[Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars]

Miria to 7,17

[Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars]

Miria was caught off guard after hearing the new voice. A lady who came up to her on a horse. She gave some encouraging words before... suddenly transforming. Much like Miria, but with a gem on her glove, and she was in...

"Green armor..." Like what Mikoto talked about. Gold, silver and green. And here was the green, in perfect view. Miria was almost entranced, thankfully her face was hidden behind the helmet she wore. It was also a battle! The Tigers didn't need their Golden Cub slacking on the job due to being awestruck. In Miria's eyes, this meant she had to make sure she survived! She had to know more! "Yes ma'am!" Miria exclaimed, with a bit of a salute. "Then let's do it!"

Miria moves to 3,18, engages Fighter 2 with the Iron Sword!

[Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars]

(Posting older retros that were supposed to be posted way back before the last town, but I kept forgetting to)

One Fish, Two Fish

Spoiler

Camp had been set, and everyone was off doing their own things for the night. Another long day of travel, another day of sitting and relaxing. At least, for everyone not Miria. For the most part. Spending all day in the wagon reading, and almost every other day doing some form of exercise, she decided one day for some peace and quiet would do some good.

During the trip, she noticed they had been following a river. Maybe that would be a good place to start a nice evening.

And that she did, pulling out some fishing gear from the back of one of the wagons, including two fishing poles, she wasn’t sure if anyone would join her, but she’d keep the second just in case, and made her way off to the river. When she arrived, she took a moment to bask in the cool breeze from the water, and appreciate the beauty of it. Could’ve gone swimming, but then that’d scare away the fish! 

Miria set down all her equipment, and proceeded to remove her boots and socks. Walking to the water’s edge, from the grass, to the sand, to the cool water itself. With a soothed sigh, she took her pole, and took a swing into the river. Time to catch some fish!

After their group had set up camp, Syndra was getting ready for the evening, but noticed someone walking off on their own. It was Miriam and she seemed to be carrying something. Is that a pole? I know we’re by a river but I didn’t think anyone besides Dame Aegean fished. It was unlikely that anything was going to occur tonight, and if trouble were to arise Syndra was always ready as long as she had her bag of tomes on her. More importantly, Syndra hadn’t had a lot of opportunities to speak with Miria one-on-one, despite how often the two of them had fought in close proximiity in recent battles. So getting up from where she was, she decided to follow Miria to… wherever down the river she was going.

After a bit of a walk, Syndra had finally caught up with Miria’s trail. It seemed like Miria was just casting her line from the riverbank. She didn’t seem to have much of a care in the world at the moment, just sitting there, smiling, enjoying the view. Syndra decided to walk over to her and join her. “Nice weather out here tonight isn’t it?”

Miria was content. She hadn’t had a bite yet, but she felt good at the water. It was just the plan, then… “Huh?” She turned around to see Syndra, and she gave a big smile, “Evening Syndra. Yeah, it is nice out, huh?” And back to the water she was, keeping track of her line. “I had to get out, do something instead of reading, or training. So, I came out here and started to fish.”

Suddenly, the girl decided to start slowly reeling in. If the bait looked like an escaping prey, maybe a fish would grab at it. “Would you like to join me? I brought a second pole, just in case.”

“Considering how long we’ve been on the trail for, I can see why you’d want to.” Miria had invited Syndra to join in, so she took the pole that had been offered. “It’s been so long since I’ve done this. I just hope I don’t cast the hook into a tree.” Syndra didn’t cast off immediately, since Miria seemed to be reeling in, and so she didn’t want to disturb the water. Instead, she decided to just ask something that was on her mind. “So in our last fight, or I suppose before it started to be precise, you had walked out of the tavern we are in fully armored up. How’d you do that? I don’t remember you bringing any change of clothes with you after we left the caravan.”

Syndra joined as hoped. Miria felt a bit of excitement. Having a friend to fish with is always fun. Better together than alone, something her father always talked about. "Oh, you can go ahead and cast too. It should be fine as long as we aren't too close together." She assured, as she thought about the other question. The girl had to make sure Syndra understood how it all worked.

"Well, so… It's a type of magic. The Evokers helped explain it to me, I use my necklace I have, focus some energy, and I have a currently incomplete set of magic armor that just sits in it." She took her right hand off the rod to show her gauntlet she wears. "I just have a few pieces I made to fit where stuff would normally go. Does that… make sense?" She nervously laughed.

“So it just kind of exists in some pocket dimension created by your necklace? That’s… huh, I’ve never heard of something like that.” Syndra casted off into a different part of the river from Miria. “So you said you focus energy into it, would that mean it’s locked to your signature or would someone else wearing it also be able to use it?” Syndra had been curious if other people could do what Miria is able to. The best way to find out was just asking the source.

“Neither did the Evokers,” the girl replied, as she was still focused on the water. “They were surprised I had something like this at all. Especially how I got it.” She gave a sigh. “I got it in a trade from someone, who told me it didn’t work for them, but thought it would for me. And, well, it did. And here we are.” The nervous chuckle that followed was clear. Miria really didn’t know much more regarding her armor. She just had it.

“And yeah, so far, it seems like it only works for me. Miss Tio, Miss Elisa, even In- Sari, all tried it, and didn’t get much out of it. So as of right now, it seems to only work on me.”

“So others have tried. I’m curious if I might be able to make it work, but if the Evokers can’t interact with it I doubt I’ll have any luck.” While thinking about Miria’s necklace, Syndra thought she felt a tug on her line. The feeling then passed and the spot she cast towards remained calm. Syndra started reeling back in her line, and when it got back to her all that was left was the hook. “I wasn’t any good at this back home either on the few occasions I’ve gone fishing. Oh well, we all struggle with something don’t we.”

"Yeah, probably not. But, you're super strong already, you don't need my armor to make you stronger." She assured her companion, as she kept her eyes out. There was a tug, then suddenly something caught into her line.

"Oh! Oh!" She started to exclaim as she tugged onto her pole, and reeled, hoping to get this catch. Some extra food! Maybe! She reeled, and reeled…

And it seemed to be, just a small fish. It looked like a baby bass. "Aw," That wasn't enough for her. Gently, she brought the hooked fish to herself, carefully unhooking the fish and chucking it back into the water. "Too small. Gotta give it some time to get bigger." Then, she went for another cast.

“That’s a shame.” Miria had success but not quite what she was looking for. “Wait, you actually think I’m strong?” Syndra thought it was a bit of a stretch. Competent sure, but she wasn’t convinced. “I know I’m good at my job and I beat everyone in the arena back at Eibar but I don’t think I’d call myself strong. I at least know I wouldn’t be here now if it wasn’t for assistance from people like you, Sir Cinaed, Dame Nyxied, everyone here honestly. And I’m always still trying to improve, that’s why I went to study in Glacies in the first place.” Syndra could’ve elaborated a bit more if asked to, but she’d already done that with Nyx and Aegean, and it wasn’t why either Miria or her were here in the first place. Speaking of which; “Where’s the bait again?”

“I mean, of course you’re strong,” she answered almost like she thought Syndra’s response was silly. She began her slow reeling again, “It’s like… Everyone’s strong, just, of course, there are people stronger. But that’s just a person to make you stronger. Like me, I’m tough, but, I’m pretty sure I’m pretty frail without my armor. So I wear it. Or like, ah(!), you’re a stronger mage than me.” She flashed Syndra a smile. “And of course we need help sometimes, no one is all-powerful.”

A question about the bait, “Oh, well," she pointed over to the rest of the equipment, “I took some of my bread, and am just using that. I’m not about to go digging for worms right now, hahah,”

Syndra took in what Miria was saying to her, and it all felt like it should make sense, but there was just something in her own head getting in the way of the message. “Hmm…” A person to make you stronger? It would have to be them wouldn’t it. The whole reason I’m even here is to show up my family. “I think I get what you’re saying.” Miria also told her where to get some more bait, and an idea formed. “I could probably help you get some out of the dirt, after all, I’m more than simply an ice mage. Up to you.” Syndra cast out again after rebaiting her hook.

“Of course you do. You’re super smart. Way smarter than me,” the girl laughed as she stretched out her legs a little bit, trying to get a better feel for the water. “I’m not the brightest, and maybe not the most aware, but I do know stuff sometimes.” She turned back over with a smile to Syndra, “I think you are super cool Syndra.” And she was back with her attention to the river, a big ol’ smile on her face, proud of her comment.

When asked about the worms however, “Nono it’s fine. We can wait for a better time. Like after it rains. Then we don’t have to go digging. Digging is no fun, way dirtier.”

The compliments Miria kept giving Syndra were oddly refreshing to hear. Mostly because they felt… genuine coming from Miria. “Aw, well thanks Miria. I appreciate your words. You’re pretty flashy and cool yourself.” With Miria turning down her offer to use her magic to dig for worms, Syndra cast off again, losing herself in the serenity of the river.

Syndra seemed to be taking well to the compliments. It was nice, she was never sure what to think of the lady, due to never really interacting with her, but this was a refreshing take. She was super nice. "Thank you Syndra, I… really appreciate it too." Her smile was soft, as she started to take off her poncho, chucking it over by the supplies. Never knew when…

A particular heavy tug caught Miria off guard, and she toppled into the water with a yelp and a large splash. She made sure to hold the rod with both hands as she got herself up. Spitting out some water, she started reeling, "I got it!" She followed by backing up towards land to drag whatever she had towards shallower water. She kept her focus and kept reeling, seeing the fish splash and try to escape.

Oh, WE ARE EATING!

"Come ooooon!" She reeled and reeled, and soon, a large fish emerged from the water, flopping as it kept stuck to her fishhook.

"Ah… hah… Look at that guy." Miria took a moment to observe, made sure she was right. "Look at that bass. That's like… fifteen? Sixteen pounds?"

While the part of the river Syndra had cast in was relatively calm, it sounded like Miria was having some success. And sure enough, Miria had reeled in a rather impressive catch. “Haha, alright! At least one of us is-” Syndra cut herself off after feeling a tug on her line. “Oh I think I spoke too soon.” Syndra started reeling in, but whatever she had hooked was fighting back. Hard. “Uh oh. I think you might not be the only one heading into the river!” This is what I get for not being physically active. Syndra was trying her hardest to not fall into the river, but it wasn’t looking promising…

“Uh oh! Hold on!” Miria quickly made her way back to their fishing gear, grabbing a big wrap, to put her bass onto, quickly wrapping it, and tightening it; she’d work on cleaning it for meal prep later! Syndra needed her help!

“I’m coming Syndra!” She hopped her way back into the water, loud sloshing from behind Syndra as she grabbed and held on tight to her. “We got it! You just gotta keep a good grip on it!”

Syndra was hanging on, and then she heard a splash, but thankfully, it wasn’t because she had fallen face first into the water. It was Miria rushing over to brace her. Just hold on. Syndra gripped the pole as tight as she could, trying to reel in her catch. “Hang on tight Miria, we’ve got this!” Pulling back as hard as she could, Syndra was determined to land her catch, even if it meant an unexpected bath. “I think I got it. Hurrrgh!” With a hefty heave, Syndra pulled in her quarry. It wasn’t quite as impressive looking as what Miria had caught, but it was still decently sized all things considered. The effort was physically exhausting though. “Phew, at least pant pant at least we got em’.”

It was tough, Syndra was hard to keep hold of, but with the tough, Syndra got her quarry, and Miria tumbled backwards again with a splash. With a few heavy breaths, Miria picked herself up and took a look at the haul.

"Hah… hah, haha! Woo! Look at that!" Miria excitedly called out. "About… ten… nine, pounds? A whole catfish too. Ooh, catfish is really good! Good job Syndra, that's a beautiful one!"

“Is it not? I haven’t ever had it before.” Syndra was still a little tired, but triumphing over the river was enough to take her mind off that fact. “So then, what are we going to do with these? I could probably put them on ice for a little bit until you wanted to cook them.” Syndra sat her pole down by the rest of Miria’s gear and then sat down herself. “I think I’m just going to rest here for a little bit. Thanks for helping me out Miria. We should do more things like this if the chance comes up.”

"Some ice is probably a good idea. Then when we get to cooking them, that's when we'll focus on all the cleaning and seasoning and stuff. But cleaning a fish isn't too hard." Miria gave a small laugh as she backed up and sat herself on the grass, her feet still in the water. She hung her head over the water and started shaking her hair, trying to get all the wetness out as best as she could.

She gave a smile when she turned to Syndra, "Yeah, this was a lot of fun. This was one of my favorite things to do with Papa. And maybe next time I do one of my things, I can find you if that works?"

“If I’m free to do so, I’d love to hang out with you some more, Miria.” Syndra then stood up and started making shapes in the air with her fingers, and then, with a snap, made ice appear. “Whenever you’re ready to go, we can carry all this stuff back. No need to rush though. I can always just make more.”

“Uhhhhh, we should be fine now, I think. We did good, we’ll chill ‘em up, then we’ll clean them later when we have time. And, y’know, we’re not crawling with all sorts of river germs.” She gave a small laugh as she stepped out of the water finally. “You’re free to get started whenever you want, Syndra. I gotta dry up some before I put all of my stuff back on.” 

It was a good evening, in Miria’s mind. She got to do some fishing, got to hang out with one of her fellow mercs, and even got some future dinners out of it. In reality, she was feeling a lot better already after the past couple of days. She lowered her head towards the river again, taking off her hair band and shaking her hair to get it as dry as she could.

Syndra chuckled to herself at Miria’s head shaking. She seemed like a puppy almost, which would explain her energy and exuberance somewhat. The whole evening felt productive and it was the most fun Syndra had had in a while. Content with how things had gone, Syndra decided to lay down on the ground and take in the ambience of the cool night air.

 

Training Partners

Spoiler

Time for some training! Miria took a stretch after finally setting camp up. She was ready to get in some action. Some regimented push-ups, cycles, planks, even the dreaded burpees… She kept a steady mind, and was determined. A good mindset for a good grindset. It was a nice night, and Miria felt great.

Scouting around the camp, she was trying to find a good spot to begin her training. She got a ways away until she found herself hearing… something else.

Following the noise, she found herself in a clearing, and saw someone training. She jumped behind a tree trying not to scare who it was. Taking a peek, she saw… she thinks his name was Üllr. The new person who joined back in town. Miria watched for a little bit. She didn't know him very well, and, well…

He was cute.

Üllr had gone searching for a place to train early as the group settled. While appreciative of being taken in, he wasn't sure yet if he would be able to fight on par with the others. Last battle had them doing a lot more than Üllr could. It certainly left an impression. "Haah…"

He didn't need to rely purely on his claws now. Wielding these knuckles felt odd, but they were a better alternative against heavy armor for sure. For now, he wanted to make sure it felt right in his hands, starting with swings at the air, until he felt it was time to move to trees…

"Haah!" Üllr intertwined a heavy, upward swing in the middle of his strikes. He'd seen a few brawlers do that. Maybe the momentum helped. "Mmm…" It was, at least, feeling a bit more natural. He took a break for a moment, letting the wind cool him off.

"Hmm…?" Having taken the time, he felt… watched. It was a familiar feeling, but he wasn't being hunted by some wild animal –it lacked the intent. He turned around, ears twitching a little… There was a guest alright, barely visible between the trees. "Who's there…?" This close to camp, Üllr refrained from sounding alarmed.

Miria sat and watched as he practiced. To be able to just punch and kick and be so effective in the field, Miria thought about that on occasion. Considering her armor, it was that hard. At the moment though, that wasn't Miria’s concern. Just… He was so swift, so cool, so…!

Miria gave herself a few quick slaps, to keep herself back in focus. Her face felt warm, sorta like that one guy who came on the boat with Cin way back. How weird.

Suddenly Üllr turned towards her position and called out, causing the poor girl to snap out of her trance and hide behind the tree she was at with a yelp. She took a moment, and a deep breath, and slowly came out.

"S-Sorry, sorry… I was, trying not to scare you." She tried to answer as best she could. "I was trying to find a place to train, and saw you here, and… You looked so cool and calm, I didn't want to throw you off." She kept a warm smile as she made her approach, "It's, Üllr, right? How are you? How are you taking to the Tigers?"

Ah, so that was one of the girls from the group after all. She seemed rattled by the call, from what Üllr could tell, but not enough to run away. "Don't worry. I just had to make sure you weren't an enemy." Üllr shook his head, "I looked cool? Huh. I just thought I could use some training. The Tigers know what they are doing, and I don't want to slow them down."

As she approached, Üllr tried to put a name to her face… but nothing came up yet. Did she fight in the village brawl? "What's your name? You already know mine, so…" No point offering his name in return. "I like the Tigers. It's much better than traveling alone."

"That, uh, haha, makes sense. Still, sorry." He seemed to take well to her comment. That was good. Then something about him afraid of slowing down the group, "I'm sure you'll be just fine, you seem strong enough." And she gave a small laugh. Then he asked her name, right!

"That, uh, haha, makes sense. Still, sorry." He seemed to take well to her comment. That was good. Then something about him afraid of slowing down the group, "I'm sure you'll be just fine, you seem strong enough." And she gave a small laugh. Then he asked her name, right! "I'm Miria. Miria Luna. It's nice to meet you Üllr." She replied with gusto. "Also, you're a wolf clouded right?" She had to be sure before she even attempted asking questions.

"Miria. Miria… okay." Üllr repeated the name once. It was easy to keep that name in mind, a fine name by his metrics. "Maybe I'm fine. The Tigers just have, magic, and weapons, they took care of those knights quick. Just don't want to be a burden." Could he have been overthinking? Some vote of confidence was nice, even if they just met.

"Right. I'm a Clouded. Wolf parts." His ear twitched a little, he nodded in succession. "And you're a human, yeah?" Truth be told, the first human he had a normal conversation with since his grandfather.

"Mhm, I am a human, yeah. But my papa that raised me, he was a wolf too. You actually, kinda remind me of him." She gave a little laugh. "He just kept a knife on him, I don't know if he fought with his fists or not."

Her arms slid and hid under her poncho as she held her arms together. "And yeah, I get making sure you do your part. I want to do mine too, despite my own weird quirks and faults too. But we all have stuff like that. So we just gotta compliment each other's weaknesses, you know?" 

"Your… dad was a wolf?" How curious. She wasn't a wolf clouded herself, which puzzled Üllr for a moment. His tail swayed in thought, slowly making sense that she meant the wolf just raised her. "Raised you… still counts as father, huh? I guess I understand." With a quick nod, Üllr crossed his arms, relaxing from his combat stance. "Makes sense to cover weaknesses. What do you do in battle?" Maybe she could refresh his memory of the battle as well.

“Yeah! He and my mama adopted me when I was just a baby. I actually grew a love of adventure from him,” she smiled as she proudly proclaimed her fondness for her father. The best way to hide how much she missed him and her mother.

What she did in battle was the next thing asked. Miria thought that it would be a fine time to show it off briefly. Üllr was an ally, there wasn’t any reason to hide her powers from him. “Right, so, uh, you might want to shield your eyes for a second.” She warned, and gave a second, before taking her gem into her hand, surrounding herself in a flash of light, and she was in her classic armor.

“I fight as one of our forwards.” She said with confidence. “My armor helps keep me safe.”

"Ah… They took you in. That makes sense." Üllr got the gist of it. They weren't related by blood, but were still family. That was a nice thought. "Adventure… is that why you wanted to join the Tigers?" That would make sense, but before he got too many questions about it, Miria decided to show what made her stand out.

 "Shield my–?" Before he could process, Üllr was surprised with a flash of light, shielding his eyes and bringing his arms up. Soon enough, the light faded, and what stood in front of him was a familiar visage. "Miria…?" The armored fighter in gold was one person he remembered during the fight. "So that was you… I remember you now. You fight well with a sword. Magic too, right?" Involuntarily, his tail wagged a bit, interested in the sudden development.

Miria scratched her head as she watched Üllr’s reaction, giving a small laugh again, “Haha, yeah, I was. I hope I didn’t scare you when, well, I exploded.” She gave a nervous sigh, “But yeah, I fight with a sword, and sometimes some magic. It’s complicated. I can shoot fire behind me. And set my sword on fire. Mostly just that though. My sword arm’s preeeetty good though~” She replied to his comment on her fighting well with one with a joking amount of confidence.

“And as for me being here, well…” She started, but she thought about it a bit. She trusted him because he was a Tiger, but he may not have needed all the details. “Well, uh, Miss Natalya found me, actually. I… well, let’s just say I made a mistake that caused me to have to run from home, to protect my family. Ran around Glacies for a bit before Miss Natalya took me in. So now, I just run around, being the brave, gold-clad hero of the Iron Tigers~” She tried to keep a positive tone.

"I see… Swords and magic and armor are a lot to handle. That's pretty good." Üllr listened intently to her explanation, putting some more effort after being able to tell her identity from the previous battle. "You fought fine back then. They had dangerous weapons to clouded like me." It was definitely a worthy asset in a team to have humans that could fight for them. "Is your armor magic too?" It didn't take much to guess, most people had to put them on and off like clothes.

"Had to run from home to protect family? Hm…" He didn't get it, but then again, he didn't get how families were supposed to work all that well, pressing less than one might have. "Will you be able to go back to them one day?" He let that out almost thoughtlessly, tilting his head.

“No…” Was her first response, in a tone far lower than her usual positive one, Woah, Miria, where did that come from? She quickly shook her head, no way she should think that way, “Er, I mean, of course. I just need to get stronger, so I can keep them safe, from all potential threats~ Thank you, I appreciate that you thought I did fine.” She did her best to hide that sudden doubt. Was it from the other day? Miria! Hush! Drop it! He did ask about her armor.

She patted her chest a bit, showing that the armor seemed to have a layer of cushion before the actual armor part. “It is, yeah. Um… The Evokers put it like, it’s a really really old item. Something like, the armor sits in…” She paused to focus, and magic herself out of the armor, “...this necklace I have. And when I use it, it starts to use my magic to stay on, and once I run out of magic, it starts draining my energy. I don’t know if you saw it, but that’s… why I just kinda collapsed after the fight was over. But we’re working to fix it, make me… ‘magic better’. And I eat a bunch so I’m always energized. It’s also not complete, so I… work to fix it by having some of my own armor I just keep on, like this,” She shows the gauntlet on her right arm, “And a helmet I have. Thankfully, Gean got it for me when I lost it during the fight.”

Üllr had good ears, he could pick up that initial reaction just fine. It was certainly surprising to hear her tone shift like that, and made him think maybe he should’ve thought a bit more before asking that. “Being strong helps. You’ll get to see them again one day if you set your mind to it, yeah? I have a father, but… I don’t know who he is at all. Though I think I’ll find him one day.” Hopefully that was a more positive thought than what was going on in her mind. “Hmm… so you still need to get stronger to manage it. That makes sense.” Magical armor that cost her energy to stay on? It seemed like a big cost, but no doubt it worked for her. “The armor makes you stronger, but you have to ‘magic better’ for it. Just like training, right?” Üllr was able to follow through, nodding along. “Sounds like a good way to fight.”

Being strong helps. She nodded as she listened to Üllr’s words. Seemed he had some family trouble as well. Actually, somewhat similar to her, but… she didn’t know if he had any family he could go back to like she had. “Thank you Üllr, that means a lot, truly. Well, actually, if you ever need help finding your father, Ing– er, Ver-sar-is, Versaris, might be able to help you. He’s like, a spy, he can figure out stuff real quick.” She tried to assure the young man.

And back to her armor, “It’s pretty strong, yeah~ And mhm, the Evokers have already offered helping me train to better hone it, and not affect me as much. That way, I won’t have to worry about conking out anymore. Hopefully one day, hahah~” She felt herself perk back up a bit.

Seems like his words helped. Üllr wasn’t sure what was the best thing to say in these situations, but as long as it reached through to her, it was better than to keep her distracted with the bad thought he invited. “Ver, saris? I see, I’ll talk to him.” He hadn’t quite put names to faces that well, but he was sure he’d figure out who that was after asking around. “Sounds good. An armor that drains you can’t be good if it drains too much.” That seemed to have spent Üllr’s curiosity, taking a final look before he remembered why she was here –just happening to catch him mid-training. “Do you want to train too or, just, keep watching?”

Miria nodded, "Of course. And I mean, if you ever need to see him I could take you to him. He helps me a lot with my sword arm~" It was hard adjusting to that new name he's using but she'd do her best to memorize it since he was willing to help her be stronger. Strong enough to…

And then Üllr asked if she wanted to train. "Like, together? Or like, er, I mean, agh!!" Her face reddened a bit before she shook her head. "I mean, would that be fine? It'd be good practice, I haven’t tried to fight someone who fights with their fists and stuff like that before. It sounds… well, fun~"

"...Yes?" Miria's slip of the tongue was pretty lost on Üllr, who didn't figure out any other meanings behind it –training was something you could do with a partner, after all. "Weapons always have an advantage on fists. Reach and all. I can only practice so much on my own, so another person helps." Gone to a topic he was in his element with, Üllr slowly regained his stance. "Can be fun. We also learn from each other." He needed to get better at dealing with weapons, or at least he thought as much, to remain competitive with the Tigers.

He brought up a lot of good points. Learning from each other wasn't a bad idea either. Sometimes a good fight is what you need to learn more about an ally. And Miria could also use it to get her mind off of what was bothering her earlier. Hopefully it'd help Üllr too. 

Miria prepared herself, but a small thing caught her mind, and of course, she just wanted permission first. "Oh, Üllr, is it okay if I use my armor? Or would you prefer, just like this?"

"Hm? Oh. Do you train with your armor? Makes sense to do what you do for practice." Üllr had no idea if it cost too much energy to be used trivially like this, so it was best to err on the side of Miria's own judgement. "Your choice. I think you'll want to try to catch up with my movements. Armor can be pretty hard to move fast on." Of course, depending on the perks of this magical one…

"Awesome!" Miria cracked her knuckles, did a couple of arm and leg stretches, before focusing her energies, and was back in her armor. She took out the practice sword she had on hand, gave a couple of twirls, and backed up some, getting into a readied stance. "And don't worry about my armor. I'm still pretty quick~"

"Alright." The mood was back to normal, Üllr kept his stance, starting to focus on his surroundings again. A very faint cold hit the air, as he brought his fists to a defensive position. "Fast, huh? Very well, then. Ready!"

---

The battle started with Üllr on the offense, managing an opening for a one-two punch as Miria started testing him. It was followed by a quick counter with the blunt of her sword. She wasn't kidding about her speed. He couldn't hope to dodge that in time, especially since he had such a shorter reach with his fists. Frustratingly, her armor also seriously softened his blows, keeping the two in a back and forth. Miria had a strong counter, but Üllr barely kept up with his blows. She had put him on the back feet for once, movements starting to slow down, but Üllr knew Miria couldn't be lasting much longer either –that or he'd feel embarrassed for his endurance. He went on the offensive once more, before she could find a laat opening.

"TAAAH!"

Charging in and slamming the training knuckle to her chestplate, Üllr finally sent Miria off-balance, making her fall on her back. "Haaah… hah…" He panted, the winds well drawn out of him. "You, fight well. I wasn't expecting… to keep up with me in that armor." It was almost humbling, such a matchup would outclass him if she were a bit faster, or a bit more durable. Üllr dropped to one knee, still catching himself, hand to feel the side of his stomach that received quite a mean smack. "You did really good, that was close…"

He was quick, and hit surprisingly hard. Miria was sure she could hold out. If she just outpaced how much and how hard he hit, she could get him. It was simple. At least, it seemed that way at first. Suddenly, he rushed in, coming in strong. She was ready to hit. However, his knuckle to her chest sent her to her back. She had lost. If they had gone when she was first doubting herself, maybe she’d feel a lot worse. But…

The girl de-armored, as she held her chest with a light cough. Bringing herself back up, she gave a laugh as she listened. “Y-Yeah…! That was, exciting…” Her breathing was a little heavier than normal, but she wasn’t in trouble or anything, just winded. “H-Hang on.”

She spun around her satchel. Opening it, and digging through, she pulled out some bunches of wrap, and handed one to Üllr. “It’s some bread I keep with me, for when I train. To get some energy back,” She kept her smile. That felt, good. She hoped Üllr would feel more compared to the rest of the Tigers now.

“Are you okay?” Noting her heavier breath, Üllr did feel a bit concerned over any lasting injury he might’ve caused, deciding to err with a bit of caution, extending an arm to help her up. “Ah.” She seemed just fine, in the end, he retracted his hand, surprised to see her bounce back so quickly from that loss. “Bread? Thanks.” He wasn’t going to deny an offer of food like that, either.

Üllr took a quick bite of the bread himself, still giving a cautious eye to Miria’s state. “That armor is strong, and you’re still fast. Catching up was hard.” Fighting patterns like that always stuck with Üllr, they seemed to tell a little bit about the person, in the end. “You keep your guard down a bit, but you clearly trained.” She seemed quite focused on others, at least in the heat of battle, either as somebody that cared a lot about cutting an enemy down, or protecting another, and she didn’t seem an awful lot like the former.

"Hmm? Mhm, I'bbth bfiine–" she was already deep into her roll she was on, taking a second to fully eat her bread, "Like I said, I just get really tired. And… Honestly, I thought I'd be fine cause… I thought I'd win. Hahah, guess I got my foot in my mouth, huh?" She laughed, but there was a clear amount of something else. Either embarrassment or shame. "But(!), you did win! And it was fun."

She perched herself by a nearby tree, just to lean and not have to hold herself up. She took in Üllr's advice and observation. "Thank you, though, I'm glad some of my recent training paid off." She laughed again, with less of the awkward tone that came before.

Good job idiot, now you're about to make yourself look like an ass in front of him. Blowing all your chances of a good impression, good work.

“Heh. You almost did win. Don’t let your guard down against someone you never fought, though.” Üllr smirked at her comment, finding humor in the way she slipped the comment. Taking a moment to get back to his bread, he sat down in front of her. “Need to rest after this one too, but it was good. Thank you.” Whether just being polite or genuinely not caring, he went along with the talk, not minding her comment.

"O-Of course. Thanks, Üllr, for not judging me for it." She replied as he sat down in front of her. Her face reddened a little, but she kept to her bread, practically crushing it due to her starving. It was a good little distraction from her stomach, and her soreness.

A smile broke out when she watched Üllr eat her bread. "Y'know, if you like my bread, I'm a pretty decent cook. I caught a big ol' bass the other day. Haven't had a chance to clean and portion it, but when I do, you're welcome to some of it when it's done. There should be plenty~"

"Hmm… oh, fish? Fish is good." Üllr wasn't going to say no to a good offer of food like that. "Never really learned how to cook past making meat fine to eat. That sounds good." He finished his piece of bread quickly, having built an appetite himself. "I'll look forward to that."

Not a huge cook then? Miria could see that. She thought about it, then offered, "I mean, when I make them, I can show you how to cook them really good, how to season them, and that'd be a good skill to keep on you, y'know?" It was one thing to offer to share food, but teaching someone how to cook… "It'd be fun, promise."

"Eh? Teach cooking? That… sounds handy, we could do that." With his quick meal done, Üllr's attention was back to Miria's words, still resting before he picked up training again. "When you have time, we could try." I'd be a good survival skill to have should he need to go back to living on his own one day –which was a reasonable assumption. "Mm…" For a moment, he wished he could teach something in return, it felt better than just taking this help for granted. At the same time, sparring must've counted for something, right?

"Good! Then it's a daa– deal!" She got her words together. She needed to stop slipping like that. "I haven't taught anyone before, but I used to help Mama with cooking all the time. And I just retain it so I can hunt and make extra food for me cause I know I eat a lot." She gave a soft laugh. "But yeah, uh, you gotta go back to your training, right? Is it okay if I just kinda chill and watch, until I'm back on my feet?"

"Hah, yeah, it's a deal." Luckily for Miria, Üllr was not learned enough to catch her slip, simply nodding his head, amused at the stutter. "Mmm, sounds like you cooked enough. Teaching can't be that hard. I can watch you do it and learn already." He wasn't about to doubt her experience after the good fight. If she could fight like that, surely cooking came naturally.

"Oh." It made sense that Miria needed to rest a bit. "Hmm… I never had anyone watch me while training before." He felt a bit self-conscious at the offer, looking back to his claws. "I guess it helps if you learn how I fight, huh?" Slowly, he rationalized it. It didn't feel comfortable, but he struggled to see some harm in it. "Sure, you can stay." Üllr nodded to Miria, giving some time to prepare his nerves to train with an audience.

 

[Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars]

Magicks Beyond One's Ken

Spoiler

Miria waved off Syndra as they returned to the inn from their trip. She had stuff to try and take care of before they finally left. Specifically, one fox lady who may have the info she’s trying to figure out. Please be right, please be right… Miria had already gotten an answer that really gave Miria more questions with the Evokers. Hopefully…

 She started walking towards where Mikoto had been keeping her stock. Before the brunette approached, she pulled out her coin purse. Counting her money, she wanted to make sure she could buy something. There was! That was good! Miria was confident now. She finally approached the kitsune.

 “Miss Mikoto?” She called out as she walked over.

Mikoto was finishing wrapping up her things as another voice hailed her, Miria calling out to her once again, like earlier. She bit back a sigh. This girl sure is interested in me despite not being able to use a lick of conventional magic… I suppose it won’t hurt to inspect whatever her necklace contains, but, all this idle curiosity is… I’m a merchant, not a teacher. Patience, Mikoto… “Yes, hello~” The fox turned to face Miria with a smile, bright, and certainly not forced.

“I assume you’re coming to ask about your necklace, yes? I’m not busy this time, so you’ll find me more agreeable to whatever you’d like to ask… So. What can I do for you~?” Mikoto’s mood didn’t seem at all put on. She was a professional; masking a slight bit of irritation was simple.

 Miria smiled back at the merchant as she continued over. “Yes, Miss Mikoto, of course. But um,” She dug into her pouch and pulled out some money to hand over. “I wanted to make sure I bought something from you too.” The girl gave a nervous laugh. “Sorry again, for bothering you earlier. I’m just… at a loss.”

 Handing the money over, Miria thought about what she needed. “Would I be able to take… hmmmm…” She patted her head. “I think it’s called like, an energy drop, right? The one that helps with raising my strength?”

A purchase? Gold was gold. “Yes, of course… One moment, I…” Mikoto paused, not moving, her eyes closed… before a blue flame apparated and fizzled as quickly as it had appeared, leaving the vial in her hand. “There we are. Three thousand three hundred and thirty three gold… I assume that won’t be all, but I can’t say no to another drop of gold in the bucket. Feel free to take that now, or later… The taste isn’t something I’d call enjoyable, but it’ll do exactly what you expect of it. Magic drugs sure are something, aren’t they~?” Mikoto smiled and swished her now six tails behind her, a rather recent change thanks to some other purchases from the Tigers.

 Miria nodded, and took the vial into her hand. “Thank you Miss Mikoto.” And she slipped it into her pouch. “Alrighty, with that out of the way…”

 The girl unhooked her necklace. “So, I’m not sure if you’ve seen, or… really know what this is, but, my necklace gives me this magic armor, and it drains my magic. I guess, I just thought you might know something about it. The Evokers could only really tell me it was super old, it’s broken-ish, and only I can use it.” She handed the necklace over.

 “I’m hoping too, maybe figuring out more about it can help me with understanding some more magic stuff.” She nodded. “Is there anything you know?”

“Magic armor…” Mikoto frowned and took the necklace, giving it a few once overs, trying to focus on what kind of signature it was giving out… Her eyes went wide for a split second. Voima– No. No, it’s similar, but it’s not the same. I’m far too familiar with it to confuse the two… But it’s so painfully close. Wait… No, it is. What is this? It both is and isn’t…? Or perhaps it’s too weak for me to clearly focus on it… But it’s there. I mislike this. 

She huffed, trying to focus on the necklace to activate this armor… But, nothing. Nothing at all. Just that same, faint, far away signature. “How is this meant to work?” She turned it over a few times, looking for a switch or something else, but to no avail. “... Activate it.” She was too curious now, she had to see it in motion. If Miria was able to activate this, it had nothing to do with actual magical capability. She held it back out for the girl to turn on, staring intently.

Miria nodded as Mikoto took her necklace. She thought some as she watched the fox look over her artifact. Miria could tell, it was either something odd or… something bad. Miria, however, kept her positive outlook about it all.

"Well, I just kinda…" And Mikoto handed the necklace back. "Oh, alright. Got it." Miria held the necklace in her hand, and gave it some thought. Soon enough, there was a flash of light, and Miria was in her armor.

"So, I guess, when I got it, I was just told by the person who gave the necklace to me, they had a hunch I could make it work. And eventually it did. There was no switch or anything. I just, did it." 

Mikoto watched intently as Miria transformed, her eyes widening for much longer this time. That magical sensation was definitely Voima, or something mimicking its power, and it was pointing… Down. Towards the earth. Mikoto did a double take between Miria, now glad in gold, and the ground beneath them, a hand on her chin as she attempted to piece things together–

“Gold…” A memory flashed from a book she’d come across– was it a book or had it been handed to her from someone else? She couldn’t quite remember. “Gold, Silver and Green… Three armors of legend that have rumors and stories across the continent. And here, you, are… Mmmm, how auspicious. The Tigers really do have something from everything gathered here, don’t they? Anyhow…”

Mikoto cleared her throat, relaxing her hands a bit, folding her arms under her chest. “Mm, there is a connection to Voima– either it, or something so similar I cannot tell it apart. And it’s connecting… Ever so faintly,” Mikoto pointed down, towards the ground. “I am unsure as to why I can tell which way it’s pointing, but… Miria, do you know anything about the Gods of this world? I know little myself, but after seeing what happened to Alvira… These artifacts, this golden armor of yours… How the magic– how its essence is directing itself, it must be connected. So very intriguing… I fear, you will receive no better answer until we reach Lufiria. As I have avoided the country for quite some time, I lack knowledge of anything from that mysterious place~”

 “I… Is everything fine?” Miria asked as she watched Mikoto’s face. She wasn’t sure what to think yet. It could be anything.

 Then, Mikoto started going on. Gold, Silver, and Green armors? Legends? “I have something from a legend?” Miria did her best to contain the excitement she felt from hearing that. It was her dream to be a Hero. Maybe, she really could. She couldn’t prevent her big, dumb smile. Miria took a breath, and retracted her armor during a pause. Then Mikoto continued.

 “Voima…” That word again. This strange life magic the fox and Syndra had talked about earlier. For once, a magic conversation didn’t fly over Miria’s head. She was listening so intently.

 “Well, um, I always believed there were gods, but I don’t know any. The most I know about the Gods is that there's believed to be a bunch of them. But nothing I’ve read has ever really gone into detail. At least, not to my memory.”

 Miria tapped her head a bit as she thought, “To think I may have some connection to a god,” there was a clear hint of joy in her voice. She always believed, and she may be right… “Thank you Mikoto, that actually helps me a lot– Wait, what happened to Alvira? Is she okay?” Her glee quickly switched to concern.

“... Oh.” The fox had let that slip, but it wasn’t exactly a secret… Had the dragon not spread it around? “She had a run in with a Goddess of her own, yesterday… Where she attempted to pray beyond where she should have, and her flame was stolen. You didn’t find it weird that the fire dragon in your part was bundled up this morning?” Mikoto raised an eyebrow, not smirking, far from amused; powers beyond her own were a concern, not something to be smug about. 

“If you want the rest of the story, you’re free to ask her… As for the rest… You have a very, very curious trinket. Keep it safe. I’ve no interest in something that won’t work for me, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t someone that would… You know? And while you might be human, we’re going into a very dangerous place… Keep close to your allies, Miria. It would be a shame to see someone wielding the magic of legends, disappear.”

"Well, um…" Miria didn’t even really think about that with Alvira. But to have your fire stolen, would’ve made little sense to Miria a year ago, but with the advent of everything she's seen and learned, that… was understandable. "I guess I'll have to ask her about that. Maybe," the inner desire to learn about a god may have had a hand in her thoughts, but Alvira and her were friends now. The dragon came first.

Miria nodded as the kitsune explained to be safe. She may be human, but Miria was determined to protect her allies and friends who were clouded, or monsters. That would point just as much a target on her. "I'll be careful, promise." Miria smiled, "I gotta figure everything about my armor, after all~" She kept her attitude for a bit, before changing tune,

"And Miss Mikoto, this is the last thing I have to ask. Just… in case. You traveled around, and have met a bunch of people, right? Have you… ever met anyone, who looked like me? I was adopted by my current family when I was really young and, I don’t have anything except, maybe, my armor as a lead to who or where my blood family is."

"That's… Unfortunately, too vague for me to say. I've lived a long time and met a lot of people. I may have met someone that looked like you, but without a reason to care, they've faded into my memory like fog. My apologies." That Miria didn't know her birth family made her connection to this armor all the more interesting. I suppose I should keep more of an eye on her… Just to make sure she doesn't do anything truly stupid. I don't think she quite gets the severity of the country we're walking into. Islexia is going to eat this group alive…

 “I understand,” Miria nodded, it made sense why she wouldn’t have remembered someone like her. “You don’t have anything to apologize for, Miss Mikoto. This has actually been really helpful.” The girl gave a smile and a thumbs up. That wasn’t a lie. Her foot was finally in the door, she understood a bit of what she was. She had magical armor from some legend. That was enough of a victory for Miria. “Thank you so much for the help,” The cub said, graciously. She put her hands together, giving a small bow. Now to figure out why it doesn’t work properly… Well, we’ll be in Lufiria eventually. That oughta give me something.

“Not a problem at all… I must finish with my things, if that’s all. I… Suppose, I’ll let you know if I figure out anything else for this armor.” It was something to look out for, at least. Maybe this group was already hiding some of the others… The Tigers really do contain far too many magical mysteries. I wonder if it means something~

Miria was quick to ready herself for battle. With the amassing force she needed to be ready for battle. She removed the vial from her pouch she had gotten from Mikoto, popping the top off and drinking it. The taste was... well, awful, but she hoped how it worked was real and it'd kick in.

Before making her advance, she stopped. She knew it's been a rough time for Gean. She approached the girl and gave her a quick, tight hug. After letting go, she nodded.

She focused until she was in her armor, donning her helmet and making her advance.

Miria drinks an Energy Drop and moves to 2, 21

As Miria moved, she noticed something odd... There was a tugging from her chest. Was something going on across the mountain, where it felt like the tugging was coming from? Miria wasn’t exactly sure, but, she went with her gut.

She turned back to the group, "Does anyone else feel something... odd? It's like something around the mountain is trying to pull me over."

[Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars]

While all the talk of voima, and it's potential was almost completely lost on Miria, it didn't stop her from being engrossed in the conversation. To Miria, it was fascinating, magic was so much more than she knew it as. For her, it was fire balls and lightining bolts. But to know there was so much more, from the kinda energy Mikoto got through their lifeforce, to the potential of making familiars. It was hard to ignore her deep gaze.

"H-Huh?" Miria inquired, turning to Syndra's question. "Well, I, uh... I had to... no, we can still go, of course! Just..." She turned to the fox, "Miss Mikoto, will I be able to get with you later about my necklace? And maybe, seeing some of your merchandise again? I'm still curious." While her question was clear in firm, Miria still carried her smile.

[Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars]

"Right, sorry Miss Mikoto, later is fine." Miria nodded, shrinking into her seat a little bit.

Saiga also offered to help, "Well, I'm not sure, but how much do you know about old, ma--" but as she began to start, Syndra arrived. "Hi Syndra! I'm doing okay, right now." And she gave the woman a smile. "I hope you're doing a bit better today."

Mikoto intertwined herself in their conversation, Miria feeling a bit confused on how dedicated she was to her book until Syndra stepped over, but she didn't let it bother her. Especially considering. Syndra being slightly more important regarding the group's current situation. She kept her smile for her friend, there wasn't much help she could do for magic, so she chose morale support.

[Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars]

"Ooh, I see that. Horror is always fun to read," Miria simply laughed off Mikoto's sinister look. She wasn't sure how to judge her person, so she assumed the fox was getting in the 'horror-y' mood. "And yeah, I guess that makes sense. I'm not even really sure what magicky stuff I can do, just this thing I use... Actually," Miria thought for a moment, "Miss Mikoto, you've been around a lot, right? Have you ever delved into, magical trinkets, items, or whatever you'd call them, or found anything interesting like that? I had some questions the Evokers couldn't help me with, but... I thought I'd ask you too."

[Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars]

"I mean, yeah, but I'm allowed to say it," Miria smiled with a laugh, As she wrapped her arms together on top of the table, placing her head on them. She caught the title of Mikoto's book, and it piqued Miria's attention. She started to sit up again, "Miss Mikoto, I'm sorry I keep interrupting your reading," she began, very clearly embarrassed over trying to ask her questions.

"What's that spell you're studying? It sounds... very cool, and I'm trying to learn a bit more about magic."

[Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars]

Miria finally finished her meal as she listened to the two others talk. It had gotten fairly lukewarm, but she'd survive. It was still food and was still good. Then, a comment got a small snicker from Miria. Renais liking pretty women. "I mean, she gets it. You are very pretty Miss Mikoto," the brunette easily stated. "Pretty, smart, magical, there's a lot to like about you." Miria gave the fox her trademark smile.

[Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars]

Miria watched as the... well, she wouldn't exactly call it a discussion, occur and Gean soon left the table with Nyx, and Renais soon after. The brunette went to go support her friend, but it seemed Cin had already went after her. Good... He'll be fine. Renais didn't need both of them, as the girl sat back in her seat, as Saiga seemed to throw a threat Mikoto's way, which she thought the fox woman was nowhere close to the main problem in that trio. And she was off to her book.

Saiga sat with Miria, asking if what he did was fine. The brunette put some thought into it before saying anything.

"I wouldn't say it's wrong to stick up for a friend." Miria shook her head, "However, that wasn't a time for it, in my opinion." She paused for a moment, "Gean's like my sister, and Renais is my best friend. Just from watching that, how it appeared to me, was just a lack of the two of them talking to each other. Maybe I'm overstepping a little, I don't know what they've been doing, or what's been going on, but that's what I saw. Gean can express something's bothering her, and if Renais is bothered, she can say something." She shrugged, "I'm not the smartest, definitely not very wise, but I know bad communication can lead to issues."

The girl shook her head, looking at her tablemate. "But back to you, I don't think it's wrong to want to look after a friend. It's just... how. Especially when the person you're threatening could turn you into an ash pile before you can say 'ash pile'." And she shrugged again.

[Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars]

Miria laughed with Renais, it was admittedly understandable. "I get it, even I can get a bit nervous, seeing a lot of new faces." She turned to Mari with a smile, even while the group over there had their conversation, "Mari's really cool though. I like her." She turned back to the duo. "I haven't met some of the others, but if they're Tigers, or allies, they're like our comrades and arms now, right?"

The girl took a bite from her food, then a sip of her water. "I just moved cause of, a lot going on, and I'm not sure I'm, I guess, qualified to be a part of it." Miria kept her smile up even as she said that. "So I came over to where I think I could be a little more helpful," she proudly followed. 

[Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars]

Miria sat and ate her breakfast while Mari explained her situation to Tio. An undead seems... hmm, The girl thought about how cool it sounded to not be able to die, but the look on Mari's face about it all seemed... otherwise. It wasn't the place to ask, other important things were happening. Questions about Syndra's family, questions about where they were going forward, Miria just began scarfing the rest of her breakfast.

"If it's okay, I will excuse myself," Miria spoke a little quietly towards the group, but main Mari, giving her a smile before stepping away. She turned, seeing her favorite pink-haired and mermaid duo. She made her way to the table Gean and Renais were sitting at, taking a seat across from them, giving a smile. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything." She said as she sat, just wanting to see and check on her friends.

[Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars]

"Boring woman, huh?" And that just got her thinking about herself again, what she was just stirring on. Miria shook it off again, "I guess that makes us a bit alike, huh?" She smiled, and spoke confidently, "I used to just watch the store my parents ran, then I got my armor, and now I'm a mercenary." She gave Mari a playful punch to the shoulder. 

"But I think you’re pretty cool. And I'm excited to hear the rest of your story, so I'll hold you to that, okay?"

[Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars]

"Undead? Wow..." You could almost see stars in Miria's eyes. "I've heard stories about undead people, but more in the 'braaaaaains' kinda way, where they just sorta skulk around and eat people on instinct, so... yeah! That's pretty cool! I like to sleep and eat, it feels satisfying and relieving, but having the extra time sounds great too~" Her smile stood strong as she spoke, her focus intently on the undead girl. "So, did you start as undead, or were you... not so dead before?"

[Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars]

Miria could only tilt her head. "In a year? Like, actually no sleep or like, barely sleeping?" She placed a hand on her chin as she thought. "Are you like, a vampire? Or some kinda clouded who doesn't sleep? I don't think I've ever met one like that... err, sorry, sorry, if I'm being overly personal, was, just curious."

[Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars]

Miria watched as she ate while the others began pooling into the dining room. What Miria didn't expect was the plop beside her, turning to see Mari...

The girl was soaking. Miria just, stared for a moment and she was spoken too. She shook her head, "No, Miss Natalya hasn't arrive yet." She answered. "And mhm, my name's Miria. I'm sorry, I thought I had already told you before. I'm doing alright though, just needed some food, I gotta eat a lot to keep my strength up." Miria ended with a smile.

"But uh, Mari? Why are you so wet? Did... did you sleep outside? I could've put forward some money for a room for you or something if that was your only option..."

[Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars]

The morning came quick for Miria. She made a quick errand after everything settled down the night before, she needed some new clothes, and she was ready for the trip forward. She did a few stretches, making sure everything fit her nicely, and she felt fresh and raring to take on the future. For Gean, for Alvira, for Syndra, the whole collage of the Tigers. She smiled bright, as she put on her new coat, and made her way to the dining hall.

As she got there, it seemed she was early (or everyone else was late). Thus, she got herself a plate of all of her favorite things, and took a seat. Before eating, she had a thought. She looked down, pulled her gem from her necklace, and began to hold it.

With everything going on... Renais' amnesia, Gean's lineage, Syndra's lineage, Alvira's family, Nyx being a former criminal... So much has happened, and will happen. Everyone has so much going on. Miria was lost in thought for a moment. She wondered about how alien she felt, compared to the rest of the Tigers. She didn't know if she had any crazy secrets being hidden from her that wasn't her armor. And she couldn't tell what concerned her about it. She decided it was best to shake off that feeling. No one in the Tigers needed that right now! Miria was hungry, so she started digging in!

[Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars]

Miria nodded at Syndra's point, this was still a nistake she made. The brunette nodded and simply back up a bit, letting Syndra speak. The whole conversation was well and above what Miria could do to help at all. But, things ended about as smoothly as possible, Syndra giving out as much as she could to Natalya so they can be better prepared for her brothers. Mari, who Miria feared attacking Syndra, left to the tavern. Hopefully she'd be willing to help if things go south with Cyro.

When Alvira gave Miria a smile, she did the best she could and smiled back. After Syndra's explanation, Miria gave her a thumbs-up, she had her friend's back. 

When Alvira showed concern about leaving without finding out about her siblings, Miria was quick to interject,

"Don't worry Alvira. Miss Natalya wouldn’t think of leaving without seeing him."  She kept her smile for the dragon, "We got this~"

[Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars]

Friends? She-- She called us friends! Miria could barely hold her excitement in finally being able to hear that from Alvira, but that could be saved for later. She gave a big nod, then began to focus onto Mari's battle plan. The girl knew she'd simply follow Natalya's lead, but it'd be better if she at least tried to understand and recognize the potential threat. Helping take down a bastard warlord in Islexia, Miria was already on board. She nodded along as she listened.

As her plan was fully presented, Syndra stepped in to have Nyx (who had been hanging in the back) explain her own relation to their target. Then, Syndra revealed the truth about her heritage. She wasn't the brightest, but Miria understood that this should've been brought up long ago. And she was proven right by the many people angry at Syndra's lack of doing so. First Tio, who stormed off followed by Elisa, then Natalya, and even caught the ire of Mari. None of this was truly surprising, it was more of the sheer rage that came from all the people angry at Syndra. And Tio made it very obvious where even Miria thought it was pretty stupid that it took this long for Syndra to say anything.

The cub thought for a bit until her thought was cut off by Alvira stepping in front of her, like... she was being protected. Miria couldn't help but blush a small amount, before shaking her head, trying to retain her thoughts. She could see both sides to Syndra's situation. She could've brought up her past, and this could've not been an issue, but Miria could understand the other side. The potential of people being suspicious of her cause of her father being complete garbage... She wasn't sure what she could do...

She was ready to speak up, but her train of thought was once again broken by Laniva suddenly coming in, Miria giving a smile and a small wave. Turning back, she stepped a little to the side, "I'm not sure how much what I say can help but..." Miria took a deep breath, "Syndra just brought up her family to me, and she's made it clear she's planned to confront them. Sure, not revealing who she is was... pretty careless and dumb, but... mistakes do happen, right? She's not a bad person, I trust her." Her voice stayed stern and serious, not a tone she typically carried, but she knew how important this all was. She had to say her piece.

[Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars]

Miria gave a nod, and kept up her smile, "Of course Alvira. Anything for a fr--" She wasn't sure if she could use that to describe the two of them yet, "for a fellow Tiger." That was good enough for her. "I planned to go with you guys anyway, making sure this all goes well is my responsibility." Miria gave a thumbs up, she felt that because she started this whole exchange, she should see it through.

"Just, if I could have a small favor? If this Cyro turns out to be lying about your family, he's yours to deal with, I would just like to make sure I get my own hits in. Manipulating people using your family is messed up, and I don't like that."

[Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars]

Miria was taken aback when Alvira suddenly jumped and grabbed her, eyes widened. The threat if she was lying, Why would I lie?! "I-I-I..." Thankfully Syndra was there to intervene, helping explain the situation. Alvira let her go.

"I... Why would I--" Miria patted her head, this wasn't the problem right now. Alvira was concerned, shaking. The brunette approached the dragon, and gave her a gentle rub of the shoulder. "He's over in the tavern in town. We can meet him whenever you want before we leave, okay? We're gonna figure this all out." She offered her smile to Alvira.

[Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars]

"I think it should be fine," Miria can just keep a little quiet in case Alvira and Natalya thought it should've been quiet. She came a bit closer, to make sure it was between the four of them. Miria took a small breath. "So, Syndra ran into this guy named Cyro. He was very intent on meeting you, Alvira. He was claiming that he brought your brother and sister to Islexia, due to their current caretaker becoming ill."

She scratched her head a bit, and took another breathe. "I-we, weren't sure whether or not we could trust his word, so we agreed to meet him, if you were willing to take him at his word." A small sigh, "Sorry, didn't mean to drop a bunch on you like that, but I'd rather you knew, and thought it over if you needed to."

[Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars]

Miria gave Mari a wave and a smile as the duo walked in. Miria was dedicated to their new mission, if brief. It was quite the group compiled in the lobby, that even included Mikoto. Why is she here? It didn't bother Miria, she even had questions, but that was also for later.

Much like Syndra, Miria was concerned for Alvira, seeing her so covered up. Despite that, Miria also brought herself forward, "We, um... We need to talk to you. It's very important."

[Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars]

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.

[Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars]

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.