scorri

Cin was still standing staring blankly into the distance in the direction that their healer had fled, unsure what to do with the strange feeling filling his chest, when his roommate popped up, covered in blood but seemingly unhurt. "Ah... Ingverd, yes, things went... well." The battle had at least. Stop it Cinaed. Not everyone will always want to be your friend. You should know that well enough by now. As always the chiding voice in his head reminded him of his mother, gently scolding him over some mishap or another. And she was right. Besides, it would be rude to ignore the person in front of him to sulk over the one who had left. "Good to hear the other ship is clear. You might consider a change of clothes before you run into some of the others though. They might panic before realizing that's not your blood. Err, assuming none of it is. I didn't see a wound but..." But he hadn't looked especially close either. He took the chance now, giving the swordsman a closer look, but still not seeing a scratch. He ended up locking eyes briefly with Ingverd before looking away grateful his dark skin covered the light flush of embarrassment in his cheeks. It did seem his assumption had been correct, but he had been distracted when he made that assumption. He couldn't be foolish like that, even in a low stakes situation such as this. It would only lead to him making the same mistake again in the future when it might matter more.

"Ah... I see. Well, I hope that she feels better. Though, good! I'm glad to join, Natalya. And Cin or Cinaed, whichever you prefer. Either is acceptable for me." He nodded to the rest of what she was saying as it was about what he expected from a battle's aftermath. But then, a quiet voice calling his name. Turning to Renais, smile on his face, he started nodding. It was obvious she was the healer. But then... Smile gone, watching as she ran away, telling him to leave her alone. With the way she had thrown her hood up and literally fled from him, all he could assume was that she hated him for some reason. He tried to keep his emotions under control, but couldn't help the quiet whisper that escaped his mouth as he watched the fleeing girl. "Wh-what did I do..."

Cinaed settled back on his heels, sighing as he watched her flap away. Alvira, that was her name. He would have to remember that. "She's a stubborn one, huh? Barely healed and she's off... Good work though, Renais, yes?" He knew any further talking to her would just make her retreat back into that cloak though, so with an almost inaudible chuckle, he looked at Natalya instead. "Well then, boss. I know we weren't fighting near each other, but hopefully I showed my qualifications? Gean can vouch for me if you need it, but hopefully my work here today has earned me that spot in your group."

Cinaed had been about to turn towards Gean and congratulate her on a fight well finished when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the ice wielding fire dragon collapse. "Ah hell, looks like one or both of you might be needed. I think that boss was using a pure weapon!" He turned back and rushed over to the other ship, skirting around the vomit before kneeling down next to the incapacitated dragon. "Hey now, are you ok? We've got healers coming."

Cinaed glanced down at Renais as he felt the same warm healing magic as before. "Thank you again, miss. This battle is pretty much wrapped up, but be careful about moving too far forward, alright? You getting hurt wouldn't help anything. Stay safe out here." He considered giving her a pat on the shoulder, but somehow he suspected that she might collapse under his touch and there was enough going on that they didn't need that sort of complication right now.

Punch pirate 4

Cin chuckled quietly as he turned back to the fight. He really was going to have to talk to her about this at some point. It seemed like she trusted Aegean, that was good. Maybe Gean could be a mediator between them. Or at the very least pass on the message that he wasn't going to hurt her. And he certainly wasn't going to forget her. She was interesting. And a good healer, if she managed to heal him from all the way back there. He would have to keep an eye on her talents...

Cinaed stood steady, flames slowly fading as he started to brace for the next fight. But suddenly a warmth flowed through his body, his wounds knitting, a peaceful sensation amidst the chaos of the battle and the infighting. He'd been trying to ignore the outside interferences, preferring to focus instead on the enemy, but the gentleness of this warmth pulled him to turn around. Spotting the huddle figure of Renais, he couldn't help the grin that broke out in his race. He winked at her and called out "Thank you for that help there miss. Keep back though, these pirates aren't messing around and it wouldn't do for our healer to get hurt."

The fight had gone faster than expected, as Gean easily dispatched multiple enemies in a row. Finally, one of the pirates realized that continuing to attack her was foolish and turned on him. The first exchange of blows left them both wounded, and they split apart for a second. Grinning, Cin called out, "Hey Gean, that was pretty damn impressive fighting. But catch a load of this." He drew in a deep breath and then settled into a fighting stance. Suddenly flames leaped into existence, surrounding his arms from shoulder to fingers before coalescing into fiery replicates of the weapons he held in his fists. He charged forward, fists ablaze. A quick one two, and the enemy fell at his feet.

Set fists on fire, punch pirate

A quick nod to Mari with a smile before Cin turned around and tossed another ball of fire at the enemy. Set Merc 1 on fire

Before Aegean moves, 10-11, fire on Pirate #2 "Hey Aegean, careful of that axe! It's looking pretty dangerous!" He knew that type of weapon. Weapons made to kill monsters and Clouded. He rushed behind his new friend and flung out a fireball right before she could attack, hoping he would be able to hit the pirate in time.

Glancing around, Bladen contemplated his riding partners. Obviously Asami and presumably Yue would be in whatever cart he joined. But beyond that... Xalrei was obviously a choice, but he had been trying to give her slightly more space after their various... disagreements over his protecting her or not. Besides, she'd been spending more and more time with that human they had captured. He didn't hate the scared shy girl, but he didn't especially want to spend more time around her right now either. He spotted Gaby, and gave her a small wave before heading over towards her. "Hey there, want to share a cart? You, me, Ren presumably, Asami and Yue? I figure us folks with wings should stick together, no?" Besides, he did want to get to know her better. He had somewhat neglected too many of his companions. He would have to do better with that moving forward. Astraea was already in one of the carts. She didn't really care which one, though she had, quite by accident, chosen the one belonging to Jade. She had several of the mana potions by her side and the mantle around her shoulders. She was trying very hard not to have a bit of a breakdown right now. This place was beyond dangerous for her. Mana was all she had. Her very essence, everything that made up her being. And this place wanted to steal it from her. So in the cart she would go, and in the cart she would stay. She could endure its closed quarters for however long it took. After all, what were a few days to a star? A single grain of sand in the vast beach that was her existence. She could suffer through this, even if it left her shaking in fear.

"Oh, uh, yes ma'am." Her terms were more than fair. Fight pirates to prove himself or figure something else out at a later date. Easy enough. "I see no problem with your proposal. Pirates or future trial, either are fine by me. You won't regret giving me a chance, I promise that." And that was that. He had his chance, now he just had to prove his skill. It shouldn't be hard, especially if they were just fighting some pirates. The sudden pat on his back did nearly make him jump half a foot in the air, but thankfully he managed to lock his reaction down. He hadn't expected such... familiarity? so soon into his time with a group. "Well, thank you Aegean. It seems like I've joined a good group here. I uh... Yes, hopefully I can put my strength to use soon." Her comments were starting to get to him, just a little. Tall dark and scaled, then tall and chiseled, now commenting on his muscles... Surely she was just teasing him a little. Hazing the newcomer and all that. "I'll make sure to keep you in mind for any questions... Gean." Her next question was directed at Natalya, not him though, but it was a good one. "Ingverd, that was the elf swordsman, yes? I wouldn't mind sharing a room with him if he is open to it. Otherwise... I could sleep on the deck if necessary?" He wasn't overly picky, and honestly with his size, the deck might be more comfortable than any bed that was available...

Cinaed followed Aegean into the commander's room, eyes quickly darting around for a split second, taking in his surroundings, before focusing on the tall tiger woman in front of him. A generously deep bow, not so deep as to be mocking, helped give him a moment to make sure he had his thoughts all in line before he began to speak. "Good evening Ms Natalya. My name is Cinaed Astuikami, though as I have told Aegean here Cinaed or Cin are perfectly fine. I cannot claim to have come here specifically seeking your group, however fate seems to have led me here anyways. I was planning on taking a ship to the mainland and trying to find a mercenary group to join there and instead I find a group on a ship I did not have plans to take in the first place." Wrap it up. No one wants to hear babbling. "I am a close range fighter, most comfortable using my own fists over any other weapon, but I have some skill in fire magic as well, thanks to my mother. Though I am untested, I promise I would be a strong asset to your group." There, hopefully that was enough of a sell. If he tried too hard to sell himself it would end up like every other time. He could prove his abilities when push came to shove but no one wanted to hear bragging.

Cinaed gave a wave to the second seemingly shy girl who had approached him before turning back to Aegean. "Hmm? Oh, yeah, sure, Cin is fine. Iron Tigers, huh? Well, I suppose being the first guy would be an interesting distinction. Though first we need to talk to your commander. After all, she could still say no." He knew he was talented. He could fight well, his control over his magic was stronger than many, but he had no proof of his ability beyond the fact that he had graduated from one of the stronger schools in Glacies. It was no Solara, sure, but he still had a strong academic resume. And his father had trained him well as far as fighting went. But unless this Natalya wanted to spar, he had no way of proving it. Still, he followed along behind the other Clouded, glancing around at the group as he did. It was an interesting mix, but he would hopefully have time to get to know them later. For now, he had to focus. Natalya... To be the commander, she'll have to be strong. I hope that I can convince her to take me on. And there she was, her voice coming through the door. He still waited behind Aegean, hands nervously flexing as he did. A small flame danced around his fingers for a few seconds before he caught what he was doing and flicked it out. It had been a while since he'd last let his nerves get so high that his fire magic came out. It wouldn't do to let it show. Not now.

"Renais. A pleasure to meet you. And of course I'll remember your name." It seemed as though she was rather shy, as she quickly passed him off to another member of her group. A slight raise of the eyebrow was the only indication that he had even noticed something was amiss before he quickly pivoted to... Ah, Aegean. Good to know. "I mean, she is a healer, she has to mean at least somewhat well, no? Otherwise why do something that forces her to interact with people when, as you have said, that is not a strong point. As for work, well, in a way, yes. I had been planning on joining a company on the mainland, but if your crew is recruiting, I certainly wouldn't say no to talking to your captain. Nice to meet you Aegean." He stuffed his hands into his pockets, glancing over at Maria, who seemed to have found the captain she'd been looking for. Good, hopefully she would be able to sort things out and get their passage sorted. As for him, hopefully his would be sorted out through this captain... He was grateful for his dark skin though a few moments later as Aegean called him 'tall, dark, and scaled.' He quickly tried to cover it by commenting, "So, Natalya, also known as Tasha, she's your commander? It looks like your crew is mostly women, then. Just the one man, over there helping Maria?" He considered asking about the prickly fire dragon, but somehow this seemed like a safer topic.

"Oh, right, ha." He'd gotten distracted, almost forgetting he was still holding the man. The fire dragon that Maria had approached had drawn his attention, not for attitude, though that was off putting, but instead... That magic she used... Ice? She must be incredibly talented if she can manage to pull ice magic out... Interesting.... This might be a fun group. He'd been about to set the performer down on his feet when they were approached by a hooded cleric, promising to solve Chris's injury. "Well then, I'll set you down here in a second." He watched the healer perform her magic, feeling calm at the gentle feeling of her magic, a peaceful touch on his senses. When she was done, he gently settled Chris down onto the deck of the ship and smiled down at the healer. "Well then, that solves that problem, no? Thank you miss. A pleasure to meet you, my name is Cinaed. Who might you be? It seems like you all are a mercenary group, yes? Perhaps I am the lucky one to have run into these performers after all..." A good deed might reward me more than I expected. Take it slow though, too eager and they'll turn you down again.

It had been an otherwise pretty normal day up to that point. Cinaed had been in town for a day or two, looking for passage to Hecatia, intending to become a mercenary on the mainland. He had originally intended to stay in Glacies, but the more he'd thought about it, the more he'd come to think that there would be better opportunities to make his name on the continent. There was more happening there, after all. The fact that most of the merc groups he had tried to join had been uninterested in an untested eighteen year old had had absolutely nothing to do with the decision. Or at least that's what he had told his worried parents. It had been a complete coincidence that had set his path to the docks down the same one the two performers had been traveling, but they had been glad for the chance meeting. When Cinaed had seen their predicament, Maria struggling to support Chris as they slowly limped their way to the dock, he had immediately slowed to offer help. Originally they had requested that he simply run ahead and ask the ship to hold, but he had offered a different solution. Which had led him to the present, holding the slim body of Chris in his arms as they boarded the ship. "Haha, no worries my lady. I was glad to help and since our destination was shared, it was anything but an inconvenience. My name is Cinaed Astuikami, a bit of a mouthful, I know." He flashed a smile at Maria and then looked down at his passenger. "Well then, we have reached the ship. Are you able to stand on your own or should I take you down below to a place you can better sit?"

"Of course. Your fight with Suki showed how strong you are, I have to believe you would make a great add-- OOF!" Whatever else he had been about to say to Ember was lost in an explosion of air as Bladen staggered, managing to just keep his feet under him as a missile of cloth, fur and softness slammed into his side. "Ah, heh, hello there Asami, I... H-hey now, come on. I just got lucky against her there. You know better than anyone how hard my magic is for me to control. I've got a long way to go before I could do this gauntlet reliably..." Still, however hard he protested, the pink flush in his cheeks showed his happiness at the fox's compliments. And with Suki joining in, the pink was quickly deepening into a red. "Ah, thanks Suki. Hey, tell you what, you and me should train together more, alright? You've got some skills with that sword I would love to pick up from you and I have some defensive techniques I could show you, maybe help you take that extra hit you need to push through to win a fight?" He smiled at the wolf girl and ruffled her hair with his free hand, the other having wrapped around Asami's waist at some point. "Right then. Ember, you've met Suki obviously, but the one who almost knocked me over is Asami, our horned friend is Verah, and the final member of the group over there is Yui. All of us are a part of the larger group here in town, but Asami is the one I wanted to introduce you to specifically. Asami, Ember here is interested in joining up with our group as a mercenary. I uh... Well, I'm not really the person to introduce her to the King. Given, well, everything, but also because I'm not a part of the original group. I thought you might be able to help get Ember all set up as an official mercenary?" The only other person he could think to talk to was Lavinia but last he'd seen her, she'd been with the zombie and he was going to make that his last option. ~~~~ "Ah, yes, I am meaning... Thou and I, perhaps, might go together. To see what the the town has to offer, I mean. I have not seen anything else but this view. And I would not want to keep a friend stuck here, staring out at the barrenness we will soon enough be stuck in." Astrea finally forced herself to turn away from the empty white that had so struck her very core and gestured towards the town. "Perhaps... Perhaps the distraction of life is what we both need? At the very least, I fail to see a hurt in it?"

"Ah, err..." He was quickly realizing just how off base he had been with his attempt at consolation, making it seem like she had lost to something he didn't have any control over. Which, while true, hadn't exactly been his intent... "Yes, uhm, we've got a big group here. Probably causing a ruckus for the whole town.... Wouldn't be surprised if a few others of my group end up here at some point before the end of the day. As for why we're here, well, we're headed to Hwein for... various reasons. But we're with the King herself, so that level of business, if that helps. Not exactly my place to give the details, but I wouldn't be surprised if you would be welcome to join our group. I would just need to introduce you to the proper people so you could get all the details sorted?" He glanced around, trying to spot Asami. She wasn't the person who could hire Ember probably, but she could certainly get Ember where she needed to go. "My family..." She shuddered, clutching her arms around her body, almost seeming to be trying to hold herself together. "They are all I have known. This world, true I have seen in dreams, but I know the colors of my family's souls. When two dream together, you share everything. It is not... Something I can easily put into words. We do not interact like you do down here. It is not as simple as that. Or perhaps it is even more simple? I..." She shook her head. It was all too much, all the pent up and pushed away emotions hitting all at once. "I do not think that I can. Not right now. Perhaps some day I will have words to convey them to you. Their brightness and purity. But... not today. I am sorry. I fear you would be wasting your time waiting for more... I do not wish to hold you back from the other options you have in this town."

"Ah haaah, well, thank you, uhm, Ember, right?" He'd heard the comment about his magic and wasn't exactly sure what to say about it. The small swords of light still floated unnoticed above his head as he offered the hellhound a hand. "Sorry about that... The magic, well, I only have so much control over it. Or at least over when it comes out like that. But I saw you fight against Suki and I knew I couldn't let you get your claws on me... Can't deny the strength you've got there." He glanced back up at the seats, waving to Suki while noting Asami's absence. "I've got to go meet up with the others in my group... I suppose you have to stick around the arena in case someone else makes it through the gauntlet? Otherwise I would offer to buy you a drink as an apology. That attack... Useful in the real battles I'm fighting, but it feels a bit cheap to have used it this arena. It didn't do much for either of us in terms of honing our skills." ---------- Astraea had been so lost in her thoughts that she nearly jumped out of her skin when Bridgit called out to her having completely missed all sounds of her approach. "Ah, yes, well, no, uhm." To try and give herself a moment, she shut her mouth as she accepted the hand up. Straightening, she gently brushed the dirt off her hands before gesturing to the vast emptiness in front of them. "This is... This is me. My core. Thine world, it is not mine. And my dreams are lonely and empty for the first time ever since landing in this place. This waste that steals magic, steals my very essence, it is simply my life now. The Darkness that hunts me, the family I have lost forever, this... Empty. So too have I been left. I have thou, of course, and others in this group, but it is not... We cannot share cores like I could with my people. Cannot share my very essence with you in our dreams. What else can I do but hurt in such a life?"

Bladen stepped into the arena floor, shield on his arm, sword in his hand. He took a long deep breath, preparing for battle. It was for show, for coin, true, but it could still help him grow, it had to. He glanced up into the stands, spotting Asami and the others in their small group preparing to cheer him on. He could do this. Time to fight. His first opponent, one of three humans that he'd seen Suki fight, joined him on the battleground. This wasn't one he could win with flight, not easily at least. That gun was accurate enough that if he tried to launch himself up, he would get hit. His best bet would be to close the distance... Right then. The signal for the start of the fight came and Bladen immediately dashed in. A swing of his sword connected solidly with the human, but he had been a second too slow as a bullet ripped into his arm. But he was close enough now. He quickly used his shield to bash his opponent's rifle up and away, causing the man's second shot to go wildly into the sky. Two quick strokes with his sword and then man fell to his knees, the match finished. One down. Six to go. After a quick patching of his wounds, he found himself once again facing a gun, this time a revolver held by a wolfman. A quick fighter then, but hopefully not too damaging... The round started and in he went. It went quickly this time. His shield protected him once again, and a few quick moves with his sword later, the match was over once again. He was starting to breathe heavier at this point, the unfamiliar weight of the shield on his arm starting to drag again, much as it had at points during their last battle, though it was much heavier than that one had been. This is why I do this. To train in as close to a real battle as I can, force myself to my limits and see how far I can go. Next up was another human, this time with a sword, gleaming dangerously in the man's hand. The first two battles had been relatively nonthreatening. This man though... Bladen knew he had to end this quickly. Shield up, he moved in, slashing down against the man's side, leaving a deep cut. He barely managed to get his shield up though as a crushing blow came in return. He couldn't stop it, not fully, but he was able to deflect it from a body blow into a deep cut into his upper shield arm. The combination of the wound and the weight of his shield left his arm dangling by his side, useless. He quickly pushed back, leaping into the air as his wings burst out, spreading to their full length and carrying him up into the air. Without thinking about if he could do it, he raised his arm in the air, glowing light gathering around his sword and hand. The swords of light he was slowly becoming more and more familiar with gathered. He chopped his arm down at the enemy in front of him and they shot down, piercing his legs and bringing him down. He slowly lowered himself down to the ground, a small grin on his face. Though he still could not fully summon his magic on command, he was beginning to understand what it felt like when his magic was ready to show. Another round of healing as he considered his next opponent. He wasn't entirely sure what they were, but he did know that their gun was slow but dangerous. He would have to move quickly to avoid that shot, because if it caught him at point blank range... He shuddered, knowing it would hurt. Wings flexing behind him before slowly folding in, still at full size, he settled into an attack stance. Something was odd though. Almost as if... He shook his head, no time to think about it, it was time to fight. He quickly delivered a hard blow to his opponent. As they raised the gun, he quickly ducked, once again using his shield to knock the gun askew, resulting in the shot firing down into the dirt. As he did, he could feel it once again. The glow around his hand started, but rather than fly off this time, he held his ground, swords appearing behind him. He slashed down with his sword, glittering golden swords following. Another win. Three more. The elf with that brave sword and then the two fist users... A quick glance up at Asami for the first time since the matches had begun, and he nodded, both to her and himself. He could do this. He put his shield and sword down for a brief second, shaking out both arms to bring some life back to them, before picking them up and settling into his ready stance. Sword vs sword, time to see how he fared against this elf. He nodded to the man as they began their fight, circling for a few seconds, each trying to read the other's strength. Finally, Bladen jumped forward, landing a solid blow on the elf's leg, but before he could react he was smacked hard by the returning blow. Brave sword... shield up! A clang echoed through the arena as Bladen barely managed to deflect the blow with his shield. A quick grin was all he allowed himself before bringing his sword down once again, leaving the other sword user on the ground. The next match went quickly. Though she was fast, her fists had basically no effect on him. All it took was two return swings and the battle was over. And all that left was... The hellhound. He'd watched her fight with Suki. She was fast and hit well. And was able to weather more hits than it seemed like she should from a first glance. He needed to finish this quickly. If he let it drag on, she was going to win. That much he knew. As he considered his options, he suddenly remembered a move he'd only done once. A diving slash, strong enough to break even the enhanced armor of the Hero clone. If he could do that... As the battle started, he launched himself into the air. It was a tricky move. The reason it had worked so well the first time was Xalrei had been providing a flanking move. To do it by himself... He risked her dodging and him face planting right into the arena floor. As he twisted, readying the strike, he felt it, once again. The warmth of his magic flowing through his body, collecting in his hand. He knew this was it. He could do this. He flung himself into the twisting dive, swords popping out around him and flying past him, slamming into the hellhound. At the last second, he flared his wings, stopping his fall but allowing his sword to continue with all that momentum. It slammed into the hellhound, knocking her down to the ground. He hovered there, three small swords of light floating around his head, waiting for the counter. It took a second for him to realize one was not coming. He had done it. He had won.

Bladen grinned at Asami and gave an 'I know, I know' gesture. About to head over, he stopped as Suki arrived. "Hey! Great fighting for sure. You did wonderful out there. Now... Lets see if I can do as well as you, alright?" He gave her hair a quick ruffle before heading down to the sign in area. "Bladen Eloy, here to compete." Bladen fights in the arena!

Astraea stared out across the white waste, clutching a hand to her chest. She had gotten distracted, not overly unusual for her, but this time it was different. She wasn't diving into something new that she had only seen in a dream. No, this time she was scared. The vast emptiness, that would steal her magic away if she was not careful, steal that which was her very core, it terrified her. This wasn't an entirely new feeling. On the one hand, she had felt it when the Darkness had found her during the fortune telling. Knowing that death incarnate was coming for her had left her shaking. But on the other hand, she had been feeling this terror ever since she had been told there were no others like her on this land. No, even before that. She had known, really, after her first lonely dream, that she was alone. And that was what scared her the most. To have gone from where sharing her mind, her soul with her family was as natural and easy as existing, to this place where she was cut off from everyone and everything... It had taken a bit to truly sink in. She had hoped that her new companions could replace what she had lost. But though she enjoyed their company, even really liked a few of them already, there was still a distance between them. They couldn't understand her, not really, and how could she understand someone she could not dream with? She slumped down, knees hitting the dirt, eyes locked on the suddenly misty desert. Who was she trying to fool? She might find companions, maybe even friends here. But her family, those she could love and know better than anything else, she had lost them forever.