Return of The Emblem Chapter Two: The Trail

[Phoenix]

For someone in armor, Eriya sure was swift. Raquel couldn't find the time to react before literally being shaken down for answers. Best to tell her something and hope the shaking would stop without incident. She could already feel her hair moving about to the wrong places. "H-he wasn't alone. He was working with a group. The same group that abducted my father." she blurted out trying to avoid details about the fire emblem while beginning to reach up for her own hair.

Amon stood there a bit shocked. Was this acceptable behavior? Raquel wasn't calling for help but what if she was just too scared to?

[Acacia Sgt]

After spening a few minutes at the market, John was now making his way back to the wagon, holding a bag with the bought goods. His money, however, was now almost gone.

'This will probably last for a few days... though after that...' He thought. He remembered Raquel had said they'd probably not be getting paid in actual gold at first, and he had accepted the job nonetheless. Still, the thought of actually being concerned about it hadn't cross him until now, where was almost out of money. 'I suppose I may have to ration it... though Gil... nah, he certianly won't.' Deciding to let the thought rest for the time being, he kept walking until he was finally back.

Only to find some woman shaking up Raquel. He stopped in his tracks, and just stared. 'Just what did I missed...?'

''Hey! What's going on!?'' He called out.

Edited March 13, 2011 by Acacia Sgt

[ReformBlade]

"Hey, give her some space, lady!" Nanahm called out to the armored woman. Raguni... why is today so fucked up? I really shouldn't be surprised at this point, given what I've seen before. He thought as he made his way towards Raquel and the lady. Guard or not, you just don't do that. Or maybe you do when you're a woman? He didn't know, but he wasn't gonna dignify that with an answer... for the moment.

[Kanami]

Eriya was brought back to her senses when someone nearby yelling at her. The authoritarian tone making her think that guards had come back after all the commotion *Gytha* had caused. But was relieved to find that the vicinity was clear of uniforms.

Taking a step back away from Raquel, she blushed a bit. Offering a quick apology. She coughed once to clear her voice and to calm herself down before continuing. She couldn't imagine what her father would want with the pink head.. Raquels father, but perhaps he was an important figure. She hadn't really worked out why her father had stolen the Comb anyway, if he just wanted money there were plenty of more efficient ways to make money in Kigen. No reason to betray an entire nation.

She tried to make a smile, but figured it wasn't appropriate, the tanned man behind Raquel was staring at her as if she were a madwoman, and looked ready to jump in if she rattled Raquel again.

"Uh my apologies" she stated hurriedly before turning around, "Nice meeting you Raquel" she added before attempting to run off before one of Raquels friends got violent.

[Phoenix]

"It's okay, I guess. Is your- hey wait." she said as Eriya began to back off. Amon was just relieved it wouldn't have to come down to some form of violence. The streets were getting more and more crowded by the minute. "Wait a second. You said you were looking for your father, right? Well I don't know if that's him, but if you're going to go looking for him I'd suggest either not doing so, or joining with us. You seem well armed and all but that man has a lot of friends." she explained. "I uh ... can't guarantee that's him though ... sorry." she tagged on at the end.

[roymbrog]

She would've stayed in the cart like she decided earlier, but the yelling had continued and was now interfering with her reading. It was irritating, to say the least. Synthia hopped down from the cart and was about to ask the group outside to quiet down, but was just in time to see the strange armored woman violently shake Raquel, then Nanahm yelled at her and the lady stopped. A quick look around told her that most here were nearly as confused as her. She tapped Amon on the shoulder, since he was one of the few that seemed to have been there from the beginning of the incident and Raquel was... somewhat busy. "Who is she? And why was she shaking Raquel?"

[Acacia Sgt]

'What was that about?' John wondered. But he then shook his head. 'Well, first things first...' He then approached Gil, who had stopped glaring at Eriya's direction now that John was here.

Opening the bag he was holding, he searched it for a little while before taking out a piece of raw meat. ''Here.'' He said, tossing it at the wyvern. Gil caught the meat in mid-air, and began to eat, finally having something to satisfy his hunger. Tying the bag again, John left it with the rest and walked towards the group itself. ''So... who is she?'' He asked whoever was closest.

[Phoenix]

Amon looked over to see Synthia right by him. The question was simple enough to answer. "She's a Kigenese soldier if I heard right. I thought that women weren't allowed in the military there. That's what seemed to be the case when I passed through there." How would someone get around the rules like that? "I'm not sure exactly why she was shaking Raquel though. Maybe she was just overly excited. She asked quite a few questions right off the bat." he explained.

[roymbrog]

With all the craziness happening recently strange situations were less surprising. On the issue of how the lady could actually be a soldier, Synthia had a few ideas. She simply nodded her head in understanding and parroted Amon's response to John. "Kigenese soldier, probably was in the military illegally."

[Kanami]

Eriya paused and thought her options over, she'd intended on following the group for awhile anyway. She didn't have any other leads, and going with these people increased her chances of encountering her father then she would alone.

A supposed healer and the tanned man had begun conversing, no doubt about Raquels offer. Eriya herself thought the offer sounded a bit too good to be true. But then again she couldn't think of a reason as to why Raquel would be lying to her.

She looked around at the people scattered about, listening on in the conversation, half a dozen at least, probably more considering how they seemed to keep popping out of nowhere. And that shaman was still there.... smiling apologetically, she shook her head, "Thank you err Miss Raquel? For your offer, but I've got other things that I need to take care of."

"Maybe next time, if we ever cross pathes again?" She added trying to reject the offer politely.

As she continued to walk away into the crowd of people that had developed she shouted back. Don't know where you're going but best get a move on, before the streets become too crowded, gets really busy in the afternoon."

[Phoenix]

"Well, sure I guess." she replied, not feeling too confident that they would just happen to cross paths yet again, but understanding the sentiment. As Eriya made her way from the group she called back noting something Raquel herself had been thinking about as well. The crowds ...

"Yeah I know." she muttered lowering her head and shoulders in a deep sigh. "I wanted to get going before it started to get like this. I should probably hurry up and get down there soon."

"Alright." she said turning to everyone else. "I'm heading down to the markets while it's still feasible. I'll meet you all back here in ... about an hour if we're lucky. Hopefully I can stock up on a few new things and get rid of some old junk." she explained before shooting over to the wagon and grabbing the reins.

[Mercakete]

Gytha released her hold on the pirate, fully intending to hold him to the agreement. She left to put her new tunic into her dufflebag inside the cart. When she emerged again, she was holding the pirate's sword. "Ye might as well hold onto this. Makes defendn' ye a whole lot easier," she mentioend to Damian in a flat tone before hopping up to the cart's top again to sit with Maw as the cat ate. The forign woman hadn't garnered much attention from her. If they met again, maybe sh'd be able to place where she'd heard that accent.

[-Cynthia-]

"Well she was rather odd," Veronika said rather offhandedly. "Father said the Kigenese were a weird people, but he had not described them as so...spastic. Good thing she didn't decide to grab Gytha or else the two of them would be brawling right about now."

"Anyway good to see your coming with us, welcome aboard. Err welcome to the group I mean, I don't think we're planning to go on any boats anytime soon," Veronika said to Damian. At least I hope not, the boats I rode to get here were far more uncomfortable than any inn I've stayed in thus far.

[Mercakete]

"No seafarer in their right mind would go out to sea on a skiff," Gytha put in from atop the cart, "Ship. Not boat. And if we're goin' out to sea in a ship, then ye don't need t' fret. Much as I hate t' say it, ye have two people who can run a ship well enough now. Though I wouldn't let Damain anywhere near the ship's tender." She was mentally glaring at Damian but opted to keep her back to those she was speaking to. He'd be useful but that'd mean I'd have to give'im a team o' hands if we don't have a right crew already. And here I was prepared t' face such a challenge alone... Gytha mentally groaned.

[roymbrog]

Wait, Raquel was leaving? Crap. "Uh... I'll see you all later, then," she directed at the group, then darted off towards the wagon. She almost tripped over her feet getting there, but that was besides the point, she made it before Raquel left and had jumped in the back next to her stuff. Sure, hiding in the back for the rest of the day may be cowardly, but she wasn't looking forward to the alternative of running into anyone who recognized her. So, to pass the time, she brought out her tome and began reading it again for the third time that day.

[Zsword]

Shadrak had slipped back into the inn before the crowds got real thick, he sat himself in the lobby type area as far away from every one as he could. The inn was of course only getting more and more empty as people left to go about there business. This pleased him, it meant it would be quiet enough to get back to his readings as he pulled out his Flux tome and began reading it through again, making sure he had every aspect down to the letter.

[-Cynthia-]

Ship and boat, pirate and mariner, I thought all these words meant the same thing. Apparently not the case for those in the field. Veronika thought to herself before Gytha said something else she found odd. "Ship's tender? I thought ships were mostly made out of wood and steel, tender is not the first word that comes to mind," she said to Gytha, raising an eyebrow.

[Mercakete]

"The ship's tender are the smaller boats aboard the main ship," breifly explained Gytha, "Skiffs, lifeboats, dinghies...things like that. Mostly used fer go'n ashore but each kind of boat's use depends on the captain and the reason they're at sea in the first place." Figuring annother argument would start unless she ellaborated, Gytha continued, "Reason why I say I wouldn't trust Damian near the ship's tender is because if we're anywhere near land, it's not so far-fetch'd t' believe he'd steal some o' Raquel's goods and be off from me watch. Not t' mention any sort of other mischief."

[ReformBlade]

"If he'd really try to take one of them boats, we could just send John after 'im, right? I mean, unless you were REALLY not paying attention, the man would still be within eyesight, and I'd say a wyvern would easily be able to outstrip a simple man-powered boat." He said rather matter-of-factly. "Just saying. I mean, your fears aren't unfounded, but there's always a solution, and it's generally the easiest one that's best."

[Mercakete]

"Runn' a ship is fairly distractn'," Gytha blandly stated, "And if wyverns could git ye everywhere, there'd be no need fer ships. Those boats are movn' targets, even if there's no wind. It'd be hard t' land a blow from the air with the rise and fall of the ocean's surface and without a carpenter -- let alone th' timber -- t' spare, th' tender'll not be replaced too easily if he decides to punch some holes in'em." Gytha knew Damain knew just as much as she did about seafaring and didn't put one incident past him -- not even sinking a ship and that was taboo among all seafarers: pirates especially.

[ReformBlade]

"Lemme get this straight, you would run the ship and be on guard duty? You should just let someone else, who doesn't know how to handle a ship for instance, guard the kid. Bam, problem solved, but... Ugh, whatever...." Nanahm gave up. Her 'logic' was confounding to him.

[GoD]

Unfortunately for Shadrak, Chelsea followed him and sat nearby.

"So um.... my name is Chelsea. What's yours?"- she asked as she took out her own tome of light and began skimming pages.

Edited March 14, 2011 by GoD

[Phoenix]

Raquel didn't find out about Synthia tagging along in the back of the wagon for a short while. Raquel made it to the bustling markets and was a bit overwhelmed. She immediately knew that when Wolfgang and Hans left things would be a bit harder for her as far as physical labor went, but this was looking to border on ridiculous. It seemed like a miracle that after her first potential sales came, she happened upon Synthia in the back and volunteered the mage to help her promising to hire someone else in the group for to fill that position more permanently later on.

Fortunately for both women, only what they were selling was any kind of 'heavy'. What they ended up purchasing over the next hour and a half were easier to carry and store and the wagon's interior was much more organized by the end of it. With that done, she invited Synthia to the front of the wagon if she wanted to ride up there. Either way it was time to head back and she took her seat up front preparing to head back to the inn.

"Okay, that's all we could really find, but I'm sure we can pick up more in Europa. The guy explaining those defending weapons to me seemed to know his stuff. Maybe they'll help with our combat team defenders. Not sure if holy water is all it's hyped up to be but I guess we'll find out either way."

ITEM GET!

Holy Water

Wooden Shield

Dynamic Tome

Slim Weapons

Defending Weapons

A short while later ...

The wagon pulled up to the inn and Raquel stepped down from the driver's seat. Slightly behind schedule, but she was tired and wanted just a quick rest ... and some water. The inn's kitchen was her first stop on the way back inside. Chip went back to hiding inside the wagon's interior.

[13th]

Damian grabbed the sword from Gytha, noticing the cleaned blade. "I guess I do have to thank ye, Gytha. I see ye cleaned my blade." But when he heard her mention the ship's tender, he scowled. "I'd never think of doin' that. I may be a pirate, but I have honor. I am not a thief from the person I work for. When I was piratin', I was workin' for myself. I raided the merchants because on the sea, they're fair game. But when I work as a mercenary, I am as loyal to my employer. So there isn't anythin' to worry about there."

[Mercakete]

The mariner also had helped with some of the heavy lifting seeing as she was able and was on the cart's top anyway. When the work was done, however, she returned to lazing about on the wagon's roof. She didn't reply to Damian out loud, but she did pay attention to what he said. Would've been a waste of a good sword if I'd let the sword stay in that condition and that isn't something I'm inclined to do. I s'pose he wouldn't turn ship's tender t' ship's tinder, but don't ye ever trust pirates again, Gytha. Ye know what happened last time. And those good folk who make an honest livn'... fair game indeed.

Maw had managed to drowse some, content with sunning herself in her corner of the cart's roof.