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Post by Valcrist on Jan 31, 2013 1:04:49 GMT -6
They never stopped moving, even when it got painful. As soon as they were out of town, Jya left his back and the group had ran. They needed to leave Bern, this was their only possible choice. "We should go to Lycia." Valcrist had said. "There's an entire army camped out in Sacae, that's an impossible route if we want to live." His legs cried in pain, and he knew that Jya was every bit as tired as he was, but exhaustion had no part in this world for them. Their pain would have to be endured, every discomfort was nothing compared to being caught. Bern was on the precipice of a great war, soon Richter will clash with the Rebellion and they needed to be out of the country before it began.
On the way out they stopped to pick up a few other people, ones that were familiar to the Smith's eyes. Isabel and Calvin, people he met back in Sacae. Izzy in particular was familiar, but now wasn't the time for pleasantries. They could catch up later, all they knew to do was run. Calvin seemed a bit too excited, Izzy not enough, but in the end they all escaped the town together.
Still, even the strongest men needed rest, the swiftest thieves needed to soothe their fatigue. It was secluded, a cave that Valcrist had been observant enough to find. On the outskirts of town, but far enough that they shouldn't need to worry about being tracked just yet, they would likely search the town before that happened. They had a small amount of time to collect themselves before they were off again, some people were still recovering after a fight with a dragon after all.
He sat upon a stone, looking at the small fire they were able to have started. His entire body ached from the strain he put upon his self. "I think... we can rest... For now..." He sighed. "I'm going to go change my clothes, when I come back I'd like to talk, if you're alright with it." To be honest, he was wondering if when he came back if Jya would still be there. If she wasn't, he wouldn't chase her, because it would mean whatever it was he simply was not to know. Not that it wouldn't annoy him, or make him angry, because it would. He would be a liar if he pretended to be the most upright person in the universe, who wouldn't mind if such a thing happened. He would not chase her though, even if he would he would never find her.
Leaving the cavern for a moment, he went off into the nearby woods to change his clothing. Taking off the torn brown garb he had worn for what felt like eternity, his nose finally stopped bleeding as he washed the blood from his face. It hurt, his face was swelled around his nose, but it was a clean break. If he let it be, it would heal in time. Perhaps if he was lucky, he could find a cleric to mend it. It felt strange, to be wearing this outfit again. He wish he had the time to bath, but he couldn't. He could waste time on such things when they were safe, which they weren't right now. Finally he put the scarf around his neck, long and orange, one that a friend bought for him. Tugging on it as it laid around his neck, the soft fabric comfortable to the touch. Taking his sword, he sliced the old clothing into slithers, leaving them in the forest.
Taking in a deep breath, the air was finally clear of the smell of death and decay. He needed to take a moment to appreciate such a simple thing, or he'd go mad.
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Synkkis Kyyneltya
Shaman
"Strange... I had no brace for the aberrant nature of this power."
Posts: 170
Profession: Mercenary Tactician
Affinity: Dark
Profile: Synkkis
OoC Alias: Cyril/Lucien/Landrik/Freya
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Post by Synkkis Kyyneltya on Jan 31, 2013 22:40:59 GMT -6
Synkkis managed to follow in the same general direction as Valcrist and his corpse cargo. During the travelling he lost him a few times, but chance had it he'd catch back on. He had lost him again, however, and the humidity in the air started to pick up with clouds on the horizon. The pain in his hand and arm started to dull, it being covered in white wrappings. The snow-haired Ilian stopped by a trail and rested against a tree, placing his pack down at his feet.
The rookie strategist took a little look around, not for people, but terrain features. He always had a battle plan in his head. Also, he'd have to look for a nice spot to set up camp. Just taking the time to breathe, he picked at his wrapping. He saw how it was assembled and then went about undoing the ties. He had some light burns around on the top and Synkkis realised something else... His tattoo... the simple circle he had before had grown. It now went onto his knuckles and half of the way up his forearm. 'Why did it change? This was only a silly tattoo I got in Ilia. Hell, I was drunk at the time and can't even remember where I got it in Arphen or what it means. I have to find out what this is...' Lost in thought, he continued to marvel and stare at the mark on his arm.
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Isabel
Shaman
It's been far too long since I last flexed my magical muscles!
Posts: 233
Profession: Witch for Hire
Affiliation: N/A
Affinity: Fire
OoC Alias: Izzy
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Post by Isabel on Feb 2, 2013 22:01:49 GMT -6
Isabel dropped her bag to the ground, looked around the interior of the cave quickly to see if there might be a slightly more comfortable place to rest her weary body, and then simply slumped against the side of the cave, hitting her head pretty hard off the rock but being too tired to care.
She vaguely recalled getting to this point. She remembered running... But, weird. She didn't really remember actually waking up. She had used a lot of her energy, much more than she had anticipated, when she had cast Luna for the first time, and, by all rights, she should be dead right now. But Isabel had always imagined being dead as being, well, a lot more lonely than this, and a good deal less painful. So if this was death, wow, her preconception was just dead wrong. Great. But the chances that this was death were, in her mind, very slim, all things considered. Which then led to more questions, such as "what happened?", "how am I still alive?", and "whoa wait up was that Valcrist?". That last one was, surprisingly, one of the least pressing at the moment.
The shaman opened her eyes for a moment, looking across the cave. She blinked a few times, trying to bring everything into focus, but... Everything was just kind of distorted. She should have been more worried about that, probably, but she was too tired right now... The shapes moving about were familiar, though, and she thought she heard voices... And then something warm, heavy, and definitely familiar brushed up beside her.
"Hey Sol..." Isabel whispered, holding the black cat close to her body. Solomon purred, perhaps oblivious to the obvious weight of the situation, and closed his eyes, putting his ears back, and allowed himself to be hugged. Or maybe he was dropping his whole "too cool for the world" act because he knew that Isabel needed it? The shaman pondered that for a moment, and then decided to just enjoy it. And then her eyes closed again, and she was dead to the world yet again.
For just a short nap...
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Post by Jya on Feb 3, 2013 17:26:52 GMT -6
Jya ran for her life once again. This seemed to be more of a hobby for her than anything else in her life. She didn't run because she enjoyed doing it, although the excitement of getting out of dangerous situations was relieving to say the least. She wished that there were just a few more frequent breaks if possible but that was asking for far more than she can offer. Her only chance in escaping authority was to keep on moving, hoping nobody sees her face and recognizes it. However she knew others had seen through her disguise or rather it was blown off in the middle of the arena. Her face was probably going to be plastered around Bern.
Was she being a bit too concerned? Probably not. Sure she was not used to so much pressure at once, at least never realizing the gravity of her own existence. She always thought of killing as a means of survival and this whole fiasco in the arena was just a bad judgement of this principle. At least she now knew how horrible it was to wear the color green.
Perhaps it was the exhaustion but she now held onto her green clothing. She wanted to put them on now that they were out of the city but she had to stick with her usual clothing. It was too dangerous and people would notice her just for the color now. The faster they moved out of the nation, the faster she can shed her dark clothing for something she was used to. She wanted some form of comfort for whatever was weighing down on her heart.
When she saw Valcrist sit up and leave, she glanced up as if to follow. After he vanished from the side of the cave, she steeled herself to follow. Valcrist had helped them escape and she cannot deny his help. She felt as though she should at least offer her thanks to the man. Without anymore hesitation she ran out looking for him but more like a hunter than in the frenzy her mind was in. She just wanted to get the talk all over with, so she waited as soon as Valcrist finished dressing to ask.
"What is it?"
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Calvin Toros
Pupil
Friendship gives value to survival
Posts: 154
Profession: Bard
Affinity: Light
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Post by Calvin Toros on Feb 4, 2013 12:45:38 GMT -6
Calvin struggled to ignore the pain that now circulated his legs like fluid. He was used to walking before, running and even fighting! However, this time was different. He felt somewhat frightened and nervous, he couldn’t’ explain it. He didn’t fully understand what was happening, were they in danger? After what happened in the arena nothing was clear to Calvin right now, he just clung to his friends with dear life, waiting for everything to calm down. Then they could all just sit down and play games together, or something, right? A rare saddened expression had planted itself on Calvin’s innocent face. He wanted to know what was going on, did they really just see a dragon? Why were all those people fighting? Where were they going? What was going on?! Calvin began to stumble slightly in his steps, exhausted over everything that had happened. Yet he continued a tough face, as tough a face as he could make! His cheeks were mighty a puff, and his brow was as down turned as ever.
Calvin stood silently, yes silently, inside the cave. He looked awkwardly and nervously around, observing the gloomy atmosphere. There dim flickers of the fire crackled softly, sound was a reassurance to Calvin right now. He stared uncomfortably to the cave floor. Why were they in a place like this? Why couldn’t they just go home?! At that moment Calvin thought of home, both of his homes. He thought of the home he had made for himself in Bern, with the poor bandit raided village he stayed behind to help rebuild! He had just gotten to know everyone, would he ever be able to go back?! He had too, he wanted to see them again, he promised he’d return soon! Surely they could go home soon? Right? A tear began to form in the corner of his eye, and he sniffed wiping it away childishly with his sleeve. What about his real home, in Sacae!? With his family, and his home.He still had a job to do… or was he too late for that? Calvin was snapped out of his dread ridden thoughts by the soft whisper of his dear friend Isabel, who lay silently by the rock. He immediately made his way over, squatting down beside the girl and staring at her with unnerve.
“I…Izzy?”
Calvin sighed gently, taking another look around at the cave.
Everything is so… sad.
He didn’t know why but right now the world around him seemed so sad. He reached into his bag and pulled out his old wooden flute. Softly he blew, an unexpected squeak blowing out the collected dust. It was followed by another squeal, but quickly a melody began to form. It was not heartfelt, or sad, or happy, or angry. His music conveyed no extreme emotion, it was calm and peaceful, somewhat soothing. He didn’t know what to do at all, so he did the only thing he knew he could do. He played his flute. If he could make others feel better, then he would too! At least, he hoped so.
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Post by Valcrist on Feb 16, 2013 10:43:55 GMT -6
He heard a voice perk up from the, or so he thought, empty forest. He wheeled around, looking at the person who spoke up. "Jya?" He questioned as he looked at the frail woman. It was a surprise, but he was happy it was simply her and not one of the men they had run from. How long had she been waiting? Wait. "Jya!" His face flushed a quick red. Had she seen him changing?! He was getting better at this whole 'talking to people' thing, but he didn- "I-I wouldn't have minded if you stayed back. You didn't need to come find me." Obviously now was not the time for this, of course, but that was easier to think then to feel.
He coughed, holding his arms to his body a bit closer then usual, but grinned through the possible embarrassment. "A-anyways..." He sighed, taking in deep breaths to calm himself. "Jya, I'm not going to pry you for information. To be honest, I don't care much for politics and all that drama that was going down before. The rebellion, Ilia, Bern, whatever. It's not my place to get involved, but I do know Clair. I wouldn't say we were friends, in fact I barely knew her and fought her once, but what you did was incredibly... surprising." He wouldn't say he was completely unaligned, but it wasn't something he was eager to lay his claim in. He remembered what she said back when they met back in Sacae, that she was an assassin. "You were hired to do this, weren't you?" He wasn't sure what questions to asked. What he wanted to say. It was obvious he wanted to ask about what happened, why she did it, who could of hired her, but he didn't know how to go about asking such things. His mind kind of scraped around, putting random words together to try and form a thought but it ended up looking like a word salad. "During such a crowded event, and basically just asking to get caught." He smirked with a sort of limp, languid laugh. He helped her escape, but he wondered just how much he helped. If she deemed it so, she probably could of left without his help at all.
"I suppose... I wanna ask... why?" Whatever she was going to be paid couldn't have been worth killing herself over.
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Isabel
Shaman
It's been far too long since I last flexed my magical muscles!
Posts: 233
Profession: Witch for Hire
Affiliation: N/A
Affinity: Fire
OoC Alias: Izzy
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Post by Isabel on Feb 16, 2013 13:47:50 GMT -6
Good lord, what is that noise...?
Isabel turned in her sleep, suddenly restless. Her body's aches and pains returned to her, she could feel Solomon's furry body on her arm, and... Ow. Those pains that had just returned to her were suddenly dwarfed by the throbbing pain in her head. With her eyes still closed, she lifted one gloved hand (funny, she didn't remember putting those on) and gingerly touched the left side of her head, only to withdraw the hand as quickly as her tired body allowed when the very light contact turned the black of her eyelids funny colors and made her brain stop coherent function for a moment. When her head stopped feeling like someone had stuck thousands of tiny knives in and then decided to play a lovely little tune upon them using a hammer, she realized that a) Solomon wasn't in her arms anymore and b) Calvin was playing a flute. A flute. Isabel opened her eyes slowly, taking a moment so that things started coming back into focus, and then glared at the bard's shoes for lack of any better method of showing her extreme disgust at the music. She took a step back as a particularly loud note was played, blurring her vision and making her head throb again. Calvin...
Another few minutes passed before Isabel made an attempt at sitting up. Her eyes were still closed, because she really didn't want to see where they were, and, after a few failed attempts at sitting up all by herself, she moved herself, slowly, closer to the cave wall, and started shimmying her body up into a sitting position. She opened her mouth to say something, only to be greeted by an incredibly dry mouth with a slight taste of her own blood and something incredibly disgusting caked onto her tongue. Isabel took a moment to laugh at just how poorly she had taken care of her body, and then slowly opened her eyes once again to look at Calvin. Or... Calvin and his twin? Oh good lord.
"Calvin... My bag..." Isabel said, fumbling with her heavy tongue. "Vulnerary... Water..."
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Synkkis Kyyneltya
Shaman
"Strange... I had no brace for the aberrant nature of this power."
Posts: 170
Profession: Mercenary Tactician
Affinity: Dark
Profile: Synkkis
OoC Alias: Cyril/Lucien/Landrik/Freya
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Post by Synkkis Kyyneltya on Feb 16, 2013 17:50:42 GMT -6
Almost as soft as the natural ambiance of the forest around him, Synkkis caught the tones of an instrument in his ears. The notes were slow and deliberate, yet still retained their complexity and depth. Whomever was playing was quite skilled with the instrument. It even made him feel revitalized, as he had not heard proper music in quite some while. It was in stark contrast of the rush of minutes earlier of escaping the capitol erupted in chaos.
It was only a matter of time before minutemen and guardsmen of the surrounding areas would start pouring towards the city of Bern. They probably wouldn't pay the Ilian any mind, but he still had to be cautious. They may recognize him from the wanted posters down further south in Bern. Luckily he had a bit of anonimity about him up here.
The dark pupil took his time covering up his burned markings with the wrappings and again brought his pack to his shoulder. He walked at a leisurely pace towards the music, figuring he would enjoy it for a little while longer before actually getting a place set up to camp if the situation was willing.
The muffled sounds of a man speaking came into hearing. Synkkis didn't pay it too much mind, but wanted to look about before just waltzing towards the unseen man. He caught a glimpse of him between the trees, the harmonious flute still playing. It was Valcrist from before, but this time he was in proper clothing with an orange scarf he didn't remember him having before... then again, so much time has passed, he didn't really remember much of what Valcrist wore other than blue clothing.
Peering more from behind the tree he saw the corpse woman from before, naturally alive. 'A hoax. I can understand why he fled so quickly. But just who is she to him?' Synkkis pondered. He then figured there was a reason she was playing dead. She must be wanted, just like Synkkis. 'Wait, she couldn't be...' Synkkis shocked himself with his own conclusive thoughts. Was she the Emerald Wraith? Obviously she wasn't wearing the Emerald Wraith's trademark green clothing.
It was better to keep these thoughts to himself. No use getting his throat slit to keep an identity secret. It made no difference for him who she was anyways. Valcrist was doing a good job getting out of Bern and Synkkis wanted that for himself.
He took a few brave steps forward, anxious towards how they would react. He made sure he could be heard moving towards them. "Greetings, Valcrist."
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Post by Jya on Feb 18, 2013 10:38:45 GMT -6
Jya glanced warily through the area, an almost defeated air about her. It wasn't that she was not grateful for Valcrist's help. It was just that she was so very tired. This was the first time she realized how much impact she had on the world. Even then she was not sure how much harm she had wrought. It might have been her fault such chaos had ensued or maybe it was all preordained even if she had not lifted her blade. Whatever the reason, she felt like she was weighed down by her action in some form.
She was about to speak and respond before another man had arrived. There was hesitation for the first time in her life. In the past she would have cared little if she was overheard but now she tread on dangerous grounds. She was in way having an existential crisis. Instead of answering the man she only let out a sigh, putting her hands over her face.
"What do I do now?" she muttered under her breath. She wanted desperately for someone to tell her. Just a little answer will help. She was in the state of doing practically anything just to wipe away her irritation for a moment longer.
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Post by Valcrist on Feb 21, 2013 11:06:09 GMT -6
Just as Valcrist was about to get some answers, the situation was disturbed by some foreign force. As he turned, his hand instantly clamped upon the hilt of his sword, ready to draw it at a moment's notice. "Stop right there." His voice surprised him, much harsher then he usually was. Maybe it was the exhaustion getting to him, or maybe he was afraid that they'd been found out only moments after escaping, but he was not in the mood to deal with such things. It was that one guy, with the crazy hair that looked like he got bore halfway through his haircut. Even as Valcrist's gaze eased, his hand never left the hilt of his sword. Ready to cut him in twain if the need arose, how readily he was to kill another person was almost alarming. There was no time to be wishy washy though, he made his bed and now he had to lay in it.
"You. I recognize you. The face, your hair's different." That wasn't saying much however, he recognized everyone no matter how inconsequential they were. It was a bit annoying in honesty, he couldn't tell if he actually talked to this man or if he just saw him on the street and he caught his attention. He said Valcrist's name, so obviously he recognized him as well. They must of spoke to the point they introduced themselves, because he never used his real name the entire time he was in that tournament. "I spoke with you once, didn't I?" It was more of a question then a statement, he couldn't remember doing it but all the evidence pointed to such a chance encounter. One this man seemed to remember far more then the swordsman.
He took a side glance over at Jya, who seemed distraught, which tugged at his delicate sensibilities, but she would be fine for the moment. It wasn't as though there was anything Valcrist could possibly so to her in any case.
It felt almost surreal. Like such an event like this happened before, but despite the deja vu it was also fresh and new. Like tracing over an old drawing, adding new lines to something once thought complete to create a new picture. Familiar shapes coming together in a new way. Valcrist was... different. Much different. Sometimes it didn't feel like he had changed the smallest bit. He reacted different, he spoke different, he thought different. The man before him was different too, but still similar. His hair, his face... It was manlier then he remembered. An odd thing to remember, but it was something at the back of his mind. "I'm afraid I'm at a loss, you know my name but I can't seem to come up with yours. Would you care to enlighten me as to where we've met?"
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Synkkis Kyyneltya
Shaman
"Strange... I had no brace for the aberrant nature of this power."
Posts: 170
Profession: Mercenary Tactician
Affinity: Dark
Profile: Synkkis
OoC Alias: Cyril/Lucien/Landrik/Freya
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Post by Synkkis Kyyneltya on Mar 1, 2013 22:43:06 GMT -6
As requested, the white haired man held and stood a ways away from Valcrist and whom he thought was the Emerald Wraith. She seemed distraught, but he kept concentrating on between himself and the Nabatan. He could see the man study him and Synkkis remained silent as he did so. Kyyneltya was a bit lucky having actually triggering something in Valcrist.
"Yes. We certainly did. A couple of years ago. It is not common to see a man of Nabatan descent travelling in the land of Sacae so I am positive of whom I follow." He answered, reaching into his pocket of his trousers with his left hand. His right hand, lay at his side and he almost brought it up to his hip as to rest it, but his skin writhed with pain as he tried to do so. Out of his pocket was drawn his red bandana, the one he frequently wore around his head when he had a full head of hair. Remembering, he looked more childish then... a lot has changed.
Fist grasping his bandana, he held it out in front of him for Valcrist to see. "We have met before. On the fields of Sacae, near a moving river. There was a man we both travelled with, Selibas. He was forced into battle against the chieftain of a commune nearby in which he won and became the new chieftain. I remember you leaving at some point and there was also another Sacaen that was with us. However Selibas and I journeyed until we were taken hostage and seperated." He spoke in a calm, yet assertive manner, the details flooding into his mind even though it was so long ago. It was his first time in Sacae, after all. He returned the cloth to his pocket.
"My name is Synkkis Kyyneltya. I hail from a small mountain town in northwestern Ilia named Talvikyla. I have no interest in this rebellious conflict and I have men after me in this country. In all honesty, you seem to know where you're going." He finished, lowering his head and looking down at his hand once again. He picked it back up and looked over to the woman, clearly distraught. "My apologies for the interruption."
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Post by Valcrist on Mar 8, 2013 2:11:29 GMT -6
He slowly calmed, his stance that looked as though it could explode at the drop of a pin became much more passive and calm. Valcrist never really was the type to start fights, even if he had no problem ending them. Especially when they weren't even necessary. The words the man spoke rung a somewhat familiar sound in his mind, he wasn't entirely sure but they painted a fuzzy picture that he was slowly making out. "That... That's right... I think I remember..." He began to mentally trace the step he's taken over the last few years, before hitting a certain event that he really would of preferred not remembering. "Ugh." He grimaced. "Can't believe I did that..."
It happened not too long after he left Yaen's company, but before he ran into Chelsea and made a huge fool of himself. The spot between two embarassing memories was easily lumped in with them in the 'do not remember' zone of his mind. It wasn't like this memory was especially uplifting either. "I ran away. That guy, the red haired man with the thick accent. He scared me. What Selibas was planning, it scared me. Gee, I was such a craven back then." He stopped talking for a moment, letting the silence fill the air. A snort. Stifling laughter, covering his mouth, it wasn't very effective. "Just look at what I'm doing now. Guess I still am."
He relinquished his grip on his blade, relaxing. "I think I remember you. It's vague, and surrounded in bad memories, but I definitely remember your face. Sorry for not recognizing you, I'm usually so good with that." It didn't really answer anything though. "The rebellion was involved in that junk? I was too busy to really notice. I'm not really interested in the whole thing either myself. I traveled with Ilians for a while, decent enough folk, but way too rigid for my tastes. Fought a whole army of bandits with them even though I was just a blacksmith, not exactly warm and fuzzy memories." Did Valcrist even HAVE good memories? Geesh. Sometimes it felt like his life was nothing but one crappy thing followed by another. He had a strange talent of getting involved in things much bigger then his self. "Usually I just sell my weapons to whoever will buy them."
"What I do know is that I take care of my friends. Even when they're in hot water." He looked at Jya, using that word again. 'Friend'. Valcrist was sort of simple, all things considered. Sure he had an endless well of self-loathing and issues and problems, but really it didn't take much for him to like you. He was a softy at heart. And on the outside too for that matter. He didn't really intimidate people that much. He didn't care much for causes and reasons and rules and junk, but he did care about people. He was selfish like that. "That being said, if you've followed me all this way then chances are you're going to keep following unless I cut off your feet. No reason to get all bent out of shape and send you packing. This way I can make sure you don't tell everyone you saw us either." He looked at the world renown assassin who was known for her cruelty and uncaring nature as she looked completely distraught and confused and tired of it all.
"We have to leave Bern." That was all he knew, but after they got out of Bern... then what? They'll just have to deal with it when the time comes. He looked at the old acquaintance once more, before turning to Jya. "Syn'll come with us too. Alright Jya?" It felt weird that he, of all people, was taking charge. Still Jya seemed in no place to decide anything right now. It was so kind of funny, he ran from things so often, who knew that those skills would ever be useful?
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