Fantasy Tales of Raeligard

[Topless]

Sakuranbo Suzui
Location: Kriegslöwe Guildhall, Meeting Room
Sakura acknowledged Cephilia's word, though still ashamed at what she had done in the past. "Understood, Miss Cephilia." She spoke before she took another cookie and ate. After some time of discussion had passed, it was now time for the team to get going. Sakura had hoped that no similar incident would happen if she wants to have everyone sans Falco to be on their good side.
Location: Tylsen, East Side
Most members of the team have been gathered with Falco, Risax and a man who is the representative of the landferry company to arrive. The representative led the group to where the landferry is. Along the way, he spoke of instructions and explanations about the transport and as well as some ground rules to follow while aboard. Sakura listened very attentively in each word spoke and stayed silent throughout. About halfway to their destination however, her ears suddenly perked up at the sound of a voice calling out her name.

"Madame Sakura!"

"Huh?" Sakura turned to her side to see a young woman sprinting towards her with a handful of bouquets of flowers, one for each adventurer. This woman looked like any other civilian in this kingdom. The group would stop on their tracks as she got close.

"Madame Sakura, thank Aurelia I've caught up to you just in time." The woman spoke as she took some time to take her breath after all that sprinting. "Oh, it's you." Sakura recognized her. "Forgive me, I was so careless to forget to give you another reward after you've helped me took care of those hooligans from sabotaging my shop. If it weren't for you, then I would have gone out of business." The woman spoke and then Sakura replied "Well, I'm just doing my job. That is how Kriegslowe operates." The woman turned to the other adventurers and said "And you must her companions, oui? My name is Flora Gainsborough, owner of the Gainsborough Flower Company just a across a few buildings from your guild. I see that all of you are going on a trip. I was just about to head for the guild when I saw you and Madame Sakura. If you're going out of Tylsen, please take these with you. These flowers symbolizes courage, good health, fortune and luck on your journey."

Flora proceeded to give every member a bouquet of flowers, an assortment of them that each compliments the other aesthetically. "Thank you, Flora. I am very sure these will be of good help." Sakura said which made Flora very happy as she gave a bright smile. "I hope and pray that all of you will come back safely, especially you Madame Sakura. When you come back, I'll have a huge bouquet of flowers be at your guild's doorstep. May Aurelia guide you all and your spirit. Take care." And with that, Flora made her way back to the shop. Sakura watched on as she leaves before the group went back on their way to the warehouse of which the landferry resides.
Location: En route to Oyten
The night had came. Sakura began to worry of the state of the moon, which is why she had her windows covered, not wanting to look at it. She remembered the first time she looked up at the moon that ended badly for her and her kin. She hoped that she will not do the same again to her fellow companions. "Say, Falco..." She spoke as she was seated beside him "Is this your time riding in something like this? I mean, I've never rode a transport before in my entire life. We never had these in my village."

AnonyMouse Reinhardt RedArmyShogun EmperorsChosen Thalia_Neko Huntertabbysandshark3
​

 

[lunar_moth]

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　♡ ♡ ♡　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧




UNNAMED RANCH — OUTER TYLSEN

​

So, okay. Here’s the thing. If you think about it, you can never truly be homeless, right, because the Earth houses us all, in a manner of speaking; it’s where we all live, together, in peace and harmony, coexisting, neighbours to each other, eat pray love—

“Boy, get the hell out of my barn before I do something neither of us’ll like.”

Endymion scrambles upright in what’s honestly an impressive matter of seconds. “Yes, sir, got it, sir. Hear you loud and clear, sir.” He gives the old man farmer a lazy salute with one hand; when the old man continues to fix him with a cutting look, his other hand snakes up to surreptitiously pluck bits of straw out of his bedraggled hair. (The humidity’s killer this time of year, and like, a straw bale is by far not the most delicate of headrests. An adventurer must make sacrifices; you know how it is.)

“You’ve got some real guts shacking up in my barn for a whole ‘nother night when I thought I kicked you out yesterday. What, thought you’d take advantage of an honest man’s kindness? I guess mucking up the fence posts wasn’t enough already, was it?” The old man trudges further into the barn, where he’s flung the doors wide open behind him. Early morning sunlight streams in and Endymion winces, hastily scrabbling to gather his things and bundle them in his cloak to leave. Above and below, it’s much too early to be awake and doing things yet.

Endymion’s still puttering around in his sleeping corner of the barn when the old man catches up to him. The old man’s hefted up a corn broom leant against the wall, and as Endymion hops one-footed to yank back on his shoe, laces be damned, the old man whacks him across the shoulders with the broom’s wood handle. For an old man, he’s still so much stronger than he looks!!

“Go! Get going! I have work to do and you’re not gettin’ in my way again.”

No need to tell him- er, thrice. Back smarting, Endymion scrabbles out of the barn with his things wrapped up in his travelling cloak and slung over his shoulder. He hops over the fence on his way out, which is not a difficult feat given the fence’s current state of affairs. It’s almost impressive how he managed to beat down the fence posts into worse shape than they were already in after the last storm. What can he say? He’s always been more the scholarly type than the working type. Even if he didn’t get paid for the day, at least he found a dry place to spend another night.

And hopefully for the last time, too! Surely the Kriegslöwe Guild would be offering their members suitable lodgings? It’s only the town’s most prestigious adventuring guild, after all. Nope, it wouldn’t do at all to send their Kriegslöwen out trekking through the wilderness on sore backs and necks. Speaking of, when had the invitation letter said he was supposed to be arriving again…?

“Oh, for the love of—“ Endymion crumples the letter back into one of his many pockets. How was he supposed to get all the way to the heart of the town from out here in time for the morning (he fishes back out the letter to double check, and deflates when the time printed does not change) assembly for all new recruits?!

Well, no matter. If there is one thing all great adventurers must learn in times of need, it is to haul ass.

***


KRIEGSLÖWE GUILDHALL​

The only saving grace to being woken up at the asscrack of dawn, Endymion supposes, is that he is only marginally late to his first-ever guild meeting.

When he practically screeches to a stop in front of the guildhall (probably, if one looked close enough, with a puff smoke and a sound like slamming brakes) there’s only a handful of other bodies making their way in or out yet.

Smoothly, very smoothly, Endymion tiptoes up the way and into the guildhall’s atrium. His shaky breathing is only a little bit loud in the echoey hall.

“Hello,” Endymion starts, and then does not pause to take another deep breath and maybe dab away the sweat on his forehead with his sleeves, “I’m here for the new recruit initiation. Endymion Aurelimere. You’ve probably heard— well, probably not much about me.” I don’t get out much.

There’s a beastfolk woman running the front desk, sporting smart glasses and a pair of horns that leave quite the impression. Somehow that’s not even the most notable thing about her, because when she speaks her voice is melodic, silky on the edges.

“Please take a seat,” she says in her lilt, and despite himself Endymion can’t help but feel his nerves ease. “A Kriegslöwe will arrive shortly to attend to you.” And then he’s directed to take a seat among the many benches lining the hall’s floors.

The Kriegslöwe in question must have already been sent for; there’s one other person currently waiting in the same area. Endymion eyes her out of the corner of his vision as he gingerly selects a seat — the first bench he tries gives a loud creak! in the otherwise stillness of the room when he lowers his weight onto it, and he cringes, immediately scooting down to the other end. This has the unfortunate effect of putting him in much closer proximity to the only other person waiting around— directly across, in fact. He’s sure she’s lovely, really, she’s observing the going-ons with a very polite air and her tail looks impeccably well-groomed, but also…

Oh, no. Endymion’s never been good at small talk. Abysmal, in fact!

He pulls his packed cloak into his lap for something to do with his hands.

“Hi. Hello,” he says, smartly, like someone who is smart.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　 Reinhardt Silver Wolf 　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧​

 

[Thalia_Neko]

Hysydice "Hyss" Maliss

Currently: Checking gear.
Thinking: "Let's get this over with."

Location: Land Ferry, on approach to Oyten
Interacting: RedArmyShogun
Mentions: Topless


​

Hyss had heard this spiel before. When she was backpackin' it across the nation. Sometimes she had the coin to properly pay her guides and drivers. Othertimes she didn't, and had to use less than scrupulous means. Sometimes it was stolen coin, othertimes she snuck aboard and no one was the wiser. Still, it felt better being on mission, and in company with those of similar station to her. It almost felt... what's the word? Welcome? Wholesome? Ahhh, she didn't know the word exactly. Even so, Hyss was far from the conversational sort, silently sitting in her seat like a unassuming shadow. The chatter, if there was any, was between the other members of the group, as the little snake Beastkin remained quiet practically the whole way there. Which just reinforced how she had managed to use ferries for transport after sneaking aboard them; no one would notice her.

Listening to the brothers' argument on the ferry caught the girl's attention. Especially when the name of Valgem was brought up, and how they were advancing, and how the world was changing because of that advancement. As her silvery eyes glanced the dwarves direction, Hyss clutched her Arcanizer and absentmindedly squeezed it. There was a piece of that advancement in her hand now. It was warm and gave her some comfort. But even though it was warm, she was still shivering. She knew one Arcanizer wasn't enough. Not enough for the ever-growing Valgem. She'd have to advance too. Faster, and stronger.

After quite some time, when dark had fallen, and a few rotating shifts of the boys at the wheel, a voice called out to her, snapping Hyss out of her reverie. It was Thea. Hyss didn't appreciate it too much, she had been admiring the storm. Huh? Was that so? What she said and how she responded before seem to be in conflict with one another. Was she really as open as she said? Feeling slightly testy from this sudden forced interaction, she simply responded, "You're saying that now?" When they were so close to their destination? "I think we should focus on our task at hand. Don't you, Madam leader? But I will keep what you said in mind." With that, Hyss went back to admiring the storm, shivering in her seat, a yawn teasing her lips as she clutched her knees to her chest.

The suggestion to check their gear, though, was a good one, and Hyss's attention was given to that, instead of the storm. She tugged on some straps, plucked at her pack, checked Fangflake, but didn't unfold it, since the weapon would be too large and intrusive for this vehicle. It could easily cause damage or harm if she were to transform it. It was okay, she had checked, and double-checked it before they left. Not checking one's weapon, and making sure it was in pristine condition was the worst thing one could do -she had learned that long ago. And ever since receiving Fangflake, she doted on the strange manatech glaive like a mother. It was her baby -her lifeline. There was one other thing that she looked over. The strange bouquet of flowers that had been given to her prior to leaving. Hyss simply stared at it in mild confusion, wondering its purpose. They seemed completely pointless for their current mission -- nay, they seemed to actively be in the way. Even so, she had been sure to take good care of the bouquet, keeping the flowers safe so they weren't damaged or bent. The Beastkin stared at the snow-white petals of the flowers, wondering why these in particular where given to her.

 

[Huntertabbysandshark3]

Risax
Location: land ferry to Oyten
interaction: RedArmyShogun mention: Thalia_Neko​

It wasn’t too difficult to find a land ferry company between himself and Falco, tho the trouble wad finding one that could properly accomodate Risax‘s more then sizeable frame. If anything it made the arachne self conscious about how much of an inconvenience his ungainliness might cause on occasion. Though he certainly wasn’t disappointed at the ample leg room so to speak it was pretty good no complaining form Risax whom for a majority of the journey hung lazily form a hammock most of the trip as he was inclined to do on more long haul carriage rides. It certainly made the trip go a lot faster though risax wondered how the others where fairing, most of them didn’t appear like the sort who where as accustomed to days upon the road like himself but most had already proven resilient so they could surly manage.
____________

the early morning and announcement form their driver awoke Risax whom was somewhat surprised they where almost at their destination, even though they’d said it wouldn’t take more then a day Risax couldn’t help but be impressed regardless grabbing his own gear getting everything back on while keeping an ear on the conversations around Thea addressing some of the others more directly in regards to their argumentative nature. “Don’t worry miss Thea, I’m sure the others will understand that we’ve got a reputation to uphold, anyhow I’m sure If we lack anyone with true forestry experience, we could possibly acquire a local guide to assist“ Risax commented the arachne, deciding to spend the rest of time during the trip insuring that the hand ballista‘s strings where correctly waxed and tightened, after-all theirs A good chance they’d actually need to use them.

 

[ERode]

Location: Kriegslöwe Guildhall, Tylsen​

Tylsen was about as much of a hometown as Lori, world-walking courier extraordinaire, could ever have. The nexus of more travel routes than she had feathers, which was an amount that could either be more or less than suspected, bustled at all hours, guards pulling graveyard shifts so merchants who travelled by the guidance of the Safe-Light could find shelter within its walls. The Land Ferry, impressive of an invention as it was, still had no means to transport the goods that ships and caravans had to ferry to the city in order to make up for the transportation fees, and it was through working with one such caravan that she had arrived at the city to begin with. At a distance of more than just a week or so of travel, the only constant in her life toiled away for his own sake, while the fledgling herself had departed the nest to travel the lands on her own whims.

Or, more specifically, on the whims of whatever person was going to offer her the next quick ticket to a meal and some baubles.

It had been a couple of days connecting with old friends and making new ones as she updated them on the news of her acceptance as a grunt at the Kriegslowe Guild. She slummed it up in stables that she snuck into past midnight and snuck out of before daybreak, dined and wined on the best money that someone with hardly any money could afford, and even managed to sneak in a quick dip in the city’s fountain, washing off the muck that had gathered up in her hair while depositing a forest’s worth of dead insects and foliage into the public ornament. Surely though, whoever designed such a marvelous little decoration would have considered that though? After all, what would they have expected, installing a public bath that came equipped with water jets for gentle massages? That people would just admire it from a distance?

So that, fundamentally, was the reason why Lori took the back alleys to the Guild today, her talons click-clacking against cobblestone as she shot from one shadow to the next, avoiding the gazes of the guards who were looking out for a ‘chicken-legged exhibitionist’. Couldn’t be her, of course: Lori wore her clothing when she bathed, to do some laundry as well…but, y’know how it was! Better safe than sorry, Lori!

Without any incident, and having dried fully during her little shadowrun, the Beastfolk girl slipped into the Guild with a little skip to her step, her feet locking onto the grooves between the stone tiles of the Guild’s floor as she made her way first to the receptionist, and then to her peers, pausing only briefly to smirk at that pitiful blue bird.

Imagine, only being useful for intra-building correspondence!

A couple others had arrived earlier than her, no doubt because they had much shorter hair than herself. There was the city-girl Beastfolk that looked like she had a silver spoon for a tongue, the type of girl that Lori decided that she’d either immediately love or immediately probably still like, because long-haired gals were forever pals. The dark-skinned human was…dark-skinned and human! Honestly, his impression was much weaker, but he got bonus points for stealing the march on Lori and breaking the silence first. Took guts indeed, to speak up when sandwiched by two beauties!

“Hey hey,” Lori chimed, half-skating in front of the benches where the others were seated. Her hair swung from one side to another like a bag of sand, and her ochre eyes gleamed cheerfully at her cohort. “I’m Lori Delivery, same day rates no matter the days! Who are y’all and how are y’all? Super exciting to get started, right? Honestly, I’ve been looking forward to today for at least since yesterday!”

 

[EmperorsChosen]

Lucia Corinna Edelgarde​

Location: Land Ferry
​

Lucia was at the arranged meeting point to hear the spiel from their chauffeurs. The aristocrat had been ferried around plenty, though via her own servants rather than a private company, so this was somewhat of a new experience. None of their rules were disagreeable; the passengers were to relax and the drivers would get them from point A to point B. No, the oddity of the experience was when a young girl appeared, seemingly for the fox, and then passed around flora to the group.

The Caskarieth wondered just what the furred one had gotten up to, but likely it didn't involve taking a bite out of anyone, which was all that mattered in her eyes.

Giving a word of thanks to the girl and the Dwarves, Lucia was quick to make herself at home within the actual vehicle. Removing her plate armor, the noble spent much of her time reading from a novel she brought along and sleeping the rest of the way. This was likely the closest resemblance to her old life that she would experience for a while. Surely the guild wouldn't be so generous at all points in the future.

As the voyage neared its end and Lucia awoke with a leisurely stretch. Gazing outside the ferry to watch the downpour, her attention was drawn by Thea. She was still speaking about the argument from yesterday.

Lucia sighed a bit as she began to get herself ready, taking her greaves and gauntlets and equipping them to her person. "Like I said before, I do not see that as an argument but a debate, and in a meeting, such a debate is warranted. I understand you are a soldier and chain of command and hierarchy are quite imperative to you, but I was a noble myself and spent much of my life stepping around eggshells, putting on fronts, bowing my head, and holding my tongue. I came here to be rid of it, and I will be," Lucia stated to the knight. "That is not to say I will speak sin to a priest in a cathedral or participate in baseless squabbles, but I will not hold my tongue among you or the guild."

Lucia was pragmatic, even if she had grown severely tired of bureaucracy. She could garner what was appropriate depending on the situation. They may have a reputation to uphold, but they didn't have to kiss the rears of those around them.

"Either way, onto the assignment, are we verily sure this guide will meet with us? We were told that they are to spectate and clean up what's left," Lucia questioned. "I will admit, I personally do not want any sycophant of Cephilia's holding our hands and giving them an excuse to make light of our accomplishments."

Interactions: @A-Team

 

[Silver Wolf]

Lupa
​

Spoiler: appearance

Location: Guildhall, Tylsen
Interactions: lunar_moth (Endymion), ERode (Lori)
Mentioned/Nearby: N/A


​

Surprisingly, it didn't take too long for another person to end up next to her. She had watched him come in and ask about initiation, leading her ears to perk up and hone in. Then she decided to observe more carefully. He was handsome, for one. He also had that scholarly glint in his eyes she only ever saw in people who enjoyed activities unrelated to combat, which made sense as she saw no sign of open weapons, unlike her carrying a rapier which she had leaned against the chair so she could sit down. She had folded her tail into her lap for similar reasons, and she could see his gaze briefly fall upon it, leading her to don a pretty self-satisfied or smug smile at the thought of someone enjoying the work she put into her wonderful tail.

"Hi, hello," he said rather awkwardly, which made her giggle a little. She gave her best social smile in response and shifted her posture a little to face him better.

"Hi, hello," she teased. She gave a short chuckle before continuing. "My name is-"

Almost immediately, a new arrival literally skidded across the bench to meet them and gave a bombastic "Hey, hey," before introducing herself as Lori. As far as Lupa could tell, very excited person, one she imagined she would get along with well, despite the interruption at least.

"Nice to meet you, Lori. I'm Lupa, former apprentice and adoptive daughter of Knight Grendel Kirstav as well as a former city guard of Tylsen. I'll be sure to remember you if we need anything delivered fast and reliably," she greeted back, already being sucked in by Lori's chipper mood. "I have been looking forward to today as well. I've always seen the good the guild does, and now I get to be a part of it."

Suddenly she remembered the tan-skinned man next to her on the seat and turned to his direction with a smile.

"I was about to get this fine gentleman's name before you arrived, tell us, what is your name?"

With her attention back to Endymion, she stared expectantly at him, smile plastered upon her face. She also unkowningly, well perhaps subconsciously, thumped her tail onto her lap a couple times in anticipation. This was a great opportunity after all, to get to know her fellow initiates whom she could be working with shortly. She also enjoyed meeting new people, she might recognize a few faces of adventurers due to her previous line of work, but that should be hardly beside the point. For now, she wanted to meet some new faces. The excitement got to her again and the tip of her tail started swishing to and fro, so she innately grabbed it in an effort to calm the appendage. She didn't mind her emotions being broadcast to others, but it got a little annoying to have people compare her to a puppy rather than a capable individual. That was the last thing she wanted to impress upon their minds.

 

[TreasureSniper]

Talio Ferromanus
Location: On the road
A few days ago...​

It wasnt easy to travel alone, but if his siblings could do it, why couldn't he? Such thoughts were a common occurrence in Talio's mind. Ever since his little accident, his parents seemed to have little confidence in his future endeavors. Was losing his arm a big deal? Maybe. But at least it didn't break his spirit. If anything, it had emboldened him even more. Taking a "shortcut", Talio would soon find himself blocked off by a trio of bandits.

"Well well well, what do we have here! A merchant crossing the border." The leader spoke as he approached the carriage with a nasty smile accompanied by two equally nasty men. "Its dangerous to travel alone you know...." The three men laughed to themselves, knowing full well that this merchant was alone and possibly vulnerable. Talio sighed as he got down from his carriage to greet them. "Alright, let's not make a mess of things. We can probably work something out." He replied, in a diplomatic tone.

"Ohhoho, I don't think you're in any position to bargain." The leader spoke once more, unsheathing his blade. The other two men followed suit, surrounding Talio. "Oh I assure you, I'll make an offer none of you can refuse," Talio spoke as he straightened his tie with a cocky grin. "How about three pieces of copper. One for each of you." Talio's offer was met with immediate rejection and annoyance. "That joke will be your last, boy." But funnily enough, he wasn't joking. "No jokes here. It's a bargain if you ask me, considering your lives are worth infinitely less." He gave them a deadpan response along with a smile.

Before the bandit leader could strike, Talio grips his sword with his Mannatech arm and unsheathes it with great force, propelling the pommel of the sword into his face cracking his teeth, sending the arrogant bandit flying. In an instant, his entourage retaliates, only for Talio quickly block their blades with his other sword and metal hand quick succession. "What the!? What kind of freak are you!?" The bandit spoke, struggling to get his blade free from his grip. Talio smiled as he clash blades with the bandit on the right, pulling the lever on to release a cloud of poison to them.

"MY EYES!!" The bandit recoiled in pain leaving him with only one foe. "Amatuers." He spoke out of disgust and disappointment. Thinking that this was safe opportunity to test his skills, he started fighting the remaining bandit with his normal arm in a laxed manner, as if it was one of his trainning exercises. However, unbeknownst to him, the other two bandits had recovered and quickly launched a counterstrike. Talio was quickly overwhelmed by the barrage of swords strikes from the three bandits, just barely managing to block and parry some of them. Talio, seeing, seeking to gain back leverage, swap his blade back to his "strong arm" and perform whirlwind varation of his helm breaker slash, slicing through their cheap weapons. Unfortunately, this also had the side effect of jamming his arm. Even without their weapons. the bandits were more than happy to improvise with their fists.

Having only one arm to defend himself, Talio was swifly knocked to the ground pummelled relentlessly. He struggled to fight back as they stomp him with their boots. "No so tough without your toys are you?" One of them taunted. Whether it was pure lock or some divine intervention, one of the bandit's kicks had unintentionally kickstarted his arm, giving him an opportunity to retaliate with righteous indignation. Grabbing one of them by the foot, he proceeded to use the bandit's body as a makeshift club, slaming them on top of each repeatedly before tossing him into a tree with great disdain.

After all that action. The bandit leader miraciously remained and attempted strangle Talio only for him to quickly turn the tables with manatech arm. His grip tightened around the scum's neck, the bandit's cries of anger were quickly reduce the pleas of mercy. "Pleease.....I have a bounty.......I am worth more....al....ive...." To think, this was the man that was beating him senselessly not too long ago. He found it quite amusing how quickly some people could change. "Oh?" He released his grip, allowing the man the catch his breath. Was this a bad idea? Possibly, but maybe it'll pay off. "Now that you mention it...I remember seeing your face on a poster...50 copper alive.. and 25 copper dead..." He dusted himself as he talked to the man before turning his back to the carriage. "Yes thats the one! See I am worth twice as much alive." The bandit spoke, secretly grabbing hold of a broken piece of their weapon from earlier. And when the moment was right he struck, or at least attempted to do so. The last thing he saw were eyes of indifference from the Valgemian Merchant. In an instant, Talio's metal fist could be seen potruding from the man's back "You're worth enough dead." Talio gave the mean one last reply before pulling his fist out, now completely covered in blood.

A few minutes later
​

Despite the fight they put up, Talio had emerged victorious, albeit just barely. Covered in bruises and blood, Talio loaded up whatever he could loot he could sell and utilize and continued his way, including the body of the bandit with a bounty. "A pleasure doing business with all of you." He bid the other two farewell, leaving their unconscious and bruised bodies with nothing but their undergarments. There was not benefit to killing them. They could probably make their way back to the city. Probably. "Looks like I'll need a bit more training..." He wasn't pleased with how the fight went, but at least he was alive.

Location: Kriegslöwe Guildhall, Tylsen
Interactions: ERode (Lori), Silver Wolf (Lupa), lunar_moth (Endymion)​

He was finally, here, after a long trip through the countryside, surviving bandit ambushes and wildlife, he was here, the place where legends were made supposedly. That, or you'll just be another peon doing errands until you accumulated enough goodwill from the people, at least that's what he's heard from his family members. Talio took his seat and quietly inspected the fine craftsmanship found throughout the guild. It reminded him of home, somewhat. His eyes were drawn to the manatech lamps, a technology that he has not fully grasped, but is certainly crucial to his future machinations. Perhaps there was a mentor figure he could look for here....but then again...that would mean he had to share some of the glory with them as well. Talio already had a detailed plan on how to pay off his pilgrimage. If everything went according to plan, he would likely get his desired amount in about.....50 years. Not an ideal plan since he planned on retiring early. But from what he has heard about the stories of Kriegslowe, there are a lot of opportunities to accelerate towards his end goal.

Upon reaching the counter, the young man produced a few papers to identify himself and was promptly told to take a seat, and wait to be attended to. The group of new adventurers was a lot smaller than expected, but perhaps it was one of the slower seasons. After taking a seat, the young took some time to look at the other newcomers of the batch. They all seemed unique enough, filled with hopes and dreams just like the rest.

His train of thought was immediately interrupted by a friendly beastfolk that preemptively broke the ice. He couldn't help but smile when he heard her name as well as her advertising herself. "Lori Delivery. What a perfect name for a courier." He acknowledged her introduction with a small chuckle before composing himself. Seeing the other beastfolk introduce herself, he felt that it was only customary for him to do the same. "A pleasure to meet you, Lupa and Lori. I am Talio Ferromanus, a sellsword, artificer and entrepreneur from Valgem. I look forward to working with all of you." He was tempted to advertise his own services but felt that it'd be better for them to start asking him about it later. For now, he was more interested in getting to know his peers, to see what they bring to the table. "Excited would be one way to describe it. This guild's quests would be good opportunity for me to get better acquainted with the environment and people here." Everything he knew about this place, was from books and word of mouth. From here onwards, he'll get to see it with his own eyes.

 

[lunar_moth]

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　♡ ♡ ♡　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

KRIEGSLÖWE GUILDHALL​

"Hi, hello," she teased. She gave a short chuckle before continuing. "My name is-"

“Hey hey! Who are y’all and how are y’all?”

“—I look forward to working with all of you."

Gah!! Looks like everyone every has shown up all at once. Endymion takes a split-second’s moment to appraise the bunch; the beastfolk woman, introducing herself as Lupa, spares him a kindhearted smile. Her tail thumps minutely in her lap. It makes a grin tug at the corner of his mouth, but he fights it back. Though friendly, she’s got an air about her that exudes “professional” — and well-dressed as she is, Endymion’s hardly surprised that she’s someone of notable standing already. She’s a former city guard, and I woke up in a barn this morning! Oh, man. Don’t beastfolk have stronger senses? Hopefully I don’t still smell like hay. Though, come to think of it, they’re all in the same boat now, aren’t they? Endymion loses the fight and manages a small, genuine smile back. It’s her positivity; it’s infectious.

Lori Delivery is the next woman’s name. She’s tall and thin and in the teenage-stages of awkward limbs, even if to a… more dramatic extent than most. She’s light and quick on her feet and practically glides across the floor and into the waiting area. As one would expect, she introduces herself as just that: a delivery woman. Same day rates no matter the days! The penny-pinching part of Endymion’s brain latches on to that: That’s such a good deal!!! You’d practically be losing money not to!! The rational part of his brain quickly catches up. You own, like, five things and you have no money. You don’t have anything to deliver, idiot. Still— she’s practically bursting with enthusiasm. Any remaining doubts about his newfangled peers disappear from his conscience.

Endymion inclines his head towards the woman who addressed him first — Lupa, as she is, and if everyone else who shows up is as kindly-natured as the these two then he can’t imagine they’ll struggle to get along — and opens his mouth to give her his name. It’s on the precipice of his tongue when the newest recruit pipes up from his seat across the room. He’s polite, friendly, and introduces himself like any proper young man would. A thoughtful sort of drawl and a well-formed posture. The kind of boy that the aunties from Endymion’s childhood village would try to wed off to any young socialite passing by. Except…. well, except for the fact that— that, really, um, it’s no big deal, it’s just that he’s a little bit, well—

“Did you get attacked by a forest on the way here?” Endymion says out loud, instead of being normal and providing his name. “I mean,“ shit. “Aha, um— I mean, hello, all. My name is Endymion Aurelimere, but- but you can just go ahead and call me by my given name.” Don’t make eye contact. Don’t make eye contact. Maybe he’ll just gloss past it. Don’t make— ugh, what’s wrong with you? That’s DIRECT eye contact!

“Er, I also look forward to working with all of you!”

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　 Silver Wolf ERode TreasureSniper 　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧​

 

[King Crimson]

Cressey
Current Location: Kriegslowe Guildhall
​

Some few miles beyond the great, proud walls of Raeligard, there stood a magnificent forest, within which, was a rather large, secluded bower, cut in half by a mighty river running it's course through the small tranquil pocket of shade, flowing on towards a series of deltas and jetties, until finally ending it's journey at a massive, freshwater lake somewhere far to the north.
The waters were tranquil now, and the sun had only just begun to rise as crisp, glistening dewdrops began forming upon the leaves of the trees, and the blades of grass, gleaming like gems in the light of the early morning.
All seemed peaceful in the small, shaded grove, the trees swaying lightly in the breeze, the babbling of the brook interjected with the occasional popping of bubbles formed by the curious lifeforms that called the river their home.
All was peaceful, except for the mind of the small, diminutive adventurer sitting irately at it's center, with her knees tucked to her chin, a fishing pole buried handle-deep into the sand to her left, and her trusty spear to her right.
Cressey had been sitting in this spot for what felt like hours, casting the line of her borrowed fishing rod into the water, waiting, excitedly reeling in her line when she saw the brightly-colored bulb sink down into the depths, cursing her luck, and her prey's lack of compliance, before casting her line back in again to start the whole process anew.
So too, were her weeks following that fateful day in the Raeligard sewers; Get up from a fitful slumber, prepare for the day, throw away yet another botched letter never to be sent home, vent her frustrations on some wooden dummies in the courtyard, do some meagre, unimpressive jobs for a meagre, unimpressive wage, spend her feln in the market, return to the guild, try to go to sleep, and repeat.
Meandering and meaningless, a cycle of mendacity that left her spirit drained, and her nerves frayed.
The fact that that damned bastard, Falco, had come to her yesterday, rubbing salt in her wounds, bragging about some mission of great import that he had been invited to, did little to help her patience.
And so, her she was, watching the riverbank, distracting herself from her boredom with idle flicks of her wrist, summoning forth a string of sparking, fulgurant light that danced across her fingertips in rushing, crossing streams, illuminating the dim glade briefly with it's faint, blue glow.
Several times, she repeated the motion, muttered the incantations under her breath, watched as the thin slivers of silver scales drifted closer towards the light, just out of reach, before darting away, back into the murky depths, when suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck her mind.
Looking once towards the electric sparks streaking across her hand, and then back towards the still, quiet waters, and then, once more towards her hand, Cressey rose from her seat, a smug, devious smirk on her lips, as she walked towards the river's edge, and reached her hand out towards the water.
---
The streets of Raeligard, now alive and teeming with the town's denizens, hawking, and buying wares, and going about their daily business as the mid-morning sun climbed higher towards the sky.
Cressey was among them, walking briskly with a decent-sized purse of feln strapped to her belt, further fattened with a sizable bonus for her unexpectedly large haul of fish.
However, it still felt...light to her, as if the entire ordeal hadn't been worth the effort.
When she had accepted the task of aiding the local hunters in increasing their larders to help prepare for the coming seasons, she had expected to hunt something more...robust; a wild boar, or perhaps a bear.
Instead, much to her dismay, the hunters handed her one of their own fishing rods, gave her some directions to some lovely fishing holes they knew, and sent her on her way.
A dispirited sigh escaped her lips, idly swinging the purse in her hands, once more feeling out it's weight.
How she yearned to once more feel the thrill she'd felt in those sewers, battling alongside her comrades against evil, uncovering shady plots, having the freedom and self-autonomy to do what she wanted, to go where she pleased, to be herself.
She was all but ready to return to the guild, turn in her finished request, and exchange it for another, equally unsatisfying venture, until she spied that blue, feathered sprite of fortune, fluttering high in the morning sky.
Gracefully, it dove down, perching itself upon her shoulder with a merry series of chirps, before moving onto her gauntleted arm, which she gladly stretched out to engage with her messenger face to face.
She'd seen such messenger birds before, many a time at her old home, where her house kept a sizable coop to relay things ranging from important documents of national importance, to simple, heartfelt letters home.
In her youth, she envied and revered those small creatures; able to go wherever they pleased, yet, out of duty, choosing to stay.
Of course, she didn't feel much the same way now, but seeing them still never failed to bring a smile to her face.
"Well, good day to you, kind sir! And what news do you have for me today?" Cressey asked playfully beneath her breath, preening the soft down of the bird's chin with the tip of her finger, before reaching down, towards the small film of rolled parchment tied to it's leg.
Gently, she unfurled the paper between her fingers, reading the words upon it's page with baited breath.
Her heart skipped a beat when she read: "Cressey Lantern, Your Presence Is Requested At The Guild"
Reaching into her purse, she took one of her hard earned feln, and offered it to her little messenger, who in turn, took the coin into it's beak with trained precision, before taking off into the sky, it's duty having been done.
With a renewed vigor in her step, Cressey followed after, hopeful that this would finally be the end of her days of stagnated boredom.
---
The gilded door to the guild halls swung open, to a scene that felt oddly nostalgic to Cressey; it was quiet, oddly so for this time of day, and yet the air carried with it a subtle anticipation.
She could almost see them all there; arguing, standing upon one of the tables, watching two idiots argue while standing upon one of the tables, a plate of fresh cookies by the reception desk while...someone else who Cressey couldn't place, watched the ensuing chaos.
But, this was not the time to be reminiscing, she had work to do.
Hurriedly, she marched towards the reception desk, each of her bootsteps clacking against the varnished wood floor with indomitable purpose.
A sea of people and faces blurred past her as she walked, many of which she had come to recognize in her time at the guild.
However, in front of the reception desk, were a quartet of folks of whom she had no recollection of;
The first to catch Cressey's eye was the wolfish beastkin, rather, what she wore was what caught her attention, and nearly sent her heart sinking into her feet.
She'd come to recognize the uniforms worn by Raeligard's finest, and due to some of the more uncomfortable aspects of her past and her being here, seeing one never failed to raise the hairs on the back of her neck.
However, it seemed she had naught to fear from the wolf, who was merrily chatting away with a rather tall man, with a dark complexion, and a gentle, if not rather sheepish look on his face as he engaged with her.
To their side was a young youth, dressed in clothes that Cressey readily, and with some discomfort, as those of Valgemian merchant class.
He looked tired, likely from having endured a harsh, grueling journey to get here, and if the faint remnants of bruises worn upon his face were any indication, he'd likely endured far more.
The last, and in many ways, most eye-catching of all was the giant of a girl, her legs wrapped in thick, almost draconian scales, ending in wicked, black talons, her hair was a white, mangled mess of flowers, twigs and other plant matter, streaming behind her like an unkempt curtain.
If Cressey was to describe her in one word, it would be; "untamed."

Giving one last look towards the group as she passed them by, she turned her attention back to the task at hand, to the guild receptionist.
She had grown quite comfortable the silky-voiced beastkin over the following days after all, Cressey was quickly becoming one her most frequent visitors, with the frantic speed she was taking and fulfilling quests on behalf of the guild.
A shame she must sit here each and every day, Cressey thought to herself, feeling a small bit of pity for the poor girl.
They ought to hire someone else to take her place every so often, give her a rest.
"A good morning to you, ma'am," she began, her voice low, professional, as she pulled out the sheet of parchment detailing her latest fulfilled request, before planting it down on the desk for the receptionist to take.
"I've received a message requesting for my presence..."
With a small, boastful huff, Cressey puffs out her chest, and crosses her arms, a confident smirk on her face, as she proudly asks, "...So, for what does the guild have need of my abilities?"
"An encampment of bloodthirsty bandits? A feral beast terrorizing the countryside? An ancient, unexplored dungeon, perhaps?"


Interacting:
Receptionist ( Reinhardt )
Lupa ( Silver Wolf )
Lori ( ERode )
Endymion ( lunar_moth )
Talio ( TreasureSniper )

 

[Reinhardt]

Arien Bermille​

Location: Kriegslöwe Guildhall, Tylsen​

"I'm afraid you are a day too late for that, Cressey.", a familiar voice answered. Walking down the stairs, with the same, blue bird perched on his shoulder, was a familiar face to many within the guild, and a fresh one to the new recruits. He had blond hair, and his garments were mostly in shades of red, brown, and black. Firmly grasped by both of his arms was a fairly large wooden box, with its opening sealed by a small silver lock. "Or it is the message that came to you a day late."

Once he was on the same floor, he went straight to the reception desk, swiftly eyeing the few fresh faces that have gathered near it. He placed the box on a lower table at the reception desk, which the receptionist acknowledged with a nod. "Is this all?", he asked the bespectacled beastfolk, who responded affirmatively. "Could you lend me a watch?"

The receptionist pulled out a small, round object from one of the desk's many drawers and presented it to him. Arien took it, and pressed a small button at the top of its surface - and with a click, the object opened up, revealing a small clock inside. "I see.", Arien uttered as he gazed upon the moving sticks within the device, as they depicted the gradual passage of time. After doing so, he returned it to the receptionist, who then promptly put it back where it belonged.

"Nevertheless, you are here.", his gaze turned to the young, lance wielder, then to the group of four. "I will see if I can open up a way to make you reunite with your friends, but for now, accompany me while I welcome these new guild recruits."

Without waiting for an answer from the young lass, he began to utter some words, as a faint green glow resonated from his pockets for a short moment. After doing so, he grabbed the very same list he left in the receptionist's care and began to read it.

"Rise and come forward if your name is called.", he spoke, his voice loud and clear, yet not seemingly shouting. It carried the same tone as his usual speech would have, but its volume was evidently turned up as if he was addressing the entirety of the room - the wonders of magic doing their job. "Endymion Aurelimere. Lupa Kirstav. Talio Ferrumanus. Lori Delivery." He continued to speak of a few more names before finally stopping.

He leaned over the receptionist, allowing her to gaze upon the same list as he did. Several of them remain unmarked besides those who had done as instructed. "Most of these are recruits coming from the Krafen branch, am I not mistaken?", his voice returned to the same normal volume.

The receptionist nodded.

"I see.", he placed the paper back on the desk. "That branch has been acting quite strange lately. Lack of reports, difficulty in communication. Perhaps it's high time I consulted Miss Cephilia about this."

He returned his attention to the recruits who have gathered, as he walked forward closer to them. "I am Arien Bermille. A senior Kriegslöwe of this branch, and occasionally a receptionist of it as well.", he presented himself with a bow so short it could easily pass off as a nod. "Before we begin with the welcoming ceremonies, do any of you have any pressing matters you would like to attend to at first? Perhaps you may have a question or two you would like to ask?"

The blue bird, that remained perched amidst it all, tilted its head with a small chirp.

Interaction/s: Cresslinde ( King Crimson ), Endymion ( lunar_moth ), Lupa ( Silver Wolf ), Talio ( TreasureSniper ), Lori ( ERode )

 

[Silver Wolf]

Lupa

Spoiler: Appearance

Location: Guildhall, Tylsen
Interactions: Reinhardt (Arien) , lunar_moth (Endymion), TreasureSniper (Talio), ERode (Lori)
In Area/Mentions: King Crimson (Cressey)


​

For some reason, it wasn't long before she was interrupted, again, from hearing the name of her first visitor as a new one came in, introducing himself as Talio. Strange, he seemed to have been hearing in on their conversation, but she hadn't noticed him come in. She looked him up and down, finding the bruises and other wounds suspicious. Most suspicious was the smell of dried blood that clung to him, making her wonder if the man was who he said he was. Most striking, however, was the occassional clicks and mechanical whirrs coming from his arm. Faint machine noises that weren't too distracting, but still a fascinating sound nonetheless.

Speaking of oddities, Lupa also noticed a...child? Yes, a child walked into the guildhall and up to the counter. At least that was the impression she first got before noticing the spear. It looked like a fine spear too, made of some exotic material she hadn't seen before. The child themselves walked up to the counter as though it were the most normal thing in the world and said the guild requested her presence. There were two assumptions Lupa could make on this, a child had lied about their age, or this person was much shorter and looked far younger than her age and was in fact, at least sixteen, making her a fully fledged adult. Gosh she did look young though, and she felt protective urges looking at the small creature. She was just so adorable, what could she possibly be doing here?

Another guild member addressed this tiny creature as Cressey, and Lupa found herself listening in on that conversation. Lupa could recognize him almost immediately, Arien, a B rank adventurer who could often be seen, she may have talked to him at the receptionist desk when he was on duty there, but her memory with some of these things became fuzzy as in the past she came to the guild hall for work purposes. Tracking down witnesses to crimes and such, or getting an incident report from the guild and its members. Of course, Arien wasn't hard to recognize due to him being one of the most common faces of the Tylsen branch, but that's all she knew really. Nothing deep about the man himself beyond his name and rank. She didn't have long to think about it as after he was done addressing Cressey and checking the time, he called their names. She noticed the first name wasn't one she heard before, and immediate logical deduction led her to looking at the tan man who had been first, and this look confirmed she had finally learned his name, Endymion.

Her name followed shortly after and she stood up immediately, straight and at attention as she would to her superior officers. She twitched her arm slightly, almost giving a full salute and her tail perked up with her as she held it straight into the air, only to reflexively force it back down to ease as it only followed her movements. She didn't need her tail to stand at attention too. Once he asked a question, she was the first to respond, quick and concise as she reflexively turned to old habits from her time as a soldier of Raeligard or a guard of Tylsen.

"I do not," she barked, earning her probably a few stares. That was when the reflex wore off, but she still stood straight as any good soldier would. She felt some heat flood her cheeks, leading her to cough into her hand. "No business or questions from me...t-that is."

 

[AnonyMouse]

Falion "Falco" Cauphix​

Location: A land ferry, east of Oyten​

On their way to the land ferry terminals, Falco thanked Thea for the gear she had purchased at the market. A brief perusal of the items proved he wasn't quite as clueless as he had thought. Most of the items were things he probably would have gotten himself, with the exception of the... bread? Or was it a cracker or some form of edible rock? That, and the strange-smelling edible spread, were certainly not his idea of good eating. Jerky, nuts, and dried fruits were his usual snacks for a day around town, but maybe this was better somehow. He would not question the knight's experience. If it gave him the nutrition to hike deep into the woods and slay a mighty beast, taste was of little concern.

On the other hand, she had also purchased a water skin for him. Oh well. Can't have too much water, Falco thought as he stowed it in his pack, beside the one he had owned for years, and said nothing of it to Thea. Maybe she thinks I'm an idiot or something. I mean, yeah, she kind of does, but even a city boi like me ain't that stupid, geez.

But time marched on and, shortly afterward, a giddy sense of amusement washed over Falco as a young lady halted their progress to praise Sakura. The brief interruption was certainly a surprise, but not an unwanted one, as he had worried the beastfolk wasn't fitting in or was struggling to adjust to life in the city. He felt relieved that Sakura had taken her first steps toward redemption and people --or one person, at least-- were starting to take notice. While it hardly excused what she had done in the sewers, it at least proved that she was capable of doing good deeds and maybe the others might begin to see her in a new light instead of shaming or avoiding her at every turn.

Falco accepted his flower, a beautiful yellow rose, and politely thanked the shop owner before the group moved on, and also gave Sakura a friendly pat on the shoulder and thumbs up for her good work. Once they boarded the land ferry and she chose ot sit near him, he didn't move away ignore her, despite feeling slightly uncomfortable. C'mon, man, we're headed to a faraway town to fight a vicious beast and you can't even look your own teammate in the eyes? Fucking coward, he thought, but quickly found the courage to do so. Lead by example, man. I don't care what everybody else thinks.

As the carriage picked up speed, he began chatting with her, and anyone else nearby. Falco tended to get restless on long trips. Sitting in one spot for so long got boring and the scenery outside tended to be very repetitive. Raeligard was a beautiful country, but hills and grass could only interest him for so long. Thankfully, the crew had made ample space to move around and the ferry's springs soaked up the bumps moderately well, so changing positions or walking from the front to the rear wasn't as treacherous as, for example, trying to stand in a jostling horse carriage.

As a result, Falco explored every inch of the carriage on their journey. Sometimes, he headed up front to sit with the dwarves, and even struck up a game of cards with Gary. Or was it Greg? Whoever it was, Falco was thirty feln richer by the time the durgerai made the wise financial decision to bow out. After that, Falco wandered. For better or worse, he spent at least a little time with everyone on board. Some ignored him. Others enjoyed his company. Some dismissed him immediately. But he always found his way back to Sakura, whenever he wanted to eat or nap or just relax for a while. Althought the mental image of what she had done was still fresh in his mind, it would never disappear until he replaced it with better ones. If he was going to be haunted by images of Sakura, he would rather rmemember a quiet girl gazing out the window of a landferry with the warm afternoon air tussling her fur, rather than a blood-soaked savage devouring a man's heart.

When she asked if this was his first time riding the land ferry, he spoke about his time at the church orphanage in Achelreide and how he would sometimes travel with Father Bernard. The Church of Aurelia had many faces and, though he did not mention Thea by name, he wanted Sakura to know angry knights were only one side of their faith. Father Bernard was all about healing the sick and helping the poor. Achelreide and its surrouding lands had no shortage of both. Falco did not intend to speak long about it, but found himself rambling about their trips into the slums and drug dens and brothels and such, as well as isolated chapels and monasteries elsewhere. He even asked about her faith, if only to better understand her.

Falco lost track of time. In an attempt to stay prepared at all times, he napped throughout the day, rather than wait until nightfall. His sleep schedule had always been extremely flexible. Hours after the sun sank beyond the treeline, as many of his companions slept, he was still awake, peering into the inky blackness beyond the ferry's headlamps. Eventually, Thea stirred and began donning her armor. Seeing the tall girl in plain clothes was a welcome sight and would be missed, though Falco kept his opinions of her body to himself. However, he couldn't help but groan internally when she addressed Hyss and Lucia, regarding their little spat back at the guildhall. The combination of that and the pounding rain outside soured the mood a little. Naturally, their responses now were the same as they had been half a day ago. What were you expecting? Falco thought, mildly confused. Thankfully, Risax somewhat diffused the situation and shifted the subject to their guilde and what they should do once reaching Oyten.

"I'm with spiderguy on this one," Falco said, finally speaking up as he stood and made his way to the front of the carriage, nearer to Thea. "We need a guilde. The notice said the beast is disrupting logging operations. Well, maybe we can find a woodcutter willing to point us in the right direction. They know the land and it ain't like they have much else to do, right? We can ask 'bout that when we meet with the mayor."

He briefly glanced through the windscreen, over Grog's shoulder. The dwarf said they had an hour to go, so plenty of time to hash out a plan and reach a consensus before putting boots on the (very muddy) ground. Falco turned back to his comrades:

"And I wouldn't put too much stock in what Cephilia said," he added, looking to Lucia with a wry smile. "I'm all about 'heeding the wisdom of our elders' and whatnot, but they're still people too, and sometimes people say stuff just to fuck with us. If the observer's job is to observe us, it's up to them to find us --or what's left of us, heh-- not the other way 'round. I don't think we should go outta our way to meet 'em. The beast takes priority. We meet th emayor, get the lay of the land, then get down to business," he concluded, gazing at Thea. "What do you think?"
Interaction(s): RedArmyShogun (Thea) / EmperorsChosen (Lucia) / Thalia_Neko (Hyss) / Topless (Sakura) / Huntertabbysandshark3 (Risax)

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Thea Schuerer
Location: Land Ferry - enroute to Oyten
​

Listening to those who were awake, or soon to rouse, it seemed all of them either did not sleep well or were otherwise light sleepers, though Hyss of course had to be her first trial from the Goddess today. "Madam Leader? Hyss, mind your tongue. To speak freely does not mean I will tolerate you belittling or insulting others, myself included. I do not know your goals or motivations, and frankly I don't care. I know you do not like this operation but your own expertise at battle did not go much better than the rest of us."
It was then the others spoke up, with all of them having about the same idea or question. Chiefly in regard to getting around the forest, or about their observer.


There were also the words that Lucia has said, given the length of it she decided to address it first, most of it could be summed up to be about her previous family, to which Thea gave a tired sigh but allowed her to finish. "Do not think the guild is as free as you may wish, we have bosses, we serve the people. Though it is true some of our bosses do not hold that remark to task, or can be less than perfect. Though she threw a job off on us and has judged us, it is a miracle that Lady Cephilia even bothers with us. She earned her ability to be high and mighty by felling a dragon. The fact our Guild Master has yet to show her face while Cephilia has picked up the Job with Vivenne and Arien says more about them than the insults she may sling at us.

While we all may have our issues with them, they are Veterans that earned their way. Some respect is afforded to them till they cross a line too far or we stand as equals."

With a sigh she shakes her head, turning to the rest. "As to the Observer or a guide, there are things we must consider before then, plus my own failings with this new task. Firstly we cannot expect too much of the guild and while a few of you think poorly of them, you should pick up your Guild handbook and pay close attention to the fact we have been given this mission without a direct supervisor, entrusted with guild funds in a manner and have been sent on a quest above our level, or so they say. F rank gets no consideration and is led about like a child, they have high expectations of us, and we shall deliver. You may not like these jobs, but they must be done."

Opening the Curtain and pointing out into the woods, or what little of it could be seen, thick amounts of vegetation and foliage could be seen with massive trees that forced one to look highly to see, the pale moonlight and slowly rising orange glow providing some visible light; "That is not what I expected when I heard forest. It seems the same for all of us, it rains a bit, and it is humid. None of us thought to ask about where we were going, and I hope all of you have a little coin as I expect this may take two to three days to finish. The only advice I can offer is buying some cloaks or ponchos and that if your feet start to hurt or get painful that you tell me at once for treatment, also get spare changes of socks for what races need them. Foot Rot is very possible on a long march or in the marshes and wetlands of the hinterlands, this place is no different. Likely even worse. We may even stay the night in the forest if we must."

With that sermon out of the way she finally addresses the remarks of what they said. "If the Observer is from this area even if they cannot help us, we can observe them in turn to see how they cope and survive the land. While it is possible that they won't come at all we should give them at least till we can resupply if there is a need once we talked to whoever is in charge. If they are not there by the time we are done, we leave.

As to a guide we will need to find someone agreeable or pay them, porters and guides have to eat too. Though this too is not a bad problem, the main problem is we will be in close quarters minus wherever they began cutting and we must guard the guide. Are any of you ready, willing and able to take up such a task? Till we get an idea of what and where the beast is, let us hold off on talk of hiring a guide.

We however should talk with the locals and get an idea of what the land is like, what supplies we may need. An idea of travel time. Also Sakura, The Goddess works in mysterious ways, your talents may come in use here with tracking our quarry."

With that she goes back to putting her armor on, they would not have much longer till they arrived, or rather the time would go quickly, it always did.

Interactions: EmperorsChosen Thalia_Neko AnonyMouse Huntertabbysandshark3 Topless

 

[Topless]

Sakuranbo Suzui
Location: En route to Oyten
Sakura listened to what Falco had to say, opening up his past about the time he was raised in an church orphanage and had wandered around the dirty slums. When asked about her faith, Sakura could only tell him that her clan doesn't believe in Aurelia, but rather one of her "children", said to be the progenitor of all beastkin and the one who invented the concept of hunting. It was then that Thea, the leader of the party, made a speech about what it is there awaiting for them once they've reached their destination.

She suggested that they ask the locals about the beast that they'll be dealing with later on. Sounds like a reasonable choice. The only downside about doing such is that each person has their own view about the beast. After some other stuff needed to be said, Thea ended by acknowledging Sakura of her tracking skills and that it would be a great used for this quest. The fox beastfolk was rather surprised that someone as straight-laced as Thea could say such.

"I thank you for saying that, Thea. I was after all born and raised to be amongst the most deadly of hunters in all of Raeligard. I assure that my skills in tracking down prey will be of great use." Sakura proudly spoke "Though it is still a shame for me that I won't be able to kill after what happened when we first started. Because of being put in under such geas, I'll be expecting you all to do whatever you can to bring an end to it's reign of terror...if that thing really exists to begin with."

AnonyMouse Reinhardt RedArmyShogun EmperorsChosen Thalia_Neko Huntertabbysandshark3
​

 

[EmperorsChosen]

Lucia Corinna Edelgarde​

Location: Land Ferry
​

As she fiddled with her greaves, Lucia's eye glanced over in Falco's direction as he spoke up. She wasn't sure if what he said was in Cephilia's defense or added to her poor demeanor. Either way, the both of them were aristocrats, and the young Caskarieth knew their kind. Fronts were one thing, fronts to hide good intentions, however, was a rarity. She found herself unwillingly agreeing with Thea, however. Regardless of the one-eyed elf's feelings on the woman, they did owe them, whether this was a genuine offer of promotion, another test, a trick, or something else. Thus, Lucia silently conceded on the point of Cephilia.

However, the observer was another point, one which she nodded in agreement with Falco.

"Agreed. I believe we should meet the mayor, gather some information, and then set out. There is no need for us to go out of our way to meet this--whomever... Now that I think of it, were we even given a name?" Lucia inquired pointedly. "We can learn about the environment from the locals. We're here to ensure they can go about their work without fear of getting mauled, I'm fairly certain we won't have difficulty getting any of them to speak with us."

No, this was something that they could do on their own--Truly, on their own. Whether this assignment was sincere or not, Lucia was very much eager to prove the older Caskarieth wrong in regard to her words.

Fitting her armor, Lucia then sat back down and leaned back, crossing one leg over the other. "As for said guide, I have no qualms in taking the task unless you believe it ill-fitting. The only issue is obviously if I am safeguarding the civilian, I will not be able to run the beast through with the rest of you."

Glancing over to Sakura, she was a ranger and was forbidden from any killing blows, so perhaps the objective was best assigned to her. However, considering her tracking ability, perhaps they didn't even need a guide.

"...Though, are we verily sure a tag-along is required? With Sakura's hunting skill, perhaps we can gather information of the general whereabouts of the beast, without any ball and chain," Lucia suggested.

Interactions: @A-team

 

[Thalia_Neko]

Hysydice "Hyss" Maliss

Currently: Prepared to begin.
Thinking: "What did I say?

Location: Land Ferry, on approach to Oyten
Interacting: RedArmyShogun the others
Mentions:

​

Hyss was taken aback by Thea's response. She was not known for minding her tongue when she did speak. A snake minding their tongue? Unheard of. Thea seemed to take offense to the term 'Madam Leader' and she acted as if Hyss had insulted others. Perhaps even herself with that term. The snake was left in confusion. Was 'Madam Leader' an insult? She hadn't meant it as such. Or perhaps she had? Underneath it all? No, Hyss had simply called their leader 'Madam'. Furthermore, she went on to basically insult Hyss in turn. So perhaps they were as they called it "even". If so, she would let it slide. Hyss never stated she was better at combat than others anyway. Though she hoped she wasn't weak. "I am here for our mission, 100%. I will not impeded that, Madam Schuerer." Perhaps that was better? Typically 'Madam' was reserved for those above her current station, but Thea was their leader currently, so perhaps it fit this time. Her words were a promise that she could be counted on to complete this mission, despite how her personal feelings may be on it. And in spite of anything she may say. Thea would have to acknowledge that, at least.

An Observer sounded both unnecessary and kind of condescending. But then Hyss had to remind herself they were simple F ranks. If you looked at them that way, it made a bit more sense. Drop the ego and understand your station and ranking. And personally speaking, Hyss wanted to rank up, she wanted to prove her worth and her skills, and gain favor with others who had strength. And she'd prefer to do it all sooner rather than later. Therefore, an Observer was something she actually wanted.

"If necessary, I can go find this Observer and bring them to us," she offered. "If they cannot find us themselves." It was a simple suggestion, and a simple task. It wouldn't take up any time at all, so it wouldn't keep her from their primary mission of felling the beast.

"As for the issue of guide, it appears we have our starting point -- we can start with the woodcutters, and look around their logging areas. That is probably where we may pick up the trail -unless the citizenry can point us in a different direction. A guide might be unnecessary if Sakura can hunt this beast; I, too, have some skills in hunting. Between me and Sakura it might be unnecessary to use a guide. Though, if you all feel 'it's better safe than sorry,' I understand."

 

[ERode]

Location: Kriegslöwe Guildhall, Tylsen​

Oh, woah! The uniform said a lot, but the introduction said more! Lori only saw knights from a distance, after all, and her interactions with guards throughout her life had only been about boring stuff like paperwork or annoying stuff about things like ‘public order’ or ‘common sense’, so it was 100% cool to see that there was a knight-guard-adopted-girl who was the adventuring, freelancing type too, rather than just tossing cards on the table of an outpost.

While the excitable chicken-girl was busy obsessing over Lupa though, another fellow came up to join their cohort, a Talio Ferromanus (what was a Ferromanus? Did it have something to do with the circus?) said ‘hi’ as well, sounding very important with his whole ‘having come from Valgem’ deal. That, combined with his stinky clothing, immediately categorized him as one of Lori’s own flock, a fellow walker of the lands, and she beamed at him too.

“Happy to meetcha too, Talio and Endymion! Forests are pretty dangerous places, don’tcha know, Endy? Pretty normal to come across weird things in there! Like, there's fights happening everywhere there” Well, mostly those things would go away if you threw a rock at them. Or if you just ran away fast. “Anyhow, so, was wondering and all, but l- oooh, it’s starting, it’s starting!”

With the bird having fetched the one that it was supposed to, a new person (newer than the short girl with the long spear who seemed to be there for totally different reasons) strode down from the staircase, possessing a totally different aura from everyone else around her. Like, it was obvious right? That sort of feeling that you’d get from walking through the forest and suddenly coming across a lone wolf, one that looked at you as if it had always known you would be there. A weirdly magical sensation, edged with the sort of innate danger that kept her thighs tense beneath the bloomers she wore.

Though most of what Aurien said largely flew over Lori’s head in the end.

Questions though? Questions she could certainly do!

“Right, over here!” Lori waved, extending to her full height to catch the man’s attention. “So you’re a senior Kriegslowe, right Arien? Like, an adventurer and stuff? Why do you work as a receptionist then? Is it, I don’t know, something to do with those things like ‘benefits’ and stuff, that just being a Kriegslowe wouldn’t get you?”

Surely, something had to be off, if a guy who basically smelled like he made money was still doing entry-level desk work in his free time, right?

 

[AnonyMouse]

Falion "Falco" Cauphix​

Location: A land ferry, east of Oyten​

Falco's brow furrowed at Thea's response to Hyss. From where he stood, the beastkin's words could have been interpreted multiple ways and Hyss's relatively flat manner of speaking made it hard to determine which, if any, were correct. The tension was palapable. In his opinion, they should squash it privately, not in the midst of a strategy session, where it stood a chance of putting everyone on edge. Then again, Thea seemed to feel Hyss's behavior was an insult to everyone, so maybe she felt it needed to be addressed here and now, for all of their sake.

He couldn't help but remember how he had spoken to Hyss that day at the guild hall when she scoffed at the sheep escort mission. His words had been far from kind and he somewhat regretted that. Even if the snake girl was spitting barbs at them, was there any benefit in returning fire? He should've taken the highroad that day and seeing Thea behave the same way he had was a little like peering into a mirror... and he did not like what he saw.

When Thea finished addressing everyone and the discussion moved on, Falco gave her a light tap on her shoulder. "Yo, Legs," he said, lowering his voice to a whisper, as he was still quite close to her. "Look... ummm... Hyss is a little weird, okay, but she's not an asshole. Or not intentionally, an asshole... I don't think." He briefly shook his head. "I'm sayin,' just... give folks the benefit of the doubt sometimes, okay? Lighten up. 'We got this,' remember?"

Though the discussion carried on, his words were brief and he was capable of listening and speaking at the same time, despite what some might think of his mental faculties. He heard all of the points being made and found none to be disagreeable, except for one:

"Now hang on. I don't think that's such a good idea," he said to them all, when Hyss spoke of seeking out the observer alone. "Whatever we do, we do it together or at least in groups," he said, with a firmness rarely seen from him. Falco was usually a laid back, go-with-the-flow type of guy, but he was quite serious about this subject. "I mean, the sewers was one thing: it was kind of a maze, but still mostly self-contained. But forests? Folks get lost in forests --even small ones-- and are never seen again. Screw that."

He paused to think for a moment before adding, "Speaking of which, what's our plan if we get separated? Back to Oyten?" he said, briefly glancing toward the window. Falco was the type of person who didn't like elaborate plans. They always went to shit anyway, so why bother discussing who'll do what, or when, or how they'll do it? Sometimes he felt like these guys were trying to play chess with half a deck of cards. In his opinion, it was better to just come up with a contingency plan for when things go to shit... because they will. The road they were on was traveling due west with the woods sprawling north of it. In theory, if things got shitty, they could just head south until they hit the road and then walk back to Oyten or meet up there.

To him, 'we got this' doesn't mean you'll get it right the first time. It just means you'll live to learn the hard lessons and try again.
Interaction(s): RedArmyShogun (Thea) / EmperorsChosen (Lucia) / Thalia_Neko (Hyss) / Topless (Sakura) / Huntertabbysandshark3 (Risax)

 

[lunar_moth]

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　♡ ♡ ♡　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧​

Endymion scrubs an embarrassed hand over his face. His face is flushed rosy a bit, but it’s mostly imperceptible under his skin. …Endy??

When his name is called, he can’t help but jolt a bit, and he nearly… well, “scurries” isn’t a very flattering description, but it’s partway to accurate. Anyways, Lori’s a very sweet girl, he’s sure — his gaze drifts to where she’s now standing at full height, trying to catch the senior Kriegslöwe’s attention with questions that are probably Not What He Meant — her enthusiasm is practically bursting at the seams, like she can’t contain it all within herself. He just hopes that the merchant boy grants him the mercy of continuing to pretend he hasn’t heard his slip-up.

To be fair, Lori’s assessment of the situation is accurate; the forest is a bit of a wildcard. The last time Endymion had tried to camp out for the night in the forest, he had woken up with a non-zero amount of spiders in his clothing. Also the bandits. Those were a bit of an issue too, but mostly it was the spiders that left an impression. (Besides, he tended to be a lucky one when it came to fights, and the last “bandits” he encountered were very clearly just a couple of kids hoping to score a handful of coin. Me too, kids, me too, Endymion wilts at the memory.)

Arien, to his credit, waits patiently for their questions, perhaps a bit exasperatedly. Endymion’s gaze however is drawn back not to him, but to the other Kriegslöwe standing by his side. She’s young, very young-looking, even, and quite short, even for a human girl these days. Surely she’s old enough to be here, granted the way Arien refers to her as if they’re longtime acquaintances. The girl certainly holds herself like she belongs right where she is. Endymion fights back his traitorous brain’s urge to ask, just to clarify, I thought the guild didn’t allow people under sixteen??

“No questions,” he manages to say, and folds his hands in front of himself. Then he unfolds them to tug idly at a strand of his hair.

“Actually, yes questions. Uh, you said the Krafen branch hasn’t been quite right recently … Why? That- that is, I mean, I know you said you don’t know why, but it has to have been something especially out of the ordinary to throw such a large-scale operation as a guild’s branch out of whack, right? I just… haven’t heard of anything like that happening recently. So. Well. What do you think happened..?” he trails off, realizing he has also just contributed to questions that are also Not What Arien Meant.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　 Reinhardt ERode *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧​

 

[TreasureSniper]

Talio Ferromanus
Location: Kriegslöwe Guildhall, Tylsen
Interaction: lunar_moth Reinhardt
Mentions: ERode Silver Wolf King Crimson​

The tanned young man's amusing to say the least. In hindsight, perhaps Talio should have taken better care of himself when tending to his wounds. The bruise and bloodied wasn't exactly the most presentable image. "Hmmm I don't recall being attacked by an entire forest, I was however ambushed by some bandits." He couldn't help but tease the young man's choice words which were probably the result of him being spooked by his blood appearance. "Didn't go so well for them...." He replied with a smile. Most of the blood on him isn't even his, but that didn't mean his body wasn't aching slightly.

Taking time to size up his possible new companions, Talio couldn't help but feel excited for the journey ahead. The bird lady was very....chipper. He had a hunch that they were gonna get along just fine. The one called Endymion seemed like a funny fella, it's too early to tell how competent he is but if nothing else he will be a decent source of amusement. The next one was a very well-dressed lady, possibly a military background based on the uniform, posture and demeanor. Her short little introduction confirms as much. From apprentice to adventurer, what an interesting choice of a career shift. And then....they were joined a small lady. She very short, almost looked like child, but her behavior and respect she held in the guild would imply otherwise.

"A pleasure to meet you, Mr Bermille." Talio greeted the authority figure with a small bow. When asked if he had any questions, all he could think about was his first assignment. But such questions can be left for later. "Well...if possible I'd like an opportunity to change into something more....presentable.." It was unbecoming of a merchant to present himself like this. If they would allow it, Talio would return in a fresh set of clothes. "Let's get down to business."

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Thea Schuerer
Location: Land Ferry - enroute to Oyten
​

As the others spoke, Thea sighed a bit and nodded. Listening to Hyss, Sakura, Lucia and Falco, she gives a curt nod replying to the issues as she sees fit. With Falco's tap on the shoulder and whisper she was quick to speak up, appreciative of his efforts and vocal with sharing what it was about as she had to admit she may have been wanting to see a slight where none was meant.

"Yes, I do think I may be letting things get to me a little too much. I trust you to do your job Hyss, whatever other problems we may have we should set them aside for the mission. I will take your words to not be so ill intending. However, with what you said, the two of you may indeed be used for tracking once we know just what it is we are hunting and where. It is possible the woodsmen fled and have no idea what the creature is, then we have no choice but to attempt tracking it. Also bear in mind we have no real promise it is not more than that, all of those jobs are ones we should have made more questions of. But such is being still new."

Turning her attention to Falco and his questions she nods. "Falco is correct. Hyss I will not be allowing or ordering you to track down our observer. It is possible given Lady Cephilia's instructions and intent that we aren't meant to see him or her at all. He or she will confront us at some point or help us or laugh at us when there is a need. As to that..." Pondering Falco's question, she shrugs, pulling another leather strap with her teeth through a metal clasp of her right arm armor before speaking.

"We operate in pairs with one another. Under no circumstance do you leave your partner. I don't care if you need to relieve yourself, ask them to turn around and at most go behind a tree. If you hear something, see something or find something, stay together. I don't care if the beast gets away, provided we know where it fled. Well once we know where it is, other than that all three teams keep within earshot and eyesight to one another, use hand signals over yelling if able, but make sure the other teams are within range to see you. While it would be nice to spread out and cover more ground, our target knows these woods and has lived here while most of us are from lands very unlike this. Spreading out asks for trouble... though next time let's find out about those magic stones we had in the sewer. I had assumed them relics or expensive."

With that her jaw twitches. "I need to learn I'm not a knight anymore, my equipment is not given by a house armory or assigned by a lord, I can buy anything and everything with the right rank and pay and I must start to think outside of those confines." With that she starts with her right shoulder armor and continues to speak.

"So, everyone chose a partner, or at least half of you and that's who will be your brother or sister in arms for this till we learn more. If somehow even with all our plans we get separated, well, stay where you are and call out. We'll also ask the locals for advice or if they have a way to mark where they traveled. This Job is a test from the guild either way. Also, if we stay out into the night, all groups are to come together, and we'll camp around a fire.

A pause.

"Hyss, you and Sakura may team together or pair off with another. Two search teams would be useful, but we must keep within sound and sight... The third team can pair with our mysterious observer or guide should we find one. I cannot offer any other plan than this. If any of you feel differently, by all means. If there are multiple targets, then the plan must change." With that she stops putting on her armor to look at the group.


Interactions: EmperorsChosen Thalia_Neko AnonyMouse Huntertabbysandshark3 Topless

 

[King Crimson]

Cressey
Current Location: Kriegslowe Guildhall
​

"I'm afraid you are a day too late for that, Cressey."
At the mention of her name, Cressey instinctively whirled around, her eyes briefly spotting the blue messenger bird flying over head, up towards the stairwell, where half the figure of a man began to descend from the second floor, a familiar chest held in his hands.
He was...someone.
He sounded familiar enough, and Cressey was certain she had seen him at the guild before, but everything about him, from his appearance, to his voice, to his very presence left such little impression, that she felt that if she so much as blinked, his memory would disappear from her mind like dust in the wind, leaving her mind wanting to pin a name to the face.
What weighed far more upon her mind, however, were his words, delivered with a flat, blunt delivery that matched the rest of him.
For a moment, she was elated to hear that she was also elected to be a part of that important business Falco had boasted so proudly about, only for the crushing realization that her chance had been both literally and figuratively lost, sending a surge of shock that stiffened her muscles, leaving her temporarily stunned, paralyzed in place.
Her gaze fell accusingly on the culprit, perched obliviously upon the man's shoulder. Such cruel betrayal, undone by something so small and familiar, something just this morning she had cherished!
I trusted you! she mentally seethed, her jaw clenched in frustration to which, the bird only offered a small chirp in response, completely oblivious.
"I-Is that so...?" Cressey replied, trying to bury her inner turmoil with a forced, unnatural smile, though, if the twitching of her brow, and the slight wavering in her voice were any indication, on the inside, she was screaming.
"...A pity..." she sighed in defeat, letting the tension melt out of her shoulders as she pinched the space between her eyes.
There was nothing for it now, hopefully she'd get another chance soon.

At the man's behest, she reluctantly rushed to his side, passing once more by the group of new recruits as she walked by.
As Arien made the customary introductions, Cressey, for her part, stood with her hands knit behind her head, her gaze falling wistfully off in the distance.
Somewhere, far away from the guildhall, a group of new recruits ride together, sailing across the land in a massive hull of steel and iron. They would be laughing, planning, arguing together, readying for their impending duty, as their destination soon fell on the horizon; a small village, troubled by terrible shadows stalking their surroundings.

From time-to-time, Cressey would break away from her daydreaming to give the group some passing glances, watching to see who stepped forward in response to which name, how they reacted, get a grasp for who they were, more so out of idle curiosity, and a general lack of anything else to really do, than any actual interest.
The guardswoman's loud, barking outburst rapping harshly against Cressey's ears soon knocked her back to full wakefulness, however.
She'd caught the glances the wolf had been giving her before, and she knew full well what sort of thoughts were probably going on in her head; "Oh, she's just a mere child! What could such a small, frail creature be doing in a rough place like this?"
But there was something...else in those eyes, a sort of 'hunger' that made Cressey subconsciously want to reach for her spear.
Though, it didn't seem to present there now, with her attention diverted.
"Hm, you're awfully eager, aren't you, Miss Lupa?" Cressey remarked to the wolfkin, her eyes examining the woman with a bit more interest.
Hmm...she's well disciplined. Military training, maybe? she deduced, watching the practiced way she snapped herself to full attention, as any soldier would.
The other beastkin spoke up soon after, equally as excitable, from the looks of it.
Miss Cephilia will love these ones, Cressey thought sarcastically to herself, before offering an answer to the girl in Arien's place.
"You'll find yourself performing a variety of jobs here. Regrettably, some of them more luxurious than others," she explained, the memories of the past jobs she'd handled this week: things ranging from assisting in guarding a short, relatively safe trade route, to hunting, to cleaning.
The next to speak up was the soft spoken man, Endymion if she recalled correctly.
She'd heard some rumors about the Krafen branch swirling around the guild, most of which did not paint a flattering picture.
Though, lacking any definite answer, she elected to simply keep her mouth shut, and leave that one to Arien.
Lastly was the Valgemian.
His demeanor was...oddly familiar; rough, yet slightly curt, fussy about his outward appearance first and foremost.
Reminded her of Lucia.
"I'd prepare another change of clothes if I were you..." she warned the merchant, before turning her gaze to the rest of the group, her harrowing first task came to mind...and offensively to the rest of her senses.
With a slight grimace at the memory, she added, "You'll never know what sordid task they decide to have you do, or where you'll be doing it."

Interacting:
Arien ( Reinhardt )
Lupa ( Silver Wolf )
Lori ( ERode )
Endymion ( lunar_moth )
Talio ( TreasureSniper )

 

[Topless]

Sakuranbo Suzui
Location: En route to Oyten
Sakura listened to what others have to say, nodding in agreement on every statement that she is aligned. Eventually, Thea came up with a plan that may work. It isn't a guaranteed one though, but if it means to cover up more ground to find the beast, then it may as well be worth a try. There will be search parties of pairs, but they must be at least close in within each other's vicinity for communication. Sakura knows how to communicate in far distances thanks to her sight and hearing, but worries that her non-beastkin companions might not understand her signals. Thea suggested having her pair up with Hyss, but since she is a hunter on her own, Sakura spoke up.

"If I may, Thea. While it is a good idea to have me paired up with a fellow hunter, I believed it would be more logical in a sense that the two of us should operate with a partner of their own. That way, not only does it cover us some more ground but also, if possible, be more easier for us signal one another. Already I have an idea as to who I'm going to team up with in this situation based on their equipment."

Her eyes scanned around her companions, looking at their equipment to see which among them have the better chance to take on the beast while she provides covering fire. Unfortunately, none of them save Thea bear anything that can hit the beast hard dead on. In the end however, she glanced over to Falco. If he looked back at her, then he knew whom she had picked as her partner.

AnonyMouse Reinhardt RedArmyShogun EmperorsChosen Thalia_Neko Huntertabbysandshark3
​

 

[Thalia_Neko]

Hysydice "Hyss" Maliss

Currently: Prepared to begin.
Thinking: "I need an appropriate partner.."

Location: Land Ferry, on approach to Oyten
Interacting: RedArmyShogun Topless
Mentions:
​

Hyss dropped her head, to hide under her hood. "If you say so, then it must be so," she said after Thea spoke. "There are no problems I am having; I have already resigned myself to this mission." She glanced at Falco. She did not hear what he whispered to Thea, she had no way of knowing he was sticking up for her. Though, it was unclear what she would've thought about that even if she had known. Instead, she responded to what he said. "I did not mean to go it alone in the woods, I meant I would search for our observer in town."

Thea shut that idea down right away. She dipped her head to what the knightess said, and concurred. "Very well. It would be hard to determine who the observer is without knowing who they are anyway."

Even so, Hyss had a bit more to add. "However, you needn't worry. I am better at tracking than you think and wouldn't lose our group so easily. I have memorized each of your scents, so I can find my way back to you quite easily. In fact, should anyone get lost in the woods, you need not consider yourself lost, for I can pinpoint your location."

Hyss turned to Sakura. "I will tag along behind you. Do not worry, I will be there. Or close enough nearby. I promise you, even if you cannot see me, I am there." Beneath her mask she frowned as the wolf girl rebuked the idea. At Sakura's suggestion the hooded girl spoke up, her voice as raspy as ever. "That's not going to work," she stated with a shake of her head, "I don't perform well as leader; I'm a shadow; I am better used as such. A partner I do not mesh with would not be beneficial to the group. And if I follow one not suited to tracking then my own skills will be undermined and impaired."