Abysmal Souls Chapter 5

[ReformBlade]

Carrion

"Mmmmmgrbleah..."

Waking up to the sound of thunder so early in the morning made Carrion quite upset. Using her best judgment, it seemed to be too early o'clock. Not wanting to wake Adrian or anyone else up yet though, she simply pulled her coat over her tiny frame and laid back down on the ground. "Is there really someone taking my name like that?" she mused to herself. Maybe it's another misunderstanding, or worse... That thought made her almost cry, wishing no one aside from the worst of the worst would ever have to go through what she went through. Keep it together, Riya, you've almost got your fire back. Someone has to be able to help you in Pravna, and if notthere, you can just suck it up and put your hate aside and try Lushira...

Grant

Walking into Alathan, the former mercenary quickly bought a room and went to sleep, the sun still rising. He had to sell his helmet for it, but he didn't care. Not much use he had for it anyway in his condition. "Where is she...?

[Zsword]

Zwool wasn't sleeping. He couldn't sleep... he was at the edge of the camp, staring into his gem as it glowed gently against his face. What are you pretty thing? Why do you do what you do? Are you intelligent? Carrion said objects that react with emotions should be tampered with... but why do I have such an item? I mean, I'm just some Anri... does it have something to do with my past? I remember... I remember, raiders, and slavers... they came into our quiet little village. They captured, killed, and for a few cases raped, everyone in my village... friends... family. He looked out to the group, to Adrian and Carrion, too Gideon and Amera, then abck at his gauntlet. I saw how being seperated from even one loved one, why does this memory not make me sad? Or angry? Why...?

[Caliban of Sycorax]

Julius

His journey to Lushira was long and saturated with stress and anxiety. The memories of his encounter with the kid still haunted him, as well as memories of his past. He was heading home, in the hopes of regaining his noble status. No one knew what had happened to his uncle, anyway. At least, he didn't think so. Most people probably assumed Julius died in the fire that ravaged his old home. He smiled briefly at the prospect of a "triumphant" return to the nobility. The "Gentleman's Gentleman", Julius Kilstrong. He reveled at the idea of coming home.

That brief moment of happiness was swept away when Julius remembered his mission in the first place; to try and figure out who he was. The life of a noble was unfulfilling. He was showered with everything he wanted: money, clothing, food, drinks, but he couldn't find happiness. He felt ill at his forgetting of that simple task.

Heading home was the only logical decision; he still had enough money to survive, but he didn't have much else barring his uncle's blade. If he was able to return to the nobility, he figured he could use his social position to figure out what he wanted. Was it love? Success? Financial stability? A sense of being? Whatever it was, Julius had the gut feeling that he'd find it in Lushira.

Because he was traveling alone, he was able to move quickly. After only a week he was already approaching Malegon via the mountain pass next to Belenos, his first stop. His goal was to make his way to Albion, where his family's home was located nearby. If he could get to Albion, he could find people his uncle affiliated himself with and reclaim his title.

Approaching the end of the mountain pass, Julius was tired and weary. He had been traveling throughout the night in order to reach the next city more quickly. He had found himself climbing a steep rock wall that marked the last large mountain before Malegon. As he climbed higher, he couldn't help but shake off the feeling that he wasn't alone. Whether or not the presence was malicious, he couldn't determine. One thing was for certain; however, he kept his hand next to his sword and was ready to fight at any moment.

[Nanami Touko]

Adrian

"Mmmmmgrbleah..." What the heck was... was that Carrion? Geez, someone sounds grumpy. It was Carrion, the grumbling shaking Adrian from his sleep. He cracked open and eye, looking out on the day. It had barely begun, and clouds were already forming up into what looked like another storm. Or maybe it had been something else? He definitely heard the rumble of some thunder now that he was waking up. He stretched, and fell back over, not wanting to get up at ridiculous O'clock. But, Carrion's awake... you really should keep her company. He forced himself awake, looking over at Carrion. She seemed troubled, which wasn't something new for him to see, but still made him worry. "What's... what's eating at you, Carrion?" He yawned as he whispered over at her, grabbing his own coat, and sitting up to put it on. Hope it's not something too bad.

Horatio

The man ended up in Indolcure that morning, heading straight to his favorite place: the local bar. He could get himself a drink, and get some information. And sitting down at the bar, there were two men discussing something that had really surprised them. "... Yeah, and they even had two anri with them! I mean, so close to the capital, I shouldn't be surprised, but still. It's weird you see a group that large just walking along. Heck, I bet they're in the capital by now, passing through as quickly as they did last night." "Two anri, really? Must of been some group heading towards the festival. You know how dem beasts are, all attracted to magic an' the like." "Yeah, and one of 'em was smokin' hot, too. Too bad, she seemed like she already had someone."

Horatio couldn't help but be intrigued by these two men and their conversation, slipping over to them. "Listen, eh... d'you mind repeatin' what you jes' said, about a... a large group o' people jes', walkin' through the town?" Of course the two men were a bit put off by this stranger eavesdropping on their conversation, as well as how oddly specific he was being, but they told him what they'd seen after a drink, and even in a bit more detail. And one detail about one of the people mentioned made him smile. "... Pink hair, you say? Well, my man, I do thank you for that information. Here, enjoy anotha' drink, on me." He threw some coin down onto the table, smirking as he walked himself out of that bar. Well, I've got my lead. Time to head down to the good ol' capital, Pravna...

Edited August 4, 2011 by seph1212

[CT075]

Ormis

Ormis woke up when the first few drops of rain began sprinkling on him. As per usual, no one had cared enough about him to let him sleep in their tent. Groaning, he rolled over- right onto a patch of sharp rocks. As it would happen, the pointiest one got him right where the biggest bruise was, where Amera had hit him when she caught him hiding behind a tree and glancing into her tent while she changed.

"Gah..."

Grudgingly, he got up. Grabbing his cloak (well, it was little more than a dark red rag at this point) which he had matted up as a pillow, he picked up his sword, looking for a tree. Once he found one, he drew it and began striking it, as fast as he could, trying to make as many marks as he could before the rain really picked up. He had about ten good ones when it started pouring. He crouched underneath the tree, shivering. As little shelter as it was, the tree did keep most of the water off of him.

Teis

Teis woke at first grumble of thunder. Yawning and sitting up, his first thought was his axe. It was still there, as it always was. The knight stuck his head out of his tent, glancing around to see who Ormis had decided to be kicked around by today. No one, it seemed. Then he checked his armor to make sure the little annoyance hadn't stolen it. Teis scowled as he recalled two days ago, when Ormis had removed the pole from Teis's tent. Then the patter of rain brought the knight back to the present.

I hope the guards open up soon. I'd hate to be out here for much longer.

Edited August 4, 2011 by CT075

[Anti-Social Meta Knight]

Gideon

Gideon woke earlier than he would have liked, grumbling something even he couldn't discern. He didn't feel much like getting up - then again, with Amera on his side, that wouldn't be happening until she woke too. "Too damn early," he growled, trying to roll over and get comfortable. They would wake him when it was time to go...Amera was keeping still on top of him. Maybe she had slept better than he did? "You awake?" he asked softly, not too keen on being the cause of her waking.

Melanie

"Ugh! What am I supposed to do with this?!" With a frustrated groan, Melanie tossed her most recent catch at the door of her room at the inn, and it fell to the floor with a clang. It was a helmet she had picked up outside the city walls, probably the lost property of some poor would-be hero. When she found it, it looked like a nice piece of metal - fairly sturdy, and in decent condition on the outside. It wasn't until she had looked inside and seen the metal covered in rust that she realized what it was. "Junk. Absolute junk!" she cried, her tone a bit childish. It couldn't all be like this. There had to be something of some quality on this continent! She laid back on her bed with a groan, brushing her matted brown bangs from her face. They were stuck to her face with soot and grime from her latest attempt at reshaping what she had. That was a week ago. "I need a baaaaaaaaath," she whined.

She glanced at the small table next to her bed, picking her journal up from the edge where she had balanced it. As she leafed through the pages idly, her mind began to wander. I've been here for all of five weeks, and still nothing. Pulling a pen from her shirt pocket, she scribbled something on a clean page.

Day 38. No alchemy yet. Down one-third of steel. Details later.

When she was done scrawling, she tossed it aside. There has to be something. I'm not far from Pravna, so if there isn't anything here, they flat-out lied to me. She looked at the door again. The wood was a bit misshapen from where the helmet had hit it... "Oh, come on!" she shouted, slamming the bed with her fist. "Can I have something go right today!? Please?!" No, no, calm down. Taking a deep breath, she sat up and opened the door, looking out to see if she had disturbed anyone. The clanging had been pretty loud...hopefully she didn't draw any attention.

[ReformBlade]

Carrion

"Hm? Oh, sorry, didn't mean to wake you." She flashed a smile but continued to lay there. "It's nothin much, just... wondering who that other witch is. I mean, is it just coincidence? Is it a similar situation to mine? It's got me thinking, and it's got me concerned is all." Rain drops pattered against the tent, only getting harder and harder over time. She took a peek outside to see just how bad it was, "Yeesh, what's with this weather? I don't remember it being this stormy or this friggin cold down here this time of year... Somethin's definitely not right. Maybe mother nature is just PMSing, eh?" Looking out further, she saw Ormis attacking a tree and then sitting down out in the rain. Carrion grunted and went outside to get him, running because the rain seemed to chill quite easily. "Hey kid, come on, you can get in our tent for the moment, it's way too damn cold for this and I ain't gonna be dragging your ass around everywhere!"

She hoped he wasn't still bitter about what she had done. After all, it wasn't by her provocation that it happened.

Grant

A loud clanging noise didn't help out his headache, and his tiredness only made it worse for him. Instead of sitting there peacefully and falling back asleep, some girl decided to keep on yelling. Sitting up, he stretched and yawned, feeling his leg. "What the..." He looked down to see half of his leg had regrown. He let out his own yelp of surprise as he tried to stand up with his crutch, looking at it. "W-W-What...? Why is it.....?!" He didn't understand it, but he was honestly overjoyed. Unfortunately, even more noise hit his ears, so he went outside to find some girl poking her head out. "Hey, some people are trying to sleep... this morning... ya know!"

[Nanami Touko]

Amera

Dreaming of silly things, like chasing a giant mouse, or playing with tonnes of yarn (because cats must dream of these things, always), she was suddenly woken up from her comfortable pillow. That pillow being Gideon, she woke as he tried to roll, the movement making an eye open to see what was happening. "You awake?" She mumbled something about wanting to sleep longer, and rolled off of him, "I am nooooooow..." Complaining probably isn't what he wants to hear right now, but he woke me up, so he's going to have to deal with it... No, that's so immature. Come on, Amera, he didn't mean to. A loud thunder crack rang out overhead, and she jumped back onto his arm, shaking a little. "S-Sorry about that. Thunder's just... not my thing." She glanced up at him, wondering if the sudden attachment to his arm had been annoying.

Adrian

"Hm? Oh, sorry, didn't mean to wake you." He quickly rubbed his eyes and sighed, "no, 's'okay, the weather would've woken me up if you hadn't..." Stupid thunder... why can't we be back in Sapphire? I can sleep through a snowstorm... He'd been waiting for an answer to his question, getting a rather intriguing one. "It's nothin much, just... wondering who that other witch is. I mean, is it just coincidence? Is it a similar situation to mine? It's got me thinking, and it's got me concerned is all." "Yeah... that," another yawn, shaking his head to try and wake up some more, "those people back at Lazarynth were talking about that witch... what if she is in your situation? Wouldn't it be nice to have someone to be able to sympathize with?" Joking to himself, he thought, and I'd get two cute girls to be with, ha ha. She mentioned the weather, and all he could do was nod, "yeah, this is pretty nuts. I don't mind the cold, but I could do without everything else." Suddenly Carrion was outside, yelling at Ormis. He stepped out after her, standing near the tent. I've got my jacket on, I'll be fine. Just... not so sure about Ormis, right now. Sure, he came along with us, but what if he's still urging for revenge against Carrion?

[Zsword]

Zwool looked out to the camp and chuckled... apparently he wasn't the only plagued with insomnia. The rain wasn't bothering him... after he raised his wings as a makeshift umbrella. He gave up think about.... pretty much everything. Instead he started entertaining himself with the rain and his glowing gauntlet, drawing little patterns in the reflective air.

[Anti-Social Meta Knight]

Gideon

"I am nooooooow..." Dammit. Not what I wanted to hear. Sorry, Amera. A thunderclap hit, and she clung to him tighter, trembling a bit. This wasn't a side of her Gideon was too familiar with - he had seen her vulnerable, but never scared. "S-Sorry about that. Thunder's just... not my thing," she said, looking up at him. She looked apologetic about it... "Don't be," he mumbled, still not fully awake as he pulled her back on top of him. " 'snot gonna get to us in here." The familiar feeling of having her cuddled up to him made him close his eyes, and he would have fallen asleep if it weren't for another thunderclap. "Guess the clouds want me awake," he grumbled. "Is anyone else even moving yet?"

Melanie

"Hey, some people are trying to sleep... this morning... ya know!" Melanie turned bright red and hid behind the door a bit. This guy sounded grumpy... "Sorry," she said quietly. "I didn't mean to..." She looked him over, and her eyes fell right on his leg. Or rather, the space where his leg should have been. "Whoa..." she said, her eyes widening as she stared. "How did you even - " Quickly she was on one knee, examining it carefully - and assaulting the man with questions. "How do you get around with this? Does it hurt? What do you do with half your shoes?" Her face was lit up as she asked. It didn't occur to her that she might be pressing unwanted buttons - she had never seen an amputee before, and it interested her.

[CT075]

Ormis

"Hey kid, come on, you can get in our tent for the moment, it's way too damn cold for this and I ain't gonna be dragging your ass around everywhere!"

"If you didn't want me around, you didn't have to go send Teis after me all those times I got left behind," he shot back, although he was grateful for the invitation. Revenge against Scarlet was one of the last things on his mind at the present. She really wasn't all that bad. On the other hand, he couldn't get his mental image of her, taunting him as he tried futilely to hit her, or her laughing, mocking him and Adrian right before... Well, no reason to confuse myself right now. He stood up, shaking the water out of his hair. As an afterthought, he picked up his sword, sheathed it, clipped it to his belt, and wrapped his rag cloak around it.

[Nanami Touko]

"Don't be" She simply nodded, turning red as he pulled her back onto him. She didn't mind, just wasn't used to being moved around. Besides, laying down on him was comfortable, " 'snot gonna get to us in here." "Well, it could hit the tent..." She knew that was a longshot, but she could still mention the extremes. I know it won't happen, but... stupid fears! Why do I have to have you? Another crack from the thunder made her shudder, though, as Gideon grumbled more. "Guess the clouds want me awake," he grumbled. "Is anyone else even moving yet?" "Guess the clouds don't want me to relax at all. Ever." She was annoyed at nature of all things, having to sigh to keep calm. "Lemme check..." She sat up on his lap, reaching an arm over to the opening of the tent to glance outside. She spotted Ormis over by some tree, Carrion yelling at him to get inside. She could barely hear the girl over the rain, but she was definitely yelling. Adrian was standing there watching. "The regulars. Ormis being himself, and Carrion yelling. No biggy..." She fell back against him, wondering if they'd have to get up as well. The weather wasn't going to let them sleep, but could they at least lay there for a bit.

[ReformBlade]

Carrion

Practically shoving the kid at this point, she was starting to shiver herself, quickly hiding back in the tent and curling up. "I-I f-fo-forgot how c-c-c-COLD the w-world-d was wi-without-t m-m-my f-f-ire..." Looking out at Adrian only made her feel much colder, him just standing there apparently not feeling it as badly as she was. It wasn't life threatening for her, but it was extremely uncomfortable for her, and now she started sneezing. "Oh fuck, did I seriously catch a cold? No no no, not now... dammit!"

Grant

"Wait, what?" Bombarded with questions and a girl suddenly studying his stumped leg, he took a step back with his not destroyed leg. "Um..." Holding out a hand to count the questions, "I use a crutch, it hurts a little if you touch it since it appears to be growing back, and uh... haven't really thought of that last one, I'd probably keep it? I really don't know. Wait, why're you so curious? You've never seen someone with a missing leg, I take it?"

Edited August 4, 2011 by SlaveKitty

[Anti-Social Meta Knight]

Gideon

"Well, it could hit the tent..." High-strung, aren't you? She didn't share his frustration with the thunder - she just shuddered again, causing Gideon to sigh and lean his head against hers. "Guess the clouds don't want me to relax at all. Ever." It was far too early to be this wound up. Gideon would have some trouble cracking this habit of hers... "Lemme check..." she said as she sat up. On top of him. Whatever, breathing's overrated. Still, he got a better look at her. Even with her hair all messed up, she looked as good as ever, and it was clear that he thought that from the way he was looking at her. "The regulars. Ormis being himself, and Carrion yelling. No biggy..." "We aren't moving, then," he replied as she lay back on top of him. "Even if the sky wants to keep us awake." Beyond that, Gideon didn't really know what to say. Intimate conversation wasn't his strong suit. Hell, since he and Amera had gotten together, he had said nothing of his history with Shuthra. It wasn't a topic he liked to talk about. He elected to just hold her - that part of their alone time, at least, was growing on him.

Melanie

"Wait, what?" he had asked as she was looking the stump over. From the size of it, he had lost quite a bit of leg...She flailed her arms a bit when he took a step back and grabbed onto his leg, looking right up at him. "Hey, hey!" she cried. "Would ya stop it? I can't get a good look at you if you're fidgeting! Honestly..." "I use a crutch, it hurts a little if you touch it since it appears to be growing back, and uh... haven't really thought of that last one, I'd probably keep it? I really don't know. Wait, why're you so curious? You've never seen someone with a missing leg, I take it?" "Nope," she replied idly as she examined his leg. "Never. So is it growing back, or what?" She didn't know anything about biology - did legs grow back on people? " 'Cause if not, you'll need to replace it with something. Can't hobble all your life." Her voice was a bit quiet - she was more focused on looking than on talking. "You could always..." She trailed off into a mumble, just moving her mouth with whatever thoughts hit her at the moment. "...maybe a shiftsteel frame, but that might not..." It occurred to her that she didn't know this guy's name, but if he wanted to, he'd tell her, so she kept looking.

[Jaybee]

Elune/Adonis

"We're here. My father might be somewhere in this city." It had been quite a long travel, but they'd gotten to know each other, somewhat - Their motivations and their final goals.

"He's pretty damn old - about 70 by now. If you see someone like him, tell me. We go together."

"Alright then, Adonis. We start with the back streets?"

"It's night time. Let's do it."

Danyon

He'd talked to the group during the week, but not very much - He probably was considered the main outsider. Then again, if he could help Carrion, he could, but if anything, he wanted to get in that library, if only for a short while.

It was raining pretty badly now, but he needed to sleep. He could get up a bit earlier for the final watch or something.

[Nanami Touko]

Adrian

"I-I f-fo-forgot how c-c-c-COLD the w-world-d was wi-without-t m-m-my f-f-ire..." Geez, she looks like she's freezing... He sat down next to her and lost his coat, as it was soaked, wrapping an arm around her to pull her closer. "You could throw on that dress. It's probably warmer than... the..." he got stuck at the word 'shorts', as he stared down at her legs, his eyes running all the way along them. Adrian, perv later, she's freakin' freezing here! he stammered to get the words out. "Th-Th-Th-That dress instead of your shorts! Yeah, th-that. Or... you could just cuddle up to me. I don't mind that, either." He didn't mind her doing that at all, even if Ormis was in the tent. He was just trying to warm her up, he could get some contact along with that, right?

Amera

"We aren't moving, then," Not even if I wanted to go walk in the rain a bit? I've got a change of clothes, getting wet would be nice, about now. Her hair was pretty messed up, and as much as she hated getting soaked, as long as she could dry off and change right away, she wouldn't mind. "Even if the sky wants to keep us awake." "Not that I mind staying awake with you. Just wish the thunder would go away..." His arms rested around her, and she felt a bit better about the thunder, as much as it continued to unnerve her. "Y'know, Gideon..." She'd been thinking for a while, about him. He'd never really told her about himself, and he knew about her past as a slave. Not really fair, is it? "I don't know a thing about you. We've been having too much fun this week, for me to actually ask, but... since we have this chance to just talk... maybe you can tell me more about your past? I'd like to know, please." Swishing her tail a little, she looked up at him with a pretty inquisitive look. Maybe he used to be a... a crime lord! Oh, or maybe he's a gang boss! Well, he could've just been a farmer, Amera...

Edited August 4, 2011 by seph1212

[ReformBlade]

Carrion

"Y-Yeah, I think I'll just d-do that" Her teeth were almost chattering at this point, but she rummaged through the backpack for the dress Adrian picked out for her and slipped it on over her shorts. They weren't that wet thanks to the coat that she took off, and so her legs started to warm up ever so slightly. The next step was her scooting over to Adrian, figuring since he offered she may as well take him up on it. "Th-thanks, Adrian..." Another sneeze and a sniffle later, she groaned. "Why nooooow? Ack... b-by chance, did-did either of you bring a-any medici-cine with you?" Damn it all, I don't need a fucking fever right now. Come on, something go right for me... please...

Grant

As he thought about it, he realized he hadn't really seen many people missing legs either. "Is... is there something I can help you with, ma'am? My leg can't be THAT interesting... can it?" Asking him if it'd grow back jolted him slightly. "Uh, um... it... it actually is. I'm not really sure why. It's certainly something very... unnatural. I think a friend of mine must have done something to it, it would explain her long ass coma..."

[Anti-Social Meta Knight]

Gideon

"Not that I mind staying awake with you. Just wish the thunder would go away..." He was doing the best he could, so he decided not to worry much more about it. Instead he just closed his eyes in hopes of getting a bit more sleep... "Y'know, Gideon..." "Hmm?" He didn't open his eyes. "I don't know a thing about you." At this, he opened one eye. What was that? "We've been having too much fun this week, for me to actually ask, but... since we have this chance to just talk... maybe you can tell me more about your past? I'd like to know, please." The memories came back to him when she asked, and his expression became blank.

"Yer eighteen now, right?" the old man had asked between bites of salt pork. "A real man, aint'cha? Not just a barking pup." He never closed his mouth when he chewed - Gideon hated that about him. "Well? Speak!"

"Yeah," Gideon replied.

"Well, let's make ye a man, then. That fool what stuck his nose in our business...the farmer, yeah? Go hit his land. Torch it good." Gideon was certain he hadn't heard the man correctly, but that was his assignment: burn a farm to the ground. At the time, it seemed like fun...

Gideon blinked and looked at Amera, his discomfort with the subject apparent. "Look, I..." he began, his voice a bit softer than usual. "How much time do we have? There's a lot to tell." Maybe he could distract her with a bit of traveling talk, so he wouldn't have to mention...the other stuff. The raids. They were raids, Gideon. Don't bullshit her. You were a bandit.

Melanie

Designing a replacement for this would be really fun...it'd have to be durable, but light. And rustproof for when he walks through water. Maybe he's a monk, and he'd need a combat model! What if... "Is... is there something I can help you with, ma'am? My leg can't be THAT interesting... can it?" "Shush!" she hissed, completely enthralled by his leg. "Thinking!" Uhm...fuck, I forgot. "Uh, um... it... it actually is. I'm not really sure why. It's certainly something very... unnatural. I think a friend of mine must have done something to it, it would explain her long ass coma..." She pulled back and scratched her head. "Do you think arms grow back too, then?" Wait, did he call me ma'am? She bolted to her feet and looked up at the man, who was still quite a bit taller than her. Like everyone else... "I don't look that old, do I?" she asked, cocking her head and narrowing her eyes. "I'm not even seventeen yet, so don't call me 'ma'am.' Call me 'miss' or 'girl' or 'urchin' or something normal! And I'll call you, um..." She looked him over. "What's your name?" I bet he has a cool name. He looks like he has a cool name. If he lost a leg, it has to be something badass...

[Shin]

Aurelio

The week had been an interesting one, he'd never really travelled with anyone else for this long before. Although he deeply appreciated the company, especialy Lucretia's. The three hadn't been able to travel very fast, Adano did his best but it was still pretty slow, but that gave them more time to appreciate the scenery. Adano seemed to the oracle of all combat knowledge, he seemed to know what to do in any situation. He had almost become a sort of father figure to Aurelio. Lucretia seemed oddly cheerful, a stark change from when he first met her. Although it was nice to see her smile once in a while.

After a week's travel they had reached Phirias, Lushira still their goal, and stopped for a little while. It would probably take a week or two to get to Lushira, but that was the way it had to be.

[Nanami Touko]

Adrian

Carrion, even wearing her dress (which he thought looked really nice on her) still seemed to be freezing. He was about to insist her cuddling up to him again, but she did just that. He placed his arms around her, and held her close, hoping to provide her with some sort of warmth. Maybe I'm cold as well? I'd hope not... I think I'm pretty warm, right now. She sneezed, and that had him worried, as she started sniffling, even asking for medicine. "I don't have any. Ormis? If not, we'd best head into town as soon as it opens up. Don't want your cold getting any farther along than it has." He hoped it wasn't more than a cold, her sniffling. Having her get sick on top of all this weather would just make the day worse off than it already was.

Amera

"Um... Gideon? Hello?" She'd gotten even more confused, as Gideon had seemingly zoned out upon asking about his past. Well geez, that's a neat trick. Maybe I'll ask him when he's fighting, see if he freezes then... None too happy about being ignored, zone out or not, she poked him a few times, before he came back to reality. "Look, I..." "You what? Nothing you've got can beat what I've already told you about myself, so just say it." She didn't understand him, sometimes. Or maybe she just had a different way of seeing things? Nevertheless, Gideon asked how much time they had. "Judging by how it's still almost dark outside, I'd say a lot. Come on, Gideon, just let me know~! It's only fair, you know my life!" She was getting a bit impatient and wound up, again, hoping he'd spill the beans and just let her know. It has got to be something cool, and that's why he won't tell me! He doesn't want me asking a ton of questions about it... whatever it is.

Edited August 4, 2011 by seph1212

[Anti-Social Meta Knight]

"You what? Nothing you've got can beat what I've already told you about myself, so just say it. Judging by how it's still almost dark outside, I'd say a lot. Come on, Gideon, just let me know~! It's only fair, you know my life!" Sighing, Gideon put a hand on her hair and messed with it a bit. "Alright, fine," he told her, smiling in spite of himself - her enthusiasm made his fears seem a bit silly. "Get comfortable and listen. No commenting 'til I finish." He adjusted a bit and let his head drop, his eyes moving to the side of the tent. All he could hear was the rain for a moment. His hand was comfortable on her head, so he left it there.

"Like I said last week, I was fine as a kid," he began after a fairly sized pause. This wasn't something he had ever done with anyone, and now he was trying it out with a girl he met a week ago. "Lived on my parents' farm." Another thunderclap. Instinctively Gideon pulled her closer, knowing she'd cling anyway. "They tried to make an obedient little Church boy out of me. It didn't work." He smirked at himself. Bit of an understatement... "Everything my father did was pointless. He would go out, till the fields, check the animals, come in, go out again...never left our property. In sixteen years, none of us left that damn farm. So when I turned sixteen, I...well, I just up and left. Didn't say a word to them." It was raining that night, too. Maybe that was why rain annoyed him...

"Ended up in Albion. Not the face of it, though, all that holier-than-thou shit you'd expect from the cathedral up there. The underground. They actually have quite a host of criminals." His tone was getting less and less expressive as he spoke - even after all these years, after all the things he had done, he didn't feel much about it. It wasn't something he was proud of, but it didn't torment him. "I fell in with bandits, and did..." He sighed. "A lot of things I'm not proud of. Stole from a lot of people, hurt a few...torched a farm." A bit of spite crept into his voice when he named his last act as a bandit. His last act as someone else's servant. "After a while, I just left. Didn't like who I was becoming." He turned his head to look at her. "From there, I just sort of wandered. That's how I ran into you," he added, smiling slightly. "Go ahead and berate me for it. I know what a bad person I am."

As much as he hadn't wanted to talk about it, now that it was out, Gideon felt a bit better about it. Now all that remained was to be scolded for it by Amera...

[Jaybee]

Danyon]

Goddess damn it, that rain and thunder was too fucking loud. Seemed as though everyone else thought the same, with no one actually asleep.

He saw the boy walking back to the tent, drenched in both rain and sweat.

"You okay there? Doesn't seem as though you just can't sleep because of the noise."

[ReformBlade]

Carrion

She put her full weight on Adrian, wanting nothing more than to feel warmth again. She grabbed the blanket and covered herself up again, sighing. "Stupid weather..." It was dark out, thundering, raining, and now she caught a cold while being denied access to any restoratives it seemed since Ormis didn't appear to have anything on him. Is he holding out on me? If he is, well... I guess I can't completely blame him... Going down that train of thought, she quickly stopped. Going down a depressing memory lane was not something she wanted right now as she shifted in her spot, leaning her head on Adrian again. "So uh... Adrian, tell me the basics of magic, tell me what I taught you." It was random of her, but she desperately wanted to get her mind off the weather and the cold she was feeling and dealing with.

Grant

Not even seventeen? Shit, she's gonna fill out nicely... Was his only thought after that. Snapping back into reality, "Sorry? I just default to that, didn't really think you'd mind it? Anyway, 'girl', the name's Grant." He gave an awkward smile, not really with the program at all. "You seem to be in and out of your own little world, so uh... what's going on here, why the interest?"

Edited August 4, 2011 by SlaveKitty

[Caliban of Sycorax]

Lucretia

Despite Adano's injury making progress a bit slower than usual, the group certainly was traveling at a very good pace. Even if they weren't moving as quickly as they would if it was just Lucretia and Aurelio, Lucretia enjoyed traveling with the two. And she noticed that Aurelio had really taken a liking to Adano. For the first time in a long time, Lucretia was able to travel with people she truly cared about, with little fears.

As they approached Phirias, things began looking up. This was the last town before Lushira, which was the intended goal. Lucretia had never been to Lushira before, although she had heard a lot about it from her grandmother and aunt. She was pretty thrilled to see Lushira for the first time.

"Ah, civilization. Haven't seen this in a while. Are we going to stop here for a bit?" She asked.

Adano

Traveling with Lucretia and Aurelio was certainly enjoyable for Adano. The daughter whom he'd just met, and his new student. It felt interesting, to the least, because Lucretia was helping Adano with re-learning swordplay (even though it was apparent from the guild fight he still had it in him), and Adano was helping Aurelio with learning some new fighting techniques. Aurelio referred to him as the "Oracle of Combat". The three would joke around, asking for his next "prediction". Adano truly enjoyed the company, and it made travel that much better.

"Ah, civilization. Haven't seen this in a while. Are we going to stop here for a bit?"

They had reached Phirias after a week's worth of travel. Phirias was their last major stop before Lushira. Adano nodded, adding, "The supplies are still surviving, but it would be smart to see if we can get some more food here while we're around."

Julius

He cleared the steep hill not seeing anyone. He had hoped that it was just his paranoia, but his fears were realized when he hopped into the middle of a camp of sorts. There were many tents all surrounding a central campfire. There was no one outside; Julius hoped that they were all gone, but the campfire was still going. He tried to escape as quickly as possible, but as he passed the last tent, he heard a menacing voice.

"Lookie here, boys. We got a pretty one walking by!"

Shit. He turned around to see about six men standing there. They all had stupid grins on their faces.

"What's a pretty boy like you doing here?" The one in front asked.

"I'm simply traveling towards Albion. I'm coming from Lazarynth." Julius replied, deadpan.

"Heh heh...well, me and my boys here are headed in that way too. How about you join up with us?" One of the man's hands inched closer to his crotch. Julius had a bad feeling.

"Well, I'm really in a hurry. I can't stay." Julius tried to move onward, but he walked straight into another man.

"We're all a bit...aroused by your arrival." The leader said. "How about we have a peek at that pretty ass of yours?"

Julius immediately drew his blade, and before anyone could react, he stabbed the man in front of him and continued running, quickly. He had to get to the next town. Immediacy took over as he ran with the six men in pursuit.

[Nanami Touko]

Amera

"Get comfortable and listen. No commenting 'til I finish." "Alriiiiight..." she cuddled up to him some more, and relaxed, letting him tell her what he wanted to. "Like I said last week, I was fine as a kid," Yeah, your child hood sounds fine. Why're you so uncomfortable about telling me all this? Another thunderclap, and Gideon's guess was right on the money, as she shuddered and held him tighter. Quickly trying to get back to being calm, she went back to listening, "They tried to make an obedient little Church boy out of me. It didn't work." He went on about his family, and his father... sounds pretty normal to me, Gideon... From what she was hearing, the only part of his life he didn't like from back them was his father. "Well, at least you know your parents." She quickly covered her mouth, remembering that he'd asked her to not talk until he was finished. Quickly mouthing a sorry to him, she let him go on.

"Ended up in Albion. Not the face of it, though, all that holier-than-thou shit you'd expect from the cathedral up there. The underground. They actually have quite a host of criminals." So... you really were a crime lord? "I fell in with bandits, and did..." ... What? Bandits?! "A lot of things I'm not proud of. Stole from a lot of people, hurt a few...torched a farm." She quickly covered her mouth, to stop anything from being said. She had too many questions to ask about that, but she was going to let him finish. "After a while, I just left. Didn't like who I was becoming." "Gideon..." She looked up at him as he turned towards her, "From there, I just sort of wandered. That's how I ran into you," he added, smiling slightly." At least there's that... The one happy thought amongst all of this. He'd finished, but nothing was coming to her. She didn't know what to say. It must've been hard for him to find the right words after you told him your past, so come on, think of something...

"Go ahead and berate me for it. I know what a bad person I am." "Wha... Gideon, listen..." She tried to formulate the right words in her head. Of course, she was bad with words, so she simply hugged him, hoping that would get the message across. Girl, are you stupid, or what? A hug's not going to tell him it's alright... She looked up at his face, his face which seemed like it was waiting for yelling, or hurtful words. A blush spread across her cheeks, as she leaned up, slowly, and gave him a kiss, right on the lips. She'd never kissed someone before, so she didn't really know how good she was. Too embarrassed to kiss him for long, she quickly went back down to laying on him. That... was nice. "I... You changed yourself because you knew it was wrong, so I can't hate you... I like the you that you are right now." She smiled, looking up at him a bit awkwardly, but still happy. "Just... don't go back to that life, okay?"

Adrian

Getting to hold her like this was almost a privilege, as they hadn't embraced like this for a while. Sure, she was using him for warmth, but he didn't care. It was still nice. Ugh, this stupid weather... she probably wouldn't be like this if that thunder hadn't woken her up. Heck, even if she was sick when she woke up, the town would be open then, and we'd be able to get her something for her cold, before it turns into something actually debilitating. And then she asked him something he wasn't entirely prepared to answer, "So uh... Adrian, tell me the basics of magic, tell me what I taught you." "Uhh..." Okay, I can't tell her that I was more focused on her than what she was saying, can I? I don't know. Knowing her she might take that as a compliment. "Uhm... well, I remember that every living thing has mana, that's obvious, and that's their lifeforce... You told me about the elements, yeah..." Alright, time to come clean, Adrian... "Carrion, to be honest, I was more focused on you than what you were explaining. Please don't hurt me..." He almost begged, putting on a nervous smile.

Edited August 4, 2011 by seph1212