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Border: Chapter 1


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"No, thank you," Adri told the healer with a sigh. "Is anyone else here completely impossible, just so we have fair warning...?" The spy had seemed like she wouldn't be so bad, until she left, and Adri was already sick of dealing with the pilot. Well, good luck to him if he needed the weather changed at any time the group didn't depend on it, she thought, though she had to admit the sentiment was a little childish.

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Staring at the stars was more relaxing than Isra had rememberd. She lay on the roof just letting her mind wander. By tomorrow afternoon/nightish we should have reached the next stop along the way. Karita is bigger, and we should have some need of my talents then. I'll be able to get some news that we would otherwise probably miss. At least I should get some peace and quiet on the road, if today was any indication of how the rest of the trip is going to go. I should probably head back to the inn soon so that I'll be well rested tomorrow.

Instead, Isra remained where she was staring at the stars. Though there was some distortion from the Border, she still loved looking at them. I wonder how much better they'll look once the Border is gone... With that thought, she slowly slipped away into a peaceful sleep, safely tucked away on the roof.

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  • 2 weeks later...

"Do not worry, O weather mage. I, Aeron, will try my greatest to cooperate with you," Aeron responded. He then continued eating, a little depressed from all the shenanigans that went on. He was especially interested in getting acquainted with the female thief, as he could not grab her in his giant hug before.

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Isra woke with a start to the pale gray of an early morning sky. Shi... no, I still have time. I need to be quick though. Need to get back before everyone else gets up. More importantly, I need to get off these roofs before someone sees me.

Moving quickly but quietly, Isra arrived back at the inn before the sun had come up. Avoiding the pilot, she slid back into her room. There, she quickly changed back into her normal clothes; a pair of brown pants, a gray shirt, and her boots. She made sure that her leg knife was secure, before tying on her under-belt where she kept her second knife and her wallet. Adjusting her shirt, so there were no wrinkles from the belt, she tied on a second belt from which hung a plump looking purse which was actually mostly full of dirt. She considered adding a third dagger to her collection, but decided that she did not have to be visibly armed. The soldier that was with them should discourage any robbers, and if that didn't work, either she would notice them or they would go for her fake purse. Satisfied with her preparations, she went downstairs, ready to leave.

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"...All right then..." Adri looked dubiously at the soldier, who at least was willing to speak.

The rest of dinner went similarly awkwardly, as did the next two days of travel once the group had rested. Perfectly healthy but in dismal spirits, they finally arrived within sight of Merenna.

The towers rising ahead were familiar to Adri; they had been her home for several years while she trained. They were far enough north that her mage's sense could pick up a slight hum from the Border, which should have been a comforting presence-- instead, it set her on edge, as the tone of the magic was sharp and slightly distorted, unlike its usual clear note.

The city was built of stone, great cool towers to escape the heat that came in the summer months. They emanated an aura of quiet power, in truth as well as in perception: constant experiment and study left the city permanently suffused with magical energy.

Less noticeable were the wards of the city, at least when they were not active. Watchers in the city could turn away travelers with wind and illusion if necessary, but the group passed safely; the city was allowing them in. The only mishap to befall them was for the pilot's ornithopter to sputter and stall: only specifically approved aircraft were allowed to fly above the city. The device could still hover a few feet off the ground, though, so that progress was not impeded.

The scene was peaceful and majestic, but anyone with any magic at all could sense the discord of the nearby Border. Urgency and unease grew among the group as they passed through the main gates and into the city.

"The Council said the Archmage has the item we need," Adri said to the group, though she doubted anyone besides maybe the soldier was listening. "We'll want to go this way, to get to the central tower of the University." She turned down the required street, gesturing perfunctorily for the others to follow.

OOC: SCREWIT WE'RE IN MERENNA.

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Riban had a fitful sleep that night. The blanket he had prepared with him for nights when he slept in Tella...which was almost every night since she was built, failed to prevent him from shivering at the thought that turned to nightmares of thieves skulking around the rooftops and slitting his throat before pulling apart his dear undefended ornithopter.

No surprise the next morning his mood was too foul to even bother speaking to anyone.

***

After sometime of flying in the clear skies, Riban's mood lightened immediately, replaced with the great joy of seeing far beyond any of his landbound kin could. The warm sun and serene view of how harmonious the world was made him feel... almost shameful at his antisocial actions the night before. Almost.

Closing in on the city, Riban recalled it's fear of flying devices ramming into their perfect towers. Riban scoffed at such nonsense. If a person was not meant to fly, he'd crash from great heights on his first day of flight, ridding the world of his stupidity in the form of a insignificant splat and smoke, thought Riban darkly as Tella started descending by magical force as he closed in...till he was on even level with the rest of the group.

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As they entered the city, Isra started to evaluate it without even thinking. This is where I come in. I'll be able to find someone here to talk to and find out what my side of the world is thinking about these problems. Maybe, even find some hints as to how to help our journey. Weather, bandits, that sort of thing. I'll need to find a time to split off...

Walking up to Adri, Isra sighed, muttered something about talking to people and then asked, "Excuse me, is there a time when I'll not be needed? I have... things to do that will be helpful for the group in the long run. I'm also not sure how these mages will take having a... person of my talents entering their home. Is now the right time for me to leave, or would you think that we should all be there for this?"

Well, at least now she won't be yelling at me to talk like she's like to do with the pilot again...

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"I think the whole company ought to be present when we talk to the Archmage," Adri replied, surprised that the spy was asking questions again. "We have the letter that proves our legitimacy, and it lists all of us. If anything, he'll be suspicious if some of us are missing. We'll have to stay here for the night, though, so you can probably handle whatever it is afterwards." They were nearing the building, so she began to try and locate the aforementioned letter. "We will have problems if not everyone behaves," she added, throwing a sharp look to the pilot. "No walking out of this meeting on random whims." Prior knowledge told her that once he'd met all of them, the Archmage would not actually care, but it would be good practice for talking to the other three officials, who likely would.

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Lou was his usual quiet self as they neared Merena, he was curious what other mages were like. Then the weathermage started talking, and it sounded important.

Lou picked up the idea that the archmage sounded like a stern man who could cause severe damage with magic, and decided that the weathermage should do the talking, she knew him anyway. Lou kept following along saying a silent prayer in his heart the Archmage wouldn't be mad and blast them all into the next life. Maybe I should poison myself and take a day off, the other girl seems like she wants to get out of it too, should I offer her some poison and an antidote when no one else is listening?

Edited by HongLei
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Isra grimaced slightly but responded as politely as she could manage. "Very well then. It appears that our party would be best served if I stuck with everyone for now. However, I will want to leave later to find out about the conditions of the country. We'll want to be avoiding trouble spots as much as we can." With that, she stepped back towards where she had been before. She noticed, though, the healer looking at her with an odd look on his face. Ugh, looks like he wants to talk to me. I'm going to avoid that. So, instead of ending up at the back of the party, she ended up on the side, without noticing that she had positioned herself a little too close to the soldier.

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Aw crap. How did I miss the fact that I was right near him? I was too distracted by that mage. I can't make that mistake again...

"Uh... sure. I haven't really seen any other cities besides the capitol, so I guess this one is pretty nice. I have to say I'm more worried about the people in the city than what the city looks like though." Isra shied a little further away from Aeron to try and stay out of his reach. She then turned most of her focus to the people surrounding them, with only a small part of her paying attention to her group. You never know what might happen. This city feels safe, but I can't trust that. Not until I know more.

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He's just not giving up, is he? Can't he tell I'm trying to focus on other things? My job is to be on the lookout to help keep us safe. Why can't he just stay in his place, and I'll stay in mine.

"Ah, yes. Very wise. Probably has something to do with the magic. All these mages here studying, it's probably due to that. They've surely shaped the city to fit their needs. And since we have mages with us, it shouldn't be too hard for us to get in, get the key, and get out. The quicker the better, no?" Isra started to move away again, but then stopped and just sighed. He's just going to follow me if I move away. I suppose I'm just going to need to let this conversation happen. At least it's about other things and not me. I'll just keep steering it clear of that topic.

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With nothing better to do on the ground and not fond of wasting power, Riban set Tella on standby, where she would still have her engines running, but at minimal power. But that would mean him opening the cockpit to prevent himself from being affected by the stuffy interior of the ornithopter without flowing air. Not that it was not stuffy enough with all the sweaty people crowding beside him...

And then Riban noticed a fact that sent a chill down his spine prompting him to speak up, "Will I be able to bring Tella...my ornithopter...into the building or must I leave her somewhere?"

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Isra flinched when Aeron slapped her back, with her hands automatically reaching for her blades. No. No, I'm safe. He's a companion. He doesn't realize how I react when touched. It's not his fault. I will not ruin this expedition.

Turning to face the soldier, Isra gave him a brief smile. "Thank you. It's truly second nature to me to be paying attention to all that goes on around me, so I suppose that might be why I seem wise to you." Noting the pilot and his question Isra grinned. Here's my chance to get rid of him.

She answered Riban, "I'm sorry, but I don't know the answer to that." Turning her attention back to Aeron, she said, "It appears our pilot has some questions and might need some help. Perhaps you should go see what you can do for him." That should do it.

Edited by scorri
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"While there is much magic here, we have not yet worked out how to apply it to allow large vehicles to fit through doors designed for people, or likewise how to fit them into a room without crowding it," Adri commented, trying not to be needlessly irritable but not entirely managing. "We have the same type of mooring area as any other large city." She was a bit surprised that the pilot had not been to the city before, as Selian was small and pilots' travels frequently took them all over the place, but she decided not to comment on it.

OOC: To clarify, TS was more than one day-- we stopped in the random village, then I TS'd us through the next day of travel, an overnight stop in Karita, and then today's travel to Merenna.

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"Gaaahhh!!!" screamed Riban as the Aeron suddenly lifted him up...along with Tella. "Hey! Put us down you...soldier."

"I can get Tella to a mooring area on my own! Now PUT US DOWN!" belowed Riban furiously.

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Lou knew had figured out that there are places you just don't mess with and it seemed that he would probably rather arm wrestle the soldier than mess with the piolet's flying machine. He decided to change the subject and asked the weathermage, "What is Merrena like, so we can have an idea what to expect. Also are there anything we should know to avoid unnecessary trouble."

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Isra chuckled under her breath as she saw the minor chaos she had caused to happen by suggesting the soldier help the pilot. With a contented sigh, she positioned herself once again at the back of their group, turning almost all of her attention back to the crowd. A small part of her, though, was acutely aware of what was going on in the group so that she wouldn't be surprised by someone coming up to her again. As they neared their destination, she noticed the crowd was growing.

Ugh, this is not the ideal situation. Thankfully, I'm pretty sure we're safe here. The combination of this being a pretty safe city and the fact that no one knows what we're doing means that we should be fine. But still. This crowd makes me nervous. I can't be watching everyone. Should I ask the weather mage, Adri right?, how safe it is here? No, I shouldn't have to depend on her to figure that out. We should be fine. But I'll just make sure to be paying attention anyway.

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The rider had opted to ride on his own mount, guiding the packhorse by means of a loosely strung rope between the two animals. Leaning a touch backwards in the saddle, Rane's eyes drifted over parties traveling in the opposite direction, towards Selinel. Stopping for the night, Rane handed some coin over to the weatherworker, who appeared relatively competent, and went to stable the horses. "Arrange for our room and board," he called out over his shoulder.

As he had expected, the cleanliness was acceptable, with ample hay and grains provided. Of course, no extras but the exact generic standard, Rane mused before discarding the thought. Entering the confines of the inn, Rane sensed a sort of gloomy atmosphere hanging over the group. Or at least what was present of it, anyhow. That thief and the pilot aren't here, taking some food. Maybe they just eat quick, he reasoned, inquiring briefly as to the location of their rooms. He rested early that night, with the following two days progressing in a similar manner.

Dismounting as the group reached gates of Merenna, Rane let out a chuckle as the pilot was forced to descend towards the ground. They would be meeting with the Archmage soon, it seemed, and the proper letter would need to be presented. Rane was of the mind to confirm the location of said letters when the soldier abruptly picked up the ornithopter, pilot included, thrusting the pair up to the sky. A grin flashed across his face. "If Aeron were to agree to carry you and your vehicle through Merenna, you could pretend you were still flying, Riban," he suggested. The soldier was liable to agree to the task, but it would never come to fruition; certainly Adri would refuse, but perhaps the pilot could lighten up.

It was a rare case when Rane was allowed to take such liberties in dealing with teammates, but the particulars of their unique situation gave special exemption. Jesting was practically called for in a case like this, to ease their troubled start.

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OOC: HongLei, I'm not sure I understand what Lou is asking-- we're already in Merenna. I can edit a response in given clarification, though.

(potential Adri response goes here)

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

Still bickering, the group arrived at the Archmage's tower. The doors were open; if a threat presented itself, they would simply lock on their own. After the ornithopter was moored and the horses hitched, Adri glanced around to the other members of the group and started into the building.

The building itself was an architectural marvel: stone and glass, designed for the kind of magical balance that the most delicate spells required, measured with utmost care and assembled with magical aid. The ground floor consisted of a ring of various rooms, mostly closed, surrounding an atrium; the atrium itself contained a carefully arranged garden of plants known for magical properties, stones, and pools of water. The tiles of the floor itself were arranged in various magical equations and circles. At the center stood twin spiral staircases, steps set in and supported by delicately detailed railings, disappearing up above as they became enclosed by the walls of the upper floors. The patterns on the floor pointed to the bottom of one of the staircases, and away from the other.

The stairs were the only apparent way up, despite the height of the building, and it was to the foot of the staircase that the floor's markings pointed to that Adri headed, expecting the group to follow.

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