't much to do, and they already had two members going to establish their lodgings for tonight. Looking around, there was one person who did pique her interest, the only knight working with Celine that she didn't know at all. Jesse pulled herself up alongside the stoic sir. "Hello Sir Ferid, how has the journey been for you so far?"

---

Gean yawned again at the touch of Mikoto and wrapped an arm around her. "I'll rest some more then. It's hot, but not hot enough to stop cuddling. You're soft..." With that the mermaid drifted back into slumber.

Remembering the Past

Spoiler

Gean opened the door to the inn room she was sharing with her girlfriends. The events of the morning were a whirlwind of information and stressful moments, but the Tigers gained some valuable information. All four of the Tigers who touched Escaflowne got something from the experience. Gean was probably the least impactful of the four, considering she didn't get smacked face first with a spiteful goddess, but it did unlock a memory. A memory that she hadn't remembered in years and needed to share, and share she would. It could help them out in the future, especially if Lufiria was going to be a recurring factor on their journey.
So Gean entered the room and turned to face Renais and Mikoto before sitting down on one of the beds in the room. "Right, so Gean story time if the two of you are ready. I told you I'd tell you guys so you're getting the full story."
Mikoto wandered her way past Gean and settled onto the bed, laying down on her side and resting her head on her hand, tails swishing behind her. “Well, whatever it is, we’ll listen. And if it’s important enough, we should probably tell the Evokers and the rest of the company… I don’t know if you’ve noticed, Gean, but keeping secrets has been getting us all into a lot of trouble. The less trouble going forward, the better, no?” Hopefully Gean just wanted to tell them first, but if she was intent on keeping this a three person secret, Mikoto wasn’t sure she could abide by that.
Renais had taken her place upon the bed, not too far from Mikoto and not too far from Gean. Just comfy enough. “The Evokers are quite busy, but hopefully we can find time to tell them if it is important enough.” She agreed with Mikoto and turned to Gean. “I’m all ears, Gean.” Renais seemed to know Lucille, but she couldn’t remember how. Hopefully Gean’s story might lift a few of her cloudy thoughts.
"Hey, this isn't a secret. I already had plans to tell Tio and Versaris anyway. I just wanted to tell you guys first." Gean poked Mikoto on the nose. "Ok, where to begin… As you both know, my family has been close friends with the Lufirian royal family. I was close to the two princesses, and my upaunt has been best friends and battle sisters with their mother, General Rosaria." Gean leaned back on her hands and looked up towards the ceiling. Things were still coming back to her, but clear enough that she'd be able to tell this story.
"This was… Gosh 14 years ago? It was a special day. Anna had just recovered from a bad eye episode, so we were going to celebrate with a picnic. Me, Miss Aria, Aunty Serena, Cathy, Luci, and Anna. Aunty was really excited because she had a big break from work. Me and Cathy stayed up extra late helping her make sandwiches for the trip. Everything was going great. Was being the operative word."
“So, when you were just a child.” Mikoto sat up ever so slightly, paying a hefty amount of attention to what Gean was getting into. “I can’t imagine something going so horribly wrong when you were but… What, five, six years old? Truly traumatic if so… And surprising that it’s only just resurfaced as a memory, if I’m to understand you properly…?”
"There's parts of this memory that I was told to not talk about, on top of the rest of what happened. Mikoto you and I are both aware that the Shiva family has its fair share of enemies, with plenty who would wish they were no more. The attempt that led to my fleeing to Glacies was just one of many assassination attempts, and this memory is another."
Renais simply listened to Gean’s story, it was something she may have heard before, if a small part of it anyway. “14 years ago…hmm, it truly is a tragic turn.” Not that Renais was one to talk, given her own circumstances. She scooted closer to Gean and rubbed her back a little. “It must have been incredibly stressful…”
"There's… a lot" were the next words out of Gean's mouth. She was still processing how to feel about the things she had either buried, or wasn't privy to. It made her question how much she really knew about her family, even before things fell apart. She knew that she'd get stuck if she didn't continue so she began to speak once more. "I remember me and Luci were running around in the clearing, and Cathy was sitting on a stump reading to Anna. We weren’t too far from the adults, Aunty said she and Miss Aria had to have “big girl talks”, and Aunty wouldn't let me listen to those. Then I heard it, in the bushes. I thought it might be a squirrel making noise, and maybe it'd like to play with us. I motioned for it to come closer, and that's when they struck."
"We were surrounded, there had to be at least four or five of these white creatures. They made no words, just growls and hisses. They looked similar to monsters like me, but there were also tiger parts and all sorts of other things I couldn't tell at that age. It held me to the ground by the throat and all I could see was its claws ready to dig in. That was probably the first time I felt the fear of death."
Mikoto picked up on what they were immediately, her tails swaying in annoyance. “They were creations. Like Alriana. Like Iris… Ones meant to do exactly what they were created for… At least, they fit the bill. White creatures with bodies made up of so many different monster and clouded parts… How truly vile that these individuals actually succeeded in creating what they were aiming for. If I’m ever to meet the people that got Aly and Iris away from these true monsters, I must thank them profusely.” She sighed. To create life and then use it for such vile means was far too horrible. Mikoto had done questionable things in her life, but she’d never played God, not like that… Not for those reasons. 
“Well, obviously you survived. I assume one of Aria or Serena saved you…”
Gean let out a sigh. It hadn't made sense to her at first that her uncle would be the one to do those things Iris admitted, even with their creators being who they were. She believed that the rest would be spared, but now the pieces were coming together. There was more to it. "The next part plays into today." Gean noticed Mikoto's annoyance and took her hand grasping it firmly. While she did that she wrapped an arm around Renais and brought her closer.
"When I next opened my eyes there was a shield of blue light around me, whatever the monster was, it couldn’t get through. “Don’t hurt my cousin!” Cathy said, her eyes glowing blue and a similar blue aura. It was almost as if she wasn’t alone, the light hugging her. Still, even with this new power, we were hopelessly out of our league, the only one of us who could fight was Luci, and even with her talents in magic, we stood no chance."
"That was the first day I knew my Aunt could fight. The first time I saw her be more than the cheerful sassy lady who would smother us in kisses and love. She moved with such quickness and precision, easily dispatching a number of creatures. She had an expression I'd never seen before. One that I can only say I've seen once more in my life. Fear for us, anger at our attackers, and yet with all of that, my aunt wasn't the scariest person here."
“Miss Aria, or rather General Rosaria, she moved with a power I had never seen before, something that made the pressure from earlier seem like a better alternative. It's hard to describe, but whatever it was, it was more than simple precognition, and it makes the Miracle of Ulara sound like common sense." Gean shuddered lightly at the thought. "The two of them made light work of the creatures as well as a number of them still in hiding." 
"And that's the end of the story. The part that played into today was the shield from my cousin. The feeling I got when touching Escaflowne was the same feeling I got when my cousin Cathy saved me from the beasts. I don't know why, but I think I'm not the only one from my family tied into this."
Mikoto idly squeezed Gean’s hand back as she spoke, thinking about what had happened with this Catherine above all else. Creatures striking out at Lufirian nobility, sure, attack dogs sent to kill the higher ups or harm them in a way that they’d never forget. There was always going to be that kind of element in the world. Someone dissatisfied with the way the people on top ran things… Still, the blue light, and Gean getting the same feeling from the Escaflowne, could only mean one thing, as far as Mikoto was convinced. She’d let Renais see if she could pick up on things before speaking, the girl having been silent for the duration of Gean’s tale.
The story took a dramatic turn, and as soon as Mikoto brought up who may be related to the white beasts… “Those white monsters are like…Aly and Iris?” Her eyes shot wide open. Renais had never heard of beasts like that, a mixture of Clouded and creature, and a haunting white appearance. “It really feels like a tale straight from one of my fantasy books…yet it’s as real as it gets.” She was pulled in close, but even in such a warm embrace she couldn’t help but feel worried. “It truly was a good thing you had family by your side, Gean. I can’t imagine how it would have…no, I don’t want to even start.” She shook her head. “A blue aura too, and a similar feeling after you touched Escaflowne…” Renais looked to the side as she thought. “Hmm, I wonder what it means exactly…”
“It means that this Catherine is touched by the spirits, the same as Aegean, the same as Alvira… Perhaps the same as Laniva and Miria. That’s what I’ve come to understand, seeing who exactly is reacting to the sword, by touch or feeling. I could feel the sword, for sure, but it wasn’t pulling at me. It wasn’t reaching for me… For I am not in touch with these godly beings.”
“Yeah it’s pretty real. In fact this scar on my eye is proof. They were able to save my vision at least.” Gean pointed towards her eye, almost in a haphazardly way. Mikoto basically confirmed Gean’s first assumption. “I have no idea why we’re chosen, but it gives reason to why the sword called me. I didn’t hear a voice upon touching it, so maybe I’m touched by someone else? I’m not versed in this kind of stuff, so I’m just throwing things at the wall for now.” Maybe something in her family’s lineage made them worthy, but then why the others?
“Touched by the spirits…yes.” She had a feeling that was the case. Renais wasn’t entirely sure what to make of the spirit situation, it was a lot to take in. “The Mercuria situation was one thing, Escaflowne pushed that to a whole new level…and you’ve been chosen by a spirit too? Alvira makes some sense, but you…” She thought about how odd it was that people touched by the spirits have gathered together, almost on accident. She wondered if that means she also might… Argh, I’m getting worried again… Renais took a sigh. “I have a bad feeling in my stomach, so many worrying thoughts…maybe I’m just overthinking it all.”
“We stopped Mercuria once.” Mikoto slowly picked herself up and crawled along the bed, hugging Aegean from behind, resting her head on the woman’s shoulder. “You are safe with us. Safe with this group. Whatever is affecting you, we won’t let you come to harm… We all managed to save Alvira today, didn’t we?” She gave a quick kiss to Gean’s cheek before sliding a tail around Renais and pulling her into the pile.
“Now, why don’t we talk about more pleasant things? Unless there’s more to this story, all it means is there are others affected by the spirits, and we let Tio and Elisa know that you’ve been touched in a way, so they can keep tabs on it. I think that’s all solved, at the least…” She squeezed them both some more and rested against the two of them, sighing. Alvira was made this way by her connection to Fomalhaut, such was apparent when I witnessed this firsthand… The rest, and Mercuria… If she is of ice and water, and this blue aura around this Catherine… Despite neglecting her job, she still resonates with some mortals, eh? Hmm…
“That’s all to this memory, but not all to my questions. I want to know more, especially if these beings feel fit to involve my family members, the Tigers included in that.” Gean let out one more sigh, not happy with how they were still deeply in the dark. “You’re right though, it’s probably best to put a pin in this until I can talk with the Evokers. I will need to tell Versaris though. He should know about this, and Ms Aria’s capabilities.” Considering how close he is with Aly, he should also know about that before meeting uncle, though I’m hoping for the best in that matter… “Well you two listened to me drone on, what would you like to talk about now?”
Renais really did enjoy Mikoto’s tails, so fluffy and warm, she couldn’t help but snuggle into them a little. “Mm…Yeah, I suppose we’ve covered your past well enough for the moment.” It didn’t really trigger anything Renais may have learned before, but on the flip side it also didn’t force any trauma back on the surface. “...aaah I’m really just taking it all in, Gean. You know how much I like to overthink things…it’s a weakness of mine.” She laid her head on Gean’s shoulder. “It’s frustrating at times I’ll admit…but at least I have you both.”
“And my tails, it seems.” Mikoto fluffed them a little as Renais made herself comfy, giggling quietly. “Mmm… I’d like to talk about what we’re going to do for the next few weeks of travel. Assuming we don’t run into another mess of knights and fights, we should finally have some down time… Gean, I wouldn’t mind sparring with you a bit; I’ve quite the sword arm, I’ll have you know… And Renais.” She gently swished a tail past Renais’ face, “your magic. You want to do more than heal, right? And it’d be better for when I’m not around. For your own self defense… But, my domain lies in dark magic, and I figure you’re more interested in… Light, and anima? Like your idols~?” She smirked. “So, given they’ll likely be recovering, if you want me to oversee someone else in the group helping you learn… I’d be more than happy to.”
“You really are quite caring, Mikoto. It’s nice.” The kitsune really was good at making Renais feel pampered. “Yes, that’s right. I don’t want to be a burden, and if I want to reach my dream of becoming an Evoker I’ll need to get stronger. That’s why I’m doing my best to learn as much as I can…” She turned her head over to her open bag, which had a green tome in sight. “The plan was originally anima, yes. I’m open to learning as much as I can though, Cin is helping me with magic and…wait…” She tilted her head toward the kitsune. “You said sparring, and a sword arm? Does that mean you know how to use a sword?”
Gean closed her eyes and focused on their new topic, which involved the next leg of their journey. “Sparring sounds good. Training with someone who has martial and magical experience should give some wonderful results. We all want to be stronger, for each other and ourselves. I need to get stronger if I’m gonna face my family once more.” I can’t just sit back and let the others handle things each time. That’s no different than running away, and I refuse to be the same girl I was back then.
“It does mean I know how to use a sword~ I’m quite the skilled fox, I’ll have you know… So if you’d like some tips for that as well, by all means.” Mikoto suddenly grabbed both of them, tugging them onto the bed and onto her tails, fluffing them gently. “Mmm, but that’s for tomorrow. For now… Rest. Things have been quite harrowing, yes? Rest does the mind and body good… I’ll let Cin teach you as he knows, and keep watch just to know he’s teaching you well. And I’ll fight with you as much as you please, Gean… I’ll help with everything I can~”
Gean closed her eyes and let herself fall back into a world of softness. For this moment she could let things go, they had a plan, they had each other, and they had some more answers. Now it was time to indulge in the company she was with. “Rest sounds good, this is good.” Gean fell quiet in Mikoto’s embrace.”
Renais leaned into Mikoto’s warm hold with a smile. “You’re so talented, Mikoto. It makes some sense given how much time you had…” She snuggled close to her and Gean. “Mm…I’d love to learn as much as I can from you, I’m not sure I can use a sword but…well I did have some ideas I could run by you later, when my magic strengthens.” Renais had some theories about magic she wanted to try when she reached a certain point, but for now she’s content with Mikoto’s guidance. So she made herself comfortable for a rest…
 

Catching up with the Boss

Spoiler

Gean moved through the Tigers camp, slowly but with purpose. The heat was starting to kick in, which meant challenge for the mermaid as the progressed further into Islexia. Still, there was talking to be done, and information she needed to share. Tio had been rightfully out of commission for the first part of their journey, so Gean held off on approaching the Evoker on the subject, but tonight her and Elisa had joined the rest of the group to chat and eat, so it seemed like a good time to talk. Better to handle this before we get deep into our mission here. Gean approached Tio's tent and in a familiar fashion to their last talk announced herself. "Tio, do you have a moment? It's Gean."
The ride so far had been quiet, and Tio thanked her lucky stars for that. After their encounter with Mercuria, she and Elisa had simply been too tired to do much. Fortunately, Marigold knew exactly where they were going, and was arguably a better lead for this than either of them were, so the fact that the pair had been asleep for most of the day before wasn’t an issue. They’d both come to eat and chat, but they’d both quickly worn out, and gone back to their tent. Tio was at least better off than Elisa had been, and so she’d spent much of that time watching over her and helping where she could. Work on her projects had halted due to their exhaustion, but tonight was a good time to get back on that…or not, as it seemed like Gean had something to talk about. She hadn’t really gotten much time to speak to her after all that happened, but she could fix that now, she supposed. 
Tio walked over to the opening of her tent with a finger to her lips, “Elisa’s resting, I should be too, but I feel like I haven’t done much today, so I thought I’d get some work in.” Tio stepped outside, “Is there something I could help you with, Aegean?” 
Tio had emerged from the tent to speak, still looking worn out but willing to talk. Gean felt a little bad about taking up the older lady’s time, but it was best to keep her in the loop, especially regarding the matter Gean was about to bring up. “Well it’s less of helping me and more of giving you information in regards to our lively conversation with a sword. I didn’t know until that moment I touched the sword, but that wasn’t my first time experiencing an event like that.” Gean wished they could speak inside, so Tio could sit down, but with Elisa still resting, the Evokers tent was not the ideal place to continue on.  “With how tired you’ve been I’d hate to keep you standing out here, maybe we move towards the wagons?” 
“Information about the sword?” Tio then blinked. Aegean had felt something similar before. The Evoker clicked her tongue, “Well, that mildly annoys me that Mercuria and trying to hold her back took so much out of us… I had planned on asking before that all happened.” Tio sighed, and then nodded, “I would appreciate finding a place to sit, and talk. The wagons should be fine… Though, equally as important. How are you holding up after, well, all that happened with Princess Lucille?” 
Gean had a feeling this would come up, considering everything that happened. “I’m.. still moving. I’ve had help in keeping my mind off of what happened, and I’m even more determined to see this mission through, possibly even returning to Lufiria myself. Something is going down, and I don’t want the people I still care about sparking off  a potential war.” Something was going on in Lufiria, and it was something Lucille couldn’t tell them. She led Tio towards the wagons as she spoke. “To that end I need to be stronger, to know more, which leads me to what I discovered. To clarify this isn’t about Escaflowne directly, but rather the feeling I got when I touched the sword itself.”
“That’s good at least. There wasn’t much that we could have done then, but as long as you’re hanging on, that means we did just enough.” Lufiria’s involvement in the theft made Tio worry about the reality of what was actually going on. It felt like there was so much more to this story than any of them realized, and those who did know weren’t going to say anything without being forced into it. “Discovery, hmm… so you realized something that was similar to what happened in that room with the Escaflowne?” Tio took a deep breath, “So… you’re implying that you may have met something that gave you a similar feeling to what we all felt in that room?” Tio plopped herself down on the edge of the wagon with none of the grace, or poise that she usually exhibited. 
Gean paused for a moment as Tio plopped down on the wagon. Having embraced Renais’ “birdwatching” habits, Gean was now more aware of the Evoker in some aspects, and so she briefly tucked those thoughts away. “Yes, there was one other time that I felt something like that, but it was so long ago I nearly forgot the exact details.” Gean decided it’d be fine if she took a seat next to Tio as she began to explain.
“So about 14 years ago, there was an assassination attempt on the royal family of Lufiria. Not the first, and definitely not the last, but my family was there too when it happened. In fact I received this scar on my eye during the attack.” Gean pointed to her eye, something which she had been doing a lot recently. “However I was saved by my cousin that day, as well as my aunt and General Rosaria once they arrived on the scene, but more importantly my cousin Catherine managed to keep me safe by creating this blue shield. That shield and the aura around her had the same feeling as when I touched Escaflowne.”
Aegean sat down next to Tio, and began recounting a memory. A memory that immediately had Tio annoyed, but in a different manner from before. “An assassination even while children are about… Sigh, everything I seem to hear about Lufiria just seems to… Mmm, never mind. More importantly… this is the same girl that you mentioned a while back from your vision, right? The one where you saw that woman with blue, and pink hair, and the temple of water?”
“Yep, my cousin Cathy. She’s the daughter of The Grand Cleric, my Aunt Serena. Between that event and the vision I saw, I feel that she might be in a similar boat to us four, at least that’s what I concluded after talking to Mikoto. All of us are connecting to these ‘spirits’ it seems, and it’s not just exclusive to us Tigers.” Gean was still wondering why it was them, and why two members of her family were involved in this. Beyond her parents' generation, Gean didn’t know of anything major that would convince her that she was special. The part about the creatures resembling Aly and Iris could come up after, for now they should work on this part of the puzzle.
Tio quickly started to think, looking for any sort of connections that could be drawn of this. Obviously, it made sense that the Tigers weren’t the only people who were being drawn to the spirits. They didn’t know why Alvira, Lani, Miria, and Gean were being called to by the spirits, but for that reason, there was no way to exclude anyone else. “That is… relatively eye opening considering that you remember this happening, and then she was present in that vision of yours… If she’s the daughter of the Grand Cleric, we can probably expect that she is very powerful magically, but… if that happened fourteen years ago, then her connection to the spirits, should it be the same, is likely much, much stronger than anyone among us. Magical auras in that manner… are fairly rare, and usually the mark of particularly strong magical power, and I can’t imagine she’s too much older than you are now…” If I am to assume that she drew that power from a spirit, then that means that this might not be a recent phenomena at all… How troubling. How much do the Lufirians know? And… because the power was blue… Could that mean that she…
Tio had gone into analysis mode, explaining the circumstances around this. They were still missing information, but they weren’t completely lost. “I still don’t understand that vision though, mainly because of two things. The first thing was the location I saw. I’m guessing we can assume the woman she was with was a spirit, but where were they then. The other thing was what she said, or at least what I heard in my head. She addressed my cousin as a Levion, which is my last name, but Cathy doesn’t go by the name Levion. She’s a Noire, which is her father’s surname.” Gean had a small feeling of who the spirit was, but she couldn’t be sure, and if she was right she was gonna be a lot more angry about this than she was right now. “You mentioned magical ability playing a part in this, and I can very much understand that for Cathy and Vira. Even in Miria’s case I can see why considering her armor. The real odd ones are me and Lani, neither of us have any real talent for magic, and as far as I know magic tended to stick with my aunt’s side of the family, my father is similar to me in that aspect.” There had to be a common thread amongst them.
“Ah, you misunderstood, Aegean. I do think that magical inclination is a part of all of this, but only that, a part. For example, you mention Miria, but the only real indication that Miria has any magical competency is her armor, and only that. If magical competency was the major contributor, I can’t imagine those who have been chosen would have been. What I am saying is that I am concerned that she exhibited something like that fourteen years ago, and believe that her magical ability is why she did so.” Tio first needed to correct the record before she continued, “More importantly… we can’t entirely be for sure what you witnessed is related, yet, anyway. Magic is so variable, and with Lufiria the way it is, I wouldn’t be surprised if there are types and levels of magic that none of us are capable of comprehending. Then there’s the issue of the misnaming… but we now know that these gods are hardly infallible.”
Tio leaned against the side of the wagon, “But, let’s work in a framework that assumes it is related, just like all of you. There’s something intrinsic to all of you that draws the spirits to you. And I think I have an idea… I wouldn’t have thought about it if not for Mikoto and… Kisara, but Kisara’s actions with Mercuria earlier… seem to make me believe that it might have something to do with Voima. I can’t possibly begin to confirm that, but it’s a bit more plausible than anything else.”
Gean was following Tio’s logic thread as the older woman clarified on Gean’s questions. The last part was a little confusing however. “Maybe Mikoto can look into my Voima, see if there’s anything unique or something that can give us a clue.” It was worth a shot, considering how much it felt like the group was playing catch up. “Slightly off topic, but are their records about weapons like Escaflowne? I never heard a voice, and I know Vira keeps talking about a black spear. Maybe there’s a weapon I’m more resonant with.”
“I doubt Mikoto will be able to find the oddity, if Voima is what is causing this. Though… someone might be able to, but for the moment, they’re indisposed. It can’t hurt to check, of course.” Tio then smiled at Aegean, “Finally, something I’m actually reasonably versed on. Especially since Escaflowne is one of the twelve relics that are responsible for seeing the end of the Holy Lufirian Empire. The names at least are fairly easy to come by… Let’s see. Here in Hecatia, there are the Verdantia, a bow, and of course, the Escaflowne. In Kansei, reside the Sol Incantio, and the Mille Seseau, a fire tome, and staff respectively. Mura has the Malos Magna and Stargrasper, an Axe and Fist. Karavel has the Destine, and Nox Aria, a spear and dark tome. Then Glacies, with the Lux Aria, and Silent Brillia, a Light and Ice Tome. Then, finally, Islexia, with the Serpent’s Tongue, and the Dayspring, a knife, and an unusual style of sword. Each country has access to two of these weapons, same as they did back during the war to my understanding. And if what Alvira got from the Escaflowne is correct… there may be more of them in Lufiria. For obvious reasons though… good luck getting more information than that without an incredible amount of influence. I’ve only seen our relics a handful of times, personally.” 
Well at least they had something to go off, though the chance of any of them getting to touch these weapons was a pipe dream. “Well I’m not sure if any of those relics are the one for me. What I felt touching Escaflowne was a burst of wind, so I’m guessing that’s my connection.” Gean took a page from Tio and flopped back on the wagon, hair covering her face as they spoke. “If I remember my own vision, Cathy had a crystal like staff in her hands, though what it could be is something I have no clue of,” even through her dreads, Gean’s expression was showing her annoyance at things “seems there’s a lot of things I never knew about my family.” Realizing her inner feelings on things were beginning to show, she quickly changed topics. “Does anyone beside Elisa talk about how nice your smile is? You have a really nice smile.”
“If I’m being honest… it’s not one of the things people remember me for… right away, anyway.” Tio chuckled, it was a very quick, and sudden shift in topic, almost doing the opposite of what Aegean had likely been trying to do. “Well, I’m not one to turn down a compliment, but… you may have to try a little harder when it comes to changing the subject, you know? It’s difficult to know everything about one’s family, even if you think you know them perfectly well. That’s just reality because people change, that’s what we have to do. What matters then… is what happens when your family does change, or you learn more about them.”
Tio sighed, and then looked up into the night sky, “Crystal-like staves are notoriously rare… I have mine but you would not believe how difficult it was to both acquire the materials, and find the people capable enough to pull it all together. Even in Lufiria, I would imagine there are only a handful of them, and in the hands of remarkable clerics, and mages, so, if you’re sure that it was of that make, we can at least shrink the search quite considerably. Not much help immediately, but in this line of inquiry, anything helps.”
Gean stuck her lip out as Tio immediately sussed her desire to change subjects. "I don't know, it's just-" Gean paused for a moment and blew some hair out of her face. "While I'm ever grateful for meeting Tasha and the Tigers, I've spent years beating myself up over what happened and those I left behind, and now I've had the chance to talk with her again and there's this gap between us I feel like is impossible to close. I want to help them, but I'm afraid that opportunity will never come."
Gean looked up and saw the moon moving higher in the sky. "God I didn't mean to take up your night like this Tio, at least, not to pour my heart out. You have enough on your plate."
“...Somehow, I doubt that. You have something of hers, after all.” Tio leaned back against the wagon, a yawn escaping her lips. “You had your first opportunity, and things didn’t work out. Admittedly, considering that you all had to fight her to get the Escaflowne back, and then all that happened with Mikoto… things will be difficult. Still… you asked me to hold onto that pin for a reason, didn’t you? I’ll be honest, Aegean…” Tio turned to the younger woman, a tired, wry smile on her face, “I think you’re kind of lucky that you still have the chance to close that gap. To figure out about these things that you never knew about your family. A lot of people… don’t have that chance. It’s difficult, certainly, but you said that you were on this journey to figure out what really happened to you back then, didn’t you? You didn’t come on this journey thinking it would be easy. Take things one step at a time; thinking too far ahead will only make what you want to do that much more difficult, because you won’t see how far you’ve come.”
Tio yawned again, “Mmm… goodness. I’m usually a night owl, but Mercuria really tuckered me out, and to think, both Kisara and Elisa got it worse than I did.”
With Tio’s second yawn, Gean sat up. “I guess that’s our cue to table this for now. If I find anything else out I’ll let you know.” Tio’s words were right, Gean was being impatient, but she had to pace herself. Hopping off the wagon Gean dusted herself off and took a deep breath. “Thank you Tio, for everything you’ve done for us. Hopefully we can pay you and Elisa back for all of this.” Gean didn’t turn around, choosing to hide what expression her face had displayed. “Rest well boss lady.” With those last words the young mercenary set off.
Gean was up, and gone in a matter of moments, thanking Tio, and then calling her ‘Boss Lady’. I can file that one away as a new one. Yet, it all felt… hurried. Even if it was being spun as her leaving Tio to go back and rest, it felt like Gean was trying to hold something in. Tio held her hand out for a moment, before pulling it back, and letting the woman walk off. “...Could have at least helped me down…” Tio hopped off of the wagon, with a little difficulty, and continued to watch Aegean walk off. I guess you’ll have to find your time to confide in someone you’re closer with Aegean… because I’m sure you know by now that you absolutely cannot do what you desperately want on your own. None of us here can. Tio sighed, and sauntered off back to her tent, stifling yet another yawn, “Yeah, yeah, I get it… I can’t sleep until I note all of that down, so I can at least try to piece more of it together…”
 

 

Edited June 10, 2023 by Bluemask 96

[JakezuGD]

As much as Tasha wanted to keep leading the caravan, this was Islexia, and it was imperative for all of the Clouded to stay concealed, commander or not. The encroaching heat certainly helped in making that happen, few people having the energy to try and exercise or anything during daytime. Instead, the tiger had been busy doing her other job, going through all of their inventory and making sure their weapons were cleaned, sharpened and oiled properly. It'd be a potentially deadly mistake if she slipped in that and a partially rusted blade snapped before its time, or was unable to bite into its target. Since she needed a good amount of space to work with, she'd asked Alvira to watch from a little further back, if she wanted to.

"Today's when we're supposed to make contact with Marigold's people. Hope that goes well..." Tasha idly stated, wiping sweat off her brow as she got another sword in her hands for an application of mineral oil. The situation being what it was, Alvira hadn't been keen on going out to town either, staying back at the wagons. "One good thing about how it's been getting hotter, it's also drier out here. Don't have to re-oil all of our stuff as often."

---

Elisa, while better now than she had been for a day or two after the incident with Mercuria, was still feeling lethargic and irritable, with Tio handling even more of the talking than she usually did. Seeing the typically optimistic and relatively more chipper of the Evokers as downcast as she was must've been a bit of a shock to... her wife, mostly, considering everyone with them had seen what had occurred. Once the advance party had departed - with Renais being one of the people to go - she turned to her spouse with a worried look, seemingly blowing off Ren's concern for the moment, considering they had little to do and little that could be done about their condition. "I know it's best that the people going with her are humans, and definitely not Syndra, Nyx, or us, but... I don't know. Something about that encounter in Cerezia still nags at me."

---

The tall Knight had kept as low a profile as physically possible with his stature. As Celine had mentioned, Islexia didn't fancy letting the Altair Knights roam around unchecked, and on top of that, he was Clouded, not that it was obvious to anyone while his helmet was on as usual. He only had one job to do with them, unlike the others who were less personally tied to the proceedings of the Knights, but at least he could pass the time by seeing how the Tigers operated. One of those said 'squires' seemed interested in striking up a conversation. "About as good as you can expect going through inland Islexia in armor. Light armor, maybe, but that doesn't make it that much cooler." He sat hunched over in one of the wagons, having spent most of his time on the trip just thinking about things. Not much about what had happened previously made sense to him, but his idea was that maybe, just maybe, he could piece things together in a way that sounded reasonable. It was a long trip to spend entirely within one's own mind, though. "You're a horse rider, aren't you? I imagine your steed is doing alright."

Edited June 10, 2023 by JakezuGD

[Nanami Touko]

Alvira nodded, stretching some. With what she'd purchased from the shop in clothes, she'd been able to switch over to the open back top with straps she'd put together, various parts of her skin showing through around it. Islexia was plenty warm and she didn't need to be wearing sweaters right now. Adjusting her shorts, she squirmed a little bit closer to Nat, sighing quietly. "I'm sure it'll go well. She seemed to know what she was doing, and what, are a bunch of islexians gonna come out of nowhere and start attacking us? Nah. Not here, at least. If she's been telling us the truth, we're in that Gaffney guys lands, so we should be safe for the moment. I'm more worried about that Kazran guy and the stretch after. Especially if Syndra's family comes after us..." Alvira groaned a bit and flopped against the wagon's side, staring at Tasha.

"You're really sexy, y'know that?"

---

"Ah. Lady Syndra and Lady Nyx--" Nyx made herself quite apparent, Ren smiling somewhat sheepishly. "Well, that's Nyx. I think Syndra..." Ren turned and took a moment to look around, peeking into the caravan, finally spotting her. "Yes, she's still around, hiding herself somewhat. Given the circumstances, as you put it, it makes sense she's trying to keep out of sight. Then... If your concerns have been spotted, I suppose that leaves me nothing to do but rest. Hahhh... I just... Don't like feeling idle. My apologies." Ren adjusted to standing up a bit straighter, balancing themselves against their staff. "I will do my best to rest. Promise. Thank you for trying, at least, but... We really have nothing to do but wait, huh?"

[mcd900]

"Mm... I know you dress a lot more lightly too, but that explains a lot. Mrahh..." Laniva's train of thought was cut off by that petting hand, relaxing a bit more against the cart wall. "I don't want to be stuck without my armor if something happens, though..." She fidgeted. More than an inconsequential part of it too was just her own personal attachment to the armor, but that part could remain unspoken...

"I'll be okay... probably. If we're okay for a couple more hours, then I'll take some of it off." She stretched a bit, slightly tensed up from the cart ride; at least there was shade in here.

[Xinnidy]

Üllr was cranky. The change in temperature and lower humidity was not to his comfort, and leaving the carriage was less and less desirable as the dust roads had less to explore and they were reaching civilization.

This was Islexia, not Hecatia, and definitely not Cerezia. People would probably be unpleasant again.

Confining himself to a corner of the wagon, Üllr raised his knees and hugged his legs, hoping to conserve his energy for the while. "Mrr..."

[scorri]

Cin stretched lazily, less affected by the heat than the rest of the group, but still slowed a little by it. He had moved away from the long sleeved shirt he had picked up in Hecatia, at least for the moment, returning to a vest and pants as the days warmed up more and more, leaving him comfortable again in the familiar. He watched Renais and Miria head off into the town with a slight frown, worried about the two of them but knowing that he was just about the worst pick to join them, so he turned, looking for something to distract himself from that worry. He spotted Syndra, off by herself watching the group head off into Sipa as well. He wandered over, hands in his pockets and smiled down at her. "So, back home, huh? I have to imagine it feels a little strange. I suppose I can't really even begin to understand if I'm being honest, but... Look." He sighed, squatting down and staring at his hands. "You approached me once, telling me to keep an eye out for danger. From what I've seen, and heard, you were right to worry. I can't imagine we'll get through this country without several groups targeting us, but... Anything you can tell me, about any of the dangers you worry we're going to face, I would appreciate it. There's quite a few people in this group I want to protect. Really, I want to help protect the Tigers as a whole. Including you, Dame Syndra." He grinned at her, turning her titles back on her. "So. What can you tell me?"

---

Koba was regretting having long hair right about now. It was hot, he was uncomfortable, and they were surrounded by more danger than he could imagine. He still wasn't really sure why he was here. He'd been set in his leaving after everything with the sword and the... presence, but he'd felt the need to tell Tio. He couldn't disappoint her, not again, and somehow, after a short conversation with her, he'd found himself still with the group, facing down a future more uncertain than it had ever been, even when he'd been stealing to survive from people who couldn't care if he lived or died. 'If you want to become stronger, if you want to become someone that your family, you, can truly rely on, you first need to realize that you're already stronger than you think you are, and will only become stronger by trusting the people around you. I didn't ask you to come with us just because I felt pity. I asked you to come with us because I think that you will be an incredible help to the Tigers. Your magic isn't strong, but you have skill. That itself is enough to become a mage to be feared, or perhaps loved. And I think I can prove that to you, I think the Tigers can prove that to you as well.' He grumbled under his breath. It was all well and good to hear that and believe it in the moment. It was entirely different to look back at those words after a few nights sleep when they were in the middle of a country that cared if he lived or died, specifically one that cared to see him dead.

He groaned, dragging himself up from the undignified pile he'd made of himself in the corner, shaking his head. It wouldn't do to sit still like this anymore. He had to do something. He started to leave the wagon when he paused, looking over in the other corner. The wolf, Ullr he thought?, looked even more miserable than Koba felt, and he hesitated before moving over to the man. "Hey, I uh. I can try and cool you down a little, if you want? I have wind magic, it's not as good as some ice would be or anything, but it's something at least. Get the air moving in here a little, you know?"

[Mercenary on the Winds]

Nita found herself pulled out of her bow, and setup straight, "Aha... Sorry. But, well... Yes, and no. Kazran's been well... probing. There have been some minor attacks all over--not quite here--but all around, and Eslcas has been attacked a couple times. Not serious incursions, but it's really got everyone on the razor's, I mean, razor's edge. It's why... well," She gestured all around them, "It's so quiet now. But, yeah, he's inside." 

Nita smiled at both Miria and Renais as they headed inside, allowing the two of them inside before gesturing at Marigold to head inside. "Kieran! Kieran! Someone's here, and you're gonna want to hear what she's got!"

---

A small, dark skinned man looked up from a paper as he heard his name being called by Nita, and it was accompanied with more footsteps than Nita could possibly make on her own, even when she was moving as fast as the girl could. He took another hit of his smoke before standing up, "What is it now, Nita... Can't a guy--oh." Renais and Miria walked inside, and he tilted his head. "The heck... who are you two? Nita, who are they? What's going on here?" The man was dressed in loose fitting robes, mostly, the top of his outfit was cutout to leave his decently built chest out in the open. 

---

Tio frowned as Elisa came up to her, and put her own worries about the situation into the air, "I know, and I agree... but there isn't too much to be done about it now. I can't imagine that if anything were to happen it would open in daylight like this..." Tio's hand tugged at the hem of her dress. She wanted to believe that they would be perfectly fine, but this was Islexia. Things were going to be different, and so much more difficult than they had been in Hecatia. "How are you feeling, by the way, Elisa. I'm certainly better, but... I really can't believe that blast took that much out of me... I, I know I've probably asked this about a thousand times in between then and now, but..."

Tio flinched as she remembered that Ren was essentially right in front of them, and had answered her question, "My... my manners really have gone up in smoke these past couple days... Thank you for your assistance, Ren, but... there is another thing that you could do for me. Could you find Syta, and ask her to bring her medallion here with her? I'd like to check on her and Kisara. Not that I can likely do anything at the moment..." Tio found her frustration starting to mirror Ren's with their inability to do much of anything right at the moment. She and Elisa had been rather idle aside from conversations with a few of the Tigers, and as much as she enjoyed her down time, too much of it got her fidgety. "Sigh... Don't apologize, Ren. I don't like being idle either, much. It is a little frustrating to not be able to do much of anything in this situation, or the next, but it's a delicate situation." 

Edited June 12, 2023 by Mercenary on the Winds

[Ursali]

Alriana had thought the journey to Cerezia was bad enough, but this journey into Islexia was bordering on hell on earth. In Hecatia Alvira had made buckets of ice for everyone at all hours of the day, or at least for her and her sister, and the temperature was more mild. Now, after the incident with the sword, Alvira's ice was no longer 'free'. Though she was glad that her friend had found her fire after having it stripped away, it did mean less ice to mitigate the insufferable heat. The dry heat only made it that much more terrible, Alriana's skin taking to it much worse than the heat that was present in Hecatia.

As human volunteers were called to enter the town, Alriana didn't even bat an eye. Like before, she was spread out on the wagon floor, trying to keep as much of her sweat on her as possible. She wouldn't be moving from this spot until there was promise of some sort of means of cooling down, showers, baths... Anything as long as she could get some liquid, that wasn't her own, on her skin. She hadn't been much in the mood for conversation during their trip, the reason obvious, though she'd managed to make time to spend some with Miria. Versaris, of course, and Iris, were who she spent the majority of her time with, and Ullr whenever he was with Iris. Speaking of, her usually hyperactive sister hadn't even said a peep as they rolled into town. The heat was affecting her as well, but it was still a bit worrying. 

"Irissss... Are you, okay?"

[Billy12510]

Well this wasn't the person Syndra was expecting to talk to first today. Still, it was nice to see that Syndra had left an impression on the young dragon man. "Taking my advice to heart I see. Well, besides the people we're being contracted to fight the only other major players in Islexia are my relatives. They're strong but I don't think they'll actually show up themselves unless they can confirm for certain that I'm back home, and by the time that happens we'll have been free and clear of them, I hope. With my brother Jalen you never know, he's actually stupid enough to probably pursue us up to the edge of the sands if it meant getting one over on me. Besides them..." Syndra pondered for a bit. Being away for so long and not having been able to hear from her bodyguards hampered the intel she could really give. "The only other group I personally can think of is Hecatia's Underground, they still want to pay us back from before with the Crows, and they'd have free range to do so here. Most of my other knowledge of the influential groups here is at least a year out of date, but my friends would have a better idea. When Saiga comes back with them you can ask them to fill in the gaps. Is that satisfactory Sir Cinaed?"

[TheRoon]

Renais had pulled Miria inside to be greeted by a tanned man, the pinkette slowly bowed her head in respect. "Miss Marigold called for human volunteers from the Iron Tigers, we fit the bill. I'm Renais Silvavolke, the primary cleric of the Tigers. Delighted to make your acquaintance, sir." Even though Renais wanted to be on her best behavior she just couldn't help her eyes. She traced the room on a quick glance as she lowered her head. "This is my companion, I'll let her introduce herself."

[GoldsbroTSG]

"Greetings, sir." Miria announced, standing next to Renais before giving a bow, "I'm Miria Luna, one of the Tigers' vanguards. It's an honor, Lord Kieran." She did her best to maintain her composure. She took a better look as she rose herself back up. He wasn't... quite what she had in mind as someone who was a big name in a community, though, she supposed they come in all sizes. She stuck close to Renais' side, making sure neither of them weren't going anywhere.

[Nanami Touko]

"As long as you promise me that you'll take care of yourself, kitty..." Syta continued her petting and relaxed against the wagon with the poor and unfortunate Laniva, her other hand idly rotating the amulet between her fingers. Kisara hadn't said a word since that moment, but even Syta could feel the magic in the object slowly restoring itself. Perhaps too slowly for one to consider good, but still, it was there. She was there. Come back already, you stupid fox... I'm waiting for you. You owe a lot of us plenty of explanation about all of that. She bit back a sigh and rested her head against Laniva's shoulder, the armor not a bother for her comfort.

---

Iris merely groaned in response to Alriana's prodding. The heat wasn't getting to her as badly; the sisters shared a similar issue with sweating and their skin's hydrophobia, but her skin wasn't drying out at the very least. With their resident ice mage's magic getting limited, they were without serious water-- "Kyah!?" Iris suddenly shuddered and flailed as a splash of cold water hit her, the sensation incredibly pleasant, but also incredibly unexpected.

"And one for you too," Sari's voice said, a ball of water colliding with Alriana and soaking her good. "Sorry that I can't do more for you two, but I hope it helps... If you need more, I can probably muster a bit." Versaris wasn't a proper mage, but he had some of his own magic, and formulating the basic elements was something he could manage. Nothing for combat, of course, but giving relief to the lizards was worth being able to. "Want me to bother Alvira to see if she can manage some more ice? Something to have near as it melts to try and cool the air a bit?"

"Mrahhnhhn... Yeahhhn... That'd be nice, Sari... Mmhrrrhnn, why can't you bathe me, like you bathe Aly?" Iris whined and squirmed a bit before resting again, sighing. "You two seem to have so much fun...

"I-- Ahem, ah... That's... Ask, Ullr. To do that for you..." Sari hid his head in his hands for a moment, taking a deep breath.

---

Siorel stretched and hopped off one of their wagons, bouncing, rubbing her hands against her face. She was pretty tired, but only because of the heat. It made her want to sleep more, especially against Cinaed. He made everything extra warm, and it was beyond comfortable. Absolutely the best. She scanned the group, looking for Cinaed, finally finding him off speaking to Syndra... "Ohhh, interesting~" She found a place nearby the wagon to sit and watch, not rude enough to probe into his conversation, simply amused watching him. "Mmm, look at that tail... I wanna wrap myself up in it~"

---

"Yes, that I can do. And don't worry. I'm not bothered by your stress and exhaustion, not one bit... I watched what you went through. Take care with your recovery. I shall acquire Syta." Ren bowed and smiled, moving their way towards the wagon, Syta resting against their cat ally, fondling the necklace in question. "Syta."

"Bwah!? Ah, Ren?" Syta sat up, staring at the healer. "Did you need me for...?"

"Yes. The Evokers would like to see your amulet... I suppose they want to check on this fox inside it, yes?"

"Oh... Right." Syta slowly picked herself up and stretched. "Did you wanna come along, Lani?"

---

Marigold scoffed at the two Tigers as she walked in, waving at Kieran. "Man's no lord, Miria. Definitely not a sir... Sup, Kieran? Surprised you're both still waiting around here, honestly... Was I really gone that long?" She shrugged. "Well, I'm back, and like these two said, they belong to a mercenary group called the Tigers. Big group of mercenaries, mostly Clouded and Monsters... Just what the bosses ordered."

"That right?" A woman's voice cut through Marigold's, someone with pink hair resting against the door to the inn, staring over at the five of them. Her skin was white, beyond pale, her hair a bright pink, tied up in a ponytail. She smiled, her eyes shining gold, smiling with her. As she began to walk over, the massive tail poking out of her dress came into view, grey, leathery, with fins on the end. She swayed her way towards everyone, ignoring the eyes on her from other people in the inn. She didn't care; she hadn't, and she wouldn't.

"Whoa... Boss. What're you doing here?" Marigold was a bit shocked, the first time real emotion was present on her face. "I didn't think you'd leave the fort..."

"Not happy to see me?" She shrugged and ran a hand through Marigold's hair, settling herself next to Kieran. "Hey. I'm Cassandra... Sister to the guy you were hired to fight for. Mind taking me to meet your leader? Figure it's best I know what deal Marigold cut you all... And if she hasn't yet, cut you one. Proper form, yeah?" She smiled wide, showing her teeth, the myriad fangs and sharp points grinning down at Miria and Renais.

Edited June 14, 2023 by Nanami Touko

[Bluemask 96]

Jesse reached down and gave Charlon some loving pats on the neck. "He's been doing fine so far, but this is definitely something new for him. Truth be told I still have my worries about being here but we do have a mission. It must have been a surprise for you that'd you'd be reunited with the Tigers so soon I take it. How did you guys first meet?" Downtime was best spent learning about her traveling companions. Jesse had already gotten to learn a lot about Miria, and of course she talked to Ren and Syta, when the later wasn't swarming over one of the Tiger's cat clouded. Branching out would do her some good though.

[TheRoon]

Renais felt slightly awkward at being overly polite, but she simply lifted her head back up and mentally shrugged it off. Just as the talk was about to kick off a new voice cut in, and a new figure entered with it. Of course, Renais' sharp, adventurous eyes darted over to view who it was. It happened to be another Clouded, an aquatic one as well. The pinkette eyed her fellow pinkette's tail as she walked along to her place next to Kieran, and when she presented a large toothy grin to the girls Renais' eyes widened. Oh my she's... Though before she lost herself to her nerves, she recalled her first meeting with Cin. Despite his size and bulk, he was a close friend. She still felt a little bad about their first meeting, it was a mistake she didn't want to repeat. The cleric relaxed her expression a little as she settled herself down. "...miss Cassandra, a pleasure to meet you. I'm Renais." She returned the smile with her own, though it was far less toothy than the shark woman's. "I don't see any issue introducing you to our commander personally, once we've concluded things here I believe. Nice hair if I might say so by the way." She wrapped a strand of her own pink hair as she attempted to keep friendly.

[GoldsbroTSG]

Miria gave a nervous laugh at Mari's comment, "W-Well, I'm just being respe-" Suddenly there was another voice, Miria turned to see the woman. She was... very pretty, from the hair, to the-

"Wow..." Miria's face was clear, she was in awe of her features, especially as she saw the massive tail in the back. "How cool," she said, half-quietly. "Ahh, I mean, greetings, Miss Cassandra. My name's Miria~" she greeted, meeting the woman's smile with her own.

"Of course, we're more than happy to have you meet the boss. Just uh... Is that fine? I know Mari wanted us to come first cause we're human, but--" Miria cut herself off. It was best to Cassandra answer first.

[Nanami Touko]

Cass' eyes looked between both of them, slowly outstretching a hand and gingerly collecting a lock of Renais' hair. She leaned down and kissed it, eyes on Renais the whole time. Standing back up, she let it fall between her fingers and hit her with a wink. "Yes. Pink is a lovely color... I have to agree~" Her eyes drifted towards Miria and she smiled wide again, flexing an arm. "Don't you worry, little lady. I'll show you exactly how cool I can be~ And sure, it's plenty fine. Better than having everyone's eyes on me here, anyway... Mari was going to report to these two and then send them off to find myself and Owen. Might as well skip a few steps, yeah? Come on, we'll drag Nita and Kieran along, too. I know he loves being around me, so it'll be great for him. Right, Kieran~?" She shot her toothy grin towards the man, knowing exactly how well he'd take it.

[Mercenary on the Winds]

Kieran's eyes went from wide to narrowed as Marigold walked in alongside Nita; for a moment, he'd thought that Bella had found some people to bolster then, but it was, unfortunately, Marigold. She hadn't checked in recently, so a part of him had hoped that she'd just up and vanished. "I am a 'sir,' as far as you're concerned, Marigold. Gotta admit, I kind of thought you'd left given how many check-ins you missed. You were supposed to keep in regular contact." The man sighed, and turned to the two Tigers, "But I guess you did it... you found a group of mercs that's brave enough to work with u--"

Kieran's body straightened as another feminine voice spoke up. It wasn't Marigold's, and it wasn't Nita's, and it certainly wasn't Bella's. Why the fuck is she here... Kieran turned to see the familiar clouded woman walking into the inn, drawing looks from everyone else inside. Cassandra was a brazen sort, didn't care much about what anyone else thought of her, and knew that people weren't going to be openly hostile to her--either Owen would handle them, or if they got physical, she was more than capable of handling it. "...What are you doing away from the fort, Lady Cassandra?" She parked herself right next to him, causing him to scowl, but he held firm. His allegiance was only to Owen, not to one of the half-bloods.

Kieran blinked as Cassandra seemed to be altering the plan, as she tended to do, "If you're here, Cassandra, I don't need to be. I have people to tend to anyway; I would have sent Nita to go and inform you two. Don't want to waste people's time while I'm off doing what you can."

Nita looked at Kieran, a wide frown on her face, "You're lying, Kieran. I offered to go myself, but you declined that. You're only saying this now because its Lady Cassandra and Marigold. Isn't it better to ascribe to the idea that we are but one horse in the her--I mean, that we're all in this together?" The tanned swordswoman huffed, "If you really don't want to go, just say so and get it over with."

Kieran shot Nita a glare, "...Part of me wonders if you're trying to get me killed or something. Ugh... Fine." The man rolled his eyes, "Where are going, Lady Cassandra..."