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Post by Samantha Khione on Apr 30, 2016 23:30:07 GMT -6
Samantha was slightly taken by surprise when the older woman, who she now knew was named Luba, asked for her name. She realized she shouldn't be, as she had only introduce her to Shara and as they would be traveling together, it made sense. She gave the woman a small bow. "My name is Samantha. Samantha Khione. It's a pleasure to meet you both." She was thankful it wasn't too loud in the Inn, otherwise they might not have been able to hear her too well. Her voice was naturally soft and she found it difficult to raise it much louder than that.
Before she could say much else, Shara began to talk again and that was fine by her. Sam often found that she had little to say. Well, that wasn't true. But she often would only say what was necessary and leave anything else out. Maybe it had something to due with subconsciously being embarrassed by her voice. But at the same time, she wasn't embarrassed by her voice, so that wouldn't make sense. Regardless, she was fine letting Shara steer the conversation. She was their new leader, after all.
A small smile grew on her face as Shara asked for her to tell her about her magecraft studies. She also wondered if Shara would have still pegged her for a mage if they had been in Sacae or Lycia, since then she would have ditched her current attire for clothes more suitable for the warmer whether. But that wasn't important. Samantha gave the woman a nod. "I would be more than happy to discuss it with you. Though, perhaps while we travel tomorrow would be more suitable for such a conversation."
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Post by Luba Gavrilova on May 2, 2016 20:16:11 GMT -6
Shara hand a strong handshake. Firm, but not overpowering or uncomfortable in its' grip. Certainly stronger than what Luba had expected of her. The old mercenary had expected a clasp perhaps more yielding.
”Really? You haven't?” Luba supposed it wasn't too surprising that Shara was unfamiliar with the rogue branch of falcoknights. The subset of air cavaliers had, after all, only come about in recent decades. ”We're not much of a far cry from your run-of-the-mill falcoknight. We're just built a bit sturdier than our graceful cousins.” With a glance, Luba directed Shara to the axe, Vanya, on the old warrior's hip. ”We also prefer the axe over the sword.”
'Samantha.' The blue woman's voice was soft, delicate. Much like the rest of her. Despite her towering frame, which, to Luba's continued dismay, refused to shrink, the woman was quite frail. Soft of voice, few of words, introverted in nature. She was a very brave woman to be traveling by her fragile self. Brave or naive. But if was she was born of Ilian blood, which, judging by the color of her hair, she most likely was, and knew how to use her magical manual, Luba doubted her to be a foolish girl.
”Well met, Samantha.”
The old warrior sat silent during Khione and Tinedra's brief exchange. Shara Tiinedra. Luba had met few Shara's in her time. Plenty of Sharons, but few Shara's. And no Tiinedras. No Khiones, for that matter either. Stray questions of the two womens' respective origins permeated the soldier's mind.
”Indeed.” Luba concurred with Khione's point. ”Unless there is something else you would like to discuss, perhaps we should adjourn for the evening. When we depart in the morning, shall we meet again in this little tavern?”
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Post by Shara Tiinedra on May 4, 2016 9:13:28 GMT -6
Shara gave the two a polite nod before going about the process of replying to them, once again. Just like before Samantha said less, so she spoke to the mage first. "Perhaps so. We can speak again upon regrouping tomorrow." She looked forward to that conversation, at the very least. It ought to help make what is likely to be a rather dull journey more tolerable. Really what could be out there in the tundra to spice up the journey?
Now, to Luba. The Seraph Knight. Evidently they were similar enough to the falcoknight yet different enough to have their own name. Sturdier and carrying axes, they sounded close to their wyvern riding foils down in Bern, but perhaps there was more to it than that. "Fascinating, Luba. You will have to tell me about the origins of this branch aerial cavalry." The humans of Elibe placed a fair bit of stock in the origins of their fighting styles, hence why so many styles had names or titles. They weren't always utilized, but regardless of most changes or differences it was typically easy to ascertain what style one had studied.
Sacae had their Myrmidons and mounted archers. Shara was not really certain what the mounted archers were called, but Sacaens as a whole were generally referred to as either "nomads" by the enlightened or "savages" by the ignorant. Yet myrmidons were so infamous for their eventual mastery of the blade that their name escaped such racist terminology. That was a decent example, the first one aside from mages that Shara could find in her mind.
Still, it wasn't the time to space out on her own and reflect. She had "guests" as it were. Company to lead. So Shara stood up and gave a small smile. "It's rather clear we wish to part before regrouping. Very well. Meet here before sunrise tomorrow and we shall depart. I assume the both of you are Ilian, and thus know this better than I, but still: dress warm."
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Post by Samantha Khione on May 4, 2016 22:09:59 GMT -6
Samantha listened as Luba suggested they part for the evening, and then again as Shara agreed. It sounded like a good plan to her, as it seemed as though their business for the night was accomplished. She nodded towards both her new companions. "Sounds like a good plan to me. I shall see you both in the morning." She stood up from her chair and made her way across the Inn. She needed a place to stay for the night, and their meeting point for the morning seemed as good a place as any. After paying for a room, the blue haired mage made her way up the stairs and into her new room.
Once inside, Sam laid her bag against the wall and sat on the bed. It was comfortable enough for the night. She slid her boots off and allowed her feet to rest. After sitting downstairs for a time, she realized how sore her feet were from all the walking she had been doing. She'd be fine in the morning, but it was definitely nice to rest for the night.
Shara was correct about needing to dress warmly, especially if they were heading out early. Thankfully, as Sam was Ilian, she understood the proper way to dress for the area. In fact, she knew just the outfit in her bag for what lay ahead. There was plenty of time to get that ready in the morning, however. For now, she intended to use the rest of the night to relax and ready herself for what could come next.
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Post by Luba Gavrilova on May 19, 2016 16:40:58 GMT -6
Dress warm. If the old crone's stoney facade was capable of anything other than frowning, she might have cracked a smile. The attire Luba already wore was enough for traveling through Ilia during the night. She would need nothing else for the trip tomorrow.
”If that is all.” One at a time the trio parted ways. Luba ventured outside. She didn't expect to get much sleep during the night. She'd spent the better part of the afternoon napping in anticipation of a midnight sojourn. Her body was awake and alert, ready to travel. As was her mind. There was little the old warrior could do to take her mind off of Remi and her family. Luba took on this job for their benefit, but a part of her felt irresponsible postponing her trek.
Luba found herself at a nearby stable with Diana. The warrior ran a gloved hand along Diana's snout. The pegasus shrugged and neighed quietly. She seemed tired. Luba wasn't surprised. She'd been riding Diana relentlessly the past week. Flying for hours at a time, waking her up early after going to sleep late, pushing her to fly faster each day. The winged-horse's eyelids were glazed half over. At least one of them would be getting some sleep tonight. And thank goodness it was going to be Diana. She needed it more than her master.
The seraph knight stayed with her pegasus until the creature fell asleep. After that, Luba returned to her place of rest. There, she tried to sleep, but was unable to do so. Stricken with insomnia, Luba performed a variety of exercises to keep her figure in shape and her mind off of her Remi. And when those were done she rested and sought other ways to to make the night go faster.
When the sun rose in the morning Luba was fatigued, but did not show it.
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Post by Shara Tiinedra on May 20, 2016 21:25:17 GMT -6
As both other women seemed satisfied and headed off to their rooms, Shara presumed, she in turn stayed at the table and ordered a small meal and drink before deciding to do the same. Making her way up the stairs and into a room she paid for earlier, Shara quickly decided to pick out what she would wear before hand. She really only had one coat heavy and warm enough to bring to such a trek, but she would still need to pick out what to wear beneath all of that.
This process took...a while. Longer than Shara would have been proud to admit. Caring for one's appearance was something the dragoness would never be ashamed of, but it still felt a touch silly when simply deciding what to wear beneath a coat took the better part of an hour. For the most part it wouldn't even be seen! Alas by the time she'd decided Shara was quick to get beneath her covers and fall asleep. She'd have to be up QUITE early if she wanted to be dressed and ready on time.
Going to bed early still left her few minutes, or "fashionably", late. The blonde haired dragon made her way downstairs, her hair braided in preparation for the trip, and she wore a more traditional and less exquisite red dress beneath a heavy fur coat, made mostly of a brown bear pelt. Funny enough was that the cold wouldn't really bother her whether she was dressed well or not, but if she wanted to appear like a normal human she still had to dress that way. Her internal heat, even in her human form, was fairly easy to adjust.
Shara found the same table she'd sat at before and took her seat, clasping her hands together and waiting patiently for her hired help to meet her there.
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Post by Samantha Khione on May 22, 2016 21:02:01 GMT -6
Samantha awoke the next morning feeling well rested. She had been able to fall asleep fairly early and had slept straight through the night. Sitting up in her bed, she gave a big stretch and felt herself pop a few joints. She slowly got to her feet and began to move around her room, getting ready for the day ahead. She started by trading out her sleeping attire for an outfit much better equipped for a frozen Ilian day. She was nice and bundled up, but still had her mobility and could cast her magic without fear of catching her clothing on fire. Once she was dressed, Sam kept moving around her room to gather all her belongings. Everything was soon packed away and she began to make her way down to the place where she had met with Shara and Luba the night prior.
The blue haired mage was unsurprised to see Shara already here, sitting at the same table they had been at last night. She hadn't been kidding about meeting in the same spot. Sam made her way across the room and lightly placed herself into the seat across from the woman. She seemed to be particular to red dresses, though today's was a little more subtle and she did seem more ready for the cold outside. Samantha gave her a smile and a small nod. "Good morning, Shara. I hope you slept well." She noticed the woman's braid for the first time. Maybe she should try that, it would be much easier than the intricate styling she tended to use.
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Post by Luba Gavrilova on May 24, 2016 16:38:38 GMT -6
Glancing out the window, Luba had to blink several times, finding the sun's bright rays unwelcome guests. The older woman rubbed each tired eye, bringing her thumb and finger close to either side of her nose. There they rested, just above the divot of her scar. Luba shook her head. Least she'd made the most of her insomnia and gotten some exercise in. The warrior set about the mundane tasks of donning her travel gear and her armor, much of the same clothing she'd worn the day before. When all was taken care of Luba stomped downstairs and joined her companions.
Heavy steps of steel-toed boots thumped their way over to Shara and Samantha. ”Samantha.” Luba grunted in the mage's direction. ”Boss.” She said, acknowledging Shara. ”I'll return shortly. I need to fetch Diana from the stables.” Stomping to the exit, Luba was halfway out the door when she realized something. The seraph knight turned around. ”Diana is my pegasus.” She called from the doorway, then left.
The pegasus was in good spirits when Luba entered her pen, greeting her master with a welcoming neigh. Unlike her rider, Diana had gotten a full night's rest. More even, considering how early the pegasus had gone to sleep. When Luba unlatched the lock to her pen, Diana hastily trotted towards her and nuzzled her face against the mercenary's. ”Hey girl.” Luba gently patted the pegasus' snout away, then led her out of the pen. ”Hope you slept better than I did.”
Luba arrived outside the Frostbury inn and tied Diana's reins off at one of the stands. She then returned inside and claimed a seat with a winded grunt.
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Post by Shara Tiinedra on Jun 16, 2016 14:47:32 GMT -6
Samantha had been the first to meet Shara. Fascinating: the dragoness had expected it to be the old soldier. Force of habit and so forth, being what appeared to be a hardened mercenary. Perhaps that judgement failed to give Samantha justice, however. Regardless Shara gave a small smile and a nod towards the blue haired mage. "I slept well enough. I hope you did as well."
However it appeared Samantha didn't beat Luba by much, the older woman stomping her way towards them and addressing them curtly. She appeared tired, but her voice was as firm as it had been the day before. Shara had little cause for concern...and besides, the title of "Boss" rang quite nicely in her ears. She explained that she needed to see to her pegasus. Of course, that was reasonable, so Shara gave her a nod and let her be on her way.
This was...an interesting group. Luba, while firm, seemed relatively easy to read. She had her code and she followed it, like the typical Ilian mercenary. It's just that she was significantly more real than the tales drunken, horny Lycian soldiers and farmers shared of Ilian mercenaries, descending from the heavens themselves with hair like purest ice or sunlight itself. Shara preferred such claims of beauty to refer to herself, regardless, even if she paid them little mind.
Samantha was a bit more difficult, however. While it was not entirely important for Shara to get a firm grasp on the women in her employment beyond "were they competent?" and "will they betray me?", it was significantly superior to sitting around in silence.
"Now, you never got the chance to tell me much about yourself, Samantha." Shara began. She could already hear the loud footsteps of Luba re-entering the inn. "I'm a bit curious about you. I've met few Ilians, let alone mages. How did you fall into the practice of magecraft?"
Despite her interest in the conversation Shara did stand up just as Luba sat down. However she still sounded...fatigued, in a way. Did she need a moment to wake up properly? She supposed she could spare that much. "Hm, perhaps we should wait a moment before departing, then. Did anyone require food or a drink?"
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Post by Samantha Khione on Jun 21, 2016 12:55:00 GMT -6
Samantha gave a small smile and a polite nod to Shara's question. Sleeping tended to be something she rarely had trouble with. Of course, everyone had their bad nights, but for her they were few and far between. Before she had a chance to say much else, Luba arrived, said her greetings, and almost immediately went to fetch her pegasus. Sam had met a few mercenaries in her travels and Luba seemed to fit right in. Former military that turned to mercenary work as a way to continue to earn money. It was a fairly common thing in Ilia, though not so much in the town Sam was from.
The mage looked up as Shara asked about her. She felt her cheeks go a touch red as the woman declared she was curious about her. That was something Sam wasn't sure she had ever heard before. Well, with the possible exception of Mila. She took a minute to try and decide where and how to start. Before she could decide, however, Luba returned and say with a thud as Shara stood up. Were they leaving already? She guessed that that would be putting a pause to their barely started conversation. However, Shara seemed to look Luba over carefully before asking if they needed any food or drink. Sam was fine on food, as she still had plenty stored in her pack. She could go for a tea, but only if the others wanted something as well. She wouldn't hold the group up just for a cup of tea. "I'll have a cup of tea, but only if either of you wants something as well. If not, don't worry about it."
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Post by Shara Tiinedra on Aug 15, 2016 19:10:59 GMT -6
A cup of tea? That did sound like a good start. Shara hoped that would be all the mage needed to survive the upcoming trip, but she WAS Ilian. No doubt she knew better than to underestimate her own country's nature and climate. "Tea sounds good. I'll likely order some as well." Of course, they were in a tavern inn, and mornings weren't exactly extremely busy. There were those that came for the tea...or those that came for their morning pint.
Shara sat back and took the time to arrange her questions for Samantha. She had planned on asking these questions during the trip proper, but if she got them out of the way now she supposed it meant more focus could be placed on the task at hand. "Where did you learn to practice magic? Did you have a mentor? If so, who were they, and where did they learn? Does Ilia have academies akin to those in Etruria to aid in the study and practice of magecraft?"
Those were just a few questions but Shara decided to leave it at that for now, lest she overwhelm the poor girl. Besides, their server was about to arrive at their table. Bags under her eyes and unkempt hair. She looked stressed by something and in deep need of a day's rest...but that wasn't exactly Shara's concern, was it?
"What can I get for you?"
"Some tea, please. A cup for me and a cup for her. If you'd be so kind as to bring the sugar and milk to the table, we can mix it ourselves." If the server was in such a sorry state she'd dread to have her making her tea. Besides, her interest was with Samantha, and the server was a distraction to her far more important questions.
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Post by Samantha Khione on Aug 15, 2016 23:21:06 GMT -6
Samantha had been expecting Shara to start asking questions about her training, as she had said as much, but she hadn't expected them right now. Nor so many of them. But they weren't anything she couldn't handle. She listened quietly as the woman ordered both of them a cup of tea, waiting patiently until there was time to answer.
"I learned magic out of books, mostly. I never really had a mentor, besides just teachers who would occasionally give me some advice on casting. For most of it, I simply trained by myself after school. It took a lot of hard work and practice, but eventually I was able to get a pretty good hold on fire magic. Since then, I've been trying my best to master wind and thunder as well, though they seem to make taking a bit more time. But like I said before, I love learning. So in a way, it's just another learning challenge for me to overcome. As for academies, there really aren't any in Ilia. There might be one or two, but they would have been much too far from my home for me to go to. Plus, they would have been too much for us to afford."
Her family wasn't exactly poor, but they weren't well off either. They did well enough to make a living in their small town, and they were fine with it. Sam was fine with it too. She knew most mages went off to special schools, but she had always liked her way of learning magic more. It was more personal. It gave her a greater sense of accomplishment. And it she ever managed to make it to sage level, that would be something not a lot of self-taught mages reached. That would be her greatest achievement yet.
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Post by Shara Tiinedra on Aug 16, 2016 9:32:57 GMT -6
Shara soaked in all of the answers Samantha proceeded to give her, adding sugar and milk to her tea when it arrived as she listened. It seemed, for the most part, that Samantha was self-taught. She simply studied on her own and practiced on her own with occasional advice from time to time. Which meant there were at least other mages wherever she came from, which was fascinating on it's own, but alas. As the dragoness suspected there weren't any well-known magic academies of any kind in Ilia, at least none Samantha knew of save "one or two". That was to be expected. Ilia was too busy shipping their able bodied men and women around Elibe to bring back money and goods for trade for them to really bother stopping and setting up places to teach magic properly. It simply wasn't what the nation was known for.
"I see. Fascinating." When Shara spoke there was almost a touch of envy. Silly, really. Samantha was self-taught in the art of magic, yet even with the finest tutor alive there would be absolutely no chance Shara could learn to cast magic. Yes, she could manipulate her own fire if need be, but that was actually rather difficult to disguise as magic, and it was but one element. Calling on the Nether, wielding the light of her Soul, and utilizing the other elements were feats and sensations Shara could only experience as a spectator. It would be second hand experience at best and nothing more.
"Genuinely impressive that you taught yourself, with curiosity being your primary drive." At least Shara could relate to the latter. She didn't know what she would do without her curiosity. She took a few more sips of tea before speaking further. "Also good that you love learning. Never let yourself reach a point where you stop learning. That would simply be a waste."
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Post by Samantha Khione on Aug 16, 2016 18:07:31 GMT -6
Samantha pulled her cup of tea closer as Shara started to respond. She didn't want to be rude, but she also didn't want her tea to grow cold. She only put a small amount of milk in before starting to drink. It wasn't the best she'd ever had, but it would do for now. As she set her cup back down, Shara praised her for learning magic herself. Sam felt her cheek so slightly red. It wasn't something that often came up in conversation, but when it did, most people would usually made a big deal about the fact that she hadn't gone to an academy. It was nice to hear praise for a change.
She gave the woman a smile. "I have no intention of ever stopping." The day where Sam decided that she no longer needed to learn would most likely be the day she died. She would learn and keep learning until that day came, because that's what gave her happiness. She took another sip of her tea. As she did, she regarded Shara. There was still a lot that she didn't know about this woman, despite the fact that she had agreed to travel with her in hopes of finally finding some information on ice magic.
"If you don't mind me asking, are you a mage as well? Or do you simply like learning about magic itself?" Sam had met a few people before that weren't mages themselves, but still studied magic just from an informative standpoint. She supposed it would be like if she were to study traditional weaponry. Which she had. So it made sense either way.
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Post by Shara Tiinedra on Aug 16, 2016 21:13:54 GMT -6
Shara gave her lips a quick lick after finishing her tea. It had been...passable. It was likely for the best that she had mixed the milk and sugar herself. There was a high chance that fatigued server would have botched it, and put Shara in a foul mood before the trip. Though she could provide plenty of her own warmth, having a well mixed tea fill in her belly really helped her feel prepared for the trek to come.
"Good. If you've real talent for it then it'd be a shame for you to stop." Shara responded, opening up her bag and retrieving some coin, placing enough for the both of them on the table. Tea was cheap, after all, and gold held little value to the dragoness. She really didn't mind paying for Samantha.
Shara did have to pause to consider Samantha's question, however. Was she a mage? Certainly not, and she never could be. Ordinarily she declared herself a mage advocate, but then some people assumed that meant she was capable of performing at least some basic magic. While Shara...could technically imitate some basic fire magic, she much preferred not to. After the incident it was best she suppress as much of her draconic abilities as possible.
"Oh, I've no talent for magic I'm afraid. I am fascinated by the arcane, however, and thus I always make a point to speak with any mages that stand out, for one reason or another." While that could come across as quite the compliment to Samantha, in reality the main reason she stood out to Shara was that she was Ilian. Shara hadn't met an Ilian mage yet. It was little more than that.
Setting the small amount of coin on the table, leaving exact cost with no tip, Shara stood up and gazed down at the tall Ilian mage. "Well then. Shall we be off? We've still quite the trip ahead of us."
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