Thunder and Lightning (Euphemious/Renoir)

[Renoir]

The walk had been long and arduous. It was hard on Renoir with his wound, but as the two men walked slowly and carefully, Renoir managed to not reopen his wound and cause further trouble. He was a quick healer by nature-- he didn't know why, but it always benefitted him, especially on nights like tonight. The evening had been a mess, and more than anything, he just wanted to make it to town to see how the girls had fared, but above all, to get some sleep. He needed a nice bed and hours of rest. It sounded like an absolute dream to him. Turning his head back to Euphemious, he spoke.

"Looks like we're almost there." Thank Elimine they were almost there. Closing his eyes, Renoir sighed. He could see the inn. They were here. Honestly, he could stay in the inn for a few days and it wouldn't be long enough. But they had a job to do. They had lots of work ahead of them, and Renoir had no idea how difficult it would be... As a likely stronghold, there was no sense in thinking it would be a cakewalk. But with a walking tank at his side, and with his own stealthy prowess, he figured they could probably get the job done. But that was a worry for tomorrow. Tonight, it was time to rest.

Renoir stopped just short of the inn's doorway. Looked like it doubled as a tavern. That would be nice... He could buy a drink, collect supplies across the street, and go to bed. He turned to Euphemious. "Where do you think the abducted women ended up going? Should we find them before we check in? Ah, and as I remember, you have business to attend to, whatever that is." He turned to face the door to the inn again.

"As for me, I'll follow your lead. Not much of a decision maker myself, you know," He smiled at the knight. "But I suppose I would like to be sure those women made it here safely."

[Euphemious]

It was a long trip back. Even longer since Euphemious had to walk at a pace the sniper could keep up with without reopening his wounds. Well that was how it was at the beginning. Near the end of the trip it changed. The General's armor was starting to feel heavy. Euphemious had spent the entire day marching in it and fighting in his steel. The weight had finally placed burden on the General's shoulders. As much as Renoir was tired so was Euphemious. However the knight could not rest. He could not rest till he was sure the young ladies were safe. His partner had a similar idea, but he seemed more exhausted than the knight. It might be best if he got to bed or got some rest already. Still he was persisted and wanted to find out where the maidens where. The knight also wanted to know.

"Lets check the town hall", spoke Euphemious as he pointed toward the big building in town. If they came thought this area, which there wagon tracks told, then they will more than likely be there. The Inn will still charge them and they have no money. Even the kindest Inn keeper could not take them all in without charging a fee. Without another word the knight began to walk toward the building. "You know if you want to go check into the Inn i will not hold it against you", spoke Euphemious as he turned back to look at the sniper. "You did get stabbed pretty deeply. You may even want to have the town doctor look at it. I know my first aid skills are good in the field, but I am no master. It would probably be best to have a professional take a look at it. We can't have you killing over before we even start our quest", spoke Euphemious.

A quest. Here Euphemious had swore off quests. The last time he went on a quest he awoke a dragon the terrorized all of Bern. He wondered what would happen after this one. At least this time he was not searching for treasure so he was sure his karma would not backfire on him.

[Renoir]

Renoir paused to think for a moment, placing his hand on his chin and looking down at the ground. He definitely wanted to make sure the women were okay, but there were two of them. No sense in them both going, especially when he needed serious medical examination. As the knight turned to walk away, Renoir made up his mind. "You go, my friend. Give them my regards; I'm sure they'll swoon when they see you." He smiled and nodded at him as he turned to walk away. "Suppose I'll try to doctor," The man said to himself, placing two fingers on his temple, agitated by his situation. Such was his curse, he supposed. As a man defined by his ability to do well from afar, he certainly laid no claim to fame getting hit with a throwing knife without having seen it coming. He sighed. He was better than that. Fate had it out for him, he decided.

He was unfamiliar with the town, so he glanced around at the buildings, smiling occasionally at the few people still out this late that were passing by. The young man walked a ways, his hand still gripping his stomach, until he saw a sign with a medical cross on it and saw the open sign posted outside the door. Thank Elimine, he said to himself. It's probably an open clinic... he hoped there were no lines.

Stepping inside, Renoir immediately sighed a great sigh of relief. There were no other people, save for the doctor himself, who smiled warmly at the man and then looked immediately at his stomach. Renoir unlatched his bow and quiver, setting them in the corner. "Hello," he said bluntly, sitting down in a chair next to the man. "Suppose it's not your charge to ask about these things, but I found myself hit with a knife in the stomach. I had it treated; I just want to be sure it's not infected." He looked out the window as he spoke to the doctor in his typical warm voice.

"Of course," replied the Doctor as Renoir undressed his torso. The doctor peeled back the cloth bandage and examined his wound. "Hm. Well, it could be a lot worse. You took care of it just in time. Just get a good night's sleep, and please stay off your feet for a few days if you can."

I don't have that luxury, Renoir thought as he stared blankly out the window, thinking about any other prisoners like the women they had freed earlier that day.

"You should be fine. You're free of infection. I have some pain-killing salve if you want it--"

Renoir chuckled, raising a hand politely to stop the doctor. "No thanks, I promise I'm alright." He smiled warmly, thanked the man for his appraisal, and walked back to the inn. His injury still hurt. He wondered how Euphemious was doing.

Walking inside the inn, Renoir decided to have a drink before bed. He sat down at the bar and nodded to the barkeep. "Whatever your palest ale is will do just fine, thank you." he said, the same matter-of-fact tone dominating his manner of speech. As the barkeep passed him the glass, Renoir sighed a happy sigh and took a drink. It had been a long time since he had treated himself.

[Euphemious]

Oh he took his advice. Euphemious figured the man would push on anyway. Most people in Bern were stubborn like that. As matters of fact the man seemed willing to listen to Eupehmious very easily. The knight wondered if he was from Bern truly. He said he lived in Bern, but he did not say he was from Bern. It was really sad however that not being a stubborn idiot made Euphemious wounder if they were from Bern. They would do a lot better if they would just take peoples advice more readily. As the knight reached his destination he saw the carriages sitting beside the building. It was a good sign. As he walked up to the door he was greeted by the chief of the town guard. He was a burly man and wore a set of light armor. From the looks of him he was a soldier. Euphemious had a lot of respect for the common man, but at this moment he figured the man was about to be annoying.

"Halt", spoke the guard captain. His insignia told the knight of his rank. "No outsiders aloud inside at the moment."

"I jut want to know if the women who came by the carriage ar...", spoke Euphemious however he was cut off by the lightly armored man as he drew his sword.

"You must be one of the slavers", shouted the man. For some strange reason he had jumped to conclusions and drew his weapon on the General. At first it seemed weird to the knight, but after a moment of thinking he was starting to understand. The man probably thought him and the archer died. The last thing the young ladies saw was Euphemious fighting the general by himself and a knife inside the stomach of the sniper.

"Hold on a second", spoke Euphemious, but the other soldiers stepped up to to try to place the general under arrest.

"Wait a minute", spoke a feminine voice as one of the young girls stepped out from the town hall. Euphemious remembered her as she was the one he gave the key too. "He is not one of them. He was the knight that saved us. Him and the archer."

"Oh so he was the one", spoke the captain as he looked at his men. The soldiers backed off and gave Euphemious a apology

"Thank you sir", spoke the maiden as she walked up and grabbed Euphemious hands. "The others would be joyed to see that you are safe. How about", she spoke, but the General cut her off.

"Sorry, but I am not really in the best mood for meet and greet", spoke Euphemious as he removed her hands. "I just came to see if you all were alright. There is still a lot of prepeartins I need to make and I need some rest so we are going to have to scheduled that for later." Without another word Euphemious began to walk away.

"Wait can we get your name", spoke the maiden toward the fleeing General.

"Its Euphemious", spoke the General. "The archer who also helped save you was Renoir", spoke Euphemious adding him in. Renoir did as much work as he did, but he was not in the open like the knight. As a matter of facts Euphemious probably would have failed if it was not for him. He deserved more recognition than he gained.

[Renoir]

"Looks like he's not out of the woods just yet," Renoir said to himself. He had his arms folded as was leaning against a light post watching the conversation between Euphemious and the town guard unfold. He had finished his drink and come outside to examine the situation. He was far enough away to be unsuspicious-- he didn't need to cause any more trouble, and he didn't much care for thanks or gratitude. He turned one of his hands over and examined his nails, unimpressed. It was his duty, nothing more. He didn't need to build any more of an ego, after all. He knew that.

He chuckled lightly as Euphemious gave them his name, and then as the general started walking back towards him, he flashed him a decent smile. "Seems you're famous now, my friend," he joked, standing straight so he was no longer leaning against the light post. He didn't look back to the girls at the town hall as he turned to walk back to the inn with his new companion. "The life of a celebrity," he mused, brushing some hair away from his face lightly. He stepped in front of the inn and held the door open for Euphemious. "Perhaps now we can call it a night. Get a drink, settle in, and be off tomorrow, hm?"

In some sense, he was worried. He had no idea what to expect. Just the two of them had encountered two of the caravans and eight men-- what did that say about this supposed stronghold? Surely it would be more well guarded. He was beginning to feel the pangs of worry. If their fight this evening was any indication of the time they would have tomorrow in Sacae, it would, no doubt, prove infinitely worse. Renoir would have to be extremely careful. If it weren't for his guided moral compass, he would abandon this mission entirely. This could cost him his life, if he weren't careful. He knew that. Mentally, he was prepared.

[Euphemious]

"A celebrity", spoke Euphemious as he walked up to the sniper? The knight had a puzzled look on his face as the man thought he would soon become popular. "Please don't let the praise fool you", spoke Eupemious as he took his helmet out an strapped it on his head. The knight wanted none of that. He was simply a knight doing his duty as a knight. He did not want fame or recognition for it. At the most he simply wanted a better reputation for the rebellion and in this situation he was not even going to push that. The joy of seeing the young ladies free was more than enough for him. He had two cousins back in Phoenix Falls. If they were kidnapped he preyed that somebody would rescue them as well. "People don't remember the people who saved them. They remember the idea of the person or the figure of them. By the end of the month most of those girls would not be able to pick me out of a crowd of people. Besides I did not do it for fame. I did it because it was right", spoke the General as he walked into the inn.

The last mission told him a lot about his opponents. They were bold, which meant that they have been doing this for quite some time. They were also organized. Even though the duo took them out pretty quick they still managed to wound the sniper and push Euphemious to the limits of his ability. Though the knight came out of the battle with little actual wounds he still almost died in the fight. No opponent had ever broke his shield in battle. The very fact that it happened made Euphemious worried. What in the world was waiting for them in sacae. They would most definitely be far better secured than the first spot.

"I am going to need some new weapons", spoke Euphemious suddenly as he looked at his guan dao. The General was sure he could not come out of this alive if he relied on his spear alone. The General nearly took him out because of that. If Eupemious had been using a axe he might of done some serious damage when he got his first hit in or if he had a sword he could have cut down the other two faster. The spear was a effective weapon, but it would not carry him through all of his engagements.

[Renoir]

"But of course," Renoir said, smiling. "You would be surprised at how many faces are remembered. For good deeds, as well as bad," he said evenly. "I can't say for certain whether or not my face is remember for more good, or for more bad. I'm certain the fates will tell me in due time." He laughed. The man was right-- neither of them had saved the girls for the glory, which was a good place to be in. Beyond the fact that it always made Renoir feel good to do something good, he had prevented the loss of innocence among of group of young women who would have otherwise had it stripped from them as prisoners of a disgusting system. He was glad for that, if anything. It would always be more than enough.

Renoir sighed as the two walked into the inn. It was true-- Euphemious needed, at the very least, to repair his weapons, if not find some new ones. And he himself needed more arrows. Perhaps a larger quiver for new encounters that waited beyond the walls of this city. He could tackle that issue in the morning, he decided. Looking to Euphemious, he stopped just short of the bar and folded his arms. "You need new weapons, and I need a night and half's worth of rest. Unfortunately we don't have that luxury," he looked up towards the stairs where the rooms for the inn were located. "let us continue this tomorrow, what do you say?" He smirked, and spun around slowly, heading towards the steps. He had purchased his room earlier.

As he climbed the stairs and found his room, Renoir was pleased. The accommodations were nice-- far better than he was expecting. He sat himself down on his bed slowly, removed his tunic, pulled up his shirt and examined his wound. He would be fine. If he was careful, he would be more than okay. With a happy sigh, he fell back on his bed, the sheets still made. How comfortable. It had been some time since he'd stayed in an inn, and thankfully this night would be like heaven to him. He undressed, placed his armaments against the end table next to his bed, and put out the fire in the lamp that kept the room alive.

Very soon, he drifted off into a deep, restorative sleep.

[Euphemious]

"Your not the only one", spoke Euphemious as he motioned toward his shoulders. "I spend a few days following the tacks of that caravan and moving through the woods. I too could use a good night sleep", spoke the knight as he gave the innkeeper a few extra coins. Euphemious always payed a little extra when he stayed in a Inn. He wanted the furthest room from the entrance and he was willing to pay the coin out to get it. It was a safety precaution, thought he never truly needed it, but he did so in case somebody ever came after him. "Right we will continue in the morning", spoke the knight as he retreated to his room. Euphemious began to count the coins in his bag. He was going to have to buy a horse. The two of them were in bad enough shape and the long road to sacae would drain there strength. If he bought two steeds it would make the journey a lot quicker. Plus the General had been meaning to buy a horse for a long time. He just never had the reason.

The General then began the long process of removing his armor and cleaning it. Proper care for ones armor was a key factor in battle. The fool who allowed his armor to rust would soon find a spear piercing through his heart. Old Omar use to have so many sayings that proved useful in his travels. He wondered how the old man was doing. Euphemious had not seen him since his trip to Phoenix Falls almost a year ago. He hoped he was doing well. Actually he hoped that they all were doing well. Gwendolyn and Anistasia were tough, but they were still young girls. Euphemious worried about them even more now that he discovered this kidnapping scheme. That was even more reason for Eupemious to be motivated. These dirty slavers where going to die! The General invisioned his cousins being abducted by these foul men. The very thought set his blood to boil. "Right I am going to kill them all", spoke Euphemious as he took off his last piece of armor. The kngiht then laid down in his bed and let his body sink into slumber. He had a long day ahead of him and a even longer trip.

[Renoir]

The morning came sooner than Renoir would have wished, despite the fact that he was typically a very early riser. His wound felt considerably better even with just one night of rest, and he realized this the moment he awoke. When the man finally decided to get out of bed, he stumbled over to the mirror on the far side of the room and pulled down the bandage. It looked like his wound was beginning to close itself up, in large part due to the care of both Euphemious and the doctor that had treated him the night before. He was more thankful thank he had been the day before, when he was still worried about the possibility of infection. He seemed safe for now.

Renoir ran his hands through his hair in a half-pitched effort to rid himself of bedhead, then donned his clothes and his gear. Quietly retreating back downstairs, he noticed the bar was completely empty and the barkeep was cleaning glasses. This was to be expected... Even in hard times like these, it was extremely rare to find a morning drinker. Renoir was thankful for that. What it pit it must be to feel the need to drink so early...

Approaching the bar, Renoir leaned in to speak to the man. "Excuse me," he began politely, his honey-dipped voice permeating the silent air. "But my friend and I are in need of weapons, and frankly, I'm not familiar enough with this town to know the best place to go. Coin is not an issue. Where is my luck best?"

The barkeep smiled and placed the glass down on the bar, having just finished cleaning it. "Down the road, turn left outta this place, hit the right corner at the end of the street. Not but a minute's walk from here. A place called 'Kirkland's Armaments', they have the best reputation of any city in the immediate area. They'll do you right."

Renoir thanked him, though he had trouble believing it was so high quality. Everyone said that about their favorite weapons shop, but it didn't matter. He just needed arrows. He stood by the door, waiting for Euphemious to wake up and ready himself for their trip. They would get weapons, and head to Sacae. A simple mission... though his hardest by far, he was sure.

[Euphemious]

Dawn came and the knight was already at work. The first thing he did after getting his armor on of course was go visit the local stables. He knew they had some horses for sale. He saw it when he first passed through the town. The stable man was still asleep at the time, but the sound of someone walking outside awoke him form his slumber. You could not pay the man to remake the expression on his face as he walked outside with his wooden club. He expected to find some beggar or a lowly horse thief snooping around the stables. However a well armored clan in black steel was far from his expectations and sent a cold chill down his spine. "I would like to buy two of your finest horses", spoke Euphemious as he turned toward the man. His facial expression puzzled him, but once he dropped the gold in the man's hand he straighten up quick.

After getting his two horses Euphemious returned back to the Inn. He was sure the archer was still awoke, but to his surprise he was outside his door. "Need something", spoke the knight as he walked up to the man. He then handed him a piece of paper giving him ownership to creamed color steed outside. Euphemious kept the black one for himself. It matched his armor and his theme color. "If we are going to sacae I figured we could use horses", spoke the knight as he turned to head back down to the bar. "The white one is yours. Consider it pay back for saving my hide in the last fight", spoke Euphemious as he walked down stairs and looked at the bark keep. "Give me a bottle of whiskey", spoke the knight as he passed coin over to the man. From the outward view it would seem the knight was a drunk, but the truth of the matter was that Euphemious was gathering resources. Whiskey was not only a great for sterilizing medical equipment, but also useful as a pain killer. After the last fight Eupemious figured that one of them was going to get injured on the trip.

[Renoir]

"Oh?" With folded arms and a single raised eyebrow, Renoir watched Euphemious approach him. So he'd been up earlier. That was good-- maybe he'd gotten some things done in the meantime, while Renoir slept a bit. As the man approached and handed him the writ, Renoir was authentically surprised. He laughed a bit and addressed the knight. "I shot a few men, and I got a horse? Can't wait to see what happens when I shoot a few more."

Lightning, the ticket read. The horse's name. Interesting. Renoir folded the writ and stuck it smoothly in his breast pocket.

He followed Euphemious back into the inn as the man ordered alcohol. This early? Renoir wouldn't ask. It wasn't his business if the man wanted to begin drinking early, so he wouldn't judge. He was confused, though, since he didn't take even a sip of it; he merely stored it away, probably for later. That was fine. Renoir had better things to spend money on... But if this man could buy two horses and then a bottle of whiskey, it was likely he wasn't light on coin. His wallet might have even been overwhelmingly full. He didn't know how much the Bernese military paid its knights.

Renoir coughed a moment to clear the air, then spoke plainly to his companion. "We need weapons. I need arrows, and you need to at least repair your equipment. I found the location of a decent shop, so come with me and we'll ready and on the road in no time." Without waiting, Renoir stepped out the door and headed down the street, assuming the knight would follow closely behind. Once he reached the shop, he smiled pleasantly and walked inside.

In not time at all, Renoir noticed the ranged section of the shop. He perused the shelves, hand pressed tightly to his chin, examining the bows. There were longer ones, shorter ones, ones with elegant design... He was a simple man who needed simple things to get the job done. The elegance of this shop was astounding. He wondered if these armaments were as efficient as they were beautiful. His average sized, reinforced wooden bow would do him just fine for the time being. But arrows... He found them. The stock iron arrows here were cheap, so he bought as many as would fit into his quiver. He paid for them, happy with his purchase.

[Euphemious]

"Right", spoke he knight as his companion moved for them to hit the net stop on there resupply point. Euphemious knew that he needed to have his new shield looked at. His Guandao on the other hand. He did not fear for it. It was a regal blade. The blade was said to be indestructible and the General has not found anything yet that could break the metal. He did however have some other business he wanted to attend to. As the General walked into the shop he approached the shop keep. "Can you appraise the condition of this weapon", asked Euphemious as he presented the blade he kept on his side. I want to know if it is fit for battle or do I need some work done on it."

"Really", spoke the man as he took the sword. He noticed a seal on it and his eyes widen. It was the first time somebody had noticed the crest of the Phoenix. Euphemious however did not say anything, but instead simply stared at the man. He wanted to know the condition of the blade and he was sure the man was going to share his thoughts on the sword without him alerting to him that he knew.

"Well, well", spoke the shop keep as he looked at Euphemious. "This is a fine blade indeed. You don't mind me asking where you found it", he spoke. His eyes looked at Euphemious. It was clear that he was judging his facial exspressions. The man probably thought he stole it, or he might know of the origins of the Generals family. Either way it was not something Euphemious wanted to get into. He was just going to have to make something up.

"If found it in the ruins of some castle a while back", spoke the knight. "It belonged to some bandits. The sword was cast to the side so I figured I would take it. It seemed like a quality blade, but I was not sure how old it was so I kept it to I could have it appraised. I hope you don't mind me asking why is the blade so interesting", spoke Euphemious. The General turned the tables back around on the man.

"Oh nothing", spoke the man as he rubbed the back of his head. He then pointed toward the insignia on the handle. "You see this lad, this is the symbol of the Lowlander Family. It was a old noble house back in the day. Now it is nothing bur ruins. I just wanted to know if somebody sold this blade to you. I have been trying to get a hold of this sword for a long time. You see it is one of the old Champion Swords", spoke the man. "It may not mean anything to you, but these blades have some value for collectors."

"Sorry, but I am not selling", spoke the General blocking the man off before he continued. "I just wanted to know if it could be used in battle. If not I was going to have it mounted on my wall in my home. That sword was hard won old man and no amount of gold will make me give it up."

"HOw about 4000", spoke the old man as he looked into Euphemious eyes.

"Nope", spoke the general as he took the blade out of the old man's hand. "As I said not for sale."

"Well then", spoke the old shop keep as a sad expression crossed his face. "Yes it is fit for battle, but you will probably have to replace the handle and guard. Champion swords were tough, but the guards were not."

"Thank you", spoke the knight as he walked back over to his companion. The knight then picked up a few more arrows and your standard axe and sword. Best be prepared for anything", he spoke as he paid for the equipment.

[Renoir]

"Mm?" Renoir's tuned hunter's ears perked up and he shifted his eyes to the side as he listened to the exchange between Euphemious and the shop owner. He had already paid, but he was looking at the shop's sword collection. He smirked to himself, head turned away, as he listened to the men exchange words. He was lying, Renoir thought. He knew better. Bandits didn't carry family heirlooms. He picked up a sword and examined it, thinking that Euphemious wasn't cut out to be a liar. His tales were simply too fraudulent. To be expected, though, from an honor bound knight. Renoir was thankful for the man's honesty.

He gazed at the sword. How did people fight with these so well? He wondered. He placed two fingers along the sharp, straight metal edge. It was heavy, cumbersome. He knew they made swords that were not this way, but most were. It seemed so... Clumsy. He knew it wasn't-- he had seen Ilian swordfighters who made the weapon about as fluid as it could be made. But the art of swordplay was lost on him. He could throw a few knives, sure, but nothing like this. Sighing, he placed the weapon back on the rack.

Raising an eyebrow, Renoir tuned his attention even further. Four thousand gold? That's not something you shell out for a finely crafted silver blade. That's what you shell out when you know you're dealing with something of some real value, something specially crafted, one of a kind, or even something mildly legendary. Was Euphemious keeping a secret? Why did he have such an expensive prize? And since he did, why didn't he use it? These were all questions to be asked later, he figured.

Ignoring the conversation for now, Renoir walked over to the section of the store that dealt in protective wear. Armor disgusted him-- at least the thought of using it for himself was disgusting. It saved lives, sure, but in his line of work it was useless. It was too heavy, inhibited movement too much. He couldn't be as stealthy and as quick as he needed to be wearing armor. He placed his hand back around his chin. But leather... Perhaps he should prevent another knife to the stomach. A hardened leather plate to wear around his tunic couldn't hurt him, he didn't think. It might save his life, even. And he had enough money for it.

He made up his mind. Taking the lightest, tightest fitting leather jerkin from the wall, he paid for it, stepping in next to Euphemious and flashing him a look. "So I don't have to deal with any more knives," he said, a light smile across his face. He flipped the shop keeper a few coins and attached the leather around him. It really wasn't too heavy at all, and he could still move around about as well as he could without it. Perhaps this was a good fit.

Renoir looked at the blade at Euphemious' hip for a second, then turned to face him. "Well, I suppose we're geared up. To the horses, then? Sacae awaits."

[Euphemious]

"I prey that it stands the test", spoke Euphemious as he began to walk out the store. "You know you can shoot a bow just as well while wearing plate armor. Not the stuff that I wear, but they have some that can be worn that would not hinder you pulling on your bow. Only a fool goes into battle unprotected", spoke the General. He knew the archer would probably take offense to that, but at the moment he did not care. He just wanted to mess with him a bit. "More importantly what do you think is waiting for us down in sacae" ,spoke the General. Euphemious had a bad feeling about this. That was one of the reasons why he had his family sword appraised. He was going to need all the blades he could get. A champion sword was a weapon one can really on.

The knight walked up to his black steed. It was a bernese charger. Euphemious had a dislike for the breed of horse, despite being a breed from Bern. That was due to a Ilia knight using one to nearly kick his chest in. However the knight did not let past prejudice derail his financial choice. He needed a strong sturdy horse and this breed would get the job done. The general hopped up onto the horse with no help at all from anybody. Believe it or not Euphemious spent a good bit of time this morning practicing this. It would be embarrassing not to be able to get onto your horse.

"I have a feeling this is going to be a journey to remember", spoke the knight as he sent the horse into a trot. They had a long way to go and he figured they might as well get started. Still it would be Euphemious first time out of Bern. He heard about the plains from Flynn, but never thought he would see them. Well to be correct Euphemious did not think he would see them and still be young. He figured he would be a old aged man by the time he visited them. Now he was going to go there. It was a strange feeling. He looked forward to it. Though he wished the situation was different.

[Renoir]

Renoir let out a loud, boisterous laugh-- the first all day. "Yes, well," he said, mounting his horse, giving it a scratch behind the ear and petting its mane before setting off beside Euphemious. "The bigger fool is the one who goes into battle telling the enemy exactly where he is. In my line of work, sincerity of movement, quiet steps-- these things far outweigh the necessity to be loud, though protected." He considered the knight's words. He was right. With armor, he might last a lot longer. But he knew he would be slower, louder-- two things he could not afford to be. He hadn't made it this far in life living by a knightly code of combat. He knew better. He couldn't be as good at what he did if he spent his stalking wearing armor. It just wasn't the right fit for him.

"You're the thunder, after all." He continued, looking at Euphemious as the two trotted out of the city. "You're a wall, my friend. You're the tank that can take hits, dish out loud, incredible power... But as for me," he smirked, following the path towards the outskirts of Sacae. "I'm the lightning. I have to be fast, quick-- ready for anything. Can't do that in plate armor, now can I?" he was amused. The two worked well together, despite having only been in one fight. He looked down at his horse. What a wonderful companion.

"As for what lies ahead... Ah, wish that I knew, so I could warn you. But I have no idea what to expect myself. I do suspect that, if we make it out of this alive, we can tell stories about this trip in our time. I'll have much to tell." He smiled, looking ahead. The day was still young, but it would be nightfall by the time they reached Sacae.

He kicked at his horses sides. "Hyah!" his horse sped into a gallop, and he beckoned Euphemious to follow. No more words needed to be spoken. They both knew what lay ahead. They had both prepared for whatever it was that was coming, and both had silently pledged their lives to whatever danger they would soon encounter.

[end]