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Post by Samantha Khione on Aug 18, 2016 11:30:01 GMT -6
That was sad, in a way. Sam tried to imagine what she would do if she weren't able to actually wield magic. To be able to study and learn everything there is to know about magic, but not be able to cast it would be very upsetting. Poor Shara. She wished there was something she could do, but she also understood how magic worked. You could either cast magic or you couldn't. There really wasn't a way to force yourself to be able to use magic.
Samantha had just about finished her tea when Shara stood and declared that they would get ready and leave. She quickly took one last sip to finish off her tea and got to her feet as well. She picked her bag up off the floor and slung it over her shoulder. "I'm ready whenever you are." Inside, she was swelling with nerves. Was this finally it? Was she finally going to find out a way to wield ice magic? Or would this just be another dead end?
She didn't know whether she was more nervous or excited. If she did find a tome or something she could use, there would still be a long time before she could actually wield the magic effectively. But there would be so much learning ahead of her! If not... She didn't really know what to do next. She could keep looking in Ilia, but she wouldn't know where to go. And where else would there be any information on ice magic? Sam kept her fingers crossed that she wouldn't have to get to that step.
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Post by Shara Tiinedra on Aug 19, 2016 1:40:10 GMT -6
It seemed Samantha was ready to leave as well. Good, Shara would rather not put off the trek any longer. The later in the day it got the greater the risk of unfavorable weather conditions hitting them. Shara would hate to have to reveal her manakete form just for such a straightforward trip, especially with a witness. So far Samantha seemed at least moderately interesting. It would truly be a shame if she ever saw her true form and reacted...unfavorably.
"Let us depart, then." Shara pulled up the hood from her cloak before striding towards the tavern door, truly not wishing to waste a single moment. She exited the building and made her way due north through the village. Other villagers had already begun to stir, going about their wood chopping and...whatever it was dull villagers did on the daily business. Run simple shops and farm, Shara thought, except few crops grew well in Ilia. No doubt most of the villagers were simply those left behind by family members who traveled and fought to send coin back.
Had Shara not already met Ilian mercenaries she'd be more curious about them, but even then she failed to find any interest in their family members. Too simple and monotonous for her, so she spared no villager not so much as a second glance. It was when she had begun to reach the town's most northern border that she turned to glance back at Samantha. The tall woman was surely able to keep pace with her.
"You mentioned your primary interest in this trip was to locate anything related to the study and casting of ice magic, correct? I can't help but wonder what stirred on such an interest?"
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Post by Samantha Khione on Aug 23, 2016 12:57:53 GMT -6
As Shara headed for the exit, Sam began to follow her. This was it, it was finally starting! She mimicked Shara and pulled her hood on. As they strode across the town, she looked around with a small smile on her face. The town wasn't exactly like her own, but it did remind her of it. The people slowly starting to wake up and head out to their jobs. Sure, most of the big money makers had probably left the town for mercenary work and were sending money back, but there was still stuff that had to be done here. It felt like a normal day back home. And made her feel slightly homesick.
They reached the edge of town and Shara turned to her. Samantha nodded at her question. She looked slightly embarrassed. "I don't know how realistic it is, but I'd like to learn ice magic to help my town. In my head, I could use it to help direct snow storms away from my town and prevent it from being buried in snow every other week. I've had people point out that they're not sure if it would actually work, but I think it's at least worth a try. And even if it doesn't work, I can at least take some pride in learning a type of magic that many people haven't mastered." Her conversation with Riviera had shaken her confidence a bit. Sam still wasn't great at wind magic, which the girl had suggested would be just as helpful. But she had to stay positive. Maybe her dream could really be more than a dream some day.
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Post by Shara Tiinedra on Aug 23, 2016 21:31:03 GMT -6
Hm. Shara stared at Sam, processing her response. It was honest and pure...yet simple. Small. Shara had met countless men and women who wanted only to help their hometowns. Why was beyond her. Wishing to aid and protect one's home was logical, but there was all of Elibe before them. To so tightly lock oneself down sounded like a damning sentence to Shara. Thankfully the dragoness had some degree of tact. She still had need for Samantha, and hope that she could be more interesting, so she gave a small albeit forced smile. "I see. How very Ilian of you."
In Shara's mind that was not a compliment. Granted she did not know what she expected instead. Just something more...adventurous. Ambitious. At least Samantha had a purpose for her search, but still. Shara turned forward once again and kept walking, taking long strides at a brisk pace. The snow was not so deep just outside the village, but no doubt it would only deepen the further they got. Wind was not so bad either.
"I can neither confirm nor deny that mastering ice magic would allow you to redirect storms away from your home. Books can be inconsistent on what true mastery of the arcane can allow. The general belief is that anything is possible, but only because we have not yet discovered that." Shara mused more to herself than actually speaking to Sam, continuing to press on throw the snow. "These inconsistencies and uncertainties are part of why I wish to travel to Aquleia. Their archives must be filled with books detailing mysteries of the arcane. They may give answers to the questions such as this one."
The wind began to pick up a bit, dragging surface layers of snow up along with it. The diamond dust spattered across Shara's face, eliciting a frown from her, but they melted rather quickly. It would take significantly more cold than this to truly bother her...but she still had to take care. She did, rather embarrassingly, overheat in Sacae of all places. Why she had been so careless back then was still a mystery, but at least Shara learned from the experience.
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Post by Samantha Khione on Aug 30, 2016 20:11:07 GMT -6
Samantha's face hardened slightly at Shara's response. The woman's fake smile hadn't been enough to hide the look on her face or the bite in her words. "Yes, it is Ilian of me. I'll take that as a compliment, even if you clearly didn't intend it as one." A fire burned behind her eyes. It was a small wonder in her mind now that she was the only one that agreed to travel with her. If she had same something like that to an mercenary, it was small wonder they turned her down. In fact, it was a minor miracle they didn't attack her. Ilians could be very prideful and protective of their homeland, even if those from other countries couldn't understand why.
The mage barely even took in the woman's words as they walked, not that it appeared she was even really being spoken to. She was used to that, though. Many of the kids on school often treated her in the same way. Talking at her and not really to her. Or even talking as if she wasn't really even there at all. Perhaps Shara had just misspoke, so Sam would give her the benefit of that. If not, she would still put up with it in the hopes of finally breaking through with ice magic. But it would be a much longer journey.
The pair had reached the place where the snow started to get deeper. Don't particularly wanting to get her feet wet this early in their journey, Sam conjured a fireball and threw it in front of them, melting a small path for them to continue on.
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Post by Shara Tiinedra on Sept 3, 2016 10:00:48 GMT -6
Her farce, evidently, hadn't been enough. Samantha gave a less than amused reply to her "Ilian" comment before effectively, and humorously, giving Shara the cold shoulder. Even while Shara proceeded to muse about her supposed goal, warding blizzards off from her village, Samantha didn't seem to pay much attention. Rather illogical. If she was displeased with Shara that was one matter, but to ignore sound advice over some petty insult was just silly.
...Ah well, it really was no matter on Shara. It was too late for Samantha to turn back, in theory, especially if there was a chance she would get her hands on anything related to ice magic.
The snow had begun to deepen and, as a counter-measure, Samantha decided to begin to melt a pathway through it with a fireball. Shara watched as the snow sizzled, hissed, and melted before them before nodding. "Sound idea." Just because Samantha was too irritated to speak did not mean that SHE was. It did amuse Shara a tiny bit, though, knowing that she could not only melt quite the wide pathway through all of this snow but also simply soar over it.
The trip continued on, most likely through some awkward silence. Shara knew not how to break it and, in truth, cared not to. Silence made it easier for her to think and contemplate on more important matters. Her surroundings were simply white, windy, and chilly, and there was little to see beyond snow. All she had to do was trek forward, so it became easier for her to think.
Where did she go from here?
Ilia was...a disappointing nation. She'd hoped it hadn't simply been like all the rumors she had heard before, and she'd been wrong. Mercenaries and small folk were all she'd be able to really find in the northern country. A people very caught up in traditions and focused solely on their smaller, immediate struggles. To observe Ilians was truly like watching ants at work. The people were hardy and strong-willed, yes, but not overtly so. None had truly "stood out". When everyone around you shares a trait, the only way to stand out is to either have a different trait or own that trait in spades.
So far none seemed to have this.
Of course, Shara was so content with her surroundings and lost in her own thoughts, she did not notice the outline of a large figure approaching their left flank. Quadrupedal, covered in white fur, snarling and eyeing the two women was none other than a big Ilian bear. It looked...hungry.
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Post by Samantha Khione on Sept 14, 2016 23:50:47 GMT -6
Samantha ignored the woman walking behind her. This wasn't the first time that she had been insulted because she was Ilian, and she was sure it wasn't going to be the last. In a way, she understood what it was like to be Sacaen. That was an oversimplification, but the general idea was correct. She understood that people looked down on Sacaens because they believed them to be savages in some way. Having traveled through Sacae, she couldn't believe how wrong the people who thought that were. The Sacaens were an amazing people, and to be treated in such a way was very upsetting to her.
For some reason, people tended to feel the same about Ilians. They thought they were all either big, dumb mercenaries or idiots that lived in the cold. But they were so much more and it ate her up inside that people couldn't see that. People like Shara, who clearly thought them to be beneath her. Sam snuck a look back at the woman and noticed that she seemed to be deep in her own thoughts. She shook her head, wondering if it would have been better had she not signed up for this. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted movement. And moved in this area meant only one thing.
Spinning in place, Sam planted herself in front of Shara. She wasn't happy with the woman, but she wasn't about to let her die. Focusing, she conjured a fireball and threw it at the oncoming bear. It struck the bear in the face, slowly it down but not stopping it. "Move!" She dove at Shara, shoving her out of the way as the bear charged passed the pair. Quickly getting back to her feet, she conjured another fireball and took aim.
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Post by Shara Tiinedra on Sept 23, 2016 13:54:39 GMT -6
Couldn't be much farther, Shara figured. The trek had already been long and while she didn't know exactly how to measure the distance between that particular point in the endless white expanse and their destination, she had a strong hunch it couldn't be that far off. Just as she considered pointing out that hunch to her otherwise silent colleague, Shara blinked as the woman stepped between her and...wait, was that a bear?
Samantha launched a fireball at the large creature, succeeding in slowing it down enough for Samantha to shove Shara out of it's path. The manakete blinked and stumbled into the snow, genuinely caught off-guard by the situation. She supposed this what what she paid someone for. A bear was...not a threat to her, suffice it to say, but she certainly couldn't deal with it without transforming. Even in the far north, away from most civilization and people, transforming was a risk.
"Y-you're a monster! A gods damned freak!"
...Yes, it'd be preferable to avoid such a situation regardless of the cost. So Shara stood up and moved behind her escort, analyzing the bear as it turned 'round to face them. She may not be able to fight it without...repercussions, but she could still put her intellect to work and look for a quick solution. Depending on Samantha's magical prowess she may not be able to conjure magic powerful enough to truly subdue the creature.
It looked unrealistically angry, snarling and roaring as it did. Warning signs. Did Ilian bears commonly attack people? Surely she read some book on Ilian fauna before...not there was much, due to the overall lack of flora in Ilia. Predators needed to eat prey. Prey needed to eat flora. Most species were likely to move south into Northern Bern if they needed the cold climate but also desired food.
Ilian bears likely...fished. Ice fished? Perhaps. Was there a natural water source around? Perhaps it set up territory near one for convenience and they were trespassing. Hopefully not. After all, that would be the worst case scenario. They NEEDED to proceed through this territory.
As Shara's mind worked away the beast charged forward towards the two women once again.
"Don't try to kill it." Shara blurted out. "The creature is large with a strong hide. If you can hinder it's mobility or deter it that would be our best bet of survival."
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Post by Samantha Khione on Oct 19, 2016 15:41:33 GMT -6
Samantha glared at Shara. Seriously? Did she really think that she understood how to deal with Ilian beasts better than an actual Ilian? "Shut up and stay out of my way." Sure, there were probably better ways to deal with her, but Sam wasn't in the mood right now. Shara had built a fair amount of anger in the blue haired mage recently, so this was a good chance to burn off some of it. Hopefully, that would make the rest of their journey easier.
The bears around here didn't eat humans. Everyone knew that. They were, however, extremely territorial. Especially if they were a mother with babies. Those were even more dangerous than a bear starving to death. A mother would do anything to protect her cubs. Thankfully, Sam didn't see any signs of cubs nearby, so she was going under the assumption that it was purely a territorial thing. True, Shara was correct. There was no point in trying to kill it. Her magic wasn't strong enough to get through the bear's hide. But again, she didn't need to be told that.
Thinking quickly, Samantha threw her fireball, aiming at some branches on the ground instead of the bear. Upon contact, she rose her hands to create a wall of fire between the women and the bear. Bears weren't overly fond of fire, and this one stopped just short of the wall. She looked back over at Shara as she held the wall. "Go!" She spread the fire to another branch, creating a corner between them in the bear. That way, if would have to circle fully around it to continue after them. Content that they should be good for now, Sam hurried after Shara.
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Post by Shara Tiinedra on Dec 19, 2016 19:01:23 GMT -6
Samantha was none to receptive to Shara's advice, or at least she protested vocally. However she seemed to follow what Shara had suggested either way, which meant she had either devised a similar strategy or acknowledged Shara's either way. Which was true did not matter, but what DID matter was that Samantha had managed to deter the bear. She had conjured enough fire to form a wall of flames, and the bear was not too keen on passing through it.
Seeing the obvious opportunity to gain safe distance from the large, angry mammal, Shara quickly moved along their snowy path, Samantha apparently following her closely. Hm, despite the obvious friction between the two, over a relatively trivial matter as far as Shara was concerned, it seemed she had found a skilled bodyguard all the same. At least worth the coin she would be spending on her.
The bear did not seem keen to follow them. They had likely been at the border of its territory, or some such. Perhaps they had entered some old hunting grounds? Either way, it seemed to have wanted them “gone” more than anything.
Once the bear was out of sight, and its snarling went unheard, Shara took a small breath of relief. Had Samantha proved incapable of holding the beast off as she had, things would have gotten dangerous for all three of them...and the danger would not have been the bear.
“...Well done back there. In our haste, I believe we've actually come quite close to our goal.” Shara didn't make eye contact, instead assuming the mage was still sour about her Ilian comment. Instead her eyes were focused forward. Some trees actually stood ahead of them, and beyond them the outline of what could be a cave was apparent. Not to mention the fair sized mountain that stood high above the trees.
Yes, no doubt this was their destination. “We're nearly there now.”
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Post by Samantha Khione on Jan 9, 2017 15:20:24 GMT -6
After running for a bit, the pair finally started to slow up. Samantha took a few seconds to catch her breath. That hadn't been the first time that the blue haired mage came across a bear in Ilia, and she had a feeling it wouldn't be the last. Hopefully it would be the last on this trip, though. She might be able to hold off another, but beyond that she would start to tire. Bears aren't exactly the easiest things to keep at bay, and they would certainly compound.
The other woman complimented Sam's handling of the situation, which she accepted silently. She was still unhappy about her Ilian comment from earlier, so she wasn't in the mood to talk very much. Thankfully, it appeared that they had gotten close to their destination much faster than they would have had they kept their previous pace. While still annoying with Shara, Sam had to admit that excitement was building in her. They were near their goal and hopefully near the ice tome that she had been searching for for so long now.
Following Shara's gaze, Sam spotted what looked to be a cave in the distance. Was that the place they were looking for? If they were headed into a cave, torches might not be the worst idea. Well, depending on what was living in the cave. Maybe a hand held fireball would serve them better for light. The girl wasn't quite sure what to expect within the cave, so she would defer to Shara on that one. The woman was the one with the information on this place, if anyone would know, it would be her.
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Post by Shara Tiinedra on Jan 9, 2017 17:17:20 GMT -6
Ah yes. More riveting dialect from the Ilian magus. The sounds of silence. Truly marvelous.
In truth Shara was far from salty. Silence never bothered her anyway. It also meant they were less likely to attract unwanted attention. That bear had already been a close call, and given her shaky standing with Samantha as it was, she really did not have the luxury of trusting the woman to take her true nature with stride. A man she HAD trusted certainly failed to. Why would she do any better?
So Shara pressed on, quietly, through the trees. Within moments they reached the cave that was hidden, rather poorly, behind them. It had to be their destination. A cave built into a mountain. How deep it ran was unknown to Shara, but they would likely require some light. Given her use of fire magic earlier, Shara had no doubt Samantha could handle that task. Shara's fire was ah, not exactly suited to serving as torchlight.
“The cave was stated to be abandoned.” Shara began as she stopped just outside the mouth of the cave. She could not see further than ten feet into the tunnel, yet in place of fear was simply excitement. However, a full transformation would likely prove to be impossible. The cave was not tall enough to handle her true form. That was certainly something to note, in case there was anything truly dangerous within the cave.
“How true that statement is remains to be seen. Caution is advised. If we can find a suitable stick, or branch from one of these trees, it could serve as a torch for us as well. Unless you were fine simply conjuring a fireball and maintaining it for light.” Shara listed out a few options as she turned to face her escort. Shara would prefer a torch, one for each of them, but really any light would prove sufficient. As far as she knew the cavern was not a network, but rather a singular tunnel. Worst case scenario was likely another animal like that bear from earlier.
“I'll leave that decision up to you. So long as we have some light, I can make do.”
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Post by Samantha Khione on Jan 9, 2017 19:10:02 GMT -6
Before long, they found themselves at the mouth of the cave. Caves weren't often a place where Samantha found herself exploring. She had been in a cave or two before, but more often than not she tended to avoid them. The mystery of what lay inside was something she would rather not find out. Sure, it could be some sort of treasure, but it could just as easily be some sort of animal. Or bandits. Any number of things could lay inside, and very few of them good.
That being said, this mission required going into the cave. So, into the cave she would go. Shara said her intelligence said the cave was abandoned, but they'd be the judges of that. She gave a small nod at Shara's torch comment and turned to start looking for acceptable branches to use. It wasn't exactly easy, as the snow made it hard to find much on the ground and it was difficult to break any branches from the trees themselves. Before too long, though, she managed to find two suitable branches and brought them back over to Shara. Conjuring a fireball in her hand, she lit one of them and handed it to the woman. "Here you go."
Lighting the other one for herself, Sam let the fireball go out and turned to look at the cave. She got a sense of foreboding looking into the darkness. Hopefully, it was just nothing but you never knew. She turned to Shara and gave a small nod. "After you."
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Post by Shara Tiinedra on Jan 10, 2017 10:24:35 GMT -6
“Much obliged.” Shara stated as she grasped the torch. Well, seeing as they were both equipped with light, there little left to do but enter into the cave itself. Shara gestured for Samantha to follow her and did just that. She kept her torch in front of her as she steadily made her way into the tunnel. Though the cold only bothered her so much she was relieved to be out of the wind if nothing else. The cave could serve as some temporary shelter from the elements before the two inevitably made their return trip.
Each step Shara took was slow, not just out of caution, but because her eyes scouted just about everything she could make out. The dragoness searched for any sign of the magus cult that had lived out in the cave before. She did not believe they had lingered and still inhabited the cave, but from what she had heard they had lived here for quite some time. Well, quite some degree of time for humans, at any rate. Any writings on the wall or traces of life were what she sought.
Shara did get her wish, though unfortunately it was not as she hoped. Further down into the tunnel she noticed scraps. Bones with a beat of meat still stick on them, and further up she even made out some discarded attire. There...was no way the mages were the ones to leave such things behind. Shara raised a hand and signaled Samantha to halt, as she listened a bit more intently. It was faint, but she could hear voices and footsteps from further into the cavern.
“Do you hear that?” Shara whispered back to her companion. The tunnel was long, and she couldn't even make out signs of a fire, but there were no doubt some inhabitants. Shara could only hope they were not bandits, using an abandoned cave as a base of operations and shelter from the naturally dangerous Ilian environment. It...was an undeniable possibility nonetheless. “Proceed with caution.”
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Post by Samantha Khione on Jan 12, 2017 21:28:56 GMT -6
Samantha gave a small nod of acknowledgement to Shara's gesture and began to follow her into the cave. The Ilian was still annoyed with her comment from earlier, but was much more interested in what may lay in the cave. So, for the time being, she decided to move passed the comment and would address it later. For now, they had to focus on the task at hand. The ancient wisdom they sought could be just at the end of this cave, how ever long it may be. Besides that, however, there could be any number of animals in here trying to stay warm in this weather. They'd have to be on their guard.
Following Shara's lead, Sam kept her eyes peeled out for any sign of the cult that Shara believed had once lived here. In the stories, the information they sought would always be in the very back of the cave. But in the real world, the cult could have lived in any part of the cave. So, it would do them well to scan every inch of the cave. Looking around, she saw Shara eyeing something ahead. The woman quickly raised a hand to stop Sam, who stopped at once.
They stood in silence, but it wasn't quite silence. There was... something in the distance. Sam couldn't quite make out what it was, but it could have been voices. Shara asked if she could hear it and she nodded in return. She wanted to make a fireball in case whatever the noise was was a threat, but decided it best not to. Not yet, anyways.
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