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Post by Valcrist on Mar 7, 2010 23:53:06 GMT -6
Laus, a land of horses and cavaliers. A city by the river, incredibly in scale, especially when compared to their last stop of Caellin. Lady Lucy lead the small army of men to the capital, on a journey to see the Marquis and finally have a united Lycia against Etruria. The soldiers of Santuraz, Caelin, Araphen, and the Golden lance division of Pherae all marched along the roads on the way to the city of horses.
It wasn't all soldiers who marched with Lady Lucy. There was Chelsea, an Archer from Sacae. Harlow, an archer from Ostia. Valcrist and Wyatt, two blacksmiths from very different backgrounds. Captain Mikar, a pirate on a search for something. Yaen, a myrmidon from Sacae. Finally there was Saffra, a manakete.
Lucy rode her in the front, her second in command Gabriel closely at her side. Further back there was the other soldiers, like Kelvin and Merio. Chelsea was riding her Sacaen horse Spirit, and riding with her was the Nabatan kid Valcrist.
"This place is incredible..." He gasped in awe. The place was huge in comparison to his home for the last few weeks. Caeilin was a nice, small knit community, but it couldn't hold a candle to the awe that was inspired by this larger city.
"Chelse, we're here." He said cheerfully to his riding mate. They made great time, quickly riding from Caelin to Laus in a short amount of time.
Lucy stopped the group of soldiers by raising he hand in the air and calling the march to a standstill. They were on the edges of the city, but it wouldn't be a good idea to bring such a force in all at once. They would need to see the Marquis first before doing anything irrational. A messenger would have informed them of their arrival, but that didn't mean they would be welcomed with open arms.
"Once again, I will have to ask a majority of you to stay back while some of us go to see the Marquis." She spoke loudly to the platoon of soldiers. Every stop they made they just added more and more to their group it seemed, it would indeed be best if many stay back. "Sir Gabriel and Lady Saffra, I would appreciate it if you joined me."
As the Lady talked politics with the other heads of the group, Valcrist turned to Chelsea. Hoping she was feeling better after the trip. "Hey, we should go see the city! I remember reading in a book about some famous sights to go see. I mean it's no Santuraz, but there is a lot of places to go." He smiled and spoke cheerfully. He remembered a mage school in particular, he didn't know much about magic and he kinda wanted to learn what it was all about. No one knew magic where he was from. It was all artists, and no fighters.
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Post by Chelsea Dagger on Mar 8, 2010 13:56:03 GMT -6
Chelsea had been put off the entire trip from Caelin to Laus. She answered Valcrist whenever he spoke, but between those parts her thoughts went back to Kelvin. For the first part of the trip she was furious with him. How could he have said that? But after a while she realized he probably didn't mean it the way she took it. Kelvin had always been very respectful to her, there was no way he would have meant it. She felt stupid.
At Valcrist's suggestion, she turned back to him. "I'm sorry, Valcrist... I'm just... not up to it today. But you should go. Enjoy yourself." She gave him a weak smile before sliding off Spirit. She gave her horse a pat before slowly moving through the group. She needed to find Kelvin and apologize. She finally spotted him and made her way over. "Um... Kelvin...? Can we talk somewhere private...?" She couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes.
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Post by Gabriel on Mar 8, 2010 15:15:23 GMT -6
The castle gates opened, as the trio walked inside. "Laus' relationship with Pherae hasn't been bad, but it's nowhere near as good as that of Pherae with Santaruz and Ostia. It might take some effort to convince Sir Anthony". Three soldiers went along with them, one from Santaruz, another from Araphen and the other from Caelin, as if to prove that they were not simply playing around.
"Wait for us here, okay?" he said, getting down from Starlight and petting her head. Had he taken this habit from his time with Lucy, Chelsea and Rayl?
"I am told that you are part of the group from Pherae that messenger spoke of a few days ago. What are your obligations, woman?"
He clearly spoke to Lucy, who was at the front of the group.
"I am Lady Lucy of Pherae, first in command of the Golden Lance division. Pherae seeks the aid of Laus, as well as the rest of Lycia, in order to put up a front against the rising Etruria. We were told not that long ago that Ostia fell to an attack from the so-called prophet, Kraft. Santaruz, Caelin and Araphen have already agreed to the proposal" she said, motioning towards the soldiers from each respective nation.
"Laus has got word of said incident as well, but our sources indicated that nothing had happened to Ostia at all. Is Pherae mocking us and trying to gain power itself!?
"That's not-"
"Stay calm, Lucy. We can't prove ourselves that Ostia was even attacked" Gabriel whispered, putting his hand on Lady Lucy's shoulder. "Who is this 'source' your speak of, if we may know, your majesty?"
"That would be Sir Chester, from the magic academy."
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Post by Valcrist on Mar 8, 2010 16:09:53 GMT -6
Valcrist slid off of the horse, sensing that Chelsea didn't quite want him around at the moment... She was probably going to talk with Kelvin about that whole fight earlier. He was free to roam the town if he wanted... but he didn't want to. It was as if Chelsea just ruined his mood, despite her wishes for him to have fun. You know what they say, a bad mood is contagious. Instead he just kinda stood there, watching Lucy and her second in command Gabriel go off to see the Marquis about something or another.
He took reached into his pack and pulled out a sketching book and a piece of charcoal. It was simply just a book that was completely blank. No words, no lesson, just room for him to draw. He took to doodling around in it, not exactly sure what he was drawing, nor would he be completely sure until he was done.
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Wyatt
Hero
The Volcano
How can someone win if winning means that someone loses?
Posts: 463
Etruria Fame: 2
Sacae Fame: -1
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Post by Wyatt on Mar 8, 2010 18:13:07 GMT -6
At this point Wyatt stepped up, angered by the refusal of the guards to heed their warning. He had gone this time, since he was technically working under Denzel of Laus earlier.
"That's utter foolishness! Sir Denzel was dispatched from this castle several weeks ago for Ostia! Has he not returned yet? Lord Bernard, Knight Captain of Laus, was aware of our quest if you doubt it's legitimacy!" He stepped forward as if to shield Gabriel and Lady Lucy from the words of these guards.
"If you're 'scouts' have not returned from such a simple trip, does it not suggest that something is wrong?"
He wasn't sure how the guard would respond to this, but he felt the need to speak here.
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Saffra
Dragon
The Winged Girl
Posts: 169
Lycia Fame: -1
Profession: Ill Omen
Affinity: Fire
Dragon Element: Ice
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Post by Saffra on Mar 8, 2010 18:47:19 GMT -6
Saffra had followed at her own leisurely pace. She was no soldier, and knew little of marching, only that was was some sort of orderly walk that soldiers had to do to. In the city, her eyes wandered in amazement, so much so that her mouth opened at all the tall buildings. She had never been to many cities, only just now was the time she had, Pherae, and Caelin, and now Laus. It as beautiful, for what she could see.
She trailed behind Gabriel and Lady Lucy so much so, that she may look to be a lady-in-waiting, a maid of Lady Lucy. Her clothes were a touch regal, but that didn't help lighten things. As she caught up to Gabriel and Lady Lucy, she peeked over Gabriel, lifting an eyebrow about all this talk of Ostia. How strange, a nation so close to Ostia, heard 'nothing' about what had befallen it...
So for now, she stayed quiet, but she got the feeling that telling the Marquess that she was a dragon, would be a bad idea at this time, not with this 'troubling' welcome. Still, she tugged on Gabriel's sleeve and whispered lightly.
"What's going on?"
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Post by Kelvin H. Calderon on Mar 8, 2010 20:27:25 GMT -6
Kelvin leaped off his horse to address Chelsea. "Sure," he said,"Of course we can." Kelvin patted Kashmir's head, then walked off the path into the forest. He walked a little while taking in the silence and preparing himself for any apologies he would have to make. After while, he stopped and leaned against a tree. "What did you want to talk about," Kelvin said, already knowing the answer.
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Post by Chelsea Dagger on Mar 8, 2010 21:01:04 GMT -6
Chelsea followed Kelvin quietly, thinking over what she was going to say. When they finally stopped and he addressed her, she fiddled with the hem of her skirt before speaking. "Kelvin, I..." She took a deep breath and looked up at him. "I wanted to apologize. I know you wouldn't have said something like that on purpose. I..." She paused again, looking for the right words. "When I was just starting out in this group and looking for my father, I had a lot of people who looked down on me and treated me horribly just because I'm Sacaen. At the time it really messed with my mind... And when I heard the whole wild thing... It just brought back all those feelings." She looked into his eyes. "I shouldn't have acted like that, especially toward you. You've been... amazing to me so far and... I'm sorry." She felt herself going red at the end there.
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Post by Kelvin H. Calderon on Mar 8, 2010 21:08:58 GMT -6
Kelvin embraced Chelsea, closing his eyes. "I forgive you. And I also want to say I'm sorry for offending you. I was so worried that I had done something that couldn't be fixed. The thought of hurting you that bad almost drove me mad."
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Post by Chelsea Dagger on Mar 8, 2010 21:26:49 GMT -6
As she hugged him back, Chelsea couldn't help but smile. It felt good to have everything back to normal. "I'm sorry for worrying you... I'll try not to freak out so badly in the future." She looked up at him. "Just don't make fun of Spirit anymore, ok?" She gave a little giggle. "Besides, I doubt Rayl would like you calling a horse he trained wild." She rested her head against his chest happily as he held her. It felt... right.
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Harlow Rysche
Archer
[M:0]
Posts: 42
Profession: Painter
Affinity: Wind
OoC Alias: Empfindsam
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Post by Harlow Rysche on Mar 8, 2010 21:32:15 GMT -6
For Harlow, it was strange being back in Laus. This was where he'd ended up after the last war, trying to scrounge up an honest living for almost a year before finally winding up in Kazak's mercenary group. In some ways, this was like home for Harlow; he recognized a lot of the buildings, knew where you could get the best, cheapest meals, which taverns to avoid, and the like. He wondered if he would run into anyone he'd known before - and if he did, would they recognize him? He'd become a part of the scenery at the park down by the town square, where he'd spent countless hours painting the pond, or the people passing by. He'd tried so hard to replicate the way that the sun settled down over the water between the trees, to capture the wind rustling through the leaves.
But he hadn't painted in quite a long time now. He still sketched in his little sketchbook from time to time, but he'd somehow grown out of the habit. It was a pity too - he felt he'd lost some of his appreciation for the beauty of nature. So when he saw Valcrist sketching in a little book of his own, he decided to go over and see what he was drawing. He stood behind him for a moment without saying anything, watching him trace lines on the paper with his charcoal. After a couple minutes of trying to figure it out for himself, he asked "What are you drawing there, Valcrist?"
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Post by Valcrist on Mar 8, 2010 21:41:55 GMT -6
He continued to work on whatever he was working on without looking up. He heard Harlow, but his concentration was on the assortment of lines on the paper. Trying to figure out how they connect, to see the shape that was being created. "Actually..." He said aloud to his observer. "I don't really know what I'm making. Not yet. I'm letting... well I don't know how to explain it. I guess you could say I'm letting my spirit draw." He laughed to himself about how ridiculous that sounded.
"I know it sounds weird, but some of my most interesting drawings come from this." He smiled to himself as he spoke, looking down at the black and white sketching. So far it looked chaotic, lines sprawling everywhere, with no real rhyme or reason to their construction. "Even if it doesn't turn out good... well it makes me feel better. I guess you could say I'm writing a diary with drawings."
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Post by Kelvin H. Calderon on Mar 8, 2010 21:44:36 GMT -6
Kelvin smiled a little, opening his eyes. All was right again. "So Rayl trained her? Huh, guess I should get my facts straight. I wonder how he's doing. I'll bet he doesn't have to worry about relationships like us." Kelvin paused, taking in the moment
(You see what I did there Rayl?)
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Post by Chelsea Dagger on Mar 8, 2010 21:52:17 GMT -6
Chelsea giggled. "I bet. Rayl seems like he'd have everything under control. I don't know how he does it." She smiled back up at Kelvin before pulling away from him. She swayed on the spot for a few seconds before speaking. "I suppose we should head back before we get left behind or something." She held out her hand for him and smiled.
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Harlow Rysche
Archer
[M:0]
Posts: 42
Profession: Painter
Affinity: Wind
OoC Alias: Empfindsam
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Post by Harlow Rysche on Mar 8, 2010 21:55:05 GMT -6
Harlow was intrigued by Valcrist's explanation. "Hm. Very interesting. The way all those random lines seem to be coming together to make something coherent. We all try to make order out of chaos. It's almost like you're trying to make sense of everything going on inside of you - your spirit - by putting it down on paper. I'd never thought of drawing as being a way to do that. I'd always just tried to replicate the things I saw in nature."
Harlow looked up at the sun and stretched. He was getting hungry - it might be time to go find Teto's cafe and get some soup and vegetables. It had been a long time since he'd seen Teto. He hoped that rascal was holding up all right - him and Mariella. He thought of asking Valcrist if he wanted to go grab a bite to eat, but the lad was pretty absorbed by his drawing. Come to think of it, so was Harlow. He figured food could wait a bit, and sat down next to Valcrist to observe a little longer.
(OOC: what time of day is it anyways? No concept of how long the trip from Caelin was, heh)
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