Fantasy Chronicles of Cre' Est (Triveila)

[GojiBean]

"Achoo!"

A pair of gleaming, glowing crimson spheres locked onto Lorraine as she sniffled and brought out a handkerchief from her bag to wipe her nose.

"It's gotten a lot colder, hasn't it?"

Kyero looked up towards the dark, cloudy sky.

"Hmm."

"Well, on the bright side the New Year's almost here. Just ten days left. Then we can greet the warmth of Spring again."

He grunted in response which resulted in Lorraine's eyebrows turning up as a gentle smile spread across her lips.

"Hey. Are you feeling all right?"

He slowly locked eyes with her.

"You've been really quiet lately. More so than usual.

"Hmm."

She jogged up a few steps to get in front before spinning on her heel to face him.

"This'll be your first time back in Triveila since you were young, isn't it?"

He nodded.

"I know I asked once already. But are you feeling all right?"

He looked up and past her, observing the changes in the road ahead. The border was fast approaching. And with it came a feeling he wasn't used to. A pit in his stomach. An ache in his heart. Almost unconsciously he reached up and clutched at his black tunic just above the wound his father gave him during that wretched night.

Father hadn't taken them through this road. That much he remembered. Which road exactly was a mystery to him. But it was a lot more open than the lightly wooded region they were currently walking through. Even so, he recalled everything as if it were yesterday.

The bouncing of the horsedrawn wagon he sat in alongside his mother who played games with him while father focused on driving. The bright blue sky above with occasional white pillow-like clouds mixed in. The sounds of migrating seabirds. And the gentle touch of the wind against his face. Everything seemed fine until they crossed the border into Valkyom. That was when his father grew more quiet. More distant. Every mile traveled the tension rose until his mother couldn't take it anymore and demanded to know what was going on. But by the time she spoke up it was too late. They were-

"Kyero!"

He snapped out of the memory with a blink of his eyes, which then slowly slid down to meet Lorraine's. She'd laid her hands on the hand he used to clutch his tunic. And her smile had faded.

"You with me, big guy?" She asked, forcing a new smile.

"Yeah."

"I called you five times, you know. Is everything all right?"

"Mm. Just memories."

Her smile disappeared again.

"Do you want to talk about them?"

"... No."

"Okay. Then we don't have to."

She slowly let go of his hand and took a deep breath.

"We're coming up on the border, so there should be a checkpoint up ahead. Are you nervous?"

"No."

She chuckled.

"Oh really? I know the King and Queen's announcement of your amnesty has probably spread throughout the entire continent by now. But even so I have my doubts that things will be much different than they were back home. The people here are probably still scared of you. Will you be okay with that?

"It's fine so long as they leave me alone."

Lorraine nodded with a tiny huff of a breath through her nose.

"I suppose. Anyway, let's keep going. I'd rather we reach the checkpoint before dark, you know? Triveila's a beautiful, peaceful place. But it's got its share of dangers in the woods, too. You know?"

"Yeah..."

Kyero looked into the tree line and observed a handful of thick, low hanging branches with some of the tiny little leaf stems on them having been snapped off. Not unusual, as sometimes animals would walk over them and the leaf would break away. But what caught Kyero's attention was that some of them looked a bit to clean to have simply been broken by chance. They'd been cut. And there were other, more subtle signs to worry about as well such as conveniently placed holes disguised as bird nests in the trunk right about the height of a human shoulder if they were crouching on the branch waiting for an ambush.

"... I know."

"Then let's pick up the pace, eh? Come on! Triveila awaits!" Lorraine chirped as she spun on her heel and nearly fell backwards.

Kyero paced a hand on her lower back to stabilize her until she righted herself and cleared her throat with a light blush in her cheeks.

"Guess I got a bit too excited there, huh?"

Kyero put a hand on her shoulder before he continuing down the road. But Lorraine remained still. The sight of Kyero walking forward into the ever darkening woods as the sun began to set on this cold Winter evening near the border was almost empowering. He didn't seem to feel the nip in the air or have any worries about how dark it was getting. He just kept walking forward. She couldn't help but smile at the thought of Kyero finally returning to the capitol, Auxeras, and visiting his old family home. Potentially even reconnecting with old friends, if they were still around.

A warm smile spread on her lips as she jogged to catch up with him, giving him a pat on the back as she walked next to him.

Suddenly, Kyero stopped walking and tilted his head about forty-five degrees towards her. She was about to ask why he'd stopped when-

"Hellooooooo!" Came a distant voice from behind them.

Lorraine turned and saw a man of Triveilan descent jogging towards them and waving his arm.

"Oh! Good evening, sir. Is everything all right?"

The man was a few inches taller than Lorraine, but a few shorter than Kyero who remained with his back turned and a hand floating above his dagger strapped to his right thigh. The man huffed and puffed, bending forward with hands on his knees as he held up one finger. Lorraine waited patiently as the man huffed a bit more before straightening up and heaving a sigh.

"Ah, sorry. Sorry. I hope I didn't frighten anyone."

"Not at all, sir. Is there something we can do for you?"

"Oh. Yes, yes. My name is Kenji. I'm a fisherman from Humitsu village. It's not far. Smallest village in Triveila. But folks there are proud of that. Yes, yes."

Lorraine chuckled.

"Aww. That's really sweet."

"We're near the checkpoint, yes? Would you mind if I accompanied? The dark is not my friend."

"Sure. There's safety in numbers. Right, Kyero?"

Kenji looked up and his smile froze in place as Kyero turned around, eyes gleaming, and Kenji's face lost a bit of its color. Still smiling, Kenji began chuckling.

"Hehe-he um... He's uh... Hehe..."

"Kenji, meet Kyero. As you can see, he's the Red-Eyed Demon. But don't worry. He's not going to hurt you."

Kyero's eyes flashed and Kenji almost instinctively took a step back.

"Ah haha... y-yes, yes... Um... Sorry. I don't mean offense."

"Not at all, Kenji. Kyero's used to it. But feel free to walk with us. The checkpoint should be really close now."

The three of them walked with Kenji taking up the space in the middle, Lorraine on the left, and Kyero on the right. Along the way Kenji told them more about Humitsu village. How the people there made their living off the land and the simplicities of life with no care or worry for extravagance. Hand-made baskets for carrying the crops they sowed. Hand-knitted clothing and blankets to shield against the cold. Everything was hand-made there. And because its population was only about 400 people almost everyone knew each other.

That all sounds so lovely. I've lived in Valkyom's capital city my whole life, save for when I went to the academy to study medicine. It's a whole other world from such a quaint lifestyle.

"Yes, yes. We like quaint in Humitsu. Life is easy there."

As the checkpoint at last came into view the road split off to the right, and Kenji paused to let them know he was heading out that way.

"It was nice meeting you. Be safe on the roads miss Lorraine. And, uh, Kee-uh."

"Kyero."

"Ah, yes, yes. Kyero. Apologies. Please. Stay safe. Bye bye now!" He said as he took off jogging.

Lorraine chuckled.

"He was quite nice, wasn't he?"

Kyero let out a low grumble from his throat as he kept his eyes glued on Kenji as he slowly disappeared down the road to the North.

"Kyero?"

"I didn't like him."

"Pray, why not? I thought he was rather sweet. And funny, too."

"He walked too quietly for a fisherman."

"... That's why you didn't like him? Because he walked quietly?"

"He was standing in between us. He was bigger and heavier than you. And he was wearing wooden sandals."

Kyero turned his head to look at Lorraine.

"I shouldn't have heard your footsteps over his."

Lorraine's brows went up a tick.

"... So, what do you think he was if not a fisherman?"

"Probably a thief. But he didn't try anything since I was here. Probably knew he'd never get away from me if he did try something. So, he kept up the innocent act until he found his chance to get away."

"Well, hopefully you're just being paranoid. I really didn't get the sense that anything was wrong about him."

"Maybe. But I'm not taking chances."

Lorraine sighed.

"I really wish you'd relax a little and stop trying to see the worst in people, Kyero."

Kyero huffed and leaned in slightly.

"I won't take chances when it comes to you."

"I-"

Her breath hitched in her chest after she processed what he'd just said. And she felt her face growing a touch warmer as Kyero stood up straight and began walking towards the checkpoint. Shaking off the shock of that statement of his, she caught up with him and waved to the guards standing by.

"Good evening, everyone!" She called.

"Ah, welcome! How may I-" He saw Kyero's eyes and immediately all of the guards tensed.

"It's all right, gentlemen. This is Kyero. You may have heard the news from a month or two ago that he's been granted amnesty by the Royal Family of Valkyom?"

"Y-yes. We've heard."

"Pray, rest assured he's not going to cause any harm or trouble. He's here as my travel companion and bodyguard, as I'm on business in Auxeras for the next few weeks."

"Ah. I see... Ahem. May I see your identification, please?"

Lorraine happily obliged. Her bag hung over her shoulder and rested against her lower back, and from it she retrieved a document showing her family crest as well as her official summons by her client.

"Ah, Doctor Almna. We've heard a lot about you."

"Nothing bad I hope? She giggled.

"Not at all. Welcome to Triveila. As it's getting late we always advise staying the night at the inn just up the road. It should be a five minute walk at worst."

"Ah, thank you so much, gentlemen. We'd love to take you up on that offer." She said with a bow at the waist.

"Not at all. Stay safe Doctor. And you too, sir."

Kyero nodded, and the two of them continued on until they reached the inn. Following a quick moment of tension as everyone stared at Kyero upon his entry which Lorraine was quick to de-escalate, they approached the counter.

"Good evening! By chance do you have any rooms available for the night?"

The innkeep gave Kyero a wary glance before turning his attention to Lorraine.

"Yes, madam. We've got a single room available. Hopefully that's okay?"

"O-oh. I uh-" She glanced at Kyero, then back to the innkeep. "Yes. We'll take it. Thank you."

"That'll be five Silver, please."

Lorraine brought out her money pouch from her bag and paid the pan five Silver, as requested.

"Thank you madam. Here's your key. Kindly return it tomorrow morning when you're set to leave, okay?"

"Of course. Thank you so much."

"Have a pleasant evening, madam." He said with a wink.

Lorraine's face suddenly turned red as a tomato.

"O-oh. It's not-I mean we're not, um...... Goodnight."

She hastily walked towards the stairs, as their room was on the second floor, and Kyero followed after at a slow and steady pace. Unlocking the door and entering the room she confirmed a worry which crept into her mind the moment he said they only had one room left. There was only one bed. And it was only just big enough for both of them to fit... If they were basically back to back. Lorraine's face remained bright red as she let it dip to hide it behind her bangs while Kyero stood behind her and examined the room from top to bottom.

Setting their things down Lorraine sat on the edge of the bed trying to get all those intrusive thoughts out of her head while Kyero sat down in a chair by the table nearby.

"You going to sleep?"

Lorraine kept her head down, hiding her face from him.

"We should, yeah."

"You go ahead. I'll stay up a while."

"You sure? It's not good for your body to go without sleep for too long."

"I'm fine. Get some sleep, Lorraine."

She laid down and turned to face away from him while pulling the covers up over herself. Normally she'd change into night wear. But since they were only spending this one night and they still had a lot of walking ahead of them before reaching Auxeras she decided not to change. Plus... He was in the room.

"Goodnight, Kyero." She whispered.

She heard him stand and approach the bed, and her body tensed. He placed his hand on her shoulder which caused her to twitch ever so slightly, and he followed it up with a gentle shake.

"Rest well, Lorraine. I'll keep this place safe."

She nodded. And before long she'd fallen asleep with Kyero sitting in his chair still scanning the room and occasionally looking out the back window to check the forest behind the inn. Lorraine awoke the next morning with a big yawn and stretched her body and arms out. Her left elbow cracked from the stretch, and she a small squeak of surprised escaped her lips before she rubbed her eyes and turned to sit on the edge of the bed. As it call came into focus she noticed...

"Kyero?" She whispered.

"Morning."

"Oh!" She jolted to her feet.

She looked around before finally looking up and catching sight of him sitting in the rafters.

"You didn't just sit up there all night, did you?"

He nodded.

"I don't suppose you got any sleep?"

He nodded again.

"You did? How?"

"Up here's more comfortable than a stone floor." He replied as he hopped down.

Her chest tightened, and flashbacks of all that took place before his amnesty came flooding back. The stories he told about what life was like inside the walls of the fortress. The near-death experience she'd endured as a consequence of helping him. Her chest began to burn. And in a manner almost mirroring how Kyero had clutched his tunic last night she found herself gripping her blouse without realizing her hand had even made the journey there. She let go and took a deep breath to steady herself before looking up at him with a smile.

"How about we head down for some breakfast before leaving? I don't know about you, but I'm rather hungry."

He nodded. And following a brief moment for Lorraine to fix her hair and wash her face they headed down to eat, returned their key, and continued down the road. The forest was getting thicker as they went which was surely a consequence of the more fertile landscape Triveila offered compared to the relatively open plains of Valkyom. Thankfully the canopy wasn't so thick that it completely blocked out the sun. And despite the lack of more consistent conversation Lorraine found herself enjoying their trek as they proceeded down the Western road towards the capital.

It would be another two or three days before they got there. But she was more excited than anything to see what the capital looked like and what it had to offer.

Meanwhile, Kyero remained ever alert.

Lorraine Hex Color: #7757d9
Kyero Hex Color: #ad1818

This is here in case anyone wants to recap what my characters said using the appropriate coloring, or if we did a collab and you're the one posting the final result to the RP. Cheers!


Lorraine and Kyero's current position:

 

[Firewind]

​

The distinct sound of hooves clopping on the road filled the air. ”Mnnn... Hawk slow down.“ Lonán muttered as the horse meandered down the Western Road towards the capital of Triveila, with said rider trying to rub the sleep from his eyes. He had woken up in a local inn at the crack of dawn and left without a word save to pay the innkeeper. He didn’t want to pay for breakfast Today. The sooner he was on the road the better.

“I hope seeing a New Year celebration in Triveila‘s as fun as you said.” He thought. “You never stopped talking about how beautiful they were, my friend. If only you were here to show me everything about your Homeland, Serena...Bah! What are you doing Lonán? Head high! We’re honoring a departed friend!”

With that thought in hand he continued to ride on his chestnut color stallion. Eventually he got bored of the quiet, and fished around one of his saddlebags for something. “Having too many somber thoughts, Hawk my good buddy of mine.” Lonán said to his horse as he pulled out an ocarina like instrument, “So let’s lighten the mood with a good old fashioned Arzura Clan song to speed us on our merry way to this big ol’ city to see the festivities, and also hope to find some work so I can buy you some oats, or maybe even a few carrots.”

Lonán chuckled when he head Hawk chuff back at him as if saying to him ‘quit yapping and start playing then!’ Shaking his head he put the instrument to his lips and began playing a somewhat merry sounding tune. Thus in his mind, began another beautiful day for Lonán Arzura, the Red Raven Mercenary. “Yes indeed, another beautiful day, Just Hawk and I.”

He absentmindedly wondered if he’d see any other travelers on the road. Going to or from his destination, but he soon dismissed it.

 

[Wayne]

ARES LANCELOT LINNARD​

“Miss, why is the food taking so long?” The voice was old, emanating from a man amidst a group of drunks, the countless bottles of ale, wine and so on were stacked on top of their table, some had fallen off, the mess cleaned earlier by the waitress they were calling.out “are we not important enough?”

“Sorry sir, the tavern is just really full today” she said.

“No, I can see your face” he stood up “do we look like clowns?” He punched the table, prompting even the other drunkards to glance at him, sensing his loss of control one of them patted his back as if to signal him to stop “we are the highest paying customers here, show some respect.”

Meanwhile, on the other side of the tavern, Ares was eating a decently sized meal. The commotion grew louder as the drunk man pushed empty bottles off the table. Ares, who had a peculiar distaste for alcohol, turned back, eyeing the commotion. The drunk man was maybe half his size, the waitress who apologized repeatedly was taller than him too, but his rage made him look powerful, perhaps even scary to her and others in the tavern.

“You think I’m crazy? How about I carve this knife into you?” he wielded a kitchen knife, he looked ridiculous waving it around like a toy, but it seemed like he was daring enough to try to hurt the waitress, which would ruin everyone’s night.

“Perhaps, you’ve had enough” Behind him stood Ares, towering over the man in both stature and aura, he held the drunk’s arm, squeezing it until he'd let go of the knife. The other men stood up, while they did not agree with their friend's actions, they would not let him get disrespected.

“I suggest you gentlemen rethink your plan before doing anything” but one of them swung at him first, Ares was quick to dodge, they were in five but they were drunk, he punched back, the metal of his armor hitting against the man's cheeks, he stumbled backwards, hitting his back on a pillar, Ares disposed of the original drunk man by hitting his head against the table, then, grabbing one of the bottles he hit it against the third’s head, kicking him away right after, the forth landed a punch, from which Ares took a few steps back.

“How about that?” The man asked before a chair flew in his direction, he tried to move away, but the alcohol made his reflex too slow for anything and so he fell backwards, chair breaking on impact. The last one raised both arms, a desperate look in his eyes.

“I’m leaving, sorry” the drunk man stood up, both arms still up, Ares sighed looking at the waitress who was still deciding if she would thank him or kick him out for the damages, yet as Ares turned to face her, the drunk shifted his personality, grabbing a knife and charging towards the hero who heard the heavy footsteps approaching, he turned back, aiming an elbow to the drunk's face, followed by a jab and lastly a powerful kick that sent the man flying through the entrance door.

“That was not an easy feat, thank you” the woman said as the people clapped silently, be anywhere on the continent, people loved a good fight “if only you had not broken half my establishment.”

“Pardon me, may I pay the damages?” he grabbed a small pouch, but she pushed it away.

“Don't, but I suggest leaving” she said, hearing the galloping of horses in the distance “seems as if the guards have been notified, here, follow me.” She unlocked the small counter door, taking him outside through a back entrance.
“Don't feel attacked, but you're not Triveilan, are you?” Her eyes analyzed his clothes, his mannerisms and even his words.

“I’m not sure” he sounded confused.

“Not sure?” She scoffed “either way, I suppose you're here for the capital, follow the road north, there is no mistake.” Now he remembered, the capital, although his reasons to travel there were still a mystery, he tried as hard as he could, but nothing came “but you should leave, now if possible.”

And he left, following the road to the capital, he questioned how long it would take, perhaps it was not far, seeing as she didn't tell him the distance, but again she just wanted to get rid of him so maybe she did not have the time to do so.

 

[Fletchawk]

Thalia
ft. GojiBean as Kenji​

The woods were quiet as Thalia's figure moved slowly through the underbrush a couple of hundred paces from the well worn road to her south. The lack of noise disturbed her, as while the landscape was prone to it's bouts of serene silence, it was rarely for so long, at least naturally. Something foreign was in the area. Thalia hoped it was a little more than a roaming stray hunter, or an adventurous traveler that was forging the area not far off the beaten path. Either would be preferable to those of predatory nature.

The quietness stayed for most of the day before Thalia found signs of a person traveling through the underbrush. The indents in the ground matched those made by wooden sandals commonly worn in the area, and the branches were cut, not broken and too far off the ground to be any non-human creature that lived in the area. It didn't take long before she found a spot only a dozen strides from the road. It was obvious to her that whoever's trail she followed had stayed here for a fair bit of time, however the trail continued out to the road.

The tracks were easy to follow initially, as it seemed that the person had ran for a short distance before coming to an abrupt stop. Here, the tracks became muddled as they mixed in with the myriad of prints that had passed by since the last rain. The task of sorting them out took time as she started to retrace the sets she found until she figured out which were which. Her quarry had run up on a set of fresh but small boot prints and walked in tandem with them for a fair bit, but something nagged at Thalia at the back of her mind as she followed. It was almost like there was another set of prints that seemed to walk in step with them, but they were so faint that they disappeared at times, only to reappear for a few strides before fading again.

Eventually, barely within sight of the checkpoint ahead, the tracks stopped and parted ways and her quarry headed down the less traveled path that led north. The path not far from where she initially first picked the trail. Realizing she'd nearly circled around completely, Thalia's suspensions grew stronger, and recalled that the path was serpentine in nature, and so as soon as she broke sight of the checkpoint, broke into a sprint and cut a direct path through the underbrush while keeping a distant view of the path as much as possible.

As the sun kissed the horizon, she found whom she assumed was her quarry. Slowing down, Thalia slowly caught up to the man, dressed in the common garb of the area, and proceeded to observe the man duck behind a strangely large bush after briefly checking his surroundings. Waiting a few moments to ensure the man wasn't simply relieving himself, Thalia crept ever closer.

"My, my, my goodness. Why in the high seas did that one have to be here? I could have had the girl's bag and been off in a blink! Doh!"

He smacked the ground with his palm, quickly regretting his decision as he checked about the bush to make sure nobody heard that.

"Stupid, stupid Kenji. Yes, yes. Be calm. Calm like the water. I need a new traveler. Yes, yes. That's all. Surely another one will come along and I can grab what they have and be off. Then the boss won't be angry with me anymore. Yes, yes."

The man had unknowingly created another area of silence from his intrusion into the greenery. So his grumblings carried clearly to where Thalia was hidden.

"Vermin." Thalia confirmed mentally as her face twitched with disgust, "Still, there was another with his prey, and dangerous enough to ward him off without conflict..."

The tracks that faded in and out of existence now peaked her interest. She'd dismissed them as older tracks, but to be that faint while fresh, there was only one person that she knew that made tracks in a similar fashion. Her father.

Thalia's focus narrowed as she joined the shadows creeping ever closer in the dimming light, taking every care to not break the fragile silence that surrounded her and Kenji. To Thalia, it took more time to cross the couple dozen paces between her and Kenji's backside than it took to find the man after he turned down the path he now watched over.

When the man finally came within reach, all the tension in her body sprung forth as she pounced and wrapped Kenji up in a full body sleeper hold. She felt Kenji's panic increase up until the last moment of consciousness. Loosening the hold the moment his body went slack, she quickly stripped Kenji of his possessions and tossed them aside before his lifeblood restarted his mind. When Kenji jolted back to consciousness, he found himself face down in dirt with his right arm secured behind his back and nearly the full weight of Thalia pinning him down.

She allowed him three full breaths before she leaned towards his ear mustering as much menace in voice as she could, "Stupid, stupid Kenji. Tell me about the pair from earlier."

"W-what? What pair? I don't know a pair! I'm just a fisherman! By the seas, woman, let me go!"

Thalia let an animalistic growl escape her before she firmly grabbed the elbow of Kenji's trapped arm and pulled on it roughly until the pop of his arm coming out its socket resounded through the both of them.

"Lie again, and I'll start tearing pieces off," Thalia growled.

Kenji fought the urge to scream, but lost the battle to a stifled mixture of a growl and scream combined into one. The pain surged through his arm and shoulder and part of his chest. And he didn't want to find out if this woman was serious about following through on her threats.

"The girl was a doctor! Practically told her life story! Yes, yes! Grew up in Valkyom. Here on business! Has her bodyguard and everything! That's it! Now let go of me!"

Thalia grunting with disinterest at the lack of details, she grabbed the man's elbow again and began to pull, "The bodyguard. Tell me everything before I get hungry."

"Aye, aye, aye, aye, AYE, AYE, AYE! ALL RIGHT! ALL RIGHT!!" Kenji squealed.

"It was that one! THAT ONE! The only one of his kind! The one we don't speak of back home! You know the one, surely. Yes, yes. He has red eyes!" He squawked frantically, trying to wriggle out from under her to no avail. As Kenji squirmed under her iron grip. Thalia neither reveled in his pain or disliked it. In her eyes, he was simply an animal that had run afoul of something higher up on the food chain.

Thalia shifted forward to place her knee on his neck, slowly increasing the pressure, "This red-eyed man, is he Shaharan?"

Kenji grunted against the knee on his neck, choking out the following, "What? No! I thought he was from Valkyom. But he's Triveilan. There are no others in the world whose eyes glow red! Yes, yes!" He coughed again, gasping for air by the time his final sentence was out.

Sure that she'd wrung what she could from him, Thalia pounced on the man once more, wrapping Kenji up in a tight sleeper hold once again. As the man struggled, Thalia growled in his ear after taking a loud sniff, "Now I have your scent, I will find you again in the shadows."

Once Kenji regained consciousness, he'd find himself alone stashed behind his strangely large bush, the last of the twilight fading.

The nearby path made Thalia's departure expedient, and it wouldn't be long she arrived at the fork in the road. Seemingly ignoring the checkpoint lit by torches, she crosses the road and stepped beyond the trees as though she was stepping into the threshold of one's own home. Once Thalia felt she was safe, the thoughts she'd pushed aside in the moment of dealing with vermin came to the surface.

"So the bodyguard wasn't father," Thalia felt the sadness she'd caged away in her heart claw at it's bindings before she pushed her thoughts forward, "But red eyes..."

She'd heard tall tales of red-eyed demons in the villages she'd visited, but had mostly dismissed it as superstition or mistaken identity of a predator's eyes in the night. Now that potential evidence had surfaced alongside a gait mirroring her father's. Curiosity piqued, she began to slowly make her way west through the darkness of the trees, taking care to give the checkpoint a wide berth as the people that stood guard tended to be nosy. She'd travel for several hours before finally making a fire alongside the road to fight off the chill. It hadn't snowed this far west, not since the spine of Cre' Est left the horizon, but it was still winter.

Settling for the night after eating some dried meat, Thalia's father came to haunt her dreams as old memories replayed while she slept.

 

[GojiBean]

Kenji awoke with a long groan.

His neck hurt. His back hurt. His head hurt. His arm and shoulder hurt. His chest hurt. His brain hurt.

"Stupid... Stupid Kenji." He groaned as he sat up and felt his arm, still out of its socket.

"I need to get back to base. Yes, yes."

Forcing himself to his feet he scampered off into the brush and off the beaten path. Following numerous subtle clues left behind by his group to guide his path home, he came upon a fallen, hollowed out log which was half-buried in the ground. He checked behind and all around him before crouching and walking into it. At the end, near too dark for him to see in the dead of night, he knocked on the solid wooden end which wasn't solid at all. It rang hollow.

A series of knocks came in return. Kenji knocked once. Beat. Thrice. Beat. And once more.

A lock clicked, and the disguised door opened up revealing an underground chamber lit by candle light. A single vent in the roof was surrounded by shrubs and bushes which helped to hide the light from being seen unless given extreme scrutiny. And then only if you managed to get close enough to spot it to begin with out in this seemingly random section of the forest.

As he walked inside he nodded to one of his friends who nodded his head in the direction of their leader who sat atop a kind of throne at the far end of the chamber.

"Kenji."

He came forward and bowed his head in greeting before looking back up.

"Forgive me, boss. I made an error. Yes, yes."

"What happened to your arm?"

"Some crazy lady jumped me after I ran into that one. I was gonna rob this doctor girl he was with. But I saw-"

"Hold on, Kenji... You mean that one, that one?"

"Yes, boss. That one. His eyes glowed like a demon from hell just like the rumors."

"His eyes were never a rumor, Kenji. Now, get your arm sorted."

He waved his arm and one of the others came over and popped his shoulder back into place. Kenji winced with a growl, rotated his arm carefully, and looked back to his boss who gave him a deep scowl.

"Now, Kenji... I believe you're twice late on your quota, aren't you?"

"Y-yes, boss. I thought the doctor girl would be an easy mark. But I couldn't do anything with that one there. He wouldn't stop watching me out of the corner of his eye. Yes, yes."

"Of course not. He probably knew why you were there."

"What? How?"

"Assassins and thieves share the criminal underworld, Kenji. There's a lot of overlap in what we know and how we operate. He knows a thief when he sees one, just as we know an assassin when we see one. Now, on to more important matters... What are you going to do to make up for your twice late quota?"

"I-I'll find two marks! Traffic on the roads is increasing, yes, yes! It'll be easy once I get back out there, boss!"

"....... You've promised that before, Kenji. How many times is it now? Anyone?"

"Sir! This is the seventh time he's been late on his quota in the last six months." Said another on the side of the throne.

"Thank you."

"Boss! I promise! I can fill my quota! Yes, yes!"

"No, no. Kenji. You've had your chance. And, quite frankly, I'm tired of your incompetence."

The boss snapped his fingers, and Kenji's eyes widened before he felt the sting of a blade piercing his chest from behind. Looking down he saw the bloodied blade protruding from his chest from between his ribs just left of his breast bone. He felt his legs grow weak as he collapsed in a heap. And he felt blood building in his lungs and throat as he started coughing it up onto the floor.

"It's amazing how the human body works, isn't it Kenji? Even with your heart pierced your brain continues to work until the lack of proper blood flow causes a black out. You're unconscious first, and die in your sleep shortly after..."

Kenji's eyes slowly closed, and a few moment slater he grew still.

"Someone get rid of that thing, would you? And make sure it's not found."

"Yessir!" Said one near the door.

Meanwhile, the one near the throne turned to the boss with a bow.

"Sir. What should we do about the Red-Eyed Demon?"

"Keep his name out of your mouth, for one thing. We don't speak it aloud. And you remember why... But as for what to do? Nothing. He'd spot any of you before you ever got close to him."

"But then what of our plans, sir?"

"If he's here with someone else, as Kenji said, then he shouldn't be a problem. Let him wander and just give him a wide berth for now. We'll remain patient and observe until the time is right."

"Yessir."

As Kenji's body was tossed in potato sack and dragged outside, the boss looked up at a candle above the door. Just beneath the candle was a plaque with the symbol of Te'i Sai engraved on it. And the more he looked at it the more his blood boiled.

"You'll pay, Demon. I swear on your soon-to-be-marked grave, you will pay." He growled.

 

[Wayne]

ARES LANCELOT LINNARD

MENTIONS
GojiBean as Kenji || Firewind as Lonan Arzura
​

“Stupid… Stupid Kenji” off the beaten path was a man, he talked to himself, so deep in his own thoughts that he didn’t seem to notice Ares passing by, he looked defeated, but Ares decided it would be best to leave him alone, either way even Ares himself was absorbed in thought, he tried to remember what was his goal when reaching the capital, or even where it was or what was the capital’s name, he was too forgetful and that was dangerous, he could not remember a lot of things and constantly forgot things he was supposed to remember, how had he gotten himself into such situation, he did not know.

He wondered how far he was from it, he had been walking for what felt like hours, she had not provided him with any kind of reference, just “...follow the road north, there’s no mistake…” Yet he pondered if she was being genuine, perhaps she just wanted him gone, yet if she did so, it would have been best to have the guards take him, but she didn’t.

Later, the subtle sound of a soothing instrument got louder and louder as he kept walking. He was about to dismiss it as just weird birds but, in the distance, he saw a horse, a man calmly playing… an ocarina, Ares figures, as he recognized the unique sound. He doubted it would be a thief, yet he reached for his sword just in case but to his surprise, his hands found nothing.

“Where is it?” he reached for his back, perhaps he wielded a longsword, he thought, but there was nothing on his back either and as he walked towards the man on his horse, something clicked on his mind, he was looking to buy a sword, the capital surely had great blacksmiths, at least that’s what made sense to him, either way a horse would be a great improvement rather than his legs.

“Excuse me” he said, with a small wave to catch the man’s attention, perhaps there was a chance he was traveling to the capital as well and if so, Ares had just found someone who could take him there, he was lucky, but what were the odds that the man was friendly enough to give him some space on the horse.

“Are you traveling to the capital by any chance?” he paused, pointed his thumb towards the road all the way back “I’ve been walking for a while, and have yet to know if I’m far or close to the capital, could you perhaps take me with you? I can pay.”

 

[Firewind]

​

Lonán paused as he heard someone, and Hawk slowly turned his head to look at the individual first before the rider ever did. He was garbed in a red cloak but did not sound Saharanian. Nor did he have a weapon though he reached for one he thought was there. Or rather, he didn't look like he had much of anything? How did he survive this trip thus far?

"Well. Nothing like a random passerby to interrupt my morning routine." He muttered to himself before addressing the man. "Aye I am going to the Capital, friend. Its still a few days off still. However, you look unprepared for a traveler. No supplies? Not even a way of defending yourself."

He looked at Hawk. "What say you Hawk? How much should we charge an unprepared Traveler?" He asked. The horse with one hoof clopped once. Lonán frowned. "That much? Cheapskate." The stallion gave it's equivalent of a raspberry at him.

He looked at the individual. "One gold coin per day." He said. "I am Lonán Arzura of Saharan. And you are?"

 

[Wayne]

ARES LANCELOT LINNARD

MENTIONS
Firewind as Lonán Arzura
​

He looked for a bag, but found nothing, he really had no supplies beside what he was wearing, aside from the small gold pouch, he had nothing on him. The man was right, even Ares questioned himself as to how had he survived that long, he knew he was a wanderer with no actual home, he worked jobs and did small work for people but it was never enough for him to settle down, or perhaps, he just didn’t want to settle down, he wasn’t sure, he couldn’t quite remember it.

“Yes, it seems like I am not carrying anything” his voice muffled by the metal, expressionless mask he used “but I have your gold” he tossed a coin to Lonán but questioned his methods, considering the horse decided how much he was supposed to pay, although he was happy it wasn’t much, he looked into the pouch, noticing no more than five coins inside, he was glad the woman had not accepted his gold earlier.

“I’m Ares, yes” he knew something was missing "I am Lonán Arzura of Saharan. And you are?" Arzura of Saharan, he thought, Ares only knew his first name, he could not even remember where he came from, it was not even foggy, there just wasn’t anything to remember, as if his memory had been wiped clean of any trace of his path.

“Ares…” he tried again to no avail, so he shook his head, disappointed “sorry, I have trouble remembering things” there was a pause, then curiosity made him remember “Perhaps you could tell me, what is the Capital’s name?”

How terrible it was to be so lost, how could he be walking with no weapon, no blade to protect him? He never needed one, as his brawl skills were good enough to get him out of trouble, but he knew he would not be lucky enough to survive a swordfight without a weapon. What kind of weapon did he enjoy using? he pondered, looking at Lonán and his horse, Hawk.

 

[Firewind]

​

“Hm. Well Mr. Ares. You’ve earned yourself a day’s travel with this one coin. I will require one or two more if you wish to travel all the way with me.” Lonán stated as he slipped it into his own coin purse. “To answer your question, in amazement to how you might not know, the Capital of Triveila I’m always told is the City of Auxeras.”

He repositioned Hawk to prepare to get moving. “I go to observe the New Year’s celebration there, as I’m told it is the most beautiful things to witness.“ He said. “I only have two rules when I escort someone. Rule number one is do your best to keep up with me. I will slow down occasionally but do not expect me to extend this mercy more than twice.”

Hawk chuffed and seemed to confirm this with a ‘nod’. He looked at the masked man carefully. “Rule number two, and this is important as you have no weapon. If there is trouble, find a safe place and hide yourself, with any luck I am more than capable of sorting it out myself.” He finished his instructions. “Now, come along my masked friend. We still have some ground to cover. With any luck we’ll reach some form of rest stop by the afternoon and we shall enjoy the chance to get to know each other as we travel.”

With this said, and a motion of his head, he signaled Ares to follow him as he rode Hawk at a good pace. Thus began an interesting new acquaintanceship.

 

[GojiBean]

"Your highness. Your breakfast is ready."

"Thank you, Hina."

Josephine Dezantro, Queen In Waiting of Triveila, rose from her chair and brushed a strand of black hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear as she gazed out her window towards the bustling streets below, and a smile crept onto her face.

Seeing her countrymen so lively and active brought warmth to her heart. And she lingered by the window a moment longer observing a mother and father, each carrying one arm of their little one and playfully swinging them forward and back as they walked much to the child's amusement.

"Your highness? If you please." Hina called from the door.

"Yes. My apologies. I'm on my way, Hina."

Walking through the double doors of her chamber she greeted each of the guards on either side with a nod of her head, receiving a heartfelt salute in return, before walking down the hall and descending the stairs straight before her. Down three flights of stairs to the ground level, a straight shot the entire time, and finally arriving at the ground floor before walking directly ahead and turning left after two doors to reach the dining room.

The Queen was seated at one end of a large ovular table, and Josephine took her seat at the opposing end.

"Good morning, Josephine. How are you this fine morning?" The Queen asked.

"I'm very well, your majesty. And yourself?"

"Oh ho ho. I'm doing very well myself, dear. Thank you."

"Pardon, your majesties. Your food is ready." Hina said as she rolled in a long cart with several food trays and bowls of fruit and vegetables before laying each out one by one before both women on the table.

"Thank you ever so much, Hina. You always take such great care of the two of us."

"It's my honor and pleasure, your majesty. Please. If there's anything you need don't hesitate to call for me. I'll just be in the kitchen."

"Thank you, dear."

Hina departed with a deep bow at the waist, followed by a curtsy as she reached the kitchen door.

"Now, Josephine. I trust you've kept up with your studies?"

"Of course, your majesty."

"Excellent. There's much about Triveilan law you must internalize before you ascend the throne next year. And don't get me started on all of the little details regarding proper etiquette in the court."

The Queen leaned forward, preparing her first bite of her breakfast by picking it up in her chop sticks.

"Between you and me, my dear, many of the nobles are such sticklers for such details one has to wonder if they literally study nothing else."

Josephine chuckled. Conversations like this were the norm between them. And often it felt like a mother/daughter dynamic as they shared simple and mundane thoughts. Often times even trivial thoughts with naught to do with anything except for helping each other laugh before a long day of political boredom.

Following breakfast, Josephine was escorted to her first meeting with her tutor. For the third day in a row she studied the finer details of Triveilan law ranging from the most humble and petty of thefts to the most dire and gruesome murders. Though vital to her position shaping the legal and political landscape during her future rule, it was quite the bore. And the tutor's deadpan delivery of all lectures didn't exactly stimulate her mind or demand her attention. Nevertheless, she absorbed all of the information like a sponge. And the way the tutor continued to revisit the same information time and time again, though she understood why, was most irritating.

Following this, coming to around midday, Josephine received word that Lord Ishikawa had come to see her. And moments later a knock came at her door.

"Enter."

The door opened silently, and through it stepped a tall, lanky man wearing the finest of noble attire who gave her a bow and stood with his hands folded in front of his stomach. Seeing him, Josephine's face went blank.

"Lord Ishikawa. How very lovely to see you once more."

"The honor is mine, your majesty."

As she beckoned him forward the tutor and other attendants were all dismissed. Though the walls were relatively thick, they were not sound proof. The further one stood from the walls the harder it was to make out what they were saying. Especially at lower volumes. And as he approached her in the center of the room he spoke in a soft whisper.

"We've recently received word from our team that there's been a suspicious movement of funds in the local Thieves Guilds of late. We haven't been able to ascertain exactly to what extent, or through whom the money of moving. But we've confirmed through our informants that there's at least three interested parties involved thus far. And that number may yet increase.

"Movement of funds typically means services are being prepared or exchanged. Have any new faces been seen, new crests identified, or new accents detected in speech?"

"None thus far, your majesty. But I do have one other piece of news. And though right now it's but a rumor, word is that a hostile takeover of a local Thief Guild has seen the original hideaway abandoned and all previous ties to other Guilds severed. However-"

"Without any remaining ties or witnesses there's no way to confirm this, is there?"

"Correct, your majesty."

"Then for now we treat it as a non-issue. We need to stay focused on those funds."

"Yes, your majesty. I'll inform the Handler of this decision and request he relay it to the informants as soon as possible."

She nodded, and with that the conversation was over. He bowed, she curtsied, and he exited the room.

What are you all up to out there? She wondered.



A lonely twig sitting in the middle of the dirt path was suddenly snapped in half beneath a brown hide boot as Lorraine sprinted, dress pulled up above her knees, with a large carnivorous creature resembling a mixture of a wolf and a bear. She'd never seen this creature before. Nor did she initially have any desire to see it up close. And that remained true. But it was taking the matter out of her hands as it gave chase.

"A fine time to go hunting, Kyero!!" She shrieked.

Seriously. Every time Kyero separated from her for any reason something seemed to go wrong. It was like a curse. She couldn't go anywhere by herself without something weird or dangerous happening to her or around her.

With the creature closing in Lorraine ducked off the main road and used the trees to her advantage to slow it down and gain some distance. And every time she got an opportunity she called Kyero's name as loudly as she could. But her stamina was rapidly running out. Her chest was burning. Her legs were aching. And her breath was becoming almost impossible to control.

Now back on the main road and screaming every prayer she'd ever learned in her head to Peur'tia, her heart soared when she saw Kyero burst into her view from the right, skidding to a halt in the middle of the road as she raced by him. The creature was unfazed and charged at Kyero with a full steam ahead. Kyero remained motionless, watching carefully and unblinking as it charged with teeth bared and roaring in fury. At a conservative estimate this creature was somewhere between 400-500 pounds (180-226kg) and was around four and a half feet tall at the shoulder. A very stocky and powerfully built predator.

As the creature drew closer Kyero stomped his right foot, pulled back his lips to bare his teeth, and began forcing the otherworldly red light within his eyes to overtake his pupils until they disappeared completely.

The creature skidded to a halt while roaring in challenge as Kyero pushed up his chest and lifted his head, standing as tall as he could with teeth still bared and emitting a low, guttural growl from deep within his throat. The creature charged a step, and Kyero charged back at it which ended the creature's charge in its tracks before it took a step back. Kyero stomped his right foot again and did another mock charge again forcing the creature to back away a step. He took a deep breath and roared back at the creature as loudly as he could while charging once again in its direction. The creature spun around and fled back into the brush, disappearing into the tree line as Kyero relaxed his posture and allowed the light in his eyes to recede back to normal levels.

Lorraine, however, had not stopped running. And as she began to reach the absolute limit of her stamina she spotted two men up ahead, one of whom was on a horse.

"Help me!!" She screamed.

Firewind Wayne

 

[Wayne]

ARES LANCELOT LINNARD

MENTIONS
Firewind as Lonán Arzura || GojiBean as Lorraine & Kyero
​

“Of course, city of Auxeras” he nodded “new year’s celebration? That seems interesting, although I seem to be going there for a blacksmith, I believe” He didn't sound sure of himself, Auxeras brought some memories back to him, although they were obfuscated by a thick fog in his mind, he tried but it did not come.

“Acceptable rules, but I am not the kind of man to run from battle” he smirked, yet of course it was hidden by the mask. How often had he gotten himself in trouble since he first left that old couple's house, taverns, roads, stores, anyone that decided to argue with him was a potential fight, and it was not like Ares liked to fight, he was neutral about it, the entire concept of having to fight was entirely professional to him. Since his awakening after the accident, Ares had only come close to killing someone, but had yet to cross the barrier once again.

That is when a voice came, a yell that caught his attention as quickly as lightning, Ares turned to face a woman, although he could not see what was making her so scared, either way his body reacted before his mind did, his feet stomping the ground as he marched towards the mysterious woman.

“What happened?” He yelled, his eyes the only visible way anyone could see his emotions “are you hurt?” While Ares had no weapon, he had brawling experience and hitting someone with metal gauntlets was enough to take them down most of the time, but of course it was far from good to the condition of his armor. He didn't even notice but he shielded her with his body as he looked far into the road, but all he could see was a small figure in the distance, perhaps a man, he thought, but he couldn't discern the features just yet, and while he wanted to go there and check what it was, he knew the best choice was to remain exactly where they were, it could be an ambush after all.

Ares sometimes wondered how he knew all of this, how he knew how to act around danger or even how to fight, he was no regular man, he was some kind of fighter, but he could not remember from where he learned it all, he clicked his tongue, letting go of the thought as he focused on the figure in the distance, he had this terrible habit of getting lost in his own thoughts, sometimes going completely silent during conversations, as if he had simply forgotten how to talk, but Ares was thinking, as he always did.

 

[Firewind]

​

“Help me!!”

Lonán immediately turned to see an out of breath woman with long brown hair tied in a tail. He noted her appearance and he didn’t know if it was because of her beauty or the fact she was indeed out of breath, but he slowly slid off of Hawk and took his canteen of water from the side of Hawk’s saddle. A moment of mental weakness he’d have to address for later, but he had other pressing matters to tend to as he approached her, canteen in hand.


“Water.” He said as he offered the canteen to the woman. His eyes looking out towards where Ares was looking, as he could barely make out signs of another person. What then made the Saharinian wary was the shape of retreating large blob of some sort.

“By the Sands. Must’ve been a large animal of some sort.” He thought.
“I think if that person down the road is your friend, the need for help probably passed.“ He observed aloud. “However, I believe it would be safer if two pairs of travelers became a group of four for a time, what say you, Mister Ares? Shall I just refund you the one gold coin and just say it’s on me for your trip to the capital? My rules still stand though.”

“Why am I offering to refund Ares and make the escort free?! Is it the woman’s presence? Is it seeing the possibly big animal? Do I just want strength in numbers? She is a beautiful woman though, for someone from Valkyom.” He mused.

“Hope you don’t mind the offer Miss…?”

 

[GojiBean]

Lorraine & Kyero​

She skidded to a halt in front of the two men, panting and wheezing as she leaned forward and tried to rest her hands on her knees. But her legs shook too mightily resulting in her falling to her knees with her trembling arms just managing to hold her up. Both men asked after her well being, and she wanted to reply. But she was so out of breath all she could manage was half a smile before her head fell forward to hide her face behind her now drooping bangs. A few beads of sweat dripped from her brow and temples to the dirt between her hands. And as she finally managed to feel her heart rate slowly coming under control one of the two men, a rather dashing individual of Shaharanian descent, gave her his canteen with water to drink.

"My... Hah... My thanks." She squeaked through her ragged breaths.

She took a deep breath and chugged about half the canteen's contents before hearing and addressing the fully armored knight.

"No, sir Knight. I'm unharmed." She panted.

"My companion went hunting for lunch... Hah... And as I waited for him by the road I was attacked by... Whatever that thing was. It was like a bear and a wolf wrapped in one... Phew... I've never seen anything like it before."

She took one more large swig of water before wiping her mouth with the back of her hand and offering the canteen back to the Shaharanian.

"My name... Hoo..." She forced herself to stand, brushing her dress above her knees to remove as much dirt as she could manage. "Doctor Lorraine Xe' Almna." She bowed to a 45 degree angle from the waist with both hands folded in front of her lap. "I hail from Cretas, Capital City of the nation of Valkyom."

It was then that something occurred to her.

"Pray, gentlemen... Have you heard aught of the Red-Eyed Demon before?"

She asked, turning her head down the road to see that Kyero had scared off whatever that thing was and had turned towards them. Since he was at a distance of some 100 meters or more his eyes weren't visible, even with the subtle glow they gave off. But it wouldn't be long before Kyero got close enough for them to see. Lorraine's hands, previously folded in front of her lap, were now tightly gripping one another as Kyero slowly walked up the road towards them.

Wayne Firewind

 

[Wayne]

ARES LANCELOT LINNARD

MENTIONS
GojiBean as Lorraine & Kyero
​

Auxeras, capital of Triveila and Cretas was the capital of Valkyom, each bit of information that he heard was a huge step for him, he not only couldn’t remember his past but also could not retain information for long periods of time, unless they were repeated many, many times. He heard names once or twice and forgotten them in less than an hour, Ares had to study and memorize things way more than a normal person had to, his brain was affected just as bad as his body was during the fall, it was a surprise he had even woken up after all his injuries, but alas he stood, a man who escaped death once, a man whose wish for revenge was stronger than the fire that burned his flesh.

“I’m Ares, Madame Lorraine” he thought about bowing back to her, copying the same greeting the woman had done, but he was unsure if that was correct, cultures and mannerisms were mostly forgotten by him, so to avoid being seen as rude, although he would probably be seen as ignorant, he simply nodded towards her, a simple and quick gesture to signal his greetings “no need for formalities.”

The story about the wolf-bear hybrid monster was interesting, that had caught Ares attention, but the creature had already left the scene, so he knew there was no chance of seeing it, he had a soft side for creatures but he knew very well that a mix of those two animals was not going to be docile whatsoever, but he imagined himself giving the monster food, perhaps even sending it to battle, a beast and its master, bound by nothing but comradery.

“That sounds dangerous, but it seems like you are well guarded by your friend there” he waved his hand towards the figure, the shadow growing ever so closer to them to reveal a man, but he looked at the woman again, there was something about her hazel colored eyes or perhaps it was the way she dressed, some kind of memory screamed to be remembered but he couldn’t, yet she intrigued him for this small event inside his mind, what was so interesting about this seemingly complete stranger that made his memory spin a cog, but perhaps he was staring for too long, his bloodshot eyes sometimes caused discomfort for those who had to stare back.

“Red-eyed demon?” He pondered “I hear some animals shine their eyes red at night, but that’s because…” he had no idea about the man, but then again he had no idea about any stories, politics, cultures and so on, there was a certain beauty to learning everything again, he was a curious man after all, the amnesia made him become one and everything that was new was incredible for him “it helps them see better at night, are you looking for one in specific? Or is it something else?”

 

[Firewind]

​

"You are welcome." Lonán waited patiently for the woman to drink her fill. He'd always get more water later. Nodding at her explanation he rolled the name around in his head. "Dr. Lorraine Xe'Alma. Is that not the name of a very famous doctor in that selfsame city?" He asked as he accepted the water back. He listened to how much was left.

"Hm. Impressive thirst." He noted as he put it back on his saddle and patted Hawk. "Lonán Arzura of Saharan, mercenary extraordinare. At your service. This is my horse, Hawk." Hawk chuffed and nodded his head. "My offer to travel together as a bigger group still stands."

Lonán listened to the name she asked. "The red eyed demon? You mean that ultimate killer those Svi'iks at Roda used for assasinations? Death without honor. Bah! I have heard they lost control of him some months ago and Valkyom wiped out those cowards using their own weapon against them."

Lonán laughed, "A pity I wasn't hired on to join the fight! Would have been a fun battle to see!" He chuckled some more before clearing his throat.

 

[GojiBean]

Lorraine & Kyero​

Lorraine was curious about Ares' mention of a lack of formality. The majority of Knights, at least those hailing from Valkyom, preferred to be addressed as either Sir or Madame. Though far from unheard of it was nevertheless uncommon to see such a waiver of etiquette. However, if he did not hail from Valkyom then that would explain things a little better.

When Ares mentioned the thought of some animals shining their eyes red at night, and she smiled. And Lonan's comments made her chuckle.

"It's true some animals' eyes appear red at night. But it's an illusion of the light. The Red-Eyed Demon, however...

She turned around as Kyero finally drew close enough for the group to see him properly.

"My companion is the Red-Eyed Demon. And as you can see," she gestured to him as he walked up beside her. "His eyes actually glow, almost as if there's a flame hidden within them.

And it was true. Even in broad daylight it was clear that Kyero's eyes were visibly glowing with an ethereal and ominous red light like two demonic spheres from Hell.

"Gentlemen, meet Kyero. The Red-Eyed Demon. And Kyero, meet Ares," she gestured to the Knight. "And Lonan, a mercenary from Shaharan." She said as she gestured to Lonan.

Kyero gave a single, subtle bow of his head while keeping his eyes firmly locked onto Ares' helmet.

"Pray, Kyero. Is something bothering you?"

He continued staring at Ares' helmet for a long, uncomfortable moment. Each second that passed Lorraine's heart rate increased, expecting a sudden fight to break out.

"... No." He finally replied.

Lorraine sighed, and her shoulders relaxed.

"Good."

Firewind Wayne

 

[Wayne]

ARES LANCELOT LINNARD

MENTIONS
GojiBean as Lorraine & Kyero || Firewind as Lonán Arzura​

The situation seemed to have been settled and Ares was content they did not have to fight a monstrous bear-wolf hybrid. Ares turned back to Lonán, he heard him talk about a refund and he smiled under the metal mask, that one gold coin could mean another piece of bread to him and Ares certainly needed it, he was sure he had more money but asked himself what happened to all of it, did he lose it?

“I would not mind, I think traveling as a group would work for the best” then he turned, hearing Lonán mention that Lorraine was a famous doctor, he felt embarrassed for not recognizing her, but there was no way he would be able to do so, even after the fact, that wasn't quite the reason as to why she intrigued him, he continued wondering “oh doctor, I am sorry for the lack of manners, I may be forgetful when it comes to faces” he felt the need to hide his amnesia for now, he did not like to distribute that information to people, they could use it for something malicious, pass him false information and even worse things. Ares had the armor, but lacked every other aspect that made someone a knight, he could vaguely remember buying it from some shady vendor, it was not used as stated by the vendor but something made Ares question the validity of that information.

Then, the man, the red eyed demon approached, as Lorraine introduced them to him, the so-called ultimate killer, as Lonán had said, stared directly towards Ares, the flame of the red eyes of the demon met the bloodshot eyes of the burned man. There was something about him, almost as if Ares did not have to hear the word killer to know that Kyero was or had been some kind of assassin, yet he wasn't sure how he knew, perhaps it was the posture, the eyes, something about him screamed danger.

Yet, Ares who stared straight back, the hollow and empty bloodshot eyes seemed relaxed and ready, as if his body was controlled by some kind of entity, it was the same feeling he had when he needed to fight someone, some kind of muscle memory he had that kept him in shape for battle. They eyed each other like two predators ready for an attack, but Kyero seemed to have backed away, as if Lorraine's words had broken some kind of trance, under the mask, Ares raised an eyebrow, wondering what she meant to him.

“Pleasure to meet you, Kyero” he crossed his arms, disliking the first impression he was given “I do enjoy Lonán’s idea of traveling together, it may be safer.”

 

[Firewind]

​

Lonán smirked and gave a small wink when Ares agreed to the suggestion of just refunding the gold coin and making the escort be for nothing. After that he watched Lorraine‘s travel companion come towards them. He quickly, even with Lorraine‘s explanation, recalled that the rumor that a doctor of some sorts had something to do with those Assassins of that hidden valley to lose control of him.

But to see Kyero, the Red Eyed Demon in the flesh, was really worth the trip being on him, Hawk on the other hand took a step or two backwards. not out of fear mind, but of the knowledge his owner might potentially say or do something stupid. “Well, it’s a pleasure to meet Red Eyes in the flesh.“ He said with a grin. “I hope, Kyero, that you do not mind that I extend the offer of our little groups making a bigger travel group for a time? Should give the beastie second thoughts about coming at Ms. Lorraine again.”

He extended his hand for a friendly handshake from either of them. “What say you, good friends?”

 

[GojiBean]

Lorraine & Kyero​

Kyero gave another subtle nod to Ares before looking at Lonan, eyes scanning him up and down before looking at Lorraine who smiled at him and then looked at Lonan.

"I do believe we'll take you up on that offer. It's another two days to the capital. But if we press on we can hopefully make some good time."

And with that, the group of four set off down the road to the West. And along the way, Lorraine looked over her shoulder at Kyero.

"So, what happened with the bear wolf thing?"

"I scared it."

Lorraine tilted her head.

"That works?"

Kyero nodded.

"How?"

"Stand taller and scream louder than it does."

Lorraine blinked.

"... If it were anyone else saying that, I'd think they were a troubled individual."

Firewind Wayne

 

[Firewind]

​

Lonán resisted the urge to laugh at Lorraine’s reaction to Kyero’s explanation of how he dealt with the dangerous predator. “Well, Mr. Kyero’s full of surprises. But then again, there are rumors of his intimidating prowess, I wouldn’t put it past them to be true.” Lonán grinned as he had begun leading Hawk with the reins wrapped to his wrist, leaving his hands free to once again prepare his ocarina for another round of playing.

“Of course, they are just rumors.” He said further, “For example, people keep calling me ‘Red Raven’ sometimes. I get it, it’s because of my hair, but come on, they need to be a bit more creative with calling mercenaries by titles and not make up silly monikers.”

There was a slight nudge by Hawk’s head on Lonán‘s back. “Yes yes, Hawk I know I’m rambling, I’ll play you a tune in a moment. Anyhow. What brings Dr. Lorraine Xe’Alma and Valkyom’s most deadliest killer to Triveila? Observing the New Year at Auxeras like most travelers, Myself included?”

As he asked this Lonán began to play a tune on his Ocarina, to fill the silence of the woods with its music. He had nothing better to do other than traveling with his newfound traveling companions for the time being.

 

[GojiBean]

Lorraine & Kyero​

Lorraine chuckled at Lonan's comments and question at the end.

"Oh, no. I'm actually going there for work. I was requested by a Noble Family to look into the a mysterious condition which suddenly befell their son. They weren't able to tell me much about it in their letter. But I couldn't exactly say no when there's a medical mystery potentially on the horizon."

She glanced to Kyero expectantly.

"What?"

She frowned.

"Aren't you going to tell them why you're going to Triveila, too?"

"I'm her bodyguard." He said to the two men while keeping his eyes on Lorraine.

Her lips pursed forward in a pout before heaving a sigh.

"And you'd been doing so well with conversing with folks back home."

Kyero huffed through his nose and looked at Ares again out of the corner of his eye. Meanwhile, Lorraine looked to Ares with a smile as she walked backwards a few steps ahead of him on the path.

"How about you, Ares? What brings you to Triveila?"

Firewind Wayne

 

[Wayne]

ARES LANCELOT LINNARD

MENTIONS
GojiBean as Lorraine & Kyero || Firewind as Lonán Arzura​

"How about you, Ares? What brings you to Triveila?"

“Oh, me?” Ares could feel Kyero looking at him, that weird feeling one gets when you know someone or something is observing you without your knowledge, some kind of shadow leaning over your shoulder that you cannot shake off, he felt curious about Kyero but knew there was more to him than a simple bodyguard, he had been some kind of assassin after all.

“I think I’m here for a blacksmith, yes” he held his chin with one of his hands, walking with a thinking pose “as you may notice, I seem to lack a proper weapon, but I also do not know what kind of weapon I use.”

But his curiosity about Lorraine’s medical background had grown.

“Madame Almna, may I call you that?" he paused "You say that you are going to the capital for some kind of medical mystery, do you believe it is some kind of new sickness?” he sounded interested in it, even forgetting about Kyero for a moment “it’s quite a dangerous job, I heard some kinds of sickness can be spread to others, so I can imagine you are more than careful when near those people.”

The thought that Lorraine was some kind of famous doctor meant that perhaps she could help Ares with his condition, although he felt that if he really wanted to discuss it with her, perhaps it would be better to avoid having company, it would work best for him if she was the only one to know about it and even then, he was not sure if the idea was good, he did not want anyone to know he could not remember his past. Lonán played a tune with his ocarina, it was nice and soothing, Ares was not sure if he could play any instruments, but he was almost sure he could not, so to a certain extent he was envious about Lonán's ability to create music, but it did sound great.

 

[GojiBean]

Lorraine & Kyero​

Lorraine continued walking backwards and keeping her smiling face on Ares as he spoke. Occasionally her head tilted slightly to the side, accompanied by a fluttering blink in her eyes. The uncertainty in his voice, along with his request to call her "Madame," caught her a bit off guard. But it also intrigued her.

"If it's not too much trouble, 'Doctor' is fine. Madame is a bit too formal for me. Besides, I'm not married." She giggled, though a distant hint of pain blended with the laugh.

"As for the medical mystery, unfortunately I'm not certain as to what the issue is. The family was very vague in their letter. And the only thing they could describe for me that made any sense is that he was experiencing heightened fatigue after exercising which is unusual since he's apparently an athlete. They're concerned it may be some new lung disease. I have my suspicions as to what the problem really is. But I won't know for sure until I examine him."

As Lorraine spoke Kyero continued to eye Ares out of the corner of his eye. The way he walked was casual. But all that armor... And at his height? Not only would it be hot, even in mild weather. But it'd be very, very heavy. To cover a frame that was a few inches taller than Kyero, and still walk and speak with no signs of shortness of breath after traveling who knew how far?

Kyero's right hand balled into a fist at his side.

"I'm fairly certain that the exam will be a safe one. But I-"

Without warning, Kyero shifted his weight and threw a punch at half speed and strength towards Ares' helmet.

If Kyero was right about him, he knew what was coming.

Wayne Firewind

 

[Wayne]

ARES LANCELOT LINNARD

MENTIONS
GojiBean as Lorraine & Kyero || Firewind as Lonán Arzura​

“Oh, you’re not married?” he nodded “but of course, doctor it is then.” Lorraine seemed to be a woman with a kind personality, she was easy to talk to and a lot of people Ares had met were cold and rude, he was unsure if he had just traveled to the wrong places, but the people were not kind to him or even to each other, perhaps that was just life, people were too busy trying to survive on their own to worry about others, sometimes the life of a traveler was lonely and that small moment, walking in a group felt great for Ares.

“Intriguing case, hopefully everything works out” Ares felt the shadow again but this time it moved, Kyero moved, his body moving around in a way that could only mean one thing, but why would he try it out of nowhere? What would he gain by trying to do it?

He was going to attack Ares.

Ares eyes darted towards Kyero and he moved his body so the punch would connect with his arm or hand, then he raised his arm to block the attack, it all felt like pure instinct, his blood running with adrenaline and what felt like a familiar feeling, the same feeling that he always felt when in danger, as if he had done that so many times before.

As he felt the punch connect with his hand, protected by the metal layer of his armor, he took a step to the side, of course his body screamed for him to attack back, he felt as if he could take Kyero down with a few punches, he was sure it wasn’t true, but his body always felt more confident than he did, as if it cried to let something out, some kind of monster, some kind of past.

“What was that for?” he sounded serious, the curiosity and care that he had when talking to Lorraine had vanished as his eyes pierced Kyero’s, waiting for some kind of answer. By now, he had stopped walking, he was not standing in a fight position, rather he seemed to be idle, simply waiting for some kind of answer, he never took a brawling stance, he just moved and shifted around, throwing punches and people, he had a particularly destructive fighting style, his eyes glanced at the other two, Lorraine and Lonán, taking a quick look to see if they had backed away from him and Kyero.

 

[GojiBean]

Lorraine & Kyero​

Lorraine gasped and covered her mouth with her left hand.

"Kyero! What in the Holy Mother's name has gotten into you?!"

Kyero's eyes were locked on the gap in the helmet where he could just barely see the faintest glint of light reflecting off their moist surfaces. But it wasn't enough to fully see what color they were or even their overall shape. Just the fact that they were in fact in there.

Kyero slowly withdrew his hand, standing in a relaxed posture with a subtle, almost inaudible huff though his nose.

"Thought so." He said flatly.

"What do you mean, 'though so?' You just attacked him!"

Kyero regarded Lorraine with an unreadable expression which resulted in her puffing her cheeks at him in a pout.

"Whatever that was, never again. Do you understand me? That's not how you treat someone who's being friendly to you!" She stamped her foot as the word 'not' escaped her lips.

Kyero was silent for a moment, and then looked at Ares.

"Not bad."

Lorraine's face contorted into an adorably angry pout as she held her breath, yet somehow forced a sigh through her nose as she turned away from him and took a few deep breaths.

Wayne Firewind