Aurek
Soldier
I hate the undead just a little more than I hate the living.
Posts: 122
Profession: Santa
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Post by Aurek on Dec 3, 2013 21:39:28 GMT -6
Aurek placidly sat at the bar, heavily nursing his ale. It had been quite a while since he had been to Ilia. Quite a while indeed. To gather information, he went to where the information flowed the easiest: a pub. Everyone likes a good drink and a good story. And with mercenaries abounding and resources flowing in from Bern, there was plenty of both in these parts. He was in some village near the mountainous borders of Sacae which he couldn't quite remember the name of. It was a quick stop slightly out of the way to Arphen. Not highly traveled, but a good place to rest nonetheless. Which contributed in part to why Aurek couldn't figure out why his ale was so dang expensive. He wouldn't dare ask the bartender. That was a good way to get thrown out. Not something Aurek was a fan of happening. Especially considering the howling wind and driving snow that seemed to always accompany these parts.
It had been a little annoying, getting to this place. Honestly, Aurek couldn't figure out why he was even back in Ilia. As he pondered this, he scanned the sadly lacking crowd in the building. The room was dimly lit, a fire burned along the far wall providing one of the few sources of heat and light. There were tables and chairs spread throughout the building with a few booths along the walls. All in all, it was a regular drinking establishment. It seemed like only old people were here though. Well, older than Aurek at least. But his looks made him fit right in. Just a bunch of geezers sitting around and drinking. Everyone else was probably at home or working. Aurek harrumphed. Someone interesting better walk in through that door.
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Celestine
Pegasus Knight
On the Highway to the Danger Zone.
Posts: 8
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Post by Celestine on Dec 3, 2013 22:02:15 GMT -6
And, of course, due to the need for a coherent plot (no doubt it would be hilarious to leave the geezer there alone with his own kind), someone quite interesting does walk in. Chilled wind and a swirl of snow blows into the establishment as the door swings open, only for the sharp clack of steel against wood to ring out in the place. In a land of mercenaries, it's not that much of a surprise for someone heavily armored to make their way into the little place. But inn this case, the woman donned in Silver Armor, a lance crooked under her arm with the head pointed down, looks quite out of place! Her silver hair is blown back, bangs falling over her purple eyes, and for all intents and purposes she looks like any Ilian fighting woman, were it not for the skirt she was wearing, at least she's sporting the ceremonial frown like a true Pegasus Knight.
The new figure will slam the door closed behind her and grumble under her breath about something that sounds like 'snold', even as she shrugs her shoulders and shakes her head to dislodge any extra flakes that cling to her. The rather pertubed looking pegasus knight will finally make her way to the bar, the woman leaning her lance against the fixture as she took her seat next to Aurek. Of course, she doesn't pay the old man a second of attention, the place was filled with old men after all! Not to mention this one had a beard and if she knew anything about old Ilian men it was that they loooooved to wax on about their mercenary campaigns. If she had to hear one more 'Saved a poor maiden from a bandit raid' story she swore to the gods she was going to hurt someone. And she had a practical license to kill! And boy was she angry with the cold, oh how she missed the southlands already.
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Shugo
Wyvern Rider
RETIRED
The world is a dark and lonely place. That is why it is our duty to bring some light to the world.
Posts: 271
Profession: Kid
Affinity: Fire
OoC Alias: Butorega
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Post by Shugo on Dec 4, 2013 2:04:33 GMT -6
Boom! With a loud roar the door slammed open as a boy no older than then walked into the establishment. The young boy, to the surprise of many, was clad from head to toe in crimson armor and held a spear fit for a grown man. Following behind him were three standard Illian mercenaries. Their swords were humongous and their armor was cheap.
“Here”, shouted the lad destroying the somber peace that filled the room before. The young boy slammed some gold on the counter, which he had to stand on his toes to reach, and looked the bartender in the eye. “Give me a mug of ale”, spoke the young lad with pride as he looked back at the mercenaries. The three men simply laughed at the young boy and made jokes about the way he ordered his drink.
The bartender however did not care for the boys age. He looked at the gold and took a bite out of it to make sure it was real. He then filled a mug and passed it to the young lad. The glass however was a bit too high for the boy to reach, and the young man had to stand on his toes just to reach it.
“Careful there boy”, spoke the mercenary as he made fun of the young lad. “That might be too much drink for ya. How about you order a glass of milk instead? ”
“Or some apple juice”, added another as the trio busted into laughter. Anger could be seen in the young recruit face as he took in the insults from the mercenaries. “I don’t want any”, spoke Shugo as he reached for the glass. “I will show you who can’t drink a mug of mead”, spoke Shugo.
“It is ale munchkin not mead”, spoke the third mercenary. As Shugo stretched out to get the drink the glass toppled over. The ale flowed from the glass tankard and spilled over the young recruits head. The mercenaries busted into laughter as the young recruit sat there in shame.
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Aurek
Soldier
I hate the undead just a little more than I hate the living.
Posts: 122
Profession: Santa
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Post by Aurek on Dec 4, 2013 11:27:15 GMT -6
Aurek got what he wished for. "Man, I need to make better wishes, like for someone to wash my clothes," he mumbled to himself. First, an uppity upstart of a woman burst into the place with all the pomp and circumstance of a washed-up has-been with too many problems. Regardless of his low opinion of her, she was likely to be his best source of information. Just as Aurek was about to talk to her, a brat busted in. With three mercenaries following after him. They were loud, annoying, and altogether disturbing the wonderful peace. "Oy, you three!" he pointed at the mercenaries, because sometimes mercenaries were beyond complete meat-heads and needed some gestures to point them in the right direction. "Shaddup! If you want to bug the little brat, take it somewhere else. No one here is going to put up with you." To emphasize his point, Aurek glanced at the ground where his lance and shield lay. "Better yet, go outside and measure your 'swords'. I'm sure something enlightening will happen." He faced the little tyke. "And you, pipe down."
Turning back to the woman, Aurek took a sip of his ale. "I'll buy you a drink, you tell me any pertinent information that's been happening in Ilia. Especially in these parts." It was brief, succinct, and to the point. Aurek wasn't fond of beating 'round the bush, especially when peeved. "And no, I don't want to hear some fantastic story about you rescuing people or nothin' like that. I ain't got stories, so you ain't got stories. Now whaddya want?"
He turned to look around the room just in time to see the boy dump his drink on himself. "Brat, go sit at a table like a normal short person. You've got nothing to prove here, and you're too loud." Impossible to hold a decent conversation with you blabbing and blubbering about. he thought to himself. This was not what he wanted. He wanted someone interesting. And these two were... peculiar. Eh, he could settle for peculiar.
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Shugo
Wyvern Rider
RETIRED
The world is a dark and lonely place. That is why it is our duty to bring some light to the world.
Posts: 271
Profession: Kid
Affinity: Fire
OoC Alias: Butorega
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Post by Shugo on Dec 4, 2013 12:10:32 GMT -6
“What was that you old fart”, shouted one of the mercenaries as he began to walk over to where Aurek was sitting. His march however was cut short by the sudden sound of weapons being drawn. The mercenaries turned to see the other patrons drawing their blades. They did not move, but gave a death glare that told them it was time to go. It seemed like the other customers did not take too kindly to their comment about Aureks age. Youngins should respect their elders and all that good stuff.
“I think it is time to go”, spoke the smartest of the mercenaries as he shoved his friends out the door. He did not enjoy the idea of fighting an entire bar of seasoned soldiers. As quickly as they entered they left leaving the young Shugo covered in ale and standing on his lonesome.
“Here kid”, spoke the bartender as he walked from behind the sheaf. He handed the boy a silver bowl filled with water and a rag. “Go in the back and clean yourself up, and once you are finished clean the floor as well. I am not going to clean up behind you kid.”
“Yes sir”, spoke Shugo as he slinked to the back room. After a few minutes he came back and began to clean the mess off the floor. As he finished cleaning the bartender handed him a glass of apple juice, to Shugo dismay. The young boy however did not make a fuss and instead sat at a nearby table sipping on his beverage.
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Celestine
Pegasus Knight
On the Highway to the Danger Zone.
Posts: 8
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Post by Celestine on Dec 4, 2013 18:22:24 GMT -6
The uppity upstart pretty pegasus knight didn't so much as bat an eyelash as the others entered the tavern, owing to a life growing up and fighting in these lands this really wasn't something new to her at all! Nor was the tyke spilling ale on himself, the rather well dressed knight will lean away from the splash with a hiss and a cross look before snorting and turning her attention forward as he's taunted. Normally, Celestine would butt in and chide the meathead mercenaries (a loving term, her father had been one after all!) but she certainly wasn't in the mood for all of that. And anyways, the bearded fellow beside her will chime in, causing the woman to brush a bit of hair out of her eyes. "I really don't need to lis-" She starts, trying to dissuade him from going on about conquests from thousands of years ago before she furrows her brow at his request.
"Eh?" She asks, cocking an eyebrow at the man and spreading out her skirt with a gloved hand. "I don't think you really know who you're talking to." She adds with an almost amused smile as she taps a finger against the bar. She was in military service now, having turned in the pay and benefits of mercenary work for a real bonafide cause! Now she had an excuse to let another Dumb Sun of a wyvern die for his country and wasn't just beating up on scattered bandits. And she most certainly was not about to start giving up Military information to some bearded old coot in a tavern up in the mountains. "You could be a spy sent by the upstarts down south." She remarks, closing her eyes. Of course to her, pretty much everywhere but Ilia was the south. And then she'll watch the kid sulk off out to the back. "Well, that just happened if you're taking notes." She remarks, pointing a finger in that direction.
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Aurek
Soldier
I hate the undead just a little more than I hate the living.
Posts: 122
Profession: Santa
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Post by Aurek on Dec 5, 2013 15:09:30 GMT -6
"Heh," I know exactly who I'm talking to, Aurek countered. "You're a pompous Ilian pegasus knight who thinks herself to be someone important doing something important." Aurek never liked talking to the pegasus knights. Bunch of elitist females. Always trying to be so righteous. It was sickening. "You probably don't know anything anyway," he goaded her. "I offered you a drink. I don't especially care whether you're on duty or not. Ain't my problem. I was looking for a fair trade, but you seem bent on being so uppity." Probably a little too much, but this was his first time being able to confront a pegasus knight by herself, and he was loathe to pass up the opportunity. Of course, he made sure to keep his voice hushed. It wasn't good to anger the locals, especially since they all carried weapons. Bunch of strange geezers, carrying weapons even after retirement.
Aurek took a slight sip of ale as he pondered what to do next. Probably have to talk to the brat. Aurek was not fond of that idea. "What's it going to take to get you to talk?" When all else fails, ask. If she didn't give him any good information, Aurek figured he could just razz her a little more then talk to the kid. He had local mercenaries already following him around so he had to know something. It was a win-win situation. And he had the time to burn.
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Shugo
Wyvern Rider
RETIRED
The world is a dark and lonely place. That is why it is our duty to bring some light to the world.
Posts: 271
Profession: Kid
Affinity: Fire
OoC Alias: Butorega
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Post by Shugo on Dec 5, 2013 17:14:26 GMT -6
Shugo simply stared into his glass. He had once again embarrassed himself. How was he going to call himself a mercenary if he can’t even reach above the countertop? Shame filled the young Shugo face as he took a great gulp of the apple juice. Winning in denial was not helping him any. He was a mercenary, well in name only, but he still carried the title.
“Ok back at it”, spoke Shugo aloud as he hopped out of his chair. He finished the last of his apple juice and slammed the mug onto the table copying the way he saw the other’s drink. He then returned it to the barkeep, which was out of place, and returned to his seat. The young boy pulled out a map from his pocket and began to star at it. On the map there were many crimson circles and red x. There were some marks made in blue ink and some even in black. Each mark had a meaning and was written down in pin at the top of the map. On it was written the letters C.B.L.
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Celestine
Pegasus Knight
On the Highway to the Danger Zone.
Posts: 8
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Post by Celestine on Dec 5, 2013 20:46:49 GMT -6
Celestine grins proudly at Aurek, leaning up some and putting a hand on her chest with a sigh. "You flatter me!" She chimes back in that saccharine tone that comes packaged with a barely suppressed growl. "And you must be the senile old man who is still trying to cling to some semblance of importance while you can still bathe yourself hmm?" She asks, just as sharply as any proud Pegasus Knight would. They were elitist for a reason after all! "I would be careful of who you would accuse of being uppity." She remarks, cocking her other eyebrow for the full blown double eyebrow cock before she clicks her tongue and rolls her neck. She'll eye him up for a few seconds, checking him up and down before her eyes fall on his lance. What kind of retiree keeps a weapon on him? My goodness.
"The only thing worth information is information you know." She remarks, wiggling her eyebrows expertly for emphasis. "I've been scouting the mountains for a week now with a wing of my fellow sisters. What is there that you could give to me?" She asks, her voice quite even as her hand moves down to tap the bar. And despite actually gracing Aurek with her attention, (he should savor it!) her purple eyes will slowly drag over to SHugo, watching him with almost half piqued curiosity. What was a child like him doing with a map? And mercenaries...
Eh, Ilia was a weird place. And cold. So cold.
So of course, for seemingly no reason, Celestine will pull her eyes back on to Aurek and shiver in her armor. She's really starting to regret the skirt again. But it's tradition.
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Yunneth
Shaman
Light and darkness cannot live without each other. Those who do not understand this are dead men...
Posts: 83
Profession: Witch and Researcher
OoC Alias: The Witch of Shadows
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Post by Yunneth on Dec 7, 2013 1:08:02 GMT -6
Yunneth was finally getting to do a bit of research in the cold lands of Illia. There was much she didn't know of this frozen wasteland. All she knew was that the people couldn't do much farming. The best they could do for income was have jobs as mercenaries. Honestly, that didn't impress Yunneth much. What did impress her is the challenge it may be of recovering a bit of history from the snowy areas. Perhaps it would be best to find a nearby town? Yunneth knew that would be a smart idea and began to cross the snowy fields, unaware she was being followed.
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Aurek
Soldier
I hate the undead just a little more than I hate the living.
Posts: 122
Profession: Santa
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Post by Aurek on Dec 10, 2013 22:30:02 GMT -6
Aurek grinned maliciously and leaned closer to the woman. "What makes you think I bathe myself?" He exhaled slowly as he sat upright once more, letting his stench waft about the lady. It was cold, which helped eliminate some of the smell. "And I'm always careful of who I call uppity. After all, it would be terrible to lie to someone. But I doubt you or your 'sisters' would understand that." There was a heavy tone of mockery layered in his voice as he said "sisters". Aurek was enjoying himself to no end. This entire day had made a turn-around. He tried not to grin too much. "Also, you can get a lot more than just other information if you have really good information." He looked up and down the pegasus rider taking an extra long time when looking at her skirt. He wasn't interested, but it would probably rile her up.
Aurek immediately turned and stood up. He was leaving his lance and shield behind, but that didn't matter. No one was going to take it. No one. Heading toward the boy, he added, "I was in Bern during the most recent uprising. Bet you'd like to know some stuff about that." He didn't even turn to look at her reaction. He didn't really care. As he approached the table, Aurek slowed his pace a little. "What kind of map you got there, brat?" The pegasus rider was weird. This kid was down-right ridiculous. He had to have something interesting. And he was probably a little loose-lipped compared to the woman.
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Shugo
Wyvern Rider
RETIRED
The world is a dark and lonely place. That is why it is our duty to bring some light to the world.
Posts: 271
Profession: Kid
Affinity: Fire
OoC Alias: Butorega
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Post by Shugo on Dec 11, 2013 1:48:45 GMT -6
“You were in Bern during the uprising”, spoke Shugo with excitement. He had heard stories about it, but not from someone who actually was there. “So what happened in the arena. Was there fighting? Was there blood? I even heard a dragon showed up. Is there any truth to it?” Shugo borage of questions was interrupted by a question of Aurek’s own.
“This thing”, spoke Shugo as he laid his hands back on the map. “Well it is a map of Illia. Other than that I am not a hundred percent sure what it is about. There are all these red marks and blue circles. From what I can tell the red X represent structures. The map itself came from a bandit who was too drunk to realize I had stolen it from him.”
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Aurek
Soldier
I hate the undead just a little more than I hate the living.
Posts: 122
Profession: Santa
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Post by Aurek on Dec 18, 2013 19:39:19 GMT -6
Aurek leaned over the table and examined the map. He couldn't figure out any of the markings. It didn't even look like Ilia with all the scribbles. As he pondered its mysteries, he decided a little small talk was in order. "There was plenty of fighting. The place was an arena after all. And quite a bit of blood. A lot of people died." Aurek hadn't actually seen anything. But the talk that was going around certainly seemed true. And the part during which Aurek was there certainly had been bloody. Especially his fight. "What makes you so intere-" A loud shouting interrupted his question.
"Bandits! Bandits are here!" Aurek immediately looked around. No one was doing anything though. Despite being experts, no one else in the bar moved. Not even to look in the direction of the noise. This made Aurek very curious. He went over and picked up his lance and shield. Turning to the boy, he added, "C'mon, let's go check out what these bandits are doing. And maybe one of them has an answer for your map." Aurek mostly wanted the boy along so he could keep an eye on him and that map. He turned to the pegasus rider, "You coming along, scion of justice? Or is your lance just a trophy you get for being useless."
Walking outside, Aurek took note of the fact the wind had died down. It was now a gentle breeze rather than a storming gale. Visibility had definitely improved. Mercenaries were moving about. Probably ten or so. A group could be seen coming from a hill much higher on the mountain. They were probably bandits. The mercenaries formed up in a line and waited for the bandits to get closer. So Aurek waited as well.
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Celestine
Pegasus Knight
On the Highway to the Danger Zone.
Posts: 8
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Post by Celestine on Dec 20, 2013 15:51:32 GMT -6
Celestine put a hand to her nose and turned her face with quite the frown. "Clearly." She sniffs, her voice just dripping with indignation. She doesn't even turn her head back to him as he goes on about lies and information, only a little grin playing across her face. Sure, it may well have been pompous but she was more than secure in the truth that she wasn't some creepy (smelly, obnoxious, overbearing) old man wasting his time talking to random kids with maps in bars. She also refuses to give Aurek even a reaction to the skirt wearing, mostly because she certainly was not in the mood for a bar fight. Or to beat up some random old man, she was a Pegasus Knight, far better than that.
She'll of course eavesdrop on the conversation between old man and kid, the pegasus knight leaning back only the smallest bit as she clicks her tongue. She'll mull over what she gets a bit before letting out a sigh and leaning forward back over the bar with a gentle grunt, useless. Again. And then there's the yelling about bandits, which causes the woman to sit up and lean further back with a resonating clink of her armor.
In fact, by the time that Aurek even gets his quip out at her, Celestine has already hefted up her lance and begun to sashay her way towards the door of the rickety little place. Being a Pegasus knight, she has that certain self assured swagger, every step balanced and meaningful as she shoots Aurek a look and balances her lance against her shoulder. "At least you're getting the titles right." She'll remark in a positively puffed way as she considers hip checking him as they make for the door, but then, she'd probably break his hip and they couldn't have that!
While Aurek lines up on one side, Celestine seems to have vanished in the snow! Or well, until she canters around the building, astride a pegasus that seems to blend into the whipping torrent of white cold. "At least they're coming to us now." She remarks with a snort, which is then answered by a snort from her steed.
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Shugo
Wyvern Rider
RETIRED
The world is a dark and lonely place. That is why it is our duty to bring some light to the world.
Posts: 271
Profession: Kid
Affinity: Fire
OoC Alias: Butorega
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Post by Shugo on Dec 22, 2013 14:42:03 GMT -6
Shugo immediately began to fold his map as he heard the word bandit in the air. Trouble and it was not the small kind. He had seen several bandit attacks during his travels and the young Shugo knew better than to simply sit by. Plus these brigands might be friends of the scum bag he stole the map from. It would be better if he was not caught with it in the open.
Aurek called for the boy to rise to action, and Shugo was glad to answer it. The young boy had gotten tired of being kidnapped and helpless. The only way for him to ever become strong was for him to fight. A mercenary once told him that battle sharpens the soldier greater than any amount of training. Shugo was ready to be tested though in truth he did not know much about fighting with a spear. Fighting with Aurek might allow him to pick up on some spear techniques.
“Mr”, spoke Shugo as he walked behind the bearded man. He looked at the figures coming over the hill and simply stared. Are they the brigands, thought Shugo. It was weird. There was a strange feeling building up in the lad’s stomach. It was not fear, nor was it excitement. It was something in between and in truth Shugo did not like it. He wondered if this is what those soldiers in his story felt like before a battle.
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