Riviera
Pupil
"I hate idiots and weaklings..."
Posts: 66
Profession: Self-proclaimed genius, heir, student
Affiliation: Etruria Nobility, Royal Magic Academy
Affinity: Anima
OoC Alias: Mana
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Post by Riviera on May 15, 2015 9:01:25 GMT -6
There was a huge rainstorm covering a dense forest in the mountain area near Larguz. It hid the sky and filled the air with sound of thunder. The evening sun shone faintly between the black clouds to bring a bit light into the darkness. This kind of weather was one thing that most travelers would want to avoid when they hiked through the vast Bern mountains. Some of them, the wiser ones, would choose to wait until the next day or camp in the foot of the mountain. Some who foolish or inexperienced would choose to risk it and go anyway despite the danger the nature might provide.
Riviera wasn't foolish but she was too inexperienced and blinded by emotion when she made the decision to ignore the warnings. She had persisted to go through to the mountains. Normally, the noblewoman wouldn't do such a thing but she wanted to reach Larguz as soon as possible. It was the great desire to see her brother, who she had lost contact with for months, that rushed the young mage to make risky choice. Because the main road toward the fort was heavily guarded recently due to escalating war between the rebels and the Ilia-Bern government, it was hard or even almost impossible to get past the checkpoints along the main roads. And that was the reason why Riviera had chose the more difficult path through the mountains. It would be impossible even for the army to cover the mountain range entirely, there would be some blind spots where a small group of people could use to sneak in. But unfortunately, everything had gone badly since the night came and rain started pouring.
A drop of water fell from her bangs as Riviera pulled down her hood to protect her face from the rain. With the rainstorm like this her coat couldn't completely protect her from getting wet, most part of her clothes was drenched already. She looked pale and exhausted. This harsh environment was so much different from her luxurious life in Etruria, the blonde mage couldn't get used to it. "Oh, no...Where am I now?" she muttered weakly. The girl was scared although she wouldn't admit it. "I can't believe I've got lost. What will happen to me now...?" Her lips trembled as she began to feel her body freezing from the cold temperature of the mountain. Then the lightning roared again with flashes that brought bright light for short two seconds. In that short moment, Riviera's green eyes caught sight of a cave in the distance.
"A-A cave...? Thank you...Thank you, St Elimine!!" Riviera said as she jogged toward the cave.
As soon as the Etrurian lady entered the cave, her shaking legs gave in after she arrived in the dry part of the cave where the rain couldn't reach, a few meters from the cave mouth. Riviera leant her tired body against the wall and looked at he surrounding. It was dark and cold inside. "Fire...I need to make fire..." Riviera had read in her books that fire was essential for this situation, it would warm her body and dry her clothes. As a mage, it was easy for her to read some spell and create a fire. She just had to find something to burn first, which sadly would be difficult to find in this situation. "But for now...I guess I am going to restlike this for a moment...So tired...but no...no, I can't sleep..." It was hard to resist the sleepiness but she needed to stay awake if she didn't want to die.
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Post by Jya on May 16, 2015 10:41:39 GMT -6
An idiot, that's what she was. The rain had kept on pouring, yet she continued to run through it. It was a stupid thing to do, but she was determined. At the very least, she knew exactly how to survive in the wild. Hopefully her pursuers would relent on their chase.
Going into Bern was a gamble, one that she was desperate to see through. They wouldn't have expected it. By the looks of it, they didn't. In the end, her secret to success was surviving. The world can curse her existence all they want, but she'll be last one laughing as long as she kept breathing. No, she wasn't the type to curse the world. Whatever had happened was her own decision, as stupid and misjudged as it was.
Her luck and effort had gotten her out of one mess and into another. Bern had become rather unstable. She wished to use the turmoil to dodge around the country and exit to another. That wasn't going to happen though. With the amount of people she angered, of course her face had been plastered all around. That bounty wasn't going to vanish anytime soon. It was a lonesome living and undeniably dangerous.
With all that said, she had her share of other misfortunes. As barren as the mountain range was, it didn't guarantee seclusion. There were soldiers that littered the area. Sadly one group couldn't be avoided. The ensuing fight had left her tired and injured. While the other side had simply perished. It was easy enough to make it appear as though they were ambushed by simple bandits. Those were also in abundance around the world. Better for them to believe it as such.
None of her actions were meant to bring any harm. All she had ever done was try and live in this world. She left home, sick and dying in hopes of a cure. That priest had died by her hands since they threatened a friend. That woman in the arena, well, she powerful people looming over her to do it. She feared the consequences if she had simply rejected the offer.
This has led her to her current predicament. The cave was a nice shelter from the rain, not perfect, but worked well enough to keep the water off her clothes. She rested a ways in, away from the entrance, but nervously glancing to check for other lives. Luckily she managed to patch up her side from the wound, but that didn't stop it from hurting everytime she shifted positions. It was only a few light nicks and a slash wound. She'll live as long as she kept dry.
It wasn't long before there was a guest. Her hand was quick to rest on her throwing knife, her body pressed itself onto the wall. The darkness had always been there, keeping her out of reach from prying eyes. If it was a soldier, then hopefully they would pass, however should they choose to stay, they would meet an unfortunate end. Luckily for both of them, a woman appeared, drenched in rain. Whatever she was, they weren't a soldier or a bounty hunter.
"Get dry first," Jya warned as the woman mentioned something about sleep. She shifted uncomfortably in position, still keeping her weapon close. They appeared alone and honestly, she never did mind helping others while on the road. She was prepared to make her own fire before the untimely arrival. Reaching with her other hand, she took out a few supplies, throwing a bundle of tinder and kindling between the two of them.
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Riviera
Pupil
"I hate idiots and weaklings..."
Posts: 66
Profession: Self-proclaimed genius, heir, student
Affiliation: Etruria Nobility, Royal Magic Academy
Affinity: Anima
OoC Alias: Mana
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Post by Riviera on May 20, 2015 8:15:21 GMT -6
The voice surprised Riviera, who thought she was the only person in the cave. The noblewoman almost screamed when something was being tossed toward to the space between her and Jya, mistakenly thinking it was a wild animal. It was hard to see who the other person and what she had just thrown. Riviera could tell, after listening to the voice, that this person was a woman. Nice. Whoever she might be, it was more comfortable than being alone in a cave with a man, at least.
Riviera looked at the bundle and then at the vague figure who had spoken to her. The blonde mage didn't immediately reply. She also looked hesitant to get closer. "Is it okay to stay with her here?" she thought. There was a silence for a few second before Riviera finally mustered her courage to speak with the mysterious woman. "Y-Yes, you are right. I should dry myself first..." she said as she slowly untied the knot of her coat and let the coat fall off her shoulder to the ground. Wet coat wouldn't help making her warmer at all, it would only make her catch a cold. Riviera brought her hands up near her mouth and crouched as she tried to warm her hands by blowing it.
After her eyes got used to the darkness, Riviera could see that an item was on the ground although she couldn't really tell what it actually was. She then carefully touched it to make sure. "I am not sure what it is but this thing is dry. Maybe I can make a fire with this..." she thought. Pondering for a moment that the mysterious woman probably wanted her to burn the bundle, to bring them warmness in this cold cave, Riviera decided to just boldly burn it. She opened her palm and took aim carefully as her trembling lip recited the basic spell to call the spirit of fire, a beginner level magic. Soon, a small fireball appeared in the air and hit the bundle with precise control. She repeated the process again until the fire was big enough. Finally the cave got some light and warmness.
However, Riviera still felt uneasy with the presence of the woman with green robe in front of her. "Who are you? Why are you here?" Although the questions might be easily redirected to herself, the Etrurian lady believed she needed to at least know with whom she would spend the night in this cave with. Of course it went against the proper etiquette to ask for the name before introducing herself but Riviera couldn't think clearly now.
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Post by Jya on May 20, 2015 9:14:57 GMT -6
If Jya had any pride in her life, it would be her eyes. With the little light from the outside, she managed to make out enough details that didn’t put the two of them in harm. She had no plans to engage in any fights unless needed, it was bad to actually fit into the image she was given. Even with the assurance that the woman wasn’t involved with her, it didn’t make the situation any easier. She was likely still being pursued in some fashion and it was possible that the stranger might needlessly get involved.
She shifted in position out of unease, though her movement was tampered and subtle by general standards. Her eyes widened as the woman took out a book and proceeded to light a fire for them. She was expecting more normal means, but the result was the same. This wasn’t her first time encountering magic, but that didn’t make it any easier. The only noticeable other feature of magic users she understood was the tendency for them fold under a sharp blade. That didn’t make them any less deadly. It didn’t show on her face though, magic was beyond her and as long as it wasn’t aimed in her face, she would be fine with sharing the cave.
“I’m Jya,” she answered, considering how to answer the second part. It had become rather obvious not to go about touting you’re the infamous Emerald Wraith and the like, not that she felt the title was fully deserved. Some of the stories sounded far more horrifying than the truth.
“I’m a traveler, don’t really have a home or a place to be, so I guess more like a wanderer than,” she answered, giving her a good natured smile. She moved a bit closer to the fire, feeling much easier once her bones started to warm again. It took her a few moments to realize her mistake, but she quickly tucked her cloak over, hoping the woman didn’t notice her recently bound wound.
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Post by Tiz on May 21, 2015 7:00:13 GMT -6
"Why, why, why, why, why..." Lightning struck. The storm was getting noticeably worse, and Tiz had been caught right in the middle of it. "Ya go for ONE hike-- ONE adventure, and of course this happens." Lightning struck again, and Tiz jumped a little. The rain had been pouring so hard and so long that even his outer cloak had been soaked. His clothes were now getting wet, his hair was dripping, and soon, he dramatized, the hypothermia would set in. This was it for him, he thought. He sighed heavily and continued walking. The man had honestly just been out for a stroll, in part because his return trip from Ilia required him to go through Bern, but also because he had never been to Bern, and wanted to see how great these mountains were. Well, now, they weren't great. They were cold and wet and dire and impractical. Why did people take this road, he wondered? He surmised it must've been nicer when it wasn't so rainy and cold. So wet. So much wetness. The man sighed again. His lot in life was to suffer, he guessed. He chuckled a bit and continued on.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it--" Tiz stopped in his tracks. He noticed a band of men ahead-- three to be exact. Three armed men. Their garb was unassuming, but two had axes and one had a lance. The lance-wielder was taller, slender, and looked like a leader of sorts. Tiz's eyes widened. This was not what he wanted. Instinctively, he placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, but then realized how foolish it would be to take on three men whose skill levels he was completely unaware of. He sighed again. This was really the end. In the rain, too, of all weather. Couldn't have been sunny.
But they hadn't noticed him yet... He still had time to get away. He veered slightly off the road he had been taking, and made for a large rocky cave he could see above some treetops. He would hold out there until the men moved, and then hopefully, he could get back home to Laus and sleep for three days. As he approached the cave, completely soaked, Tiz had dreams of being dry and warm when he saw a fire. It didn't cross his mind that the fire had been set by someone, he just saw the fire and it consumed him. This was not it. He would, assuredly, without any doubt, be warm once more. He smiled and hurried his pace a bit, both to get away from the three scary men and to find this fire.
"Fir-- Oh..." Tiz stopped in his tracks and lowered his hood as he saw the two women crouched around the fire. He tried to recall any dreams that he had in which he got to be in the company of women in a cave, then dismissed the thought because this situation was more dangerous than his romantic teasings. It seemed coincidental that right after he escaped death, he very well could be faced with death again. "I, uh..." Tiz raised his hands, conveying that he was not there to hurt anyone, and smiled a disarming smile at them both. "I, um... Yeah, hey." He sat down near the fire. "Can I borrow this? Thanks." He didn't wait for a response. He was shivering and cold and couldn't feel his hands. He took off his cloak and let himself rest in his normal closed. Tiz closed his eyes, sighed, and warmed his hands by the fire. He was worried, but being alive and warm was more important.
If they were to kill him, he would take it. Everybody dies eventually. The man chuckled while he warmed himself in the seconds before their response.
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Riviera
Pupil
"I hate idiots and weaklings..."
Posts: 66
Profession: Self-proclaimed genius, heir, student
Affiliation: Etruria Nobility, Royal Magic Academy
Affinity: Anima
OoC Alias: Mana
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Post by Riviera on May 21, 2015 15:00:44 GMT -6
Riviera lowered her gaze to the fire which dancing beautifully between her and Jya. She felt like she had heard the green woman's name before. It was like...something important to remember. But it seemed the cold and exhaustion had disturbed her thought process, she couldn't take out the important information from her memory. However, gradually her expression changed as she slowly remembered about a famous female assassin called "Jya" or "Emerald Wraith". The assassin was more like an anti-hero than a hero for some people in Etruria but no one could deny that she was famous among the Etrurians. The tales portrayed her as someone with great assassination skill with the most notable achievement was probably the recent attempt to strike down Clair Fledsky. "But it is probably only a coincidence that she shares the same name with a famous assassin..." Riviera thought. She sighed and shook her head while convincing herself that the woman in front of her wasn't the Emerald Wraith. "But that green coat and that face...No...no...It can't be right..."
"Riviera...Riviera Mayfield...I am from Etruria. I came to this part of Bern to take care of a personal matter..." she said. The blonde girl still shivered when she spoke. The fire had made her warmer but even it couldn't take all the cold from her body. "Thank you for sharing your....wood? Sorry, I still don't know what this thing is. But I am really thankful that I can have fire now." Although Riviera knew the theory of how to start a fire and what needed to do so, she had zero experience in doing the actual task. She never lit the fireplace in her room by herself, that was the task for the servants, she just had to order them. Stealing curious glances at Jya and averting her gaze everytime their eyes met, the mage wondered if she should ask further about Jya's identity, if she was truly The Emerald Wraith. "By the way, we are very unlucky today, don't you think? I didn't expect a heavy rainstorm like this when I left..." she said, trying to make relaxed conversation.
Riviera was surprised and frightened when a figure suddenly entered the cave. It was a man. He looked like wanting to say something but the words were stuck in his throat. In the end, he simply stopped stuttering and joined the two girls around the fire. Unexpected and uninvited. Panicked by his sudden movement, Riviera reacted by quickly moving closer to Jya with scared expression. She didn't even hear the man thanking them for the fire. Closer to Jya made her feel safer and also helped to find courage to speak to their new cavemate. After a few seconds, those thin lips of hers finally muttered a short sentence in apologetic tone. "Sorry, I was surprised," she said to the man, staring at him. "That was very rude of me," she added.
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Post by Jya on May 21, 2015 16:16:31 GMT -6
Just because there was nothing to fear from the woman, it didn't give her cause to relax. If there was one thing Jya ever learned, it was to remain vigilante. The sad truth was that sleep is an extremely value commodity. The only people that seem to be able to afford were those that felt safe and those that simply had no reason to feel like anyone is out for your head.
"I think I'm from Etruria too, haven't seen my parents for ages though, can't even remember the name of the village," she replied with an introduction of her own.
"Not a problem, saw the storm coming so I had packed some tinder, got only a bit of fuel though," she assured, taking out a piece of wood. She hoped her supplies would last them through the night. It was possible, but hopefully the rain will pass so she scavenge more bits. Sometimes when it storms, it can last quite some time before it fully subsides. She paused a moment, considering her options. As much as she wanted to avoid towns, sometimes it wasn't much of an option.
"If you want, I wouldn't mind helping you get to the next town over, I've got to restock soon anyways," she offered, poking at the fire a bit to let more air through.
Keeping her eyes steady, she looked out at the pouring rain. It didn't seem like it'll be ending anytime soon. When the figure of a man approached, her fingers rested on the end of an arrow, but it wasn't a good idea to be hasty. When he finally approached and she took a better note of him, it made her a bit easier. Actually his interest in the fire was the best impression in comparison to what she expected.
"That's alright, no harm done," she answered, glancing over at Riviera. She seemed to have been startled enough to move towards her. This was quite alright, even if they only knew each other a few moments longer than the other.
"You alone too?" she asked quite curiously. It seemed that this was a ragtag group of travelers in the making.
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Post by Tiz on May 21, 2015 16:25:31 GMT -6
"Huh? Oh..."
Tiz had been distracted. His emerald eyes were reflecting the red-orange of the fire in a way that made it seem as though the greatest desire in the world was to be near a flame. It wasn't, really, but he was pretty cold and wet. Two things that seemed to always follow him were coldness and wetness, two sensations he wasn't particularly fond of.
His brow furrowed a bit as the blonde one scooted away from him, then apologizing for it. "Rude? Haha, whatever. It's like you're a scared puppy." Tiz smiled a big, genuine smile at the blonde girl, who seemed so much more afraid than she needed to be. "I'm not here to hurt you. Or pet you. I am here to get warm, though." Tiz sat back a little, relaxing, realizing that the chances were pretty good that he wasn't in danger from the cave crawlers. The three armed men he had seen before... Well, those he could not be so sure of. If they found the cave, he wasn't sure what would happen. But his accomplices were armed, and he was armed, so he figured if things went south he would very likely be okay. This made him relaxed. He sighed a big, happy sigh as he warmed his hands.
Tiz's eyes lit up. "Oh yeah!" he reached over his shoulder and pulled his sack forward into his lap, pulling out a pouch full of dry wheat crackers. He had been starving for a long time, but could not exactly eat in the middle of a rainstorm. He shoved cracker after cracker in his mouth, ignoring the two women for a moment as he refilled his stomach. "Oh geez, how rude of me. Sorry. Want some?" A mouth full of food, spitting crumbs all over the place, Tiz smiled again, a large, happy smile. It was rare that he wasn't jolly.
"Well, yeah. Alone, I guess. I could've made some friends outside, but they were armed and didn't look too friendly, so I took my chances in a completely unfamiliar cave. I guess you could say I'm not very good with foresight, now that I'm here with two armed women. Anyways... Travelers? Merchants? Friends? Lovers? I guess you couldn't be traveling armed to the teeth like you are. But you don't seem to want me dead-- yet-- so that's a good sign." Tiz leaned back a bit, resting on his shoulders.
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Riviera
Pupil
"I hate idiots and weaklings..."
Posts: 66
Profession: Self-proclaimed genius, heir, student
Affiliation: Etruria Nobility, Royal Magic Academy
Affinity: Anima
OoC Alias: Mana
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Post by Riviera on May 22, 2015 12:41:32 GMT -6
The man talked a lot but he didn't seem like a bad person, although he should probably act more gentlemanly. Riviera rolled her eyes when Tiz made some joke about her acting like a puppy, seeming displeased with the comparison. Her gaze were directed at the fire when the myrmidon took out some crackers and started eating with joy. "No, I am not hungry, but thank you for the offer," she replied. The blonde mage was lying. After the hardship she had endured under the rain and in the harsh mountain terrain, she needed to revitalize herself with food and water along with a comfortable sleep. Her cerulean eyes stared at the crackers in his hand for a moment before she turned away so she wouldn't have to see his crude way of eating. "He doesn't have table manner at all..." she thought. The two reasons that made Riviera hold her appetite were her unwillingness to eat such low quality foods. Besides, the Etrurian carried her own provision.
Riviera raised a brow as she listened to Tiz's explanation. She realized that he had mentioned something about unfriendly armed men around this area, which probably meant trouble. As if the storm wasn't bad enough, now would they have to risk encountering dangerous people? But Riviera's rain of thought was disturbed as she felt uncomfortable with Tiz's random guess about her and Jya being lovers. "Actually, I've just met Jya here by coincidence. I was looking for shelter when I stumbled into this cave. She then helped me make the fire..." Now the topic about Jya reminded the blonde mage of her previous concern. She glanced at Jya secretly then quickly turned before the assassin noticed. She didn't have any problem with sharing a cave with The Emerald Wraith, if this Jya was truly the real one, but somehow she couldn't stop feeling nervous. It wasn't fear, though, maybe more like feeling nervous for being near such famous figure.
"Wait...Oh, no...!!" Riviera remembered about the food she had bought in the town, mostly chocolates and cakes. She reached for her bag in hurry and opened it. Just like her clothes, all her belongings were soaked, including one paper box where she had put her food in. Some things like her tome only got a little wet but some others were beyond saving. The paperbox, too, was badly soaked and the foods inside it were probably not even edible anymore. "My cakes....Oh no, it doesn't even look like a food anymore...I knew I should have wrapped the box with something," she unconsciously spoke her mind out loud. Resigning to her fate to hold her hunger, although she actually could eat Tiz's cracker if she wasn't too stubborn, Riviera returned to her initial spot near the fire between Jya and Tiz. She was sulking and depressed.
"By the way, Jya...about your previous offer...do you really mean it? I will head toward Larguz after this storm stops. I think I could have a traveling companion," she said.
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Post by Jya on May 22, 2015 15:02:02 GMT -6
The man seemed friendly enough, so Jya eased off on her own weapons. He seemed to just be another unfortunate traveler that got caught in the storm. What troubled him was the supposed existence of another group, armed. It shouldn't be any trouble if they were brigands, no one ever seemed to have sympathy for those types. It was understandable, they took from others, but she was much the same. As long as they didn't threaten her, she wouldn't have to take out her blade.
"Ah, can I have those? We can dry the box next to the fire and use it fuel, if you're willing. Plus those food might come useful later, you'll be surprised what some animals are attracted to," she asked, looking over at Riviera's ruined items. There was one thing that she had always been, she never wasted any resources if possible. It would seem that her supplies were damaged, but they were somewhat close to a town. She had stocked up enough provisions to last until then and foraged as well as hunted for quite a deal more. Looking over at the cracker eating man and the mage, she reached into her supply sack.
"Here, I'll trade you," she offered, pushing a small bundle of dried venison, wrapped in leather at the woman. It had been aged for months, so the taste was going to be a bit strong. She had made it for herself awhile back, but she found herself nibbling on her herbs and fresher kills. These were supposed to be emergency rations, but she had a great deal extra laying around. Due to her old habits, she carried a great deal of herbs with her, plus spices. So making something like this was easy.
"You should use this," she spoke, digging a bit further and taking out another, smaller block of meat. After unwrapping the food, she offered up the leather.
"It would be bad if anything more gets ruined, though you two will need to help finish this up, no use wasting it," she said, holding up the dried hunk of meat. With that done, she took out her carving knife, cutting into it with practiced ease, distributing the strips evenly among the three of them. Sure the meat won't be ruined if she just stuffed it back into her bad, but crackers were hardly nutritious and one needed to eat as unpleasant as it can sometime be.
"Yes, I mean it, the road is safer with more people," she said, giving her a cheerful smile. Plus, the so called Emerald Wraith supposedly worked alone, so it would actually throw off some suspicions.
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Post by Tiz on May 22, 2015 15:14:47 GMT -6
This was a regular feast, as far as Tiz was concerned. What sorts of people was he with, anyway? These were not some fresh travelers coming from Bern who had just gotten caught in the rain. Both of these women were too prepared, too armed, to have been out for a stroll, or off somewhere, or returning home. No, he thought, there was something significant here. What that significance was, he would work to find out. Maybe. Unless things got too terse.
"Are you kidding me?" Tiz laughed, looking at the two. "You have all that food, and I'm sitting here with some old crackers? Come on, cut me a break," he shook his head, smiling. The woman claimed not to be hungry, but he wasn't so sure. She was probably scared. She was young and spoke with an air of aristocracy, like she was somehow of more import than some others. Perhaps she was. Tiz probably wouldn't ask if she was royalty or anything. That seemed rude, and unbefitting of a stranger to do.
"You some sort of royalty, miss, ah... Riviera, was it?" Whatever. It didn't matter. They were in a cave during a storm. Niceties should well be put aside. She had mentioned Jya, supposedly the other woman. He wondered if it was THE Jya, but if it was, he probably shouldn't bother with it. They weren't necessarily enemies by principle, nor were they friends. She was supposed to be from Etruria, and he was Lycian, so there ought not be any bad blood. He didn't think. Honestly, he didn't really know what to think. But if he had truly stumbled upon the Jya everyone had spoken of, the assassin, perhaps Tiz should be on more guard. Especially with his crackers. She couldn't get the crackers. At any cost, Tiz would protect the crackers.
"Jya, Riviera. Nice to meet you guys." Tiz smiled briefly, then returned to eating, this time a little more carefully, with a little more manner in his style. He wasn't always so socially ungraceful; after all, being in the military for four years had taught him what to do and when to do it. Royalty was one case where he needed to be on guard. He didn't know where Riviera was from, or where she was going, but he figured if she was important-- especially in the presence of Jya-- he should act with caution.
"Any chance you guys need a third? I mean, I hate to bother, but I, uh, haha, could also use some time to restock. Maybe catch my bearings. I've been on the road for a while, and--"
Tiz was cut off as his tuned ears picked up some footsteps behind him. Surely not. Surely not that damned group from before. It couldn't be. What were the chances? Okay, the chances were pretty good, but still, Tiz was not looking forward to a fight. He heard a voice, unable to distinguish from which of the three hooded figures it had come from. Probably the lance-wielder, the one who seemed to lead the other two.
"Whaddya know boys, looks like we got three, ripe for the pickin'! And food, too!"
Tiz easily placed his hand on the hilt of his blade. They would not have his crackers. They were all he had.
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Riviera
Pupil
"I hate idiots and weaklings..."
Posts: 66
Profession: Self-proclaimed genius, heir, student
Affiliation: Etruria Nobility, Royal Magic Academy
Affinity: Anima
OoC Alias: Mana
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Post by Riviera on May 24, 2015 16:14:01 GMT -6
"Take it..." Riviera said with sad tone. She still couldn't get over the loss. Those cakes were her favorite, after all. Pushing it slowly with the tip of her fingers, she sent the wet box toward Jya. She seemed a bit surprised that someone wanted this junk, though. "I am not sure how you plan to use the box and the foods but you can have them." Even though she still felt disappointed and angry for the mess caused by her negligence, Riviera was successful in maintaining polite tone when she replied to Jya's request. Jya seemed more knowledgeable and experienced with these kind of things so it would be better to just trust her and let her have the box.
Riviera stared at the meat with troubled expression that showed her hesitation to eat or reject the food. She didn't have food anymore so accepting the offer of Jya or Tiz should be the most logical choice, unless she wanted to bear the hunger until she reached the destination. Like the cracker, the dried meat, despite being well-cooked, wasn't the kind of food Riviera would eat. She was unsure with the taste and the nutrition the food could provide. What would happen if it wasn't hygienic? What if it had germs and bugs in it? Would it make her sick? What if it would taste horrible? Alright...she was exaggerating things. But she never tried these kind of foods before, having used to eating luxurious food made by the best cooks. Sighing, she finally decided to make up an excuse and politely refuse. "I am not hungry but tha-...." But before the Etrurian mage could finish the sentence, her stomach betrayed her by making a growling sound. She actually felt hungry, after all. Her cheeks reddened after the embarrassing moment passed and the girl could only look down while hiding her embarrassment.
Riviera hadn't had the chance to say anything or respond to Tiz's inquiry when three men came. This new development was truly unpleasant. If before Tiz frightening her was only an misunderstanding, this time she was truly scared. The girl even started to get overwhelmed with fear. Those hooded men didn't look like someone who she could talk peacefully with. Something told her that they would be a serious problem for her and her companion. Her tiredness and frustration from before had drained Riviera's mental strength, leaving her unable to maintain her calm when this kind of danger approached. So then...she could only glance at her companions, hoping they could somehow solve this situation.
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Post by Jya on May 26, 2015 9:21:21 GMT -6
Jya nibbled at the piece of meat she had cut off. It was only a small slice, but it was enough to satisfy for hunger. She really did need help with it, but that didn't mean she'll share with others that come about demanding her possessions. If Jya was a more caring person, than maybe she will try to teach them some sort of lesson, but sadly that was beyond her ability. She almost watched with disinterest as the three approached. A lance user and two axe wielders had appeared at the mouth of the cave.
There wasn't much if any hint on her face. She was having an internal debate on whether to kill them or not. Losing all her stuff here would be extremely unfortunate. Sure she can steal back what she needed on the next town over, but that meant a great deal of complications. It didn't seem as though they would leave them alone even if they handed over all their items.
"Hand 'em over," the leader ordered rather loudly. Their voice and tone grated on her ears and nerves. She finished up her food and carefully wrapped it up, just until this ordeal is over. If she was going to kill one then all will have to die. It was better than having them run off and tell others. Her sides still hurt like hell, but she seemed to have two competent allies in this mess.
"No," she said plainly, just loud enough for them to hear. Of course they didn't like her answer, but they were most likely going to hate what was coming next. She got up, simply put and began walking steadily and quietly towards them. It was unnerving to say the least, but she found that using the tension was a great advantage. Now if they weren't looking at her, they wouldn't even know that someone was heading their way. She kept her killing intent hidden, and her hand on her killing edge.
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Post by Tiz on May 26, 2015 13:14:00 GMT -6
Tiz sighed, and then laughed. "Please, not the crackers. They're all I have!" He pleaded, bemused, and a little irritated. As he watched the cloaked woman approach the men so fearlessly, he was a bit unnerved. Tiz hadn't seen such visual prowess before. Even he, a hardened military veteran by all accounts, was not so fearless. This woman could very well be the one that they all talked so fervently about in years past... He needed to be careful.
Looking back towards the frightened young mage, Tiz was confused. Was she helpless? Was she going to do anything? She didn't even have time to answer his first question before looking a bit unnerved herself. The young man sighed again, and stood up. He moved his neck to both sides, cracking the air bubbles that had formed from staring at the fire for so long. As Jya approached, he loosened himself up. He placed his hand on his sword hilt and drew closer to them, behind Jya, moving quickly.
As his movements quickened exponentially, Tiz was upon one of them, face to face, quicker than any movement he had made so far. His sword was drawn and behind him. He smiled. "Let's jam!"
He sidestepped one of the axe wielders to the side, grabbing his wrist as the axe came down, causing him to lose balance and stagger a bit as Tiz conveniently placed himself behind him. He lightly bounced back and forth on either foot, as if he were about to dance or do a cartwheel. Tiz dashed forward again, sword forward and pointed, and with great speed, met the axe wielder, who had come down hard with his axe. The two weapons locked in combat. Tiz could tell he was infinitely faster, but also infinitely less powerful. This would be fun.
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Riviera
Pupil
"I hate idiots and weaklings..."
Posts: 66
Profession: Self-proclaimed genius, heir, student
Affiliation: Etruria Nobility, Royal Magic Academy
Affinity: Anima
OoC Alias: Mana
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Post by Riviera on May 26, 2015 14:52:08 GMT -6
Riviera moved almost at the same time Tiz attacking the hostile men. But instead of helping her allies, she retreated deeper into the cave to get away from the fight as far as possible. The academy had taught her about battle and practices by dueling between students wasn't uncommon. In fact, she was one of the top students with the highest winning percentages among her fellow students. But this...? Riviera had never imagined a real fight would be so frightening. They were using real weapon which designed to fatally injure people. It was so different from the dueling practices that used harmless spells and barrier as safety measures. She was even still traumatized by her memory of being attacked and almost kidnapped by a thug. That time someone had saved her, thankfully, but it didn't prevent the girl from getting emotional scar.
Watching the weapons clash and the fighters exchange blows, Riviera made another step backward. In her hand was her magic tome she had picked up before but she didn't seem to have intention to use it or join the battle. If the Etrurian mage was in her normal state, she would probably have acted tough and done something to help like usual. The current Riviera simply was too exhausted and stressed to do that. She couldn't hide her real feeling.
"Stop this!!!" Riviera yelled. Of course her voice wouldn't stop those ruffians. It might make situation worse, actually. She had shown those guys that she was the weakest and most vulnerable person among them. Hopefully those guys wouldn't decide to pick her as first target. If that truly happened, though, the girl wouldn't have any choice. She had to defend herself although it was unlikely that she would success. Even the most experienced mage needed clear mind and concentration to control their spells, those two were key factors which Riviera didn't have in her current state.
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