Fantasy Saga of the Nineteen Islands

[A Not So Wonderful Story]

Velma would be extremely satisfied with Lilianna's embarrassed reaction. Her eye looked around her body as she spoke of bandages.
"Eh, fine. If you say so, doc."
Velma unbuttoned her robes once more to expose the wound to Lilianna. Shrimp was staring at the lamp quietly, highly entertained by the flame. Velma raised her arm to show Lilianna the wound.
"Do what you think is best, but we don't have any field bandages, only wraps. Which means, well, I'd have to take off more than I want to."
Velma chuckled mischievously.
"But, I am an alchemist. If the bartender has some ninroot, I could fix up a nice healing agent."
Velma nodded to herself.
"What do you think we should do?"
Velma was comfortable around the stranger, as she was the others. The reason wasn't very uplifting, but it was there nonetheless. She fixed her eye patch and stared at the other girl.

Athanas FTR Baconhands SilverFlight Dominaiscna

 

[FTR]

"Far from a doctor. But, I have seen my fair share of wounds. Albeit, the vast majority of them were on animals." Lili responded. "My, that's quite the scrape." She reeled just barely at the sight of Velma's wound.
"This'll need a bit of cleaning. It blistered some by the looks of it. Often times these things will look fine and then-" she snapped her fingers. "-Dying yearling. We lost livestock to bad branding a few times. Not as many as we did to the likes of your little pet there, however."
Lili worked mostly quietly to clear out debris accumulated from Velma having just let the wound sit out in the open. It was likely rather painful.
"I would offer you wine to dull yourself but I fear you may take it as an advance." Lili laughed, having finished and now dousing a rag with alcohol.
"Hey, did you say dragon? Was that before or after you rode it around?" She joked, tryng to distract Velma from the wound as she pressed the rag onto it. Lili had figured the dragon bit was a joke anyway.
"Did I mention that might it hurt a bit? Hold it there for a moment please." Lili said, freeing her hands and getting the wraps. "You should know as well as I we aren't dealing with a regular wound. Being a lineage, it will take much less time to heal. Which means cleaning it is even more important. Letting dirty wounds close makes infection that much easier."
Grabbing the wraps, Lili exposed just a section of the blade of her own sword and cut out a small segment of them. She folded it into a rectangle.
"If you could have crafted a healing agent all this time why didn't you?" Lilianna asked, setting the patch to the side.
"Depending how fast this alchemy of yours works, we could circumvent having to choose between what happens next."
Lili held the rest of the wraps out in front of her, stretching a part of them out.
"These go one under or over your brasserie. Makes no difference to me so long as you comport yourself with modesty." Lili said alluding to the joke Velma had made earlier. Lilianna was much more collected now that there was a task at hand and would likely be harder to fluster.
"If you heal as fast as you say we may not even have to change them."

A Not So Wonderful Story

 

[A Not So Wonderful Story]

Velma found much of her amusement in Lilianna's embarrassment before she had sat down. She perked up when she heard the mention of animals and livestock.
"So you're a farm girl then?"
She was taken surprise by the rag, and well, alcohol wasn't exactly soothing. She gritted her teeth and growled in pain as she clenched her hands into fists.
"Halce'te trolonsco! Easy!"
She had said some not so nice things to Lilianna in her native tongue, but she didn't need to know that. She settled down rather quickly rather than squirming about. Her palms had indents from her stromg nails. She took a deep breath and looked to Shrimp.
"I understand your frustrations of Krilk, but Shrimp is alright. He's tame, so he doesn't really get into a lot of trouble. If you know Krilk, you know they're very loyal and tough, the perfect companion!"
Velma smiled wide and looked over to Shrimp, who scuttled over in excitement for the attention. Velma pet him with her free hand, and Shrimp chirped happily as he closed those big black eyes.
"I'm telling ya, you let this big guy like you, and you'd see what I mean."
Velma then did something rather impressive. She snapped her fingers to get Shrimp's attention, then held up a series of fists and fingers. Shrimp immediately understood and scuttled over to her bag and took out a small wrapped package tied with a string. As Velma received it, Lilianna had questioned why she had left the wound as it was. She looked a bit embarrassed and smiled lightly.
"Heh, I uh, was seeing if anyone would care enough to help me. It was kind of my deciding factor as to if I should stay or not... Do you like Teln?"
She unwrapped the package with a single hand to reveal a bundle of dried, spiced beef with a strong flavorful aroma.
"I don't have much left, but this stuff was all I ate when I was a kid. Try it?"
She bit onto a stick and pulled it from the cloth wrap, handing the package to Lilianna so she could lean over and do the same, since they were both busy at the moment.

Athanas FTR Baconhands SilverFlight Dominaiscna

 

[Baconhands]

Once she was certain that all were inside, she let the waitress close the door and watched almost in horror as she bolted it shut. Kadri went to protest, but the tavern owner's voice interrupted her before even a single syllable had escaped her, "Ma'am, we can't risk letting any more heat out. Less you want all of us to freeze to death. That's some form of magical storm out there and it can put out even Sendrin's flame if it wanted to. Now I understand y'all's' friend is out there. But have a little faith in both the aspects and your buddy - if she saw a blizzard coming and she had any sense about her, wouldn't she have found somewhere safe to ride it out?"
Kadri conceded the owner's point - Elena was a smart woman. She would have gotten somewhere safe once the bells started right? She started slowly nodding as she made her way into the tavern, shedding her coat in favour of sitting near one of the open fires. Her tea was still on the table and she collected it before taking a seat.
As she looked over at Isolde and Keenan, she couldn't help a slightly devious smile as she saw them holding hands. "I'm sure she'll be fine," she said, looking at Keenan, only half talking about Elena. "I doubt we'll get very far in this blizzard any more. I... I think we should sit tight for now. Maybe talk about... what we just saw?"
SilverFlight Dominaiscna Athanas

 

[FTR]

“A farm girl, no. Not necessarily, anyway. I grew up on a remote estate in Arenthor. My family looked after the home and lands of the noble family who lived there. My mother and father taught my brothers and I all manner of things, animal husbandry being one of them.” She continued as she worked. “The idea had been that we succeed them. As it turned out, we all chose paths that led us away from home.”
Stopping to watch Shrimp come towards them, Lili continued and tried to hide her dislike of the ugly little thing with disinterest. “I’m sure Shrimp is all that you say he is. I’m just used to a different sort of Krilk, the kind you make a point to get rid of. Old habits die hard, I presume. I’ll get over it eventually.” While that was probably true, Lili said so disingenuously. Velma having a Krilk as a pet was akin to her having a giant locust as a pet, as far as Lili was concerned.
She decided to choose the course of action herself and if Velma had any objections she could simply say so. Lilianna watched Shrimp out of the corner of her eyes as she worked while he scuttled about retrieving something for Velma. Taking the alcohol pad from her, Lili folded it and gave the surrounding area a final wipe down, prepping it for wrapping. “Teln?” Lili said curiously, smelling the package before taking one. “It’s like kuivaliha.” She said starting to chew on it. “But stronger. What meat this?”
Lilianna took a seat next to and slightly behind Velma on the bed and motioned for her to hold the new patch in place. “I’ll need you to face that way for a moment.” Lili told her, taking the rest of the wraps in her hands. “Arms out, please.” She said, lifting Velma's upper arms out of the way as she went to start wrapping the wound over Velma’s underclothes.
“I wouldn’t give you friends to much gripe over their lack of a compassionate touch. They all seem more interested in getting wounds than tending to them.“ Lili said jokingly, trying to lighten up the negative mood that the lack of help from Velma’s party had probably left her. ”I understand you all are headed to the interior. May I ask what for?” Lili was curious for many reasons, one of them being what sort of harebrained adventure these kids were trying to get themselves into.

A Not So Wonderful Story

 

[SilverFlight]

Keenan dropped Isolde's hand and cleared his throat, suddenly very interested in brushing the snow from Blue's back.
He looked out the window one more time at the raging storm as Kadri made her points. She was right, Keenan couldn't imagine Elena would have stayed outside while watching the rest of the townsfolk scramble for shelter. If it had been one of his knights back in Arenthor he wouldn't have given the matter a second thought. He should learn to trust the skills of his new teammates, as he trusted his old.
"What did we just see?" Keenan asked, genuinely perplexed. "I suppose I should be grateful it didn't try to kill us...right away at least...but, is that the power we're facing? And who was that woman clad in red? Did you talk to her? It looked like you two were standing off."
Keenan went to remove his thick coat, hanging it on a peg by the door, then set to taking his armour off and storing it with his shield in a corner, ready to be taken to his room when he was ready to sleep.
He made the offer to take Kadri and Isolde's coats too and hang them up with his.
Baconhands Dominaiscna Athanas

 

[A Not So Wonderful Story]

Velma held out her arms as instructed and listened to Lilianna's story.
"I suppose that's a way of seeing it. I bet the wildlife doesn't like these town folk much, coming in and tearing down the Forrest to make a booze hut. How dare they kill an occasional cow we've enslaved?"
Velma said it sarcastically, looking back at Lilianna with a friendly grin.
"I'm just pulling your leg. Kinda. The people of Yurron are very spiritual with wildlife. We do not keep them in pens. We let them roam the Island, free, and when we are hungry, we hunt. Town folk are lazy. We're rather prideful because of it."
She motioned to Shrimp.
"I do not disrespect your judgement. But the way I see it, we're the bothersome ones, are we not? Just my thoughts."
Velma shrugged a bit.
"As for the Interior, we're trying to stop the bad guys from destroying the world."
Velma looked back at Lilianna.
"Like a tale you hear as a kid. I don't know if I believe em', but I'm on vacation, so I thought what's the harm?"
Crazy girl's vacation so far consisted of hunting, slaying a dragon, and joining an epic quest. Y'know, like any tourist!
"Oh and Teln is Yur for 'flesh of human', cool huh?"
Velma bit her lip to keep from laughing as she lied. She was a mischievous soul for certain.

Athanas FTR Baconhands SilverFlight Dominaiscna

 

[Dominaiscna]

As soon as Keenan’s hand let go of her own, she retracted her hand, gripping it awkwardly with the other. The fingers of one hand massaged nervous circles into the palm of the other as she listened to Kadri and Keenan speak, unable to meet either of their eyes.

When Keenan offered to take their coats, Isolde hastily took off her coat, giving it to with a softly murmored “Thank you...” before wandering over to the previously abandoned table. Much like Kadri’s, her tea was also still on the table and one touch confirmed that it was cold. Biting her lip, she lifted the cup and downed the cold liquid before placing it back on the table and joining Kadri by the open fire.

She sat down, bringing her knees up to her chest. From her spot, she could feel a delicious warmth radiating from the fire and it helped her calm down and relax. Carefully, she held up both hands up in the direction of the flames. Turning her hands this way and that, she spied barely noticeable frost on her exposed skin, thawing in the heat of the fire.

“They were descendents of Selta, that much was clear...” she said softly, in response to Keenan, though she kept her eyes trained on the flickering flames, “... the ebb and flow of the ice and cold.” Her tongue flicked over her dry and cold lips as she frowned for a moment before continuing. “... I could feel this... this something coming from them... when we were in the.. Garden,” she spoke, brow furrowing slightly in frustration at not being able to explain herself properly, “... they are related to the artefact in some way... and if they are guarding it then... we will indeed need to face them.”

She didn’t like the idea of having to go against the Deer and the Dragon, not only because she wasn’t one for conflict or violence and not only because the odds were against them.

It was not the same as with the Darkness Dragon... with him, she could depersonalize herself..,and step back from the battle and from his death. But these beings... though she and them were very different, because of their lineage, in a way they were related, connected, like family. She dreaded having to fight them one day.

SilverFlight Athanas Baconhands

 

[Athanas]

Destrian was still very much on edge, especially when the dragon approached and began examining them. It was only Kadri's instructions that prevented him from lashing out and assaultling the beast. Luckily for him, they were teleported back before he had a chance to completely lose it.

Of course, being teleported in the middle of a raging blizzard is by no means a pleasant experience. Thankfullly, he could see both Isolde and Keenan next to him, and from the doorway of a building sparks appeared to be flying- Either Kadri had gotten into a fight, or she was merely trying to help them get their bearings in the storm. He decided it was the latter, and followed the other two inside.

Once he had made it, he took off his coat and overcoat, leaving behind no small amount of snow on the floor. When the Inkeep had the poor idea of attempting to berate him on the matter, he merely glared at her and pointed at her with his still-drawn axe. Needless to say, the scornful glares melted almost as quickly as the snow right next to the fireplace. He turned to his companions, trying to identify any sort of wound or ailment that might have been inflicted on them during their little expedition, but found nothing. At the sight of Isolde and Keenan holding hands, however, he made a very audible sound that resembled both a chuckle, a growl, and a gurgle.

Feeling his chest still hot from the encounter, he moved over to their table, refilled his cup with tea, and downed it all with one swig. After a few seconds, he finnaly felt his heart rate slow down enough so as for the pressure to diminish. Taking in a deep breath, he moved to where the others were standing.

"Well, if we're to face them, I really don't like our odds. I mean, they teleported us, against our will nonetheless, twice! They had frozen people like it was nothing, and I'm fairly certain they could've frozen us too! We cannot hope to face off against such perils. We must either seek to somehow bolster our strength or try to find a weakness in them."
His expression was thoughtful, and he waited for a few seconds before speaking again. He was just as interested as Keenan was on the woman that had been sighted with Kadri. If she was a hostile agent, then they'd have no problem dispatching her, he was sure of it.
"Do you think that new woman could be this "Gorm the Grey" that.... Lilianna? I think it was Lilianna from earlier spoke of?"
Just now remebering the woman's presence, he took a quick look around the room, seeing if she perhaps was still there. They hadn't been gone for that long... But she was gone. Velma too.
"Where do you think she and Velma have gone off to, anyhow? I would find it difficult to believe that they became best friends within twenty minutes....Then again, I've seen weirder things, those past few days."
He let out a small chuckle at this last point. It occurred to him that the newcomer might actually have been an agent of the enemy, and Velma could very easily have been lured into a trap, but he pushed the thought aside: The lineaged was more than capable of handling herself, and the woman didn't strike him as anything dangerous. She was rich, it was obvious from the way she carried herself. She could also be described as charming, although it's difficult for someone's true charisma to show if they're clad in a heavy coat and wielding a swordspear taller than they were. Why would she choose such a bulky weapon anyways....?

He shook himself out of this train of thought, and refocused on the others, hoping that something they said would give him inspiration for a decent plan.

 

[FTR]

After a single wrap around her torso Velma would have been able to let go of the patch and just let Lilianna work. I wouldn't be long before she finished.

“Well, you don't eat slaves.” Lili joked back. “Livestock are just that. Stock that is liive. It's not as though they have better places to be, or know any better.” Lili countered. “Don't mistake my stance. I love nature and have a respect for animals, as I do for anyone or thing. I simply have come to understand that there is an order to things, means to an end.”

“I can respect your way of life, despite you calling me lazy.” Lilianna smirked tightening the wraps some. “-but I'm not sure it's accurate to say one way is better than the other. Animals take territory all the time. Fight and kill each other just as often, their methods often much worse than ours. We've simply beat them at their own game. Hunting and gathering doesn't build empires. Farms do that.”
She eyed Shrimp, as Velma motioned to him. He seemed pet-like, though in all honesty whether she liked him or not didn't matter. She'd tolerate the creature so long it behaved.

“Who is bothersome is determined by who is in charge. That happens to be us. Maybe in small, isolated societies like yours that sort of thinking is viable. As it stands, farming provides stability needed to grow and the variety needed to grow strong.” she took her time, doing it right the first time would allow for Velma to be able to go about her day without having to worry too much over it.

“Stopping bad guys from destroying the world you say? So you've gone from dragonslayer to hero of epics then?” She said, giggling a bit. Lili assumed that, like the dragon comment, was a clever way to not have to answer her question. Made her think they must be hiding something.

“Yur? You're of Yurron then. Yes, that does explain y- flesh of what?” Lili asked in shock, dropping what she's doing and bringing her hands to her mouth.

A Not So Wonderful Story

 

[Baconhands]

Kadri glanced at Keenan and Destrian and a long breath escaped her lips. She was clearly troubled by the experience, and while she initially thought about staying silent about the matter she knew it would be the wrong thing to do. A cold cup of tea sat in her hand, and she mixed it around as she looked into it. She kept her voice low as she spoke, making sure that the inn keeper and the waitress didn't overhear her. "That... that... well I've already mentioned her before. Nought but a few days ago. She goes by the name of Duskhand, or something the like. She's... she's the lich." An uneasy silence settled after she spoke. She was eager to break it after a moment, "She's... well maybe one of the main reasons why I started this hunt for the rest of the artefacts. Because I'm certain she has at least one already. And how she found it is completely beyond me because to my understanding you need to find them in some sort of order." A glance up from her tea revealed stormy irises that flashed occassionally with determination and anger, "And before you ask I know not what her purpose is with them. She ravages wherever she goes and undead follow in her wake. Survivors speak of a great flash of light from the heavens before she arrives, and then they hear the legions of the damned following in their wake. But they can't see them - for they've been blinded by the light." She paused, "These are... ultimately what the stories say about her. Records long before the Dragon War so even they must be taken with some form of scepticism. But... she's real, the artefacts are real. I've seen her do her work, and I've seen the great light from the heavens that the stories talk about. And I can't help but wonder what other parts of the stories are also real."
Kadri let the information sink in for a moment before she relaxed her shoulders and spoke with a bit more energy, "But! I'm certain those guardians for the ice artefact will be more than up to the challenge to keep her at bay. Maybe we can convince them to let us look after it! We've already got two, surely they'll think we're worthy to look after another one!"
SilverFlight Dominaiscna Athanas

 

[SilverFlight]

Keenan only felt his face warm when Destrian's laugh filled the space. He set himself the task of getting the group more hot tea from the maid tending the kitchen. Keenan didn't look back at Isolde but he was somehow much more aware of her presence than he had been.
As soon as people began to gather close to the fire Blue was there, rolling on her back and whining at anyone close to scratch her.
Keenan set the tray on the floor by the hearth, pouring tea for those that wanted. He settled himself down on the thick carpet too, consciously putting his dog between himself and Isolde.
"Do you think you have a connection to them?" He asked her softly. "Perhaps we could try talking."
He considered Destrian's words. The man was right of course, their number was devastatingly few for the task they had set themselves.
"The best warriors will only draw their swords if there are no other options. I'd rather not fight if there's a chance we can come away with the artifact peacefully."
The doubt was definitely there, at the back of his mind. He had hope, but it was tempered with a healthy dose of realism. It couldn't be that easy.

When Kadri revealed the identify of the mystery woman Keenan's jaw dropped.
"That was the lich?..but she looks so...ordinary." When Kadri had first told him of the monster that stalked the artifacts Keenan had pictured just that. This woman could have been lost easily in a crowd, and honestly, that scared Keenan more.
"She's obviously using the power of the artifact in her possession to make herself stronger...but if she's really had it as long as you say...she must be quite good at using it by now. I hate to say this Kadri, but, we may not have a choice but to learn to use the artifacts we're collecting. If it's the only way to prevent this Duskhand from getting them..."
He didn't like the idea. It made him uncomfortable. The entire business about lineages and magic made him uncomfortable, and he wondered if it only irritated him now because of the scales that lined his back, denying him an honorable heritage he had been proud to claim.
"Isolde, this artifact, and these creatures are tied to your lineage, what do you think we should do?"

When Destrian asked after Velma and the warrior woman Keenan noted that they were no longer in the main hall.
"Velma at least should hear what we're speaking of," he agreed. "Blue. Bring Velma."
The dog looked up at him from where she lay on her back and gave a long, low, growling whine. She didn't want to leave the fire, or the hands rubbing her belly.
"Go on." Keenan said, drawing out the words with mild authority. Blue snorted and rolled over, padding around the group and up the stairs, her nails clicking on the varnished wood.
Baconhands Dominaiscna Athanas

It only took her a few breaths to find the scent of the person she knew was called Velma. Blue scratched on the door and gave a gentle woof to get the attention of the room's occupants.
A Not So Wonderful Story FTR

 

[A Not So Wonderful Story]

Velma listened to everything Lilianna explained in her views. Rather than trying to convince her other wise, Velma smiled to Lilianna.
"You are a very smart woman, Lilianna. I'll trust your judgement and rid of my negative views. You have more years of experience than me, after all."

Once Lilianna had realized what she said, Velma exploded into laughter, leaning back into Lilianna with a grin and pointing a finger at her.
"Why yes, isn't it delicious?"
Before the scene could escalate, she rested her head on Lilianna's shoulder to catch her breath.
"Hah! It's just pheasant, Lucy-tama. Relax."
She held her gut as she continued to laugh at her successful scheme.

After a few moments in the close position, Velma sprung up at the sound of Blue.
"Dog! Oh it must be Blue!"
Velma snatched a small piece of Teln and pulled her robes back on. She wandered to the door and opened it, happily dropping to a knee and giving Blue the tasty morsel.
"Oh you're such a good girl! Thank you so much!"
She scratched behind her ears and around her jaw before standing and letting out a happy sigh.
"Well, the others are back, Timmy-Lana. We should join em'."
Shrimp dragged Velma's bow and quiver over to Velma before head butting Blue and scuttling off downstairs. Velma slung her equipment around herself and held the door open for Lilianna.


Athanas FTR Baconhands SilverFlight Dominaiscna

 

[FTR]

“I cannot believe that you would feed me something so vile!” Lili exclaimed, suddenly feeling strange at the thought. “To partake in such a terrible evil, I- “ Lilianna stopped, taking in the fact Velma had gotten one over on her. A split second gone by and she put everything together, she relaxed into a giggle. "It’s Lilianna. You are horrible.” She laughed, giving Velma a thump on her shoulder. In the relaxed moment Lili found herself thinking. Specifically, at the fact Velma had just used her own preconceived notions about the Yur against her. The idea she’d subconsciously thought of them as uncivilized enough to believe they engage in cannibalism rubbed her the wrong way.
Velma jumping up so suddenly shook Lili loose of her thoughts, her eyes followed the girl to the door. From there they drifted to the swordspear and she thought more as Velma knelt to play with Blue. The thinking brought her back to the underlying feeling that had presented itself while talking about the value of agriculture. It had made her think on where, or with whom, she’d come to conclusions such as this. She briefly reminisced on philosophical discussions her husband had once led her into; the spear in the corner of the room began calling to her again.
“Now you’re just doing that on purpose.” Lili answered playfully to Velma getting her name wrong as if she had been listening the whole time. “I suppose so. In the very least to see if everyone is alright.” She stood from the bed and cloaked herself in furs again, knowing the main room would be considerably colder being so close to the door. Retrieving the weapon took a tad bit more effort than expected as it had embedded itself into the wooden walls. Lili tugged on it a bit to free it and carefully exited, toting spear and wine in either hand, as Velma held the door.
"Who's an adorable little thief? Is it you? Yes, it is!" She said putting the wine bottle under her arm and bending at the hips to pet Blue as she waited for Velma to lock her room.

A Not So Wonderful Story SilverFlight

 

[Dominaiscna]

For the most part, as the others spoke, Isolde remained quiet. Her icy blue gaze flickered between person to person as they voiced their thoughts, though she couldn’t make herself meet Keenan’s eyes so settled for studying his profile whenever he was not looking. At times, she tried to busy herself with carding her fingers through Blue’s fur, a faint smile ghosting along her lips.

As Kadri explained the situation and revealed the identity of the stranger, Isolde’s eyes widened slightly and the air around them chilled. Once she realized what she was doing, she let out a nervous breathe and the temperature returned back to normal.

The Lich... she remembered well what Kadri had previously told them about the her ... but to see her with their own eyes.... that was another thing entirely. It wasn’t that Isolde doubted Kadri’s words in anyway... it was just that seeing her, flesh and bone, made her more real... and more dangerous. She was a very real threat to them and to the artifacts. One day, most likely sooner than any of them would like, they would have to face her... and defeat her somehow.

Isolde had been staring at a slightly worn patch in the carpet, chewing on her bottom lip nervously, when Keenan spoke her name and she jolted slightly. Her eyes shot up to his and immediately flickered away, avoiding his gaze. At his question, she remained quiet for a moment, trying to figure out her words.

“....I don’t know...” she said softly, hating how weak and useless she sounded. Finally, she met his eyes, her own reflecting her uncertainty and subsequent anxiety. “... as Destian said, the odds are not in our favour. Especially since it’s not merely the Guardians that we are faced with, but also the Lich...” Swallowing nervously, she wet her lips and continued, “the Guardians themselves warned us against fighting or using force... so there must be another way... an ‘amicable’ way...to get the artifact”

Her gaze shifted to the others in her group before finally concluding, “...this may be selfish of me but...I also don’t want to fight the Guardians... knowing that they’re descendents of Selta.. like me,” she continued, brow furrowing slighly, “... it’s like I have a connection to them.. a bond and...” her voice trailed off, wavering.

“Either way.. I just feel that this time round, violence is not the answer...”

Baconhands SilverFlight Athanas A Not So Wonderful Story FTR

 

[SilverFlight]

Blue swallowed the morsel of pheasant with gusto, trying her best to wash Vlema's face with her pink tongue as the woman scratched her. Shrimp butted her and she snapped at him playfully. When Lilianna bent down to stroke her Blue's forepaws left the floor briefly to give her just enough height to lick the woman's face.
After that she trundled downstairs after Shrimp, jumping on the Krilk as she reached the bottom.
A Not So Wonderful Story FTR

Keenan nodded in agreement. "If Isolde says peaceful would be better, then I believe her. I'm willing to give it a try."
Dominaiscna Baconhands Athanas

 

[Baconhands]

As Kadri was about to agree with Isolde's point, Velma returned and Lili with her. She eyed the stranger carefully; yes they were transporting her northwards, but there was no reason to trust this woman with any sort of valuable information. The lineaged took a quick sip of the now cold tea and then placed the mug back on the table, unwilling to drink any more of it.
"So... we're agreed. No violence in the future. At least for the immediate encounters ahead of us."
Her eyes rested on Velma, "We can fill you in more when we're on the move. Until then I think it would be better to keep some information to ourselves."
She mentally debated showing the scales on her forearm to the group; certainly Destrian, Isolde and Velma needed to see them but again, the newcomer did not.
"Have you made up your mind about my offer, Lili?"
A Not So Wonderful Story Athanas SilverFlight Dominaiscna FTR

 

[A Not So Wonderful Story]

Shrimp would bat at Blue with the back of his Tarsal claws, chirping happily.

Velma would follow Lilianna downstairs. She saw everyone had made it back alive, so she smiled a bit more.
"Glad to see ya all made it back in one piece. That took a while, even in a blizzard."
Velma listened to Isolde's response, then nodded.
"Then we'll be off in this Blizzard? Has it passed?"
Once Kadri questioned Lilianna, Velma grinned and hooked her arm around Lili's neck and pulled her in with a friendly gesture.
"Of course Lili's coming! She likes Shrimp too much not to!"
She laughed jokingly with a sharp grin, adjusting her patch a bit.
"You like the patch, Kadri? It's so I can see clear when the sun drops. Olikah guided me to the decision!"
She would do that a lot: 'Olikah guided me', she blamed Olikah for all of her fortune and wisdom. She continuously found herself with epiphanies of good ideas. She could only think her Aspect was watching.

Athanas FTR Baconhands SilverFlight Dominaiscna

 

[FTR]

A wave of relief washed over Lili as she saw the ragtag group had made it back from the storm visibly unharmed. She didn't sit this time, seeing as how the entire party was there and preferring not to clutter the table with the swordspear.

Kadri's demeanor came across as anxious, Lili would have been able to feel her eyes on her even if she hadn't seen it.
The comments she made to her comrades and Velma in particular didn't help Lili feel welcome. Or like whatever they were up to was on the up and up. It at least spoke to their cohesion as a group, they seemed to trust each other…. though not her. She thought that was understandable, same way she felt about her concerns.
She weighed her options. As she did, Velma responded for her, pulling Lili into her and an awkward, off balance position.

“Well….” She said, still in thought. “I suppose regardless of what it is your business in the interior is, I would have needed escorts on my journey anyway….” Lilianna looked at all of them. “And perhaps your team could use a bit of sensibility added into the mix…in the very least temporarily and in this terrain.”

Lili was almost positive she'd run into some kind of trouble with them and she noted that no one told her what was going on to any believable degree. In fact, her inquired had been directly ignored by everyone besides Velma. This made her weary. Surely, what Velma had said were comedic attempts to cover up their true business.

“However, in the situation that I can't find who I'm looking for or that he isn't inclined to escort me back, I'd be forced to come along with the rest of you. This being the case, I’ll reiterate that I'd be much more comfortable if given an explanation as to what I'd be following you into.”

Velma still had her in a vice, which more acutely reminded Lili of her story.

“And don't say dragons and saving the world.” She joked.

Baconhands A Not So Wonderful Story Dominaiscna SilverFlight Athanas

 

[SilverFlight]

Keenan watched Blue bring the two women downstairs. He praised Blue and she resumed her belly-up position by the fire.
He couldn't say he was thrilled with this woman accompanying them and he gave the pair of them a skeptical look as they came to join the group. Lilianna mentioned dragons and saving the world and Keenan raised both eyebrows at Velma in mild disbelief. What had she been telling this woman?
He tried to catch Kadri's eye, asking in silence what they could possibly say to someone they couldn't yet trust. The Lich was obviously here, her minions could be as well, in the room for all they knew.
"The mountain is dangerous." Keenan said in a quiet and formal voice. "We will likely be putting ourselves in danger."
He met Lilianna's eyes pointedly. "But, one seldom gains if one is not willing to risk. Suffice to say, if you do travel with us, we will do our best to shelter you from the perils of the journey. You have my word."
A Not So Wonderful Story FTR Baconhands

 

[Dominaiscna]

As Isolde was pouring herself a cup of hot tea, Blue rejoined them, followed closely behind by Velma and Lilianna. She lifted her head at their arrival, carefully balancing the cup of hot tea on the saucer. At Velma's friendliness with Lilianna, the lineaged of Selta bit down on her lip, casting wary glances between the two women. It seemed that Velma had taken a liking to Lili... and vice versa, though Isolde worried that Velma's words might put pressure on Lilianna to join them or make her uncomfortable. She understood Velma's fondness... yet at the same time, the rest of them were little less than complete strangers to the newcomer.

As Lilianna described their quest as 'dragons' and 'saving the world', Isolde visibly winced. Her eyes flickered to Velma before going back to Lili as she pursed her lips. Truth be told, the woman was not far off with her words....

At Keenan's voice, Isolde tore her gaze away from the two women to look at him. She studied his face as he spoke, noting his expression and the tone of his voice. He sounded slightly different... but for some reason, he almost sounded cold. Nervously, she set her saucer down, resting her hands on her lap in an attempt to look relaxed. She understood if his slight change in behavior was due to mistrust... but the tension in the air set her on edge and she worried at her bottom lift, gaze flickering around for person to person. Finally, she settled her icy blue eyes on the human.

"...Lilianna," she began, addressing the other woman in a gentle voice, "...Please do understand, it's not that we want to... purposefully keep you in the dark..." at this her gaze slide to Kadri, waiting for the other lineaged's reactions in the hopes of gouging how much she could reveal of their situation, before she looked back at Lilianna, offering her a reassuring smile. "... it's that... while it is only fair that you know what is going on, there are certain things we can't reveal about our... quest, not only because we don't know you very well, but also because we aren't in the best of places to discuss such things."

She paused for a moment, wetting her dry lips as her gaze flickered from Destrian to Kadri to Keenan, "I'm sure we can tell you... enough information if it will put you at ease...though you must understand if we withhold specific details or have to be vague. We have the best of intentions."

Athanas A Not So Wonderful Story FTR Baconhands SilverFlight

 

[A Not So Wonderful Story]

Velma would catch the looks from Keenan and Isolde. She became visibly irritated with their responses, unhooking her arm from Lilianna.
"Yeah? You guys will let a stranger's blade follow behind you but you don't want to risk a tall tale? By Olikah! Might as well get her a drink! She'll have to be blasted to take in those terms!"
Velma's lip curled the more her anger increased. She hated untrust. It was why she worked by herself. If you were confident enough in someone to let them help, you should be just as trusting to let them know what they're getting into. Those were Velma's thoughts, anyway. She was visibly heated, her body tense and her eye sharp. She turned her gaze towards the bar.
"Speaking of drinks, I'm not drunk enough to take the terms I've already accepted."
She turned the rest of her body sharply to the bar and walked powerfully to it. She tossed a couple silver coins and mumbled an order.
"Olikah, I'm finally doubting this one. How the hell am I supposed to follow them?"
She received her strong ale with a scoff, taking a large swig.
" 'Enough information', shit. I don't have enough information!"
She slammed the entire drink down her gullet with loud swallows before she set down the empty glass.
"Damn it bartender! This is good ale!"
She growled with a grin, tossing another silver coin to retrieve her refill. Velma angrily drank away as Shrimp scuttled to the fireplace to feel safe beside blue, and to be beside the warm fire.

Athanas FTR Baconhands SilverFlight Dominaiscna

 

[SilverFlight]

Keenan watched their companion storm off towards the bar.
"Wait Vel, come on, don't be like that."
He looked back at the others and puffed his cheeks as he let out his breath before getting up to follow her.

He claimed the stool beside her and when she put another silver on the counter so did he, a gesture of camaraderie. His mind trailed back to his past, he remembered sitting just like this, speaking to one of his soldiers who had trouble fitting in. Building a team was hard. It took work, and faith.
"Look, I know how you feel. There's too little trust to go around, but you literally jumped into a fight that wasn't yours to help us, so we trust you. Lilianna hasn't had that chance yet."
He took the ale that was given to him and clinked the tankard against hers before taking a drink.
He thought for a moment as he stared into his cup, and then his shoulders slumped. "Velma, if you can look me in the eyes, and honestly tell me that you would trust this woman...with our quest..with our lives...then I'll believe you."
A Not So Wonderful Story

 

[FTR]

Lili didn’t have an issue reading a room, regardless of how little she knew of the people. She could very easily tell they all were intent on hiding their business. All save Velma, who took all offense to the distrust on her behalf. Her reaction was appreciated but Lili hadn’t intended to get between them. Again, Lili came to the conclusion that by all intents and purposes, their business was their own. It did, however, present a glaring obstacle for her. "I'm sorry. I hadn't meant to come between comrades." she apologized, turning back to the group after watching Velma storm off.

Lilianna wasn’t one to take unnecessary risks and she had left her home in Norgard with no intent of falling prey to the world around her. They had the advantage over her, being five to one. The luxury of operating on assumptions of good intent was theirs alone. Besides, the whole situation rang odd to her; a group of young people visiting Frost Veil of all places, intending on going to the interior without guide and being secretive of their purpose.

Keenan’s ambiguity and coldness, still present from before, did absolutely nothing but further Lili’s suspicions. There was little in the interior besides hostility, be it native or environmental, and surely much too dangerous for those unfamiliar with the area. They ran out into the blizzard fresh off the ship for heavens’ sake. A promise from them to ensure her safety wasn’t very easy to buy.

“I understand.” Lili responded to Isolde. “I only hope you can also understand my reservations about following a group, of whose names I only know two, into unknown territory.” Lilianna searched their faces for a reaction before continuing. “I’d be a fool to let myself be outnumbered among strangers in the interior of Frost Veil, especially ones who insist on holding fast to their purpose for being there...and know the landscape about as well as I.”

Something Lili didn’t understand was that if the information they withheld was so sensitive, why didn’t they just lie about it? If they wanted to keep it undisclosed, whether they meant her ill will or not, why not make something up? Lili ended up surmising this to be in her favor and meant three things. One, they weren’t liars. Two, they were probably indifferent about her coming or staying. And three, they were quite bad and not seeming suspicious.

“So far all you’ve said is that you have plans of putting yourselves in danger. This much, I’ve gathered myself.” She said alluding to the storm they’d recently come back in from. “I’m, unfortunately, not inclined to readily accept your offer. Though, I do very much appreciated and would like to repay you for your time. In all honesty, while I would prefer company on my journey, as I previously stated I'm not entirely sure where it is I'm headed just yet. I'd probably be wise to continue my investigation before I even think about leaving town." she said trying to be polite about her not accepting their offer, though they likely didn't care.

Lili called the waitress over as she pulled her purse back out. She handed her a triangularly cut emerald and said. "I'd like you to give these 4 and the loud girl at the bar whatever they desire for the remainder of their stay." Lilianna looked at the now cold pastries sitting on the table. "Starting with warm snúður." Entranced by the stone the waitress shuffled away and into the back.

"I'll excuse myself now. I'm glad to see you all safely returned and, if we don't meet again before you depart, I wish you the same safety in your travels. Sorry for having wasted your time." With that Lilianna retreated to her room, waving to Velma as she passed. Walking down the hall she thought about the group and hoped they weren't aiming to look for trouble....they'd likely find it.
Once in the room, she immediately got a fire started and began shedding layers. She got down to her linens, which were a gown considering the cold, and settled into bed. The sword spear stood next to her, propped up against the headboard. There she laid, likely thinking about everything and nothing, and having lost interest in the wine that now stood on the mantle. It wouldn't be long before sleep would take her, blizzards made it a viable option regardless of the time.


A Not So Wonderful Story SilverFlight Dominaiscna Baconhands Athanas

 

[Dominaiscna]

Isolde was completely taken aback when Velma suddenly got ticked off. Her face quite obviously reflected her troubled feelings as she watched the lineaged of Olikah storm off to the far, followed closely behind by Keenan. She hadn’t meant for things to heat up even more and she hadn't expected Velma's negative reaction to her words...quite the opposite of her intended effect. Her lips pulled down slightly and she tried to reign in her expression of slight panic. The last thing she wanted was more conflict.

Her gaze flickered to Lilianna as she spoke up in response to her earlier words. She almost flinched at her voice, body tense following Velma’s outburst. She nodded at the human’s words, letting out a shaky breathe. However, before she could speak a word, Lilianna continued talking and as her words rolled out, Isolde's gaze flickered to Kadri and Destrian, as if looking to them for their reactions or thoughts. Her final conclusion and rejection of Kadri's offer was understandable...after all, to her, they probably seemed little more than a ragtag group of youngsters who were reckless, uncoordinated, and obviously had things to hide. There was very little reason for her to consider tagging along.

And perhaps it was for the best. The newly formed group still needed time to build up bonds and trust... and having a stranger in the mix, one whom they had no way of trusting, might have complicated things even more. The current situation was fragile... so if it meant that Velma had to say goodbye to her newly-made friend, even if only temporarily, then perhaps it was in the best interest of the group.

As Lilianna turned to go, Isolde took in a breathe to speak yet ultimately held her tongue. Though she felt that she should say something, perhaps a few farewell words, but decided to leave it for someone else to say. After all... her last words had led to a rather unpleasant situation. She did however cast a wary glance in the direction of the bar, eyes studying Velma's back, before returning to her teammates.

It was only once Lilianna was out of hearing range that Isolde put down her cup, having taken a sip, and said in a slightly awkward voice, "....so... Kadri, is there anything else we need to discuss?"

Athanas SilverFlight A Not So Wonderful Story FTR Baconhands