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Post by Jya on Sept 6, 2019 20:58:20 GMT -6
How long has it been? Who knew, but Jya had made her way back. No matter how far she went, or where she traveled, it felt like she brought nothing, but troubles for others. Even now, as she huddled to the side of a building, bringing up enough water to drink, she was still cautious. Her eyes scanned the streets, scrutinizing every hiding point and the people that passed by. Her cloak and clothes worn through the passage of time, but her weapons, always well kept and hidden, outside the lance strapped to her back. She had been posing as nothing more than a mercenary when money was tight and a hunter when the bounty was full. She had shifted from one role to another, whatever made others comfortable to be around, but always flitting from one place to another.
She groaned, rolling her body up into a ball to protect herself. Her finger twitched, all to eager to rest on a hidden blade that she had to pull herself away from. No, this won't do, she was exposed, but every time she shifted, her body protested in advance. Hunger was an issue, but she staved off as much as possible by taking in the herbs. It didn't change the fact that she was broke and alone, having ran away from so much. Still she had persevered, not yet, this won't be the death of her. She was poor and defenseless, but there were uses to such images. At the passing of another, she reached out with her hands, tugging at their piece of fabric.
"W-would you spare some food, I can repay you, please," she begged, blue eyes moist and pleading. What can you expect from a peasant?
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Carlisle "Hartmut"
Cavalier
Posts: 67
Profession: Lost Heir
Affiliation: Old Etruria
Affinity: Fire
Profile: Carlisle
OoC Alias: Vin
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Post by Carlisle "Hartmut" on Sept 7, 2019 0:25:05 GMT -6
As part of their work after deposing Sharktooth Carlisle had taken to making sure he and his men made regular trips to the town of Darrun. Their presence and show of arms was not one born out of intent to keep the people fearful or in line, but rather to bring them comfort and deter any remnants of the unsavory element from trying anything. They knew they were no official power in Bern, and hardly intended to make a show as though they were, but to do nothing went against Carlisle's better judgement and character. Today just so happened to be one of the days that he himself went into the town.
Carlisle left his horse back at the foot of the mountainous path and with him a small group consisting of Marceline and two other knights. They wore red and green armor respectively and handled much of the recruitment process so when a small group of men approached shouting "Hartmut, Hartmut! My brother from a neighboring village finally crafted a blade for me. Please, let me join your guild as thanks for all you've done," they quickly stepped in to handle any business with the excitable young men.
Carlisle smiled at them and told them he only did what any good man should. They owed him nothing but he would not turn them away if they truly wished to join him. Breaking away from the Christmas knights he and Marceline would be the only ones left. From out of the crowd Carlisle would suddenly feel the tugging on his cloak and the pitiful pleas for food.
Carlisle was initially surprised and disbelieving that someone would need aid after the redistribution of the bandits' wealth but then he realized he did not know the woman. "I'm sorry. I don't have any food on me right now. But here," he produced a small handful of coins. "The tavern will be able to feed you with these." The amount was actually more than enough for a few meals. Eyeing her spear an idea occurred to Carlisle but for the moment he kept it to himself.
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Marceline
Thief
"Orders? Don't worry about me: you name it, I'll do my best to get it done."
Posts: 26
Profession: Etrurian Knight
Affinity: Thunder
Profile: Marceline
OoC Alias: Ardent
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Post by Marceline on Sept 7, 2019 3:46:51 GMT -6
So many people, some of them even looking her in the eye, and yet not a bit of fear. Marceline wasn't quite sure what to think about the reactions of the townspeople. It brought her joy to know that she'd somehow improved their lives by helping dethrone the bandit leader in the area, and with that joy came the happy humanitarian part of her. Her usually soft yet stoic stare was broken by an almost undetectable smile. Small indeed, but it was there. Darrun had become a symbol of hope for the humble knight after the downfall of Sharktooth, and reassured her that there was always a way to undo the clutches of corrupt power one way or another. It just so happened that this one could be solved with a dagger. Walking by the young prince's side, a sense of pride blossomed with the knowledge that they had done something big. The proof was there. A few seconds after she had been developing the ideas, her thoughts were interrupted by the other two knights she'd endearingly dubbed "The Holiday Knights" stepping aside to offer their blades to Carlisle's cause. And so there were two.
...Ah, yes. The reason why they were here in the first place surfaced again. It wasn't like their small group of warriors was going to storm the castle next week and go out for food at the tavern afterwards to have a good laugh about it. Every general would need an army to lead. Even so, Marcy didn't seem to mind much that their approach would be to gather forces from volunteers: most of them being militiamen or just flat-out villagers that wanted to swing a sword. Doing some good in return didn't hurt anyone... Actually, that's a lie: it hurt one bandit lord and probably a majority of his cronies. Trade-offs.
The Etrurian vassal slowed to a stop as her liege did, as the latter had slowed down to face what appeared to be an impoverished and starving woman... Or so it seemed to be? To be truthful, Marceline had been raised in an inn, and thus most of the people she would have come into contact with were likely travelers or doing alright in the financial department anyways. It was certainly far from the silver spoon, but the wooden one is drastically different than no spoon at all. While the prince was addressing the girl, the bandit did what she did best: make observations. "The weathered cloak and sitting position suggest that she doesn't have a home in this town, and if she does, it would likely be one of the lower end ones," she began to evaluate in her head. "In fact, that position she's seated in looks peculiar: almost as if it's a struggle to get up and move somewhere else. Carrying a weapon like that around suggests it's for self-defense, and meant to be seen. Hmm... It looks to me like someone's seen better days, and this is what they must resort to. I suppose that makes it clear what we must do now. Hopefully my liege has something to give her: I doubt she would appreciate strawberry gumdrop candies when she's clearly been going hungry."
On the outside, however, the enigmatic woman just appeared to be staring at the beggar with a blank gaze. Not hostile, nor pitying, but as ambiguous as could be. She didn't speak a word, and instead just stood there studying up the stranger with a hand on her hip in silence.
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Post by Jya on Sept 7, 2019 8:47:29 GMT -6
In the end she was just a defenseless girl, depending on others in some way. What had she done to earn infamy? Wasn’t killing just a means to an end, she didn’t look out for it, but every time, the resolution for her survival was the end of another’s life. She watched with lazy disinterest at the exchange of overeager recruits. It never occurred to her, to simply join an army or band. Oh, she had allied herself with some, but only at the behest of her friends. She only felt safe with those she genuinely regarded as companions.
The offer for coins came with a genuine surprise. A nice man was hard to come by and she graciously accepted the coins. It was more than she expected, a good deal more. Enough that she didn’t have to walk around town pickpocketing again. She really didn’t have the energy to accumulate coins, get food, and run out of town again. That had been her lifestyle for the past few weeks and in all honesty, she was exhausted. She hadn’t felt safe since that fateful day in Bern, the arena, blood spilt. If she could apologize she would. How was she to know that her actions was the catalyst for chaos? Still she journeyed back here, perhaps to find a way to make amends or find a place to hide below her pursuer’s nose.
“Thank you, I’ll repay it,” she said, palming the coins into her hands. She wasn’t a person of wealth, never was, born as a peasant and having stayed one. You would think someone of her ability had wealth, but that never seemed to be the case. She looked, eyeing the other woman cautiously as they watched. A sharp eye, unnerving by the neutralness and it was an all to familiar look. She tried to hide away from the scrutiny, but only enough to keep her other weapons unnoticed.
“I don’t have the money, but I can do a little bit of fighting. I’m not confident with facing my opponents up front,” she admitted, gathering what energy she has to rise. Even while exhausted, her movements were measured to be silent, her tattered grey cloak moving almost imperceptibly against her body. She didn’t lie, oh no, Jya hated fighting up front whenever possible. Her speciality was always from surprise and unseen strikes, ending confrontation quickly.
“My name is Jya, I’m still inexperienced, but if you can give me the opportunity, I’ll definitely repay you,” she introduced herself, simple and quite frankly unknown. People seem to know her, but that wasn’t true. They simply knew the moniker of the Emerald Wraith, but Jya. She was just a girl, a vagabond, that simply always got in trouble.
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Carlisle "Hartmut"
Cavalier
Posts: 67
Profession: Lost Heir
Affiliation: Old Etruria
Affinity: Fire
Profile: Carlisle
OoC Alias: Vin
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Post by Carlisle "Hartmut" on Sept 7, 2019 23:56:37 GMT -6
Carlisle noticed how Marceline was studying the woman before them. He hardly suspected her or thought much of it. In fact he assumed Marceline was just doing what she would normally do when it came to strangers, however it did spark one thought in his mind. The spear she carried was a rather dangerous one by design. He knew his fair share of people that cut themselves deeply with a weapons like it. It was possible she had some skill, if not good fortune, or more fortune than good sense and that brought her to them here in her current predicament.
"There is no need to repay me. I have enough already." but she wasn't done with just a simple statement like that. She was ready to fight. To work for him in exchange for the money and food. She was talking about securing her future more than a simple repayment. A favor to him, and to herself. Then again, she insisted she would repay him, so perhaps she intended to work for free? No, Carlisle would not allow that. If she worked for him, she would be compensated, and compensation meant she'd just have to repay him some other way. He didn't much care to make her owe him, so he'd let her decide when she'd done enough.
"Inexperienced or not, there is always room to grow. So your name is Jya is it? If you lack confidence in direct combat, I'm afraid that the spear may not suit you well," he gestured to the one on her back. "Would be a shame to put such a fine weapon to waste. I'd be happy to have you on board if you're willing to learn. The bow may be more suitable to your wants, but if you're committed to the spear then we'll do what we can." Carlisle offered her a chance but he did not sugar coat it. He did not know of her true nature or talents, only what she presented to him. If she was to wield a spear, she would need to learn how to fight up close.
"Of course, I do not wish for you to feel indebted, I have no interest in slaves. Therefore if you join with us it is as a member of the guild, with full benefits and responsibilities."
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Marceline
Thief
"Orders? Don't worry about me: you name it, I'll do my best to get it done."
Posts: 26
Profession: Etrurian Knight
Affinity: Thunder
Profile: Marceline
OoC Alias: Ardent
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Post by Marceline on Sept 8, 2019 0:46:45 GMT -6
Now, the stranger's comments about their preferred fighting style as well as her weapon being quite dangerous didn't raise any alarms in the thief's head. Many a lancer had taken up the weapon simply due to its reach and how it could be used for a more indirect approach to attacking enemies and abusing the range it possessed. Even shrinking away from her gaze was expected, as such a person would likely be the type to shy away from prying eyes such as hers. Everything still ordinary and expected, of course: no cause of alarm. It was when she stood that made Marceline's blood run cold for a moment: not a sound was made in the process. No matter how light the woman appeared to be, there should have been something that she could pick up on! The sliding of her cloak upon the ground or the crack of a joint, something should have happened. "She moved silently, she doesn't like to attack head-on, she's wearing a cloak that could be used to conceal something... Could it be that...?"
"...No. It must be a fluke. I have been paranoid ever since meeting the prince. Though it would be rash to act upon these foolish suspicions, an extra level of security wouldn't hurt. If she truly means well, it would be cruel of me to make things worse for her. I just pray that my benefit of the doubt will pay off, for my own and the prince's sake." With that thought, Marcy had suddenly stepped forward until she was almost in between Carlisle and Jya. She didn't seem bothered by much on the outside, but an aura of suspicion hung in her tone. "I agree. If you don't fight well in close quarters, then perhaps a spear wouldn't work for you. Tell me: have you had any training in magic?" she questioned with a curious gaze and crossed arms. It was tragic to admit that Marcy was also a bit unnerved by the fact that this stranger appeared to have some Etrurian background. Not as if she was about to drop everything and demand them to confess to being some spy to the Prophet or something, but she felt that it would be necessary to note.
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Post by Jya on Sept 8, 2019 7:26:15 GMT -6
Should she offer the skills of a thief? The man seemed rather...straight and narrow about things. That might not be the best idea at the moment. No, it was best to repay him in blood, it’s really what she was best at after all. Jya had offered her spear since it was the most noticeable weapon upon her. She had found ways to hide her swords, even her bow, but the lance stuck out like a sore thumb. Not to say she had no skill with it, her strikes tend to be direct and deadly. It wasn’t the style of a soldier and most likely never will.
“I’ll definitely get better at the spear, but I can work on the bow to the side. I’ll do my best to learn,” she replied with some gusto. Yes! It was a meal ticket indeed! She wouldn’t have to worry about food and lodging for awhile. Worse case scenario, she can most likely sneak out, though it seemed she would have to be more cautious around the woman. She had no intentions to retaliate though, especially when there was no killing intent behind their gestures. Sometimes it get as though her body moved quicker than her mind, she was simply so used to her movement it was difficult to change.
“Magic? I’ve seen magic. But me? Oh no, I don’t have any talent for that. I can barely read,” she informed them with a bit of embarrassment. It was true, she had gotten better. Her level was good enough to read contracts to some extent, though she still depended on her friends to help decipher them. Perhaps it was one of the reasons she hadn’t been taking contracts in general. She was a killer, but she never killed indiscriminately. Most often it was more out of fear and repercussion than anything else.
“I’ll do my best, ah, I’ll go grab something quick to eat,” she bowed, before moving quickly away to a nearby stand. Her steps were light as she passed, careful not to brush against anyone else on the streets. It was a careful gait, but only so much as to not disturb others. Jya moves quickly though, only buying an apple here and some dried meat there, but she always kept track of her targets, just in case they left her.
“Sorry, I really was hungry,” she stated, with a half-eaten apple in hand. “Could I get your names?” A simple question, but an important one, she had given hers. Perhaps she can come to to trust them, but for now she was rather cautious. For now, she simply slid down the hood of her cloak to reveal her face, a pleasant enough smile.
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Carlisle "Hartmut"
Cavalier
Posts: 67
Profession: Lost Heir
Affiliation: Old Etruria
Affinity: Fire
Profile: Carlisle
OoC Alias: Vin
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Post by Carlisle "Hartmut" on Sept 10, 2019 20:14:30 GMT -6
Jya's eagerness to practice and improve could very well be nothing more than show in an effort to improve the opinions of the others with her but he was perfectly fine with it. An eagerness and enthusiasm was something he liked to see, the lack of it was prevalent with most. He did however offer her a warning that he was certain she would brush off. "Just so you're fully aware there will be a lot of hard work."
So she couldn't read. No matter. "Not everyone can read in this day and age." Carlisle shrugged it off in an effort to make Jya feel better. "If time presents itself I am sure some of our members would be willing to teach you. Reading and writing are skills that often come in handy in our line of work. While I can't tell you any of them now, sometimes there are cyphers that get implemented." Teaching her to read would probably get Jya further indebted he realized but if she did good work and became one of his most trusted then that sort of knowledge would be incomparably useful. Perhaps it was presumptuous to think about her being in those numbers from day one, but Carlisle was always evaluating those he met.
"No need to bow to me, I'm hardly worthy or such a thing." Carlisle brushed off her actions. "In fact I forbid you to bow to me." No need to let spies or worse, snipers, be able to pick him out at a distance.
"Ah, I never did give you my name did I? Forgive me Jya. My name is Hartmut."
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Marceline
Thief
"Orders? Don't worry about me: you name it, I'll do my best to get it done."
Posts: 26
Profession: Etrurian Knight
Affinity: Thunder
Profile: Marceline
OoC Alias: Ardent
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Post by Marceline on Sept 10, 2019 21:29:47 GMT -6
Jya's inherent illiteracy, while surprising, wasn't Marceline's main concern. As soon as the girl took off to buy herself some food, her footsteps and movements were virtually soundless without flaw. Her gaze narrowed after the girl running off to buy her necessities, and she rested a hand upon the hilt of her sheathed dagger with a firmer grip. More and more, the signs were there that Jya was a lot more than she seemed: enough to warrant heavy suspicion, and an instinct to protect her lord. Would it be acceptable for her to voice her concerns about the newcomer that Carlisle intended on recruiting? Although he did tell her to speak up whenever she opposed something he was suggesting, how was she to trust that she was a good judge of character herself? Her mother-like intuition was on red alert with some shocking observations starting to click together and paint a picture of Jya that wasn't so positive... But on the other hand, who was to say that this was for intentions working against him? The poor girl could just be awfully humble about her talents and truly wants to lend her support to the cause in exchange for a way to survive.
Survival was an important subject to the enigmatic Etrurian, after all. Ever since his fall, Marcy lived every day for the sake of her mentor whose body she was forced to leave on the Lycian-Etrurian border. Her time as a mercenary was spent ensuring not only her own salvation, but that of those she called allies- or, in a way, family. Though this stranger had put her on edge, she could respect their dedication to wanting some form of stability to their life. Whether she was right on that hunch or not was unimportant: for now, it was priority number one to prepare for the worst while hoping for the best.
As Jya returned, the thief eased her grip on the dagger as to conceal her heightened awareness of the situation. On the off chance that she wasn't who she claimed to be, giving it away that she was onto her would prove disastrous. "And I am Marceline. It's a pleasure to meet you, Jya, and also to hear that you're interested in lending us your strength, she stated with a much softer tone akin to how she usually addresses her friends. Maybe it was the benefit of the doubt seeping in again, or perhaps her grin didn't look like a crocodile smile.
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Post by Jya on Sept 10, 2019 22:09:43 GMT -6
Jya was practically bouncing off her feet, especially with the boost from finally having food on hand. She felt no remorse or emotion from lying, rather, she had been truthful the entire time. Sure, she left out details, like her specialties and whatnot, but that was all part of her trade. The less she was known for being an assassin, the less trouble that such a title would follow along. In all honestly, she never considered herself one, not formally. Her techniques have been self-taught more or less, the hairs on the back of neck rising at remembering when she truly learned to kill.
She had more or less assumed that she was joining in some sort of army or mercenary camp. They certainly didn’t seem to be bandits, which eased up her conscience quite a bit. It didn’t change the fact that she still didn’t know what exactly to do. She had bowed, but that’s what she was taught to do when meeting big important people. Nobody ever corrected her on who those big important were, since Harmut seemed important she had done it. There was some relief from her when told she didn’t have to. Bowing often left her neck more exposed than she liked, so being exempt only made her more at ease.
Both Marceline and Hartmut had been kind with her, but Jya wasn’t stupid enough to keep an eye on the woman in response. Even discounting all the people, she had slain over the years, there was still the matter of her thievery charges. Her habits had gotten better, she stopped stealing unless she truly needed to. Now there was an even greater reason, especially with someone looking over your shoulder. To keep her hand busy, she resorted to the habit of rolling a coin across her knuckles.
“I’ll definitely pull my weight! Uhh, so what exactly can I help with?” she asked, tilting her head to the side. Outside of killing people for money, she was sure there were other tasks that needed to be done. “Sorry, I don’t normally join big groups, I prefer to be with my friends,” she tried to explain, looking away for a moment. Friends…that’s right. She wondered how they were faring, but the world was big, and it was unlikely she would find them again.
“What do you guys do, for example?”
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