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Post by Althea on Oct 31, 2018 8:18:12 GMT -6
....So either Reed was a seasoned warrior, or his warhorse was a cold blooded killing machine that trod through oceans of blood aboard wings of death. Althea wasn't actually sure which prospect concerned her more. Which was itself a bit concerning, but if this guy was secretly a serial killer that would be nice to know before she woke up with most of her internal organs displayed in a wonderfully tasteful Fibonacci Sequence of squalor.
...Well, Aura was supposedly an ex-cultmaster and Drei was about as dispassionate as her when it came to defensive murder, and Ereshkigal was a bit on the crazy side, so she supposed it didn't really make much sense for her to judge.
"I - I am not that hopeless at-" She paused, mid-snap, realizing belatedly that Reed had NOT been insulting her lack of prowess at the light arts and might have just been concerned for her well being. Possibly. Maybe? Someone with decent people skills could have guessed. She was, unfortunately, not that person. Not quite looking him in the eye, she rested one hand on his arm, thought Heal, and like an army of mystical beavers the sparks of greenish-white light spread across the bruise. It was... probably for the best that Reed never know she couldn't actually heal much more than that, at least not quickly, but for mere bruising even her mediocre healing skills were enough to more or less deal with things. Maybe not perfectly, but eh.
Nonetheless her horse was still less than pleased with her and the dour dark mage was forced to shamefacedly nod at the Sacaen youngling's suggestion, not exactly a master at horsing herself. Or, uh, at all.
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Reed
Squire
"If some feller gives me a lance, I'm'ma fight tooth 'n nail for what I reckon is right."
Posts: 79
Profession: Farmhand
Affiliation: None
Guild: None
Affinity: Light
Profile: Reed
OoC Alias: Ardent
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Post by Reed on Nov 4, 2018 2:00:02 GMT -6
Initially flinching at Althea's touch, Reed tensed up before the effects of the Heal began to mend and undo the damages done unto his bicep by the metal rod's contact. The sensation was not unlike the catharsis he experienced under the effects of Midori's healing: soothing and calm with a hint of a cold sensation that emanated from the focus of the spell. The squire's tension slowly melted away as the magic intensified, gradually reducing the bruise to no more than a small circle of discoloration. The throbbing pain had long since faded from the blow. "Ahh... Well, golly, ma'am! Now that's the ornery magicky stuff that I'd guessed you could do. Mighty kind of ya," he thanked the woman with a nod. Next was the issue of taming the horse.
The amateur rider closed his eyes and took a deep breath, pulling his sleeve down again and slowly approaching the startled animal. She snorted and backed up slightly in response away from the boy, prompting him to hesitate and place his left hand over his cloak pin: directly over his heart. Eye contact between beast and man was maintained, Reed with calm and honest eyes and the horse with wary alertness. Moments passed before Reed simply held out his hand outstretched for the steed and a small smile. Seconds again passed with no action from either party... Until the horse eventually crept forward into the boy. After sniffing his hand, she slowly moved into the warm gesture. "Atta girl, there we are... Easy now. I ain't gonna hurt ya, I know yer mighty scared... Everythin'll be alright," Reed cracked a grin, patting the creature pleasantly. The boy continued to reassure the horse before his own nudged his elbow, snapping him out of the moment.
"Eh heh, alright... I think she's mighty calm now. Phew! I'll shut my yapper for a while. So now that we're all ready to get goin', what's all this ruins business about? You gonna end up fightin' lotsa monsters 'n whatnot? I-I know I ain't the strongest tussler, but I reckon I can do somethin'!"
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Post by Althea on Nov 11, 2018 14:54:53 GMT -6
Slightly frustrated that there was little she could do herself, and never particularly good at admitting she needed help much less accepting it, Althea nonetheless was forced to sit there mutely as Reed did... something... with the stupid creature. Whether he was some manner of horse whisperer or merely good with animals was left to the viewer's imagination, and as the only viewer around, Althea found that answer less than satisfactory.
But it DID work, as the beast slowly responded, and they had what she assumed was a touching bonding moment. At least until his own steed interceded, sparking further conversation. Oddly, Althea found herself almost cracking a small smile - ALMOST - thankfully catching herself before she evinced anything resembling human emotion. Wouldn't that be embarrassing. Instead she retained her usual demeanor like a proper librarian, though there was a... softer edge to her tone and wording alike at the magic of his own that Reed seemed to possess.
"Thank you Reed." Well, baby steps. "As for your question... I sincerely hope the ruins are not infested, it wastes a great deal of valuable research time," and helps keep people nearby safe but who cares about that anyways right? It wasn't like she had a long history of 'accidentally' helping people, ostensibly in the name of self interest but continuing to do so even when it was clearly not conducive to her overall well being, "-but given the misfortune that seems to follow in my wake, it... would likely be wise to expect-" The dark mage sighed, wishing she was a little better at being normal, trying to reword that in a manner that would be neither infantile nor irritable. "Yes, there will probably be trouble."
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Reed
Squire
"If some feller gives me a lance, I'm'ma fight tooth 'n nail for what I reckon is right."
Posts: 79
Profession: Farmhand
Affiliation: None
Guild: None
Affinity: Light
Profile: Reed
OoC Alias: Ardent
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Post by Reed on Nov 23, 2018 14:21:39 GMT -6
All this talk about ruins in the mountains had brought back some rather unpleasant memories of the episode with Midori, Lady Lucy, Aura, and Mana squaring off against the Bonewalkers. Sure, Mana was an impressive force against the legions of undead scourges shambling around the complex, but his brush with death after nearly jumping in front of a magical explosion left a poor impression upon the idea of fighting the skeletons again. The squire and his steed barely fled with their lives in Reed's eyes, no matter how much Gracie probably wanted to rebury the damned creatures. "Er... Let's just keep hopin' there's nothin' there. Somethin' tells me I ain't too popular with them monsters after what I pulled. Ya think they remember when I accidentally speared one of 'em, eh heh...?" Reed joked anxiously. Going back into that situation was not on his bucket list, and if it were, it would be the death of him for sure. Perhaps it was the last one and the way he would go out? Thinking about it would do him no good.
In fact, maybe if they did face trouble like he had before, it would not be nearly as bad. Althea clearly knew what she was doing when she turned the two bandits into fertilizer for the grass, so with her healing powers and her impressive magic, things would be alright. Finding people like her and Vincent that would impress and "protect" him was a relief. The Sacaean made a mental note to pay these people back when he was much stronger and more capable compared to how he was now. Mounting Gracie again and spurning her forward, he motioned for Althea to follow him towards the mountains. If anything, a guide to what he was familiar with would suffice.
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Post by Althea on Nov 30, 2018 20:19:35 GMT -6
Althea raised and then scrunched an eyebrow at Reed's... unexpected commentary. Despite his obvious lack of combat experience, he had apparently survived a brush with undead at one point... though going by his choice of wording, she didn't get the feeling he had exactly shattered them like Jalid might. More of a... horse affair. Still. It was little of her business; it wasn't like her past brushes with monsters had all gone exceptionally well either, and if not for the aid of others she would most assuredly have died to one or another of those encounters.
Was the 'her' of now able to survive better on her own? Maybe. Was accepting aid from Ereshkigal still 'on her own'? She wasn't sure about that one, and less sure about the sanctity of the first. 'Better' didn't matter if you still died in the end. You were either good enough or - not. And she didn't want to find that one out the hard way.
"...I concur," she stated simply after a few more moments of thought. In the end, it only mattered if she failed. Thus, all she had to do was not fail, and all would end well. probably. Maybe. Best not to think about it too hard. "The less trouble we find, the faster this will all be over with." As Reed rode off, she followed him; her pride was not something to be trifled with, but neither was her pragmatism, and Althea was far from being too proud to accept guidance in an unfamiliar land. Even if she knew the rough direction she was heading in, the details could be far more complex, something she had learned many times the hard way. Always the hard way. ...There was a pattern there, one she tried not to think too hard about.
"For now however, I am in your care."
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Reed
Squire
"If some feller gives me a lance, I'm'ma fight tooth 'n nail for what I reckon is right."
Posts: 79
Profession: Farmhand
Affiliation: None
Guild: None
Affinity: Light
Profile: Reed
OoC Alias: Ardent
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Post by Reed on Dec 9, 2018 10:33:43 GMT -6
There was something about her being "in his care" that unnerved yet excited the impressionable young squire. Granted, his father had said that an armed cavalier was essentially a protector on the plains that often served as the muscle and shield of most mercenary groups lacking a heavily armored knight, but did he truly count as one of those? Reed was short, inexperienced, somewhat wimpy, and the rest of his qualities could have filled three scrolls had he tried to write them out (if he ever were to learn how to write in the first place, that is). Gracie, on the other hand, was probably wondering how the blazes she wasn't stomping someone into the ground at the moment. The boy felt somewhat embarrassed to feel inferior to his horse, but it was true: she was just carrying him right now. Protecting Althea, however, gave him resolve: this time, he would prove that his will was contributing to the team effort whenever his steed went charging down the plains with a hit list. "W-Well, uh... Thanks, I guess. Lemme tell ya right up: I ain't gonna get roughed up like that again! No ma'am, I'll avoid it like lumps on a toad," he gave a confident remark and spurned his horse forward.
...In actuality, his confidence surprisingly held up for a bit as the two grew closer to the mountains, but at the worst possible moment, Gracie refused to direct herself up. She shook her head and nickered and paced, but would not budge from her spot. "Huh? Aw, c'mon, girl! I-I thought ya liked this kinda stuff. You ain't scared-a them ruins-like places from last time, are ya?" Read asked innocently, and while it is unclear whether this was true or the horse somehow took offense to it, he was immediately thrown off of his saddle with a forceful rear. He coughed and groaned as he hit the ground, holding his stomach before quickly returning to his knees with an anxious smile to Althea. "Eh heh... Got any tips for me here? Gracie's, uh... Pretty darn stubborn. 'S much as I'd be tickled to help ya out up there, I'm afraid I ain't much good in the fightin' department without my girl with me. 'N from what I know 'bout Gracie, she ain't gonna budge after that for what I normally do, no ma'am."
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