Lord of Azure Flame: Chapter 14: The mental limit

[Ether]

"Yes,we know your goal has something to do with Charlotte.You were a goddamn Jerdon noble.If you are trying to reinstate Jerdon,I'm inclined to try to help you,if you weren't being such a narrow minded fool. You call me cold blooded for keeping you alive? You don't know anything about the world,do you? Do you know how many interrogators and torture-personnel would love to get their hands on someone like you? Can you even begin to understand the sort of things some people would do to you for speaking to your captor like you are?"

Damian said,his voice beginning to rise. He approached Alex,cupping her cheek for a second,before lightly knocking her onto her back.

"You have no idea. Heh,if you spent a day with someone like that,you would be begging to be back under the care of someone like me...you shouldn't take the fortunes you come across for granted... most prisoners don't get a second chance." Damian said,standing again.

[Psych]

Rita and Cess:

"CESS!" Cess looked up from his fortune telling items. He saw Rita running towards him, before jumping and knocking him to the ground. "Hi there."

"Hi Rita. You found me. Now could you please get off?" Rita stepped off of him, before sitting back down on the ground.

"Oh, sorry. So, guess what! I got the 2nd stoke for my Starlight Sword!"

"Nice. Have you met the others yet? We're probably gonna stay with them for a while."

[Phoenix]

The W Team

While Levski and Viveka traveled from the air(around a hundred and eighty feet or so), Derek and Chase galloped to keep up with them.

Lev: (Yesterday we were merely tracking her, so Krinkov was moving rather slowly. We traveled a good ten miles though at least. I'd say at these pace, we should reach the town in about half an hour from now.)

Isotov

In the middle of one of his crunches, Aiya arrived and squatted down over him. When she pointed out that the exercises he was doing were similar to the ones done by Halton soldiers, he let himself relax, and came down from the crunch lying out across the bedroll with his hand over his forehead.

Iso: Similar? I wouldn't know anything about that. I learned all of this while my teacher was training me.

He quickly used his hand to wipe the sweat from his brow and then let his hand go limb for a moment.

Iso: Being an expert runner wasn't enough. I had to be good with my arms too.

Irina

Irina was writing in a tiny note book that was originally stored in one of Kiev's saddlebags. Kiev himself was focusing on food. He hadn't eaten since the came to Septimus, and he wouldn't be able to tough it out without complaining much longer. Irina knew this, but figured that the next town would pretty much solve that problem.

[Snike]

Alex

"'Narrow-minded'? Look, you wanted my goal, I gave you it. And, considering I was near death, yes, it was cold blooded in letting me live. And don't even try to lecture me like that. I've seen my share of cruel bastards, and crushed them under my heel. You say that I'm 'lucky' because I get a second chance, while at the same time I'm telling you, I DON'T WANT OR DESERVE A SECOND CHANCE," Alex said, raising her voice as she got herself up. "You still haven't given me a valid reason why I should live. But, more importantly, Colonel, is why you're even bothering me right now, while your shamaness is at the hands of those same torturers. Very professional, leaving your comrades to harass a prisoner."

[Snowy_One]

It took only one carelessly thrown sentence to do it. "But, more importantly, Colonel, is why you're even bothering me right now, while your shamaness is at the hands of those same torturers.". As soon as the words were uttered, Esphyr dashed forwards, a furious look upon her face. She lowered her shoulder to plough right into Alex's breast, seeking to knock the woman down before she pounced upon her, her fist raised to smash in Alex's face.

[Ether]

"That's admirable,Isotov...but why? I mean,you use magic to fight,you don't use a sword or an axe,or anything...so why do you feel the need to do this when you could be learning a new spell or something?" Aiya asked,curious as to why a mage would be so intent on increasing his physical strength.

********************

"You don't want or deserve a second chance? That's what you think,eh?" Damian noted,before turning back towards Esphyr.

"But you're right,comet. I have something I need to do,you coming,Esphyr?" Damian asked,before addressing Alex one last time;

"You're right,Comet. There was no point in trying to talk with you,trying to spare you. You may have had any goal in the world,but if you are willing to throw it all away like you are,then there is nothing else for us to discuss. I had respect for you,but I need hold no respect for someone with such pathetic strength and resolve. If you're that intent on it,maybe I will execute you when i get back." Damian said,before walking in the direction of Ulfhrahn.

There was a sound of someone lunging,and Damian turned around to see what was going on.

Esphyr had jumped onto Alex,and was about to begin pummeling the bound woman,who would be unable to defend herself from the mercenaries fury.

Grabbing Esphyr's raised fist,Damian spoke simply.

"She's not worth it,Esphyr. She's just trying to goad you into attacking,we have more important things to do than beat on her,like getting Morgan back."

Edited July 29, 2010 by Kleine

[Psych]

Rita and Cess:

Rita stood up, and looked around camp. "I'll go see all the people. And I already found someone to train with me too Cessy!"

Cess began getting himself some lunch from the area around the campfire. "Well have fun." Rita strolled off, until she found a girl writing in a notebook. Her head was down, and a large wyverns was playing behind her. She poked her in the head.

"Poke."

-------------------

Pary:

Great. Another bandit. Pary crawled over to the river. He hadn't had a bath in a while either, and he could stand to relax. He brought over a pot of tea, and took a small vile out of his pack, before pouring it into the small pond. No one seemed to be around, so he disrobed and waded in.

[Phoenix]

Isotov

Iso: Heheh. I need a new tome to learn a new spell, though a simple fire tome does have a few dozen different applications. Well ... the basic idea behind what I'm doing is a philosophy that's been passed down in a lot of circles for generations. "To train the mind, you must first train the body." or something like that. It also doesn't hurt to be able to knock someone out with a well placed punch either.

He smiled trying to be casual about his knock out comment. He quickly sat up trying to decide which exercise to do next.

Irina

Still jotting things down, Irina kept to herself for the moment, but her thoughts were still dwelling on her immediate goal ... which was to replace Levski and Isotov. It wasn't going to be easy with so many guy magnets around, but at least with the help of one she had a chance. She was still a little annoyed about Viveka's boyfriend comments, feeling that they were wrong, but at the same time, she was starting to question herself. She knew she was behaving a lot more aggressively lately, and that wasn't her nature.

Suddenly, she felt a sharp poke against her head, and looked up to see a new face.

Irina: Umm ... hello. Can I help you?

OOC: Turning it into an actual poke for Mia value.

EDIT: Added Irina meets Rita part.

Edited July 29, 2010 by Phoenix

[Psych]

Rita:

"What'cha writing? Is that wyvern yours?"

[Snike]

Alex

"I don't heed such insult from an incompetent Haltonian officer," Alex shouted back, as Kleine left. "By the goddess, how do you get so arrogant, and yet be so useless.. Guh!" she exclaimed, as the mercenary nailed her in the chest, before slamming her fist into the Comet's face. Then Kleine returned and pulled the mercenary off of Alex, before telling her that she was not worth it. "You know, I'm right here. If you have to trash talk me, at least have the decency to do it where I can't hear you."

Edited July 29, 2010 by Snike

[Ether]

"Knock someone out with a well placed punch? You'd need pretty good training to know where to hit,and to hit hard enough..." Aiya trailed off.

"Do you have hand-to-hand training,Isotov?"

[Snowy_One]

"Yea." said Esphyr, taking a breath. She shot Alex a dirty look before she got off of the other woman. "We need to get Morgan back though. She's right about that."

[Phoenix]

Isotov

Iso: Yeah, I do. I only know two areas of fighting, but I've mastered one, and I'm close to mastering the other. Boxing is the martial art I had to master. Fire magic is steadily catching up though, and I have knocked people unconscious with fast strikes before. Part of the reason I need to stay in shape is so I don't become rusty.

Irina

Kiev looked up at the blue haired girl at the mention of wyverns and tilted his head at her. He was unsure what to make of the female.

Irina: I'm just taking down some points from Viveka. Oh, and this is Kiev. Yeah he's my wyvern, and probably hungry by now >_>'

The W Team

Another fifteen minutes passed(half way there), and Viveka yawned from the boredom.

Viveka: (This is like a scouting mission, only we're not really scouting, we're searching for someone. Manhunts are boring. And here a part of me wants us to run into Daneka just so I can clobber her ... she's a lot more experienced than I am though. Still, who does she think she is beating up on my friends and my luggage handler?!)

[the_whistler]

Heinz tensed slightly when the Halton colonel walked up, knocking the Septimian General off her feet. Damn colonel....she may be an idiot who wants to die, but killing someone who outranks you on Septimian soil is foolish. Watching the colonel and his consort walk away, Heinz shrugged and left. Now might be the best time to leave, before I get chased around in this country, opening his saddlebags and taking out a biscuit to eat.

Morgan's captured, so both jobs might as well be terminated. I'll collect my pay from that cloaked man and find a new job then, making his decision and mounting his horse. I'd rather not work under Damian like Esphyr does anyway. "Lazy nomad," he muttered, cursing the lack of a proper bit as he kicked the horse into a run. Squinting his eyes, Heinz made out two flying specks in the distance. Someone from the group?

Heinz looked back at the camp. Two wyverns. Seems like they're chasing after Morgan again. He grinned. "I'll just follow you to my employer then," he spoke softly.

OOC: Heinz is probably about ten minutes behind Lev, Viveka, Derek, and Chase. He'll probably lose sight of them by next post or so.

Edit: Fixed again for timing errors.

Edited July 29, 2010 by the_whistler

[Psych]

Rita:

"You could send him hunting right? My brother just does that with his wyvern. Who's Viveka? I'm Rita by the way. I'm Cess's friend."

------------------

Pary:

Pary poured himself another cup of tea, and leaned against a rock. It looked like that stupid bandit was back as well. Just his day. The oils had soothed his sore muscles. Should he go save Morgan? She was his employer after all. Eh. That wyvern rider and the archer could handle it. He could just tell her he masterminded the whole thing, and stay out of trouble. No need to get his hands dirty.

[Ether]

"Huh?You've mastered boxing?" Aiya asked to confirm,impressed.

"I'm a high level fighter in the martial art of Pankration,personally. It's sort of like kickboxing...I guess. The styles are a bit different,but maybe we could have a match sometime?"

**********************

"One who is so eager to die has no need to defend their own ego." Damian stated bluntly,as he began to lead Esphyr towards Ulfhrahn.

[Snike]

Alex

"Civility is the only reason we exist," Alex shot back, shaking her arms in mock exasperation. "Guess it's no surprise Haltonians find it a foreign concept."

[Snowy_One]

"I should have let it go. She's decided to become a victim. I shouldn't have done that." said Esphyr with a sigh as she reached out to cling to Damian's arm as they approached the wyvern. "And I felt like such a damned hypocrite saying that to her as well."

[Ansem]

"Having fun, general?" Helios asked Alex sarcastically.

Edited July 29, 2010 by Solf J. Kimblee

[Snike]

Alex

"Yes, indeed. It is quite entertaining somehow ordering my captors around," the Comet replied, as sarcastic as the wind magewas. "I do hope your leader is as good as they say, because otherwise, you people are doomed." All the while, she gripped the handle of the knife that had slipped unnoticed out of her armor, and began to stealthily cut the bonds.

[-Cynthia-]

"Yes, I...thought it best to return to Septimus, though I still do not plan to speak with Jace. It looks like there were a lot of injuries, I'm sorry I wasn't here to help." Charlotte responded to Kelas.

Her eyes caught the scene occuring with Alex. "Who is this woman and why is she tied up and being abused?" Charlotte said, frowning.

[Phoenix]

Isotov

Since he'd already done crunches, and he didn't want to start doing something as awkward and showy as jumping jacks, he decided to turn over and get to his main and most painful exercise ... diamond push ups. The strength in his arms came mostly from that, and he relied on that workout a great deal.

Iso: A match? Uh, sure. I was initially reluctant to really train with anyone in the group ...

Irina

Irina: Kiev's too young to go hunting on his own. Wyvern riders are supposed to provide food for their wyverns until they're full grown adults. After that, then they can hunt.

By the way, I'm Irina. If you're Cess' friend, you must be from the Shoon Islands. Is that right? (Hopefully I won't have to go into the Viveka thing. No need to talk about her in any of this >_>' )

[riariadne]

Conrad rose from his rest, and strode over towards Alex, inquiring, "We still have you tied up? Why do we even both- what are you doing?" he demanded, cutting himself off. "Didn't you say you wanted to die? Why the hell are you cutting the rope, then?"

--

"Hey! I can see the town," Chase exclaimed. "We must be almost there."

Edited July 29, 2010 by Lightning

[Ether]

"I can see why,especially with how...I guess soft is an alright word,most of the group is. But great.sometime,when the time is available then." Aiya replied happily.

*****************

"You don't need to worry about that,Esphyr. She brought it upon herself,and you did what most people would have. You don't know how close I was to hitting her myself..." Damian trailed off,as they reached Ulfhrahn.

"Oi!Aiya,we're gonna go help Lev and Viveka get Morgan back,can you come over here?" Damian called to Aiya,who was nearby,and speaking to Isotov.

"Oh,sure Damian!" Aiya replied,before turning back to Isotov.

"I'll talk to you later then,okay?"

[Phoenix]

Isotov

Iso: Sure thing. See you later.

The W Team

They were making good progress, and eventually the buildings of the town came back into view off in the distance. Lev and Viveka started flying lower so they could communicate with Derek and Chase.

Lev: Alright, once we reach the place, Krin here will start searching with his nose again! The rest of you search on foot. Viveka, you search from the air.

Viveka: Well then I'm off.

Lev: Huh?

Susann quickly picked up speed and she zoomed off ahead of all of them!

Lev: Right, she's on bloody pegasus. Probably wasn't even trying that hard to keep up even though we're traveling at our maximum speeds. *sigh* ...

OOC: Distance to town: One mile