Fantasy The Chosen of Seven

[KiKi Kitsune]

Adruo gave a small sigh. "It's fine. Just a bit embarrassing really." She hesitated to take the offered hand. Carefully - as to not hurt Romon with her claws - she accepted the gesture. Once standing, she gave a nod in thanks. "I was given it as more of a nickname than anything, but it's pretty much recognised by everyone in my home village. I got it due to me always falling down and causing small tremors when I do." She explained dejectedly. There was no point hiding it, but it was still embarrassing to say.


Adruo was more than happy to move onto a subject she was more familiar with and had nothing to do with her. "Yes, my grandmother passed down all the legends she had learnt to me, as has been the tradition for many generations. The twin blades are called Mind and Soul. Or rather, the one is called Mind, and the other is Soul. They are called this because, despite being for the God of Mind, memories are part of one's very soul." The dragonkin took a moment to pause and gather her thoughts properly. "The memories of another are important with regard to Mind and Soul. The blades allow you to cast powerful illusions on anyone you wish. However, it has quite a learning curve. As you grow more accustomed to the weapon, you should be able to create more believable and complex illusions." Adruo scratched her arm out of habit. "I believe you can also use them to see into people's minds." She looked to Romon with a look of worry in her eyes. "If you do so, please be careful." She decided to stop talking about the subject before it became morbid.


She scratched the scales on her forearm as she thought. "I think they are about two feet long. They're quite wide too... Oh, I think I have a picture somewhere." Adruo began rummaging around her pouches filled with paper. Taking out a folded piece of parchment,she handed it to Romon. "That should help blacksmiths with proportions, if you're planing to get something made." She gave a smirk. "And I will be happy to spar with you."

Spoiler

A horned head tilted to the side in curiosity. "My mother? Oh, she's an adviser. She has to go where the royals go." Adruo said with a small shrug. They soon approached the castle's doors. Adruo walked through without hesitation. Once inside, she looked around until she spotted a servant. "Excuse me, do you by any chance know where Helene Draiton is?" She asked politely. The servant gave brief instructions before rushing off again. Adruo went were instructed and soon found herself outside another door.

Opening it, they could see a tall, lean, beautiful woman trying to calm the elf king. Adruo smiled widely as she waited patiently for the two to finish. Once they had, the woman turned to see Adruo standing in the doorway and gave a small but tired smile. "Adruo, it's good to see you." The elf woman said in greeting. She opened her arms and the dragonkin girl entered them for an embrace without hesitation. "It's good to see you too momma."

 

[SepiaInk]

Phoebe Silva

​

A lot of her work at the Archives had involved dealing with fragile and ancient objects of incalculable worth, and it was with the same delicate touch she reserved to those artefacts that Phoebe held the old parchment. It was clear how precious that piece of paper was to the dragon kin, and that made her all the more grateful for being entrusted with it.


After a quick sweeping look at the paper’s contents, the shapeshifter gently rolled it up and slipped it inside one of her own pouches. “You have my utmost gratitude, Adruo.” A short bow punctuated her words. “I will make sure to take great care of it. You have my word.”


Nodding at the dragon kin’s words, she watched her and the elf’s retreating backs for a moment before turning to face her own travelling companion. “Well, we should also get going. Time waits for no one, after all,” she said, her tone a bit more jovial now that everyone was finally taking their first steps towards their goal.


“If you don’t mind, I’d rather we head to the Great Forest first,” she requested as she began walking towards the edge of Eden. “Our animal bodies will be much more at ease in the company of trees than desert dunes, don’t you think?” A smile softened the edges of her mouth for a just a second, in hopes that such an action would "break the ice” as people liked to put it.


Her gaze settled on Destin’s face, travelling up from his chin and lingering on his mismatched eyes. To be honest, his predator nature still made half of her uncomfortable, but her other half, the one that wasn’t shackled by instincts, was brimming with curiosity and yearned to know more about the wolf shapeshifter. The questions she wished to make were far from tactful though, so she refrained. One had to be patient with social interactions, she told herself. Quid pro quo.

@Syvas​

 

[TerraBooma]

Romon wasn't quite sure how to react. He had, of course been expecting a dragonkin woman, and that Adruo was either half-elf half-dragonkin or adopted was a bit of a shock. The elf stood flustered for a short time before remembering his place in front of an adviser (And indirectly, the king himself.) Romon bowed, not kneeling as he did before the king, but the intent was a clear sign of respect towards the other elf.


"F-forgive me my lady, I mean no disrespect I just...was not expecting one of my own kind when Adruo spoke of her mother." The elf slowly recollected himself. Faster than an average elf would, but at the same time...it took him awhile.


Still, as far as elves went, Romon was something of a god when it came to adapting to things. He took a breath and was back to his old ways. "It is good to meet you, Lady Draiton. My name is Romon, one of the chosen. He glances over at Adruo, and raised a brow. It was Adruo's wish to see her mother before they left. Whatever buisiness they had was not Romon's to pry. He would be quiet then as Adruo took care of any unfinished business.

 

[KiKi Kitsune]

The elf woman stepped away from Adruo. She turned her head to Romon as he spoke. "Of course. Dragonkin and elf is an odd combination, isn't it. Adruo takes more after her father though." She bowed her head slightly in greeting and offered a small, polite smile. She gave a soft chuckle as Romon introduced himself. "Our very own Elven Blade was chosen? I assume that means you won't be enrolling in this year's tournament. It is a shame. Your battle last year was spectacular." Helene Draiton noted.


The elf then faced her daughter. "Now Adruo, I'm assuming that there is a reason for you to come here. Especially if you have one of the chosen with you." She stated with an elegantly raised brow. Adruo nodded. "I am going with the Saviours to aid them. They have split into pairs, and I am accompanying Romon." The dragonkin girl explained. Helene had an expression of thoughtfulness for a moment before giving her daughter a warm smile. "You always said you wanted to save the world. Just be careful, Adruo."


Helene then turned back to Romon. She had a slight frown, showing her worry. "Adruo can be quite clumsy and slow to catch on, so you'll need to be patient with her." She said, much to Adruo's displeasure. "Please, Elven Blade," Helene gave a bow to the man, "keep Adruo safe." Adruo spoke up, rather irritated now. "I can take care of myself, momma." The elf gave her daughter a knowing smile in response. "A mother is always going to worry."

 

[TerraBooma]

Romon nodded. "As you wish milady. I will keep her safe." He chuckled and temporarily tuned is gaze to Adruo. "Although from what your daughter has said to me, she seems to be adequately able to protect herself. Between her blade and her magics, she may be doing her fair share of saving me. We will see."


After bowing to Adruo's mother again, and their business was concluded, Adruo led his companion from the room, raising a brow at her as they walked. "She does mean well you know." The elf shrugged. "My own mother was worried sick when I left my home. I'm sure it comes with being a parent, that instinctual protective nature." Romon didn't know Adruo very well, but he felt that her mother was sincere, so he figured he should offer support.


"That said, you said you were used to flying correct? I have an idea I wanted to ask you. Instead of purchasing some steel and having them forged, why not get a horse instead? That way I could keep up for the most part. You'd still have to move slower then normal but..." Romon's voice trailed off, as if searching for an answer but he could come up with few soloutions. "I'm faster then your average elf, and a horse would move faster still but..." He took a quick moment to examine Adruo's wings. "Those can still move faster then me on a good day. I apologize." He says, "I may delay us, even on horseback. And even then the steel blades would be more useful in the event on an ambush."


Once his apology was over, he turned towards the market.


"So what say you? Steel Blades? Or a horse?"

 

[Kiroshiven]

"Well, if we get your weapon first we may not need to have warm clothes for the blue isles. Your weapon is from the god of fire right? However, if I can control water with the katana, then a boat may be able to sail down the coast quicker than expected." Terra pondered and was aware of the person, however, she wasn't prepared for what sylvanus did. She felt him grab onto her suddenly and he was right in her face. She'd been close to men before so it wasn't much of a problem for her, but it seemed a bit more to him. She giggled silently before placing a palm on his chest. "Not used to be near a woman are you?" She smirked as he stuttered. "Don't worry about it. But I'm actually quite capable of slithering around without bumping into anyone, even when moving backwards." She pat his cheek before turning around and finally finding one of her favorite shops. It was owned by a dragonkin that never once fell for any of her charms, mostly because she never tried, but it was better than nothing.


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"Oi, What you doin ere Tera? I thought you was chosen by the goddess of water."


"We need somethings Fraxil. Namely clothes. You know I don't do cold weather and the Blue Isles aren't exactly a tropical paradise you know?" She shared a laugh with the man before he looked at Sylvanus.


"Wha 'e got to do with it?"


@minismurf

 

[KiKi Kitsune]

Romon nodded. "As you wish milady. I will keep her safe." He chuckled and temporarily tuned is gaze to Adruo. "Although from what your daughter has said to me, she seems to be adequately able to protect herself. Between her blade and her magics, she may be doing her fair share of saving me. We will see."
After bowing to Adruo's mother again, and their business was concluded, Adruo led his companion from the room, raising a brow at her as they walked. "She does mean well you know." The elf shrugged. "My own mother was worried sick when I left my home. I'm sure it comes with being a parent, that instinctual protective nature." Romon didn't know Adruo very well, but he felt that her mother was sincere, so he figured he should offer support.


"That said, you said you were used to flying correct? I have an idea I wanted to ask you. Instead of purchasing some steel and having them forged, why not get a horse instead? That way I could keep up for the most part. You'd still have to move slower then normal but..." Romon's voice trailed off, as if searching for an answer but he could come up with few soloutions. "I'm faster then your average elf, and a horse would move faster still but..." He took a quick moment to examine Adruo's wings. "Those can still move faster then me on a good day. I apologize." He says, "I may delay us, even on horseback. And even then the steel blades would be more useful in the event on an ambush."


Once his apology was over, he turned towards the market.


"So what say you? Steel Blades? Or a horse?"

Adruo was about to shoot Romon a glare before he continued speaking. His words were quite a pleasant surprise to Adruo. She wasn't intending to outshine the Saviours, or even be the one to protect them. She made a point of her strength so they wouldn't see her as a hindrance. For someone chosen by the gods themselves to say such a thing was one of the highest compliments that Adruo could think of.


Adruo gave a small sigh. "I know, it's just... A little embarrassing." She said, somewhat sheepishly. Why saying that it was embarrassing was embarrassing would remain a mystery to the dragonkin. "And I think that the protective nature that you speak of doesn't only apply to parents and their children. I have seen many cases of others with bonds strong enough that they would do close to anything to protect the other." Adruo added hesitantly. She was still unsure of how formal to be with the elf.


The female listened carefully as Romon explained their options. "There's no need to apologise. We simply have different traits. There's nothing wrong with that." She then took a moment to weigh the pros and cons of each. "So either we go for mobility or practice and defence. While it would be good to have speed, a horse would be an extra mouth to feed. And there's not much point of rushing if you can't use the weapon once you get it. I say go for the blades." Adruo finally decided with a nod. "In the worst case scenario, I could carry you." She said as an afterthought with a shrug. It wasn't much of a big deal to her. Romon didn't look like he'd be too heavy, at least.


As they walked towards where Adruo assumed was a blacksmith, she tripped over a stone that she was sure wasn't there a moment before. Or perhaps it was just her mind making up excuses. Adruo could hear her sword being flung across the cobbled ground which shook slightly as when she hit it. She slowly raised herself back onto her feet. "Ow~" She moaned when she poked the reddened skin on her arm. Adruo looked around for her sword but saw a human walking towards her with the large blade in hand.

The human had long, flowing black hair and startlingly bright red eyes. The woman wore odd styled clothing that was usually seen in very specific parts of Pangeros. The woman held the blade out across their hands, showing no hostility. "Is this yours?" She asked with a smile. Something about the woman was familiar to Adruo, but she couldn't place what. "Ah, yes. Thank you." Adruo carefully took the sword and sheathed it.The human woman bowed her head with another small smile before walking away and disappearing into the crowd. Adruo frowned slightly. "That's weird... I'm sure I know her from somewhere." After racking her brain and coming up blank, the dragonkin shrugged off the matter. There were more important things at hand.

 

[TerraBooma]

Romon raised a brow. "I must admit I have never seen her before, but I am not familiar with many outisde of the towns and villages I used to protect, so besides the obvious fact that she doesn't likely live in a small elven communiry, I can offer no assistance.


Romon continued to lead the pair towards the blacksmith, and spoke as he did so. "That said, I've been wondering. Do you fall over in combat often?" He raises a worried frown. "I can't imagine that being the best time to do so." Any further conversation was interrupted after her response by the clang of hammer on steel growing louder, as they approached one of the smith's in town.


He peered into it from the outside, but couldn't see the smith. "This looks fine to me." He turns back to Adruo. "So two steel blades, expensive but they'll do fine." He sighed, realizing something. "Adruo, if the smith has not the blades we're looking for, we may have to wait for such a pair to be forged, I do not mind, but it would consume the time that I have little doubt we don't have much of." He raised a brow. "I'm ok to wait, I just hope he has what we're looking for." Taking a breath, he entered the smithy, looking for the smith in question.


"Hello! Anyone here? I'm looking for some swords."

 

[Syvas]

Phoebe Silva

​

A lot of her work at the Archives had involved dealing with fragile and ancient objects of incalculable worth, and it was with the same delicate touch she reserved to those artefacts that Phoebe held the old parchment. It was clear how precious that piece of paper was to the dragon kin, and that made her all the more grateful for being entrusted with it.


After a quick sweeping look at the paper’s contents, the shapeshifter gently rolled it up and slipped it inside one of her own pouches. “You have my utmost gratitude, Adruo.” A short bow punctuated her words. “I will make sure to take great care of it. You have my word.”


Nodding at the dragon kin’s words, she watched her and the elf’s retreating backs for a moment before turning to face her own travelling companion. “Well, we should also get going. Time waits for no one, after all,” she said, her tone a bit more jovial now that everyone was finally taking their first steps towards their goal.


“If you don’t mind, I’d rather we head to the Great Forest first,” she requested as she began walking towards the edge of Eden. “Our animal bodies will be much more at ease in the company of trees than desert dunes, don’t you think?” A smile softened the edges of her mouth for a just a second, in hopes that such an action would "break the ice” as people liked to put it.


Her gaze settled on the Destin’s face, travelling up from his chin and lingering on his mismatched eyes. To be honest, his predator nature still made half of her uncomfortable, but her other half, the one that wasn’t shackled by instincts, was brimming with curiosity and yearned to know more about the wolf shapeshifter. The questions she wished to make were far from tactful though, so she refrained. One had to be patient with social interactions, she told herself. Quid pro quo.

@Syvas​

After having listened to the dragonkin girls speech about his weapon, Destin had allowed himself to drift off deep in thought. The wolf was apprehensive, though excited, to be traveling with the deer. In this form he was well able to control certain.. urges.. but in his others..


Phoebe's voice jarred him from the pit that was his mind. Putting those thoughts behind him, he forced a smile and turned to face her, and with a simple nod of agreement they were on their way.


Destin matched Phoebe's stride as they moved through the various corridors and alleys toward the edge of the floating city. "The forest could prove to be a treacherous place.." He fell silent once again letting things play out in his mind. They would know he was there, and they would want her the way he had wanted her when he first caught wind of that intoxicating scent. Maybe we could move unnoticed, slip in and leave before anyone was the wiser. He allowed himself to hope. "But if that's what you want to do, it's fine with me."


He could feel her eyes upon him and matched her gaze with his own. The genuine warmth of her smile put him at ease. He found the olive tone of her skin and the dark brown hue of her eyes somehow soothing. He found himself enthralled with the splash of freckles that appeared when the sun graced her face. And for a time, he forgot the troubles they were bound to face.


Destin reluctantly turned his head to look back at the road, just in time to not avoid the sign hanging from a shop. His head snapped back and he stumbled forward losing his stride. He was filled with embarrassment as his hands shot to clasp his forehead and he forced a laugh. "So, uh.. so is there anywhere else you need to go before we are on our way?" He asked out of embarrassment.

 

[SepiaInk]

Phoebe Silva

​

A snort of laughter burst forth before Phoebe could do anything to hold it in. It was such an unappealing sound, she couldn’t help but cringe as soon as it left her lips. Clasping a hand over her mouth, she watched the shapeshifter rub his forehead, embarrassment clear on his face and mannerisms.


Perhaps the rules of social interactions dictated that she not laugh at his minor misfortune. But how could she not? It was too relatable. As far as she could see, if she straightened her posture then they would be pretty much the same height, and the gods know how many times she’d bumped her head on signs, door frames, low roofs, archways, too many to count. Like every other trait, being tall had its disadvantages.


In an attempt to not further embarrass the poor fella, Phoebe cleared her throat and eased in into her earlier pace. “Well, I was thinking of heading to the stables. A college of mine is there. He will have a few things we need for the trip.” She gave Destin a side glance, noting the slight red hue that had began to spread on his forehead. “He comes here often, so he knows Eden better than I do. If you need to get anything in this town before we leave, just ask him.”


A though occurred to her then and she halted, eyes wide and unfocused as she stared straight ahead. The wind rose behind them, blowing locks of hair across her face. “Actually, I was thinking of getting a new knife. My current one just won’t do for this trip, I believe.” This was a dangerous quest after all, nothing like her frequent trips to collect artefacts and books, where the dangers were often minor. A lot more than a woman attempting to stab her, or a man offering her poison, could happen in the Great Forest. Snapping out of her transe, she tightened the red sash around her waist and turned to Destin. “Do you need to see a blade smith?”

@Syvas​

 

[KiKi Kitsune]

Adruo gave a small sigh at the question. "I understand your worry, but I don't trip in combat unless my opponent causes it. I don't know why, but I'm not complaining." She soon realised any further explanation would be pointless considering the amount of noise. The clang of metal on metal was surprisingly soothing. "I have no problems with waiting if need be." Adruo replied, having to raise her voice a little to be heard. She had heard about the smiths of Eden. Having quite a few in the same city caused competition. They each tried to make their produce better than the others as well as be speedy about making them. Even if they had to wait, it wouldn't be long.


Within a few hours, Romon had two brand new blades, still slightly warm from the forge. They were close to perfect in size compared to the Holy Creation which he would end up wielding. "The smith did an amazing job on those." Adruo commented as they walked away from Eden. The floating city was as beautiful from the outside as it was within. "I hope all the others will be alright..." She murmured to herself. At least by the time they left, the arguments seemed to have been settled. She was mostly worried about Terra and Sylvanus. The dragonkin still had no indication as to what happened between them. Had Sylvanus even found Terra? The worry welled up, occupying all of her thoughts.


Adruo took a deep breath to calm herself. There was nothing she could do now. It was best to focus on her own part of the journey. She turned to look at the elf she walked next to. "So, Romon, you're the Elven Blade from last year's tournament? I wasn't able to watch it, but my mother told me about how you fought. She, and many others, were very impressed." The female scratched her arm. She hoped that it was a vague enough statement to start up some sort of conversation. Elves usually like being praised and talking about themselves from what Adruo had seen.


@TerraBooma

 

[The J]

"Let's go then," Severis said, "I have nothing I need to retrieve."


Without further warning, Severis set out at a fast walking pace, straight for the city stables. It was outside the wall, so it took them a good while to get there, maybe give minutes at Severis' brisk pace.


When they got there, they found the owner, who turned out to be an old man, a hare hybrid.


"Aye, ah'll be guessin' ye'll be wanting a horse, lad?"


"Yes, one for me and one for my associate."


"Ah knoo just the pair fer ye. One a sweet little pony, the other a big, calm mare. Sound good to ye?"


"They'll do. Will you bring them out?"


Turning round and raising his hands to his mouth, the owner shouted, "FERGUS! GRAB US THE TWO IN THE THIRD AN FIFTH STABLES WILL YE?"


A few moments later, the man was holding the reins of the two horses proudly, and as Severis reached for them he pulled his hand back, and said "That'll be 20 gold pieces each, mind."


"Hmm. I can pay both if needed, but do you have enough money for yourself, Mayweather?"

 

[minismurf]

Sylvanus looked down into the ground as Terra laughed at him, "Yeah, maybe" However it that wasn't the case, it wasn't the fact that Sylvanus had suddenly gotten close to Terra, it was controlling himself from attacking her that made him feel awkward, many times he'd loomed over females of all races, usually it was before he would turn them into a mother of his brood, he'd seen the tears of fear and horror in their eyes, however he'd never shown any mercy. This time however he had to hold himself back, he'd felt his spider limbs wanting to pin her down and keep her in place, or grab her so he could run away with her in his grasp, it was extremely difficult for him to keep them back, his arachnid limbs had always acted against him, however whenever there was a female in front of him they got even stronger, it was his instinct telling him to spread his race all over the land in order to keep it alive, and this was no exception, however if he was to do something so aggresive towards not only his companion, but one chosen by the gods, their mission would be impossible to complete.


As she patted his cheek he felt his limbs tense up again, however not as violently as earlier and when they entered the store he looked at the dragonkin, it was much different from the dragonkin girl, he had scales all over his body whilst Adruo had more human skin than scales. As he asked what Sylvanus's business was he looked at the dragonkin with a bliunt face, "I'm miss Terra's companion, I have been chosen by the god of fire, Pyros to search up one of the ancient weapons and I got paired up with miss Terra since our weapons are pretty close to each other" The dragonkin looked strong, he was obviously the owner of the blacksmith store and if he was the smith he clearly had the muscle mass to tear of Sylvanus's limbs, both arachnid and human ones.


@Kiroshiven

 

[Ariel]

Mayweather

May tried her hardest to keep up with Severis. She half jogged behind him, her blue dress billowing out as she but she wasn't all that winded. Admittedly it would take some getting used to though. It didn't matter that it was difficult though, Mayweather just wanted to make sure that there were no problems on their journey. She knew it would get easier. And she would get stronger and faster too. When they stopped at the horse farm, she looked around excitedly. Horses! May had never ridden a horse before but she had always thought them to be beautiful creatures. Upon asking for payment, she nodded and pulled out a small pouch. Luckily she did not have 20 gold pieces but 22. When she gave the man all of it, he said, "It is only 20."

"Buy a couple extra carrots for the horses," she insisted happily. What was money to her other than means of buying luxury items? Every needed could be found in the wild. But officially now she was broke and had no more money to spare. She just hoped there was nothing else she would need to buy for departure. Turning back to Severis, she added, "Thanks for offering to pay though."​

 

[TerraBooma]

Romon walked along and felt the weight of the blades as he did so. It was...odd, to dual weild. He was solid with one blade, but now he had to make do with two. A curious occasion indeed. Still, there were two people in this pair, and Adruo was concerned. Romon simply laughed. "My friend, you worry far too much. The two will do fine. If not, it's completely out of our control. Focus on the journey ahead." He pointed towards the long road in front of them. "I heard an old proverb from an elder during my travels....what was it again? Those who spend their time in the past lose out on the presents of the present? Something like that." The elf shrugged. "Honestly, Elvish Elders can get pretty crazy with their proverbs. I once had one insist that the rocks could speak if only we would listen to the leaves!" He chuckles for a bit. "Some of it's good, but most is nonsense."


The elf continued on for a bit, a lot more relaxed then he had been in the city and especially far more relaxed then when he was in front of the kind/Adruo's mother. "The Tourney huh? I supposed that'd come up at some point." The elf paused as if to consider his thoughts. "Well if your mother watched it, which I must admit is an honour." He did a quick bow, a bit of formality amidst his relaxed nature. "I'll have to be honest, it happened kind of quickly."


"You probably know much about the tourney, why we hold it and all that since you seem to like stories so much. Any elf can join, but only the elite normally make it past the grand meleé's. I was the exception. Still a lot of them ignored me, nothing to worry about. Just some rabble and all that." The elf shrugged as he walked along, revealing one of his tattoos to Adruo as he walked slightly in front of her. "I just...fought my way through, played smart. Most elves are pretty noble, the tourney didn't have many rules about the equipment you can bring in and limited magic. Smoke grenades are...uncommon, but allowed. I quickly discovered that studying up on fighters gave me an edge. This lord favored his right leg, watch out for his uppercuts when disarmed. That lord has a limp that comes out after a swing. Just...stuff I picked up observing their fights. Research."


Romon paused and looked up at the sky while covering his face from the sun. "In the end, I tricked and cheated my way to victory. I used wits over strength." He chuckled. "People had seen my smoke bombs and my magic-" As he said the word magic, the roots and grass along the path would seem to slither around slightly by Adruo's feet. Not enough to trick the DragonKin, but enough to be relevant.


"But nobody figured I would combine them, I'm not sure why."


He looked back to Adruo. "So new friend of mine, I'm no great warrior, I can't summon ghosts to defeat my foes, I can't turn invisible, and I most certainly cannot secretly turn into a dragon." The elf shrugged. "I study, I scan. And that's how I fight. When I can't afford to take on my foes, I don't try and poverpower them with determination. Instead, I find another way through."


A pause.


"But why'd you ask? It's a pretty well known story, even if you weren't there yourself." He sighed. "'m just an elf trying to do some good, that's all." He pondered something inside his head for a moment. "Which gives me a question for you Adruo. Why do you fight?" He raised a brow, curious look on his face. "Since we seem to be on an inquisitive path this day that is."

 

[KiKi Kitsune]

Adruo did her best to believe Romon's words. She knew he was trying to comfort her. Remaining worried would be rude, wouldn't it? She didn't need to worry about that as what the elf said next made her release a burst of laughter. The dragonkin quickly hid her mouth behind her hand. She had been subjected to very similar proverbs throughout her younger years. "They do say some ridiculous things, don't they?" She said with a slight laugh in her voice. Adruo was glad to see they had some things in common. It would make conversing easier.


She listened intently as Romon retold his experience of the tournament. She didn't say anything to interrupt him, but was visibly focused on what he had to say. Adruo tried to absorb every word and store it in her memory. Focus only on what was being said. Repeat the words in your own head. It was a very effective technique she had learnt when listening to her grandmother's stories. It was how she had remembered every detail so well. Adruo also noticed something about the way Romon now spoke. It was different than before.


She didn't have much time to think about it before she tripped over a tree root. Adruo hit the ground with a thump. With a sigh, she picked herself up and dusted off her clothes. After happening so frequently, Adruo was used to it. It had come to a point where she just accepted it as a part of her. The dragonkin returned her attention to Romon. "I can see why Animus picked you. The previous wielder of Mind and Soul was quite similar to you. Except, he was incredibly lazy. He always looked for the easiest solution to any problems presented. He was a quick thinker with a silver tongue." Realising that she was quickly getting quite off topic and beginning to ramble, Adruo gave an apology.


Adruo noticed as the elf talked about himself, the words he used were quite derogatory. He "tricked" and "cheated". That didn't sit well with Adruo. "I don't think you should degrade yourself so much. Your way of battling may be uncommon, but that doesn't make it any worse than other fighting styles. It seems to be better, if anything. You won, didn't you?" She asked with a smile. She believed the words she spoke. While not having known Romon long at all, Adruo thought he was too proper to cheat. He may bend the rules, but he wouldn't break them. That was what she decided was her opinion of the elf. "That means you are a great warrior." Adruo finished. She decided to label the "new friend" thing as a formality from an elf.


The female furrowed her brow. Her reason for fighting? As she thought about it, it seemed childish. Naive and foolish.Which meant that saying it would be embarrassing. It was yet another thing to add to her ever growing list. Adruo took a deep breath before answering. "I suppose... I just wanted to be a hero. I wanted to be someone people would talk about in the legends like the Saviours that my grandmother always told me about. I guess I just wanted to have some sort of legacy." She looked at the sky as they walked. "I don't want to die without having making my mark on the world. I want people to see that my life has an affect on the world. That it wasn't wasted. Fighting just seemed to be the best way to do that." She faced Romon again, a small, somewhat sad smile playing on her lips. It was a completely selfish reason. It was nothing like Romon's reason. He wanted to help others. It made Adruo feel ashamed despite her best efforts.

 

[Syvas]

He could do nothing but scowl and rub his head as she laughed at him. And what a laugh it was, her wailing outburst forced a chuckled from him and helped to set him at ease. In truth things of this nature rarely happened to him, he was normally alert and sure-footed.


" To the stables then. " He replied with a slight nod. Though he had little idea where they were, he could discern the faint smell of manure and fresh hay. Matching her stride once more he led by just a step or so and headed in that direction.


"The blades of your forearm won't do?" He retorted. "They are quite the weapon." He turned to look at her briefly as he spoke, then remembering the events of just moments before turned his gaze back to his path. "I've tried something of that sort on many occasion, to shift various parts but leave the form intact... I must say you're a lot better at that than I."

 

[TerraBooma]

Romon shook his head with a laugh. "You understand me, I have no shame in what I do. The smoke grenades, my magic. I'm aware of what they are. Tricks and cheats, slights of hand and deception. I'm not great warrior." He holds out a hand to stop any protests. "I'm not finished yet. I'm no great warrior, but your right. I did win, defeated the strongest elven warriors in the land and seemingly impressed officials like your mother. So what am I?" The elven man shrugged. "If I had to be honest, I do not know. I've yet to come across an appropriate title that describes who I really aim to be. So for now I stick with Romon." He grinned for a moment, then remembered that he had tripped her, if accidentally.


"I do apologize for the roots! I was trying to show off a bit, force of habit I suppose." He waved in front of them, being actually useful and clearing the path of roots so Adruo would have an easier time walking, and wouldn't trip.


Or, since it was Adruo. Wouldn't trip as much.


"I know a magic or two that my mother taught me, but I'm no mage. It helps with my battles. The last thing many expect when fighting a warrior is their fight to become tangled with grass and roots. It's more effetive then one would think."


He then got back on topic with a chuckle.


"I'm not so sure actually." He said as he faced her sad smile with a countering wide smile of his own. "You remind me a lot of the man who encouraged me to take up this life. I do it for good but Yso..." his voice trailed off. "He was a bit like you. He wished to be someone aspired to, seen as a hero, a god amongst elves...men...dragonkin...all of them... But here's the thing I don't think you understand. You may be fighting for glory, to be retold as a legend. But...well, you've said it yourself. Those are quite derogatory terms. I'm not good at titles, but you and Yso have a lot in common."


there was a pause as Romon gathered his thoughts. "You may fight for glory, but there's more to it then that...isn't there? To make people proud. To lift their spirits. You wish to have stories of your name told around the campfire when times are bleak. This is true, no?" He waited for a response, a yes or no answer, and then cut off any further response. "But you are not a glory hog, my friend." He held out a finger as if to stop a response


"See, you wish for glory partially for yourself, but also for others. The weak, the disillusioned, you wish to give them something...no, someone to believe in. As the legends you learned kept you going when times were tough, you too want to raise the spirits of the weak."


"Adruo, you wish to become a folk hero. And in the eyes of many, there is no less selfless a calling."

 

[KiKi Kitsune]

Adruo hung her head, keeping her eyes on her feet, as Romon spoke. His words were quite comforting, but did not change her perception of herself. Adruo shook her head at his question. "You make it sound so noble." She began to say only to be cut off. This irked her a bit. She sent Romon a light glare as he continued talking. However, she didn't interrupt him. Once he was finished, Adruo took a deep breath. "You speak too highly of me, Romon." She stated. Her eyes flitted along the ground, looking out for any objects that may prove to be a tripping hazard. "While I truly want to believe your words, I can't." She scratched her arm. "It's a mentality I have grown used to. However," She faced the elf with a smile, "I'm glad that I you see me that way. And to be compared to the person who carved out part of your life is an honour." She gave a small bow. This caused her to trip over her own feet. Luckily, she was able to catch herself and only stumbled slightly.


She straightened herself and carried on walking with as much dignity as she could muster. At this stage, it wasn't much. She decided it would be best to change the subject before it got awkward; either from the silence or questions about her clumsiness. "So, uh... What do you do? As an occupation, I mean." She asked the first thing that came to her mind. She wasn't the best at small talk, but at least she wasn't asking about the weather.

 

[SepiaInk]

Phoebe Silva

​

Lips pursed and a frown creased her brow, a sharp sourness curling her tongue as she mused over his question. A hand slipped inside a black sleeve to close around her forearm and brush over the bumps of scared tissue from where the bones had jutted out. “Why would I use those as a weapon? They are nothing but unfortunate side effects. If anything, they would hinder me in a fight rather than help.” Sighing, she let go of her arm and moved it around in various angles, imagining how awkward it’d be to fight with something that grew parallel to her limbs.


“They are fuelled by nothing but instincts, so I don’t control them quite as well as you seem to think I do.” She cast a glance at the wolf shapeshifter, curious about the extent of his shifting skills and wondering whether or not he suffered from the same problem as her. Probably not, judging by his words. Giving up on her short experiment, Phoebe pushed up her sleeve and frowned at the angry reds painted across her scars. “Plus, they itch,” she pouted, rubbing at the offending marks.


“So, you see, you probably have much better control over your animal form than I do,” she ended her words with a slight questioning tone, leaving it open for him to reply if he wished to.


The sun was beginning to set on the horizon of Eden’s floating islands, covering the streets in an orange glow and stretching out both their shadows. Phoebe sped up her pace when she spotted the stables, now mostly empty except for a couple of people and workers. There was no sign of the small hybrid man around the entrance, so she plunged inside, moving past rows of horses, dragons and other mounts in search of a stripped tail or a pair of fuzzy ears. Some of the animals snarled or sniffed at the air as she passed, but some grew quiet and shrank into the shadows at the back of their stalls. Phoebe did her best to ignore them.


Night was approaching and it did strange things to her. She refused to greet the moon at such a place.


“Stephen!” she called out, a bit annoyed by his absence. “I apologise. I told my colleague to wait here,” she explained, turning around to address Destin, who she assumed had followed her inside.

@Syvas
​

 

[Syvas]

“Why would I use those as a weapon? They are nothing but unfortunate side effects. If anything, they would hinder me in a fight rather than help."


He listened in mild disbelief as she blasphemed everything he held dear. Those eyes of opposing hue were veiled when a drawn out sigh escaped parted lips and involuntarily his yhead tilted lightly from left to right in disapproval.


It took several moments for him to rationalize her words. His thoughts formed on the tip of his tongue but vanished as he tried to convey them. Misguided. What could she have endured to shun herself this way.. He had regained much of his composure as they reached the stables but remained silent as Phoebe strode forward calling out for the absent man.


Destin stood at the threshold of the aged wooden structure. His gaze drifted over the peeling paint of the wooden slats of the wall, the heads of nails rusted and worn from continued exposure to the elements. The carpentry of the wooden statues and carvings of various animals, at one time pristine and vibrant, now weathered and shadowed with moss. Time, it seemed, had not been as kind to this building as the others of Eden.


That same gaze passed to each caged creature held within as he moved slowly through the main corridor of the stables. A sadness engulfed his features as he looked them over one by one. A few horses reared or kicked at the air as he moved by them, his scent could not be masked even by changed appearance. A wyrm lay coiled into a heap of scale and wing in it's enclosure, it cared not about the shifters presence. He drew nearer to a horses pen, the animal retreated into the corner of his make shift home vocalizing its fear and stomping it's massive front hooves hoping to intimidate the predator.


"Shhh... Calm now." The wolfs voice was fluid and calm as he spoke to the animal attempting to calm it. Though reluctant, the beast began to come around, it's frantic wails ceased and it inched nervously closer to the shapeshifters outstretched arm. Nearer and nearer he stepped until his forehead met with the open hand of the human figure beckoning him. "Disgusting." Destin whispered as he ran his hand over the placated animal. "It's atrocious, what they do to your kind." He added as he turned and continued down the row stopping again when he reached an unusually large stallion. The animal stood defiantly at the gate to his enclosure, it's large dark hued eyes following as Destin approached. Their eyes met only briefly, but in that moment they formed an understanding, an agreement of sorts.


A haggard old man came limping out from an empty stall. His attire suggested that he was a stable hand. "Ye dun want that one sir, he ain't not broke yet, stubborn one that one is."


"Then I suppose he won't need fix'in." Destin retorted still facing the beast.


"Well I figure he can be yers for a modest fee" The man wiped his mud and manure caked hands on already dirty slacks as he spoke. "How about 10 gold coins? Seems a fair bargain ta me. He is a real big on that one is."


"Is that the going rate for a life?" The wolf demanded. His eyes had begun to fade from the shimmering red and blue to an inky black as he turned to face the man. The entirety of him screamed for the transformation, to rid himself of this vile human form. The shifter forced a deep breath and stepped closer to the man. "What value would you place on your own life?" He all but hissed at the drab human before him the threat and intention clear.


"B..bu-but it's j..just that..w..well"


"Enough." Destin turned, opened the latch and lead the horse to the door. He stopped as he passed his companion. "You are not a human." He stated flatly while looking straight ahead. "These instincts and changes you're rejecting are who you are." His gaze was brought up to meet hers the normal hue returned. "If you cannot come to terms with this you may as well join the others in the cages." He concluded and started for the door, the stallion from before in tow. "I will be going to the weaponsmiths, when you're finished here, that is where you may find me. I can not stand to be here any longer."

 

[SepiaInk]

Phoebe Silva


You are not a human.

Get away from me, you demon!


You’re just half a person. How can you ever become one of them?


You are not a human.


Don’t touch me, you cursed beast!


Just stop pretending to be something you’re not.


You are not a human.


What the hell are you anyway?


Two halves don't make a whole.


You will never be human!



​

“Shut up!” the scream tore though everything, leaving her throat burning and her ears ringing. The ground was tilting and the air felt too thick to breathe. Phoebe chocked out a gasp as she doubled over. Nails raked down the sides of her face, catching locks of hair and yanking hard, hoping the sharp pain would cut out the voices, even if just for a moment.

How dare he. How dare he say that to her? And speak to her like that. What right did he have? He knew nothing about her, what she had gone through or the sacrifices she’d made. Nothing!

A fire consumed her, starting from her chest to the tips of her fingers. Teeth bared in a snarl, Phoebe lashed out and kicked the door of the empty stall beside her, leaving a crack in the wood. All she got from that was a throbbing pain in her foot and she fell silent in her shame, panting in the middle of the stables as she tried to push away the crushing weight on her chest.

“Uh, miss, y’er paying f’er the horse, ain’t ya?” a tentative and gruff voice questioned her.

Phoebe whipped around and glowered at the man. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to grab that vapid waste of sentience by his colar and shake the wits out of him. But that would only be venting out her anger on someone else, which was neither productive nor right (even if she couldn't care less for the latter in this particular situation).

“Do not fret. I will make sure you get all the compensation that is rightfully yours, good sir.” That must’ve come out a lot more threatening than she’d expected because, more so than the glare, it made the stable hand uncomfortable enough to just nod an “‘F course, miss, 'f course," and scurry off and leave the stables as fast as his legs could carry him.

A trembling sigh escaped her lips. Rubbing her forehead, she walked across the main corridor but stopped beneath the wooden archway that led outside. Pride kept her feet rooted to the ground. The more she thought about his words, the tighter the feeling in her chest and the bitter the taste in her mouth became.

Let the dog cool off. She would find Stephen, get her item and her knife, and if he wished they would head off to complete their task. Otherwise, she’d be perfectly happy to do it on her own. To think that she’d actually thought this traveling in pairs thing would work out. No, this whole ordeal was going to be as excruciating and unpleasant an experience as she should’ve guessed it’d be from the start.

Almas. I promise you, I will do what is needed and return to your side. I am and will always be a librarian at the Southern Archives. And I’m not going to let some animal tell me otherwise.

​

@Syvas
​

 

[TerraBooma]

"My occupation?" Romon frowned. "Well, that depends on who you'd ask." He chuckled. "I don't have a profession, although my parents trained me for one...I suppose I can make money off of that in a pinch." The elf sighed. "However, between Yso and my own wanderlust, I didn't stay with them as a tradesman. After training for a bit I started to wander...and I fight."


"So I fight for a living, I...guess some would call me a mercenary. I wander around from village to village, they give me a meal, and I'll fight for them. Not really as noble as I'd like, but my fighting style wouldn't exactly be accepted in the army and doing it anyway else is akin to banditry. I just do what I can. What the job consists of most of the time is simple stuff." The elf laughed. "I've hunted more rampaging beasts then I care to admit, the occasional investigation. I've tilled my share of fields and helped during harvest season. That sort of stuff."


As the pair continued walking, Romon smiled softly. "The battles are almost a relief when they happen, there's always an anticipation, weeks, months...I see it coming. Most of the villages I frequent know when to start preparing thanks to my teachings, but I've seen some grizzly sights. I've faced plenty of enemies in my time, and..well. I'm still here. So I'm doing something right." He sighed.


"Anyway, what about you? You sound like a good story teller, you did quite well with the children back in town. You tell stories in taverns and inns maybe?" Romon guesses. "You were pretty good at it. Combine it with your vast knowledge and kind heart, you must do well." He pauses. "Throw in your mother's influence as the King's adviser, and you could probably go anwhere. Ever consider becoming a bard?" He raises a brow, a smirk on his face. The elf could crack a joke every now and again, and he had to admit that Adruo in the stereotypical Bard's outfit with a feather in a hat cut an amusing picture indeed. He was still a bit serious. "I think you'd be successful at it, do you like to tell stories?"

 

[KiKi Kitsune]

Adruo listened intently to Romon's answer. She was glad he seemed so open to speak about himself. She had worried she would receive single word answers. Since she didn't deal well with unsociable people, she was more than happy to see that that wasn't the case. If anything, the elf was quite the chatterbox. The way he spoke also caught Adruo's attention. It was different from earlier. It had changed slowly, but if she thought back to how he had introduced himself, the difference was definitely there. However, she couldn't quite place exactly what it was.


She decided it best to push the thought aside for the time being. "So you are a trained tradesman and warrior? That's incredible!" Adruo exclaimed. "There is nothing wrong with mercenary work. It is seen by many to be noble in a different way. I suppose some are only doing it for money, but others are mercenaries because they feel it is easier to protect people if you aren't tied to an army." The dragonkin gave a smile to her travelling companion. "I think you're part of the latter." She stated honestly. She allowed Romon to continue with his tale, nodding every now and then to show that she was still listening.


Adruo blanched. Her? A bard? "I couldn't be a bard. I've never picked up an instrument in my life." She said while waving her hands in front of her face in a dismissive manor. "Actually, I have, but... Let's say that they weren't usable afterwards." The few times she had been allowed to hold a musical instrument just ended in the object becoming destroyed. Usually by her falling over or misplaced claws. Once she had calmed down from the surprise of Romon's suggestion, she decided to focus on one of the other statements he had made. "Well, in the village I come from, my occupation is pretty much looking after other people's children when they're too busy." She looked at the path ahead of her, a small smile on her lips. "Children often say such silly things. The games they play are simplistic yet entertain and can include everyone. Even though they can be boisterous at times, they are... calming."


Adruo turned her head to look at Romon again, her eyes sparkled as she spoke. "There's these two kids, a twin boy and girl, who follow me around everywhere. Some people have asked me if it's annoying, but they remind me of little ducklings. They always ask me to tell them stories. The boy, Tayun, likes the ones about the Saviour who previously owned Venom Wind. The girl, Taya, likes the ones about the gods instead. She seems to like the tales Aura and Semino the most though." The draonkin gave a soft chuckle. "My mother said I was just like them when I was younger."

 

[The J]

"Let's go then." Severis said, and with that, he swung up onto the mare, leaving the pony for the much smaller of stature Mayweather.


Luckily for them, Severis knew exactly where swift drinker resided. He had practically been raised to know this and many other things about swift drinker and Caedis himself, in the Red Order.


They had two options in the journey of their quest to reach Ladesh, the city rife with crime which hid the dagger deep within. They could simply go by land and travel around the bay south of Ladesh, or criss it by one of the ferries available there.


Crossing by land would be the longest path, no doubt, but also the safest one.the bay was known to be rude with pirates, due to the fact that the nearest large city next to it, Ladesh itself, was too corrupt to deal with it. Some even believed that pirate lords would pay their officials to leave them alone, getting a small cut from their bounties.


Severis decided that he would come upon a decision when they came close to the bay. There was a better and safer route if he went straight for the bay than to cut diagonally around, to save distance and if they did take a ship over, then they would be close to the site to find a port to hire one from


For now, he simply ride on silently, eyes taking in everything around them and ahead of them, prepared for any threat to come their way.