Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars

[Mercenary on the Winds]

Renais blocked Versaris's strokes well, but it was easy to see at a glance that she wasn't prepare to block strikes from someone like Versaris, and the fact that her arms were shivering while was holding back... Though, that wasn't unlike Catherine--she wasn't the strongest woman around, so she couldn't really take clean strikes from someone like Versaris either--but Catherine understood that too. Perhaps it was borrowing from Serena, but Catherine didn't rely on her strength to block attacks, instead using her staff to redirect, and using her footwork to adjust. Even slightly throwing an attack off was enough extra time to open a gap. Of course, that was always the last resort--Catherine's magic was easily her most powerful tool at protecting herself, and others. However, perhaps imparting that to Renais would be for the best... but for now he could leave that be. 

Jeremiah walked back over to Tanya, who had been left waiting, almost lost and wordless, "Apologies for just disappearing like that. I had something to tend to... you wanted to ask me about your family earlier, did you not?" 

---

It was a policy to ignore people who just... sat down, and refused to speak up. Even if it was something meek, or quiet, the acknowledgement of interest was something that she was interested in. Besides, there were people who were actually speaking up--it was a little busy today. So when Nyx finally spoke up, an auburn haired woman walked up with a cocked eyebrow, "Ye come te a bar, and ye asking fer kiddy stuff?" She tilted her head, "Weird tourists... picked a time te come around here... good words'a pretty tough te find." 

---

Tio smiled over at Elisa, "Sounds like I'm going to be pretty lucky myself then~" Tio was about to set about putting her things in place when she froze, and turned back around to Elisa, face red again, "...It really does seem like you're starting to get back on your feet... Really are just trying your hardest to fluster me..." She sighed, and then smiled, "Yes, you're lucky that we have been a bit spent, or we wouldn't have slept much at all. Spent so much time trying to take care of you, and rest..." The smile turned into a small pout, "Haven't even had the ability to just cuddle..." 

She shook her head, and set about getting things done, "We should at least try to see if there's baths somewhere... if not, I... suppose I wouldn't be adverse to a moonlight dip." 

Edited December 20, 2023 by Mercenary on the Winds

[mcd900]

"Ah... m-mrahh. R-Right, of course you wouldn't..." Laniva blushed as Syta leaned in closer, and again at her compliments and her little reminder. Kise's excitement was palpable from across the courtyard as they watched, and she nodded at Syta's remark. "Mm, that is pretty unusual... mmh?"

Syta was latching on to her arm, now; and she was feeling really quite warm in the face, now, but she smiled back nonetheless, squeezing her hand a bit tighter. "Of course, Syta..."

---

Seila stood quietly by as she listened to Ember come to much the same conclusion as she had herself - no purchase. Though she had been rather more actively interested in a set of gauntlets; Ember's promise to possibly come back was a touch more than she'd given the fox herself - but it seems neither denial was to faze her as she was more than satisfied with the year Roxanne had given her. And to speak of that; she cocked her head slightly, observing the side effects; little more than a brief moment's stagger, and it was as if nothing had come to pass at all. Odd, to be sure.

Nonetheless, as they'd all had their looks through the shop and the last two from the Tigers were catching up - they'd had some kind of conversation a little distance away, and ended up rather attached - it seemed their brief sojourn in the courtyard was at an end. She took two Tigers' approach as a bit of a prompt of her own, giving Amera a pat and a scratch between the ears as the cat Clouded leaned in closer. "I guess that means you have all you need already, huh, Amera~?"

---

They'd wandered into town at a bit of a relaxed pace; their mixed mercenary group was ambling down one of the main streets of Eslcas now, having come out in search of food... seafood, it seemed, was the current front-runner. They'd seen at least a couple of options, of which invariably none had failed to catch Amera's attention to some degree. Seila did little but laugh quietly at her antics; it was a more than familiar behavior by now. She briefly stopped towards the end of one street, turning to face the others.

"Hmm... Well, once we've made up our mind and eaten, we probably will still have quite some time for us to spend in town. I think I saw a sign about a bazaar in town as we were walking earlier... shall we take a look at that as well?"

Edited December 21, 2023 by mcd900

[TheRoon]

Through her self motivation and Lucy's cheerleading Renais was able to keep her footwork, though it also helped that Sari wasn't exactly serious. This would have been a very different training session in that case. "I can do this...I can." She looked Sari in the eye. "I'm ready, Sari. I can take it, I know I can!" She tightened her stance and gripped her staff, ready for whatever Sari had in store for her. Miko-Kise lost her tail for me, maybe she lost more than I realize too...I have to reach a point where I can start making it up to her, and start repaying people like Tio too. She gave a nod at the man.

With both of them in agreement Renais did her best to defend against his attentional swings, whatever she couldn't dodge she blocked with her staff. Sari was a little more serious now, so it was harder for her to keep up. Still, she was able to handle almost all six swings. The final attack just grazed her arm as she barely caught the blade with her staff. Thankfully the blunt side didn't break her skin. "Aah...hm..." She took a few short breaths, a little frazzled but still mostly composed. "...I uh...guess I didn't pass. Choked at the finish line aha."

Edited December 21, 2023 by TheRoon

[Xinnidy]

"Ehh?" Üllr wasn't expecting Iris' compliment, looking away with a light blush, it was a weird feeling. "Mmm, okay. Let's find a store, Iris..." He'd already gotten a change of clothes, but maybe it'd be a chance to get a new selection... not that he cared for it overmuch, but it'd be good to have clothes he could spare from combat.

Walking into the city was... easy, not as hard to navigate as expected from their arrival, the streets and buildings were decently build with mind to the city walls, making the streets pretty discernable. It wasn't long too meet a store that seemed to fit the bill. "Clothing!" The storefront was indication enough, which was good enough for Üllr to lead Iris into the store proper. "Hmmm... what did you want to get...?" For a mercy, it seemed to have a decent selection, and a free storekeeper. "Hello..."

---

"Mmm? Unique?" Chris' tail rose as he stared Ren with curiosity, "Well, now I want to know how it'd react too... let's try it!" Motivated, he hopped onto the platform, reaching for the runic core. "I'll help you steer, come up here." With the runes still on, he inched the platform closer to Ren. "It's not too different from using a tome or staff, as far as making it interact with your mana, don't worry about that~"

---

"Hmm...?" Well, even as busy and preoccupied as he was, Owen could tell Bella's spirits seemed, low. "Sorry if I'm being too brief over your request. Stay safe, as best you can --you have my blessings, but I'm still counting on your return, once you're able." He felt he couldn't kept his guests waiting much longer, but a smile and words of confidence was the least courteous he could be. "I would love to know what you've gained on your way once you're back, for sure." His hand was at the door, "If we do overthrow Kazran... it'll be such a busy time. You'll be sorely missed." With those final words, he opened the door, ending their meeting. "If I missed anything... well, we still have four days. See you soon."

Leaving Bella, it was time to go back to his original commitment, walking at a brisk pace until he met Syndra and the Tiger's captain --thankfully held up rather than on the chambers. "Well met, apologies for the delay!" He raised his hand to wave, slowing down as he approached. "Sorry about that. I meant to speak of Syndra's decision beside her, did she mention her decision?" A good question to situate himself in the conversation.

Edited December 21, 2023 by Xinnidy

[Billy12510]

Huh. That went better then Syndra was expecting. She thought the commander would've pushed back on it a bit more, or maybe she was just hiding it from Syndra. Whichever the case may be, Natalya gave her approval all the same, so all that was left was to tell Owen about- "Hmm? Oh, Lord Owen. We were just in the middle of talking about Kieran. She's on board with bringing him along with us." That being relatively settled, Syndra was thinking about getting herself prepared for the mission at hand. Well, here was one of the people who'd know Esclas's ins-and-outs better then her. "Speaking of the mission, is there anywhere here where a mage could get herself well-prepared that you'd recommend Lord Owen?"

[Bluemask 96]

"I have plans already, but if I pass it in town, I'll poke my head in." So we have a healer and a wandering mage. A larger force should mean better odds moving forward. Jesse began her way through the courtyard and back into the castle. "I'm we'll find Lord Owen inside. Roxanne, is this a force accompanying you, or just a small group?" Perhaps this would become a pincer attack...

They entered a hallway inside when Jesse stopped, looking up a staircase to find the person they were looking for. "Oh, well I guess we get to save some steps." Lord Owen seemed to be in the middle of conversation with commander Natalya and Syndra. "Excuse me Lord Owen, a moment of your time?"

[Ursali]

Alriana studied the princess' face as the she suddenly began to vent thoughts that she didn't think the woman would've had, given how boisterous she acted. The weight of Cassandra's responsibility was beyond the Creation, the lives of many a burden Alriana doubted she would ever shoulder. "Either will win, or won't win. Likely won't live long enough to worry if lose. If win then there will have been no reason to worry. Unless worry will give you ideas on how to win, there no need for it. Don't plan on losing." She looked down at her claw, clenching it into a fist. "Made promises that wouldn't get hurt, cause if I get hurt then bad things happen. To me, maybe to Tigers, but mostly to enemies. If don't get hurt, then impossible to lose, and also enemies will be dead." Alriana's voice was as flat and lacking in emotion as usual, but there was an undeniable resolve in the lizard's eyes; she would beat the Voice, one way or another...

---

"Learn something new everyday, yeah?" Was all the hellhound had to retort to Kise's unexpected answering of her question. She gave the multitailed fox a wave as the group departed her stall and made their way down the hill and into town proper. The dragon and the sheep departed with Jesse, so that left the non-Tiger group down to Miria, Syta, and Laniva.

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

Ember could only smirk and shake her head at Amera's never-ending excitement over the prospect of seafood as they walked around town. She'd always appreciated the cat's lighthearted, and slightly airheaded, attitude; it was a welcome relief in their line of work to always have someone so bubbly and happy to be there.

"Could also stop into that bazaar before lunch if you guys aren't that hungry yet." She offered to the remaining Tigers. "Down for whatever, personally. Heard they have some crazy stuff in there, but inventory changes so fast it's more like a grab bag for what you'll find inside."

Edited December 27, 2023 by Ursali

[GoldsbroTSG]

Miria smiled, and gave a thumbs up to Jesse when she offered to take the new faces to meet Owen. "No problem, Jessie." Turning back to said new faces, Miria gave a nod, "Hope things go alright for you guys." She earnestly said, as she went to join the rest of her group.

---

Miria was enamored by the city as they walked along. She similarly felt excited for some food like Amera had, but food always excited her. A good meal is healthy for the soul. Laniva brought up seeing the local bazaar, and that interested a couple others.

"We have plenty of time to get food." The cub answered. "I think shopping around a bit would be fun. And bazaars hold a little special place to me." Having practically ran a bazaar, that was her life. She gave a light laugh, "So yeah, I'm down to shop before we eat. It also prevents trying to shop while on a full stomach."

[Nanami Touko]

"... Heh. Yeah. Sorry." Cass stood up and stretched, trying her best to smile. "It doesn't feel real, sometimes. People look up to Owen more, but they still look up to me. Look to me to be a leader... I'm barely an adult. It's, difficult. Sometimes I come out here to vent my feelings, because I can't let anyone else see them... So thank you both for giving me shoulders to lean on with no judgment. We'll make sure we win. Can't smear Captain Aegean's first voyage... And you're right, Alriana. Nothing to worry about because we're going to win." She crouched down again and then dove off into the water, popping up with a laugh, "last one back's paying for lunch! Haha!"

---

"Bazaar!?" Amera's ears perked up, almost spinning in place and using Seila's shoulder to make herself a littler taller, staring over at Ember. "I missed the sign! Where's the bazaar!? Food can wait, that sounds way more fun! Sheesh, I thought this place was some rundown sad town due to Kazran, but if they've got enough spirit for a market, we gotta go see what it has! Right?" Her tail was wagging like crazy, eyes darting between Ember and Seila, demanding permission.

Walking through town with her hand tightly in Laniva's made everything feel more... Official. People were seeing that they were. No one really cared, of course. Most of the looks they got were towards the group as a whole, such a carefree and happy group probably an oddity in Eslcas at the moment. It made her happy, even if they had been getting stares, slowly wrapping an arm around Laniva's and leaning into her as they walked. "Ahah... I guess we're going to the bazaar. I really don't know what had you so worried, Lani. This Amera is... A lot more of a 'cat' than you are, it seems. Maybe she's more monster than clouded...? I'm not exactly sure how it all works, but..." It would explain why Amera was so... Mrow. Like a cat turned into a person, whereas the most feline thing about Laniva was her enjoyment of pets. "I'm in for the bazaar!" she called at the three, happy to see what Eslcas had to offer beyond a bevy of coastal foods.

---

Renais really was doing a good job. The motions were important. If he'd been swinging at full strength, she'd have been on her ass, but that would be pointless-- and he'd leave the tough love training to others, he was never good at it when it came to personal help. "Yep. Choked at the finish line... But I don't think the takeaway was to succeed with everything. Am I right, Lucretia?"

"Yes sir~" She bounced over and nodded, hands on her hips. "The fact that you can follow someone like Versaris is impressive enough. The takeaway from this sort of training is to make sure you can perform the motions... The next steps will be training your body to handle the impact. If he'd been swinging at full strength, he'd have blown you over like a tumbleweed! So, the next parts of your training will be things that I can't personally oversee... Since they're very basic. You need to work on your legs and your core. That means squats, situps, lots of running... Maybe find a set of stairs and go up and down it as much as you can, see how long it takes you to get exhausted~" Lucretia giggled a little, the idea of Renais passing out from a little exercise too funny.

"Hahh... Yes, that's about it. You've got great hand-eye coordination. That'll get you decently far, but unless you're going to hone that into parrying every blow that comes your way, those are the next steps. People tend to mistake blocking as arm strength, but the most important part is your center of balance. Even if your arms gets shaky from taking a strong blow, if it doesn't tip you over or knock you off your feet, you can keep blocking. So... It's a lot of basic exercise, if you want to be like her. Makes me wonder exactly how toned your stomach and legs are under those robes-- and that's not an invitation! Before you crack any jokes!"

Lucretia pouted. "Dang... He's fast with his words, too. I hope it was a little insightful at least, Renais."

---

"Me? Well, I gotta see first. Gotta see what they have... And then see how you feel about it~" Iris hopped off of Ullr as they entered the store, immediately scanning around and ignoring the shopkeep for the moment-- "Ohhhh..." Her eyes fell on a mannequin that was wearing something rather revealing, but... With how much she hated the heat, revealing was perfect. It looked like a ribbon, but it was wrapped around in a fashion that it would cross over the chest to cover what she'd been told was important to cover, then around the arms to fasten it. "I want that... And a buncha shorts! Aly has so many shorts and I keep borrowing them, but I should get my own. Lots of 'em. Or the tighter ones she wears sometimes... Yeah."

---

"Oh, er, uh, r-really? Uhm. Okay... Don't be upset if something goes wrong...?" Ren hadn't expected The tour and showing to turn into a sudden test of their magic, shakily hopping up onto the platform after Chris. The core was... Impressive. Definitely a catalyst of its own tier... "So, you made all of this..." Chris was starting to seem like quite the serious mage, not just a funny little cat. "Mmm... I'll give it a go, then. Here goes... Nothing...?" They really hoped this went fine, holding a hand towards the core... Chris had been right, it felt almost eerily similar to their staff. Their mana flowed into it without issue, Ren releasing a sigh of relief. "Phew... Well, I'm sorry that it's not fireworks or anything impressive, but it's nice to know that I work with more than just a staff."

Edited December 27, 2023 by Nanami Touko

[Bluemask 96]

Aly’s straightforwardness was ever present, though Gean did raise an eyebrow at the end when her fellow Tiger mentioned the danger that came with her getting hurt. "And I'll help make sure you don't get banged up, or bring you back from whatever bad thing might happen. Family looks out for each other."

Gean just smiled back at Cass as she vented out her feelings. The mermaid was no stranger to going to the water to sort out feelings, so this felt special. The special moment didn’t last long, as Cass went straight back to racing, with money on the line this time. "Oh no you don't!" Gean took a powerful leap off the rock and dove straight in after Cass, intent on giving her no head start this time.

[MRDRHAWK]

“Oi, be cool, m’tryin’ ta quit.” Nyx grumbled, but her tone still tried to be playful. Sure, it was ridiculous for her to be doing this, but gathering info was something she was pretty good at, mostly because she still blended in pretty well with bar crowds. “‘Sides, I just didn’t want ye t’think m’jus’ some creepy lass stalkin’ th’bar.”

Nyx took a seat, and frowned at the last bit. “What, things’re shit ‘round ‘ere? Guessin’ somethin’ big must be goin’ on if’n that’s th’case.” Hopefully, she could learn something she couldn’t have just asked back at the estate. If not… well, she was at least helping the economy.

[mcd900]

There was a light blush on Laniva's face the whole walk; deepening ever so slightly as Syta wrapped her arm around her partway through, feeling her against her side. Still, given her usual tendencies to fluster harder than she did, she was doing quite well, by her own measure, and for the most part was just happy that there wasn't too much of a spotlight on the two of them as Amera all but shot towards each restaurant (and then nowhere in particular, not knowing where the bazaar was). "Mrah... I-I don't know either. She's so... hyper. But, um... I'm glad the difference is obvious. It's reassuring..." Her tail swished a bit, shyly. "Oh? The bazaar does sound interesting... and we have plenty of time. Let's go see it, then."

Seila stumbled a bit as Amera leaned on her shoulder in search of... either the bazaar or Ember, the latter of which shared her interest in destinations in town. "Ah - whoa, easy there, kitty... down." She patted Amera on the shoulder, turning with the very-interested cat to face Ember. "Oh - you'd heard of it before? That's good, means it's likely to be genuinely interesting then. Shall we be off then, everyone? I think it's down that way, a few streets over... easy now, Amera, you can't see it from here even on my shoulders, okay~?"

---

It was a short walk from where they'd wandered into town to the bazaar, and they saw the building itself shortly before they'd reached it, on account of its size. It was somewhat busier than the rest of Eslcas had been, though this wasn't the greatest of surprises; the city was in a bit of a slight mood despite itself, though the bazaar seemed to have retained the previous heart, comparatively. Leading the group through the doors, Seila took in a view of the place; quite the number of assorted shops around - a good place to wander through for those with such idle time as themselves, fortunately enough. A variety of goods; some mundane, some matching the other shops and armories scattered around, more miscellaneous curios to be found... It'd be a little bit before they found anything uniquely of interest, though they did have a good deal of gold between them all.

"Quite the place we have here... does anyone have anything particular in mind? Perhaps we should look for some of that changing inventory Ember mentioned?"

 

[Xinnidy]

"Ah, on board then? That's good news... apologies for not being here in time. The conversation between the two of them was quite something." Even if late, Owen still spoke to corroborate what story Syndra might have said, at least thankful that things were being expedited. "Ah... about that... the bazaar might have something of worth for a mage. There's also a shop dedicated to magic catalysts and trinkets by the city as well, by the--"

Hoo boy, today was sparing him no time. Not even to explain directions! "Ah, well, well met. You're with the Tigers, right? I suppose I can, so long as your commander with this brief interruption." Leaving so many people hanging, his predicament was starting to embarrass him a little.

---

"Eh?" To Üllr, the garment Iris was fascinated by seemed more like underwear, leaving him a bit  confused. "That's clothes? It doesn't cover much..." Maybe it was fine, since Iris didn't seem to mind, but Üllr imagined it was complicated to just wear that surrounded by people... Iris really could be bold sometimes. "Shorts make sense, we should buy you enough. I should buy some too." He still fared poorly on the backup garments, so that'd help. "What do you mean tighter? Isn't that bad to wear?" There was much yet to learn from Iris, it seemed...

---

"Eheheh~ Worry pas, I can take responsibility. At worst we get shaken off and it rams some poor wall while I have to replace the control. Ah well~" Wiith an enthusiastic shuffle, he kept his hand on the steering, ready to force a brake or turn if needed, sat right behind Ren in case things went awry. "Mm! Well, seems like everything's fine indeed~ It's a similar principle to catalysts, so if you can channel it through those, you can definitely channel through this core!" Though mundane, the reaction from the platform was good enough to entertain Chris' attention, checking for further differences as he allowed the platform to turn. "Hmm... speed seems alright for the mana you're putting. For now, I wouldn't worry about your compatibility. Maybe something will be weird if you keep pushing the minimum and maximum you can channel, I do wonder how your 'unique mana' applies to the adjective~" He stopped himself short of more rambling. "Well, I'm glad the knowledge behind it is appreciated~ It was more a budding club while I studied in Glacies, but I'm really expecting runecrafting to take off~!"

Edited December 28, 2023 by Xinnidy

[Ether]

"Mmm, a small force. If we could take Kazran on without relying on the element of surprise, I wouldn't be here trying to find ways to improve our odds." Roxanne replied, following behind Jesse as the knight led them inside the keep.

It didn't take too long to find Gaffney, the man still lingering rather nearby to the entrance up a flight of stairs. The others with him... a rather imposing tiger clouded and another woman who appeared to be a mage. The former seemed more likely to be pegged as a commander, but one could never underestimate a practitioner of magic, especially in this part of the world. Which it was would surely make itself known in time, and the man of the hour did open the floor to their questions.

"Thank you Jesse, and my thanks for your time, Lord Gaffney, Commander." Roxanne began, taking a small bow. Luckily from her current angle, the gesture covered all three of the folk in front of them.

"I'll go straight to the point, as you seem a busy man. My name is Roxanne Vallena. You wish to see Kazran removed, as do I. I was hoping that we could help eachother in whatever ways possible." She noted, figuring it best to simply open earnestly. How much help they could actually offer one-another hinged on too many unknown factors at present to be any more specific.

[TheRoon]

Renais had a very wide smile on her face, she was happy that her reflexes were good enough. This really was a far cry from her attempted knight training. "I really do owe it to the work the Tigers put me through." She turned her attention to Lucretia as she went over potential exercises Renais could try. "That makes sense to me, I need to build some muscle to defend myself. I could start with squats and jogging then go from there. This lesson really opened my eyes, I'm grateful to you both." Sari did bring up a point though. Lucy wasn't that much taller than Renais, but she handled her staff and self defense techniques like a professional. That line of thought lead to Renais' mind wandering to how her physique was...but she quickly shelfed that idea. Kick the habit kick the habit. I need to distract myself...ah! 

She looked Lucy in the eye and cleared her voice. "It was very insightful, yes. I'll do my best to keep up my training. That being said I was curious, Lucy. You're really experienced with work as a cleric, is there any specific reason you chose to heal for a living?" It was a question Renais had on her mind, she had her reasons of course but she was curious about her fellow pinkette.

[GoldsbroTSG]

Miria walked into the bazaar, and immediately the stars appeared in her eyes. "Wooooow..." Was all she started with as she gazed around and looked at all that they had in store. "My goodness, there's... so much to check, to look at, and only so much money in my pocket, aw jeez...!" She rubbed her fingers against her head, trying to make a decision. I can fight guys without issue, why is decision-making always so hard?! 

However, Miria wasn't one to simply give up, or wallow in her indecisiveness. She would figure things out as she went. "Alright, I got it." She said, not really to anyone, but she still said it like she had all-knowing confidence. In reality, she was gonna pick a random shop and start from there.

She looked around, and gave a, "Aha~" And started walking. Once she made her way to a particular stall, she took her time before finally speaking, "Good afternoon, what do you folks have for sale over here?"

[Mercenary on the Winds]

The bartender smirked at Nyx, "Well, ye didn't start too well there..." The woman snorted, "Ye, things are pretty shit round here... not Owen's fault, ne even th' clod or whatsit--th' ones wit' tails, and such. Kazran," The barkeep rolled her eyes, "Damned bastard been attacking lots as o' late. What's more is there's been some stories from south--people running from central; something te do wit' th' Belrose. Messing wit' trade and such, so lack o' supplies, on top o' Kazran being--settle down o'er there, I'll get ye drink!" She turned back to Nyx, "Some people needier than a soldier crossing th' sands... Anyway, it's been getting pretty bad... started not too long ago."

---

As Miria walked up to one of the stands inside, an ice blue haired child ran through the small group that amassed in front of the, "Oopsie, sorry!" As she made her way through the group, she made a sharp turn, and disappeared behind the curtain into the back, and the man standing in front of the stand, hand raised as if he had been about to speak, was now putting that hand on his face. His hair, too, was an ice blue, his face weathered, but not nearly enough to imply that he was in the autumn of his years, a well kept moustache and beard adorned his face, "Lila... you know you can't just--and she's already halfway towards the back," He sighed, and then turned his eyes back towards Miria, appraising the girl for a moment, before nodding, "...Yes, you seem to have a look about you, a familiar look, which is why," The man reached into the back behind the curtain, and pulled out an odd looking sword, "This appears to be a relatively good fit for you... rare as well, don't come by many weapons like these, especially in Islexia." He pointed at the sword, "Runes inscribed into it--not an easy practice--makes it easier to handle magic tossed at you!" 

The man pulled the sword back, and then bowed to the group of women now in front of him, "Apologies for the pitch before the introduction, my name is Barios Latham, and I am... a merchant of sorts, dealing in all sort of interesting weaponry, and items--we find, and refurbish all sorts of items here, and have contacts with a number of merchants from all over owing to such finds as this blade here!" He pulled his eyes back up to Miria, "Was there something in particular that you were searching for? There are quite a few items that we have around--perhaps if not you, then maybe you?" His gaze turned on Seila, "I can see from your garb, and the simple way you carry yourself that you are a mage of some sort," The man held out his hand, and ice appeared in it, "I doubt I hold a candle to you, but I do have the eye for mages, and I do believe there may be something that may interest you. However, I return the conversation to you, what, if anything, might I help you with?" 

---

Ullr and Iris didn't enter quietly, but the shop itself echoed with just the two's voices, but on one of the shelves to the side was a feline, kicking their legs back and forth as Iris perused the selection stopping right in front of one of the newest outfits, "Whew... that's a real good choice there~" The feline hopped down from their perch, a colorful patchwork of orange, black and white made up their fur, and complimented the grin on the cat's face, "That's a new one; got it a couple days ago, but alas, not a lot of people out here being that bold when Kazran's doing his deal--You ain't careful, he'll snap you up too... though, I guess you're a monster so maybe he'd just off ya instead!" 

There was a long pause, and then the cat waved their hands, tail flicking from side to side, but a close inspection revealed that the tail was jagged, damaged in some way. "Sorry, sorry, words get away from me sometimes... Donna's the name... this all you're in the shop for, or are you still looking around... and look at this guy... might not be filling some of the clothes in here, but those arms... You got the look of a fighter about you... and I ain't seen either one of you, so that makes you tourists, or mercenaries... hopefully the latter because ain't a good time of year to be touring around here."

Edited January 1 by Mercenary on the Winds

[Nanami Touko]

Iris' eyes shot to the cat running the store, tilting her head some. "If Kazran tried to snap me up, I'd just kill him." She flexed and clenched a claw, tilting her head back straight. "We're mercenaries working with Mr. Gaffney. I just wanted to get some clothes because I'm really bad with the heat, so the less I can wear without being naked, the better-- but I need to turn him on. That's part of the goal too." Iris motioned towards Ullr before running up to the mannequin wearing the revealing strap of clothing, slowly tugging at it. "Can you take this off so I can buy it? And some shorts? And maybe something for Ullr... He'd look nice in a shawl. A poncho maybe? Something just to cover his shoulders and leave his stomach showing some... Yeah~"

---

"Mmmm... I was a bit worried that mana from another--" Ren paused, froze in place for a moment, then recovered, "continent. Would cause problems. If it's fine, good. Good..." They swallowed, heavily but quietly, screaming in their head. Don't get too comfy Ren! Geez! "Was there anything else you needed my help with, Chris? Or wanted to show me? If that's all, I won't leave you be or anything, but we should consider getting down some paperwork for everything you'll need. Make it easier to delegate things to Natalya and Owen."

---

"Hmm? Healing... Well, it runs in the family. All of the women in my clan were taught how to heal, but also how to fight. Mura is a very... aggressive country, I suppose you could say. They aren't about to start any wars or anything, but with tribes moving around, they get into conflict plenty. So we need healers that can stay on the frontlines and survive... And that's where I come in~" She gently patted her chest with confidence, holding her head up high and smiling. "I might not be the fastest, but I can keep myself safe and heal with pretty good effectiveness. I don't have your magic power, but I've got a lot of experience. A stronger crystal is all someone needs to heal with low magic power~"

---

Syta was happy to visit the bazaar, but mostly she was just happy to be spending time with Laniva. Every moment felt more precious after they'd admitted their feelings... She really wanted to reach up and pet those fluffy ears, so cute, so soft, so--

Her attention was broken as Miria was spoken to, turning to listen to the shopkeep. "Wahh... Uhm. Nice to meet you, Mister Latham..." She was only seeing the sword so far, but maybe there was something else she'd missed with her brain addled in kitty ear land. So damn cute... I'm gonna get her when we get back to the castle.

Amera wrapped her arms over Seila's shoulders and smiled wide. "Yes! Seila is a wonderful mage~" Amera nuzzled up against her cheek a bit, purring quietly. "She’s got great thunder magic and I'm sure she could cast whatever tomes you've got available! I'll help you pay for anything if you're short cash, hun. I'm sure you can pay me back later." She wiggled her brows and her tail flicked. Seila knew what she meant~

Edited January 1 by Nanami Touko

[TheRoon]

"Aaah, is that how Mura is? I've never been there myself." She simply nodded to her teacher, and did her best to keep eye contact in between the pats. "You really were born for the role then, it explains why you know so much about healing and survival. An expert from the start. I became a healer because I wanted to give back, a doctor said I was unresponsive as a child until my sister helped me recover." As she thought on it the ship attack made more sense to her, it explained the trauma. "Everyone here has helped me a lot, I'm more than willing to repay their support." Her eyes drifted for a moment as she noticed Kise at her own stand with Akai. She's risked so much for me. She turned back to Lucy. "I'd like to practice more, but can I take a quick break? I want to check in on Kise."

[MRDRHAWK]

Tanya let out a huff, having spaced out yet again watching Jeremiah at work. She really needed to stop doing that, especially lately - something about joining up with the Tigers made her a lot more prone to just… losing herself in the moment. And not entirely in a good way, either.

”Oh, um. I did, yes. Sorry, Jeremiah.” Tanya tried to keep her breathing steady, before she continued. “Yeah, I was just… wanting to know if you had any idea what was going on with the family. I know Papa’s one of your subordinates, so I thought I’d ask. If you don’t know, though, that’s fine too.”

[mcd900]

"...?" As Miria stepped up to one of the stands, the rest of the group at the bazaar following closely behind, Seila cocked her head slightly at the child running through the group; but soon enough her attention turned back towards the man - Barios, he introduced himself as - offering an interesting selection of wares. The man had a good eye, it seemed; the second merchant today to have a rather tailored selection, first describing a magical sword to Miria, then... "Ice, hmm? I don't see that very often. And yes," - she smiled, adjusting her hat a touch - "your estimation is quite right-- wha...?!"

The cat suddenly around her shoulders, purring against her was no less a surprise than she ever was, despite this kind of thing happening innumerable times before. "W-whoa... hi there, Amera." Seila blushed slightly at the praise, reaching a hand up to give Amera's ears a quick scritch, though not before reddening further at her words and her brows. "A-Ah, hey...! Down girl, later... h-how about I take a look at what's here, first, okay?" The mage let out a quiet huff, but the petting continued nonetheless.

Laniva was occupied with taking in the sights of the bazaar, the stall they'd all visited being the center of her immediate attention - enough so, in fact, that she was oblivious to Syta's more-than-usual want for her fluffy ears. Said ears, for that matter, were flicking gently at the pitch, aimed though it was at Miria; a sword to help against magic was rather piquing her interest, given her typical inability to fight well against mages, which they'd recently come up against no shortage of.

She gave Syta's hand a small squeeze, turning to glance at her; as Laniva did, she felt a little flutter, and her tail swished a little. "Mm... See anything interesting, Syta? There might be something I want here, actually..."

[JakezuGD]

"Yeah, things are clear regarding that part. I gave the man a piece of my mind earlier, but he'll live being held to task by a big cat a second time." Tasha smirked at that to Owen, fully intending on doing just that if Kieran wasn't going to make himself scarce for the time he'd end up spending with them. He probably would, considering the obvious animosity many had toward him, but she'd tell him at least that one very important sentence.

Giving way for Syndra's request to be answered turned out to also bring them a couple more people who wanted to talk with the lord of the castle, and it couldn't have hurt to have her around for things as well. Jesse had a new face in tow, a Clouded of some kind, though she couldn't immediately tell what exactly thanks to the unusual combination of ears and horns, who was quick to ask for help regarding unseating Kazran by some means. She could leave asking about her heritage for later, but could at least give her own introduction and poke a little regarding the actual matter at hand. "You and what army? I assume you're not just a lone mercenary, given phrasing, but you ought to give a bit more information before we can properly assess what sort of contract you're looking for. 'Course, nothing wrong even if you are just an extra pair of hands, but I wouldn't think you'd need to come straight to the boss if that was the case, yeah? Natalya Liberia, commander of the Iron Tigers, and by the look of it, the biggest foreign attachment here so far." Though her words were on the pointed side, her tone didn't carry much edge to it, only trying to keep things on the up-and-up with how big their operation was already going to be.

---

Being lost in thought wasn't going to help anyone, as important as sorting through them may have been, and Bella had been given a task by Owen before he left. She momentarily collected herself and put on her usual soft smile again, departing for the castle garrison to find the cat in question. At the very least, she was happy that the lord was confident in both this being a good opportunity for her as well as her ability to make it back unharmed, and she'd do what she'd planned for to give Owen some value out of sending her off on an adventure regardless.

Along the way, the witch took quick stock of the people around. Many of the Tigers were still around the castle grounds, including their commander, now speaking with the lord of the castle along with a couple others, among them Syndra. She shrugged off the oncoming wave of annoyance, keeping focused on what her actual objective was, which... turned out to be incredibly easy to complete, seeing as there was a siege construct moving around in the garrison with nothing towing it around. Giving it a wide berth, she went around the side to see two people, one of whom matched the basic description of who she was looking for. "Looks to me like Owen was right in saying you'd be out here, playing with your toys. Have you managed to sort things out and he just hasn't heard about it yet, or is there perhaps some reminding I have to do?~"

[Ether]

So the large cat was indeed the Commander then, of the aptly-named Iron Tigers. Straight to the point then, that suited Roxanne just fine. If there was any company to put her cards on the table for, this was it.

"Not alone, no. Depending on the state of the wounded on the day of the assault... twenty men minimum, up to thirty if everyone returns to fighting form. I'm going to be up-front with you, Commander Liberia... we've clashed with Kazran before, and we lost. That's why I'm here, to try and turn the odds in our favour. I had thought that would be in the form of information, at the moment we're relying on the element of surprise, sailing through a sea cavern to infiltrate the fortress from an unguarded angle and throw his forces into disarray." Roxanne began... hopefully volunteering their angle of attack would win her some form of good grace here.

"But if you're actually planning to mount your own assault, then we can do better than just information. Turn this into more than just a Hail Mary to find Jane..." Roxanne trailed off for a moment, before shaking her head. If Natalia's words were truthful, even one pair of extra hands would have been welcome, so a small force could surely entice her. But the problem wasn't acceptance necessarily, it was time. A second army meant jack if they didn't arrive in time. Could M be swayed to wait with a guarantee of reinforcements? It was hard to say...

[Nanami Touko]

"Sure? Don't let me keep you... I taught you everything you need to know, so the rest is just practice. Practice on getting it down, practice on making it routine... Practice~ Go take a break with your girlfriend, yeah?" Lucretia winked as she sent Renais off, shrugging a little at Versaris. "Thanks for the help, pretty boy. You sure you don't wanna get to know each other a little better~?"

Sari shook his head, not faltering for a second. "Sorry, even if I was single, you remind me far too much of Jeremiah's wife, and I consider her something of a mother... Not my kink."

"Ahhh, dang... Not a mommy's boy. Ah, well... My search must go on." She glanced over at Jeremiah and leaned against her staff. "You know, he said the same thing. I really must be a lot like this woman if I'm reminding you both of her. Wonder why..."

"It..." Versaris paused, thinking, but then shook his head. "It is a shocking coincidence, but if you're from Mura, that's all it can be. She's Lufirian, through and through... I will admit, your body, your choice of magic, the hair... Even your face, you're the spitting image of Serena, it's uncanny. Maybe... No, this is silly to think about. Anyway, I, am taken, by a very beautiful and wonderful lizard. Her name is Alriana, I do hope you have the pleasure of getting along with her should you get the chance to speak."

"Is that right... Mmm, I have to agree, I don't think there's any stock in my likeness to Serena. Still funny, though~"

Versaris shrugged.

---

While Amera giggled and enjoyed her continued pets, Syta took the chance to glance over the goods, her eyes falling on... "Huh?" A gun at his stall, something rather impressive, beyond anything one should realistically see in Islexia... "Where, did you come upon this, sir...?" She gently lifted it, keeping her fingers safe around it; she was well aware of how one should handle a gun and wasn't about to mishandle it on accident. "This is quite the impressive piece of work, considering where we are..."

---

"I'm sorry, did you say Jade?" Miredy slid her way back into the main room, not having much to do with her own interests cleared, but this woman had said Jane... "Did you mean...?" She slid closer, the girl in her arms. If this woman knew her, there was a chance that their promises of finding Jane's mother being truths instead of comforting lies. "Please tell me you did." There was something of a desperation in Miredy's voice. She wanted nothing more than this girl's mother to be alright and alive...

[GoldsbroTSG]

Miria listened very intently at the shopkeeper as he presented the sword to her. She'd seen something about this. People called it a barrier sword if she remembered. Anything that prevented magic from making her, or really any of their swordsmen explode would make it a worthwhile grab. When asking if she was looking for anything in particular, Miria shook her head, "No I was just looking around actually, but... that sword sounds, nice..." She perked up her chin with her hand and thought.

A sword that good has to be expensive, right? Miria immediately went for her coin purse and started counting what she had on hand. It was only a little over twelve-hundred gold. "Damn..." She quietly said to herself. Then, she realized she was here with Laniva as well. When she walked up, Miria waited a moment before trying to say something.

"Hey, Lani?" Miria turned to her, taking a moment to let the cat turn to her. "Would you be willing to go halfsies on the sword? I can't afford it on my own, and, I think it'd really help one of us if we had it, y'know?"