Abysmal Souls Chapter 5

[Nanami Touko]

Amera

"Wait, what?! I... uh, th-thanks for the offer b-but, I mean, y-you're cute, I just... ugh, nevermind!" It was quite obvious that Amera was terrible at dealing with any sort of sexual talk, jokes or not, "M-Mel just had to ask you something, " she said with a small push on the girl's back, moving her ahead, "so, I'll just let her do that." Shaking her head once again, tired of dealing with all of this so early in the morning, she groaned a little, grabbed Gideon by the arm and began to drag him downstairs. "Mel, she won't bite as long as you don't bite first, so, ask her what you had to ask! We'll be downstairs once you're done. And calm down, would ya?" It was amazing Amera how tense Mel was, and how she could stay tense for so long. I can't imagine what she's got on her mind that's doing that... maybe that's because I've spent time around Carrion, but still. Must be something heavy. She whispered to Gideon as they walked, "what d'you think's on her mind? I'm really curious," because having a second opinion would be nice.

Adrian

Chuckling back at the giggle bot, he spotted three people outside. He expected Gideon and Amera, but, this Mel girl, all tense and almost shaking... what the heck is she doing here so early? Carrion was going to have fun with her, it seemed, as her comment made Adrian fall over laughing. "Come on, Carrion, let them join in if they want to. The more the merrier, ha ha ha!" Amera didn't appreciate it, or so it seemed, and ran off with Gideon, leaving the still tense Mel at the door. He shot out of bed and stretched, walking over behind Carrion. "So... Mel, what's up?" I hope she's still not mad about the slap yesterday...

[NagafenOfIlivikitty]

Obelia’s eyes watch Ken’s study the soldiers. Her blade is by her side and her eyes, while still tired, offer a polite smile to the equally polite contingent. They seem well trained and yet she is wary, glancing back to Lucinda. She knows she has to protect Ken. There is no doubt left within her heart, seeing that attack just reinforcing the oddity faced against him. What it is that faces her going with him. Her own journey feels… minute, for this moment, against what ever it is that now hounds her friend. So she vocalises it, a quiet glance to the man she now stands beside.

‘I… will, come with you, Ken. But Lady Lucinda, even under armed guard… I am uncomfortable leaving her alone. I’d carry her with us if…’

Bits desperate to cling aren’t I?

She thinks it as even then, she just stops mid sentence, unsure what to really say, what to say to just make things feel a semblance of what might be considered sensible or common sense.

--- ---

‘Love is indeed complicated, Andy. But you’re not exactly talking to a maestro of it either.’

Langley doesn’t think this is the best time to be bothering him, tiredly noting his turn away, his words explaining things rather well. So she just shrugs a bit, knowing in her heart that it hurts but there is only one, true right decision. The kind that her mom might make or her dad. Or maybe she thinks that to simply console herself. Maybe.

‘I’m fine, Andy. Just figure out… what you want to say to Noel. I’ll see ya… later, let’s say.’

And without much more hesitation, or rather before her hesitation decides to kick in fully, she turns and gently walks off the porch, heading into town and looking for a few old shops to peruse, to perhaps check on an old blacksmith friend…

--- ---

Noel sleeps. And sleeps. Possibly sleeping much more then someone would on a regular basis. But for her, she’s trapped herself in her own head. Inside her mind, that decision, unawares to her, has been handed to her by Langley yet her brain has no knowledge of the exchange between the two, keeping the furred woman curled at that cross roads. Her body has been in bed for hours and as the sun and moon begin their dance, her sheets begin to drench as the decision becomes its own nightmare, making her confidence shrink, her form within the dream shrinking with it. A choice she doesn’t need to worry on teases and torments her and as day passes to the forefront once again, the sheets are slightly torn, tugged from her hands gripping them in her sleep. Across from her…

---

Langley sits there, an even more tired expression then yesterday, years almost added to slightly worn features. She watches her friend with a mumble, wanting to reach and wake her up but scared for what she might say. She knows Noel. She knows that to offer her something like this, she’d see it as a pity offering, as maybe a way to patch things up from how’d they become, throwing her a b- no, that’s bordering on insulting, she muses and thinks. She’d spent the night wandering the town, just walking. Watching the moon, listening to the distant sounds of sea and sleep gulls heading for said wave crests at the days end. She’d just wandered for a while. And now she sits, snuck in once home after she was sure Andy wasn’t on the porch still or maybe just in bed. She watches her sleeping friend. And wonders how the true, best way to wake her is.

---

No more wakey. Just sleep. Lemme have more of that. Sleep. I like it. So fuzzy. Like Horatio’s chest. Is his chest hairy? I dunno… it’s soft. I think. I don’t like thinking right now. Bedtime again.

Carrie’s thoughts for the moment. Not exactly high end but then again, you ask the thoughts of someone trying to wake in the morning, be prepared to get exactly what you ask for. That or what comes over the next few seconds within her tired mind.

…mmmmmmnnnnn….urrr….nnnn…mmm…

Something like that, I’d suppose.

[CT075]

"Hey guys, long time no see, huh? What brings you here?"

"This moron has been leading us around in circles for the better part of the night. We're supposed to be halfway to wherever that Scarlet Necromancer or whatever is supposed to be, but instead we're here."

Rina huffed indignantly. "And we're out of apples. Who the heck ate the entire sack of apples over the course of one horse ride?"

Teis brushed past the girl, greeting Lucretia and Adano.

"Sorry for intruding upon you so suddenly. We were with Carrion in Pravna until recently, when this boy grew impatient with waiting and dragged us out to go find the imposter Witch."

[Shin]

Aurelio

"This moron has been leading us around in circles for the better part of the night. We're supposed to be halfway to wherever that Scarlet Necromancer or whatever is supposed to be, but instead we're here."

Ormis was probably feeling pretty horrible right now, neither Teis or the new girl seemed to think very much of his navigation. Aurelio could see why, but he didn't want him to run off or something.

"Cut the kid some slack. He may have the brains of a turnip, but he's not too bad with a sword."

He looked over at Ormis.

"Still, I can't believe you lost to... what's his name... that Arden guy in that tournament. Part of me wanted to see you smash his face in."

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

Ken

He could feel some sort of doubt emanating from Obelia. Perhaps she felt uneasy leaving Lady Lucinda alone? It was understandable, if one is to protect something, they best watch it with their own eyes.

'I… will, come with you, Ken. But Lady Lucinda, even under armed guard… I am uncomfortable leaving her alone. I'd carry her with us if…'

"Obelia, do not worry, I understand. I regret not being able to guard her myself, however, the guards would be far more capable than I. It's a different story with you, you were her greatest protector by quite some margin. It would take at least a dozen men to fill your role. We shall have to trust my father's judgment, but I promise we can return as soon as my journey is over."

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

Lunaria

Lunaria had been sitting in the grass for quite a few hours now. She had eaten, so she was content. However, she was starting to become agitated again, her frustration and isolation did not mix well with her state of mind.

"It's so cold. Where has everybody gone? Nobody nice has come to see me for a long time. They're all horrible and they all wanted to hurt me, so I stopped them. It's a scary island. There are lots of trees, so I don't get hungry, but there's no way off. The mean men took the boats. Why do they keep me here?..."

She stood up, looking for someone to take it out on. Nobody being present, she began shouting at an invisible foe.

"I want to get out!!! There's so much water around me! It wants to trap me!!! Ah!!!!"

She unleashed a fiery vortex into the sky, shrieking as she did so. Those near the coast could see the pillar of fire coming from the island, maybe even hear a distant scream. She fell to her knees, tears flowing from her eyes.

"Where are you, Aurelio?"

Edited October 11, 2011 by Dokutayuu

[CT075]

The amazing trio

"Cut the kid some slack. He may have the brains of a turnip, but he's not too bad with a sword."

Rina was sorely tempted to throw something at the other guy. Granted, he probably knew Ormis better than she did, but he hadn't spent the entire night riding around through dark woods only to figure out that they were going in the complete opposite direction.

Ormis, on the other hand, had made the (rather uncharacteristically) wise decision to shut up and let Rina vent, since it was only a matter of time before she broke her precious "pacifist code" and actually shot him (the blunt objects hurt, but she wasn't strong enough to actually do any real harm with them). Once Aurelio had started defending him, though, the kid figured that enough was enough.

"Oh, shut up. I didn't get you to the fake Scarlet, but at least I found someone else half-useful. Give me some credit."

Rina was halfway through an irritated retort when Teis decided to intervene.

"Look, that's enough. The night's over, we found some friends, and hopefully they know where exactly it is that we are going."

Therese (gasp)

Therese woke up in chains. A first, for her. By the looks of it, she was important. Therese couldn't help but grin. Whoever these people were, they'd received enough cuts and bruises to actually take her seriously.

She didn't have very long to wait. After a few minutes, the door opened, revealing...

"Well, look who the cat dragged in. What the hell are you doing here, you jerk?"

Edited October 15, 2011 by 王運鈴

[Anti-Social Meta Knight]

"Uh... this is... what's up? Did something happen that I should know about? Because I'm not up for a... three, four... nope, no five ways today, not going there. Not again."

Gideon

Gideon did his best to stifle a laugh - that was well-timed, and Amera's reaction only helped. Mel didn't seem terribly comfortable either; strangely enough, though, she didn't react to Carrion's joke. Not a sex-joke kinda girl, are you? Shame. Shaking his head and grinning, Gideon fixed his gaze on Mel - it was her cue. Unfortunately, before he could watch the rest of the scene unfold, Amera was pulling him away.

"what d'you think's on her mind? I'm really curious," she whispered to him. "Not a clue," he shot back quietly. "She might be asking Carrion for money, or something." It seemed plausible; Mel was certainly tactless enough.

Melanie

Five-way? Didn't think she was into that...oh shit she's right there. The realization hit Mel like a train, and her face paled a bit. "M-Mel just had to ask you something, " Mel felt a slight push on her back. "so, I'll just let her do that." Traitor! I thought we had bonded over our boob size! "Mel, she won't bite as long as you don't bite first, so, ask her what you had to ask! We'll be downstairs once you're done. And calm down, would ya?" By this point, Amera was gone, dragging her monkey boyfriend away, and why the fuck are they all staring at me? She took a deep breath - it didn't help.

"Okay," she thought out loud, her fingers nervously tugging at the end of her shirt. Her eyes kept darting between Carrion and her boyfriend. "So, Mel, what's up?" He had a stupid smug look on his face; it annoyed Mel. "Look, um...first of all, I'm, uh, really sorry 'bout yesterday. I sorta...lost it, a little bit." Okay. Good start. Keep it going. "I'm not like that all the time, honest. Just had a bad day. Really bad. Like, really awful and shitty and stuff." Her mind went blank, and her trembling fingers began wandering around the edge of her shirt. "You know, like, when things are just weird? Like, really weird, and you don't know what the fuck's going on and you get caught up in things that don't mean anything and let them really get under your skin for no good reason?" She paused, a bit self-conscious. It sounded like she was rambling... "And then, um, someone shoots an arrow at you in a library?" she added in an attempt at humor. Fuck, I'm probably digging myself into a hole here. "Sorry, I'm rambling," she said quickly, scratching her head and grinning. "Didn't mean to, I just..."

When her eyes locked with Carrion's, Mel's grin faded with her voice. She looked...normal. Grumpy, maybe. Not a morning person... But this was a barely dressed girl standing in a doorway in an upscale inn. She didn't see a witch. "You're leaving Pravna today, right?" she said, her voice carrying a calm resolve she barely recognized. "Do you have room for one more?" Omigod. Omigod I asked. I did it! Smiling at herself, Mel barely realized that she was still talking. "I'm handy to have around. Can fix stuff, and make armor - you'll save a lot of money that way, blacksmiths these days are scammers - and I'm a decent shot, too. I mean, never actually shot a person, or anything living, but..." Why did I tell her that? Shut up, dammit! Shut up! The disconnect between her mind and her mouth hadn't ended yet, though - by the time her train of thought had caught up, she had already stopped talking. She kept quiet for what had to be a full minute before breaking the silence. "So, um..."

[Shin]

Aurelio

The younger pair had started to argue. Aurelio was about to step in, but Teis beat him to it;

"Look, that's enough. The night's over, we found some friends, and hopefully they know where exactly it is that we are going."

It was probably a good thing Teis did so, Aurelio would have had a far different approach. He fetched the map from the supply bag and began;

"Now, right now, we're at this woody area here, near Indolcure. If we head west, we'll find Indolcure, Now, it's probably possible to get to Pravna in a day, so we'll bypass it and head south. I was here last year, so things are unlikely to have changed. We were traveling by horse but I don't mind walkin' if one of you guys are feeling tired. You can't all ride though, there's no way I'm letting Adano walk."

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

Oshea

The goons had come back pretty quickly. He saw that the caravan was all ready.

"Ready to go! Mr Horvath. When do we set off?"

Timing was everything. His men seemed pretty eager to go, it wouldn't hurt to win their favour.

"Well, it would probably be best to set off as soon as possible. We don't want to arrive during the evening, and of course, the sooner we arrive, the less time she has to flee."

The idiots cheered and all made it to the wagon, Oshea following, sporting a smug grin.

[ReformBlade]

Carrion

"You want to go with me? Uh... that's kinda random..." Leaning on the door frame, "I mean, I'm going to be chasing the crimson witch here, and you're telling me you can, no offense, not contribute anything. Armor is cool but do I look like I can wear anything heavy? I'm such a lightweight! And to top it off, I would probably have to be saving your ass more than you would contribute. I'm sure you're smart, but you're also... very impulsive. I'm impulsive as well, but I know what I can and can't do, you, I have no idea although you're apparently an OK shot without actually hitting a moving target... Look, Mel, I'm sure you're nice and you mean well from this, and to be completely honest, I can't physically stop you, but if you DO come with me, I'm not going to be risking my neck if it means more danger for me or Adrian here, understand? I won't just ignore you, but I don't know, I really think this is random. And besides, didn't you already ask me to enchant something before? When are you gonna do something for me? I'm not trying to be mean, but I barely know you. I'm just wondering what your angle is in all of this..." Looking to Adrian quizzically, "You got anything to add, honey?"

Gwen

"Your father? Whatever. I find it hard to believe that someone as... loud as you cannot fins his own father. Do you bear no similarities in terms of physical appearance or something?"

The (lonely) Island

"Alright folks, we've got ourselves a witch to find, he wants her alive for some reason, but I couldn't care less. Money is money, and we'd be on his good side here. But between you and me..." Stepping onto the shore, he turned back. "I'd prefer to just kill her, don't you?"

"Damn right, Alex! That bitch has ruined my life!" A man with a burnt face stood up and yelled. "Why I was just minding my business and she just ripped my face apart! Honest to the Goddess!" He blinked rapidly, his vision obviously dimmed with age.

"I'm sure you are, and now we've got our chance. If... I'm sorry, WHEN we kill her, we'll just claim it was self defense and everything will be alright, OK?" Arms out wide, Alex smiled at the burnt man.

"Yeah yeah, I gotcha. Pride has no price and whatnot..." the burnt man's arms went limp and his head lulled

"Whatever, can we get going on this? I'm wasting enough time as it is, and I'd rather not leave my bitch at home by herself for long. Who knows what's gonna happen to her, the clueless thing... I swear, if she wasn't as good looking as she was I'd have dumped her ages ago." A 'handsome' snob of a man spoke up, flicking his hair back as he spoke. It just would not cooperate in this wind! "Shall we spread out and find her then? Seems simple enough don't you think? Find the one form of life on a virtually uninhabited island? A blind rat could find her anyway, I hear she's an impulsive twat with a thing for setting anything on fire."

"Yeah, we'll spread out, but you two gotta be careful, OK? You're by yourself, so just use caution. I'm not bringing home your dead body and you won't bring mine back if I die either, so just keep it in mind, understand? Let's MOVE OUT!"

"Yessir!" The other two responded and got off the boat, the burnt man tying it down to a nearby pole before setting off as well.

Edited October 13, 2011 by SlaveKitty

[Nanami Touko]

Amera

"Money? No, I don't think she's that desperate. She'd have asked us first if she really wanted money. Come on, Gideon," she joked in a hushed voice as well, not wanting Mel to get offended at their quips. Whatever it was, it seemed like it was pretty serious business, as Amera overheard Mel stuttering and stammering once again. I almost feel bad for leaving the poor girl to deal with Carrion by herself... Adrian's there though, he won't let Carrion do anything extreme, right? Hunger overcoming worry, she pulled Gideon into the kitchen. "Right, I've only had an apple, so I'm ravenous. Feed me, food slave~" She giggled a bit as she hugged him, looking up at him like he was going to dole out some cash right then, and get them both food.

"Or we can wait until Carrion comes back downstairs. Even though I'm really hungry." She decided to joke, and nibbled on his arm, as weird as it looked. She didn't actually bite him, watching her teeth.

Andy

What I want to say to Noel? I'd rather get to know her more, first... Andy didn't quite understand Langley's pushing. Did she not hear him when he'd said he didn't know? As beautiful as he thought she was, he knew next to nothing of her, other than her rather forward personality... which was something he did enjoy. All in all, she was a nice person, but to fall in love so quickly? At the moment it had seemed like a good idea, but Andy was too smart to let himself fall into that, after the fact. He'd have to think it over, and spend time with her. And then there was Langley, and he couldn't help but feel he was shoving her off for no good reason. He hadn't spent more than a week with her, maybe something could work out? But then Noel popped back into his head, and the thought of all that... fur, how soft it would be, how charming her eyes were...

All in all, it made him blush. And also made him realize that in his thinking, it had become night. He had sat on the porch most all day, doing naught but sit there and be pensive. Realizing this fault, he quickly ran to the guest room that he'd been given, and tried to shut his mind off for the night.

Adrian

Mel, Mel, Mel... what are you even going on about? Standing behind Carrion, he couldn't stop himself from being perplexed by this seemingly magnanimous girl. Or rather, she would be belligerent and obnoxious one moment, emotional and apprehensive the next. And then there was this, this seemingly quiet and timid side, and he couldn't figure her out. Are you bi-polar, crazy, what? When she finally managed to get herself out of this stupor, she composed a question that Carrion seemingly didn't like, asking to join their small band. Carrion seemed less than tasteful of the question, as he watched her, what he assumed was, trying to convince Mel out of coming with them. "You got anything to add, honey?" "Uh..." He gave Mel a quick once over.

"Well... she's hot. Nothing wrong with more cute girls, right?" Before he received the elbow he figured Carrion would be jamming into his stomach, he tried to give an actual answer, "seriously though, I... guess there's no problem with her coming, is there? She looks too scared to try anything rash, and as long as we don't end up having to pay for her, she won't get in the way, will she? I don't really see why she'd want to come along, either, but... like you said, we can't really stop her." Wrapping his arms around Carrion in a small display of affection, he whispered, "glad you care about me that much, though." Looking back over at Mel, he sighed, giving her a half smile. "I doubt there's anything wrong with you following us, but... it won't be safe. And it won't be easy. Are you alright with that?"

Horatio

"Right, this is 'bout enough..." He slowly pulled himself from Carrie's embrace, slightly awkward at how tight she'd held on. "If she wakes up, I'll just tell'er I didn't want to sleep anymore. Works fer me." He'd kept his clothes on from the day before, choosing now to take them off. He wasn't one to truly care if anyone saw him in nothing, and he'd let Carrie's imagination do its work if she did; he needed a shower, and the clothes would get in the way. So they hit the floor, and he hit the washroom door, not caring if it closed behind him. He turned on the water, and waited for it to heat up.

Andy 2: Andy Harder

Andy awoke with a rather abrupt shake, sitting up in bed. He sighed, his mind still nattering at him about the previous day. "Brain, could you please quiet down for a bit? I just want to... not think about it. What I should be doing is getting myself to the town's church, I still haven't reported myself... right, I have to do that." He looked around the room, quickly, for some sort of washroom, not seeing one. "I can... ask. Or look. Didn't I find it yesterday? I'm sure I did." Shrugging, he donned his robes and slipped out of the room, knocking on the room across. This is Langley's room... right?

[Jaybee]

Danyon

He over heard Adrian and Carrion... rejecting (was that the right word?) Mel, and he did feel a little bad for her, admittedly. She was probably miles away from home, just looking for something to do...

No matter. He couldn't be bothered to get himself involved now, walking downstairs instead to clear his head a bit.

Adonis

"Loud? Really? Does a cloak and blue hair really say that much?" If it was the sneaky bit, he wasn't going to say anything; he wasn't cut out for scurrying around like a thief.

"But seriously, my father is about 40 years older than me, and I know he was in Shuthra 2 years ago. I haven't seen him for 36 years as well, so yes, it is hard to look for him when I know nothing of what he looks like.

[Shin]

Lunaria, on the very lonely island

She stayed on her knees for a couple of minutes, her question left unanswered. She then began to wander, the island was reasonably small but everything seemed to move about in her head. Not quite seeing what was ahead of her, she plunged into a pool of water, face first.

Water wasn't on her list of favourite things. Whilst only being about two feet deep, she began splashing about, screaming at the top of her lungs. She was starting to get pretty angry, which was not good news for anyone who found her.

[CT075]

The amazing trio

Teis was about to respond, but Ormis was faster.

"I'll walk, you guys actually know how to ride horses," he said. "So let's go, who needs sleep?"

Needless to say, it was lucky for the boy that Teis had wisely removed all the knives from Rina's saddlebags.

[ReformBlade]

Carrion

A look of disapproval spread across her face as Adrian decided to hit on Melanie. And right in front of me of all places... He's either got a death wish or he's just getting way too confident in his boundaries. Seems I have to tighten the leash again~ Of course when he put his arms around her she smiled slightly, her demeanor more jovial than disapproving now, but she still waited for a proper answer from Melanie.

Gwen

"Hunting an old man...?" How is it going to be hard to find a decrepit old man? Unless he's just that powerful or something, or maybe this guy is just bad at picking up trails. "Sounds incredibly easy. What's his name, sir? And when I said loud I meant... you stand out. You're not very good at trying to blend in. Not saying I am, but I'm not the one standing around town now was I?"

Pralken

The sun's light managed to hit his eye through all the foliage and the man stirred until he woke up finally. "Ugh..." Yawning and stretching, he blinked a few times before getting his bearings again. "Dammit, the gates are opening up now aren't they? I need to hurry..." Getting on top of his horse again, he rode off towards Pravna again, his mind racing still.

Aiduen and Arcen

Another yawn and a stretch later, she found herself unable to fall back asleep and gave in to her body's demand to wake up finally. "Whatever, I've got stuff to do anyway..." Among these things to do, trying to patch things up with Arcen was not high on her list. She wouldn't admit that she had been to harsh to him, but she also wouldn't take back anything she said to him, stil angry at his insensitivity.

Arcen, on the other hand, found himself waking up to a rather foul odor all around him. "Gah, what is this... is this garbage?" He shook the refuse off oh him and stood up, trying to wipe away some unidentifiable juices and stains on his clothes off but having no dice. Oh dammit, and now my hands are filthy... Smelling awful and not having a good soft surface to sleep on was making him cranky, and his sudden stepping out into the sunlight made his eyes hurt as well. Nothing seemed to be going right for the man, and he wanted to cry about it again, but his conscience said otherwise, instead making him feel the need to apologize to Aiduen and try to get ahold of his money again so he could go wash up and get some decent food.

The Islander

Alex, miraculously enough, was the only one to hear the yelling in the distance. Smirking, he took off, hand on the hilt of his blade the whole way, wary of everything on the island now. He was listening intently for any sign of an ambush or a trap.

[Jaybee]

Adonis

"Hah... Easy? Really? Is it easy to find one man in one country, off an old rumour heard years ago?"

"But nevermind that, his name is Cyrus... and yes, he is very... very dangerous. It's something only I would know..."

[Shin]

Aurelio

"I'll walk, you guys actually know how to ride horses... so let's go, who needs sleep?"

"If you're up for walking, that's fine. Yo! Small girl! You feel like riding? We can head off in a sec."

He looked over at Lucretia and Adano.

"D'you two wanna set off now? We'll probably make it there before nightfall."

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

Lunaria

Completely caught up in her rage, she was completely oblivious to anything or anyone around her. Despite being stranded for years, it never occurred to her that traps would help her from being attacked.

Edited October 14, 2011 by Dokutayuu

[Caliban of Sycorax]

Lucretia and Adano

"D'you two wanna set off now? We'll probably make it there before nightfall."

"Absolutely!" Adano replied. He looked to the new companions that had joined the group. He remembered Ormis and Teis, but the younger girl he didn't recognize. He hobbled over to her and extended his hand. "I'm Adano, and that's my daughter, Lucretia. Welcome to our merry little band." He said with a smile, as Lucretia had finished packing their supplies and had also put out the campfire. She saddled up the horses and helped her father onto his horse, then turned to the group.

"I can walk," she said to their new companions, "one of you is more than welcome to take my horse." She then looked to Teis. "I'm kind of glad you're here, I was hoping maybe we could spar sometime--I'd love a rematch, and also I think my father would love to learn some techniques for fighting in armor." She flashed him a smile before looking to Aurelio again. She walked over to him, slipping her hand in his, and whispered lovingly in his ear, "We'll find your sister, and she'll be all right. I feel it."

[CT075]

Large ham, annoyed girl and knight

"I'm Adano, and that's my daughter, Lucretia. Welcome to our merry little band."

"I-I'm Rina." She shook the offered hand. "I don't even know why I'm with them... My sister, Therese, disappeared sometime yesterday, and there's a chance that she's with this Red Sorcerer."

Teis dismounted his horse, offering it to... no one in particular. "Aurelio, perhaps you or Lucretia might take a horse and lead the way, as you know where we're going?"

Edited October 14, 2011 by 王運鈴

[Nanami Touko]

Another group of mercenaries

The sun rose, blinding all but Jake (he was looking at the floor of the boat), as they stared at the oncoming island from their boat. Reynor was paddling with Alfred, as always. And Alison was sleeping, Beatrice trying to get the blank faced boy into a conversation. "So, Jake... why did you start doing this, anyway?" Reynor groaned, Alfred stifled a chuckle. Shooting them an annoyed glance, she turned back to Jake who finally began to speak. "I just did. Nothing better to do. And I needed the money, am pretty good at fighting, and hate sitting around. That's all there is." Bee sighed, getting the same response she'd gotten when she had asked him the question a week ago. "I really can't believe that's all there is to it. But if you say that's it, I guess that's it, huh?"

"Yeah, that's it, so quit it." Reynor bursted into the conversation, a tiny bit annoyed. Everyone had asked Jake this question at some point in time. Beatrice knew that, and she knew they'd all gotten the same answer. But since I'm a girl, maybe I can get something else out of him? She'd thought that at the start, but he was turning out to be a stone wall of emptiness. So instead of getting annoyed at Reynor's belligerence, she leaned back into her seat and looked out at the island.

"We'll be there soon, so be prepared. I'm not even sure is she's still there anymore, since this has been posted for a while. This may be a fools chase." Alfred played devil's advocate as he rowed, the island steadily getting closer. "She might not, but nothing ventured, nothing gained," Bee responded in kind, trying to keep everyone optimistic.

"She'll be there..." Jake finally added, which made a few people turn their heads. "She will. And we'll get her."

"How can you be so..."

... ahhhhhh...!

A scream, of which seemed to be pain, rang out from the island. Jake smirked. "What the heck was that?" Bee was almost frightened, but Jake sat up, "that's our mark. And we're almost there..."

And so their boat made shore minutes after hearing the scream, leaving the group rather mystified towards the island. Reynor left to scout, which was the norm, and the rest set up camp a few feet from the trees.

Reynor, off on his own.

There are signs of others here. They probably got here right before we did. I can only assume they're here for the same reason we are, so... we might be able to work together. And then cut them out afterwards. He began to slink his way through the trees, trying to not make much noise until he came upon a small clearing, a big of a lake near the center, and... "... that can't be her... this is too easy." He whispered to himself under his breath, reaching for his bow. Notching an arrow up, he aimed for her arm, but... no, I can't shoot her. Look at her! She's so small, and... come on, at least try to help her. They said we could bring her dead or alive. I doubt she can do much to me, anyway... So he kept low, but broke from the trees, keeping his distance for the moment.

Edited October 14, 2011 by seph1212

[Shin]

Lunaria

Her tantrum soon faded, she had managed to step out of the pond. She saw someone in the bushes.

It could be Aurelio! Maybe he sent someone to save me! Maybe they're nice!

She smiled, her arms out ready for an embrace, completely ignoring the bow and arrow he had ready. To her, anyone who hadn't hurt her yet was her friend. She shuffled towards Reynor, laughing innocently as she wandered;

"Hello, Mr Bush-man! Have you come to help me? Will you be my friend? You need to be careful, there are lots of horrible people on this island."

Edited October 14, 2011 by Dokutayuu

[Anti-Social Meta Knight]

Gideon

"Money? No, I don't think she's that desperate. She'd have asked us first if she really wanted money. Come on, Gideon," Fair point. As curious as he was, Amera had already dragged him down the stairs and towards the closest source of food she could find. He wasn't surprised by that. "Right, I've only had an apple, so I'm ravenous. Feed me, food slave~" "This again?" he shot back, arching an eyebrow and grinning. "You can do better than that."

"Or we can wait until Carrion comes back downstairs. Even though I'm really hungry." With that, she went to bite his arm, which actually worried Gideon for a moment - she had some pretty sharp teeth. When he didn't feel a stabbing pain in his bicep, the fear went quickly out of his mind. "I probably don't taste that good," he pointed out. "But I suppose if you can handle the smell, you'll be fine." That reminded him - he needed a shower. Maybe a shave, too...

Melanie

"I mean, I'm going to be chasing the crimson witch here, and you're telling me you can, no offense, not contribute anything." But you're the Crimson Witch, aren't you? Ugh, I'm confused already! She tried to hide her frustration as she listened. Of course, the rest of her speech was just selling Mel short, which put a smug, defiant grin on her face. She was about to lay into Carrion about how much the witch needed her when boy-toy chimed in, hugging her from behind. Yep. Whipped. "I doubt there's anything wrong with you following us, but... it won't be safe. And it won't be easy. Are you alright with that?"

"Yeah, um, don't underestimate me," she said, folding her arms. "It's not like making armor for lightweights is impossible. Besides, I owe you." Her grin faded a bit. "I'm the reason Grant came to Pravna in the first place, which means I led him right to you, so this isn't as random as you think." Her arms fell again and she nearly stepped towards them. It never occurred to her how much she was fidgeting; she was too focused on how nervous she was. "Look, I won't be any trouble. I won't ask for money or anything, and if I get hurt out there you can leave me to die, or...I dunno, use my skull as a bottle or something. But right now I have nowhere else to go and I owe you something for what happened yesterday. So I'm coming with you." You should be thanking me for this, she had wanted to say. I'll save your ass one 'a these days. Just you wait. With that, she half-turned to move to the stairs.

"Oh, before I forget..." She turned back to them and glared at Adrian, a sudden wave of anger hitting her. "You get a mulligan for slapping me this time. I was gonna clock you for that, but I'm feeling nice." Her scowl melted into a bright smile almost immediately, as if she had never looked angry in her life. "See you down there!" she chirped as she moved to the stairs. I think that went pretty well...

[ReformBlade]

Carrion

The only thing she could do was hold her head in her hands to show her disapproval. "It's one thing to be so enthusiastic, but she's just fucking nuts. 'It's dangerous, you can't exactly help all that much' 'OK I'LL SEE YOU DOWNSTAIRS' I mean, did she even listen to me? I don't think she did, and you, sir, are NOT helping! New rule, you're not hitting on anyone in front of me like that again, understand? I don't need to hear this, just let me imagine that I'm perfect in your eyes, OK?" In a huff she took off downstairs, ready to go tackle the day as best as she could. "First things first, gotta find Elandra... shit where is she supposed to be...? Maybe mr. Magus knows, seems a safe bet."

Gwen

"Cyrus...? Can't say I've ever heard that name. Not much travels to Miyako though, except belligerent bastards hellbent on ruining lives... but I digress, you don't need to hear my moaning, so I think I'll just go ahead and find this man for you and hopefully be gone."

Islanders

Whoa, she's talking to someone now...? In plain view, Alex tensed up as he watched Lunaria heading in the opposite direction as him. His knucles whitened and his heart raced as he pulled the blade out and threw it right at Lunaria's leg. It's never fun until you break them first. He grinned and took cover behind some rubble

[Nanami Touko]

Reynor

What the fuck...? It had to be a trap, so he brought his bow back up for a moment, but he spotted a glint in the corner of his eye. The morning sun had shone off of some metal, which was... Fuck, he's going to throw that! Whether it was a trap or not, he had to risk it. Bringing her back alive was plan A, so until they had no choice but to kill her, he would try his best to keep her alive. So as the blade began to fly, he lunged at her, knocking them both down into a roll as he felt the blade of the knife cut across his shin. "Agh, shit!" He groaned, bringing himself to his feet, stumbling a bit, but pulling his bow back up. Where are you hiding you little... His eyes began to scan the scenery, trying to find out where the weapon had emerged from.

Adrian

Adrian was fine with Mel's rebuttal, not sure if Carrion really agreed to it. "It sounds like it'll be good to have you along, Mel." But her face became sour, and he remembered why he was a bit apprehensive to talk to her when she'd first showed up at their bedroom door. She scowled, but he was let off the hook, sighing as she walked away. I don't think I realize how lucky I just was. Glad that worked itself out. But Carrion didn't see to share Adrian's look on this issue, still thinking that Mel didn't pay any attention to what she'd said. "Hey, Carrion, come on..." "... I don't think she did, and you, sir, are NOT helping! New rule, you're not hitting on anyone in front of me like that again, understand? I don't need to hear this, just let me imagine that I'm perfect in your eyes, OK?" "Uh... right. Sorry, I didn't think that would offend you that much. I was only joking around, honest." But Carrion was off again, rushing her way downstairs. He sighed, and charged after her. Yeah, that was pretty stupid of me... gotta remember how much self-esteem she doesn't have, right now.

Amera

Slightly disappointed that Gideon didn't seem to want to play along, she let him go and avoided garnering anymore stares from chewing on his arm. "So, what now? I'm hungry, and too tired to play any games to get food out of you," she whined, looking up at him with a rather sad stare. "I'm gonna go sit down at the table, if you suddenly feel like ordering something, let me know. But don't take too long, please." Leaning up to give him a quick kiss, and reluctantly letting go if Gideon's hand, she walked into the dining area, and pulled up a seat. She could hear Mel and Carrion, she assumed, making their way downstairs, and another pair of steps after, who she could only assume belonged to Adrian. I'll have to ask them what that was all about when they get here.

[Jaybee]

Adonis

"Hah... If you find him, just let me know. There's certain... family issues we have to resolve."

Cyrus

He finished his meal quickly, trying not to draw any attention to himself. He left as quietly as he had arrived, wondering if he could do something else - Being cooped up at home for so long was really... boring. And it had been, what, 35 years since his little murders, it was unlikely people still knew him.

Maybe it was time to have a little fun.

[Shin]

Aurelio

"We'll find your sister, and she'll be all right. I feel it."

Lucretia had passed by, potentially to back stuff up but that little whisper made all the difference. In all honesty, there were times on the journey where he really doubted his chances. Hearing reassurance, especially from Lucretia, meant a lot to him. He smiled and whispered back;

"Thanks. I'm sure we will."

Teis had dismounted, offering his horse to anyone who wanted it. That was to be expected from Teis, chivalrous as always. Rina was probably pretty tired, and Ormis would never accept it.

"Aurelio, perhaps you or Lucretia might take a horse and lead the way, as you know where we're going?"

That would probably be a good idea, letting Ormis lead might result in getting lost... or worse.

"Sounds like a plan, it looks like we've all got something to ride. I'll lead the way, there's a couple of paths you want to avoid on horseback."

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

Oshea

(traveling with his bunch of morons)

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

Lunaria

Suddenly, Reynor had dropped to the ground taking her with him. Initially she was a little confused but then she saw the wound on his leg.

Not Mr. Bush-man! He didn't know about the horrible people! Why did they hurt him?

She got back to her feet, fists clenched and ready to scream. She had no idea where the attack had come from but it really didn't matter. She began to spin around, firing in all directions. The heat was enough for the pool near her to start steaming. Her voice could be heard for quite some distance, she was completely lost in her rage, laughing maniacally as well as screaming.

Edited October 15, 2011 by Dokutayuu

[CT075]

Ormis, Rina, Teis

"Uh..."

Ormis glanced around. "I spot five horses. There are six of us."

Teis smirked. "Looks like you'll just have to ride with one of us, then. Aurelio, you up for it?"

Therese

The man was wearing a long, black robe. Therese had learned not to make too many guesses at first sight... but, I'm pretty sure that this guy is a mage of some sort. The sorcerer, or insane dude (whichever the case may be) didn't respond to Therese's comments, just continued staring at her.

Therese bit her lip, looking for an angle. Before she could think of anything else to say, though, the man spoke.

"Come."

That settled it, it definitely was him. She didn't say anything, though, just letting the man refasten the chains on her wrists and ankles together.

After a short walk, it occurred to Therese that there were no guards in sight. Odd.

Oh well, it's just one man, I can take him!

She was sorely, sorely wrong.