Fantasy Caravan - Kingdoms Of Thoris ~Chapter 1~

[Jensoman]

Flin Meeru

A blonde, short haired man wearing a light blue jacket, white shirt and brown pants could be seen in the distance behind the Caravan, calling out to the crew. "Hey, hey, wait up!!" He shouted, bolting after the caravan with great haste. "I don't fucking believe this...They left way too early!" He mumbled angrily to himself, despite the fact that it was he himself that simply ended up being late. The man was surprisingly agile for a human, and was taking deep breaths. He eventually caught up to the caravan, as his sprinting turned into walking. "I made it..." He muttered in a relieved tone.

He turned to Julius and smirked confidently at him, trying to look calm and composed even though he'd been running and screaming like crazy just a moment ago. "I'm Flin. Flin Meeru." He stated, bowing graciously to him. "I apologise for uh...being late?" He muttered. It seemed like he had trouble believing that he was the one at fault. The body of his guitar rested upon his left shoulder, while he held it's handle with his left hand. He seemed like a simple bard, nothing more.

 

[Tex.Y]

Julius winced at the shouting man that suddenly bolted towards the Caravan as it was preparing to take off. As Flin announced himself though, the Major pulled Centaurus' card from his jacket and looked it over. Flin Meeru, just as described. Guitar, apparel, abilities... "Get on," Julius ordered, far too exhausted by the discourse of Centaurus to offer any from of criticism for Flin, "Miss Celica will debrief you if needed. I am off to speak with Lieutenant Colonel Eridal." With that, Julius was off. 'finally' he thought, trying to pull himself away from the clamp of stress and anxiety that followed, 'good luck, Centaurus.'

 

[Strago]

Srago simply shook his head at the newcomer "ahh these ladies get younger every year. Bet he didn't even wash behind is ears thes mornin" With a nod Strago knew that the briefing was over. With a lighter step than before he walked over to the Caravan"Ya'll gots just a few moments for I gets these beasties underway better make'em count or don't bother belly-aching." Strago gave one last look at the boy with the guitar and pointed to him with a meaty finger. "I'm tellin ye now son I don't rightly like road songs.so play'em in the back if ye must."

Strago climbed up to the drivers seat the wood and iron groaned under the weight of his plopping down on it. He then waited for the captain to give the signal to let him know everyone was aboard.

Regretting not paying more attention to roll call Strago realized he has almost no clue who anyone was or what they were for.
"Oh and whoevr's the blasted cap'n tell me if we need to make any stop's for we leave the city I hate havin ta turn round cause some idiot forgot es hakerchife."

 

[Fenris]

Fall's answer seemed to carry an honest kindness tinted by either confusion or naivety; it was hard to tell which. It was enough to remind Caliban that like him not all of his comrades, perhaps not even half of them, were campaigned veterans or mercenaries. A calming realization in the face of Rowe's less enthused answer. She wasted no time in dismissing his suggestion and pointing out that his actions would reflect on others including herself. An arrangement he feared, neither of them found overly pleasant. “Understood, miss captain." the summoner replied with a helpless shrug and fell back in line just in time to witness Julius outburst.

Order where orders but standing about like iron poles wasn't very comfortable and severely limited Cali's ability to observe those around him. Thus the dark haired man fell into a more lax position once the Major's complexion had lost it's fiery touch and the quivering left his lips. Everyone seemed to be focused on the officers briefing and for good reason too. Not only where names, known beyond Arcadia's borders, mentioned but fellow Caravan's fallen to uncertain fates and ominous threats lurking behind thin veils of tranquility. It seemed the one redeeming feature of this mission was the fact that they had no orders to join battle and there were usually ways of extracting information that didn't include violence. Well that and the fact that he would be allowed, even encouraged to explore a new area and perhaps mingle or at least eaves drop on locals.

After the brief Major Julius seemed in a slightly better mood and even answered a handful of questions regarding the coming trip before giving them a relatively unceremonious send off, which Caliban was glad to return with a simple salute. He'd never quite been one to enjoy too much formality or pomp unless it ended in a sizable payoff. While inspecting the mighty construct provided to them he couldn't quite keep from wonder just what the key Celica had been handed was good for and perhaps how to take a closer look at it. Trinkets as ever were able to capture his attention more easily than constructs; though surely he'd never witnessed one quite like the rolling fortress they would come to call home.

Just as they began to leave a fair haired minstrel came charging; the latest member of Caravan Centaurs had made his appearance. The rogue suppressed a grin, fearing another outburst from their Major and instead threw a curious glance in Flin's direction. Musicians were usually well traveled folk, or so Caliban figured and hoped for a good tale or two along the journey.

“Hey now! Ya shouldn't be blasting our miss captain the very moment Major leaves.” Cali admonished in a jovial tone before nimbly hopping aboard and searching for a good place to rest his hoop and watch the landscape pass by. “Though I hope we won't be held at a leash quite as short as sir Jule's would have it.” He stated as much as asked with a broad grin.

 

[Berries]

Once all the questions were over with, including the unnecessary ones, Nei was glad to see that they would finally be able to get on the road. She would be more than happy to leave this chaotic, loud scene behind. As she had traveled in one of the caravans before, she was not surprised at what she found there. Climbing onto the back of the caravan, the woman raised her eyebrows when a blonde man started yelling out to them from across the plaza. Assuming that he was one of their four absent members, she supposed it was good that he managed to make it on time so they had more people. At the same time, however, his tardiness put their little group at an even higher level of disorganization. For the first time, Nei began to wonder if this journey was going to be safe. Julius made it seem like there was a high potential for danger, and if this group was as disheveled as they seemed it might increase their chances of injury or death.

The woman had expected Julius to tear into this late newcomer, but it seemed like the major had had his fill for the day. Instead, the man - Flin, was it? - just hopped onboard. Shrugging to herself, Nei looked him over once. A guitar? What could that possibly be for? This was supposed to be a military expedition, but it seemed to become increasingly less like one. Doubt once again crossing her mind, Nei took note to begin assessing the other crew members for capability as soon as possible. In the event of danger, she needed to know who she would be able to rely on. For starters, the Lok'Sha Bron had seemed to be pretty capable, but if he was the carpenter she wasn't sure how much combat ability he had.

Finding the pilot's speech hard to comprehend, Nei ignored him completely but did look to their captain. So far, the other woman had said very little, and Nei wondered what her command type might be like. In her last caravan, the captain had been incredibly up-tight and had left very room for talk even off-duty. While Nei did hope that this captain would be less strict, she also did figure that this rag-tag group might need that kind of command to get anything done. Once they started moving, everybody finally aboard, Nei called out to Henry. On the road, she commented to the bird. He had completed his meal and had been circling the outside of the city, so he came pretty quickly. Ascending from directly above the caravan, Henry trailed behind the vehicle for a few seconds before bringing his momentum under control and flying up to land on Nei's outstretched arm.

"Welcome back." She told the bird aloud, to which Henry let out a small myaaag sound. Smiling slightly, Nei returned to her task of trying to weed out the capable members. Deciding to start with the man who had attempted to speak with her before, the woman walked up to him. "Sorry if I ignored you earlier, I didn't want to piss Julius off any more than he already was." She stated, not sounding all that apologetic but perhaps it was the thought that counted.

Looking over as one of the other men spoke - Nei had completely disregarded his name - she shrugged. "We might need a tight leash to keep this crowd under control." She commented, half in jest but half entirely serious.

Halycon Fenris

 

[Halycon]

He blinked in amused surprise as a male sprinted up to the Caravan, his harried speech to the Major causing Ryker to lean forward in expectation of quite the spectacle. But it didn't happen, Julius turning away; and he pouted in irritation, wanting something interesting to happen. Not that most of these people weren't interesting enough in themselves, he just didn't have the patience to go and actually socialise with every one of them. Besides, from what he'd seen so far, most of them were quiet, lawful-good types. And to be frank, he hated those types. No - not hated. Strongly disliked. Since the Caravan business seemed to be so big on political correctness and order and deference and all that. Of course, Ryker had only been there a short amount of time, so he wasn't prepared to just throw it away and waste one of the best opportunities that'd come to him to explore outside of the barriers of Leias. Though from what he understood, he was supposed to be doing it by the bidding of the King, to serve and honour Arcadia, et cetera et cetera. If he was asked he'd just fall back on the goody-two-shoes language of the mindless pawns he'd seen so far and likely squeeze himself out of it like he usually did.

His cerulean orbs flicked to the woman he'd talked to earlier, who seemed to be speaking to him now. "Hmm?" He listened to her words, a grin slipping onto his face as she did so. "What? Oh, no problem! The Major was a little bit of a... well, you know," he muttered. "But I digress. It's fine! ...Well, since I'm not sure you heard the first time, I'm Ryker." He stuck out his hand, his grin growing wider. "Ryker Voxa, of Leias. You?" He ogled at the falcon, admiring it. "...Who's this? Oh - sorry if I seem a little flummoxed - " He shook his head, laughing, " - it's just in Leias we don't see many of your ... affinity pass through. What is it that Arcadians call it? Summoners? We tend to have different names for things, I apologise if I'm a little off-kilter with things." He ruefully shrugged a shoulder.

Upon further examination, he actually could pick out a few people that had something he liked - at least, something he liked that he'd seen. For example, the other male that'd already hopped onto the Caravan - an incredible vehicular feat of engineering (and for militaristic purposes) - possessed a personality that within the first few words already had Ryker taking a liking to him. Why? He didn't know. His methodology when it came to choosing his own crowd was, while skewed, effective - for his own purposes. Caliban, wasn't that his name? He filed it away for later - he'd surely be putting it to use later.

Of course, there was Strago. They both seemed to share the same approach of speaking their mind, and he seemed to possess a great deal more audacity than Ryker himself did - he found room to commend it internally, seeing as he hadn't met many people who shared his tendency for boldness, much less surpassed it. Though upon further thought, Ryker figured that the male's reaction was likely only in defence of the Venbu. But maybe that didn't change anything? Wishful thinking on his part, probably.

He hadn't really been paying attention to anything other than the Major and... well, no, he hadn't been paying as much attention as he could've, so that invalidated that point. He'd just not gotten the chance to converse or get to know anyone else, he supposed. Though Rowe was a different story. No way he was approaching her of his own accord. She radiated indifference, and he guessed almost immediately she would more or less disdain him soon enough.

All Mentions and Conversations:
Berries Fenris Jensoman Strago Melon Bomb SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

"I feel you give our crew too little credit." Bron said to Nei as he looked out over the people preparing to leave. "They may not be so strict with themselves but if it comes to a fight I would much rather have a team that can handle itself than a team who only knows how to stand at attention and follow orders...I feel in good hands." The irony of the statement given that Bron was easily the biggest of them all was apparently lost on him.
With that he bid Nei and her new friend Ryker farewell as he went to attend to the final caravan adjustments.
Bron performed his pre-launch duties quickly and with a practiced ease. He knew the vessels inside and out and had committed the protocols to memory. When his work was done and the caravan was ready to pull out he signaled Rowe.
"On your signal captain!"

He couldn't help but feel a thrill of excitement run through him. An Imperial caravan, to a new destination. One of his dreams made real.
Bron couldn't help but begin to hum an old traveling song that had been taught to him when he was only just beginning to learn his trade.
His deep baritone carried the notes as all around him the final preparations were being made.

Berries Halycon Melon Bomb

 

[Melon Bomb]

"Attention!" Rowe shouted to the crew, her posture straight and her hands behind her back. For someone who seemed so quiet, Rowe's speaking voice was surprisingly impressive. Getting the attention of inattentive scoundrels had been part of her job description at one point, after all. She slowly paced between the front and the back of the caravan, making sure her words were not concentrated in one place.

"Before we depart, allow me to set some ground rules," she continued, eyeing each and every one of the members with scrutiny. "I am not your friend. I am not your beneficiary. I am your captain. It is my job to ensure that you, firstly, stay on task. We are here on a mission, not a road trip. Secondly, it is my job to ensure that you work as a team. Do not be a lone ranger, there will be consequences - consequences that may put all of our lives at stake. That means communication is key."

She stopped walking and stood to face the caravan crew from the center.

"I don't care how much you hate each other, or how much you hate me," Rowe said, briefly narrowing her eyes at Nei and Ryker before shifting her attention back to the group. "You will learn to work together." She looked at Bron, and with a sour expression she added, "And when I give orders, you will follow them. So, let me remind you of something, Bron."

The woman walked towards the massive lok'sha, completely undeterred by his comparatively massive frame. She looked up at the bull-headed man with an expression that was a combination of exhaustion, irritation, and spite. "This is a reconnaissance caravan. Do not be an idiot, and get rid of the mindset that we are trying to fight our way through Kel. If we were escorting important cargo I would be inclined to agree with you, but we are hardly equipped for combat if our numbers didn't already spell that out for you. Do not make the mistake of putting your trust into a last resort."

Rowe pushed up the brim of her hat, making full, unbroken eye contact with the bull.

"Follow. Orders."

Curtly, the caravan captain turned away and faced the rest of the members again, raising her voice so they could hear.

"That goes to all of you! Stay on task! Communicate! Follow orders! Have I made myself clear?"

Somehow, she felt like she didn't. She expected only a half-hearted reply from most of the caravan crew, like a bunch of annoyed school children. Or some manner of backtalk. It's about all they're probably capable of anyway, Rowe thought bitterly to herself, though she has learned not to let these kinds of things get to her. No one ever wants to listen.

 

[Jensoman]

Flin Meeru

Flin nodded subtly towards Julius, and moved towards the caravan in order to get on. By closer inspection, it would appear that Flin had pointed ears. As Strago spoke to him and seemed to make fun of him, he stared at him with a lazy and displeased look on his face. He couldn't help but cringe to the way he spoke, but he tried to remain calm for the most part. He ran quite a bit after all, and he was aware of Strago's position as the pilot. As such, he didn't exactly want to get in a fight with the man. "Yea yea, whatever you say, fella." He replied in a mocking tone, as he got into the caravan.

Flin turned towards Rowe as she got everyone's attention, smirking to himself. 'Guess that's the captain...she fits the description that I've been given.' He thought, listening closely to her words. He couldn't help but smirk devilishly when she walked up specifically towards Bron, the Lok'Sha. Of course a brute like that would need the biggest lecture. Surely, he had to be the biggest threat to this operation. Flin did not have much respect for Lok'Sha, due to their 'lack' in intelligence. He listened closely to what the captain had to say about teamwork. He doubted that he would ever need to rely on any of them, but he would obey none the less.

Strago Melon Bomb SilverFlight Tex.Y

 

[SilverFlight]

Bronturned, mildly surprised that the captain was singling him out. He looked down at her as she stomped up to him, his expression passive but thoughtful. She had clearly overheard what he had said and she had interpreted the meaning as defiance. She spoke to him as if he were stupid, a fact the kept at the back of his mind as he listened intently to her seething address. When she was finished he took in a deep, patient breath.
"Your assumptions about my species are sadly typical captain. You would do well to remember the information just given: that our caravan will be heading into hostile lands. If you wish to assume we will come to no harm I cannot stop you." He leaned down a little and spoke softly, his face as calm and placid as it had been when she began.
"Let me offer you some advice captain: In all of this caravan the most dangerous element of it I see, is your attitude. You criticize, bark at and insult the people who would otherwise have gladly fought and died for you. You make enemies of your people when you disregard the enemy waiting out there.
You divide the team with your petty vying for control...I suggest, you revise how you lead."
Bron held her gaze and his face bore no resentment to her at all, simply concern.
"You will have no problem from me captain, provided you do not order us to our deaths. I know how to follow instruction and I will, likewise I know the difference between a captain, and simply a woman with a captain's title."
With that he turned and began to walk away. "On your signal captain." He repeated.

Melon Bomb

 

[Melon Bomb]

It was very, very subtle, but Rowe could feel her eye slightly twitch at what she had just listened to. Is this. . . is this your first day serving with the Arcadia military? It seemed as though he had taken Rowe's disciplinary tone entirely too personally, she had to take a moment to figure out if he was being serious not. Backtalk wasn't unheard of, but this large, physically intimidating bull was actually acting like a child right now. She didn't recall saying anything about his species, nor did she say she wasn't expecting threats - there was a clear distinction between being prepared for a potential encounter, and valuing combat skills over the chain of command. And to say that her attitude was the most dangerous element of the mission? The bull's assertions were performative at best, he was clearly talking with his heart and not with his brain.

And of course, he started to walk away to get the last word in. Literal kid. . .

If this were a few years ago, everything she had thought just now would've come out of her mouth without hesitation. While she still thought herself to be in the right, there was some truth to what Bron had said. Her cold, sometimes even antisocial mindset spurred more than just a few altercations in her time - both verbal and physical. She did not feel it was within her interest to show respect to anybody here, but weighing the possible outcomes of this divide, she would just have to suck it up and act like a professional. Somebody had to.

"I am here to do my job," Rowe said at length. Climbing into the back, she spared the slightest glance over her shoulder. "And I expect you to do the same - whether you think of me as a captain or not." Perhaps it seemed redundant to say after he had assured her that he would follow instructions, but for wholly mysterious reasons, she imagined that wouldn't hold up for long.

"Prepare the caravan for departure. We're leaving."

 

[Halycon]

He felt the Captain's eyes pass over him as much as he saw it, and he frowned. What had he done now? Of course, if having the freedom to entertain one's own thoughts was in jeopardy on this mission, then he'd be extremely happy to slip back to Leias as soon as he was able, where Arcadia's jurisdiction was of no concern - and even if it had been, there would be no chance of anyone finding him on his home turf, not as long as he had breath in his body. He knew his home nation like the back of his hand, and it wasn't just any lumbering oaf who could find him.

He just resolved to nodding his head once, his black curls spilling over onto his forehead as he raised a hand to it, using two fingers in a mock salute. "Yes, ma'am," he curtly responded, though he didn't pursue any conversation with the Captain. He instead turned back to the Summoner he'd been conversing with, raising an eyebrow at her. "My apologies, but it seems we have to cut this short. We're apparently on a very tight schedule when it comes to utterly arbitrary reconnaissance." And with that, he hopped onto the Caravan, taking care not to trip on his own cloak - a welcome addition in the relative darkness of Leias, where constant shade from the interspersed trees provided for near-invisibility when combined with his cloak. But here, in open space and broad daylight, all it served to do was make him hot. It was a lengthy object, going down to his calves, and was dyed a dark brown - black dye, unfortunately, was very expensive, but wasn't all necessary.

His orbs - cerulean with green flecks; quite disorienting - scanned the Caravan, noting the two other males in the vicinity. "Pleased to make both of your acquaintances!" He simulated a bow in their general direction, flashing a grin when he again stood straight. "The name's Ryker, how about the both of you?"

Relevant Mentions and Conversations:
Fenris Jensoman Berries

 

[Strago]

As strago heard :

"Prepare the caravan for departure. We're leaving."

Strago clasped his hands around the thick leather straps and shouted "YAHH Steel, YAHH Flint ye great beasts of burden!!"
He watched as the Venbu's legs muscles strained only for a second or two to get the caravans initial momentum.
"I hope none of ye mind I named the beasties." Strago chuckled to himself. The stone streets passed and the faces of the people in the city watched as another Caravan set out to it's mission. As the city buildings passed by he thought to himself. Kel never been there before I wonder what kind of place it was. " A new chapter of me tale is about ta begin"

 

[Berries]

Calming down a little bit as Ryker grinned, Nei blinked when he offered his hand to shake. Cautiously shaking it, she was a little overwhelmed by his chatter. Blinking once more as he referred to Henry as a summon, she began to shake her head, but then Bron responded to her comment. Opening her mouth to say something to them both, their captain then called for attention. Impulsively straightening up and shutting her mouth, Nei felt a sigh form in her lungs at the woman's strict tone. Here we go again. She said to Henry, and the bird nodded his head a little bit in acknowledgement. Swallowing the sigh down so that she wouldn't get a crackdown for attitude, Nei was surprised when she got a glare anyway.

"Yes, mam." She responded shortly after the woman was done talking, and now that she had Henry she ducked inside the interior of the caravan. Wincing as the pilot yelled at the venbu to start going, Nei raised an eyebrow at the names he had given them. Steel? Flint? Interesting, to say the least. Seeing as she had never been to Kel, Nei didn't offer her assistance in navigation and instead walked over to the Ryker man from earlier who was now talking to the guitar man and the one shady-looking one. At first when she saw the abundance of people there, she was going to change directions and walk for solitude, but she steeled her will. Reminding herself that she wanted to weed out the capable ones from the not, she also recalled a portion from the captain's speech that said that lone-wolf behavior wasn't going to be permitted.

Looking around warily for the woman in question, despite Nei's newfound willingness to socialize a little bit she was cautious to do it. Despite the captain's orders not to be a lone-wolf, at the same time she seemed to frown upon non-business interactions between the crew. Deciding to first place her bag on one of the beds, Nei waited a few seconds before walking towards the group she had intended to go towards before. She half hoped that the captain would go up by the pilot to direct him so that the rest of the group could have some less-formal time together before their mission really started.

Tapping Ryker on the shoulder to make room for herself in the small group, Nei looked at him for a second first. "Not a summon," she said gesturing to Henry, "simply a bird that decided to cooperate with me." She corrected, trying to make her words sound somewhat friendly before realizing that she had mostly forgotten the names of everybody else there. The one who had been late was named Flin, she thought, but she wasn't exactly sure. The second one she had totally forgotten, if she had ever even known in the first place.

Fenris Halycon Jensoman

 

[Dreamtique]

Making mental notes of the plentiful medical supplies on the Caravan and a comrade that's in need of his help, he decided to wait a little while before he approached the fellow.

Fall wasn't expecting things to be escalating this fast, being fed on the information of their current mission at such a rate all of a sudden, he couldn't even fully digest the whole situation before they were hurriedly sent off unceremoniously, it almost felt like the Major wanted them gone from his sight a little too desperately.
He tried to recall about the tone of the Major as he spoke, and the pressure that was on him suddenly multiplied exponentially as he realized the risk that comes with the mission.
He wasn't exactly afraid, he was just worried. Worried about what exactly will intersect their path.

It happened much sooner than he expected, they were now, almost literally, one step away from aboard the grand Caravan, something that Fall could only imagine up until this point. Little had he ever expect that he will end up here, it still felt a little surreal to Fall himself.
But the world do changes drastically from time to time after all, and it's the continuous changes that had spun the wheel of the world eons and eons until now, so perhaps his life wouldn't seem so dramatic relatively after all, he closed his eyes and let the thoughts slowly set in.

A set of hasty footsteps soon reached his ears and disturbed the internal serenity of his mind, he allowed his body to slightly lean to aside as he looked to the source of the footsteps that was soon accompanied by a series of yelling.
It was a man with blonde hair, it didn't take long for Fall to deduce that he must be one of the missing members, but a particular subject of interest soon diverted his attention -it was a guitar that the man was carrying. It was somewhat uplifting for Fall to know fellow comrade with an affinity for music, he knew he would for sure to enjoy his company, and they will too.

Just before everyone settled down, the captain, Rowe addressed and insisted on her authority over the team, to Fall it was something to be expected from the lady, her appearance and aura alone were a telltale sign of her ways of doing things, and that particular moment only substantiated his assumptions.

Bron, after exchanging words with the captain inevitably shook the captain's composure, very subtly.
Fall could only hold his breath and hoped that both parties would start to come to an agreement on how a team should operate, eventually. Somehow, he has faith in that, he believes it's just a matter of time.

The internal of the Caravan was surprisingly spacious, Fall tried to take in everything as he wandered around the Caravan, hunting for the storage area that Julius mentioned earlier.
The floor shook as the Caravan started to gain momentum, for a moment he almost lost his balance, he could only blame his petite physique.

He squeezed through a small passage and made his way the storage area, turning around while checking out the medical supplies that were available for use, making sure to note everything that could be useful in the future and tried to get familiar with all of the supplies provided.

After he was satisfied with studying the resources at hand, he made a quick glance around before he drew out his trusty bamboo flute and played a melody softly, a bright and fiery glow filled the room before a fiery Vermilion bird substantiated from the glow and spread its wing majestically as it answered the summon.

"I need a little help with some light wound caused by mana, a fellow comrade needs it."
"Which means...I'll have to borrow some feathers..."

The Vermilion bird spread its wing and interrupted with a screech as the fire on its body gained a crimson tint.
"I am sorry...but I can't just leave it like that if I can do something about it...you know how it is...I don't want to drain your power on a wound as light as that directly, and I'll need to store some for future uses too."
Fall reached out to the bird as he tried to grab on one of its wings.
"I-it's too hot...please...calm down and let me do this......"
"I'll make it up by playing a song or two for you... so please."

Like a kid give in to persuasion, the Vermilion bird's flare dimmed down as it settled down peacefully while Fall carefully extracted some feathers from its body and stored the flaming ethereal feathers in a glass bottle.

"...and...done...it wasn't that bad right?"
"The energy on them are valuable catalyst to the herbs, without these, they would never work that efficiently...it's all thanks to you, I want to remind you......"
"Thank you...once again......"
Fall took a few step back and bowed at the fiery bird, the bird gave the man a rather nonchalant attitude before it pecked the man on his shoulder.

"Ah...as promised......"

Fall sat down on the floor with his legs crossed. He placed the bamboo flute readily on his lip before he turned his breath into string and strings of soft melody that filled the air of the storage room.
The fiery bird stood on its foot calmly as it looked down to the man that was sitting at the other end of the room, its majestic flame swayed idly along in the melody.

 

[Jensoman]

Flin Meeru

Flin kept looking at Bron as he replied to the captain. He was surprised to hear and see Bron's calm and composed response, despite that there was some passive agression within his words. He'd expected the large creature to cause a fuss in a savage manner, but it did not turn out that way. He rested his eyes somewhat, leaning against the caravan's wall behind him while he was seated to make himself comfortable. He felt slightly more at ease, as it seemed like the Lok'Sha would not be a problem. Not as of yet, anyways. He turned towards Ryker as he bowed towards him and introduced himself.

Flin smirked slightly, seeming pleased that the man bowed before him. Ryker seemed to have good manners, which was something Flin could appreciate. "Flin Meeru. Nice to meet ya." He calmly replied, looking at Nei briefly to acknowledge her as she spoke to Ryker. He noticed her pet falcon, and the fact that some guy wandered in with a flute behind her, playing melodies to his flame bird. A glimmer seemed to appear within Flin's eyes for a moment, as he noticed the flute that Fall was using. He felt slightly interested in the man now, but he wouldn't adress him as of yet. He appreciated that someone else was using sound music as well, so he'd definitely keep an eye on him.

He turned towards Cali now, expecting for the man to introduce himself as well. Flin remained in a relaxed position, his guitar resting on his hips while he had his upper back and head leaned against the caravan's wall while holding his hands behind his head like a pillow. He seemed awfully lazy. His pointy ears could easily be spotted. "So uh...have any of y'all been to Kel before?" He suddenly asked Ryker, Cali, and Nei by extension who was nearby. Flin may have been an Eldi, but he'd lived in Arcadia for most of his life. As such, he could use any info he could get.

Berries Fenris Halycon Melon Bomb Dreamtique SilverFlight

 

[Fenris]

Once more the captain shot down his hopes in rapid succession, making the rogue worry that perhaps this was quickly becoming a habit. Even the quiet one he memorized as Nei was agreeing with their leader, though there seemed to be a hint of amusement in her tone. Caliban shook his head, it had taken him a long time to get used to working with Nyxe, his summon, and she was single entity bound to his very soul! How difficult would it be to get used to this group of exotic strangers? At least Bron, the herculean Lok'sha, seemed to be in favor of looser rules on account of trusting the others abilities. Though from the look of things he also seemed to be in favor of simply ignoring their more fragile looking captain... Caliban certainly admired Rowe's courage, or lack of survival instinct, when she met Bron's address face to face after getting on his bad side. His own tendencies would have leaned toward remaining well out of arms reach.

Once the Caravan started rolling along, its iron and rubber wheels making for an unexpectedly smooth ride, Caliban found himself approached by a dark haired man introducing himself as Ryker Voxa. The mans most distinguishing feature being his bright eyes and easy going attitude, earning him an acknowledging nod just as Nei and her falcon joined the gathering. The feathered beast drawing his attention until soft tunes drew his eyes to a more fiery example; a flash of worry crossed the rogues features as he considered their largely wooden dwelling and the possible implications.

Flin's question diverted his focus back to the conversation, “The names Caliban, but friends call me Cali. “ he cracked a smile then shook his head, “And I haven't been to Kel, but that just makes the trip all the more promising don't it? The chance of hearing new tales, meeting different people and discovering unique sights all while strictly adhering to our orders...” he managed a mirthful glance toward Rowe before finishing, “certainly sounds romantic; the stuff bards sing about.” He didn't envy her for the position of captain... or did he? Recalling the earlier confrontation elicited another head shake. No, he did not.

 

[SilverFlight]

Bron made his way slowly into the belly of the caravan. He had stored his things on one of the small bunks before he began his work and returned to it now, being careful not to knock anyone over in the corridors. Making a spectacle was not what he had planned. If people hadn't paid much notice of him before, they would now. He arrived at his bunk (He had strategically chosen one at the bottom) and withdrew an old map from the side of his bag, the route planned traced roughly upon it. Bron had been studying the paper to better anticipate where adjustments might need to be made to accommodate the terrain, and he had not yet committed it to memory. All thoughts of the matters before ceased however when he heard the soft tune being played a short distance off. He made his way to the storage room and found the young man he had spoken to earlier, only he was sitting before a remarkable bird. Bron stayed to listen, captivated by the music almost as much as the majestic summon. He didn't dare speak until Fall had finished his music.
"You are a healer and a summoner?" He said appreciatively, "Impressive. Tell me, how did you come to be on this journey?"
Dreamtique

 

[Tex.Y]

The Caravan ground to a halt as it reached the end of Arcadia's market district, where the city was just about to meet the untamed wilds beyond its walls. There was a large outer ring, the sunken ramparts as Arcadian forces referred, where final preparations, and all investigations involving incoming/outgoing bodies could be processed. The ring of grass and trees was a strategic point, surrounded by two massive walls that made up Arcadia's external defences, both lined with cannons, ballista, and ranged casters of excessive skill, all along the upper ramparts. There were only three ways into the outer circle from within the city, and two ways out, at either end of the massive fortress nation. The soldiers that stood guard inside those walls had essentially lived a great deal of their careers as Arcadia's Military within the sunken ramparts, stationed not in the towers themselves, but within housing that lined its grassy terrain. It was like a district all of its own, albeit armed to the teeth with highly ranked soldiers.

Strago was met by several guards, clad in full iron armour, and ranked second-lieutenant or lower. One of the men stood out, however, not burdened by the usual heavy armour of the lower ranked soldiers of Arcadia's army, or her paladins, for that matter. Major General Philip Norwell Saluted the oversized pilot and gave Flint a gentle pet along the side of his flank. He was there for their final debriefing, as it were.

"Sorry for the delay, Centaurus. I've been given direct order from Miss Eridal to give each of the contingency Caravans a quick once-over. It will only take a minute... Ah, and I've a last minute recruit for your ranks, as well. Yvette was thorough enough to send word that you would likely be missing three to five people, this morning. So, I've made preparations, in her stead," Philip announced, pulling a small scroll from his leather-bound cuirass. He handed it to Strago and pointed towards the back of the Caravan with his other hand. His soldiers proceeded to scan every nook and cranny along its wooden skeleton, looking for ill-intent in the nature of enchantment or physical sabotage. "Hand this scroll to Rowe, please. It's a profile for your newest recruit. She wouldn't have had a chance to review Sir Winterblessed prior. It would be wise if she were to brush up on his credentials." Philip looked towards Arcadia's main exit with a confident smile, seemingly unawares to the main details behind this contingency effort. He wasn't a paladin, and he held a rank much higher than Yvette, though. Could it be possible that this wasn't common knowledge to all valued soldiers? No, he had to know. Philip was known as the unwavering smile after all. His entire company could be mowed down by beasts, and his idiotic smile wouldn't waver for a second, or so it's been said. "Out into the wild, you go. It's been ages since I've been out there myself," Philip said, making idle conversation as his soldiers worked, "Say, Strago. Your profile says you've got Esp blood in you, yeah?" He asked quietly, leaning in closer to the massive man from a lower standing point. It was awkward, but Philip wasn't exactly the more formal General around.

Nearby, the newest member of Caravan Centaurus, Kaladin Winterblessed, was prepped, and ready to go at a moment's notice. The men scanning the giant wooden fortress finished their jobs rather quickly, not even bothering those who rested within. If there were any enchantments, they didn't even need to be within 10 meters to scan the entirety of the rolling castle. One of the men signalled Philip, who nodded in his direction, and waited patiently for Strago's answer, along with Kaladin's arrival.

 

[Blitzer]

Kaladin Winterblessed was late. Not something that was encouraged in the Special Forces. Well now he was part of the caravans. Similar endeavors really. Although the caravans were more intel gathering and the special forces more protectionist and combat oriented. Of course all those other things that they had to do in absolute secret. He mounted his horse quickly and kicked it into action. He'd been collecting his belongings from the barracks. Kaladin tried to recall what he had learned about the caravan members. He'd abused some of his connections as quickly as possible once he'd learned about his assignment. It would be a welcome temporary change

Lieutenant Winterblessed pulled up his horse next to the Caravan. His horse was a fine courser, straight out of the best military stables. It was a prize he had been awarded for completing an off the books mission. His horse, Farseer, was glossy brown with a white stripe down his forehead. Kaladin quickly dismounted and gave his horse an order to remain close to the caravan. His horse could faithfully ride near the caravan without trouble. That and the fact, Kaladin kept a magical wire consistently wrapped around Farseer's hoof when they were separated. Kaladin stood awkwardly waiting to be allowed onto the Caravan by the commanding officer.

Melon Bomb Strago

 

[Halycon]

Ryker felt a tap on his shoulder, and he turned to blink at Nei, his eyes widening as he registered her explanation. "...Not a summon?.. Well - I - " He stammered, at a loss for words. "...I mean, how do you communicate? That should be impossible, right? Unless there's an enchantment on it or something... Did you enchant her? Him?" He was quite in the dark when it came to this animal, as it should've been impossible by any normal measure to boast complete cooperation with any creature of any kind. Then again, having ventured into the world of the arcane, nothing should've really surprised him anymore. Maybe it was some sort of new Arcadian invention that hadn't reached Leias yet. Of course, it could also be a simple enchantment, like he'd suspected - it was relatively simple to cast, though inefficient, as one was required to funnel mana into a conduit for the duration of the cast. But... it didn't seem to be what was binding the bird to Nei - at least, he didn't see any talismans that would facilitate such a charm... Or it could be just a bird. He somehow doubted that.

His attention flickered to the other inhabitants of the Caravan, nodding as both males he'd introduced himself to said their names, compartmentalising it into memory - or trying to, at least. He wasn't good at keeping really anything in his mind, really, unless it came to his craft. Apart from that, it'd be a miracle if he managed to remember the names of everyone on-board the Caravan without asking more than once for it. "Nice to meet the both of you," he said simply, not trusting himself to get the names correct, nodding to each of them in turn. He then quieted as he listened to the three of them talk, sitting criss-cross and resting his elbows on his knees, his chin in an upturned palm, though his eyes were eventually drawn to the other side of the Caravan, where he watched a man conversing with... another bird, though this one seemed to be quite alright with the fact that it was in flames. He had to restrain from staring, though he looked with concern at the conflagration, subtly making a hand gesture. It was non-functional, though if one was versed in the teachings of Leias they would be able to read the motion as 'Protect'. He was very averse to fire, especially in a small space such as this. Due to the fact that his entire life resided in such a forested area as his nation of birth, it was a very valid fear, as one spark could instantly set a huge swath of their surroundings ablaze. He did find it in himself to smirk at Caliban's ironic statement, though he actively worked to keep the discomfort off of his face when it came to the fiery summon.

He barely glanced at the quiet altercation between the Captain and the Lok'sha, taking to studying the contents of the Caravan - he found it not of his interest, as he already knew who's side he'd take. Bron's, of course. Though whether that was a byproduct of his inherent dislike for most (all?) authority figures - now that was yet to be seen. Then there was obviously the logical side of things - which he actually happened to agree with Rowe. For once. He made a face to himself, unsure of what that meant to him. Of course, it was unfair to assume as quickly as she did that Bron was the one of all of them to be most prone to fighting through anywhere merely because of his race. Quite frankly, he liked everyone, and Ryker tended to traipse through barriers regardless of nearly every social divide there was - possibly because he was indifferent to perceived boundaries of society anyways. But what she said made sense - despite the fact that it'd been specific to Bron. They were in no way equipped to battle much of anything, really. Maybe when he saw everyone's skills in action he'd be convinced otherwise, but at the moment all he knew were his own abilities and the fact that Nei could apparently attract the assistance of a normal, albeit impressive bird without a summoning. Oh, and that the other boy - Fall? - could play a flute while simultaneously burning the Caravan down.

The Caravan bumped to a stop, and he nearly fell onto his side on the floor, regaining his balance by hurriedly placing his hands onto the wooden platform they occupied, not necessarily by the force of the stop but by virtue of his own neglect to pay attention. Nonetheless, he grinned, seeming to brush the moment of weakness aside. "That was quick," he nonchalantly commented, though his curiosity was indeed piqued.

All Mentions and Conversations:
Berries Fenris SilverFlight Jensoman Melon Bomb Dreamtique

 

[Berries]

Staring at the phoenix that the flute-man had summoned, Nei blinked after a few seconds and brought her attention back to what she was doing. Henry ruffled his feathers in annoyance, seemingly put off by the fact that he wasn't the only special bird on board. Nei smiled a little bit to herself and patted the falcon once on the head in reassurance. I'd rather have you than some summon that burns everything at the touch. She told him consolingly, but he didn't respond and simply looked away from her. However, despite his apparent indifference, Nei could feel his satisfaction at her comment so she smiled again before looking at the guitar man as he reintroduced himself. She had been correct in thinking his name was Flin, so she noted that down for future reference. Shaking her head as he asked whether or not any of them had been to Kel, the woman wondered if he had been before or not. He was quite obviously an Eldi with is ears, so she assumed he might have been before, but the tone of his question implied that he hadn't. "Unfortunately not, I look forward to seeing it." She responded, ultimately not in a very friendly tone but she had been smiling before so hopefully the two factors cancelled out.

Glancing over as Caliban began to speak, taking note of his name, Nei nodded in agreement. "I too look forward to exploring." She said while raising her eyebrows as his gaze settled on Rowe for a few moments. Grinning a bit at the mention of a bard, Nei gestured to Flin with her thumb. "Luckily it does appear we have a bard to tell our tales," she commented while looking at Flin to see whether he took offense to the comment or not. Seeing as the only thing of prominence that he seemed to be carrying was his guitar, she felt that her assertion wasn't entirely off the mark, but at the same time she didn't want to offend him if he had some other reason for carrying the instrument. Pausing for a second as the caravan ground to a halt, Nei was surprised to see that it looked like they had been stopped just outside the market district. Was there new protocols for outgoing caravans now? The woman found that quite likely, and upon hearing Major General Norwell speak from afar her beliefs were somewhat confirmed.

Deciding that she had no role in whatever debrief he was giving, as he seemed to be directing his speech at the pilot and Rowe, Nei did look up when she heard some mention of a new member. It was true that they were missing a lot of people, but the way the Major General presented it implied that whoever had been in charge of assembling their caravan had been aware there would be no-shows. Raising her eyebrows, Nei ignored it and instead waited for the newest addition to emerge. Since she was still inside the caravan she couldn't really see outside very clearly so she figured the man would come inside once he was permitted to and she would see him then. Meanwhile, she refocused her attention on Ryker. Nodding to acknowledge his confusion, she searched for words to describe her abilities. "I'm a low level psychic," she started, "I can telepathically communicate with animals. Humans too, but only with their permission." She finished, satisfied with her response. She hadn't attempted to telepathically communicate with humans in awhile, it usually took a lot more energy besides not many welcomed a tiny voice in their heads.

 

[Strago]

Strago nodded as the caravan came to a halt and the soldiers began their inspection. A gentleman approached-

"Hand this scroll to Rowe, please. It's a profile for your newest recruit. She wouldn't have had a chance to review Sir Winterblessed prior. It would be wise if she were to brush up on his credentials."

"Say, Strago. Your profile says you've got Esp blood in you, yeah?" He asked quietly

Strago nodded again "Aye sir I will be sure she gits it." with that Strago turned his head and yelled "EY CAPIN WE'S GOTS ANOTHER ONE FER YA!" Srago calmly turned his face back to the man and grinned slightly. "Aye I am buh I fail ta see why ya would care bout somim like that. Not ta be rude or nuthin, but I don't rightly like anserine questions ta people who donna introduce thumselves first. Ya seem ta know ma name, seems only fair I know yers.


Tex.Y Melon Bomb

 

[Tex.Y]

Philip grinned to himself and glanced at the ground. Strago didn't recognise him? Oh, what an unfortunate circumstance! It stung his pride, but the General shook it off with his teeth shining as brightly as ever, despite the lack of any significant sunlight within the sunken Ramparts.

"Ah, hah, forgive me. My reputation usually proceeds me- Major General Philip Norwell, Presently acting as head of the Caravan secondary briefing procedure, and acting commander of the sunken Ramparts," Philip announced, offering Strago a friendly bow of the head, "I've had a prior run-in with the Esp. Fortunately, under rather positive circumstances. Heh, I may just owe my life to one of your kind! The esp, despite any nasty rumours that might float about, treated me with a great deal of respect." Philip paused and looked back at Sir Winterblessed for a moment before nodding to Strago. "Call me a curious fool, but I've often requested for the King to provide me with a detachment and a Caravan, so that I may find the esp that reside south of Arcadia, and bring them to live here, in our humble kingdom. Being a man with a... Curious cocktail of racial origin, I'd imagined you may know more about the Esp than I. But if the topic is taboo..."

 

[Strago]

"Nuthin of tha kind Mr. Major General Philip Norwell I dunna know why they asked a simple country vet ta drive this house on wheels." As strago began to relax bringing his arms up and hands behind his head. "Dunna meet many who has a friendly word ta say about me ma's folk. Only met a few others meself but ma says theres a few families left in tha old parts of tha woods" Strago leaned forward with his left eye closed and whispered. "If ya knows where ta look." Strago leaned back again and let his arms fall to the leather straps. "If ye ever gets that permission, look me up assuming o course I'm still breathin. The Esp are sometimes a bit tenacious and unpredictable, as me ma put's it I ain't lion.

Strago nodded again to Major General Philip Norwell.

Tex.Y