Aevian
The "Before" years
[M:30]
Posts: 114
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Post by Aevian on Dec 28, 2009 23:14:02 GMT -6
Reports of Ostia's falling had already reached Santaruz. information was an interesting thing. The worse the new, the faster it traveled. In the streets, she could hear clear conversations of war, and Eturia's attack. This was the first, however, that Aevian had heard of it. To be blunt, she was shocked that Eturia would have acted so rashly towards this..but this..Prophet...must have quite a powerful control over the army. Eturia's army was great, but Bern's was greater, atleast as far as she knew. This wasn't the first time Ostia was destroyed, and certainly won't be the last.
Her regal air and look drew many attentive looks, some whispering about who she was, and if she was related to the Marquess of Santaruz. This was indeed a beautiful city, and she was growing more and more accustomed to it with each day, having been here now for about three days. it wasn't as splendid as Bern, but it was pretty close.
She walked up along the roads of market section of the city, seeing many various things being sold off for decent, or extremely over the top prices. Merchants were curious creatures, so greedy, almost like thieves, but this way they dump something in your lap so you can't complain about being robbed.
Grinning, she quickly purchased a fruit, and snacked on it, taking a seat off to the side of the road to munch on her apple, watching the people walk by, as she kept herself relatively unnoticed, which was good for her. All her life she had been stared at because of her nobility, she welcomed the chance to atleast eat and not be looked at.
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Aevian
The "Before" years
[M:30]
Posts: 114
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Post by Aevian on Dec 29, 2009 13:45:04 GMT -6
As Aevian sat and finished off the snack of an apple, her eyes caught sigh of an elderly couple, well of into their 70s pushing a large wooden cart filled what appeared to be a quick assortment of their more precious belongings. on the back of the cart was a little girl with fiery red hair, no more over the age of 14, holding a simple cloth doll in her hand.
By the look of them and their smokey clothes, it appeared that they had not rested well in comfort for a few days, possibly more refugees from the Ostia attack which happened not too long ago. Tossing the core away behind her, she began to approach them slowly at first, until the old man pulling the cart meant for donkeys, tripped and fell upon the stone road, which caused her to move more quickly to his side, putting a hand on his shoulder, as if to ease him.
Greeting his startled look with an easy smile, she took the bar handle from his hand, by lifting his own off, allowing the cart's front to be eased to the ground.
"Grandfather...where do you come from, pulling such a device meant for the burden of an animal?"
She spoke softly, calmly, seeing that the family was already jumpy. Her eyes quickly went to the grandmother, analyzing her face, as well as the young girl, who looked over her shoulder to see what was going on up front.
The man's thick eyebrows furrowed as he looked at Aevian, questioning her actions with a look, but he answered with a raspy, tired voice.
"My wife and I are of a poor lot. Our daughter and son-in-law died in the attack while trying to defend Ostia. They were no soldiers! The attack...it was...it was a nightmare...they came out of nowhere, so quick and ferocious.."
Aevian began helping the man back to his feet, a look of sympathy in her eyes as those eyes went to the girl looking at her. While she took the stock of the cart, which resulted in a quick shake of the old man's head, resting his hands on Aevian's own.
"No, I cannot allow a stranger, no less a woman, to burden themselves with the lot of a poor family..."
Brushing some of her hair out of the way, as if to catch what was going on behind this old man, before looking him directly back in the eyes, which seemed so empty, devoid of hope, and full of sadness.
"Nonsense, Grandfather, my name is Aevian von Diera...there, now we are no longer strangers."
With a cheery smile, she began to push on with the cart, despite the man's grumbling and protests...but the further they went, the less the outbursts were, until they were completely gone.
They were deeper in the City now, on the way the old couple spoke and Aevian spoke more casually, only because Aevian didn't want to press hurtful memories. The couple lost their child in that fight, and their grandchild had not spoken the entire time, almost as if she could not.
Every now and then, Aevian glanced back over her shoulder to check on the girl, who seemed to only stare at the ground as she was pulled along. Aevian looked towards the old woman, who she now knew was named Marelyn, and the old man, named Foriah, and tried to give a reassuring smile, that not all hope in the world was gone.
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Aevian
The "Before" years
[M:30]
Posts: 114
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Post by Aevian on Dec 31, 2009 12:54:49 GMT -6
After about an hour and a half, Aevian had arrived at where she was taking the cart, and leading the family. It was an inn, out of the old town that they were in. it wasn't very fancy compared to the one she was staying in, because she knew the elderly man and woman would have traded words with her in argument. This place, however, was a fair compromise...it came highly recommended to her as she traveled through Lycia on her way to Santaruz. It's name was The Barley Den.
It was quite quaint, no lavish furnishings, no tapestries, fountains (not that many inns had those to begin with), all it had, were a number of chairs and tables in the seating area, for performances, dining, and general socialization. Slowly, the cart wheeled up along side the building, and Aevian went in alone, but was soon followed by the older man, to which she wheeled on the heels of her boot right around to face him.
"Be at ease, good sir, I am just going to prepare you a room with two beds. I don't mean to offend your sense of honor, so I won't ask them for special treatment.."
The man had raised a hand in protest, and opened his mouth, but quickly closed it and gave a curt nod to her, his eyes filed with worry. Placing a hand on his shoulder, she tilted her head, and gave a smile, then went inside. The place was fairly dead, which wasn't strange at all. Despite all the refugees, most probably didn't have the money to pay for rooms, having lost all they had in Ostia.
She briskly walked up to the counter of the bar, a man cleaning second rate silverware glanced up from his workings, eyed her, and then looked back at his utensils, cleaning them further.
"Come for room and board have ye' miss?"
"Yes, but not for me, there is a family from Ostia outside. I am paying their room fare up two for two weeks...is this enough?"
Digging at her side for the pouch, she thumbed out gold coins, seven in total. The big bearded man looked at the money on his counter, then to her, and shrugged his shoulders, taking the money into a large mitt of a hand, and pocketed the gold.
"Sounds good to me lass. Have them come in. They can store their things in one of the stables out back...they be pretty secure."
Smirking, she took of at her own pace, and went outside, nodding to the three of them as she re-took the harness of the wagon, and pulled it around back, fitting it in to one of the stalls. Walking back out, she led the family inside. not many words were exchanged, the inn keeper went about talking of the history of how he came to inherit this place...he won a lucky bet, how strange...and then showed the family to their rooms. Once inside, Foriah and Marelyn sat down on the bed, with their grandchild, Eloquence, on her own.
"Please feel free to stay here. I have payed up to two weeks for you all, but you may leave sooner if you wish it. I however, have my own apartment rented out on the other side of town, the Innkeeper will feed you when you are hungry, I've paid him well in advance already."
Slowly, she unwrapped her money pouch once more, and took out a few coins, and then handed the rest of what was inside to Foriah, giving a grin at his befuddlement, and rose a hand to give him pause as he was about to protest.
"Buy supplies for yourself, s well as a beast of burden, horse or donkey, your choice, to pull that cart, no man, no matter the status, should have to do such a thing. I am going to my own inn now, I have things I must be doing, and I must be off, take care, and please visit if you are in the area."
With a small bow, something she had never done for anyone but her father and mother, or even greater lords (which was rare), she was off. As soon as she was outside, she felt arms suddenly wrap around the middle of her body. Stopping in shock, she quickly turned her head to look over her shoulder, and saw the little girl grasping at her, holding tightly. She put her hands upon the girls, and turned around. No words were exchanged. She was still to shy towards Aevian, possibly unable to talk from the traumatic event. Nodding back to her, she was released, and slowly hugged the girl with a sense of familiarity, before she got up, and went on her way, after seeing the child back inside. Then, she too, took her leave, cape rustling as wind swept trough the roads of the town.
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Aevian
The "Before" years
[M:30]
Posts: 114
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Post by Aevian on Dec 31, 2009 17:52:59 GMT -6
Sun touched her face as it began creeping in through the window of the room which she slept in. Groaning, she took the lace pillow, and covered her head with it, and tried to ignore that it was morning. Slowly, with a huff and a sigh, she sat up in her bed, and began preparing for the new day starting with the daily regiment of cleaning and stylization.
It took her a few hours before being fully dressed and primed, but that was the main focus as to why she woke up early. Breathing a small yawn once more, she worked her way down the stairs, her traveling bag over her shoulder now, as this was the last day she would spend in this city. She had plans of her own afterall, to go to Laus, or Ostia...there would be time enough to make that decision for herself on the road to her chosen destination.
It's true, she told the refuged family that she would be in town, but really, they needed solace, which she gave enough of. They say money can't buy happiness, but it can buy something close enough to it. Pulling the leather strap around her shoulder, she took a pear from one of the bowls adorned along side the wall, and proceeded on her way outside of the Inn, and down along the roads, noticing the heavy stationing of the guards, as they were still on full alert. It was doubtful, that the Prophet would be able to use another sneak attack so soon...even if they would have some how managed to get this far into Lycia.
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Aevian
The "Before" years
[M:30]
Posts: 114
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Post by Aevian on Jan 2, 2010 1:25:25 GMT -6
She was a few hours outside the gates of Santaruz now, and breathed softly as she began to see a treeline ahead. Traveling alone sure was...lonely...in the back of her mind, Aevian was wishing she atleast could have brought her personal attendant, but her moral system told her to go alone. Breathing a sigh of regret, she took a look over her shoulder, seeing the sight of the glorious city disappear behind the cresting of the hill she walked down, until it fully disappeared from view, and all there was in sight was grass, and more road.
The road didn't carry many travelers, some farmers taking their goods to markets, and others who just went on their way towards the city, some exchanging glances at her, and the hefty one handed axe at her side, thinking it strange for a woman to carry such a clumsy weapon. Rubbing her neck, she moved into the heavily wooded area, and took a break, resting on a fence post in the shade of the sunny day, and pulled a boot free, as a few pebbles then bounced out onto the ground. As she was fitting the bot back onto her foot, a loud crack of a branch broke behind her, causing her to jump, and spin around, hand going to the weapon at her side, and holding it between a few fingers, ready to draw.
For the first few moments, nothing happened, then slowly, one by one, men with swords and ruddy leather armor walked out behind trees, one with a hand to his head, while the other two kind of slumped behind him.
"Damn it Bors! You suck at sneaking don't you!?"
"Sorry boss...I'm no thief...but...well..I am, but not a sneaky kind!"
"Bah...whatever...sorry Missy, life is a tough thing, ya know?" He gave her a once over and clicked his tongue in a distasteful manner, not even accounting for her weapon. "...guess you don't...but yeah, same ol' game...money or your life I'm good with both, mind." Shrugging her shoulders at the man, she would not be intimidated by a few highwaymen, and tossed her belongings down behind her, and hefted the weighty weapon into her hands, holding it before them.
"I'm a stubborn woman, never known to listen to a man's order before...come on...if you can kill me, guess you can have your prize.."
The third man, not Bors openly accepted the invitation to fight, and ran out first, sword overhead as he ran forwards the few short paces. The boss threw up his hand to stop him, yelling towards him.
"Wait!"
It was quick, the actions that took place by the over-eager thief. He took a quick downward slash, to which Aevian jumped to the side, and place out her foot for him to trip on, and as he fell, her axe came down with added force of the weight of her blade, and sank disgustingly into the middle of his spine. Frowning, Aevian wrenched the blade free, marked still with the blood of their accomplice, dripping freely onto the ground.
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Aevian
The "Before" years
[M:30]
Posts: 114
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Post by Aevian on Jan 2, 2010 1:49:55 GMT -6
Merrik, the leader of the one less member of his group, winced as he saw the heap of a body laying on the ground, his patchy clothes soaking with the deep colour of red that began swelling up to the surface of his back injury. His eyes went to Aevian, and then to pack of belongings that she dropped behind her. His eyes narrowed on the satchel and motioned to Bors to follow him, tapping the flat part of his two edged sword in is hand while Bors, the bigger of the two, hefted his weapon off of his shoulder, and lowered his stance.
"Shame you had to do that...he was young, and eager...and stupid...probably better he be dead...come on Bors, lets get back to work."
"Sure thing, Boss."
Slowly, they proceeded towards Aevian, weapons ready and held low. Bors was cautiously moving, well aware of his footwork, while Merrik was a bit more sure of himself naturally. She didn't have much time to get good grounding, changing her stance as they began to get behind her, and then, they attacked.
Bors moved first, coming from the front, and swung his low blade upwards, aiming to cleave her in two from left foot to right shoulder. Slowly, she maneuvered her axe in low, and caught his sword between the two blades of her axe, which prompted Merrik to close in from behind.
Merrik took a few quick steps, and lunged forwards to run her through, but as her eyes caught his movements when looking back at him, she broke off from the weapon lock she had with Bors, and swung her weapon around slapped the sword out of the way, but putting her foot up into his stomach as he rushed into her. With a dry heave, Merrik stumbled back clutching his stomach from where her boot made contact.
Slowly, Aevian backed a little, kicking her satchel with the heel of her boot, focusing more attention on Bors as he seemed a little bewildered by the fact his boss was even hurt to begin with.
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Wyatt
Hero
The Volcano
How can someone win if winning means that someone loses?
Posts: 463
Etruria Fame: 2
Sacae Fame: -1
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Post by Wyatt on Jan 2, 2010 11:45:57 GMT -6
Everything was muddled together...he remember bits and pieces of it.
They'd been running along a river in a burning forest, to keep themselves from being roasted alive. The current was moving pretty fast, but they stayed to the edge so it had been ok. Wyatt had been bringing up the rear, and hadn't noticed how slippery the rocks were. Normally he'd be able to retain his balance, but with his smith materials on his back, he was too top heavy, and toppled into the water. Among all the noise and panic, his companions probably didn't even notice that he was no longer behind them. As the water surrounded him, he managed to slip his arms out of the harness that threatened to pull him to a watery grave. Thankfully he'd had some practice swimming in a small lake by his village, but nothing like this. Breaking the surface, he grabbed a welcome gasp of air before the waves threw him under yet again. His training would save his life, because the increased muscle mass it had given him was the reason he was able to battle the current for as long as he did, and stay with his head above water. Eventually though, he felt his body tire as his mind slipped away.
So this was it eh? Drowned in a river like some little child...what a way for his story to end.
It was to his surprise that he had these thoughts, since he should be dead. His body ached and it felt as if he'd swallowed the river itself as he coughed and gasped breaths. His eyes stung and his muscles quivered with weakness, but that meant he was yet alive. As he opened his eyes he took a brief survey of his surroundings. The river had carried him far, he had no idea where he was, but now the river was not the raging maw it was before. He managed to bring himself to his knees, and looked about. On a small patch of grass and dirt by the river's edge, he was soaked to the bone and it seemed alone.
But wait? There were muddy footprints in the soil near him, even through his hazy eyes he could tell they were recent. Had someone found him...and left him there?
The sound of conflict nearby seemed to suggest that, and Wyatt staggered to his feet. Was there a fight going on, he had to help!
It was then that he noticed his axe had been lost, maybe to the river? And as weak as he was, helping wasn't going to be easy.
As he approached the scene, he was able to piece it together quickly, mainly because the injured man had a very familiar axe strapped to his back.
"Hey!" He called, as loudly as he would allow, which was barely more then a casual tone. "That's my axe on your back you grave robber!"
If it served to distract them, that was about all he could do for the other side. Though he still had no idea which was right and which was wrong.
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Aevian
The "Before" years
[M:30]
Posts: 114
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Post by Aevian on Jan 2, 2010 12:59:20 GMT -6
Between locoing at the two highwaymen, she heard a voice that belonged to neither. Looking, searching with her eyes, she spotted the boy up the distance infront, but behind her enemies. Grinning a little she looked to her assailants, Bors, still fixated on her, not having turned around, probably not having heard, but Merrik, oh, he heard. It was his back, after all, where the axe was. Tsking a bit, he withdrew the axe, ready to use i, but the weapon was heavy, and his narrow arms were not used to holding an axe with just the one hand.
Bors moved to advance again, swinging his large sword with ease, downwards, then horizontally, pushing her back as she sidestepped around the first attack, and then brought the axe up like a shield to deflect the second blow. She held him like this for a moment, the difference in strength being to the man as he began pushing her arms, enough until he broke the weapon lock, and tossed her arms up, and jabbed without a clear sens of aiming, which caught Aevian on the side, a grunt sounded from her as she grabbed at her side, but had little time to recuperate.
Merrik came with both weapons, clumsily running at her to fill in the gap that Bors had left him, and went to slash down with both weapons. Aevian, knowing that he was now top-heavy, actually proceeded at him in a small stagger, and slashed upwards at the weapons, knocking the axe from his hand, and pushing back the sword as well.
However, Merrik wasn't finished, as he brought a knee to her gut, which paused the young noble, and brought writing back, and eventually stumbling over.
"Forget her, not worth it..." His eyes went to the satchel which Aevian had dropped initially and picked it up, motioning a signal to Bors to pull back. "C'mon, lets get back, the big guy will wanna see this."
"Uh...yeah.."
Bors took off running, and didn't even glance towards Wyatt, as they ran in the opposite direction he had come from into the Forest, while Merrik looked long and hard at Aevian, and then turned to Wyatt and the axe, which was now comfortably at her side, and scorned them both with his stare. Working up flem, he spit on Aevian, and took off without more of a word, his blatant disrespect being showed in the form of the action, and took off in a sprint after Bors, still clutching his stomach.
Aevian still sat there, her embroidered axe in hand still as she breathed a small sigh, clutching her bleeding wound , the red making a mess of her fine clothes. Slowly, she worked a hurt stare to Wyatt, and motioned him over with a wave of her axe.
"Guess they're done with me..c'mon over here, they're gone, left your axe, too, it seems."
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Wyatt
Hero
The Volcano
How can someone win if winning means that someone loses?
Posts: 463
Etruria Fame: 2
Sacae Fame: -1
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Post by Wyatt on Jan 2, 2010 13:04:31 GMT -6
Wyatt watched the fight finish, and had already begun moving to help her when he saw her get injured. But then they took off, and there was no way he was going to catch them. He wanted to run over to make sure this women was ok, but his body would have none of that. Instead, the bedraggled boy who looked more like a half drowned rat merely stumbled over to her, fumbling with one of his remaining pouches. He'd had more vulnerary, but most of it had been destroyed by the river.
"H-here." He said, still wheezing. "It should still be good enough for one dose." He offered the small pouch to her, as he reached down to claim his axe.
He found it hard to lift, he really was weak after his ordeal.
"Are you...ok?" He managed to ask her.
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Aevian
The "Before" years
[M:30]
Posts: 114
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Post by Aevian on Jan 2, 2010 13:20:32 GMT -6
She gave a small cough as she tried to get wind back into her lungs, keeping a tight grasp over her wound as she watched him come in close and stumbling at that. it didn't seem like the best time, but she couldn't help but laugh a little while wincing in pain, offering a small nod as she helped herself to the offered Vulnerary, opening it, and rubbing the salve across her open wound, breathing sharply as its cool healing effect took place, closing, and cleaning the wound quickly, but the pain was still there for her.
"Thank you, young sir.." She said with a heavy breath as she stumbled her way ungraciously to her feet. Licking her lips, she took in the sight of him, the young man whom would have come to her rescue, had he a weapon, possibly.
"Yes, I am fine, I didn't go into that thinking I would win...but, pride makes us do foolish things..."
She grunted and tried to settle him down with a gentle touch. "We'll never catch them at this time...we'll set after them once you and I have rested...you look like you just came back from swimming...what happened to you?"
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Wyatt
Hero
The Volcano
How can someone win if winning means that someone loses?
Posts: 463
Etruria Fame: 2
Sacae Fame: -1
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Post by Wyatt on Jan 2, 2010 13:35:19 GMT -6
Wyatt was still trying to catch his breath, but he was slowly regaining some semblance of balance. His legs felt like wet noodles, but he kept himself standing. Pride eh? Well, he understood that all too well, he'd nearly gotten killed for it before.
"Uh...I was traveling...part of a mercenary group...we got into a fight in a forest by Ostia...we were traveling from Laus. We..." He didn't dare tell her what they were fighting, she'd never believe him. "We were fighting some wild animals, wolves...and one of our group, a mage, accidentally set the forest aflame. We were traveling along a river and I slipped in, I'm not sure how I survived to make it here."
He paused for a moment. "I'm not even sure where exactly 'here' is. Would you happen to know where we are?"
An odd question, but considering his current situation it made total sense.
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Aevian
The "Before" years
[M:30]
Posts: 114
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Post by Aevian on Jan 2, 2010 14:20:54 GMT -6
She breathed a deep breath as she listened intently...she had seen the smoke of fires in the north, but didn't say anything at the moment. Wolves...why would wolves attack people? That made no sense, usually wolves wouldn't go near a group of humans. She went and remembered the family she helped out in Santaruz, talking about viciousness...she began to wonder if they had meant people...or something else..
"Amazing...some people don't get that kind of adventure in a whole lifetime...but life is changing..."
She nodded, and rubbed her chin as she sprawled out on the ground for a moment, trying to think.
"We're a few hours north of Santaruz on the main road...I was on my way to either Ostia, or Laus...I don't know which...I want to see for myself the reports on which I have heard..."
She rubbed a finger over the sharp blade of her white blade, with gold encrusted along the main body of the blade.
"Oh, right, my name is Aevian von Diera...I am the daughter of Dutchess Elayne von Diera, of Bern, and you are?"
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Wyatt
Hero
The Volcano
How can someone win if winning means that someone loses?
Posts: 463
Etruria Fame: 2
Sacae Fame: -1
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Post by Wyatt on Jan 2, 2010 15:03:39 GMT -6
Adventure? he hadn't though of falling into a river much of an adventure. It just meant he was clumsy, and lucky enough to be alive. But when she said where they were, he almost lost it.
"Santaruz?! That's days travel from Ostia!" He looked back at the river. "How long was I battling that river? Well...I fell in at night so...jeez." He'd been in the river all night, no wonder he was so exhausted.
"Wait, reports?" He asked, what had she heard? "I'd heard that war might have been coming to Ostia, is that what you are talking about?"
When she started to introduce herself he prepared to introduce himself in return. However, his frazzled brain took a while to register what she said.
She was a noble. She was a Bern noble.
"Ah! Uh, ah sorry. I'm not really sure the proper way to address a noble, I'm just a country boy, My Lady." He said, falling to an odd one legged kneel. It was much easier because he was actually tired enough to collapse, so this wasn't that much further then what he was capable of.
"I am called Wyatt, My Lady. Only a humble blacksmith."
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Aevian
The "Before" years
[M:30]
Posts: 114
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Post by Aevian on Jan 2, 2010 15:20:34 GMT -6
A small nod of her head was given when he questioned about their position. She rubbed her shoulders a bit and sat up once, trying to re-position her armor so it wasn't so cumbersome. Sliding her weapon back into the loop her belt had to hold her weapon. She studied him awhile longer, and couldn't help but give a small smile, but waved away his formalities, finding them unnecessary.
"Please, enough with that, Wyatt. This is neither the time nor the place for you to be humbling yourself to me. There is also nothing humble about a trademan, why, I've seen blacksmiths in Bern who were lords in their own mind, as they should...they arm us and cloth us in their armor, a fine profession."
Her mind had ignored the question on the reports of Ostia, but now, she decided it was time to bring them up.
"Men of my nation on trading missions had come from Bern, sending word along in letters and by mounted riders. I at the time had been in Santaruz...butfrom what I can tell, Ostia is not what it used to be...it's been razed, attacked in the night through surprise."
She took a breath and rubbed her head, fixing the jewel affixed to her head.
"The Prophets armies have come, it would seem...Eturia has blown the horn of war...but...things...appeared as well, dead things...that's all that I heard, nothing more."
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Wyatt
Hero
The Volcano
How can someone win if winning means that someone loses?
Posts: 463
Etruria Fame: 2
Sacae Fame: -1
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Post by Wyatt on Jan 2, 2010 15:50:32 GMT -6
"Ostia...fell? The mightiest state of Lycia..." Wyatt's mind was trying to grasp this. Everything he'd ever been told about Ostia was a message of power. The most powerful land in all of Lycia, strongest soldiers, best fortification, the finest arms...all destroyed in a night.
He remained on his knee only because the sudden blow had been too much for him to comprehend, how was it even possible? Could the difference in strength really be that much?
And then he seemed to hear what she finished with...things not right? Dead things? Come to think of it, those wolves he had seen..they looked almost dead themselves...all skin and tough as leather. Gaunt and foaming from their putrid fangs...
"I've seen creatures...like dead wolves...that was what ambushed my companions and I on the road...the same things that attacked Ostia."
What on earth was going on lately?
"But if Ostia is destroyed, why go there, My L- I mean Aevian?"
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