Fantasy On Thunders Wings

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When they got to the stables, Bea was in awe of the variety of animals before her. She tried to peer to get better glances at some of the ones being stored mostly out of view,, but before she could glean much about what sort of creatures they were, she heard the sharp whinny of a mare beyond the fence, trotting up almost in greeting. As a man approached and began talking to them, Bea let Sylas handle the conversation, listening in about the strange caged creature they had. While they talked, Bea walked up to the horses that had approached and giggled as they peaked their heads over the fence and attempted to nibble at her.

There were beautiful white ones that the man mentioned, but Bea was struck by the beauty and grace of the grey and white speckled mare. She watched as that horse also eventually trotted over, seemingly interested in what her friends were interacting with. Bea made a point of petting them all on the head and telling them that they were all good horsies.

Once the man finished talking about the creature known as the Salimoore, Bea took her chance to chime into the conversation, still petting the grey mare. "How much do the horses go for? I don't think we need anything too fancy."

 

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Sylas took note of Bea petting the horses, all of whom seemed particularly interested in her. He smiled, enjoying her pure nature.

Esthanor smiled at the young lady as she approached. "Excellent question. Most of my stock goes for a strong 100gp, but since I can see you are quite the animal lover, ill knock off 20gp and call it an even 80. What do you say to that?" His eyes shot over to Sylas, who took him in as he spoke. (Insight 13) He seemed to know what he was talking about, and the horses did look good. He looked back over their way, catching the eyes of the now trotting chestnut stallion, who snorted as it ponied up by the others and sniffed the air.

Sylas made up his mind: he would buy that horse there for anything 150gp or cheaper, but he waited to see what his friend had to say. Who knew, maybe she was a whiz with haggling as well.

 

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Bea, completely unaware of Sylas's silent cue for her input, resumed her petting of the horses. "You here that, horsie? You can have a brand new home today! we're going to go on adventures and see all the land in Celeste and maybe more! I don't really know what's beyond Celeste, but I bet you don't either and we can explore it together."

Once Bea had finished talking to the Mares who flicked their ears and swished their tails contently, she smiled at Sylas and the salesman. "Can I have the grey one? Does she already have a name? What do they eat?" She then turned to the horse again, not waiting for an answer. "What do you like to eat? Apples? I like apples, we could share."

 

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Sylas couldn't help but chuckle as she obliviously pet the horses. She was a kind soul and still a bit of a kid at heart, something he admired. So much for her being a whiz at haggling.

Esthanor looked between them, and cleared his throat. "A-hem... Well, actually no we don't name any of our horses, so you can name them anything you wish. As for food, apples are a nice treat but we have very nutritional feed that we sell here, as well as other gear. What do you say?"

Sylas nodded, satisfied. "We'll take the grey one and the brown one. We'd also like two saddles with bags for travel, and we'll take whatever the recommended amount of feed is." He crossed his arms, satisfied. He had been dreaming of purchasing a horse for some time, and now it felt like he was finally a real adventurer. Esthanor smiled brightly, and he leaned back relaxed. "Excellent choices, both of you. The will come to a grand total of 200gp." Sylas pulled out his coin pouch and withdrew several platinum pieces and handed them to Esthanor, who's eyes beamed. "I will begin the process now. If neither of you know how to do this, pay attention. I will teach you have to put on and take off the saddles, pouches, how to mount and dismount, as well as how to feed and care for them."

Sylas watched and learned as much as he could, and seemed to pick up most of it. (Intelligence check 18) Once the demonstration was finished, he messed around with the saddle and got comfortable with how it worked and felt. Sylas spent some time with the horse, petting it on its nose and side, and checking it as he circled around it. It seemed docile enough and comfortable with the half orc. As he approached the back of the horse, Esthanor's face contorted in fear. "Sylas, be carful of-"

The horse bucked fast, and struck Sylas in his ribs, sending him flying back a good 8 ft. Sylas groaned as he hit the dirt and held his side. (Animal handling natural 1) They were definitely broken. (8 bludgeoning dmg) He spread his fingers and ignited a warm flow of blue green healing on his ribs, and the pain dulled quickly, before subsiding completely.

 

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If she was being honest, she thought these beasts were beautiful, but she had a hard time retaining everything Esthanor had tried to teach them (Intelligence: 13).

Out of nowhere, Sylas suddenly became airborne and tumbled backward in the dirt corral, breaking Bea away from her concentration on the horses. "Sylas!" She zoomed over with her wings taking flight, landing gently on the earth beside him. "Are you okay?" She began to help him up once he healed his wounds. Her brows were furrowed with worry and she patted off some of the dirt and dust on his clothes, looking for any other signs of injury. "Maybe you should pick one with a better temperament..." Bea said quietly, giving a wary look over towards the brown horse that was stamping its feet in triumph and mild irritation.

"Men." She grumbled with a judgmental huff towards the stallion. The horse responded by shaking its head in indignation at Bea's disapproval.

 

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"I'm fine, I'm alright." He said through labored breathing, but he allowed her to help him up. He dusted himself off and stretch out the aches, and looked back at the horse. "Im not that easily deterred." He offered the steed a stern look, and he thought he saw the thing roll its eyes at him and snort a sarcastic snort. "Maybe you should just walk it.. for now." Esthanor chimed in worriedly, but Sylas waved him off, not breaking eye contact with the horse.

"Alright friend. I apologize for getting to close to your backside. I'm still learning. But I just bought you, and I'm in charge of taking care of you now, so let's try and be friends alright? My names Sylas" He approached the stallion with one hand towards its nose and tried not to think to hard about him talking to an animal.
He stepped forward again slowly, gently placing his hand forward. He made a small move forward and locked eyes with the creature, trying to show him he meant no harm. Sylas shut his eyes, and in a moment, felt a wet short furred snout press into his hand calmly. Sylas smiled and opened his eyes. (Animal handling 21)

"Well thats a nice recovery." Esthanor added with some surprise in his voice. "Guess you are all set then." He nodded, and Sylas strode around the side of the horse and slung himself quickly on top. His heart raced for a moment as he settled on the saddle and he got a good look around. He could see much farther now from on top, including the blocks end, the gate a street down, and the tops and faces of most everyone passing by.

"Ill name you Arthur." He said with satisfaction, and stroked the back of his neck. "Ready Bea?" Sylas called over to his companion. "We're off to look at homes next."

 

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Bea let out a breath that she didn't know she was holding as Sylas successfully reconciled with his horse. "Ready!" She replied with a big smile, fluttering up to the top of her horse's back lightly to mount it. However, she must have spooked her, because as soon as Bea eased into the saddle, her horse let out a shocked neigh and began running through the corral, knocking over anything in her path. "WHOA GIRL, WHOA! I'm sorry, you're okay I promise!" After a few moments of holding on for dear life and calming her mare down, she finally slowed to a trot up to Sylas on his horse. Bea's face was pale and her heart was racing. "Okay... let's go.." she said weakly. It would take some time to get used to horseriding, that was for certain.

As they got to the street on their new steeds, Bea began to get a better feel for maneuvering her through the traffic and city. It was a little crowded, but there was room for horses and people seemed to give them a wide berth so as to not get kicked or trampled. "Arthur's a good name." Bea mused aloud as they rode through town. "Maybe I'll name you... Willow." She smiled, stroking her horse's mane. Willow responded with a playful flick of the ears and a soft whinny of approval.

She pulled her horse up next to Sylas's and held out her hand to him. "Here, for the horse. I figured I'd pay half since I got one too." She gave him ten of the shiny coins she'd gotten the day before, giving him a smile.

 

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Sylas took the coins from her and put them into his coin purse. "I appreciate it. We can go half on rent too." The two of them trotted through town, drawing a few eyes from commoners as most walked on foot or took wagons, but there were a fair few horses available for some upper echelon adventurers, mostly guilds. Solo adventurers would never take on monster quests of valuable caliber: not any who wanted to live, anyways: the level of coin was typically associated with well established groups, like the Iron Boar, or the Chasers.

The last mission had been well enough, though it had not been perfect. Maybe it would be best to stay away from monster quests for a while? Or maybe they should look to hire a new member? Not they they had the gold for that as well, really.

They strode down the streets, past the market and into the residential district. There were lots of several story buildings bricked together, some with small ally ways, others with small enclosed courtyards. Some had a few sheds tucked behind the back or long overpasses, clothes lines, even roof top gardens. And many of them had small for sale signs in the window. The crowds had thinned pretty well in this area, and as the buildings got larger, much of the street was covered in shade. It was easier to ride past the residents, and Sylas nodded whenever they regarded them.

They passed homes for a while, Sylas judging each as he passed, until they eventually reached a three story corner lot under an overhang. Next door was a small local shop with a witch hat burned into a hanging wooden sign. The building he ogled seemed to have some good windows and a back around ally that led to a small stable area, something he had been looking for. And in the window was a very welcoming "For sale" sign.

"This looks promising." He said, and swing his feet over, sliding off Arthur and taking the reins. He brought his steed over to a small post and tied him off. "Lets take a look inside." He said, and stepped in past the door. The first floor was empty. Past the doorway on the right was a large open area all lit up with the low afternoon light from the large front window. Behind it was the countertop to the kitchen, and the kitchen itself, which was modest but fair. Past that was a door which he assumed led to the back stables. against the wall as you came in the door were a set of stairs that rose to a second floor.

As he strode up the stairs which creaked with each step, he noticed the walls were well worn but painted well and firm. The house was clearly old, but its last tenant had loved it dearly. At the top of the stairs was a hall way with several doors and another stairway running opposite and above the first. A window at the end of the hall let more light in as well. There were several small but cozy rooms, with some beds and dressers, night tables and trunks. One even had a balcony out onto the street. One room had walls of empty bookshelves and a medium size fireplace with a few red chairs in the center. And at the very end was a nice tiled room with some open windows. Build into the floor was a very interestingly designed bath, clearly personal. It was large enough for four people to sit close together in. Sylas had never had his own wash room before, and considered not having to run into any more wierdos in the public baths.

The third floor was mostly open storage space: an attic with some windows that let in more light. The home was cozy for sure, something Sylas felt nice it. It felt... livable. He stood in the third floor empty attic, which he could do without even crouching at all, and he stretched back. "I think I like it."

 

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Bea followed Sylas's lead in tieing up her horse with his. They toured the house together and Bea soaked in all of the cozy and very 'lived-in' features the place provided. It certainly had a lot of character and charm to it. When they reached the attic, Bea nodded in agreement with Sylas. "Yeah, I do too. I thought maybe we'd ought to look at a couple of places, but if the price for this place is decent... then we might as well." She beamed at the prospect of making a home here.

Suddenly, the imagination of the two of them carving out a life of their own in the city took over her mind. The very idea of belonging somewhere and having a place to call hers made her heart ache a little. Even if they didn't quite own the space. Bea had very little to her name and began to long for a bed and room that was undeniably hers. There was something official about it. Like she was no longer a wanderer and a victim of the lost past she couldn't remember. She felt a little less... helpless. Quickly, she shook that idea out of her head. She refused to be pitied, even by herself. This was a new life. Helplessness wasn't an option. This new beginning was hers to do with as she pleased and she didn't have to be alone in it either. Bea looked at Sylas again and her expression froze for a moment as another realization dawned on her.

Sylas and Bea would be living together. Alone. Almost like they were a couple. Bea's cheeks went flush, her pale skin glowing pink and warm. She spun quickly to hide her face and began to awkwardly march her way towards the attic stairs. "Ah, heh, well, we've got daylight to burn, I guess we should go. Hahaha. To the landlord, yipeeeee."

 

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Sylas nodded. This could be it finally: his home.. no, their home. None of this would have been possible without Bea. As she turned and started walking out in a stiff funny way, Sylas remembered they still hadn't payed for it yet. "You're right." He added, and followed her down the stairs into the space. He picked up the for sale sign and took a look at the details on the back. "25gp per month. Steep, but if we do regular jobs, we might end up being able to purchase it fully." He nodded and rolled it up and stowed it on his person.

"What say you and I turn this in and get the paperwork and then pick out another job? Unless you are interested in going shopping? I had been considering getting a ranged weapon of sorts.. maybe a crossbow? I felt a little useless when we fought that Roper thing." He remarked while recounting their first real adventure. As they spoke, they quickly saddled up and began to ride off into town, over towards the local landlords place.

In no time at all, they had settled up and procured all the necessary paperwork proving they were now legally renting that property, which Sylas stored away gingerly. The sun was now starting to dip over the city line: maybe 4pm. It was a humid summer heat that hung in the afternoon air that would only cool some time after the sun had made its final retreat: still time to accomplish something today, like pick up more work, or get a nice meal at a fancy place. And after all that, their first night in their own beds.

 

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Soon after they got going, Bea began to feel herself go back to normal. It was easy to be with Sylas, regardless of what their partnership meant to themselves or what it might seem like to others. In no time, they got all the necessary things taken care of, a few gold pieces lighter than they were before. At Sylas's question, Bea chirped up, "Well we could do both. Let's go take a look at the job board and see if there's something worth taking and getting started on tomorrow. Today we can look for your crossbow and maybe some things for the new place. The bedrooms looked pretty well furnished, but we might find some more furniture or supplies around town."

Bea smiled and started out onto the street again. They had left their new horses at their house, leading them to the stables in the back while they went to make everything official. They'd be fine there on their own while the two of them ran some errands.

 

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Sylas nodded. Sounds good to me. He thought with satisfaction, and led them both towards the billboard at the center of the Merc district. The crowds were settling down as evening approached, and they didn't have long to wait. They strode close enough to see the ever expanding collection of bounties and contracts on display for all the swords in Samu Keev. A lot of the same deals and gigs: Hired help on long travel, exterminating local bandit camps, gathering rare ingredients from hard to reach locations, and of course, monsters. Sylas noted a few jobs as dock hands, which seemed out of place slightly, but pirates were a problem in Markeev and the celeste coast was becoming more... lawless. No, that wasn't right. Celeste was as well armed as before, but the pirates had become more daring.

There were some interesting ones: Local town claims werewolf infestation; find and exterminate the lycanthropes. Missing people believed to have been abducted by hags south of Blair lake. Chimera spotted near Bandor. These had the best pay for sure, each one showing a price of over 450. The hags seemed to be running a current bounty of 700gp, which raised Sylas's eyebrows a little. It was true that rogue magic casters were incredibly dangerous, sometimes more than simple beasts, but still: 700gp was a lot of money, which indicated that this was a task that had been failed already and the bounty had been increased. Dangerous, but lucrative.

And of course, there were always trails and hills to be kept clean. Bandits, though not as harmful as wild monsters, were still a terror to local populace not behind stone walls and town guards. Some bandits were simple highway robbers, which could have been a kid or two on the wrong path or pushed out of society unfairly, but there were also clans. Local groups of up to 30 bandits led by some of the nastier folk in celeste, raiding caravans and local hamlets. They were mean and ruthless often, and if left unchecked, could leave a trail of corpses behind. There seem to be a few new camps of the latter popping up around the local areas Sylas noticed as he looked over some more paperwork.

"Alright Bea, what will it be? We could travel and take a long trip on guard duty, or we could hunt some more monsters. That is dangerous, as you know, but pays well. And there are also bandits to clear out, which would help out a lot of people. What do you think?"

 

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Bea considered the options carefully. The last monster mission wasn't exactly easy, but it paid well. Once the shock factor of fighting a new monster abated though, the two of them took down the Roper fairly quickly. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to take on the one with a Chimera... but Bea wasn't very certain of what exactly a Chimera was. The quest with the hags certainly seemed too high stakes for the two of them, at least for now.

"What's a Chimera?" Bea asked, trying to gauge Sylas's thoughts on her potential pick. "Another monster quest might not be so bad, but if it's something a little more out of league with just two people maybe we should stick to just bandits..." She though about it and shrugged, looking to her partner.

 

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Sylas thought back to stories he had traded with other sell swords, books he had read: legends and rumors (Survival 15) That's right!

"A Chimera is like... well its like a fire breathing three headed beast." Sylas tried to picture exactly what it would look like, but he had only really heard about them in passing. "No, I think you are right. This time too, its most likely out in the open, so no surprises. We'll take the Chimera." He said, turning the one of the workers behind the counter. They took the forms and stamped them and signed them, handing them over to the duo. "There we go, ready to head off tomorrow. Bandor is a little further south and further east than the area of the Blair woods we hit last time. It will be at least 2 days ride on horseback." He thought out loud as they gathered up and headed out of the area.

"When we are purchasing some equipment, maybe a potion of fire resistance could come in handy?" He started leading them away, towards the market district.

 

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"Oh fun," Bea said dryly at Sylas's description. "Well, a job's a job. If you think we can handle it then I'm ready." It was a bit of a shame they couldn't spend more time in their new place, but ultimately, the money from this quest would be good for finishing the furnishings in the living room and dining area.

"That's a good idea," Bea replied at the mention of potions. "Maybe two if we can afford it. I don't know about you, but I don't feel very fire-resistant." She smiled with a soft chuckle. It really depended on how much they cost. Bea had zero idea how potions were made or how expensive or inexpensive they might be. With any luck, they could both get one and be as prepared for the fight as they could be. Fighting something that breathed fire sounded particularly unpleasant and unnatural. She wondered if Chimeras were particularly clever or not.

As they approached the market, Bea began looking around for shops and stalls that might have the goods they needed. "We could go to Jason's to look for your crossbow," Bea chirped thoughtfully. Maybe she could find some better protective gear. The leather was nice and served her well, but some of the adventurers she'd seen walking out and about had big, shiny metal plates and pauldrons that just looked awesome. Bea doubted she'd be able to even walk in that much armor, but maybe there was something out there that was light or small enough to provide extra protection without limiting too much of her mobility.

 

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Sylas nodded, and they turned a corner, revealing Jasons pick up zone, still bustling despite the closing evening. They strode through the throngs of people carousing the outdoor selection, a lot of it pawned off recently. Sylas could see a cart full of equipment and weapons being offloaded off to the side and taken to the back of the warehouse.

Inside, a familiar bald man with a big head and one large scar running through his left eye sat behind the counter, counting up payment for his most recent purchase. "Jason, how are you?" Sylas called out. Jason looked up and grinned a big toothy grin, flashing a sea of white between his thick brown goatee.

"Well I'll be: Sylas Mariner, still alive and kicking. Thats always good news for me." He leaned forward and the two grabbed each others arms at the elbows and gripped firmly. "Good to see you too, friend." Sylas nodded, then turned and gestured to Bea. "This is my newest companion, Bea."

Jason turned and acknowledged the fairy, his eyes widening slightly. "Well if it isn't little missy. Hows that leather breastplate treating you?"

 

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Bea waved at Jason with a friendly smile. Bea hadn't realized that Jason and Sylas were so close, but I suppose in this city, it was to be expected. "Hello again! It's been good, saved me from scary monster teeth already," she chuckled, patting her chest where the leather currently protected her torso. There were indeed some bite marks and scratches on it already and she was grateful that she'd not sustained any real injury from their last fight.

"I think we're looking for more gear," she continued. Jason bobbed his bald head with a nod of approval. "Well, you've come to the right place. Take a look around and tell me if ya need somethin'. HEY!" He paused, barking at a customer across the store who froze with an object in his hands. "Careful with that, it's an antique, you ruffian." He crossed his arms in disapproval and the patron slowly put the object down. "Good ta see you Sylas. Give me a holler sometime." He gave Sylas a solid pat on the shoulder. As Jason walked away from them, Bea giggled and looked over to Sylas.

"I think I'll take a look around," she said and skipped through the crowd to take a look at the displays full of second-hand gear.

 

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Sylas nodded at Jason and moved about the place, looking for certain things. There were weapons, of course, and in no time he found a selection of imposing crossbows. Some light, some one handed, some with strange contraptions on the body that he couldn't make out the purpose of. There was one larger than the rest, a huge hunk of wood with sturdy iron castings and a thick bow string. The bolts themselves were like large daggers, almost the size of cucumbers. Looked menacing, and Sylas reached past it, grabbing a much more manageable lighter crossbow that he cold hold with 1 or two hands. He drew his own blade and held it in one hand, aiming the crossbow around with his other hand and getting a feel for it. He nodded with satisfaction at the feel, and grabbed a pouch of 30 bolts along with it.

He crossed by some armor on display, various parts and pieces, even full sets. His leather was good and served him well, but getting some real plate would be good. Not that he was interested in slowing down and becoming a tin can, but some half plate would do him well. He looked at some of the prices on them and sighed. 680gp for half plate: he would have to wait a bit longer for something of that caliber. Next time He thought.

On his vial shelf, he looked around and eventually found a small set of three vials, each with a glittery orange liquid within, all labeled "fire resistance set". He snatched them up and added them to his things, now ready to head back to the front. He had a quick glance over the long swords, admiring the craftsmanship of each one. A young half elven woman acknowledged him as she was examining the same. She had golden brown hair that was thick and tied back, into a medium sized braid. Her face was slender and sharp, like an elf, but her eyes were a gentle mahogany, much like a humans, and beneath two strong chestnut brown eyebrows, very much like a humans. She had a small scar rising from above her lips. "You've got a good eye. Anything you like?" She asked sweetly, a smirk on her face as she gave a twice over to the half orc.

Sylas smiled at her sheepishly. "Nothing for me today, no. My blade is fine and well kept, and if I was going to get something it would probably be custom."

"Thats the best way to do it." She mused in agreement, and reached forward to test the balance of a jeweled rapier. "There's a great smith in town, Torinn Cinderscale. Maybe he could help you with what you need? His smithy is named The Steels Conception, right outside of the shatter sword. Can't miss it." She smiled and took a quick flourish with the blade, quickly with impressive technique.

"Do you advertise for him or something?" Sylas asked curiously.

"No, I just have a passion for great swords... and swordsman." She winked and walked past him, letting her fingers trail down his shoulders. "Perhaps I'll see you on the road, stranger."

Sylas watched her slip around the corner. Have I seen her before? He stopped for a moment to wrack his memory in an attempt to satiate that nagging feeling of recognition, but nothing he did brought anything to mind, and so he shrugged and headed to the front with his cross bow and potions and waited for Bea to join him.

 

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Bea meandered around the shop, looking at the various wares. There was a particularly lovely vase that caught Bea's attention. It was porcelain if she had to guess, and had a very beautiful light yellow pattern painted on it that almost resembled a sunrise. It was priced at ten gold, which Bea wondered if was a fair price or not. It seemed out of place in Jason's store. Most things were chipped, stained, worn, or at the very least gently used, but this vase seemed pristine. She picked it up and it felt cool in her hands. She noticed a bit of water still in the bottom of it. Its design made it seem like it might be for flowers rather than for serving drinks.

Puzzled and a bit enamored, she brought it up to the counter and placed it before Jason. "Mr. Spinerender, what is this?" Bea asked curiously. Jason chuckled and replied, "Please, that was my father, call me Jason. This piece of art here is a Vase of Everkeeping. It keeps flowers that you put in it fresh and rosey... well, if they're roses, that is." He shrugged. Bea lit up in wonderment. "Oh wow! And it's ten gold?" Jason nodded. "Given the craftsmanship and its enchanted nature, yeah. I'd say it's worth about that." Bea nodded in agreement, truly lost in the world of price negotiation. Regardless, she thought back to Sylas's boat house and the wilted plants he had in the windows. He seemed to have a soft spot for greenery... maybe this would make a nice housewarming gift for the both of them. "I'll take it," she replied after a moment of thought and placed a platinum piece on the counter. Jason gave her a smile. "Pleasure doin' business as always little miss."

Excited about her new purchase, Bea hopped away and began scanning the room for Sylas to show him what she'd found. When she spotted him, she stopped, realizing he was talking to someone. A woman with beautiful honey-brown hair that seemed to gleam in the fading light from the window outside was talking to her green friend and looking him over... suggestively? Bea shook her head to clear her mind. They could just be talking, and even if it was flirtatious, it wasn't any of Bea's business, but a small pit formed in her stomach that she didn't like. She watched as the woman trailed a finger down Sylas's arm and then sashayed out of the shop. Soon after, Bea found her way across the store to Sylas. She swallowed the urge to ask about his encounter and instead smiled pretending she hadn't seen anything.

"Look what I found!" She exclaimed cheerfully, holding up the vase. "Jason says it magically keeps flowers from wilting! I figured we could use it for our new place! That way, when we go on adventures, we don't have to worry about the flowers dying." Bea blushed slightly and turned her face away in mild embarrassment. "It's also kind of a 'thank you' present. For... well, everything," she continued sheepishly.

 

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Sylas looked over the vase in bewilderment. "Really?" he smiled deeply. "This is amazing! We can pick out some really pretty daisies and have a really pretty splash of yellow in the kitchen! I love it Bea, thank you." He leaned down and gave her a quick squeeze in excitement. She was so thoughtful, and maybe Sylas could have some room in his own garden now: grow a few flowers, some spices, and put them in the vase.

Jason saddled up to the counter with them both and nodded over Sylas's things. "Alright, lets see.. A cross bow? Doing some bird hunting?" He held it up and looked at Sylas quizzically. Sylas shrugged. "Last job we found something that hung from the ceiling. Bea here can fly but turns out if it isn't in sword range, I'm less than effective." Jason nodded. "Alrighty, one light cross bow, 30 bolts, and several fire resistance potions.. These are a little expensive." He looked over the vials. "You sure you can afford all of these?"

Sylas looked over everything, and pulled out his coin purse. "Whats the damage?"

"Well, everything together here is going to come to a total of about 250 gold."

Sylas winced as he double counted his coins. Not quite enough. "Any way we could bring the prices down a little? I've brought in some good gear before I'm sure you've turned around for good prices." (Persuasion 23)

Jason looked over at Bea, and passed them both at the rest of the patrons browsing. Then, he leaned it and lowered his voice slightly. "What is it you need these for anyways? Planning on setting something on fire?"

Sylas pulled out the Chimera contract. "We're hunting a Chimera, which as far as I can remember, breathes fire. Last contract I got bit hard then dropped 30 feet. This time I was hoping to go a little more prepared."

Jason leaned back and rubbed one of his large hands over his bald head. "Aaaa...alright, I'll cut it lower. IF you promise to bring me something of its corpse. Whatdda ya say?" Sylas nodded and shook Jasons hand after stowing the contract. "Deal" Sylas smiled.


"Alright, take it for 100 gold and a bit of that creature. maybe like a claw or a hoof, or an eye. Collectors pay lots of money for that kinda thing."

Sylas dolled out 10 platinum and gathered up his purchase. It had been an expensive day, but he felt ready for tomorrow, and more. "Good luck out there you two, see you in a few days then!"

As they left to head outside, the sun was finally slipping its last corners behind the city scape, turning the light into deep oranges and golden yellows.
"Ready to head home? We can pick up some food on the way and I can make some fish or something. Early night, feed the horses, get up early tomorrow and hit the road to Bandor?" Sylas turned to Bea as he spoke. The way the light stretched over her face lit her eyes a light like glowing gems, and her hair seemed to change from a more vibrant purple to a hued lilac. Her wings moved gently in the light. Sylas caught himself staring and focused back on her eyes.

 

[Purize]

Bea was delighted at Sylas's reaction to the vase. For a moment, she wondered if it was a silly purchase, but his smile affirmed to her that it was worth it. The two of them finalized the rest of their purchases, now feeling more prepared for their journey and upcoming quest. As they left the shop and walked out once more into the cooling evening air, Bea could smell various aromas of food filling the streets that made her stomach growl.

"Sounds like a plan! I'm starving." Bea looked out along the street as people were slowly beginning to mill into buildings and settle down for the day, entering taverns and inns, and exiting shops that were turning their signs to 'closed.' Every once in a while Bea was re-struck by just how strange the world felt around her. Like she was still coming to terms with feeling like it was okay to belong. A small part of her felt like if she got too comfortable... everything would be ripped away from her again, and that thought terrified her.

Feeling prickles on her skin, like she was being watched, she turned to see Sylas looking her over closely. "What?" She asked softly, "Is there something on my face?" She wiped a hand on her cheek self-consciously and felt that her face was suddenly warm. Sometimes it was hard to look at Sylas for too long, because of those big, honest, golden eyes of his. They seemed to compel the raw truth out of anything they looked upon and Bea suddenly felt squirmy under his gaze.

 

[BugDozer73]

Sylas realized he had been staring for a moment when Bea shifted uncomfortably in his gaze. His heart sped up nervously and he reached forward, cupping her cheek in his hand. "Yeah, just a bit of dirt. I'll get it." He rubbed his thumb over her cheek softly and held the side of her face gently for a moment before retracting his hand and turning away. "Got it" he offered sheepishly. (Deception 14)

Sylas pointed out some food stands and went and picked up some vegetables and a large fish for the evening, as well as a bag of rice. "Alright, ready to go home?"

 

[Purize]

Bea's cheeks burned brighter as Sylas's hand cupped the side of her face, his thumb softly rubbing away any debris. Wait, what? Did she actually have something on her face!? Sylas seemed equally flustered, leaving her a little confused (insight: 19).

"Th-Thanks," she managed a stammer, averting her eyes and trying to hide her face by looking in the other direction. They got their ingredients, and when Bea finally found the courage to speak again, she pointed out that they should probably pick up some cooking utensils and pans for the kitchen. She was sure that their new home wasn't fully equipped with everything to make meals and they only had their traveler's mess kits to heat up rations with on the road. Bea also thought to pick up some candles for lighting their rooms with the night's onsetting approach. Once they got all they needed, they made their way back through the residential part of town next to the shop building with the hanging witch hat sign.

 

[BugDozer73]

Sylas breathed in the evening sea air as they walked down the street they lived on now. It was soothing, and it brought a smile to his face. He took out the key he now possessed and pushed it in the lock on the door: It fit, of course, and he stepped inside and let Bea in behind himself. He dropped the groceries on the countertop and returned to the door, closing it behind them and turning the lock. Home sweet home he mused.

They lit several candles and sconces, as well as the cast iron light piece hanging from the ceiling, which lit up the once dark home. Sylas lit the stove and got some water boiling, and began his cooking. Sylas grinned as Bea jumped in to help in the kitchen, and in no time at all the two of them had whipped up a mouthwatering stir fry that filled the whole kitchen with the smell of sweet vegetables and season flounder. (Chefs tools 25) The food was filling and overwhelmingly satisfying, and soon the dishes were empty and scrubbed, leaving only the memory of their first ever meal in the home.

Sylas leaned back on the small couch in the living area by the windows, the curtains now drawn, and he yawned with satisfaction. "Maybe we should give a name to this old place huh? Like.... Sea side manor? How do they name homes anyways? Is there like, a process?" Sylas scratched his chin as he speculated out loud. In a while his stomach would settle and he would retire, but this final reprieve was a good time to relax and spend time with Bea.

 

[Purize]

Bea was stuffed and fully satisfied with the meal they had made together. All feelings of being flustered from earlier slowly melted away as they simply enjoyed good food and each other's good company. She tried not to think about how strange she had felt earlier, with that tight feeling in her chest when Sylas talked to that woman in the store, and then when her heart felt like it was going to pound out of her chest while they walked through town. They were living together now too... maybe she was getting ahead of herself and reading into things too much. They had only known each other for a week and were just business partners... friends. Bea smiled, against her attempt to fight it. Regardless of those strange rouge feelings that she couldn't quite place, she was happy to have a friend. Sylas was honorable and had a heart of gold. Maybe her circumstances weren't the luckiest, but their finding one another certainly was.

Their new home was well-insulated and felt cozy. She sat on a nearby armchair pulled up next to the couch. Both were simple and modest furniture pieces, but Bea thought they were comfortable. She stared contently at a flickering candle on the tea table in front of them both. As Sylas contemplated home names Bea giggled and shrugged. "I've never heard of a home with a name, but I wouldn't know if that's normal or not. Maybe... 'The Townsteader'," she mused.

"Do guild teams have names?" She wondered aloud. "Should we be calling ourselves something?"