Fire Emblem: Wretched Whispers, Act 2: Warpath

[Nanami Touko]

Melanie jumped slightly, and the spell continued its course, spinning into itself and exploding, which in turn caused her to jump again. She sighed. "Celestia, désolé! I was far too concentrated in zat... Did you get everysing you need? We should be 'eading to ze eenn, eef you 'ave." She walked over to Celestia's horse, who seemed to have gotten quite used to her by now, thankfully, and hopped onto the saddle. An immediate sore feeling resounded in her legs, but she smiled anyway. "Ze eenn should not be very far, donc, I do not mind riding like zis. Allons-y~"

[Ether]

"Okay, then. Let's head down to the stables, first off." Celestia replied, as she also mounted up, and soon they were on their way.

It didn't take long to teach the stables in question, and it appeared several of their group were already there, some of them speaking to a colossally huge man with an equally impressive looking axe.

"Whoa... wouldn't want to bump into a guy like that in a dark alley..."

[Nanami Touko]

And there was that ever familiar uncomfortableness, but Mel did her best to ignore it as they were quickly at the stables. Horses sure were convenient! But there was someone there-- someone huge! Mel almost vaulted off of Celestia's horse, and ran over to the man as quickly as she could. "Wow! WOW! You are 'uge!" She smiled wide as she looked very far up at him. He was at least two feet taller than her! How amazing. She idly waved to Artemis and Lugos, laughing to herself. "'Allo! 'Oo ees zis man? 'Oo are you, monsieur? 'Ow did you get so 'uge...?" Mel was trying to put together how something like this could happen; it seemed physically impossible!

[Ether]

There was Melanie's absolute bluntness at work again. With a sigh, Celestia dismounted and began leading her steed towards the stables, walking up beside Melanie and giving her a decisive flick on the forehead.

"You're incredulously blunt, as always."

[Refa]

"Yeah, it's been harder than I expected going into this. Guess I shouldn't have underestimated the difficulties of the career, huh? Never would've thought that Privia was particularly unlikeable either. Wonder why she was so popular then..." Artemis pondered, not really concerned with the ramifications of what she'd just said. "R-right outside the city? Whoah, I would've looked harder when we entered if I had known that! I uh...don't think I have anything else to do. Unless anyone here needs me?" She said, turning around expectantly to Lugos and the other members of the group who had just arrived. Probably not the best idea over all, because as soon as she did so, Vacheres asked her and Lugos a question. "Weapons? I'm the same as Lugos, except it's just anima tomes for me. Thinking of taking up swords though, just in case anima tomes alone aren't enough. Kinda funny how we came to the same conclusion as the boss by ourselves, huh Lugos?" She remarked, amused by this recent turn of events.

Edited November 11, 2014 by Refa

[Tryhard]

"Alright, lead the way!" Peter said heartily. "And feel free to join in, whoever you are! The more, the merrier~!" he continued, addressing Ivan.

Ivan thought he be introducing himself much loudly last time, but maybe they no hear.

Ivan shrugged, not do much anyway. Ivan started be follow them.

Err...name Ivan. I hear you talking before - Declan and Peter, yah?

[eclipse]

"Nice to meet you, Ivan!" Peter said lightly, completely ignoring the other's slightly odd speech pattern. "And yes, I'm Peter, and he's Declan. So, how do you like this little mercenary group so far?"

[MRDRHAWK]

As Declan kept racking his brain trying to figure out the best place to get a drink in town, Ivan finally spoke up, startling the swordsman to an extent. Still, nice to hear him talk, even if he did have an... unusual accent. "Yep, that's us. We're on the hunt for a good drink... at least, once I remember where we're going for one. It's been a while since I've been out here... Wonder if anyone still recognizes me?" He said as he looked around, and finally something hit him. He started walking down a somewhat busy street, and motioned for the pair to follow him. "This way. I think I remember where the best brew in town is now..."

[riariadne]

Training

Dervas moved carefully with Taima's movements, blocking her feint without too much difficulty and striking back after her. "Hmm, not too bad. You left yourself too open, however. Sometimes being aggressive is the right move, but other times you can hold your ground a bit more while still maintaining a good offense. Try again, but keep what I told you in mind."

Sheikah quickly made her way around the camp as well, spotting an open instructor. "Hey, you guys do weapon teaching for non-soldiers if I pay for it, right? I've been meaning to learn a bit more about lances, but I'm sort of a beginner. What'll it cost me to get up to par for some realistic fighting with 'em? Usually I fight on a wyvern, but... eh, difficulties right now."

The instructor was caught off-guard a bit by her brusque attitude, but picked up a training lance and handed it to her. "Five seventy five for the basic training we give to all lance-using recruits. We don't get wyvern riders often, but I could probably throw in some tips for ya anyway to make it real quick since ya seem to be in a bit of a hurry, and we are too. Ya down for that, or what?" she asked the leader.

"Sounds fine to me," Sheikah accepted, handing off the necessary amount and taking the lance. "Let's get started, then!"

Titan

"Magic-using airborne fighters... a trend that's been catching on lately," Vacheres observed. "I suppose I'm just old-fashioned with axes and lances, but I was never very good at using magic anyway. I did acquire an axe that is said to be quite useful for mages, however. If you want, I can give it to you when I next have the opportunity to fetch it." He seemed quite amused by the small girl's fascination, though not surprised- it was probably a common occurrence. "Well, my family has always been quite tall, and I am no exception. Are you also mercenaries?"

[Ether]

"Yes, that's right. We're of the same company as them." Celestia replied at the large man's inquiry. Earlier, she would have been unsure in placing her ties down with them, but they had proven a friendly and trustworthy bunch... she had no intentions to part with them at the moment.

"You seem quite impressive... even without seeing you fight, I can tell that much. Even if you discovered a talent for it, you'd likely still be better off without bothering."

[Nanami Touko]

"Eh? Ow!" She said, as Celestia flicked her forehead, rubbing the spot lightly and donning a tiny pout. That faded quickly as her enthusiasm hadn't waned over this giant. "Mais oui, c'est comme elle dit..." Mel said, motioning slightly to Celestia, and still marveling at the man. "Even so, for your famille to be zis tall all ze time... Eet ees crazy." Mel shook her head and tried to be more polite, letting out a nervous laugh. "Ahem, hehe... Je m'appelle Melanie De la'Croix. C'est un plaisir. And you are?" He seemed friendly, and he was talking up Artemis and Lugos. There was no harm in being friendly back! "Eh, non, Artemis, I do not need you for anysing... What about you, Lugos, Celestia? Shall we let our ami go?" Perhaps they had something to tell her, but Mel certainly didn't.

[Bluedoom]

On his way to the library, Wolfgang cane across the boxing ring, one of the most frequently visited spots in Bonvale. Hmmm, I wonder if some of the others are having a go at the ring over here. No harm in checking it out.

Wolfgang entered the area to see many people cheering on the contestants. The crowd roared as the boxers tried to hit each other with their all. This was not the kind of experience Wolfgang was used to in Bonvale. Maybe I can use my magical power, hm? I could enchant my fists with magical power but I wonder... do I have a chance in this ring? I'm not much of a physical fighter but I suppose his is a good test for my endurance and power!

Edited November 11, 2014 by Bluedoom

[Oersted]

Lugos found Melanie's sudden appearance and subsequent amazement at Vacheres to be somewhat amusing. Hmm... maybe we could... He actually did need Artemis, Celestia and Melanie too. "Actually," he turned to address the other mages. "Since there's four of us here, maybe we should head to the theater. They have magic shows there and they allow guests to come and preform. If we do a good job we could get ourselves some more gold. That sound good to you three?" He even had an idea for a performance in his head but he'd need all of them for it. "And yeah that's weird how all of us airborne mages decided we should pick up weapons at around the same time." Seriously, talk about weird.

"Yeah, it sure seems that way. There's three of us in this one mercenary company after all." It was kind of strange but stranger things had probably happened. He was surprised to be offered an axe, let alone one that sounded so unique, but he wasn't going to say no. "I'd appreciate that very much."

[Nanami Touko]

"Eh? Ze seater?" Melanie then remembered that they had been handed fliers from the boss, and the quickly unfurled hers, after digging it out of her robes. Sure enough, there was an ad for the theater, and anyone who wished to try it. Her eyes lit up and she smiled wide. "FANTASTIQUE!" she practically shouted, happily giggling. "We should do zis! Celestia, Artemis, can we do zis!?" A chance to practice her magic and show it off in front of a live audience? Melanie couldn't wait! But, then again... "Oh, ben... We were going to 'ave ze bass, none? I mean... Eef you would razzer do zat, Celestia, zat ees fine." Anyone could tell Mel was suppressing herself hard to say that, after the excitement of finding this out.

[scorri]

Taima frowned slightly, taking a little longer to plan her attack this time. She circled with the general for a few seconds, before lunging in with here spear again. This time though, she shortened her lung, not committing as fully and keeping her balance more centered. She also tried to leave the shaft of the lance crossing her body, hoping to be able to use it to deflect the counter that she knew was coming.

[riariadne]

General's Favor

Dervas blocked Taima's second strike just like the first, but this time his lance glanced off of hers due to the improved positioning. "You're a quick learner," he complimented. "We can keep going, if you'd like, but they way you adapted makes me think you might not even need to and will just apply what you've learned right away."

Pure Power

"Well, my family is tall, but not all this tall," Vacheres explained, laughing. "I am Vacheres, and I certainly do bother. I would like to think I am quite good at fighting, really. I am not quite so good with magic, however... I will leave your performance to you. I have some business to attend to today, as much as I like to spend time here. I am staying at one of the inns nearest the boxing ring, but if you are here tomorrow, I think I will naturally run into you anyway. May fortune smile upon you."

In The Ring

The crowd went wild as the current fight raged on, the two combatants seeming evenly matched. A powerful dark skinned man threw ferocious punches at the much smaller tan fighter, who nimbly dodged to hit with smaller jabs. After a particularly big miss from the tall man, the smaller one landed a mighty uppercut, knocking him off his feet and bringing the crowd to theirs. "The winner by knockout and retaining World Circuit champion is Mac!" an announcer called from a booth high up, applause and cheers echoing throughout the building.

Closer to the ring stood a large man with his arms crossed, eyeing Wolfgang as he approached. "You here to watch, little man? The next left is the way to the stands."

[scorri]

Taima blushed slightly and lowered her lance. "I... Well, I just looked at how you were holding your lance. I'm used to holding it away from my body but... I think I picked that up from people carrying shields and that's not my style of fighting, so... Yeah. Thank you for giving me your time. I can't... I can't express how much it means to me. I will bow to your expertise here as to whether or not we should continue." She physically bowed to him as she said this, not noticing the connections between her actions and her words. She was simply so happy and respectful of the man offering her help that she couldn't help it.

[Ether]

"The theater, huh? Well, that doesn't sound like so bad a time." Celestia replied with a smile, turning towards Melanie, who had quite obviously allowed her excitement to sink to a grand low in order to allow her a way out.

"Hey, we've got the whole time we're in town to head back to the inn, right Melanie? What are the chances all four of us will end up together again after this? May as well go try out this show while we have the chance."

[Nanami Touko]

Mel's smile started to return, eventually turning into a giggle again. "Vraiment? Très bien, Celestia! Merci!" She hugged the girl, and then sighed, letting her go to turn towards Artemis and Lugos. "Ben, what are we waiting for? Let us go! We shall show zese Irksans un réel show of magique!" She threw her fist into the air, and laughed a bit more, obviously having the time of her life with this. "Come on, Artemis! Eet shall be fun, oui?"

Edited November 11, 2014 by I have opinions

[Refa]

Artemis sighed as Vacheres left. I guess I won't be seeing any dragons today. Oh well, it's no big deal. "Theatre, huh? Yeah, I saw that on the brochure as well. Dunno how good I'd be at doing a magic show, but it's not like I've got anything better to do. Might as well, right?" She said as she turned around to Lugos. Even Celestia was up for it, even though it really didn't seem like the sort of thing that she'd be into. Smiling at Melanie, she said, "Yeah! I've never done something like this before, but it's always nice to experience new things. It'd be even better if we could get some of the other mages in our group to help, but they're most likely too busy with their own business. Oh well, we can probably pull through on our own, right?"

Edited November 11, 2014 by Refa

[Ether]

With the sudden hug came a light blush to Celestia's face, which faded as Melanie turned away.

"Yeah, we should get going... oh, I should probably finish up here first though, huh?" Celestia noted with a light chuckle, as she moves to get her horse all settled in at the stables.

[Nanami Touko]

"Oui! Zis will be fantasique! Ben, I can 'ardly wait! Lugis, you lead ze way, since zis was votre idée. Pas problème, oui?" Mel was so stoked that everyone was on board! Lugos, Artemis, Celestia. If they had Magali and Wolfgang, they could produce an even better show... Unfortunately, Celestia had been right. It was lucky enough that all four of them showed up together when they did. They'd have to use this opportunity while they could. "Ahhh, I juste can not wait... I am 'aving ze goosebumps. Franchement, hahaha." Mel sighed, and shook her hands, trying to calm down from all the excitement.

[Xinnidy]

My, that was nice~. Magali had her mood lifted by their warm reception. Their time in Bonvale was bound to be so nice! She waved to the noble and her associates as they left. So that's how Mina is, how cute. They look a lovely couple~. A smirk graced her face as she stored her payment appropriately and looked around --only to realize everybody else had already left. How slow of her.

She made her way to the city itself, taking a good look at the fliers she received. Oh, right, the theater. I've talked this with Mina all the way here, now is as good a time as ever~. Using some directions, she made her way there.

[Oersted]

Lugos smiled as Vacheres left, he actually had something to strive for now. He'd likely never reach his level but who said goals had to be realistic? The fact that everyone agreed to head to the theater also put him in a good mood and Melanie's enthusiasm was contagious. " Yeah, we'll knock them off their feet! Let's get going!" He figured he should explain what he had in mind for a performance as they walked, but he needed to know something first. "Melanie, how many balls of darkness can you conjure at a time?" The basis of his plan revolved around that so he needed to know. But he didn't stop his explanation, she could tell him at the theater. "So what I have in mind is that first, Melanie you would conjure balls of darkness and move them around, if possible. Next, Artemis and I would make rings or something around them with either fire or lightning. Finally Celestia, you would use your light magic to hit the balls and make them explode." By the time Lugos had finished with his explanation they had arrived at the theater. "So, what do you think of that?"

Edited November 11, 2014 by Oersted

[Bluedoom]

Wolfgang was quite intimidated by the large man's voice...and physique. Buff men are not sexy! Buff men are not sexy! I wonder if Vale can beat these guys up good though...maybe not, I think he relies to much on his sword, ugh. Also... what is it with this guy? I think he's... looking down on me? Why I ought to take him out with some magic, that'll show him! Hah, this is a distraction after all, I'll be heading back to the library now.

" Pardon me, I haven't been to this place before, just want to see it for a bit. Perhaps I'll be on my way..." Wolfgang replied a little nervously as he walked out of the boxing ring. This man could squeeze him to death if he wasn't careful with what he said.

-----------

A little while later he was at the theatre where he saw Lugos, Artemis, Melanie and the light magic user on the horse. Ah, a gathering of mages! This ought to be fun!

" Oh hello everyone. This is quite the sight to see all the mages of the Hollows gathered here. What's going on?"

Edited November 11, 2014 by Bluedoom