A Southbound Sojourn (Derick/Hono)

[Derick]

Somewhere, high above the clouds and the land of Elibe, a breeze stirred. The gust traveled through the sky, weaving its way through a sparse forest of clouds as it descended toward earth in a steady trajectory. Suddenly, the zephyr broke as something cleaved through its front before pumping frantically, disturbing the breeze further. The culprit, a pegasi, and its driver, an Ilian trainee, wobbled for a split second before the Pegasus pumped its wings again, freeing itself from the momentary turbulence. The motion disrupted the air in a mighty heave, forcing wind behind its powerful wings... And thus, the gust found itself intact again, diving toward the Etrurian countryside that lay below. The gentle gale rushed over the wooden-tiled roofs of a small trade town and whispered through the leaves of a sparse forest of trees that lay beyond, mirroring the layout of fluffy, white clouds that loomed overhead. The wind gathered velocity, as if excited to finally be this close to the land, and in its haste plucked a scrap of paper from a blonde haired traveler who stood at least a mile from any established road. The paper rippled gleefully at the wind's company, and they set off upward, toward the zephyr's origin.

---

A touch messy? I would call this downright cryptic! Derick cursed the mapmaker he had met in the prior town as he attempted to decipher the map in his hands. The map, highlighting the southern Etruria countryside and its key villages, used simple military marks as its legend, so Derick had no trouble actually understanding the map. "The problem is all of this smudged ink and the size of this blasted country!" Derick shouted the last part of his frustrations aloud, nearly throwing the map at his feet as he did so. Instead, he held on to the map, it rustled in a playful breeze as Derick frowned in consternation and shut his eyes to stew in his mood.

This marked his second occasion of getting lost, and the first time had been in Etruria as wellExcept the first time, Cefia was there to bail me out. Derick's expression loosened as he recalled his pirate friend.Pathetic...having a seafarer navigate the land for you. He smiled in spite of his frustration at the idea. "Right...time to get myself out of this mess."

Cheered by his moment of self-reflection, Derick unfolded the map at his side and raised it to take another look. As he did so, the playful breeze accelerated and became a minor gale. The wind flustered Derick's windswept hair, a lock covering his brow stirred, poking him in the eye. Derick reflexively jumped with the pain, but shook the hair out of his eyes to look at...

"The map?!" Derick spun on his heel, frantically seeking the paper that had sailed from his hands. He glimpsed it drifting through the air, away from him. "Argh! Nooo!" Derick started to give chase, but before he could take more than a few steps, the paper soared through the canopy of leaves above, never to be seen again. I don't even remember where the road is... Derick closed his eyes and sank to his knees, torn between amusement and mock despair.

After a few minutes, he spoke quietly to himself, "I won't accomplish anything by sitting here..." Derick rose, propping himself up on his glaive as he did so. "I guess I'll just keep moving until I can get a better look at the sun." The trees overhead made it almost impossible to get his bearings otherwise. After a moment of uncertainty, Derick started moving directly forward. I've got to run into something eventually...

[Deleted]

Hono the explorer from Bern, Lucerne had taken a long journey to Etruria she did a lot to see everything she could to get to here. She went from her home land Bern to the trading center Sacae , Bulger to restock on rations and water, the young lady held a black,cotton knapsack. She heads three large canteens hocked onto her bag. The female had her sword in sheath. Hono was forced to kill a pack of wolfs that had attacked her once. She walked for a bit more before she finally made it to Eturia, she rolled up he map she had marked over, "Finally arrived!" The red head stated with a smile. She took a look at the wooden signpost. It pointed to all the nearby cities of Etruria, Delfia , Aquleia, Taras, Ligure, and Modlin. She tapped her foot and looked at the road. "I'd love to see the biggest city in Elibe!" She said referring to the sign post. 'AQULEIA LEFT" it read. Hono started walking down the path to left. The girl didn't stray off the path as she walked past a forest. She pondered what the cities were like. She had only been to two counties Bern, and Sacae. Her father told her stories about Eturia, He got a job to protect a caravan that went from Bern to Etruia. Hono's father was on that job for weeks most of his jobs took that long. Hono looked at the forest and moved some of her hair out of her face. She turned and went back to walking.

[Derick]

The minutes crept by slowly as Derick struggled to find his bearings again. The forest was thick, surprisingly so for the Etrurian countryside. Derick's progress was slowed as he frequently found himself stepping over downed branches or extricating himself from underbrush. "This is. The worst." Derick grunted the words between huffs of breath. He used the haft of his spear as a walking stick, but it did little to help his progress. Earlier, he had entertained using his glaive's sword-like head to cut through some of the undergrowth, but had banished the notion for fear of dulling the blade. And so Derick stubbornly continued his struggle through brush and tree roots, the next clearing could not come soon enough.

"Ow!" Derick's pace froze as he felt a sharp pain spread across his scalp. Have I been hit? Did I let my guard down? Derick's eyes clenched with the pain, and his jaw set as he prepared for the worst. Nothing. Derick opened his eyes and allowed his hands to explore the pain's origin. His hair had snagged in a branch. As he worked to undo the knot, Derick's eyes wandered, exploring the path ahead of him. Wait, is that...? Derick paused, then set back to undoing his knotted hair with extra vigor, he could see the road up ahead. With his hair finally free, Derick snatched up his glaive and charged through the remaining few yards of undergrowth between him and the road.

"I made it! I--Argh?!" Derick crowed triumphantly as he reached the road, but his celebration was cut short as his foot snagged on a root and threw off his balance. Derick tumbled onto the path, his glaive clattered a few feet away as Derick came to a rest, laying prone in the middle of the dirt path.

"That... could have gone better..." Derick uttered the words into the ground, but a smirk spread across his face as he rose to his hands and knees. "I...where's my things?" Derick sought out his pack and lance, and recovered the pack almost immediately. After another second of searching, he located his spear lying on the road up ahead. He also realized he wasn't alone on this path.

A red-haired girl stood before him. She was only slightly shorter than Derick, and appeared to be about the same age as well. Apprehension crept into Derick's chest as he took in the sword she wore at her side. He silently prayed that this girl was simply traveling, his only means of defending himself lay at her feet. "I, uh, hi there!" As Derick offered greeting, he became acutely aware of his own appearance. His hair was unkempt, and his skin bore a few nicks as souvenirs from his ordeal in the woods. Elimine, I can never catch a break with smooth introductions, can I? Derick grinned at the thought, he sounded more forthcoming as he continued. "Could you tell me where I am? I'm very, very lost..." Derick couldn't help but eye the sword as he spoke. If he guessed wrong about this girl's intentions, he could be very, very dead very, very soon.

[Deleted]

The red headed girl was walking down the path. She brushed her hair out of her face then fixing her sword putting it back in place. After walking for a while of walking she saw a man fall on to the path. She screamed in fear but quickly regained her self seeing what it really was. She quickly ran over to him. "Are you ok?!" She asks the man getting on her knees and trying to help the man up. Her accent was very odd most people have never heard it. She saw that the man had dropped his pack and spear. Hono put the man on his rear. "Stay here Mr...?" She said asking for the man's name. She grabbed his spear and moved it closer to the man. Once she put it down she though about what the man could really do with that spear. She bent over and picked up the man's sack handing it to the man. "I can help you if you'd like!" She says with a big smile. Hono moved her long hair behind her ears. The girl backed away a bit so that if the man tried to attack her his lance would not reach. "I'm Hono!" She bowed a bit and smiled at the man. "I'm was heading to Aquleia and then I saw you fall! Good thing I was here!" The sword women said with a serious tone and a relieved look on her face. 'I'm glad I got here in time'

[Shara Tiinedra]

The phrase "region hopping" was not one that was genuinely considered to exist among the populace. However Shara couldn't help but come up with it, in the hopes of accurately describing her journey as of late. From Lycia, to Sacae, to Ilia...to Etruria. Shara had intended on keeping out of Lycia for at least a while longer, so she didn't mind, but she still found it amusing that she had effectively walked a gigantic demi-circle around the country.

Bern had been unfortunately skipped. Shame, she'd love to see how the rebellion turned out.

Regardless Shara had now found herself in the Etrurian countryside. Similar to the Lycian countryside, she supposed, or at least not as drastically different from it as Sacae and Ilia had been. She had learned her lesson from her fiasco in Sacae and actually spent a few pieces of coin on a carriage...once she had crossed the border that is. The goal was to actually reach Aqualeia, and explore the supposedly massive city to take in it's sights, wonders, and knowledge.

Unfortunately said carriage was not willing to take her straight to the city, so the dragoness had to make do on foot. Etruria was...odd, what with the prophet and all, but it was likely the most secured country on Elibe. Lacked the whole monster problem that plagued Lycia, and significantly fewer bandits to boot. So Shara felt rather at peace simply strolling down the path. It had been quiet, peaceful even, until she came across two humans.

One was a man who had just recently tripped, and struggled to compose himself before a striking redheaded woman. Spear, no, glaive at his feet. Interesting choice of weapon, different from the traditional lance. As for the woman there was a sword at her hip. Bandits? Not likely, too well dressed, the though the blonde man was a bit disheveled from his fall. Shara intended for little more than giving the two a passing nod, but she heard the woman blurt out "Aquleia"...

Glaive at his feet. Sword on her hip. With the two of them around, Shara would have little to fear whatsoever. She was so close to the city, but still, why pass up such an opportunity?

"I beg your pardon, but, I heard you mention Aquleia..." Shara interjected, stepping closer towards the pair. "As it turns out I plan on heading there as well. Perhaps we could go together?"

Perfect. Not only did she have two potential bodyguards, but also two different objects of study until she reached the capital.

[Derick]

Derick's apprehensions about the woman appeared to be unfounded. On seeing Derick fall, she cried out and rushed to Derick's side, dropping down to her knees in an effort to assist Derick back up. Derick felt guilty about his earlier suspicions as he took her proferred hand and pulled himself up into a sitting position. "Thanks, I'm fine..." Derick's glowed pink as he replied. All of this fuss because I tripped... The woman's accent rang unfamiliar in Derick's ears, he hadn't heard anything like that in his travels thus far. As the woman moved to gather Derick's belongings, she inquired after his name with the same curious intonation. "Just Derick is fine," he replied, matching the woman's eagerness in his own tone.

The woman returned, passing him his glaive and his bag of belongings. Derick slowly rose to his feet, exploring for major injuries as he did so. Finding none, he graciously accepted his equipment back. In a display of trust, Derick thrust his glaive through a loop on his pack, holstering out of reach, and thus posing no threat to this kind stranger. The woman, Hono as she introduced herself, offered her assistance, and explained that she was on her way to Aquleia. "I would appreciate that, thanks!" Derick returned his smile and mirrored her gestures, running a hand through his blonde, windswept hair. If nothing else, Aquleia will be a good place to stock up before I travel down to Lycia... They might even have a decent map maker! Derick chuckled to himself, both at his thoughts and at all of the trouble Hono had just gone to for him. "Fools have tripped before and been just fine... But thank you for all of your help!... Shall we get going, then?"

Footsteps interrupted the end of Derick's sentence. He spun, hand reaching for his spear haft as he did so. Another woman stood on the path. She looked somewhat older than both Derick and Hono, was better dressed than the pair, but held no weapon. Derick guessed her as some sort of a noble, and so bowed in reply. "I believe that choice lies with my guide, m-milady." The words came out forced and awkward, Derick had no experience in communicating with nobility. Today was shaping up to be much more interesting than a trek through the wilderness.

[Deleted]

The red head was quite glad that the spear-wielder was passive. Hono displayed that she was also friendly by lightly pushed the blade on her pelvis back a bit. She brushed a few strains of hair out of her face and smiled. "Glad I meet someone friendly! Damn bandits are everywhere!" She laughed and started looking at the man. " Derick... D-e-r-i-c-k." she broke it up trying to make sure she got it correct. ''Lovely name!" She sealed her eye closed and cracked a little smile before tilting her head to the left. Some foot steps drew near and Hono's gaze instantly glanced to see a beautiful lady who looked as if she was wealthy. She put her hand on the hilt of her iron blade, but once she saw her new companion drop to his knees she soon followed. 'Just who is this lady? She sure is over dressed...' She pondered to her self. She focus on the lady as she spook, Hono slowly raised and slowly approached to the women a bit nervous. She held no arms but Hono wondered if she was a spell caster or maybe a cleric, Once she made it to the women she extended her hand lightly, "W-W-" She stuttered a bit still quite nervous. "If you'd like... I'm Hono and he's Derick" She introduced both of them. "Are you a noble?" She quickly asks, Though the lady looked the part she didn't have any protection which most nobles or royalty would have. Hono was glad she could have some support on this trip.

[Shara Tiinedra]

Shara had trouble hiding a small smirk of amusement. Both the man and the woman seemed to assume she was some sort of nobility. She was dressed quite nicely that day, but this wasn't even her finest attire. That said she WAS wandering a road, alone. If she was dressed in her finest then she'd likely draw too much undue attention. Once she was in the capital, though...she could go all out. Perhaps even get invited to a ball by some taken Etrurian noble? That would be an intriguing experience.

Still, first she had to GET to the capital, and these two would make that step much safer.

"Please, no need for formalities or any sort of nervousness" Really, the stuttering was a bit much. "I'm not nobility of any kind." Shara answered with a light chuckle. "If only," she thought.

"My name is Shara Tiinedra, a simple wanderer from Nabata. Ilian parentage, if you must know." Shara explained, studying the two a bit before continuing. "As you can see I'm unarmed, sadly, and not much for combat even if I was armed. Without an escort of any sort I do feel a touch...vulnerable." Not entirely false. It meant that there was a greater chance she'd have to expose herself if trouble were to arrive. If she had an escort she could relax and let them do all the work, thus avoiding unneeded drama. "As such I'd be very pleased if I could travel with the two of you."

[Deleted]

The sword-women nodded a bit curious to why she was unarmed. "I'd be glad to escort you!" she smiled walking over to the lady extending her hand. "Shara Sh-Shara!" She did the same as she did with Derick. "If you don't mind me asking..... How did you get this far unarmed? My trip here was full of wolfs and bandits." She said looking at Derick, "Say Derick...? Are you ok with this women coming along?" She asks the lancer. She took a minute to get ready and think about the route, she looked threw her simple knapsack her sleeping bag and rations rested inside, she looked in some more pockets seeing her map, compass, and rag it was a must for explorers she looked in her canteen to see it was a bit low, she looked to the lake next to them as she walked over and filled it up closing the top. She looped it around her bag so it would stay in place.

She slowly strolled back to the group that she would travel with. She thought she would take charge she hoped she was on good terms, " Okay! Make sure your all packed and ready to go..." She looked up at the sun as it was a few hours from setting, "It looks like we'll have to sleep here tonight...." She says wonder if the group would agree with her. "Any questions?" She says looking at Derick then at Shara. Hoping she wasn't asking for to much or being a bit bossy.

[Derick]

The flame-haired woman pushed the hilt of her blade out of easy reach with one hand while the other plucked a few wayward bangs away from her visage, the gesture was a firm affirmation of their unspoken truce. Derick chuckled appreciatively at the mention of bandits, and answered Hono's grin with a smile of his own. When Derick bowed to the wealthy stranger's presence, he was surprised to see Hono do the same, and even more surprised by the comrade-in-arms bond he already felt.

For her part, the regally dressed newcomer seemed unimpressed by their display. Derick took her initial statement of leaving formalities behind as derision, but the notion vanished when she chuckled at the thought of being nobility. So I got all worked up for nothing! Embarrassment accompanying the thought gave rise to a slight flush in Derick's cheeks as he rose to his feet once again.

"You got it! It's nice to meet you, Shara." The nerves in Derick's voice disappeared alongside his perception of the newcomer as a noble. "From Nabata? I've been there myself..." Derick's sentence trailed awkwardly. Despite her claims of coming from Nabata, Shara's skin bore none of the usual tan from being under the desert sun. Derick shook his head, dismissing the confusion. "You must be quite the survivalist if you've wandered there, that was the hardest marching I've ever done."

The question surrounding Shara's skin resurfaced in Derick's mind as Hono started to reply to Shara's request. I got tan in Nabata, sunburned even, and I was only there for a few days...how does she-- Derick blinked upon hearing his name, and refocused to see Hono looking at him expectantly. "Of course!" Derick spoke the words reflexively, and frantically replayed the conversation in his head to ascertain what he had just agreed to. Fortunately, his conclusion remained the same after reconsidering. He offered Shara a friendly nod of assent, confirming the decision.

Hono naturally gravitated toward being the leader of the pack, which Derick had no issue with. He squinted up at the sun's position and nodded to himself in agreement, she seemed to have good insticts. "You'll hear no complaint from me!" I could use the rest after stumbling through the underbrush all day... Derick set about blissfully de-twigging his belongings in preparation for the night's rest.

[Shara Tiinedra]

Amusingly the red-haired woman was curious how Shara made it so far unarmed. The amusing part of this was that there really was no controversy behind it. She wouldn't have to lie and say she didn't run into any trouble: she actually hadn't run into any trouble. "Really? It sounds like you chose a poor path then. I haven't come across any suspicious characters or dangerous wildlife since entering Etruria." Which, by itself, was inherently suspicious. Lycia may be plagued with monsters in the west and bandits in the east, but a total lack of trouble made Etruria feel...unnatural.

The blonde man, the more nervous of the two, seemed to calm down, much to Shara's contentment. She didn't want to waste time with someone stammering for no reason. He spoke in clearer sentences now, and Shara was quick to note the man's suspicion. She'd faced it before, and it was best to simply act as though it wasn't there. Humans were not so paranoid as to assume everything strange meant something larger or deeper. "I'm really not all that much of a survivalist, I'm afraid. I was simply accustomed to the landscape and environment. Nabata can be a harsh mistress, but growing up there you actually get used to it, in a way. Ilia was far more treacherous to wander through."

This was true. At least there were no bears in Nabata.

It was eventually decided that the three would camp in the area. For the most part Shara was more or less untroubled by this decision. It made no real difference to her how long it took to reach Aquleia. She'd waited months already: what was another day? "Camp here? Fair enough. I suppose I can agree with such a judgement." To her surprise it seemed the young lady was calling the shots.

Unfortunately Shara didn't have a tent or anything of the sort: simple a large furred cloak of sorts to swaddle herself in. It was more comfortable than she would have initially thought, but the dragoness still preferred luxury over practicality. Ah well, she set about opening her pack and unfurling said cloak.

[Deleted]

Hono scratched her head. "Well since I've been alone for a few months so i sadly don't have a tent, I can't start a fire, I mostly visited a village and camped, But now I have some assistance we can make this work, Derick and I can go get slay a deer or something to make some dinner!" Hono stated looking at Derick then at Shara, She pondered if Shara could fulfill the task Hono was about to give the women, "Could you stay here and set up the camp?" She took out her small cotton sleeping bag she had folded so it would fit inside, "Now... if you wouldn't like to be alone I could go alone!" She moved her blade so it would be easy to draw, She quickly pulled it out, she saw a smudge on her blade as she rubbed it off, Hono wanted to keep her weapon clean and at tip top shape.


The red head looked around the small stone path to see if she could find some sort of fire starter, " I don't know if any of you can start a fire...." She was worried, "if we don't have a fire then we could get attacked,,,," She stated before shaking her head, "Who knows... There could be a village near by!" Hono said quickly pulling out her map to scan for a village, She took this time to recap on her companions, Derick from her eyes was kind, handsome, a tad clumsy. Then there was Shara, Hono found her beautiful but mysterious and odd but she still wanted to help her all she could.