Take Back the Crown

While everyone had been fussing over the princess and making introductions with the newcomers, Garrett and Dorian had stood back on the fray, the familiar talking worriedly with the mage because your stunt could have set the forest on fire you goof.





When everyone started moving, Dorian changed out of his human shape once again, glad that no-one had paid attention to his shifting during the fight, and now perched on Garretts shoulder as he was back to being a hawk.
 

Well, now she was beginning to feel a tinge of guilt. Though she was curious - did that mean one of his parents was a dragon? That was way more interesting than her mom - she simply nodded with a small, pleasant smile, ignoring his discomfort as though he had never said that last part at all.

"Thank you." Phaedra expressed her gratitude simply. "I hope my answer was satisfactory for you as well, for the time being."

While she was a tenaciously inquistive person, she knew there had to be a limit drawn somewhere and Phaedra certainly didn't want to immediately get off on the wrong foot after making an ally so quickly. Most folks, as Phaedra discovered, did not enjoy sharing personal information.. At least if her adoptive father were any indication of the general population, since he simultaneously enjoyed and absolutely loathed her endless questions depending on how much they pried into his personal life.

"What ultimately brought you here, Bo?" She was considerably more friendly than she usually was. Phaedra began to ponder if it was because Bo seemed to be so transparent that she allowed herself to drop her guard. It frustrated her, but she also didn't mind so much. It was comforting to have someone to talk to, considering that she wasn't quite sure whether she even liked anyone else yet. Phaedra is a little selective in the beginning, though she hated to admit it. "I honestly thought this journey was a rumor until I stumbled into the entourage here."

@soundofmind
​
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Lucas sat in the back wagon where he had been put silently. He was a bit in shock. When he had agreed to come...well he wasn't expecting it to be this hardcore. He sat there quietly, hoping desperately his sister was ok. She had been pretty beaten up, and he didn't want to know why. He wanted to go check on her but he was in a different wagon, and to summarize he felt pretty damn bad.


In a desperate attempt to distract himself he suddenly shoved his hand into the bag he had been carrying and gave a small cry when his fingers slammed into a solid rock surface. Sucking his bleeding finger nails he investigated further, finding a small stone stature resting inside. He was now thurously confused, what was the point of bringing that?


"Hello?" He asked cautiously and quietly
 
Lucasta looked up and gave a small smile. "Thank you." As she took the berries, she listened to what the elf had to say. She grinned at her ramblings. "There's no need to apologize. It's very nice to know someone is dedicated, such as you."

​
 
[QUOTE="A Simple Egg]Lucas sat in the back wagon where he had been put silently. He was a bit in shock. When he had agreed to come...well he wasn't expecting it to be this hardcore. He sat there quietly, hoping desperately his sister was ok. She had been pretty beaten up, and he didn't want to know why. He wanted to go check on her but he was in a different wagon, and to summarize he felt pretty damn bad.
In a desperate attempt to distract himself he suddenly shoved his hand into the bag he had been carrying and gave a small cry when his fingers slammed into a solid rock surface. Sucking his bleeding finger nails he investigated further, finding a small stone stature resting inside. He was now thurously confused, what was the point of bringing that?


"Hello?" He asked cautiously and quietly

[/QUOTE]
The prince's beaming eyes caused the stone imp's rocky heart to melt away. His messy hair, which was scattered all about, made the imp smile with joy. Pip had never cared for any living creature before but now he could barely keep the bizarre exuberance going through him at bay. When the boy had injured his delicate fingers on the Sculpture's gravelly exterior, Pip accidentally blurted out, "Sor-"


The stone imp, realizing his mistake, immediately became still as death once again.


Idiot... Pip shut your mouth...


With his dull frown and droopy eyelids, the stone imp hoped the boy would not deduce that the statue was a living being.


I must not get involved! If the master finds out about this, I will face a punishment most severe. You are merely an observer Pip. Remember that!
 

As the group saddled again and cleaned up the supplies that had been knocked out of the wagons, Svetlana led the company to the river she had spoken of earlier. Perhaps they would have gotten farther that day if the imps hadn't attacked, but since the sun was touching the horizon, and everyone was rather worn from the battle, Svetlana thought camping down for the night was the best course of action. Yaroslav followed close behind her as she led the wagons, but he, as well as the rest of their company, were on edge, looking about to make sure there were no other unwelcome surprises.


They parked the wagons in a small clearing by the river. Before anyone set up, they all rushed to the water to wash themselves off. Blood was already icky and hard to remove, but imp blood was particularly sticky and smelly to boot. In fact, no one even seemed to mind the chilly temperature of the water it was so bad.


Afterwards, Svetlana helped direct them, as it was her equipment and she knew how it was set up. She separated them into groups. Some went out to find dry logs and kindle for the fire (which would be rather difficult, considering it had just rained that evening), some stayed behind to unpack and help set up the several tents Svetlana had stuffed in her wagons. Yaroslav took it upon himself to cook a meal, as he was sure everyone was hungry. He made potato soup. Granted, it was simple and bland, but knew it would be warm and appreciated. When you have an appetite, anything tastes good.


By the time the sun had set, and the moon was rising, everyone had finished their jobs and could finally relax for a bit. "We'll have to take turns with the night watches." Svetlana said, pouring herself a heaping helping of soup, "But considering the numbers of our group, no one should have to do it for over an hour. We'll all get enough shut eye for the night..." She paused, and though what she was about to say seemed ominous, the smile on her face remained, "I would suggest you all savor it. The nights in our future may become restless, and sleep may be hard to come by... Let's hope it doesn't come to that... Anyways!" She said jollily, "Come and gather around the fire, sing some songs, tell some stories, but most importantly, eat!"
​
 
Lucasta slid from the wagon, pulling out her sword and shield. Her head still hurt from the wound that blasted imp gave her, but she was at least able to walk without loosing her balance now. She still had the bandage around her head, and it was a rusty color from the dried blood. She took a tent from the other wagon, and finding a clear spot to set it up. Once that was finished, she put her belongings inside, and went to go eat. She walked up to Yaroslav with a bowl, and he scooped her some potato soup. Lucasta smiled and gave a quick nod of thanks, and went to sit down by the fire.

​
 
Garrett made sure to help everyone out with setting up tents and collecting firewood, while Dorian sat perched on one of the wagons, keeping watch. Something about the woods still unnerved him.


Finally, the mage ended up sitting by the fire, with the hawk taking a nap by his side.
 

After the idle back and forth with Bo (assuming they were chitchatting after her question on my last post

@soundofmind - hope you don't mind) which she found oddly soothing, the party had finally made it to their destination. Feeling refreshed from a quick wash in the river, she draped her cloak up to dry at the campsite and had quickly joined the group foraging for firewood and kindling.

Phaedra had made herself useful, using her affinity for air to help dry the wood that she and everyone else gathered faster. It wasn't perfect, but it certainly did help as they did get the fire burning faster than they would have otherwise with completely dampened wood. She even shielded the embers from the wind and damp air, nurturing them from small flames to a proper campfire in record time.

When it came time, Phaedra quietly allowed Yaroslav to serve her a portion of the potato soup he had cooked. She murmured her thanks, then went to sit close to the group on a nearby boulder, but not quite including herself. Phaedra was thoroughly enjoying herself, bobbing her head as she ate, absorbed in her thoughts. It had been a few weeks since she had a hot meal.

All the excitement and promise of a thrilling adventure was enough payment for her, but if she could end every night with a hot meal, she thought she could probably die happy. Though, she had no plans of dying.​
 
Oceana was so glad for a bath that she practically ran to the river.


When she was finished all she put on was a light sleeveless tunic and leather breeches. As always, her feet were bare.


This gave a good view at her tattoos, and the wiry musculature beneath them. The inky marks stood out starkly on her tanned skin and she wore them with pride. After helping to pitch tents, she retrieved a bowl of stew from Yuroslav, said thanks, and clambered into the nearest tree.


Closing her eyes she whispered,


"Thank you for your guidance and for this nourishment."


Oceana smiled to herself.


And for these remarkable companions...
 
Ferrix approached the mage who was sitting by the fire, he seemed as if he wasn't busy at the moment and it seemed like a good time to try to talk to the man. The fire mage just wanted to thank for the fire just now with the imp and possibly make an acquaintance. He was travelling with these people, he should at least knew their name.


"Hello, I'm sorry for interrupting if you are busy but thank for the flame just now with the imp. It was a beautiful one, actually. My name is Ferrix, may I know your name?" Ferrix asked, his face was his usual nonchalant one but he tried his best to not seem rude.


@L1d1ja
 
"You're welcome. And my name's Garrett." He smiled friendlily at Ferrix. "And you did a great job controlling the fire. I always have trouble with it." He added, glad to have someone to talk to and maybe hoping to make a new friend in the group.


@Jayshen
 
"Thank you for the compliment Garett, but it was nothing much. Controlling fire has always been something my whole family can do." then Ferrix noticed the hawk perched on Garett's shoulder, taking a slight interest at (what he had assumed was) Garett's pet/animal companion. "You've a hawk for a pet? That is uncommon."


Despite the fact that yes, Ferrix was indeed a mage. He had never been able to really sense magic- his blood was devoted to flames and things related to it only. Actually he had a power that wasn't entirely flame-related but it was related to his ancestors and his whole bloodline might as well just be fire-related as well.


@L1d1ja
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Dorian let out an annoyed squawk at being called a pet and cast a look Ferrix's way that could be translated into 'call me that again and I'll peck your eyes out.' He always hated to be mistaken for some pet: he belonged to no-one, and never will.


"That's Dorian. He's my familiar, and he's a hawk least of the time, unless in a big company." Garrett explained. "Dorian, don't be rude." He poked the hawk when he did nothing.


'Hello. Nice to meet you.' The familiar sent to Ferrix, his voice between neutral and friendly.





@Jayshen
 
"I see. I apologise for mistaking you as a pet, Dorian," Ferrix apologised, he was embarrassed to mistake the familiar as a pet and hoped he could amend his mistake in the future.


"What- your familiar, he can do telepathy?" the normally nonchalant face of the fire mage now looked surprised. "Wait, that was a rather stupid question. You don't need to answer it."


'Nice to meet you too, I suppose?'


@L1d1ja
 
Dorian opened his beak a little, which strangely gave the impression that the bird was smiling. He nodded and went back to napping against Garrett's side.


"I think most familiars are telepathic. Or at least the ones who are not created from animals." Garrett shrugged. "I don't know, really. You said that controlling fire is an ability that runs in your family. So you're purely a fire mage?" He decided to switch conversation topics.


@Jayshen
 
Tetra saw the fire down below and glided to a landing next to it. Once her rider hopped off she melted back into a human and walked over to the river sitting on a large rock. @Danika
 
"I guess you could say I'm solely a fire mage. My family don't have the ability to detect magic but we have other ability related to fire that isn't necessarily manipulating flame. For example, bring immune to fire and heat," he explained. One of his magic ability was the reason he went to join the princess' journey, after all. "What about you? Is your magic learnt or is it natural?"


@L1d1ja
 
Last edited by a moderator:

"Ah, so the prodigal healer returns." Svetlana said as she finished the last of her soup, "I didn't think you'd actually come back." Yaroslav poured a bowl of soup and gave it to Valeiah before sitting down next to his grandmother. He was known for getting angry in the moment, but he never held a grudge, and didn't mind Valeiah as much as he did before despite all the chaos she caused.


Svetlana yawned as she set down her bowl, "Who wants to hear a story?" She asked at the group around her, "I am a merchant, but also a storyteller by trade. Campfires make the best setting for an epic tale, don't you think?"
​
 
"A bit of both, I guess. I was born with magic, things would explode around me when I was a kid and threw tantrums." He joked. "But I still had to learn a lot to control it. I'm still not too good at it, even if I can pack a punch. Dorian does all the intricate magical stuff like traps and illusions. And immunity to fire sounds fun. Best party trick." He smiled at Ferrix.


@Jayshen


'I bet your stories are very interesting.' Dorian sent sincerely to Svetlana





@Lo Alyssa
 
Last edited by a moderator:
After Oceana finished her meal, she leapt down and strode over to the river to wash her bowl. She gave a quick nod of acknowledgement to Tetra.


After returning her bowl and spoon to the cooking equipment, she retrieved her pack from the tent and her armor near the fire, set to dry. Despite the quizzical looks the others were giving her, Oceana merely seated herself in the sparse forest grass.


And went to work.


Her smith skills made it quite easy to repair items while on the road and creativity meant learning on the job was a constant occurrence. She sent a thankful word to her father somewhere out there.


I hope you're proud of me... and can forgive me.


To the others' amusement and, possible annoyance, Oceana mumbled to herself while she repaired her armor.


"This bit goes here... Wait I need the silk thread. No! No I need that... Hmmm, stupid foul beasties..."


Yet, even as she sewed holes and oiled leather, and mumbled softly to herself, she listened in on all of the conversations around camp. Oceana was secretly a scholar as well as a warrior, and loved collecting knowledge and stories. She was eager to hear the tales the elder wished to tell.


(sorry that was long)
 

Phaedra perked her head up, finishing up her portion of potato soup. A story? She loved stories.

She sat closer to the group, near Svetlana, giving the older woman her undivided attention, listening attentively for her every word.

"What kind of story did you have in mind?"

Her eyes sparkled with curiosity. Obviously, this was a topic that deeply intrigued Phaedra. She always felt there was a sprinkle of truth to every tale and she always passed the time by wondering which details were truth and which were added over time. Phaedra had few hobbies that existed outside of her own mind.​
 
"...." Ayda had spent quite a lot of time searching around in the nearby area for dry wood, but it proved to be quite difficult. Most of the stuff she found was damp and useless, but Ayda had a lot of experience in this kind of thing and eventually gathered a large bundle of dry twigs and branches. Feeling useful for once, she quickly made her way back to the camp they had all set up.


"I... I got some wood we can use..." Ayda said quietly, unsure on what to do now that she was actually next to her 'comrades', awkwardly standing there with the wood in her arms.


"W-where... Where should I put it?"


@TeeKay @Lo Alyssa @Queen of Fantasy @OIkaJa77 @L1d1ja
 
It had been a long day of nonstop travel, and Bo was honestly, exhausted. It was nice to talk to Phaedra on the way to the river, but now he just wanted to eat. He did clean off a bit though, since everyone else was. Apparently imp blood was gross. Afterwards, with little in his mind but thoughts of eating and sleeping, he helped everyone set up camp, following Svetlana's directions. As he got a bowl of soup from Yaro, he nodded with a grateful smile, and gathered around the fire with everyone else.


He honestly wasn't sure where to sit or who to sit next to, but... well, he ended sitting down next to the princess. She's who he was here for, after all, right?


He wafted the smell of the soup to his nose, cupping the bowl in one hand, wanting to savor it. Eat slowly. As he sipped his first spoonful of soup, he let out a satisfied exhale... before he began to think about how they could improve the soup. Hm. Tastes like it could use some pepper, and maybe a bit of milk. Some chopped onion - oh, red onion too - would taste nice. I'd add less water next time too, so it keeps a creamier consistency.





His thoughts were interrupted, however, when Svetlana spoke up, saying she wanted to tell a story. He couldn't help but notice Phaedra's quick and eager return to the group right after the words left Svetlana's mouth. He let out a short, airy, laugh before shoving another spoonful of soup in his mouth.


He waited in expectation for Svetlana's tale. I can imagine it'll be an interesting one.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 3 (members: 0, guests: 3)
Back
Top