Jasper
Wyvern Lord
[red]I still eat babies[/red][M:-1000]
Posts: 212
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Post by Jasper on Nov 17, 2011 18:10:34 GMT -6
Jasper wordlessly led the pegasi through the plains and forests of Bern. He quickly managed to identify about where they were and summoned up and veered towards the nearest town.
If Zelphiam was scared to be up to high or worried about their heading Jasper wouldn't have noticed. His mind wass filled with ideas of what they will find when they set down.
The place they were headed was a fairly large town governed by the baron from the nearby castle. It had plenty of forests and mountains within the territory their troopsw ere alloted to patrol so it's garrison wasn't small and the town would be quite well guarded.
Not that they were commiting any crimes, off course. Jasper had an easier time going around his motherland then his mentor did in his day. In this day of rebellion and the way their King's actions had reduced national pride, not to mention the fact that the addition of the troops their new Ilian overlord brought in on the strongest military foce in Elibe made every battalion overcrownded, desertion wasn't a thing that was frowned upon as much these days.
But now a sole Wyvern Rider without any discernable official mission, travelling alongside a Pegasus Rider, well, there weren't many crowds their band would be very popular with.
As such thoughts were going for the overly concerned rookie wyvern knight's head their destination came in view. It seemed an entirely peaceful village, the castle was visible in the distance was visible on the horizon, it's own flags, those of the Bern Kingdom an the Ilian Knight's Union were all poled high. Well, whatever the situation. This place's should have pretty large number of freelance and Sacean mercenaries hired. Whichever side the guy in charge leans towards, he'd probably keep a tight lid. I'm sure everything will be just fine...
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Zelphiam Rinko
Myrmidon
[M:0]
All who get in my way shall meet the same fate, death by my blade
Posts: 46
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Post by Zelphiam Rinko on Nov 20, 2011 1:40:49 GMT -6
Flying surprisingly was actually pretty calming to the usually angry myrmidon. He was also starting to recognize the areas they were flying over so they must be getting somewhat close. He wondered how his mother would react to seeing her son coming home on the back of a Wyvern along with a Pegasus rider not far behind. She'd probably freak out.
It made Zelphiam smile a bit which was a rare thing to happen. How long had they been flying for and where exactly were they going? He knew they weren't going straight to his home so where were they going and why?
"Hey Sir Jasper," Zelphiam said with a calm tone. "What exactly are we doing once he arrive at our destination?" He asked hoping they wouldn't get into any trouble.
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Nov 21, 2011 0:33:59 GMT -6
It was actually kind of funny, Nayru decided, that she didn't recognize much of the continent from the air. For being a flying dragon, one of the previous rulers of the continent, and a eternal wanderer to boot, it certainly seemed as though she should know every nook and cranny of the landscape from the air. Here she was, though, trapped atop a flying horse, hoping that the young, unskilled pegasus rider currently making a valiant effort to not fly into the ground headfirst actually succeeded in that goal. In not flying into the ground, that was. Not for lack of trying.
The castle visible in the distance provided something more pressing to worry about than the attitude of the ingrate of a horse. Given humanity's history of weaponizing everything, Nayru had felt it wise to avoid authorities where possible, especially power bases; it would only take one sufficiently explosive situation - whether figuratively or literally speaking - to potentially cause a chain reaction of events that could very well lead to her death at the hands of an army. That, or being hounded to become the tool of one army or another: what expansionist regime wouldn't want a pet monster to lay waste to their foes?
Given the two most likely options, the only other real alternative would be to retreat to Arcadia for a lifetime or two, and what peaceful city-state would welcome back someone who caused wars and upset the delicate balance of power? It was legitimately possible that she might be outlawed from Arcadia as well, something that she couldn't blame the town elders for, but not the way she wanted to leave. Nayru wasn't particularly fond of Arcadia as a whole or many of the people there, but she very much preferred to be on at least neutrally pleasant terms with everyone possible; burning bridges wasn't exactly her thing.
So. Don't start trouble in the peaceful little village being overlooked by a major castle, hope that none of the people she seemed to be stuck with for the time being had any intention of starting trouble, hope that the wyvern lord wasn't about to hand them all over to the local authorities as spies, hope that the rest of Elly's squad didn't come out of nowhere and decide that they were kidnapping the rookie...
Yeah. Real peaceful.
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Elly
Pegasus Knight
Rookie Squirrel!
Posts: 101
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Post by Elly on Nov 24, 2011 2:42:00 GMT -6
Loose strands of hair buffeted Elly's face as they flew, the rush of wind drowning her shrill cries of excitement, her expression one of pure bliss. She never wanted to go back to the ground! She wondered at the feeling of weightlessness, of being supported by Heather, at the sheer freedom of her partner's movements. For just a moment, she felt a twinge of envy towards her winged mount, wishing she could fly on her own, but it was quickly washed away under the torrent of elation that seemed to overwhelm her.
"Hey! Hey, Nayru! Can you hear me?" She shouted as loudly as she could, giggling at the odd feeling of air rushing into her mouth. "This is so great, ain't it?" She let go of the reins as she lifted her arms into the air once more, letting the wind slip past her outstretched fingers while letting another howl of joy escape her. Heather swerved dangerously to the right in response, and she hurried to reel in the reins, her heart pounding; the poor pegasus had probably thought it had been some sort of order. Though, that did give her an idea...
She leaned in closely to Heather's ears, hoping the filly could hear her words. "Heather, let's show miss Nayru how much better than that flying lizard you are!" She pulled the right rein further back, and Heather responded by dipping to the side steeply. The young knight's brow furrowed in concentration. It was showtime!
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Nov 24, 2011 12:10:14 GMT -6
"Father Sky and Mother Earth."
The words came out in a murmur, an unnatural stillness coming over Nayru's form. It was - she was a dragon. The sky was her natural habitat. The concept of being afraid of heights or worried about falling was alien to her, possessed of the ability, born with the ability to fly. Starting this accursed journey, she had never even considered flying to be dangerous in any way.
Trapped in a fragile shell, her power and true form locked away, Nayru came to know a moment of fear. It subsided a moment later, the fact that she could just transform before nearing the ground washing it away, but the moment of that horrible realization etched deeply into her mind - it wasn't the first time that she had been reminded of just how vulnerable she was when not in her true form, but an innate fear of death was to some degree constant across all living things.
To realize that even the properties she had always taken for granted were no longer hers was significantly more humbling. Being cut, bleeding, feeling pain, being hungry - she could deal with that. To actually feel a fear of flying, even for an instant? Less so. It was a dissonance that, in order to confront, would require giving up concepts she had seen as integral to her being.
So it was that Nayru just sat there stiffly as Elly plotted her death-defying stunts, entirely caught in her own little world as she struggled to analyze and understand the implications of that moment.
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Jasper
Wyvern Lord
[red]I still eat babies[/red][M:-1000]
Posts: 212
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Post by Jasper on Nov 24, 2011 19:15:48 GMT -6
"We'll set down, check into an inn and resupply. Don't have foreseeable future lined up beyond that. You can buy a map to consult when we reach the town." Jasper answered the swordsman, as they were lowering altitude.
Elisel flew past the main entance to the village, as casually as possible. on the wall right next the gate was small watchtower that had two sentries in it, quivers and greatbows visible on their backs. Both wore Ilian armor. Jasper saluted them with a faint smile as he flew past them, but they didn't return the greeting and resolved to neutrally watch as the two flying steeds past them.
Jasper guided the party through the main street of the town, it was mostly deserted and most of those that wer on the street looked up to waily monito their passage as their shadows passed over them.
As what lack of conversation there was died down among the four travellers, making way for the tense mood that seemed to hold the town in it's grip they at last, set down in front of the inn.
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Zelphiam Rinko
Myrmidon
[M:0]
All who get in my way shall meet the same fate, death by my blade
Posts: 46
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Post by Zelphiam Rinko on Nov 25, 2011 12:38:28 GMT -6
They had finally landed! Thank goodness, Zelphiam was getting tired of flying he preferred being on the ground then in the air. The town seemed pretty emptied, Zelphiam liked places like this he wouldn't be bothered as much. The lack of speaking among the group which was also welcome.
"So will be staying in this inn?" Zelphiam asked as the walked up to it. It was nothing impressive and actually looked a bit old to Zelphiam but he wasn't going to complain about it.
"Also how long will we be staying here?" He asked. He didn't want to be here long seeing as his mother was waiting for him at home.
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Elly
Pegasus Knight
Rookie Squirrel!
Posts: 101
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Post by Elly on Nov 26, 2011 0:39:40 GMT -6
Elly felt her heartbeak spike for a moment as Heather's right wing dipped a bit too far. Her breath caught in her throat as she felt gravity just begin to pull on her body, trying to drag her towards the ground before Heather steadied again, and the sensation vanished as abruptly as it had come. What a thrill! She just had to train Heather to do that more often!
The trainee's eyes widened as the town came into view; she could never get used to how tiny people seemed from above. As she saw their wyvern knight begin to descend, a worrying thought assaulted her mind. She'd never landed from such a height before; was she suppossed to do something special? The young knight gave the equivalent of a mental shrug as she shook her reins lightly, trying her best to appear as though she knew what she was doing. Heather probably knew how to land, after all, and she wouldn't want to look bad in front of their new acquaintances.
"Oh, crud!" She bit her tongue as she noticed the guards wore Illian armor. Would they report her? She'd be in so much trouble if the commander knew she was flying on her own! She ducked her head, hunching up her body as much as she could, trying to appear as small as possible. Nervousness wracked her body, and she absently played with the reins on her hand.
Her train of thought was completely derailed as she realized Heather wasn't slowing down as the wyvern was. Her eyes widened as they blazed past the gates and into a narrow path, barely missing a peddler's stand. She pulled the right rein hard, and Heather whinnied in protest, swerving to the right to avoid a man with a child on his shoulders, his expression one of shock. Oh crud, oh crud, oh crud! The mantra repeated itself on her head as she screamed in panic, closing her eyes.
Which, apparently, was interpreted in Pegasian as "stop", judging by Heather's reaction.
The filly landed unsteadily, her flight settling into a rough gallop, her speed having been too much to stop abruptly. Caught by surprise, she let out a cry as she felt herself slide sideways, the reins torn from her hand by the pegasus' advancing momentum, and she tumbled gracelessly into the ground, falling into a heap on the dirt path as Heather stopped a few paces ahead. She broke into a coughing fit as the dust they had kicked up found its way into her lungs, her ears burning with shame. Oh, why did this have to happen now, of all times?
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Dec 8, 2011 19:37:35 GMT -6
Nayru landed with as much grace as she could muster, which wasn't saying too much given the unnatural stiffness with which she held her body, but years of landing from her own flights have cer a certain degree of a leg up on the process. She skidded to a halt several meters after detaching from the pagasus, skidding to a halt on her feet while silently resolving to not take to the skies again with Elly as their pilot. She was still shaken by her earlier realization, but the more pressing concerns of having effectively airdropped into an Ilian-occupied town crushed her moment of disease in favor of considering how best to detach herself from the situation in short order.
That, and see if the bloody girl was alright. Nayru allowed herself a long, drawn-out sigh to ease her annoyance and calm down before turning to where Elly had landed in a heap, striding purposely towards the girl while most of her conscious mind screamed at her to vacate the premises with all haste instead. "Elly. Are you all right?" There was judgment in her eyes, anger at her own weakness redirected at Elly instead, but she held back the frown in favor of reaching an arm out to the girl sitting before her. The manakete opted to keep her mouth in a thin, disapproving line rather than say anything further - she had a feeling that the girl would be very effective at considering the consequences of what had just occurred.
[Soz for late and frankly kinda meh post - quarter FINALLY ended and I'm still trying to recover, which includes getting back into character and remembering how to write. Seriously, sincere apologies to everyone involved!]
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Zelphiam Rinko
Myrmidon
[M:0]
All who get in my way shall meet the same fate, death by my blade
Posts: 46
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Post by Zelphiam Rinko on Dec 20, 2011 21:13:28 GMT -6
The town was more lively than Zelphiam thought as he looked around. He saw some cart moving along the streets selling things from fruits to tunics. The blonde haired Rinko also noticed some people walking out of a building caring weapons. It must have been a weapons shop and Zelphiam would love to go into the shop to see what they had for sale.
Zelphiam noticed that everyone else seemed busy so he decided to go in and get the rooms. He had plenty of money from his mother to afford staying at a inn every once in a while and he felt that he should pay for the rooms even if Jasper wanted to or got in free.
"I'll need three rooms sir and one big enough for two," Zelphiam said figuring Elly and Nayru would share a room. He wouldn't now or ever share a room with a stranger not now or ever that was something he would hate to do.
"I got our rooms settled so here's the key," The myrmidon said to Nayru as he exited the tavern and tossed Nayru the key to her and Elly's room. "I figured you two now each other well so you two will be sharing a room," He added as he then turned around.
"I'm headed to the weapons shop down the street you can do whatever I don't really care just meet up here before sundown," Zelphiam said as he headed to the weapons shop.
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Dec 20, 2011 22:35:51 GMT -6
Well, they did know each other in a manner of speaking, Nayru supposed - if "joined in a suicidal dive heralded by the winds of insanity" counted as a bonding moment. She considered informing Zelphiam more accurately as to her relationship with Elly, but paused, realizing that the girl might come in handy as an alibi if the rest of the day went as poorly as the afternoon so far had. Perhaps she could pose as the pegasus trainee's guardian, or a family friend.
Possibilities to be further considered if the need came. Elly had made herself scarce somewhere in the intervening moments since she had last said something, Nayru realized, but wasn't about to go hunt down the little hellion throughout the entire city. Elly knew roughly where they were staying, and it wouldn't hurt if the damn girl developed a little patience. Nayru quashed the momentary bitterness inspired by the situation earlier, and turned to the blonde man - Zelphiam. The prodigal Rinko child. Brusque and unfriendly as he seemed, there was an intricacy to him, lurking beneath the craggy surface. It was intriguing.
"May I join you?" Her voice was soft, quiet. Nayru wasn't entirely sure why she asked. She supposed that part of it was just her natural curiosity at work. About the man, partially, but as much about the weapon shop - while she had ostensibly given up on becoming a swordswoman, she was aware that she had never honestly entirely given up; even against the facts, she was still interested in the field. It was selfish, yes, but she couldn't help but see it as an opportunity to learn a bit from a practitioner. Even if it never went anywhere and all she acquired was a bit more knowledge, she could deal with that. One could never know enough about things that interested them.
"I am not a weapon user, exactly, but have some interest in the art."
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Zelphiam Rinko
Myrmidon
[M:0]
All who get in my way shall meet the same fate, death by my blade
Posts: 46
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Post by Zelphiam Rinko on Dec 21, 2011 16:59:29 GMT -6
When Nayru had spoken up the swordsmen clenched his fist and slowly looked back. He didn't want someone tagging along but he wasn't going to be rude.
"Fine if you want to tag along then fine just don't stab me with anything I'd rather not get harmed," He said looking back to Nayru and then walking toward the shop. Zelphiam wasn't going to wait up for her he had better things to do.
When he entered the shop it was filled with all sorts of weapons some Zelphiam hadn't even seen before. He looked around the shop examining things from axes to staves. Zelphiam then noticed a sword that caught his attention, it was a sword that looked as if a god himself crafted it.
"Hmm I wonder how much this would cost?" Zelphiam muttered to himself. He then remembered that he already had a blade and buying another would be kind of stupid seeing as he's not a dual wielding swordsmen. He then began looking around the shop some more.
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Dec 21, 2011 21:13:18 GMT -6
She smiled, chuckling quietly as they walked in otherwise total silence for a moment. "I will endeavor to not harm you in my clumsiness with manmade weaponry." Something about the sentence seemed off to her, but she couldn't quite decide how. A mental shrug; it couldn't hurt to at least expound a bit. "I simply find it natural to use my body as a weapon. Steel and iron are alien to me." Nayru was blissfully unaware of any alternative ways that talk of her body as a weapon could be taken - for a few seconds. It was an awkward realization.
"I, ah, am somewhat of a... martial artist, I suppose you could describe it as?" There was a certain rhythm to her fighting style, she knew - controlled but vicious, a monster on the hunt. Figuratively and literally speaking. It was simply natural reflex, as close to her draconic form's fighting style as she could get in this incredibly limited body, but Nayru had been able to pass it off as an esoteric martial art before. The bracers were key, she knew - so long as she strove to block weapons with only them, people tended to believe that they were low-grade artifacts of some sort. They weren't in the least magical, of course; she just liked how they looked.
Nayru raised her arm partway, as though to vaguely draw attention to her wristwear, to insinuate that they were core to her statement. It was true, sort of; they were certainly integral to her fighting style as a human. What conclusions Zelphiam drew from the lack of information were no concerns of hers, after all! "Still, even though the cleric cannot simply wield an axe at whim, they may still be interested in its make - or that of its wielder." She shrugged languorously.
Zelphiam seemed quite interested in the stocks of the store, and Nayru couldn't help but be drawn along. As alien as blades felt in her hand, she had a healthy respect for them, both as weapons of war and on a purely artistic level. Some spoke of refinement, of nobility; others were as savage as their wielders, serrated steel, curved blades, vicious hooks. She wondered what sort of weaponry a dragon might wield if their bodies were not already far superior; halberds, perhaps, or some other polearm with good reach - but the shafts would have to be well reinforced, lest they shatter under the strain of their wielder's unending strength.
She noticed Zelphiam's interest in a particular weapon, a sword of impressive artisanship, though she wasn't entirely sure what made it so much better than some of the other weapons she had seen lying about. "What in that weapon catches your gaze?" The manakete paused, realizing that her phrasing had not been as accurate as she had hoped. "That is, what do you see in it that your current blade lacks, that the weapons you have perused so far have been bereft of?" She understood the concept of seeing a sword that you liked better than others, of course - it was no different in principle than seeing a piece of linen far finer than another, or a belt of exceptional workmanship; her curiosity centered around what her companion saw in it. It was as much gentle probing of his mindset as of his thoughts.
{just for the record, the conversation - such as Zelphiam actually -replies- to, anyways - can be anywhere from the walk to the shop to her following him around the shop, at your discretion. I was pretty vague on when exactly she said most of that stuff.}
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Zelphiam Rinko
Myrmidon
[M:0]
All who get in my way shall meet the same fate, death by my blade
Posts: 46
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Post by Zelphiam Rinko on Dec 21, 2011 22:36:38 GMT -6
It might not seem like it but Zelphiam was paying attention to what Nayru was saying the entire time. She described herself as a martial artist, well that's at least what she said she was close to he supposed. That really didn't clear anything up there are all sorts of martial arts he wondered if she was trained in a special art only known to people who are from where she originates.
"Perhaps sometime you can show me this martial art of yours," Zelphiam said in reply to what she had said. He himself wasn't unable to defend himself without a sword but he was thought in a way of a martial art and maybe she could teach him a thing or two.
"Well," The myrmidon began as he pulled out his own blade. He paused for a moment. The two swords look similar, they must have been made by the same person. Wait the person that made Zelphiam's sword was his father's friend Calnith. If this sword was indeed made by Calnith, Zelphiam would love to purchase it.
"It seems that these two swords are very similar actually. The way the hilt is made and how long the blades are," He began explaining his reasoning for liking the other one better. "The other one unlike my own hasn't been used there for it is sharper more durable. This blade also seems to be made of a different metal than mine something much stronger and versatile for all sorts of battles," He added before he walked up to the shop owner.
"Excuse me sir who made the sword over there?" Zelphiam asked as he pointed to the sword he liked. The shop owner looked over to the sword and smiled.
"You've got a good eye for great weapons son that sword was made by a great swordsmaster Calnith," The shop owner answered with a smile on his face.
"Thank you," Zelphiam said as he walked back over to Nayru. "Like I figured the sword was made by a friend of my father's and my greatest rival," He said before he looked over to Nayru.
"Enough questions about myself what interest you about weapons?" Zelphiam asked somewhat wanting to learn about the person before him. If he was going to be spending time with her, he might as well get to know her.
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Dec 21, 2011 23:29:16 GMT -6
It was fascinating to hear the man describe the differences between the two hunks of metal - Nayru found herself riveted to his explanation. It had always interested her how much variation there was in weaponry, how even two similar swords could be so different, how two poleaxes could look completely different and have totally different functions despite both falling under the same class of weaponry. "Each weapon tells a story, does it not? Yours carries the weight of the battles through which you have held it, brief glimpses of that aspect of your life. Each chip, each scar - they all tell a story. If only I could understand them all." The stories, or the markings? Nayru wasn't really sure, nor did she care. It was unreasonable and unrealistic to know every of fight that occurred on Elibe, to read their history through the weapons of those involved, but it sounded almost poetic in a curious sort of way.
"This sword - its story has yet to be engraved upon it. I wonder what its will be?" A light smile came unbidden to her lips, her imagination supplying the possibilities. The manakete had to force herself to remain on subject. "I have limited familiarity with the metals used to forge swords, but is durability the primary quality you look for? Is the flexibility of the blade relevant to your fighting style?" She wasn't actually sure how similar myrimidons were to fencers, but was aware of their prioritization of agility and accuracy; mercenaries tended towards stronger but slower hits, where myrimidons favored weaker but lightning-quick strikes.
Answering questions about herself - she certainly wasn't in any position to demur entirely, but opted to respond to his comment of a moment earlier while giving herself time to think about the latter. "One who both smiths and wields the blade with equal skill? He must be an extraordinary man." She definitely hoped it was a man, because it would be remarkably awkward if it turned out to be a woman. Nayru wasn't certain what else to say about this Calnith fellow, though; she had never heard of him before, and by the otherwise-reserved swordsman's uncharacteristic - for what she had seen so far, anyways - show of respect bordering on fondness, she didn't want to say anything to alienate him. "There is something to be said for what rivalry brings out in a man - a drive to succeed, to better one's self; motivation stronger than many others, and a source oddly positive for the business of death."
Nayru remained silent for a moment, pondering the meaning of what she had said. "Too often is motivation for learning the art of war couched in the lesser of Man's emotions - hatred, jealousy, sorrow, revenge. Rivalries can be forged by any of those, perverted towards hatred as easily as any other bond, but there is a certain nobility to the concept that mankind would do well to ponder more often." She broke off again, acutely aware that she had come uncomfortably close to preaching - and more importantly, preaching from an oddly disassociated perspective. She smiled awkwardly, the curve of her lips meeting a tinge of embarassment in her eyes. "I apologize if I seemed to admonish or subject you to a sermon. Philosophy is an intriguing dilemna that I find myself fascinated by, nothing more, but I find myself carried away by it at times."
It was actually sort of amusing, the subconscious part of her brain helpfully supplied; not a minute ago she had been looking for excuses not to answer personal questions, and now she was going to do so in a clumsy attempt to draw attention from her gaffe of a moment before. How quickly the dynamics of conversation shifted! "I suppose that there is a hint of jealousy, to admit my weakness. I will never be a swordswoman, a halberdier, a shining knight in golden armor - it is simply not in my nature, a fundamental aspect of self that I can no more change than I can stop the sun from rising on the morrow. I can only watch and listen, learn from those who yet have their paths open to them."
She shrugged. It was true, but it didn't really bother her as much as it once had. "But it is not simply that - I find it interesting to learn of the many things at which men take it upon themselves to excel at. What curious creatures mankind is composed of, that one man can find his calling in crafting the finest of silks," she lifted the fabric hanging over her shoulder, admiring again the fine weave, "where others take solace in the ringing of steel, the infernal heat of the furnace and the hiss of water cooling the new-forged blades."
Nayru swiched subjects without the least hint of a segue. "I collect memories and knowledge through my wanderings, the former solidified in the fabrics and jewelry I wear. Each has a story behind it. Some are shared with men and women now long dead, while others only I know." And what a series of stories she could tell of how she had acquired them all! Some had been outright stolen, others purchased, and yet others looted from the corpses of those foolish enough to assault her.
There was a moment of silence, of being lost in memories, before she resumed. "I cannot very well add a weapon to my garb, so I am limited to simply absorbing what knowledge I can. If you are to be the one to wield that sword," she gestured to the sword in Zelphiam's hands, "then it will be you who carves the stories it would tell into its very existence. Perhaps I will see it again in the future, as worn as your current weapon, a thousand stories engraved on its edge known only to you."
The thought of seeing it a century later, its owner long dead, was oddly sobering. The short, brilliant lives of humans were tragic, but sublime in their beauty.
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