Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars

[Nanami Touko]

"R-Ren. My name is Ren," the small healer managed to offer Saiga, still not making eye contact. They were just awful with people so tall and big... "Y, Yes, that should be fine, Jesse. I'll stay here with Portia and discuss anything needed while you attend to your mount. I can do that much as thanks for your helping me in this trip." Ren had thanked the stars when Jesse had offered to give them travel to Cerezia. Ren wouldn't have possibly been able to ride a horse alone and riding in a carriage with any kind of strangers... The healer shivered. They had some wonderfully unique magicks, but none of them were offensive. "Where should I go to wait for you, Portia? Unless you'd rather I come back later... I can spend my time in Cerezia until you need us. Jesse will be able to find me easily to bring us back when needed... Just need your okay that such a thing is fine. I'd hate to hamper Celine's arrival by wandering about town so much..."

---

"Ah... I-It's fine, is it?" Versaris had to stifle a gulp, remaining stoic for a moment before taking a deep breath. Alriana was so stubborn and feisty most of the time, her being docile gave him a moment of, admittedly, horny pause. Keep your head in the game, Versaris. It was just head pats... It was just pats! It was just one moment, don't read too far into it. What a mess you are! How desperate for this woman are you!? After mentally chiding himself for such poor conduct, he nodded towards the librarian, smiling softly again. "Right, I'll run everything by you before we leave. Let's see, then... Books on churros? From how you spoke of it, it must be fried... Perhaps deep fried? Books with lots of deep frying recipes..." Versaris scanned the shelves, hoping to find something about the oily menace. He'd never dabbled in deep frying, but it was a moderately expensive endeavour, depending on which oil one used for frying...

[GoldsbroTSG]

Miria pondered a bit as she finished her noodles. This gentleman who so quickly walked in on two girls' meal, and started rambling about needing, well, Alvira. Syndra was suspicious which, the brunette understood. Hand on her chin as she sighed, trying to decide on what to do. Syndra had already advised Miria on this sorta thing with trusting strangers with that Marigold girl, and Miria took it to heart. Now, as opposed to just needing the leader of the Tigers, this Cyro was specifically asking for someone. And with how very open he was about who he is and is looking for, Miria couldn't tell if he was an idiot, or he was just that confident.

The girl was conflicted. On one hand, she understood that trusting just anyone was dangerous. She already led one person to Tasha who could potentially be a threat. But on the other, even if the two's interactions were miniscule, if it really was important news, Miria would want Alvira to have that information. She took one of their rags, and cleaned her face off using it to hide another sigh.

"Okay, so," Miria started, trying to maintain some composure despite how conflicted she'd be over this. "I'll be honest, yes, we're Iron Tigers. However, before I discuss anything else, I need some kind of sign of what you're telling me is true. It's nothing against you, but we need to protect ourselves, given where we are." She tented her hands, "Would I be able to get anything like that? It doesn't need to be every single detail, just... what you think you could or should give."

[Xinnidy]

"He... he did." Üllr wasn't sure what to think of the man still, though perhaps it was as fine as Iris was handling it. Still embarrassing that she went and said about how she just got her name... but not in a bad way. "I... don't know if I need anything here." He didn't even know Iris could use these earth tomes before then...! If there are any in this place, apparently.

Despite his feeling that there was little to help him here, Taka mentioned the magical property of some of the acessories in his possession. "Magical... can I see them?

[Nanami Touko]

"You should show Üllr the magic items! I'll take the Terra if you're really willing to part with it for nothing... But I have gold if you change your mind. Uhm..." Iris stood up straight, not even approaching Taka's full height, but still trying to take this seriously. "I don't know what Lufiria did to everyone so long ago... I, I think I know why my mana is so messed up. I'm made of a lot of different monsters... They made me. In Lufiria... ... ... Taka, sir? Please tell me what they did. I don't know a lot, but... Given why I was made... I think I should know." Iris was feeling something inside her. A conflicting emotion, something akin to what she'd been told guilt felt like. It was uncomfortable, but she wanted to know more... We were attacked for a reason. They were all killed for a reason... I need to know more. I need to know if my anger towards Jeremiah is deserved...

Edited November 21, 2022 by Mel the DM

[Billy12510]

Miria had let the stranger know who they were. Syndra had told Miria about being cautious earlier but in fairness, Syndra was also willing to let that information out to get an idea of what this man truly knew. "Yeah, we do know Alvira, but I don't know you, and she's never mentioned anything to me about knowing someone like you before. So I'll have to agree with my friend here, you'll have to give us something to go off of so we know you're legit." Of course I haven't talked with Alvira that much except for that incident with the fortune teller, but he doesn't need to know about that...

[scorri]

"Oh, hello Laniva. How was the arena? I was hoping to run through it as well, earn a little bit of extra money." He glanced at the woman on her back, barely holding back a smirk as she started to pet Laniva's ears. "And Syta, well, good to meet you. You could try the Evokers, though I'm not sure where they are. Taking her back to the inn we're staying at couldn't hurt though. The commander was headed there I think, and she might know where the Evokers headed to, if she still needs looking over." He briefly considered offering to help, but she seemed to be handling her burden just fine and he didn't want to offend. Besides, this Syta seemed to be waking up and would hopefully be able to be walking on her own soon enough. "If we see them, we can also send them back to the inn if that's where you end up deciding to go."

[JakezuGD]

While Tasha wasn't exactly surprised by getting hugged in short order, the strength of grip and how Alvira lacked her usual radiant warmth were a different story. She didn't have the time to wonder out loud what might be the cause of that with Mikoto explaining in short, though that in itself raised more questions, ones the group was probably - hopefully - going to answer soon. For the moment, the tiger's arms would be best used to keep her dragon close. "I don't know how that's supposed to be possible. You better have some reasonable explanation for this," she said back to the fox, not quite trusting her for that since she'd not seen what had happened just a bit earlier.

Turning her attention back to Marigold and Tio, they also did likely want some answers. "Yeah, looks like it. If you'd like to wait for us to come back, you can do that at the inn, since we'll be there anyway. And as for the recruit question, well... not really? This time it's she who has an offer for us, and I'd say it's one more than worth considering. I'd need your input, and probably Versaris's too, to decide whether we should take it up, though." The Evokers were ultimately whose lives they were in charge of, and they should have the final say on a course change like that. But for now, they'd have to get indoors to get whatever this was sorted out, patting Alvira's back a couple times. "Come on, Vira, let's go to our room, alright?"

Elisa felt like swallowing her earlier words immediately when she saw an unknown person with a huge axe talking with Natalya, figuring it meant Tio had been correct the entire time. Sure, that ended up not exactly being the case, but that still seemed like a possibility. All the while, Alvira wasted no time getting comfort for herself... probably for the best for all of them that she had someone like the tiger to rely on. A far cry from that altercation they'd had on the ship. "All of us have our own perspectives on what occurred, so we'll try to get all the information straight. Not that we've had much time to make sense of it either..."

[Nanami Touko]

"Mmmhn... This kitty's talking... Weird... Wait... Muh?" Syta blinked a few times, waking up completely... Realizing that Laniva was carrying her and she was messing with her ears! "Ah! I'm so sorry! Ah, geez... I, I passed out, didn't I? Ahhhghhhnn..." Syta let out a hefty whine, retreating her hands and flopping against Lani. "I'm sorry... This is so embarrassing, but it's probably even worse for you."

Siorel couldn't help her laughter, never having expected their heavily armored knight cat to be reduced to a petting post. "Well, wasn't this worth the travel? It seems she'll be just fine... If you're worried, you can take her to the Evokers, yeah. I'm sure one of them will know what magically ails her."

"Ahh, ahaha, I, er, I know what's wrong, ahaha... I'll, tell Lani once we can sit down, so don't worry about taking me to see anyone! Yeah. Sorry for the trouble."

Siorel tilted her head. "You know there's something wrong and you still participated in the arena? Aren't you an overachiever... But take care of yourself, yes? I'm sure Lani wouldn't be happy to see you harmed when you've become such fast friends."

"Ah, haah... Haha... Yeah..." Syta shrunk a little and hid a silly smile, very, very embarrassed by the situation she was in.

---

"Yeah, I'm here on someone else's behalf. Got my own needs met so don't worry about picking up another hanger on... You get recruits like me normally, though? Iffin you're askin'..." Mari wasn't sure what was up with the group, but she saluted the new women lazily, glancing over them all. "Sure, I'll wait at the inn. So you're not worried, ladies, I'm just here to offer you all passage through Islexia. I'll explain whenever you need me, so just find me at the inn's reception. Got nothin' better to do, anyway." Marigold hoisted her axe and turned to walk off without waiting for more, yawning a little on her way out. "Need to work the vocal chords more often..."

Alvira wasn't sure what the woman was on about, but if it was true, that would be a great boon to them. "Y-Yeah, let's go."

Mikoto merely huffed. "I had no part in this, so don't go throwing your suspicions my way... I'm here because I'm curious and there's a chance I can help. Honestly... Everyone's always so wary around strong mages." She let out a small sigh and folded her arms, ready to go along with them despite her frustrations.

Edited November 21, 2022 by Mel the DM

[Bluemask 96]

Gean gave a thoughtful look as Renais explained her apprehension to speaking to Versaris. She planned her response carefully before she continued. "Look Love, I understand the fear of being thrown in the Lufiria hot pot, but you've just gained a huge lead on this elusive past and the answers are quite possibly traveling with you at this point. Plus Versaris should know about you being Lufirian at least. He's just as much of our employer as the Evokers and also our best chance at avoiding unwanted Lufirian action."

Once her counter argument was done, Gean silently and softly closed the distance, hugged Renais and planted a small kiss on the cheek, before letting go. "Besides I have things I want to talk to him about too. We can go together if need be."

[TheRoon]

Gean could probably hear another grumble from her after the hug. "...I guess so. We'll at least tell him, but I don't know...how close I want to get you know? Everything I care about is already near me, except for my sister but we'll find her too." She took a look around as soon as she broke away and picked up a light blue top with an ocean pattern on it. "How about this?"

[Mercenary on the Winds]

"So you are with the Tigers!?" A look of exasperation hit Cyro's face and faded immediately, slowly smiling again. "What a relief... It's about her siblings. They're in Islexia right now... I'm friends with the individual that Alvira had left them with, in Lufiria, but they've become ill. Her brother and sister begged me to bring them to their sister... But, due to their being full blooded dragons, smuggling them through Islexia has proved very difficult. I'm Lufirian, but I look human otherwise; travel is simple for me, so I left them with some allies in an attempt to bring her to them instead... Please. Please show me to her. She deserves to know..." He was pleading now, hands held together, a worry creeping into his smile.

---

Luia found some relief in the archer's less than stellar performance. She wasn't sure if she could take another human doing so well in the Arena. She was sure that her brother would be laughing at her poor management of the arena, but her father would be furious at the amount of gold that she'd been handing out today. Or maybe he wouldn't; he'd been so focused on other things as of late, that he hadn't even been checking on things. Whatever happened yesterday had the old man mobile in a way he hadn't been in years. 

Luia pointed at the bag on the counter, "That's your pay. You didn't do half bad, but told you, you'd get your fill. This arena isn't for the faint of heart, I've gotta say." She held back her more smug comments, and then paused a moment as she looked closer. "...Waaaaaaait a minute... Aren't you... aren't you a runner for the underground? I've... seen you before." Luia's eyes narrowed. 

She ignored the newcomers that entered the arena, and focused entirely on Nyx. The resemblance was uncanny, even if the woman in front of her acted nothing like the woman from back then. The woman in front of her seemed to have either suppressed, or lost the lethal edge that the demoness from back then had. Stole weapons and gold from her father's operation years ago. She'd seen it happen. "...Empress something... that's what you said back then... You can't be the same person..."

---

Portia paused a moment as she looked around the outpost. "Mmm... if you want to wait in the back, I can be back there in a couple minutes or so. I'll just have someone hold onto the reins out here while I'm speaking with you. It is rather important after all. Say, uh, Ren?" Portia looked the small healer over again--noticing the cracked staff amidst the healer's odd attire. Celine was known for attracting all sorts, but Ren was an oddity in and of themselves. "Might I ask where you're from, and what you do? Obviously, you're acting on part of the Amaryllis, but, your attire is a little strange. I don't think I've met a healer dressed like you, and I've met a lot of people." 

---

The Librarian tilted his head a little as he watched the pair. It felt like the taller man expected something to have happened when he patted the girl's head. Something that never occurred, and it gave him a little pause. It was admittedly kind of cute. He simply returned the nod with a smile, "I can see about another copy of the book but I doubt I'd be able to hand it off." The mention of churro didn't really ring any bells to him; cooking was not one of the man's strong suits. He'd have to leave that to them to find. 

---

Taka looked at the girl. For a moment, her bubbly disposition faded away ever so slightly. The man took a long, long hit of the pipe before he exhaled the vapors into the air above them. He looked back to see if the girl's question were serious, and nothing had changed in her eyes. "...Huh. Ye really don't know. Lufiria's a den of monsters. Not the ones like you, or your friend. Monsters that used to enslave the continent." Taka pointed to either side of him, "They owned everything. Ruled with an iron fist, and anyone they saw fit to kill... they did. The people who became Muran, and Islexians... they killed them, oppressed us as if they were beneath them. Sure... We beat them, but they never really paid. Some say that some of the royal family lived, and are now in the reborn Lufiria." The man clicked his tongue. "The things those people are responsible for... are atrocities that might never be repaid. It's their fault that the purges occurred. It's their fault that people like you, and him are so hated across the world." 

Taka then looked over at where one of his hands had fallen after his sermon, "Oh. Thaaaaat's where Terra went." He pulled the book off of the shelf, and flipped a couple pages... "Old, but still works, here you go! And then... the bracelets for you, right?" He pointed behind the counter, and a small glass case with two faintly glowing bands inside. "Fuck if I know what they do, but they shiiiiine. That means something right?"

---

Tio had already begun walking inside the inn, when Marigold said something that made her freeze in place, but before words could come to her lips, the woman had sauntered away to wait. She held a hand to her cheek. How on Amaranth would the commander have just found someone who was offering them passage through Islexia? Such an offer was making her worry more not less, but if true, it was something they had to entertain. Their routes through Islexia were clearly compromised if the envoy hadn't made it to their destination, so having a better alternative was a much stronger plan. Tio put her head in her hands, before letting out a quiet frustrated whine. "Yes. We'll deal with that in a moment. We should get Alvira inside, and then we can worry about what follows after we've explained everything that's just happened." Tio then made her way inside. 

Danica, and Arios both were in the middle of conversation when the door opened. Danica smiled, and quickly found herself to her feet as she saw Tio walk in. 

"There you are, I was wonderin--"

Tio put her hands up, "Danica, hi, it's nice to see you, but please, please, not right now. There is, a lot, and I need to handle it. I apologize, and I will be back to talk, later."

Danica blinked, but quickly stepped aside, "Your rooms are up on the 2nd floor, you basically have an entire wing to yourselves." 

"Thank you..." 

Tio waved at Arios before she turned to the Commander, "I'm just going to preface this by saying that I hardly believe anything that I will be saying, but I'm sure that Elisa, Mikoto, and especially, Alvira will confirm all of the nonsense that we're going to tell you when we get inside. It may be a bit before we get to back to... what was her name? If she said, I didn't catch it... Ugh..." What a day... 

Edited November 23, 2022 by Mercenary on the Winds

[MRDRHAWK]

Ah. Well.

Nyx kinda suspected something like this would happen again, especially after running into Favio on the ass end of nowhere. Still, probably best not to attract too much unwanted attention, even if she’d left that life behind her. Actually, from the sounds of it, especially because of that, too.

”Used ta, aye. Shit went south a while back, though, so m’nae runnin’ in that crowd now. M’gone straight, workin’ wit’ some mercs. The cat who was in ‘fore me is another one o’ us.” No need to lie, considering she had nothing to hide. Although the mention of her old title brought a twinge of ill feeling to Nyx, though that could have just been withdrawal or something. “Ah, tha’ ol’ shit? Don’ worry ‘bout it none now; ‘sides, even back then, clearly I wasn’t as big a shot as I thought I was.”

Ah, right, that must have been the source of Nyx’s discomfort. Thinking about everything from back then that she could scrounge out of the sea of alcohol and bad decisions… and something else. Seriously, just why the hell couldn’t Nyx remember that time very well?

[GoldsbroTSG]

Miria was surprised at man's reaction, but he did give an answer. Her brother and sister? The girl had to think again, she understood being far away from her family. Even if she didn't really know anything about Alvira's family, she would love to have them reunite if able. "Hmm..." She propped up her head with her fingers. Then, another quick question.

"Okay, I see... Well, hmm, alright. Here's what'll happen, I'll see what I can do, and I'll explain it to you in a moment. Just... I'd like one more question." She looked Cyro straight in the eye, "Out of curiosity, what was her friend's name?" If Alvira can confirm the friend later, maybe, maybe Miria can be sure she can trust the man's word.

[Nanami Touko]

"Ah... Me?" Ren gave Portia a friendly smile, as best as they could. "I'm from... Another continent. Quite far away. You'll have to ask Celine for all the details." It's not like you'd believe me it I told you, anyway... I'm not quite sure Celine does. Ren did their best to stand up a little straighter and brandished their staff. "That aside, I'm a healer and... I suppose what you would call a support mage? Your... Continent's healing implements seem to work well enough with my magic, so I've been focusing on that, but I can also... If you don't mind--"

Ren pointed their staff at Portia, a sudden surge of water billowing from it and surrounding the woman, oddly quiet, but definitely quick, spiraling around her. "Aqua protéger!" The water formed a nearly imperceptible bubble around Portia, one that didn't impede their movements, nor stop any air from getting in. "Hahh... Mm. That should last about a minute. We're you to be attacked by any water magic during this spell, it would be partially deflected. I can do it for all the main elements in... You call it anima, I believe. And a few others. Not light and dark, though... They don't have any of that kind of magic where I'm from. It should still work on the earth magic in the dark family, though! I hope, anyway, eheheh... I hope that answers your questions?"

---

Iris gently took the Terra tome and stared at it for a moment, trying to have everything she'd heard sink in. "But... Mmmn..." Iris bit her lip, clutching the tome against herself and hugging it tight. "They made me. The Lufirians made me... So am I... If they're that evil, am I evil too...? Is that why... Is that why Jeremiah..." Had he been right? He was Lufirian too, wasn't he...? It didn't register in her mind, not properly, anyway. Why was all of this happening? "I'm... I'm sorry, Mister Taka. I just... I just have a lot to think about. Üllr, if you want the bracelets, I-I can help you buy them."

Edited November 23, 2022 by Mel the DM

[Mercenary on the Winds]

"That friend's name?" Cyro paused and stared at Miria with a but if scrutiny, wondering if these people were truly working for thr Iron Tigers... "Even if you are allied with her, I'm doubtful she'd have opened up to a human about this... So I don't think you'd know. But." He sighed. He had to find her. "Encela Gel'Hara Vris. There. I'm not sure I trust you with this name, but she should be able to confirm this much... Please let her know I'll be waiting for her at the bar in town, if you wish to spend the time to confirm things first. Thank you for your time." Cyro bowed slightly, smiling lightly once again. "I shall be off, then."

---

Luia squinted hard at Nyx. She never expected for the woman to never just answer her straight like this, but she couldn't quite just show that. "...Haah. You're lucky that you showed up when I was running the place and not my brother or father. If they caught wind of you, they'd probably have you drawn and quartered for what you did back then... several times. Damned underground was annoying then, and they've been extra annoying as of late. Humans like you always causing us trouble..." Luia had half a mind to take the gold that was resting on the counter back, but, she had won it by fighting. She has to have some integrity even when the woman in front of her had none back then. "Better get out of here before I change my mind, and don't come back here either. People like you don't change." She pushed the bag closer to Nyx, and turned her focus to the newcomers, a lizard woman and a, "Damn. I was not expecting a giant today." The dark skinned clouded dragon was enormous, perhaps even taller than Balsa from the armory, powerfully built. Unfortunately, the lizard woman appeared to be just a tad too close to him for her to believe that she wasn't at last friendly with him. A gentle click of the tongue.

"Hopefully you fight as well it seems like you would. Are you just here to talk with your friends, or are you actually interested in the gauntlet?"

---

Portia's head tilted as Ren explained, "...Another continent? Well, uh, this is the first I've heard of another continent. Uh... I guess Karaval's been trying to see if we're the only continent out there... but, I guess you'd prove that." Portia didn't really think too hard on the existence of other continents. She had her hands full with the one that she knew about; she didn't want to think about what it would be like if there was another one out there. What would messaging be like? The people, the magic, the weapons? So many questions... "Hmm?" Ren drew her staff, and pointed it directly at Portia. "Uh... what are you?" Ren said a couple words, and her staff released a bubble of water in Portia's direction. Portia's hands quickly shot up, but she didn't feel anything hit her. She opened her eyes, having shut them as the spell was cast, and noticed the faint shimmering that was around her now. "...Wow... Uh, Ren, was your name right? A, uh, word of advice. You should wait for someone to respond before you cast magic in their direction... Especially around here." 

Portia wasn't incredibly knowledgeable about magic, but she did know enough to know that this magic was special. Barriers that strengthened one's resistance to an element was a general trait of specialist mages, but someone who could give those barriers to other people, seemingly regardless of one's elemental affinities, was very unusual. "Yes, yes, I think that answers my questions for the moment. I can see why La--Commander Celine would have asked for your assistance; that's quite the magic if what I heard it correct."

Edited November 24, 2022 by Mercenary on the Winds

[MRDRHAWK]

Nyx, to her credit, didn’t give any snarky response back, simply taking the gold and stomping off past Cin and Siorel without giving them a second glance. Holding the bag of gold in her hand, Nyx thought carefully about everything going on today, and how it seemed like nothing good was coming of her being here. She’d expected as such, aure, but actually going through it still stung.

Hm. She could just leave.

Thinking about it, it wouldn’t be the worst idea Nyx had ever had - come to think of it, coming here in the first place was probably in that spot. She definitely had enough gold now, and if she took the back roads, she could probably see if her old hideout had some stuff left. Sure, it’d suck to have to start anew, but considering the high stakes of everything… well, what’s a girl got left for options?

Especially when they don’t just concern her.

There were all the other Tigers to think about, and therein lay the real problem. Nyx was a liability right now, both in combat and in politicking here - the others were pretty squeaky clean, far as she knew, aside from Syn’s whole deal; even then, that was in Islexia, not here. Here, there were way too many folks who would probably want her dead, and they weren’t the sorts of folk who would leave her loved ones alone. It would be simpler to just cut loose now, especially since most of them didn’t like her that well, and the ones who did were people she currently wasn’t talking to.

Well, and Moonie, but she liked everybody. She was a good kid like that.

Nyx paused in that line of thinking though, recalling that there were reasons, however silly they made have sounded, why she stuck around. Gean was like a daughter to her, and Moonie probably wouldn’t be far off if she had any say on the matter. And Syn… hell if Nyx knew how she felt about the same anymore, but she didn’t wanna just ditch her like so many others surely had.

Not yet, anyways.

”Ah… this sucks.” Nyx practically crumpled into a wagon, not far from the arena, seemingly uncaring that it wasn’t one of the Tigers’. Frankly, right now, she just needed a goddamn break, lucky or otherwise. “Listen, if any o’ ye up there’re listenin’, could really use a sign tha’ m’still doin’ th’right thing, stickin’ wit th’Tigers.” She said, to nobody in particular, hoping that maybe someone would give her a hand. Wouldn’t be the first time she did it, and it worked before, so… why not now?

[Xinnidy]

"Hmmm...?" Taka's story was quite heavy handed. Was that true? Üllr found it hard to believe that the past justified the hatred he went through regardless, so these words hardly landed with him as they did with Iris. "I... hm." He didn't know how to put it in words, finding it better to not start an argument right then and there --it's not like he knew the truth any better, anyways. "It's not right to treat us like that because of Lufiria, though..." That was all the protest that came out of him.

As for the bracelet... it was shiny, alright. Üllr could appreciate it, and it was something that Iris suggested. Far be it from him to not go through with it. "I want it... uh, how much is it?" They'd need to find another way to make money at this rate. Stuff was expensive.

[mcd900]

Laniva grumbled a bit more at Syta's petting and mumbling; her enthusiasm was a bit innocently cute, but given the situation and her fellow Tigers being around, she couldn't help but huff a little. "The arena was... eh, it was alright, I guess. A lot of mages, so not much to enjoy there for me. Still, I'm sure you could get through a decent number of fights - probably worth the gold, if you don't mind getting knocked around by some rough light magic at the end. Good luck if you do decide to try." She shrugged - or tried to, at least; the weight of Syta and all her equipment was rather prohibitive. 

She looked back a bit, towards Syta. "Oh... you woke up faster than I thought you would. Syta, that's Cin," - she pointed a bit, with her chin - "and that's Siorel. We're all here together - there's a few more of us, too." She couldn't quite see Syta's face like this, but from the sound of her voice she seemed rather embarrassed by Siorel's words.

"Mm... well, let's get you back to the inn to sit down for a bit, then. Are you feeling up to walk, or should I keep carrying you?" She hefted Syta a bit; it was no problem to carry her, but there was no harm in shifting her a bit more comfortably now that she was awake...

[scorri]

"Well, good to meet you Syta. Good luck with her Lani, we'll see you back at the inn I'm sure. Thanks for the heads up about the light mage. It's crazy how easy it is for them to knock someone down..." The memory of Siorel and Miria both going down so easily to the light magic last battle resurfaced briefly before he shook himself, turning back to the group. "We'll see how it goes for me." Giving them a small wave, he turned further into the arena where he was greeted by presumably the person in charge being shocked by his size. "Ahah... Yes, nice to meet you. I am planning on taking on the arena. My name is Cinaed, how much to enter?"

[Billy12510]

Encela Gel'Hara Vris. Syndra made a note of it, it was the only way to confirm what this man was saying, but that would have to wait until later. "Which bar are you going to hang out in? We won't have the time to search all over for you, and I don't think you'd want us to waste your time either, given the circumstances."

[Bluemask 96]

Gean chuckled at the grumbled she got as a response to her embrace. "We don't have to get a bunch of answers right now, but like I said, it's better to let them know in case it brings us trouble in the future, trust me on that one." Gean took the shirt from Renais a took a quick look at the ocean themed sleeveless crop top. "Ooh and this compliments my scales! Thanks love~" Gean's smile was bubbly and warm as she went over to the counter to buy the outfit, and then to the changing room to throw it on.

---

 

Jesse stuck around for Ren's answer, and then stepped out to go take care of her horse. She made quick convenience with the person in charge of supplies, and brought Charlon into the holding stables. "Alright bud, I'll be back this even to check on you. Me and Ren are gonna take care of things around town so take some relax time 'kay?" With a few strokes of his mane and a treat for a good ride in, Jesse headed back.

[MRDRHAWK]

Saiga, seemingly having been forgotten about, decided that it was best to not poke his nose in too far, lest he be seen as eavesdropping. He did give a quick wave to Jesse and Ren as he did, though, before heading off to the warehouse that Portia had mentioned with his little slip in hand.

Hopefully this wouldn’t be too much trouble for them to fill. Ishii was probably getting antsy by now.

”Heyaaaaa…” Saiga drawled out as he poked his head into the warehouse. “Portia sent me over here to get some feed for my wyvern. That all good, or is it all being rationed too heavily for a messenger to get any?” He figured it wasn’t, given that Portia had sent him here to begin with, but for now, it was best to just ask and be sure.

---

Tanya, to her credit, didn’t try and jump in front while everyone else was distracted. Besides, she could relate to the feeling pretty damn well right now. Still, she cleared her throat, hoping maybe it could help to not feel so heavy, like she could actually get a word in edgewise. 

“Hey now Lani, I’m here too.” Tanya quipped, flashing the other cat a smile. “Musta just not seen me behind the big guy here.” She joked, clapping Cin’s shoulder with little to no force - at least, she hoped that was the case, anyways. Sometimes, she didn’t know her own strength. “And your new friend here… you said her name is Syta? Nice to meet ya, Syta.” Tanya flashed her a smile, too, even if it was a bit forced. Fake it until you make it, she supposed.

[GoldsbroTSG]

Miria made sure to remember the name the best she could. It was an interesting name, that's for sure, but that just meant it was easier to remember. It was clear this Cyro was very interested in seeing Alvira, and he seemed to get irritated over her questioning, as he immediately tried to walk out. Syndra stopped him to ask where to go and it gave Miria a chance to interject.

"And um... sorry for all the questions. We'll do what we can for you and her." She gave a soft smile.

Edited November 28, 2022 by Silver Gallade

[Mercenary on the Winds]

The young girl, no, Iris, seemed to become torn up upon learning of about Lufiria. It was the basic of basics that almost every person alive in the alliance learned. It was almost impossible to have lived without knowing of the horrors of the Holy Lufirian Empire, and yet, she knew almost nothing it seemed like. Taka shrugged, "Maybe ye are, maybe ye aren't. They created ye but they clearly didn't instill you with what made them evil. I don't claim to know who ye are, or what you've done. Maybe you are a good one, or maybe you're proof that the Lufirians should have been obliterated back then." He then cracked a small smile, "No need to apologize... seeing understanding has always been enough for me." 

He took another puff of his pipe. She understood now why people felt the way they did about the Lufirians, monsters and clouded. That was more than enough. "Aaaaaaaas for you... Hmm... I was gonna say 1200, but, I like you. So let's do like 1000. That sounds fair. It shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiines." He took note of the boys quiet objection. He was right of course, but the world around them didn't see it that way. 

---

"Yeah, hold on. We'll get you the feed in a moment. If Portia sent you, you're probably fine." A short, stocky man, didn't even spare Saiga a look as he darted from place to place gathering various materials. He walked over, and grabbed the slip from Saiga before continuing his rounds, returning a moment later with a bag of feed. "Take it and get going. No time to chat." 

---

The Tigers' early afternoon in Cerezia proved to be fruitful, friendships growing stronger, secrets being drawn out into the open, and importantly, most everyone was able to begin their day of relaxation without many issues. As the sun slowly started to fall towards the horizon, Cerezia seemed to only bustle more. Mercenaries and knights slowly started to trickle back in from their searches, reporting their findings, others arriving to gather their information.

Tio, Alvira, Mikoto, Elisa and Commander Natalya spent about an hour speaking about the events of the early afternoon. Alvira's encounter with Fomalhaut, and subsequently, this Mercuria who had not only blocked Alvira's link with this Fomalhaut, but even robbed her of her flame. There had been quite a bit that Tio had wanted to say, but none of it was productive, especially for the young dragon who had lost her flame. She was wound tight by all the occurrences of today, first, Mikoto, again, was interacting with the Tigers, and specifically Renais. Then the aforementioned events with Alvira, and two godlike beings, and as they finally made their way back down stairs, the other woman that the commander had been speaking when they'd survived. The commander had mentioned that she'd come offering safe passage through Islexia in exchange for something. Offering safe passage through Islexia was a near impossible ask from anyone who wasn't a warlord, and even then, only the largest would be able to truly do so. But even a marginally safer journey through the arid country would make a world of difference. 

A long sharp sigh left her lips, as she approached the newcomer, "Apologies. For taking so long. I'm told that you had an offer for us, miss?"

Edited December 5, 2022 by Mercenary on the Winds

[Nanami Touko]

"Mmhnnm..." Iris seemed conflicted, even with Taka's extra words. She wasn't instilled with the evil that they were made of... What if she was? I don't know... Iris let her shoulders sink, tail slinking along the ground, walking her way over to Ullr and resting against him. "Mmn... You should get the funny magic thing and we can go, after. My mind's... Got a lot to think about." It didn't matter, as long as she was nice, nice to her friends, and her friends liked her, right? That had to make sense. It had to...

---

---

---

"Oh, hey, you're done." Marigold was reading out of a small book as the group approached from their room, slowly standing to meet them, axe resting against the wall behind her. "Yeahhhh, so... I'm employed by a Warlord in Islexia. Owen Gaffney. Now, I know what you're thinking, 'why would a Clouded like you work for an Islexian Warlord', or, 'this sounds like the stupidest trap ever', and I totally get that. Normally. Owen's sister is Clouded." Marigold let that bomb drop for a moment before tilting an eyebrow, hoping understanding had sunk in. "They aren't the biggest Warlord family, but, he treated all Clouded and Monsters in his territory with respect... Aaaaand, he's looking to expand that territory. So! Here's where you all come in. THIS is the catch."

Marigold shot them some finger guns before winking. "He's been sending me out for MONTHS to try and find a mostly Clouded mercenary group that's looking for passage through Islexia, to offer safe passage through his territory... In exchange for killing a rival Warlord for him. Sounds easy enough, right? Just gotta off some actual asshole, let Owen expand, and then you get safe passage through that whoooooooole stretch of the country. Whacha say?"

Mikoto was quite shocked at both the admission of an Islexian Warlord both still being in power after having Clouded family, AND having Clouded family. Most that found out had those family members 'removed'. "Well... not exactly a simple task, but, if you think about it, we'll be harried by Islexians no matter what. Better to take the sword to them instead of having it be brought to us, hmm~?"

"Doesn't sound... Impossible. Nat? What do you think?" Alvira was still clinging to the shawl that Gean had given her, shivering ever so slightly. "Guess I'd rather avoid fighting entirely, but... The fox is right. We'll definitely get into trouble one way or another, given our group's make up. Best we get into trouble on our terms, I guess..."