Friend's in new places (Venessa) Open.

[Ilheod]

He'd told the others of his unit to fan out. They had a large spread of land to cover and not many days. Various inns and tavern's spread through out Etruria held valuable information simply waiting to be pried open. The Wyvern Commander was moving swiftly into the evening when a storm started to crop up slowly. Why was it always storms? The dark cloud's fortelling a strong storm, he decided to lower his Wyvern. Leaning down he guided the dark night blue wyvern to the ground while approaching a small town. One of many he was sure. Ignoring the initial glances from the citizens as he walked through the dirt covered street's, the first droplets of water began to fall. Shelter was his first concern. However he had to think of Astraeus as well. Armored and scaled as he was, the elements still could take their toll. Knocking on countless door's to simply offer small coin for a large enough stable got him many door's closed in his face. Though a soldier, and disciplined his patience had it's limits. Coming to a slightly more decorated door, he knocked on it only for a gentlemen with blue hair, and blue facial hair growing, answer.

"May I help you?"

Ilheod removed his crimson helm from his head and set it at his side of his hip propping it while he nodded. Droplet's of rain started to run along the sides of his face and down the strands of hair on his left side which obscured his golden hued eye.

"I've come to find myself in need of a shelter for both I, and my companion."

To which he inclined with a tilt of his shoulder the large scaled creature behind him which was gazing harmlessly upwards and snapping his jaws at the rain drops idly. He turned to continue his conversation with the man, though noting mentally the fine dress he wore in contrast to the simple garb earlier.

"I can offer fair coin, should it help sway you in allowing ups a place to stay. We'll need for naught else."

The man rose his palm upwards facing towards Ilheod while smiling and speaking knowingly.

"It shall not be said that Merlenus be an unfair man. Known by fair wages, fair prices, and fair treatment I am and so shall I stay. Sir, I've a rather large barn-house to the right of our very spot, if you'll see right there."

To which he pointed at the large brown structure, the stables large enough to hold even the largest of wyverns. Though curiosity as to why so grand lingered in his mind he paid it no heed.

"It's location is not ideal for privacy, as others shall have access to you visibly but I can offer it for no cost. It's hardly getting use now-a-days."

Ilheod crossed his closed fist over his breastplate as he bowed to the man gratefully. The man quietly nodded and eased his door shut while Ilheod tugged on the reigns of Astraeus and guided him to the stable, though the Wyvern snapped at the now larger and faster falling water droplets in the air.

Moments later they were sitting in one of the large stalls, with Astraeus curled up and laying around a small campfire Ilheod had made for them to at-least have some night as the sky had grown immeasurably dark from the clouds. Leaning his back against the scaled stomach of his companion, Ilheod gazed into the fire while biting into half of a loaf of bread to keep his stamina up. Though he was able to hear the foot-steps loudly sloshing about near him and the various conversations and squeels or shouts as citizens moved indoors he paid them no heed. His fingers slowly circled the pommel of his sword resting on his lap now instead of tied to his belt. It had been a long day.

[Alizarin]

Large drops fell from dark gray skies in a staccato pitter-patter against roofs and roads and the streets were vacated in a matter of seconds, with the exception of the man in a soaked red cloak.

This was definitely not the way he wanted to spend his day. Alizarin would have had cursed his terrible luck, had he been the type to do so, but he settled with grimacing and scowling as he ran back and forth between eaves and whatever shelter he could find from the rain, hood up and arms protectively shielding the contents of his satchel - he just bought these tomes! There was no way he would let them get wet.

With a great desperation, he approached house after house after house, and was greeted with scowls and slammed doors to his face. He sighed, removed his hood, ran a hand through his damp hair and looked around for something, anything that could shield him from the rain. He can't exactly wait it out, at least not underneath a foot or so of protruding roof.

Then, he spotted a stable, not that far away. He secured his satchel closer to his body and ran as fast as he could.

He could explain himself to the owner later.

[Ilheod]

Heavy droplets of rain fell in a faster pattern. Ilheod was able to see the torrent of droplets though was kept dry via the overhang while they sat within the stable. Tearing into the half loaf a second time and taking a moment to adjust the gathered prior tinder in his fire, causing flames to grow slightly larger as red cinders rise into the air occasionally he gazes outwards. Astraeus lifted his head, sniffing at the air and looking slowly to Ilheod before lowering his head to the ground once more and growling quietly before nudging his snout at Ilheod's left hand. The soldier turned to rub the tip of it's snout with his palm while he chuckled. The wyvern closed it's eyes as if to take the brief stop to catch up on his sleep. Though Ilheod was tired himself he would make no notions to unless it looked like they were going to be there all night.

"I know I know, your here too. Hard to forget ya kno-"

He stopped abruptly as an outlandishly looking man hustled into the stable. The large now slumbering Wyvern curled around both Ilheod and the camp fire paid no notice. He looked up to the man, speaking somewhat quietly to keep the Wyvern from waking up.

"You here due to the rain as well Eh? Might as well take a seat, I don't think the rain's gunna let up."

[Venessa Blackthorn]

As the storm started to come down heavy, so did the lightening and the thunder. Booming across the valley making shelters shake a bit. Each time a bolt of lightening streamed across the sky, the black shadow of a Wyvern flying in through the storm was seen. Beating it's wings as some people who were trapped outside seeking refuge where ever they can pointed to the figure and talked about it to kill time. Venessa and her Wyvern Sorrow were the two flying through this very storm. Conditions weren't any better above the cloud level. Leaning down closer to the kneck of Sorrow, she would tell it. "{color=red]Lets find some shelter and ride out this storm. The rest of the unit are most likely stuck in the last town....Down there Sorrow, lets take shelter there at that house.[/color]" The wyvern folded up it's wings and dove under the clouds as another streek of lightening lit up the area. Opening up it's wings now above ground level, they barely skimmed the ground like they usually did at night time scouting runs.

The house with the barn was approaching ever closer now. Pulling on the reigns, the Wyvern let out a loud screech as the Black wyvern Landed infront of the house. The screech alone made the house owner who not to long ago came to the door for another Wyvern Rider. Looking her up, he saw the Royal military insigna on her Wyvern's Reigns. "Sir, I seek refuge from this massive storm. If you have room in your barn, I would gadly take a place in there to rest." The man only nodded his head and also shocked at the sound of Venessa's voice as he thought that it was actually a he.The black armoured rider and her black wyvern faced the barn. Quickly flapping its wings, it cut the time in half by gliding over to the barn doors. Jumping off, she grabbed the reigns and saw inside another rider with a Wyvern along with a man dressed in what looked to be robes. Sliding her Iron lance off her back, she walked in with Sorrow in tow. The heat from the fire felt nice. To the small group that was huddled inside the barn already would take notice of her would think of her as a thin male with the black armour on. Taking her helmet off, she would toss it into a corner where Sorrow went over towards and laid down. Shaking her blonde hair making some of the water fly off, she would kill the monolog and said making them now Aware that 'He' was actually a She.

"What a storm. Haven't rode in one like this in a long time now. It's refreshing. By the looks of it, we are going to be stuck in here til tomorrow." Her ruby red eyes scanned over the Wyvern lord, and took notice to the red armour and thought to herself. 'A Rider of Bern...'

[Ilheod]

No sooner had he greeted the man that had just entered, that a sound all to familiar to him was audible. Wing-beats. Astraeus opened a single eye, and slowly inclined his head as the gate slid open and the second rider entered. Though the wyvern wasn't as large as his,he gauged it as possibly being a bit younger as well. Feeling slightly stiff from sitting so long while warming up he took a brief moment to stand up as the apparent female judging from the voice spoke. Extending his arms and leaning back a series of pops and cracks relieved him of a stiffness that had plauged him. He lowered himself to sit back down next to his now awake wyvern which was sniffing the air in slow inhales while he responded. A gruff tone the best he could manage. Leaning as he was over the fire he imagined he'd have to look like a grizzly old codger.

"Aye..saw similar ones in the mountains. Not as fun to fly through though. Lose sense of height up there if you can't see the bottom. Odd to see a wyvern rider so far out.."

Though he was hardly one to talk reflecting the situation. Especially with an entire two units of riders scouring the pubs and taverns just as he himself intended to after resting up a bit. He looked up to the girl, that looked so much like a lad that it lead to him simply addressing the girls the same as he had when training recruits so many years ago.

"Where you headed lad?

Unfortunately it was probably going to stick.

[Willow]

Wow, it was wet... Willow had rode off to get supplies for her upcoming journey with Oya. Something urgent, he had said. Either way, she was glad to help, and this reminded her of when she had first spent the night with Oya in a cave... Ah, good memories. Now, to get out of the wet. Willow pushed open the door, guiding Storm by the reins, before allowing the horse to relax and feed. Taking stock of her surroundings, the Valkyrie noticed two wyverns and a strange chap. Huh. This was... Different. "Hello. I'm Willow... And you all are? I don't believe I've seen you around here."

[Alizarin]

Alizarin came to the stable shivering, panting, dripping wet. For a moment, he just stared ahead at the wyvern and the the armored man in the rust-red sard the Voices whispered echoed like the color of sard the color of his past the color of blood dripping dripping down the long cut on the side of his head as he ran ran ran away with nothing but the clothes on his back and pushed the voices to the back of his mind, perhaps a bit too forcefully.

He unclasped his dripping wet cloak and chose to sit near the fire, where he could dry off faster, and placed his thankfully unharmed satchel beside him. From where he was seated, he watched the newcomers - another Wyvern Rider, this one armored in black and much younger, and a woman with bright teal hair - arrive and shake off the water in their armor and clothes, or in the wyvern's case on its scales. The woman with bright teal hair introduced herself as Willow.

"Alizarin." He said, voice softer than usual. "My name is Alizarin."

[Venessa Blackthorn]

She had taken off most of her armour from the waist up. Venessa reached into one of the saddle bags and took out a tinder box with some dry twigs and hay. When the question was asked of where she was heading, she struck the flint with the tip of her lance, making a second fire. "I'm Lt. Venessa Blackthorn of the 2nd light armour division of Etruria. I'm just scouting around the border keeping an eye out for raiders and such." Her red eyes saw the next person coming into the barn. A Valkyrie. 'Huh, now a horse rider. Who's next? A Paladin?' With the thought in her head, she would just simply smile. Sitting next to Sorrow, who was not asleep but keeping an eye on the others. Reaching into another saddle bag, she would pull out a few hunks of raw meat. Sorrow's eyes quickly went right to her hand sniffing it. Laying it down for the wyvern, the wyvern quickly swallowed it. Lifting up her hand, she would make the gesture of offering some of the meat that she had. Sorrow kept his eyes on her hands. "Is it ok if I gave your Wyvern some meat?"" Venessa would ask the Wyvern Lord sitting next to his own mount huddled around his fire. Her fire was almost the same size as his and made the barn that much more coozy. The warmth fromt eh two fires heated the barn up and kept most of the moisture out and dried most of the clothing. Her armour shinned with her fire. A few dings needed to get hammered out.

[Ilheod]

So many people were gathering around or into the barn. Ilheod had to close his eyes for a moment as the newest face showed up. Her mount atleast did not have wings to take up more room, but was he one who could genuinely to complain? Ilheod patted his Wyvern on it's snout while the girl gave her rank. He wouldn't have been surprised to find wyvern riders now among the ranks of other nations with Bern's military falling short. Ilheod's companion snorted and sniffed curiously at the meat the other rider was pulling out. Astraeus was always hungry. His night-blue wings spreading as he stretched and stood up shaking his head side to side as if to cast aside the droplets not dried yet. His armored plating clanked against one another while he made a short quiet noise of interest before looking to his rider. Ilheod patted him on the snout and nodded to his Wyvern as the woman offered the meat. He cautiously approached, sniffing once more while Ilheod's hand lingered upon the wyvern's scaled and armored figure while his hand slid along the top with the body moving away from him. The light from the fire made his armor appear almost orange in the shadows of the barn coupled with the light. His hand patted the wyvern's thigh twice while the scaled beast waited for him to be fed. Ilheod cleared his throat speaking loudly.

"Since there are new faces again..why don't we all introduce ourselves eh? I'm Ilheod..Of bern."

Gazing at the girl he nodded to her before sitting back to the fire with his knee lifted and his arm hanging on his knee slightly.

"If you weren't a rider I wouldn't have allowed you too but you know how to treat him. I'm merely here to get some information or the location of a particular bandit. Durz. If any of you have heard of him I'd appreciate it..he's raided many villages and my units and I would like to bring him to justice."

[Alizarin]

The tomes were safe. Good. He sighed in relief when he opened the wrapped bundles in his satchel, revealing a Flux tome and a tome with a plain black cover. However, his other personal belongings - a bunch of letters, the map of the local area, traveling supplies, his journal and a useless red stone - were slightly damp. He scowled and sighed in resignation.

Then he heard Ilheod speak. Durz? The name was completely unfamiliar. He had encountered only a few bandits so far in his journey, and he rarely bothered with them, unless they took something from him, like the aforementioned useless red stone. Alizarin looked up at him shook his head.

"I haven't heard anything about him. My apologies."

[Willow]

"...Durz...Durz...

Nope, sorry. I knew a Dink... I killed him. That was a fun time. He attacked my small village, when I was home on leave. It was my dad and I and about half of the town blasting a half dozen bandits with the Holy Light of Elimine."

Willow laughed with genuine mirth. Oh, that man's face had been priceless as he writhed in the agony of the light of judgement. The Shine tome was a beautiful, beautiful thing.

"Anyway, Ali...Aliz...Alizarin, right? What brings you here? And you, ma'am, with the wyvern, I don't know that I've heard your name. You are?"

[Venessa Blackthorn]

"Durz, one who jumps borders to stay out of the Laws reach from different countries. I heard of him and was told to keep an eye out for him. Rumors were going around that he and his group of bandits were on their way to the Border of Etruria. And Miss Willow, my name is Venessa Blackthorn,Lt of the 2nd Light armour division of Etruria military.The rest of my unit is stuck in a town back further in the country side. " Sorrow raised her head as the other Wyvern came closer to them. Growling to herself, Venessa placed her right hand on her snout as she gave Ilheod's Wyvern the meat in her hand. The massive Wyvern feasted on the meat that was given to it. Smiling to herself, she would then add more. "Anyone hungry for some meat? I got extra."

[Ilheod]

Ilheod's eyes closed as the blue haired female spoke. While the death of bandit's brought him a sense of satisfaction in the knowledge that they were still being dealt with. he leaned his head down in thought, detecting the sounds of chewing as his wyvern snacked upon the hunk of meat. The light of the two fires was visible to him through a light orange in the darkness despite his eyes being closed. Astraeus slowly licked his chops, his tongue sliding along the sides of his razor barbed teeth to easily swipe small morsels quickly back into it's throat. Though typically an unnerving display to those not acustomed to creatures of such a manner, the wyvern seemingly happily slid back over to his rider and curled up around once more so Ilheod's back was to the wyvern's stomach with it's neck curled around so his snout rested short of the rocks containing the medium sized camp fire. A heavy slumber fell upon it quickly. Ilheod listened to the other Wyvern Rider's report while he contemplated. He had four days until his riders and he rejoined. Tactically it would be better to wait for them..but if he got past the boarder they would no longer know where he was. Ilheod opened his eyes again and spoke shortly after the young woman spoke.

"I have already eaten my ration for tonight. A half loaf of bread. However I would inquire of you all a question. If what you say is true. My unit is several days out. I can spread word through merchants for them to meet at a later date elsewhere, but if I wait to regroup with them it's likely I'll lose this valuable knowledge. The moment he passes the boarder I've no clue where he shall head. If I can intercept him there however it may prove effective. However....as much as I would like..Astraeus and I alone can not hope to best him. Not as we are. Would any of you be willing to assist me? I've no sums of gold I can offer, but through fairness possessions the bandit's have accumulated I'd see no strife in allowing you to seize. Especially since I am unable to see any realistic means of returning them to their owners. Should you decline I understand..it would require traveling until we reach the boarder the moment the storm ends. However within this group three have a steed of sorts to use, and it would be no burden to share such with a fourth lacking. Again..I hold no ill-will should to deny a potential suicide mission for a phantom's chance at riches acquired by the bandit leader. My own is a quest of security, revenge and justice. "

[Enren]

Rain was such a bittersweet sensation to the mage in blue. He loved the feel. He loved the smell, and practically every other sensation that went with it. The waters were comforting. However, he wasn't quite as fond of having to secure his clothing, and make sure none of his valuables or his books (which really were the same thing) were exposed to the downpours. One would figure a magic-imbued tome would handle a little water, but no. That would make things easy.

And so here he ran, hands clasped to his coat to keep it closed, his blue head wrap keeping his sand-colored hair from getting entirely drenched, but his clothing pretty much soaked to the point of that not mattering. His eyes were darting every which way, as he tried finding something suitable as shelter. Anything. The inn had turned him away, as did the shops. (As it happened, coin was a requirement for those. Something he was sorely lacking.) So he was put back on the streets instead. In the rain. Worse, in the rain, and now in the dark as well. The thrills of wandering, he thought with a cynically sarcastic laugh. When he passed through here, he figured Etruria might yet surprise him and throw some good luck his way, or at least some hospitality.

"My luck indeed..." he said to himself quietly as he kept moving through the rain. He wouldn't let it get to him. He'd keep moving with the flow. He'd end up where he needed to be at some point or another. After all, he and good luck were close friends, and failing that, fate would guide him.

And guide him it did.

"... What in the bloody..." Enren said, again to himself, this time in a more rough tone as opposed to his typical scholarly voice. It was hard to keep eloquent, when he found his eyes drawn to a glow from a building. And in that building... There was a veritable party of both beasts and men. Which was... Was curious the word? It felt like an understatement. Whatever word he was looking for, it would've been perfect to describe his new-found interest in this whole situation. He forgot entirely about the rain, and his original goals and motivations, all in favor of trying to see what was going on here.

He approached quietly. As quietly as a rainstorm would allow, which was a boon to his typical lack of stealth. When he got close, he had nowhere to hide behind, but he hoped the darkness and their eyes being used to the firelight would be enough to mask his presence as he crouched a bit lower. He was partly in awe. When he started this journey, not once had he seen a wyvern. Now, they were everywhere. And just look at the size of them, he thought! Wait... One man was speaking. The one in red.

Enren was sadly only able to catch the tail end of Ilheod's speech. He knew he had an offer for the group, but he had missed out on the context. A pity. He wondered what their objective was, this motley assortment of people. He couldn't really distinguish what each of them were. He was busy listening and observing. Of course, a cordial person would've made their presence known, but social graces weren't Enren's strong suit most days. And besides, he felt rude walking in while everyone was responding to a question.

He'd wait for them all to give their answers, or for his presence to be noticed before he'd say anything. Whichever came first.

[Alizarin]

"I was merely passing through this village." Alizarin answered Miss Willow's questions with the slightest hint of reproach. While he was annoyed by how she struggled with his name - blame father and the ridiculous family tradition - the way she casually laughing smiling with genuine mirth dancing in her eyes told how she and his father had killed half a dozen bandits unnerved him. He rather not stand out to this young woman. Instead, he chose to listen to the younger wyvern rider, who introduced herself as Venessa.

Then, Ilheod explained his intentions and invited everyone to help him take out this Durz character. It was tempting, the prospect of bandit spoils. Alizarin was not the type to chase after bandit loot, but purchasing the black book - a collection of treatises on the geometry of the sphere that he had been searching all over Etruria - has left him nearly broke. Still... bandits. That, and the scary woman. He may have to pass on this one.

However, as he was about to speak, he heard squelchy wet footfalls and saw another newcomer enter the premises.