A Healing Shaman? What has the world come to?

[Nezuel]

Bern was not his most favorite place in the world. Although he was not born in its nehboring county, that which is occupied by the beating wings of pegasai, he still felt a certain affiliation for it as he was raised and trained there. Still, although he was from Ilia none would recognize him as so. His robes seemed something far more akin to Sacae and his hair and eyes out of a fairytail or magical academy...though those two aspects of his body was hidden firmly behind the black hood of his cloak, a attire that perhaps fit him better than his nationality. For he was a shaman...although he would argue that very little of what he did should constitute him as much...a shaman was one who communed with local spirits and as such it had much more to do with those that studied the art of anima and the manipulation of nature, fire, thunder, ice, and wind...to say nothing of the term druid and its inaccurate but not totally incorrect nature.

He sat, his hood drawn to avoid attention, at a table in a small bar. He had ordered no drink, preferring to keep his body healthy, senses alert, and tounge kept behind the bars others called teeth. There was little love for the elder arts here in Bern...as there was little love for it anywhere else to his knowledge. But like any art it was a tool and not everyone was unwilling to see it used to accomplish a certain goal. It is only the luck and intent of the wielder that often lead to the evil means and tragic ends of its most prominent users.

[Midori]

Midori and her group had returned from a humanitarian mission near the western end of Bern. The group originally about twenty of them had dwindled off to only five members. Those that had volunteered their services for the group had left sporadically as their journey through Bern progressed. This was a normal occurrence. Volunteers were not obligated to stay with them as they traveled. Midori understood that things in life tended to get in the way of plans. People change their minds, other opportunities present themselves, Midori did not blame them for their faults. But their group of five were weary from the journey back. They were now at the half way mark between home and where they had come from. The group of five put whatever animals they had away and entered the bar. They took a seat in a corner of the room and tried to relax. Midori let out a tired sigh as she sat down. Her mentor Lady Lucy, a Valkyrie, took the seat next to her. Skai the sniper took a seat across from her. And the two other members of the group took the other empty chairs.

Their attire and mannerisms gave them away as foreigners. Each of them carried something on them that looked like colors that came from a plum tree. Each had a piece of garment on them that carried the symbol of a simplified lotus blossom. They sat there and discussed their next course of action. They knew they needed a few more mercenaries in order to safely make the journey back to Sacae. But, they needed to figure out how to advertise it.

[Nezuel]

Nezuel's round red eyes lingered on Midori's group for more than a few seconds as they entered the bar. He had considered himself an odd sight even when he had been trying to fit in...yet this group seemed less intent on such a thing. Their clothes, the plum tree color...they stood in start contrast to the red and blackish armor those of Bern tended to wear. His inspection, however, was cut short by the arrival of an unknown and unexpected guest at his table...namely a drunk. The man had tripped, or fallen, perhaps been pushed by a mate or rival, either way it mattered little as he collided with Nezuel's table. He was able to salvage his drink, water, before the man got up with fire in his eyes...for some reason at the young shaman.

He grabbed him, he himself offering little resistance as he was forced to stand and, he assumed, fight. Still the drunk's hand and finger pushed against him, unsavory words making their way from his slurred mouth as he sought something he didn't understand. Nezuel was a reasonable man, kind to explain his behavior on the drink and be on his way but he did not tolerate physical confrontation as much as he did verbal. Even now it would be ever so simple to lift his flux book from his belt and educate the man with a view of unbridled darkness....still, someone might recognize the magic for what it was...or worse the book although that was much less likely. To recognize a tome from a book would most likely take someone that had taken an interest in magic. Yet even as he attempted to mentally probe for the book he found it gone, the drunk's grasp having been lucky enough to find it as he pulled him out of his chair. With a huff the man tossed the book at a random direction (flying off towards Midori's group) before starting his walk toward nezuel

[Midori]

Midori's group were enjoying their momentary reprieve. They had finished placing their orders for food and some light drink. Skai eyed a fair faced maiden and had a bit of a smirk on his face. Lady Lucy promptly reminded him that he was already married and that he would be ratted out to his wife and family should he do something funny. This gesture made Midori chuckle. The priestess made a remark on how Skai's behavior and how habitual it was. It never failed to amuse her. Lady Lucy always played the part of disciplinarian or mother hen whenever the three of them were together. Midori, Lucy, and Skai's histories went back. And thus this sort of behavior from the three of them was normal. A drunkard near them soured the merry air around them. It seemed that the poor sod wished to pick a fight with some random stranger. Midori remarked that the hooded man was just sitting down at his table not doing anything. The drunkard had fallen by some means at the hooded man's table and seemed to blame the man for his clumsiness. The drunkard threw a book at the table Midori and her company were sitting in.

Lady Lucy scoffed. She grabbed her staff and went to the drunkard. She grasped the metal rod with both of her hands and whacked the man hard in the back of the head. It was more then enough to cause the drunken man to fall to the ground unconscious. With the same staff Lady Lucy healed him of his injury. She only wanted to knock the man out so the bouncers can take the drunk bastard outside. Not be responsible for his death should something go wrong with his head. The bouncers took the man outside and Lady Lucy followed them. The battle worn Valkyrie gave them specific instructions to have him "rest" with his head up. This was done by keeping him sitting down with his back to the wall. Skai got up off his chair ahd helped to put the turned over table and chairs back to their proper place. He grabbed a broom from the corner and helped sweep up any mess. He gave the waitress a smile as he did. Midori picked up the hooded man's book from the table. She recognized it as a tome of dark magic. Lady Lucy then returned to the group. The drunkard would be fine after a few days. He'd have to sleep off his hangover and head injury. Hopefully the sod's family or friends will find him later and bring him home. Midori carefully got up and returned the book to the hooded man.

"I believe this is yours young man."

Midori casually returned the book to the young shaman. She then returned to her seat. The rest of her group returned to the table. The rest of the day was spent without much of an event. Eventually the Chaklai's went on their way.


Midori leaves the thread.