Circe Alexandra
Mage
"But I just wanna play it right, We're gonna get there tonight"
Posts: 64
Affinity: Anima
Profile: Circe
OoC Alias: Ars Sanctum/Tsunderis
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Post by Circe Alexandra on Jan 23, 2017 16:32:59 GMT -6
Circe had yearned for adventure, even before her mentor had left her that old Trinity tome. Anything to get away from her supposed destiny to inherit her family's business, that was how it started. Yet from the moment she conjured her very first sparks, binding them together to create a tiny flame, that hunger for adventure evolved into something deeper. Ambition. She had discovered a talent that held not a shred or relation to the rest of her family: something that was uniquely hers. So Circe would hone that talent. She would OWN that talent, temper it with skill and further it beyond the heights of anything she could have fathomed possible.
That motivation and ambition fueled her drive. Even if not consciously, she knew it was what she clung do during hardships. When she was pushed to her limit against certain death. When her spirit nearly broke because an innocent life was lost. If Circe gave up on her ambition that easily then it hadn't been worth pursuing in the first place. If she gave up that easily then...it was all for nothing. The lives she had taken, directly or indirectly, innocent or guilty, would have been lost for nothing.
So even coming from yet another hard fought battle, almost as soon as she had set foot into Lycia, Circe pressed onward. Thria was a territory known for its mines. If she wasn't mistaken her family did business in the city, another partnership like they had with the Hornigolds of Nabata. It would be easy for her to get a message out to them from there. No doubt they were...concerned...after the last message she had sent. Even if she did not wish to directly face them it would be cruel to leave them with total silence.
Yet as Circe passed through a small village, determined to press on, a small commotion in the village's square caught her attention.
"Please...you all know I've not the gold to afford this. I can't pay the cravens, and I can't hire any mercenaries either..." The sobs of a woman rang through an otherwise silent crowd, and Circe managed to slip her way between the bodies. When she was in sight of the woman who had spoken she saw her, on her knees, tears in her eyes as she gazed around to the crowd.
"I know it is too much to ask but...they're my children." Her voice caught in her throat as she continued to sob, her entire body shaking with grief. "Please..."
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Aura
Priest
Posts: 117
Profession: Hereticus Exterminatus
Affinity: Light
Profile: Aura
OoC Alias: Vincent
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Post by Aura on Jan 24, 2017 2:53:25 GMT -6
Aura hurried along the streets, his white and purple lined cloak was drawn close about his body. He was out of Etruria, sure, and that was more than he could ask for but the agents of the inquisition were a dogged group. They would hunt him to the ends of Elibe and possibly beyond. If only he knew why. He sighed lamenting his fate when he saw a group of locals gathered around.
What was this about he wondered curiously. As he moved closer he could hear the voice of a woman, she was absolutely sobbing and pleading, it was, lamentable. Aura passed through the crowed apologizing softly and using a subtle hand to push others aside. He felt positively awkward moving into the center for all to see but at the moment he did not have time to care.
He knelled before the woman speaking softly as he took one of her hands in his and removing his hood so she could see his face. He placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "Please madam, no more tears, tell me, what are the troubles that ail you?" He attempted to try to get her to stand with him but he would only go so far as she would allow.
He had heard her mention paying cravens and being unable to higher mercenaries so he could infer that her children must have been kidnapped and held for ransom but he still needed to hear it from her. To gather whatever information she may have been able to give him. "I am a priest, so I will require no coin of you and am willing to help." He smiled at her kindly.
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Circe Alexandra
Mage
"But I just wanna play it right, We're gonna get there tonight"
Posts: 64
Affinity: Anima
Profile: Circe
OoC Alias: Ars Sanctum/Tsunderis
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Post by Circe Alexandra on Jan 24, 2017 14:35:52 GMT -6
A man who called himself a priest approached the woman from the crowd. Circe watched as he attempted to console the poor maiden, stating he would need no coin to aid them. At the same time Circe was...curious. Priests tended to be from Etruria, as Lycia was likely disillusioned with Elimine given recent events. At least she thought as such. So for a man to so boldly state that he was one, in Lycia of all places...well it was brave, that much was certain.
“Oh thank you. Thank you kind sir...” Of course the woman didn't seem to care in the slightest who the man was, or what he might represent. To her he was a potential savior, a hero willing to help her in her time of need. She tried to blink her tears away before she went on to explain. “It's my children. They were playing in the woods, always in the woods no matter how many times I...”
Another sob cut the woman off, and she took a minute to breathe before she continued on. “They were late coming home that night, so I went looking for them. I called and called and called...” Circe could hear some others in the crowd, sniffling as they began to cry as well. Some of them knew the woman, no doubt, given how small the village was. Some likely knew the kids well, since they were born even. Yet these people were farmers and woodworkers. Whatever had happened to her children, they likely were powerless to help...
“I couldn't sleep that night. I wandered the woods until the sun rose. When I finally came home there was a note by the door. It was...oh gods it was their writing. These cravens took my children and made them write the ransom note.”
Something sparked in Circe's chest, a flare of white-hot adrenaline and fury. Day by day she had become aware of the cruelty that lurked throughout Elibe, in the hearts of brigands and the minds of monsters. But this was...a new low. It was too far for her to simply bite her tongue and acknowledge. Circe balled her hands into fists so tight her knuckles began to turn white, nails digging a bit in the palms of her hands.
“Th-the note...the note said to bring them a hundred gold pieces to their fort in the woods, due south of here. But I...how am I supposed to get that money?” Fresh tears began to streak down her cheeks as the woman looked up to the priest. “They told said I only had one week to bring it to them and oh gods it has already been two days. I...I-”
“I'll help.” Circe stepped forward. She'd heard enough of this woman's pain and grief, and she wasn't sure she could take anymore. The young magus looked between the priest and the woman. Rather than sympathy outright, Circe projected confidence. Determination. This woman didn't need another shoulder to cry on, that wouldn't get her children back. “I'll go get them for you. Free of charge.”
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Aura
Priest
Posts: 117
Profession: Hereticus Exterminatus
Affinity: Light
Profile: Aura
OoC Alias: Vincent
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Post by Aura on Jan 25, 2017 0:28:12 GMT -6
"You are welcome." Aura replied to the woman's thanks. He was able to get her standing, even if a bit shakily. He felt awkward to say 'you're welcome' under these conditions, it just felt inappropriate somehow, even if he was told it was proper manners to give the response. The woman seemed to want to rant about what the children did, not listening to her and frankly she had been right, even if it was not the time for the I told them so. She seemed to agree as she focused herself once more.
Others began to cry? He knew sympathy could bring others to do so in these situations but Aura had a silent fear that it could be more than just sympathy, but empathy. The children were forced to write their own ransom? Aura had a look of shock and disgust. It was possible the bandits did not know how to write themselves, but he suspected it was to add legitimacy and a mental factor to the threat.
They had a fort!? How many were in their gang? He was but one healer, he could not fight, Elimine preserve him, he had spoken up without thinking it through, but he refused to go back on his word. Two days had passed? That gave them only 4 and a half. They needed time to meet the bandits after all. How was he going to raise that much though? He only had one coin himself and could not call upon the church for aid.
That was when what must have been Elimine answered his prayer of preservation. The woman who stepped forward took Aura by surprise. His face made that clear even as he went slack jawed. She was, well, beautiful, clearly confident she could do this, and um... not the most modestly dressed. He pulled his hood back onto his head to hide his embarrassment. There was so much leg.
"R-r-right then, if you are going then I am coming with you. I am a healer so I need you and hopefully you don't need me, but I promised just as you have." Was Elimine testing him? She had already punished him for his forgotten sins.
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Circe Alexandra
Mage
"But I just wanna play it right, We're gonna get there tonight"
Posts: 64
Affinity: Anima
Profile: Circe
OoC Alias: Ars Sanctum/Tsunderis
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Post by Circe Alexandra on Jan 25, 2017 12:46:16 GMT -6
The priest, who suddenly seemed either nervous or bashful, stammered out that he was willing to help her. Evidently he was a healer? Good...actually that was quite good. Provided she could protect him from any sort of danger, he could heal her wounds in turn. Ideally Circe would take any injuries whatsoever, though. It was safe to presume most, if not ALL of these brigands, were melee fighters. Provided she kept her distance in a fight, and this healer remained by her side, they'd do just fine.
“O-Oh...oh thank you both.” Tears sprouted once more in the eyes of the poor woman. The villagers around them seemed to be grateful as well. Even if they couldn't fight, or were too afraid to try, they were still glad that someone else was. Perhaps Circe should have been bothered by this fact, but...well, it was objectively smart. If none of them were fighters, then why risk a fight? Surely most of them had children to go home to as well. Why should they die trying to save the children of another?
“No need to thank me yet.” Circe stated with a soft smile. She'd address the priest in a moment. Her first objective was to obtain as much information about her foe as possible. All she knew, at the moment, was that they lived in a fort south of the village. “Though I have to ask...and this applies to anyone here: does anyone have any further information regarding these bandits? What their fort looks like, what their numbers are? What weapons you've seen them use?”
Circe took stock of the crowd around, slowly turning to face everyone. Unfortunately the only answers she received were silence and the shaking of heads. Nobody knew much about the brigands. Odds were they likely just claimed that fort of theirs, then. This was their first attack on the village. A foolish one, not to mention cowardly and cruel. Just how did they think a woman who resided in a small village such as this would raise up that much coin?
With a small sigh Circe turned to the priest and gave a weak smile. “It seems we're completely on our own then, Brother.” He didn't quite look like a “Father”. Too young, and he lacked the usual robes they wore. Perhaps he was clergy in training, out spreading the 'good word' until he earned the title of "Father". “All the same I'm not sure we should waste any time. I'm ready to depart whenever you are.”
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Aura
Priest
Posts: 117
Profession: Hereticus Exterminatus
Affinity: Light
Profile: Aura
OoC Alias: Vincent
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Post by Aura on Jan 25, 2017 14:21:20 GMT -6
No news as they say, is good news, unless the lack of news means you do not know what you are going up against in a life or death struggle. The priest sighed softly. He really did not feel like much of a priest if he was honest with himself, if one were to call him a fake priest he doubted he could bring himself to refute them, so when Circe called him brother it just felt awfully strange, wrong even to his ears.
“All the same I'm not sure we should waste any time. I'm ready to depart whenever you are.” Aura silently nodded to these words. There was no reason to waste time and he was full on the supplies he would need for this trip. A trip right into a bandit den, boy, when he thought about it objectively he could not think anything other than they were surely going to die.
"We may not know much about the local banditry, but this could be a good thing. If they are new to the area then they could be quite inexperienced, unorganized, if you will. With any luck they will have cracks and... maybe we could sneak in and back out?" Forgive him if he sounded cowardly, but he was not confident in a fight. Actually, the two could not appear more opposite to one another. She overflowed her confidence and his uncertainty was written all over his face.
"Oh, and, you may call me just Aura." He gave her a warm smile. "Brother, does not sound right to me..." he paused before adding awkwardly, "And um, may I inquire your name?"
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Circe Alexandra
Mage
"But I just wanna play it right, We're gonna get there tonight"
Posts: 64
Affinity: Anima
Profile: Circe
OoC Alias: Ars Sanctum/Tsunderis
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Post by Circe Alexandra on Jan 25, 2017 17:12:56 GMT -6
As soon as the priest gave her a nod, Circe turned to depart. The woman behind her kept uttering thank yous, and offering prayers and blessings, as if that would actually help them. Perhaps it would, but Circe wasn't about to rely on the good grace of whatever gods she believed in. She didn't even trust the kindness of Elimine to guide her way. But ah...she wouldn't state as such, not when a priest was around.
This man seemed to be all right, but Circe had been raised in Etruria, and she was no blind fool. The young magus knew all about the corruption that had spread throughout the faith. Kraft himself had originated as a member of it. It was through the faith and fear mongering that he'd seized power in the first place. How many priests and priestesses were innocent? How many Sisters and Brothers and Fathers were corrupt? Circe couldn't say: no one could.
So as grateful as she was to have the aid of a healer, man of the cloth or not, she'd need to be wary of him as well. However he was far from her primary concern: the brigands were.
Circe listened as the priest speculated on potential battle strategies. They were vague and broad, but most importantly there was no way they could be applied to their situation. Perhaps the brigands were disorganized, having just recently set up in the area. Or perhaps they were so skilled that they had expanded their territory and either stole or constructed a fort for themselves.
Rather than outright shoot down the priest's suggestions, though, Circe simply gave a nod. “Mhm. Our first objective, if it can be helped, will be to locate this fort and scout it out. We're not sure if they will be patrolling the area, or how far they will be willing TO patrol if so. As such we'll need to be cautious and alert at all times, probably quieter as we travel deeper into the wood. Can you do that for me?”
Circe glanced back at the priest. It was...probably a lot to ask. Though the man had not turned craven and ran or anything of the sort, he did seem rather nervous. Perhaps he'd...never seen combat before? Circe couldn't say for sure. Of course she had her own fair share of nerves, but she forced them down. Kept them tucked and hidden, that she may present herself with confidence and remain clear of mind.
For to allow her nerves to surface was to give way to her fears. To memories that still lurked in the recesses of her mind. A sorrowful wail, accompanied with dead, empty eyes...
“As for my name...” Circe gave the young priest a small smile. Hopefully it would help to ease his nerves. She'd need him focused. “It's Circe. Though the circumstances are a bit dire, it's nice to meet you, Aura.”
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Aura
Priest
Posts: 117
Profession: Hereticus Exterminatus
Affinity: Light
Profile: Aura
OoC Alias: Vincent
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Post by Aura on Jan 25, 2017 17:46:50 GMT -6
The woods they traversed were as any other woods would be, there was honestly nothing special about them, but knowing what lurked within led Aura to keep a wary eye as though a monster could leap out at them anytime. Oh wait, this was Lycia, that was far too likely. Oh man, what if? What if there were monsters? What if there were monsters with the bandits? Bandits riding Monsters? Monsters riding bandits!? Wait, that last one seemed highly unlikely.
Her response to his ideas was rather sharp and cutting. He had to wonder if she did not like him. She would not be the first, he admitted. But no use sulking or worrying about it. It simply did not matter. "As such we'll need to be cautious and alert at all times, probably quieter as we travel deeper into the wood. Can you do that for me?” Aura awkwardly paused his walk and nodded.
"Y-yeah, I can do that, sure thing." He caught up to her. The moment Circe introduced herself and gave him a smile he flushed and pulled his hood back over his head. 'It is nothing to be concerned about, even if she shows so much of herself, do not be swayed by her charms, oh Aura, why are you so weak to a pretty face and smile?'
It was true. Just a short time back he met a girl hunted by some Sacaeans. She was an honest soul but the moment she smiled at him he felt compelled to help her. A pretty woman would be the death of him. "It is a pleasure to meet you as well."
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Circe Alexandra
Mage
"But I just wanna play it right, We're gonna get there tonight"
Posts: 64
Affinity: Anima
Profile: Circe
OoC Alias: Ars Sanctum/Tsunderis
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Post by Circe Alexandra on Jan 27, 2017 13:16:46 GMT -6
Mhm, all right, Circe could confirm: the priest was nervous. Again she couldn't fault him on that but it would still be...incredibly unfortunate should his nerves lead them to an unfortunate accident. Hmm, it was possibly a risk, but perhaps Circe could try to talk to him...it was just that there was the danger of them being detected. Though surely the bandit fort would be deeper into the woods than this. Hm, in that case, the question was “what did they talk about?”
“I take it you are a priest of Elimine, then?” Circe asked. It was as good a starting point as any, really. The young magus turned her head back to face the priest, her curious eyes looking him over. “I mostly ask because I'm Etrurian, myself. Attended sermons with my parents often enough.” Not that she enjoyed them, but it was a fact that she could state all the same. Really, Circe didn't have any issue with the core ideologies behind Eliminism, but she certainly did not stand for what some had begun to Eliminism for.
What KRAFT used it for. She wanted to know where this priest stood on that matter, even if she could guess.
“And if you are a priest of Elimine, from the churches of Etruria...” As she often did, Circe asked her questions swiftly. Not rapidly or in a manic-like manner, but she liked to fire out as many questions as she could. The magus had found she could learn quite a bit that way and, most of all, it helped give insight to the character of whomever she spoke with. If they evaded the questions...or met them head on, with sincerity and honesty. “What brings you to Lycia? Are you on a pilgrimage?”
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Aura
Priest
Posts: 117
Profession: Hereticus Exterminatus
Affinity: Light
Profile: Aura
OoC Alias: Vincent
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Post by Aura on Jan 27, 2017 14:56:57 GMT -6
Circe had a way of asking a lot of questions in a way it was easy to track and respond to them all. She also had a way of asking a large number of very controversial and difficult questions as well. No, they were standard questions by appearance, just for him it was difficult. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "There is both a lot and very little to my story you see."
Anyone with a brain that functioned correctly would have answered in a way that did not incriminate themselves, Aura however, was not that person. He believed in truth above all else at all times, even if it was going to be detrimental to oneself. "So, I suppose I will take your questions in order, hope you do not smite me down as a heretic, and you'll likely surmise many later story details before I get to them." He cupped his chin as he spoke these words and nodded at the end.
"Well then, here goes; I am not technically a priest. I was being taught like one but they refused to allow me to become one. No one ever told me why but I had heard people speak of reformation when they thought I was not around or could not hear." He realized this snippet would require explanation as well.
"Oh yeah, a very important detail to make everything else make sense is that I have no memories anymore. Not even my original name, no one wanted to tell me so I called myself Aura. Anyway, I woke up lying on a table with a very curious woman looking over me, an inquisitor apparently, and a whole lot of dead cultists around. Since then the church took me in and helped me out but was always distant and wary." He shrugged, "Again, I don't know what actually happened or what I may have done, so I don't know if they are justified or not."
"As for my reasoning to be in Lycia is apparently the inquisitor that was there when I awoke was a girl named Emily, who stole sacred arms from the church and was spreading lies that Kraft was a false prophet. This brought a group called the, uh... something 30 something or another looking for me. I ran honestly." He shrugged again. "I kept running and now I am here. So, no, I can't say its a pilgrimage."
At that his brief synopsis of his story so far ended. "So, do what you will but at least give me a few minute head start. It would be pretty nice."
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Circe Alexandra
Mage
"But I just wanna play it right, We're gonna get there tonight"
Posts: 64
Affinity: Anima
Profile: Circe
OoC Alias: Ars Sanctum/Tsunderis
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Post by Circe Alexandra on Jan 28, 2017 22:18:18 GMT -6
Oh? There was a story behind this? Well, Circe had obviously expected an answer, but she certainly didn't anticipate the ones she had received. This...not-technically-a-priest was surprisingly forthcoming. The two knew nothing about each other beyond their names and being of Etrurian birth. Yet he...was completely comfortable telling Circe that he suffered from amnesia. It all got a fair bit crazy from there, to put it mildly, and Aura seemed to think Circe actually cared if he appeared to be a heretic. Please. She practiced magic and didn't serve the Etrurian military. That already made her at least half a heretic.
So Circe took a calming breath before she prepared to address his story in order...which felt a little bit too familiar to her liking. Ah well, at least she'd gotten practice in the area.
“We'll go about this in chronological order, according to your story. So, first!” As always, Circe tapped on an index finger, to count off the points that she had to address. The young mage didn't look back at Aura, her gaze still focused on their surroundings, but nonetheless her mind was on the conversation. “We'll go about this chronologically. So you woke up on a table with...dead cultists around you. With a woman from the church looking over you.”
“Second! An organization from the church takes you in, and trains you to be part of the clergy.” This was already incredibly suspicious. Now Circe knew nothing about the supposed cultists, but the fact that Aura lacked any memories already held dark implication. Then you added the fact that all of them had been killed, presumably by the church, except for HIM. So clearly he wasn't simply a member of this cult. He'd been found on a table, as well? What...like property? Or research? Or maybe like a patient, sprawled out on a table for a healer to operate on.
Curious but, Circe couldn't really come to a conclusion without knowing anything about the cult. Given Aura's apparent amnesia, she doubted she could push him too far on that front.
“Third: Despite your training the church refuses to accept you fully into the clergy. They would speak of 'reformation'...” Aura didn't seem to understand what that meant, and the term was vague by itself. Reform how? In what way, and in what sense? Reform as in...to repent? Repent for what? Questions that, unfortunately, Circe doubted she would be able to ask. If Aura could recall the answers to these questions he likely would have stated them to her.
“Fourth: The inquisitor who found you, whose name is apparently Emily, stole 'sacred arms' from the church and went around calling Kraft a false prophet. Thereby committing 'heresy'.” Heresy. For speaking the obvious truth. Good old fascist Etruria. Obviously this was not the time to start speaking of political or moral views. That would just derail the conversation, and stop Circe from making sure she understood this story clearly. “And lastly, her actions drew a group whose...name you appear to have forgotten, to...you? And not to her?”
That bit was ESPECIALLY strange. A woman begins to behave like a heretic and a group, not explicitly stated to have links to the church, comes not for the heretic but for him? A priest in training?
...Oh boy. Something very clearly did not add up here. A great many things at that. This was even worse than Althea's story, with her black-o-nomicon in the village of death. Oh Circe had her theories as to what could have actually happened there, but there was no sense in jumping to conclusions. Aura's story seemed to be very much the same. There was little that could be done, besides make certain she had the fact straight.
“There, I think I got all of that right...and relax, I'm not going to beat you down over your strange tale. Not that I'd even be capable of that.” Circe decided to give Aura another small smile. Extra reassurance that she wasn't going to burn him alive. “I...didn't expect all of that, but thank you for sharing all the same. It's quite the story. Besides, if I'm honest, I'm not even that religious.”
Not REALLY anyway. She was certainly not devout in the faith, if nothing else.
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Aura
Priest
Posts: 117
Profession: Hereticus Exterminatus
Affinity: Light
Profile: Aura
OoC Alias: Vincent
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Post by Aura on Jan 30, 2017 12:14:47 GMT -6
The moment Circe took that first deep breath Aura found himself doing the same having no idea what was to come next, and when what came next came he was left surprised, confused, and even a little hungry. When was the last time he ate? His stomach growled all throughout her retelling of his list of events.
He seemed to have explained himself well enough, or she was just good at making sense of his babbling, he could not say which it would have been and he only had one amendment to make to her recounting. "Well, it wasn't so much an organization within so much as just the local clergy helping me out, but uh, I digress."
As she spoke he found himself admiring her features; they made his heart pound in his chest and he questioned if he could have ever even been a man of the church in the first place. Her hair was so long and full, contrasting with her skin admirably and her apparel, oh goodness it WAS A PERIL, he had to avert his eyes and hide within his hood to keep from lustfully gazing it that slit in her dress. She looked like a goddess. He spoke repeated prayers in his mind for forgiveness and the fortitude to stay in her presence. She made him want to run away with her beauty. He had to scold himself further knowing this was not the first, but rather the second woman to make himself feel this way. 'I am such a shameful man.' he thought recalling the church's teachings.
Then he tuned in again to her final statements. "Wait, you, you really aren't mad about it? That's a relief!" He lowered his hood to reveal a beaming smile. "Not that religious you say?" He chuckled, "Alright then Circe, I think we will be just fine going forward." He eased up immensely knowing she not only accepted his odd tale but was not hindered by it in the least. "So, what IS the plan though? I only have one gold coin, that won't be enough to have even one child returned."
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