Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars

[GoldsbroTSG]

Miria had easily brought Gean to her resting spot, it was almost second nature, she was tough and all! But once Gean was laid out, Miria pulled out a chair, and sat as she watched Renais play. She had already decided she was going to sit and keep Gean nice and watched over until she was good to go. Just to bring out her book, and begin a bit of reading. There was a good bit she was ready for, some big fight that was about to--

The girl was caught so off guard by the sound of multiple keys being slammed, she jumped out of her seat and began backing up, dragging the chair along with her. When it started to die down, Miria realized instantly what had happened. Renais... just passed out where she was, face first into the piano. Miria didn't even need direction from Gean, she had immediately ran to and gently scooped the pinkette from her... Accident area. She cradled and held Renais for a moment, giving her a soft rub to her head, That had to have hurt... The brunette turned back to the bed, noticing that Gean scoot to give the girls space.

And without asking questions, Miria laid the poor pinkette with Gean, and helped get her comfy and blanketed (and made sure the two were nice and snuggly together).

"Easy, just like that." And she pat Renais's head gently.

"Now then, I'll be right here," and she went back to her chair, turning it so she wasn't looking at the duo in bed. She gave the nod to Favio regarding Gean's request. "I'll be right here keeping an eye out. For safety." She wasn't sure how much it was necessary, but she was at it now.

[Mercenary on the Winds]

Neither Miria nor Aegean needed to ask. Favio had already made his way to the door, by the time either of the girls had so much as moved. "Watch over her in the meanwhile. I'll be back with them shortly!"

The man's voice has steadily decreased in volume as he moved quickly down the hall. The day's surprises continued to rack up. He felt bad at how quickly the situation seemed to devolve, but all he could do was facilitate and the Evokers were the only people who'd know what to do.

---

---

---

The morning after the skirmish at Liste proved to be even more lively and impactful than the evening before. The possibility that Lufiria may have attacked Hecatia, and stolen one of their holy relics, that the thief may be a princess of Lufiria, Lucille Shiva, and that Aegean--a escapee from Lufiria--knows the woman. Of course, no one could confirm the possibility without encountering the fleeing thief, but the reality was that the group needed to keep their pace. The threat of the Hecatian military was a looming threat, and the last thing they needed was to have to explain themselves to an army that may take their mere presence as a threat. Even weary from the myriad happenings of the morning, the Tigers said their goodbyes to Sarasin and Favio, and began making their way towards Cerezia. 

Despite Tio's less than optimistic outlook on events, the group's journey towards one of the larger cities in Hecatia was almost entirely without issue. A handful of heckling from some of the more unsavory locals, but nothing that the group hadn't already weathered, and nothing that necessitated a show of force. The heat started to increase in intensity, but it was what was expected as they steadily approached Islexia. Much of the ride was the party coming to terms with the morning after their fight with the knights, the realization that they were currently embroiled in something that was much larger than their mission. 

After just under a week of travel, the city of Cerezia came into view. While hardly one of the largest cities in the province, the city was situated in a place that made Cerezia a place where Hecatia and Islexia came together, for better or worse. It would definitely be one of their last locations to stock up safely, and without overwhelming prejudice aimed at the clouded and monsters. The city was expected to be busy with the news of the thief, and the ratcheting tension within Islexia, but the city was teeming with movement. Yet, the Tigers were used to dealing with what they could see, hear, and feel. But there were those from the shadows, enemies unseen, not understood, that had begun to take interest in them...

In the Shadows 

Spoiler

Even in the musk, and damp air of the underground portion of the castle, the torches burned strong as if they were burning dried kindling. A keen eye, or even someone who understood how fire worked would know that the torches were fueled by magic. Proof that the person that the hooded figure sought was here. Their attire covered the approaching figure’s entire body. The only distinguishing thing about them was the notebook in their hand, clutched to their side. 

They rounded the corner of the musty labyrinth before approaching two guards, a towering woman with an enormous axe, and a shorter, but no less threatening looking man with a curved blade at his side. The woman had blindingly pale skin, and threatened to shatter the armor she wore. She looked as if she trained by carrying a full grown horse, and its rider up mountains in full plate armor. There was yet, an elegance in her powerful physique. The man was similarly built, if shorter and overall smaller. His sharp features, and dress, and the wicked looking sword at his side seemed to place the man as one of the Muran tribesmen. The hooded figure had notions that the tribesmen tended to be idiotic savages with no understanding of the true beauty of the world, but their travels proved the brilliance that Muran culture had. Taking any man or woman lightly on account of their culture, gender or appearance was a belief that had been exorcized from their being. The underworld awoke the brilliance that slept within. 

Both figures immediately readied themselves as the figure rounded the corner, forcing the man to raise his hands.

“Whoa, whoa… gentle you two… It’s just me, just a courier.” 

The woman relaxed, raising to her full height, “Fool. You know to announce.” 

“Yes, yes… Just testing you! Who knows when someone will walk down these corridors as an enemy?” 

“When they do, they’ll be cut down swiftly. Just as you were about to, Luthier.” The man removed his hand from his sword, “The Maestra is inside. That is why you’re here, right?” 

“It is, Ardanze. I have a series of updates that I’d like to give to the Maestra, and Autarch. Some delectable things they’d like to hear.” 

“No Autarch today. Just the Maestra.” 

Luthier removed his hood, revealing his snow white hair, tanned skin, amber eyes, and the frown now on his face. 

“I can see we are of many words today, Regina. I wasn’t aware that the Autarch would be stepping away. That ruins the show a little… Oh well, the Maestra knowing is good enough.” Luthier stepped towards the pair, “I’ll be going now. I have many things to do! Things to plan, sales to be made, demons to break apart into lovely little shapes!” He chuckled as he pushed the door the two guards defended. 

The room behind it was well lit, and well maintained. It was almost as if the room was not connected to the underground. The feeling of carpet beneath Luthier’s feet was almost jarring, or it would have been if he hadn’t entered this room countless times in the past. Exotic weapons, and items lined the hall, and towards the back of the room was a large throne. Luthier’s eyes were now drawn to the woman standing over a table with maps strewn over it. Her long, blazing red hair obscured her face as she looked over the maps, and plans, but his entrance had been enough. 

“You’re late, Luthier.” 

The man quickly bowed, “My apologies, Maestra. There were… things I needed to tend to.” 

“No doubt more of your schemes.” The woman stood up, staring at him with piercing blue eyes. “You’ve wasted my time, so I hope you make it up with what news you have to tell me.” 

He rose back to his height, and slowly made his way over to the table. "Of course Maestra. May I ask wher–"

"Not here. That has nothing to do with your report. Out with it Luthier." 

Ah, she's in an awful mood. Luthier adjusted his candor. The Maestra was a mercurial sort; her ability to forecast and plan things was what had allowed her to rise within the underground. She turned the operation into the horrifyingly efficient machine that it was now. However, she viewed life as yet another resource, and she would not hesitate to remove him if he wasted her time. 

“Of course. I believe that I may have found our friend’s target in my travels during one of my scouting attempts.” 

Her eyebrow rose ever so slightly, “Are you talking about the woman that prattle is after? What is his name… Nicolas, or something? It matters little me. So you’ve found her? Then why isn’t she with you?” 

“Because I am not a miracle worker in matters like these, Maestra. I am a man of the shadows, trickery, and guile, I am not one who can force my way through a blockade, and one exists in front of our target. She is but a part of a mercenary outfit, and a rather competent one to boot–they killed Darlunya.” 

“Ah. So they’re the ones who plucked the feathers from the crows?” The red haired woman scanned Luthier, before shaking her head. “Spit out the rest of it. You’re hiding something still.”

The man ran a hand through his head, and began chuckling, “Ah, Maestra, you see through me always. There is someone I want from that group. A lovely full blooded dragon. It’s been quite a few years since I’ve seen one, and I’m eager to have a chance to make use of her. Ah… Weaponry, armor, magic… Dragons are chock full of materials to make all sorts of things.” The man spun with a rapturous sigh, “It would help with research into other avenues as well, things I’m sure that the Auturch as well, as our other benefactors would love to see.” 

“So what are you asking then?”

Luthier smiled, “I’ll need some of the stolen equipment, as well as a small force. With them, I will capture both our target, and my specimen. Perhaps more than that even; this group seems to have all sorts of wondrous individuals, including an old friend.” His smile turned into a grin at the thought. She survived all this time. They’d all sworn that they had left her for dead when she’d betrayed them, and ruined the mission, but if she were alive now… “I can assure you that this will place us in good graces with the Islexian warlord. I even have it on reasonable authority that the Evokers are with this group.” 

The stoicism on the red haired woman’s face broke, but only for a moment. “What would the Evokers be doing in Hecatia, and with a Glacian mercenary outfit?”

Luthier shrugged, “I can’t quite answer that, but I have my guesses. Such as that it may be related to our benefactor’s machinations. There have been rumors as to a Glacian envoy to Lufiria, but with how secretive the Glacian crown tends to be, it’s been a struggle figuring things out for sure. Perhaps our Islexian friend knows?” 

The woman pondered for a moment, before nodding her head. “Go find Cashmere. Tell him that I’ve given you authority to execute a high level operation. Capture the woman, and your specimen, but in exchange for formally handing over the target, confirm whether he knows about this envoy. Make sure that the troglodyte doesn’t double back on our deal.” 

“Of course, Maestra. I’ll be on my way then. It appears you’re busy.” The man bowed to her, before wandering towards the door. 

“Luthier.” 

The man stiffened, and turned back to her, “Yes?” 

“Make no mistakes. We’re juggling far too many things for one to drop. If we succeed with this warlord, we’ll finally have a safe throughline and will be able to make in-roads into Lufiria. There are benefactors already lined up, and so, I will not have you screwing things up for your experiments. Am I understood?” The room warmed ever so slightly with her words. 

“Of course Maestra Nimue. I won’t tarnish the Underground’s good name.”

 

Edited September 26, 2022 by Mercenary on the Winds

[Nanami Touko]

Cerezia was upon them... That meant it was time for his date with Alriana. Luckily, nothing serious had come up that could potentially dampen the monster's mood, though, Versaris certainly had plenty to think about right now. I only hope that if it really is the princess, that she knows what she's doing. Stealing relics is cause for war... Part of me wants to run off once I meet with Jeremiah, but that would be incredibly irresponsible. I need to see these people to Lufiria... I can decide what to do once we get there.

He shook his head. Now wasn't the time for these thoughts. Now was the time for him to take their beautiful lizard through Cerezia on the date of a lifetime. He adjusted his collar, brushed off his pants from sitting on the wagon, made sure his sword was fastened tightly to his belt, and made his way over to Alriana, giving her a small bow. "I hope the heat hasn't been too difficult for you, Aly. I'll be sure to be on the lookout for something comfortable for you to wear to stay cool~ Shall we be off? I won't lie, I've been looking forward to this quite a bit." He held his hand out for her to take, hoping she was in the mood for the theatrics of it all.

---

"Üllr! Üllr!! LOOK!" Sixteen was shouting, eyes wide, all smiles, unable to contain herself in the wagon! "It's a city! A real city! I'm going to get to see a real city!!" Despite how lethargic she'd been during their travels due to the heat, she was beyond excited now, having bounced over to the poor wolf, spinning around him and even climbing on him a little, tail wagging like crazy. "We can go in, right? Right!? I'm allowed to, right!?" She was almost whimpering with how much she was unsure, waiting for him to answer and start leading, part of her still fighting the fear of entering a mostly human city. She'd be fine this time. She had her sister, she had the tigers, she had Üllr. This time would be different.

---

"Hahhhhhhh..." Syta blew an errant strand of hair out of her face, leaning back in one of the out door dining chairs of the restaurant she'd decided to partake in during her time in Cerezia. She'd kept tabs on anyone suspicious that had entered the city, thanks in part to her own vigilance as well as having a second set of 'eyes' to watch along with her. No one incredibly high profile had come through, yet, so she didn't have anything more to report back to Celine. She'd have to visit back with her soon enough, either way. All of the information she'd learned from the dancer and her partner, it had to meet Celine's ears. Luckily, she hadn't been accosted by anyone for learning all she had, as she and Kisara had feared, so it was smooth sailing from here on out.

Are you sure you can afford to be sitting around like this, Syta? Almost smooth sailing. The Kitsune was still anxious about it all, even if Syta had managed to calm down.

There's nothing to worry about anymore, Kisara. Celine will be here soon. We just have to keep our eyes peeled and meet with her when she arrives, make sure no one else weird stumbles into town before she does. Simple, right? Shouldn't you relax by now?

The knowledge we possess is a matter of international security, Syta! the fox's voice hissed into her mind, making the girl wince, huffing. There is no world in which I can be calm while we haven't yet met with Celine! Part of me worries we'll be 'disposed of' once we deliver it, as well... A loose end tied up.

Syta sighed. Well, if it comes to that, I'm sure you'll do everything you can to save us. I can at least trust you, if no one else.

The fox's voice quieted down at that comment, a grumble leaving her before she sunk back into the depths of Syta's mind.

"Mmm... I guess another patrol around the city wouldn't hurt. Hahh... Up we go~" Syta left the gold for her meal on the table, picked up her axe, adjusted the staff on her waist, the tomes on the other side, and strapped her spear onto her back. "Let's take a walk~"

[Xinnidy]

"It... it is. A city." Üllr didn't have an initial positive response to seeing Cerezia, apprehensive from how bad his previous experiences in human settlements were. Still, this time he had employers, humans and other clouded with him to share the burden. Certainly it would be... tolerated, if he had Tio's name to protect. "We can go in.This is bigger than the last place, Sixteen. We could look around." She seemed quite clingy as of not, but Üllr didn't mind. 

Edited September 17, 2022 by Xinnidy

[mcd900]

It had been about a week since they left Liste, and as the city of Cerezia came into view, Laniva felt herself relaxing, ever so slightly. The... intrigue, to put it lightly - of about a week ago had certainly had something of an effect on a number of the Tigers, and while she was content to keep pressing onwards with their mission, there was no denying that quite a few things were up in the air with quite some potential to stir trouble once they came down.

Still in the distance, the city was a fair bit larger than any she'd ever seen - bigger both than the small castle and town she'd grown up around and anything she'd seen on her brief wander since. There were enough people that she could faintly make out little blobs moving around in the distance, and the occasional larger one; a horse, or a cart, or something.

First time in a city like this... wonder what it'll be like?

[Nanami Touko]

"Yes!" Sixteen couldn't wait anymore, grabbing Üllr's hand and-- "Whoa!" collapsing... She'd attempted to pull him off and start running into town, but the wolf was far too heavy for her to move like that, running forward and having her feet fall out from under her. She blinked a bunch and stared up at him, before rolling onto her stomach and dashing behind him on all fours, jumping up onto his back. "Okay! Let's go, Üllr~! Carry me!" This was much better, surely, surely.

[Billy12510]

The group had finally arrived in Cerezia, a city on a much larger scale compared to where they'd come from a week ago. The revelations the group were privy to through both the story of Escaflowne being stolen and Aegean's own past still weighed slightly on Syndra. If its true that Lufiria's princess is involved and Aegean's uncle is going to step in to solve this matter, where's that going to leave us? It wasn't the only thing weighing on her mind though. If that merchant knew who we were its possible my own family has an idea of where I am right now. If that's true getting through Islexia means fighting for every step. Syndra ran her hands through her hair and exhaled, deciding to just go and find something in the city to take her mind off her worries for a short while. The question was, where to go first?

[Bluemask 96]

It had been a long, long week for Aegean.

Getting your whole world dropped on you, finding out your former home might be committing war worthy acts, being forced to reveal your past, and finding out your own contractor gave your location away to your family that probably will be very unhappy to see you would do that to a person, and all of that on top of the heat not being her expertise really did a number to the girl.

Nighttime did little to alleviate the problem. No her thoughts and worries had made sure that proper sleep was an impossibility. Of course she'd try not to let it show, keep the smile going keep the spirits up. The only person she showed any moment of weakness to was Cinead one night during a small talk, but the stubbornness tactic was running thin. She was running circles in her head over what to do, and all in all she was feeling more lost than she was before this whole trip began. 

As the group finally made it to Cerezia, some were very excited to be in a larger city, while others were... not so enthused, and Gean was leaning towards the latter. She needed a distraction, something to get her mind to break away from everything else.

Edited December 7, 2022 by Bluemask 96

[GoldsbroTSG]

Miria was still fast asleep in the wagon. Best way to handle the travel when she was bored was to sleep and let her energy build up. She uncurled from her spot with a yawn, and began scanning the area. She realized they had stopped. Patting her head some to wake her up, she finally got up and realized they had made it to a city. One of the Evokers referred to it as 'Cerezia' from what she remembered.

She got some of her water, and took a few sips from it. It was still hot out. Hopefully they'd find an inn and Miria can find a bath, or a pool, or something. And a good place to eat, she could go for a nice meal.

As the girl planned to leave, she noticed her big sister seemingly thinking, or something. Miria assumed what happened back in the mansion was still lingering on her. Miria wasn't sure if she could relate or not. Maybe, considering her family troubles, but... Gean's was on another level. So(!), Miria decided she'd do what she does best.

"Good morning Gean~" She started as she made her way over to the mermaid, anx planted herself next to her. "What's the plan for today?" She asked, carrying her award-winning smile.

Edited September 19, 2022 by Silver Gallade

[Ursali]

A week of travel had quickly passed, the only enemies the tigers faced was the dreaded heat. Thankfully Alvira had prepared buckets of ice to help cool the wagons, and had given Aly her own personal bucket, so the journey was much more bearable despite the increasing heat. Exposing Gean, or at least playing a part in it, didn't weigh on the lizard's mind at all, despite the inconvenience it caused Gean; in her mind all she did was ask a question that no one had told her not to ask.

As the city came into view Versaris immediately sprang into action. She'd half forgotten about the date she'd promised him to feel out the relationship he wanted to pursue, but with how excited he seemed to be she wondered if that was callous of her. Perhaps because of that concern in her mind she wasn't as unreceptive as Versaris may have been expecting. "Heat tolerable because of Alvira." She rose to her feet, still holding onto the half-melted bucket of ice, and took the hand that was offered her. "Mhhm... Let go on date then."

Edited September 19, 2022 by Ursali

[MRDRHAWK]

Nyx was very clearly not having a good time.

First off, she was still thinking - perhaps too hard - about what Favio had said to her back at Sarasin’s mansion. Try as she might, all those names he’d mentioned seemed incredibly fuzzy, and yet familiar at the same time. She wished she’d decided to kick the bottle sooner, so that maybe she wouldn’t have fucked up her memory this bad, but… was that the case, really?

Then there was the little matter of being in Cerezia again, and Nyx almost certainly had a bad rap here. Not unfounded, of course, given her past, but it made things a hell of a lot harder in the present without a way to mask who she was - or rather, who she used to be.

Either way, this was shaping up to be an awful trip.

---

Saiga hadn’t quite expected this job to turn out the way it did.

Not only was he now accompanying the Evokers - the freakin’ Evokers! - across Hecatia, but he’d even managed to not completely screw up his first impression with his new travelling companions! Probably. He’d certainly hoped so, at least; it wasn’t in his best interests to piss off the mercenaries, and it definitely wasn’t in his best interests to piss off the Evokers, either.

Ishii let out a low, rumbling growl, and Saiga knew what that meant - so, pets it was. “Easy there, boy. I know you want to just soar, but we can’t leave the group behind. Lord Sarasin gave us a job, and we’re gonna see it through.” He’d said quietly to the wyvern, likely drawing a few stares. He didn’t mind, though; especially not since he was probably already getting them anyways from being a big man on an even bigger wyvern.

Huh. Did they have lots of wyvern riders in Hecatia? Saiga had never really spent much time here before being hired by Sarasin, so there was definitely a lot he could learn about this country.

[Xinnidy]

"Ah..." It was amusing that Sixteen nearly tripped on herself trying to pick him up., even if she was very comfortable just... using him as a ride. It probably wasn't a big deal. "Okay..."

Keeping her balanced with little effort, Üllr scanned the main street for any useful places. As one place struck Üllr's fancy, he did  notnwait to look further. "Hmm? That's a  shop? We'll check." Saying little, he dragged Sixteen along.

...It was pretty standard, despite Üllr's unfamiliarity, to a blacksmith's. They seemed to focus on standard weapons, and the handler seemed to be a Clouded as well, which was... a comforting feeling. "Hello... do you sell weapons here?" Üllr greeted, wanting to be sure as he walked in.

[scorri]

Cinaed stared at the approaching city, wondering what was in store for them when they entered. Their previous stops had both ended up poorly, and Cinaed couldn't help but worry that this one might end up the same way. But even as he started to go down that mental path, he shook his head. Nope. Remember, control your emotions. Don't let fear control you. He popped a small flame into existence, quickly running through the patterns he used to calm himself down, before dismissing it again. His talk with the Evokers had been hard at first, but he couldn't argue with the end results. He had a long way to go, needing to work on keeping his emotions in check and remembering that he controlled his magic, not the other way around, but it was a start.

He looked down at the woman at his side, a smile on his face as he thanked his lucky stars that she had come into his life. Siorel had been right beside him through this, supporting and encouraging him through his fear, and he knew that she would continue to be there if he asked. She deserves a nice day today, and I'm going to make sure she gets it. Reaching down, he wrapped her hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I hope you're ready for the city. I'm taking you out on a date. Lunch, shopping, whatever you want. And it's my treat so don't worry about any of that." His pockets were heavier than they'd ever been before he had joined the Tigers and he was going to make sure today was special.

[Mercenary on the Winds]

Cerezia, perhaps their final stop in Hecatia before they hit mainland Islexia, following the envoy's trail. The place was much bigger and more prominent than Tio had wanted originally, but with everything that had occurred since the fight at Liste made the stop all the more important.

Firstly, Cerezia was a messaging waypoint between the Knight's headquarters in Kanalet, and the outposts on the border. If there was anything to learn about the ongoing incident, Cerezia would be an excellent place to do so. Cerezia was also fairly near to the border itself, so there were many travelers and merchants from Islexia and that could give them a glimpse into how Islexia was behaving. Speaking of merchants, because of it's location, Cerezia was known for its Smithies. The Knights and mercenary outfits that called Cerezia home needed the weapons to perform their duties. Magic was less plentiful, but that shouldn't be much of an issue for their outfit. 

Their supplies had held up better than Tio anticipated, but only barely. Heading into Islexia without being prepared for anything was asking for trouble, and so Cerezia was perfectly situated. Once they'd come to a stop, Tio hopped down from the wagon with a surprising amount of grace, and caught Ullr and 16 already disappearing into the city. They were already gone by the time Tio opened her mouth, but they'd not gone towards the wealthier part of Cerezia so hopefully things would be fine. She couldn't blame them for being excited, after all, Tio was as well. 

She looked over herself, making sure that nothing was out of place. Her normal dress and mantle--the one she wore typically for all of work as an Evoker--had been stashed, and replaced with a more casual, low cut dark blue dress, with a pink undershirt that served to temper the amount of cleavage shown. There was still a good amount shown--the dress was fairly low cut, the shirt did its job but was also fairly low cut, and Tio was rather well endowed. The outfit was a lot more showy than normal, and definitely on purpose. She hadn't really explained the change, but with all she had been doing up until this point, she hadn't the time.

Tio sighed, "Well. I suppose not everyone needs to hear this, but, here we are in Cerezia. Now, I'm unsure if it is anxiety or miscalculations on my end, but we've arrived well ahead of our time table. With everything that has happened as of recent, and will be happening in the future... I think that we can use the time that we've earned ourselves to relax today. Our next leg of our journey will take us into Islexia, so while we will likely have respite in the future it will be nothing like this." Tio pulled out a note from somewhere, and scanned it quickly before continuing. "We'll be staying at the Dusty Frontier--the name does not describe the place--which is to the east of us. It's fairly hard to miss. Aside from that... make sure that no one travels here by themselves. While prejudice is lower than one would expect here, it isn't absent, and gets worse the closer you get to the wealthier parts of the city. On top of that... we have the issue with the relic thief, there's a good chance that the knights and mercenaries will be out in force until they capture them. Lastly, courtesy of the people of Liste, the Tigers were gifted seventeen thousand gold. Elisa, and I decided to pitch-in a bit of our own gold to make that an even fifteen hundred split amongst all of you. That should make your time here in Cerezia smooth enough. I... believe that's everything. Does anyone have any questions? Something I may have overlooked? Ask away." Tio half hoped that there wouldn't be too many questions, there were still administrative things to do but a break with Elisa sounded ethereal after this past week.

---

"Mmm?" The young man looked up at Ullr, the scales on his face appearing like freckles, and his ears took on more of a fin-like appearance making the bespectacled boy one of the Merfolk. His skin was dirtied with soot and smoke, and his attire wasn't much better, overalls and a dark shirt, although it was anyone's guess if that were it's natural color. "Yeah, yeah, we sell weapons here. Big ones, small ones, we got the works." He looked over Ullr, "Traveler? You look tough but I ain't seen you at the arena, or anywhere, actually. Whatcha looking for?"

Edited September 24, 2022 by Mercenary on the Winds

[Nanami Touko]

Maybe Alriana wasn't as out of sorts as he'd expected. "Eager, huh?" Versaris gave Alriana's hand a squeeze, taking Tio's warning to heart and taking Alriana off towards the city proper. "What would you like to do first, Alriana? We've got weapons we could look into, clothing, food... Maybe even books or the arena, if you wish to experience something else. Cerezia is a rather large city, being on the border of Islexia. There's plenty to do here, and I'm going to shower you in whatever you want to do~ As long as you're happy today, I'm happy. So, what's first, darling?"

---

"Ehhhh?" Siorel wasn't sure how much she wanted to be spoiled. It wasn't exactly good memories, and they hadn't been together for very long. She didn't want Cinaed to regret spending money on her in case something went wrong between them... "You really don't have to go that far. Let's just eat like normal and have a nice time relaxing, yeah? Maybe do some light shopping... I do need some new clothes, or some more material to make another dress. You can help me with that~" Siorel reached up and poked his nose, smiling. "I don't need a bunch of things bought for me to be happy, Cin. You're here. That's enough~"

---

"Weapons?" Sixteen poked her head out from behind Üllr and looked at the merman, blinking a few times. She uncoiled herself from Üllr's back and crawled along the floor to the counter, standing up and staring at him, her height making her very unimposing. "Hi! I'm Sixteen! That's Üllr! He wanted to check on this shop, so here we are! What do you sell here? I've never been in a shop before... I don't think I can use weapons." She clacked her clawed fingers on the countertop, bringing attention to the size of them and how unwieldy they would be with weapons in them. "What do you think?" She was all smiles, fangs present, giggling a little bit. She was simply too excited.

---

Syta stretched and yawned again, still waking up. She wasn't much for cities. They were full of people and rather stuffy. She needed towns, villages, open roads and fields... They were the best place to be~ "Mmhhn... What to do today--" Her eyes looked about as they settled on... Cat ears. "Whaaaa...?"

What? What is it... A cat girl? Syta, why are you so surprised--

"Whoooaaaa..." Syta found herself walking towards the woman, a delight filling her eyes.

Syta? Syta!? Hello!? Are you listening to me!?

Kisara was falling on deaf ears, Syta finally approaching the woman and waving lightly. "Hey there... Miss? Are you... Would you, happen to be... A, cat, clouded...?" She felt her eyes drifting up to her ears, then back down to her face. "Sorry, but... I-I know this is incredibly forward, but... Can I pet you?"

Edited October 10, 2022 by Mel the DM

[scorri]

"Hey, like I said, it's up to you." Cin wrinkled his nose in an exaggerated movement, smiling down at her. "And if what you want is clothes shopping and time together, then that's what it will be. I do need some new clothes honestly." He looked down at his vest and pants with a slightly critical frown. "My pants are pretty old at this point, I can only repair them so many times. And my vest, well. It got toasted. So I'll have to join you in that. Maybe you can pick something out for me. Get me looking a little nicer than my traveling clothes managed." Tio had explained everything, where they were staying, what to expect with their time in the city, so as far as Cin was concerned, it was time to go.

Hopping down from the wagon, he held a hand out to Siorel. "Shall we? I wouldn't mind a stop at the weapons store either. I gave one pair of gauntlets to Ullr, so getting something else might be a good idea. Oh, and maybe they'll have an arena... That might be nice. Get some practice in without fighting for our lives." And it would give me a chance to practice my magic without having it be life or death. That might help with the control aspect... He tried not to stew on that thought for too long though. No matter what the city held for them, he would get to spend it with Siorel, and that was enough.

[Nanami Touko]

"Yeah. That sounds much better~" She smiled and took his hand down off the wagon, holding it as she stood next to him. "Maybeeeeee... You just need some new pants? No vest? Maybe?" She was half joking, poking a finger into his side. "I wouldn't mind seeing you at the arena, either... As long as you don't push yourself too hard. Promise me you won't do anything crazy?" She started walking, hoping Cinaed would follow. There was no world in where she was strong enough to pull him along. "Whatever the case, let's eat something first. Some nice street food we can carry, so we don't have to stop and sit for so long~"

[scorri]

"Mmm, I should probably get some shirts, or vests. Just in case I need to be a little more presentable than normal." He started following after her, giving her hand a gentle squeeze as he did. Her enthusiasm was good to see, and he could feel his own increasing in response. "Though, maybe if you ask nicely, I could forgo the vest normally... Just for you." His cheeks were quickly warming up at her comments, embarrassed by the idea of how much she liked him without a shirt on, but he also didn't want to tell her no. For sure need to buy some shirts though... Just for having them in case. "Food sounds really good but if we're doing the arena, we should do that before clothes shopping. I'm not about to get brand new clothes and then go ruin them fighting ten minutes later. So food, arena, and then shopping. How does that sound?"

[Bluemask 96]

Gean was still in her own zone when she heard a voice call out to her. Normally the mermaid would be up to her self-proclaimed 'little sister's' antics, but Gean couldn't bring herself to even that. "Hey there cub, not sure what the plan is for today, think I have some thinking to do. Maybe we'll catch up later." Gean ruffled Miria's hair and tried to give her a smile.

 

[GoldsbroTSG]

Miria listened and nodded silently. In reality, she didn't want to leave poor Gean by herself. She was hurting, the incident in Sarasin's manor was very clearly still weighing on her. But... Miria was also someone who respected her space.

"Okay." She spoke, simply, but she still kept the smile on. "Just..." Miria leaned over and gave her sister a big hug. Maybe a small joke will lighten Gean's mood up at least a smidge. "You still owe me lunch, heehee~" letting go, Miria crawled her way over , and started her hop out of the wagon.

"Love you Gean. I know you got stuff going on, but... my fingers are crossed~!" And out she hopped.

She took in the city the group had found themselves in. Maybe... some time on her own should be fine. Tio said something about an arena. Maybe that was her best bet, some quick fighting in to start the day.

[Billy12510]

Syndra put away some of the tomes she was carrying in her bag behind with their convoy, and then returned to look off into the city. It was the last chance for a while that they'd have for some real R&R, so Syndra planned on taking advantage of it. The issue was, she wasn't sure about going off into the city by herself, and it wasn't likely she could talk Aegean or Nyxied into accompanying her right now. Then, she noticed Miria taking off by herself. Syndra called out to her; "Miria wait up!" and raced over to catch up with her.

[GoldsbroTSG]

Miria was lost in her imagination, 

What if a cape? That'd be cool. Ooh, ooh, what if we tricked out our gauntlets, that way we could fight with our fists if we need. If only we knew someone who could fix this damn thing.

She pondered all sorts of ideas until she her a familiar voice call out to her. She stopped and turned around. It was Syndra, running to catch up with her. Miria waved out with a smile, "Hey Syn~ What's up?"

[Billy12510]

"Well, seeing as we're free now, I wanted to see if you had any plans for spending today. I know I wanted to check out if there's any good bookstores here, but if there was something in particular you wanted to go and do, I wouldn't mind tagging along with you Miria."

[GoldsbroTSG]

The girl's face lit up when Syndra suggested spending time in town together. And even to a bookstore. "That's sounds awesome, totally! Actually, I was gonna start the day at the arena. Get some action in, a little workout, then enjoy the rest of my day. Some good lunch, maybe get some new clothes. I'm sure we could work some bookstore'ing into it~! Well, if that's fine with you?" She didn't know Syndra's take on going to the arena. She didn't seem the kinda person to want to go buckwild on an arena gauntlet. But, maybe she was down to watch? Miria's head tilted a little.

[Billy12510]

Well Miria sure was excited. Really excited. Miria said she wanted to go to the arena in town, and Syndra was reminded of how beneficial fighting in the one in Eibar was to her. She also looked down at her clothes, still wearing more then a few tears from the journey so far. "That all sounds like a grand idea Miria. Let's get going then!"