Into the Open World (Complete)

[Kyra]

Kyra watched from just around the corner as Lunie began to open up a bit to Devon, albeit slowly at first, but then surprisingly she went so far as to move close and rest her head on his shoulder. Well, well, Lunie, that isn't the same behavior you exhibited a few minutes ago. I just hope you realize that'll only make him ever bolder towards you... After letting them have their moment of peace for a bit, she stepped closer, kneeling onto the ground when she got in front of Lunie.

"Hey, Lunie. How are you doing now? I know Devon isn't the most.. um.. comfortable person to be around at first, but I hope he was able to make it up to you." Kyra moved close and have Lunie a quick hug, noticing she still seemed to have something, maybe multiple things, on her mind. "Well, in any case, we should probably try and find one of the captain of the guard, or someone who can take us to him. Hopefully he'll be able to lend us a few of the guards if we plead a good case to him. Then, I guess we'll head back to my house until early in the morning. You're welcome to stay as well, Devon, if you so choose."

Devon shook his head. "As much as I'd absolutely love being in the presence of both of you in a more... domestic environment, I've already payed for an inn room for tonight. I appreciate the offer though, Kyra. I can still accompany you until you get home though."

Kyra stood up at that, offering to help Lunie up as well. "Welp, sounds like a plan! If you're both ready to go, then I guess we should try and find the nearest guard."

[Lunie]

Selunae jerked her head straight and opened her eyes, the moment she heard Kyra’s voice. For good measure, she also scooted away from Devon quickly. “Itwasn’twhatitlookedlike!” the huntress was already blushing deeply. “I mean..uh..umm.. I don’t.. How dare you!” she punched Devon in the arm gave a horribly failed and nervous fake smile to Kyra. It resulted in an obvious confused look from the young man and elicited a soft chuckle from the novice. As the huntress regained her composure, she wore an indignant expression and acted as if none of the social atrocities she had displayed had happened.

“I’m fine! I m-mean.. I’m okay now,” Selunae’s tone immediately softened upon realizing she was starting to lash out at Kyra. Hoping to make up for her initial snappyness, the huntress pulled the novice closer and extended the hug a little longer. “Yeah, we need to get other people together to do this. ‘Course, I bet my other friends’d be willin’ to help out too. It’d take too long to gather ‘em all up though. Ito was s’posed to be headin’ this way. Don’t know when he’ll show up, though. Prolly best to just pretend he won’t be here in time to help.”

Selunae was secretly disappointed that Devon wouldn’t be joining them, but she concealed it well. There had been enough shenanigans already, and she wasn’t sure what she was going to say if Kyra confronted her about this guy. No, it was best to just stay on task and hope the novice was distracted enough to let it slide. As far as staying on task went, the nearest guard posting was at the south gate. That would be their destination for the moment, and to avoid saying anything silly or embarrassing to Devon before parting with him for the evening, the huntress tried to slip away without even telling him goodbye. She didn’t even apologize for her sudden attack, though she suspected he’d get over it.

It was a rather short trek to the gate and for certain there indeed was a guard on duty. It made the task of finding one rather quick and simple. Or at least that was the superficial view. No sooner than Selunae had walked into view of the guard, he called out to her. “You’re that girl Selunae, aren’t you?” The huntress knew better than to say yes, and everything in her was screaming at her to say no, but being intercepted as she was, the ‘yes’ slipped out. That is, she nodded in affirmation. “I’ve been asked to escort you home, so if you’d just come with me.”

Selunae swallowed a lump that had begun rising in her throat. So her mother had talked to the guards first, she should have known better than to expect any different. “I’m sorry.. uh sir, but I can’t go back home yet.”

“Miss, please come along quietly, I don’t want to use force.” The guard began to walk towards her, and she began to back away. It was obvious where this was going, so Selunae did the only thing she could think of aside from open combat with the town guard. She ran. Luckily, in this time of rebuilding personnel was scarce and the young guard was manning the gate alone. He didn’t pursue the girl far before giving up and returning to his post. It was a request to bring the huntress back after all, she wasn’t a wanted criminal or a threat to the city. Once she was in the clear, she gave a quick glance around to be sure.

“Guess that coulda gone better. But.. what do we do now?”

[Kyra]

Kyra was about to protest to the guard as he asked for Lunie to come with him, but decided it better to just follow her lead as she backed away, the guard seemingly uninterested (or not compensated enough) in chasing her. When they finally stopped, Kyra responded, "I-I dunno... It seems the guards have been notified of your absence already, so I guess they'll be out of the question. How are we supposed to deal with the bandits then? There's you, me, Devon, and maybe this other friend of yours, but it sounds like that isn't even a certainty. Hmm..." Lunie could see the gears turning in Kyra's mind as she tried to think of more options. "Okay, I have two ideas. First, and I'm guessing you won't want this one, we give up. We can't fight these bandits on our own, so we should just leave town and find ways to help people elsewhere. Second option: we sneak in anyway with our party of three or four, and cause as much damage as possible, maybe even freeing some or all of the hunters. Perhaps our small invasion will be enough to bolster those that have joined the bandits by force to turn against them and help us. I think it could work, but we'd have to be extra careful, since there would be no guards to back is up."

Lunie could tell that Kyra was debating whether to even include this next part of her little scheme. "I'm guessing the bandits should be mostly asleep at night, bar maybe a few watchmen. Devon said they're holed up in the caves a couple miles north of here, and he'll help navigate us through as much as he knows about. I'm thinking that if we find Devon again, we can leave right now, catching the bandits by surprise as they sleep. They'll never see it coming! We can fee the prisoners if possible, and maybe wake anyone you happen to know amongst the hunters-turned-bandits, and maybe even take back some of what they've stolen if we can." Kyra knew this was a very ballsy mission, and a very stealth based one, but one she figured she, Lunie, and Devon could all handle adequately, and hopefully this mysterious fourth person if he found them by the time they got to the caves.

"So," Kyra said, smiling a bit, hand outstretched to Lunie, "are you in?"

[Alphonz]

Flashback

"But Father! These people are in danger! From what I've heard, it seems like some of the population near Lucerne are being tormented by bandits! They weren't able to keep up with their quota of food so these dastardly brigands captured their hunters! I don't understand why we cannot send some of our troops to help them... We could make quick work of anybody who tries to disturb Bern's peace. Alphonz said, sitting in the strategy room (well tent to be exact) next to his father and commander, Nathan Montlaur. They were quite close to Lucerne in fact, why was he refusing? It didn't make any sense! The Silver Vanguard exists to protect Bern, no?

His father's calm but powerful voice, one that truly suited a noble knight, started to explain his reasoning: "Alphonz,
do not be so brash. You must show restrain if you truly wish to help our country and take over my role someday..." he smiled softly, understanding his son's plight. "However, as a knight, you must understand the meaning of sacrifice. We can only do so much with our ressources. Stretching ourselves too thin will only lead to defeat, no? I'm sorry Alphonz... I truly want to help these people. But sometimes, you have to think of the greater good and accept the fact the we can only do so much.

Lowering his head a bit, Alphonz couldn't argue with his father's logic. There was a reason he was leading the Vanguard after all... His calm and methodical approach to conflicts had given him the dge in many fights in the past. He was one of the best if not the most talented Montlaur to have led the Vanguard. A great mentor to surpass indeed... "I... I understand Father.
I let my emotions cloud my judgement there... It's just that I still can't accept the fact that these people are left to deal with these bandits with whatever weapons and fighters they have..." Suddenly, an idea popped into the young man's head. "Oh! Father! Let me ask one other request if you could spare me the time. If we cannot mobilize the Vanguard... Then I volunteer to go help these people myself.

His father's eyes widened at his words. "You? All alone? I guess it may be time for your first mission but... Are you up to the task? This is an entire bandit band we're talking about... Hmm... Well... I guess you could. Yes, alright. I give you my blessing son, as long as you act cautiously and come back safely. However don't go alone. Try to round up some people if you can, I'm sure you'll be able to find people wanting to take them down. Just... come back in one piece, that is all I ask.

He then hugged Alphonz which caugth the boy by surprise. His father rarely showed affection while they were deployed. Guess he must be feeling a bit scared, I can't blame him... Thanking his father profusely, he started to pack his things in the goal of moving out quickly.

End Of Flashback

Walking around the town of Lucerne wearing his plate armor with the family crest and his spear tied to his back, Alphonz was trying to find the guards, hoping to hear they had some people willing to help fight the bandits. His title as a member of the Silver Vanguard may actually come in handy... Well, somewhat. He did still look like an inexperienced fighter (and rightfully so.) He trained a lot, yes, however he had yet to take the life of someone... Maybe this mission would be a reality check for him.

Surprisingly, there was no guard at the gate... One was actually pursuing a girl about Alphonz's age before giving up shortly after... Strange... Intrigued, he followed the young girl where her friend had arrived. Deciding to stay hidden for now a bit farther away, he tried to listen on the conversation... Hmm... Huh?!? THEY were trying to save the hunters? Surprised, Alphonz looked at the two of them with a stunned expression before deciding to walk up to them.
If they're trying to stop, then I cannot pass the opportunity of joining them, it's for the good of Lucerne and its neighboring villages.

He just had to not look completely creepy.

"Hey, you two. Are you perhaps trying to save those people captured by the bandits? I can't seem to find anybody in this town who's willing to join me... Anyways, I'm here to help. My name is Alphonz Montlaur.

No tact as always. Nice job Alphonz, you're really showing off those people skills. Not only that but you just appeared out of nowhere with that plate armor, your odds of looking like a creep are astronomically high.

Not only that, but the way he had said it only showed the fact he forcing himself to not sound weird... Which had the adverse effect, obviously.

[Lunie]

“Gods, I really messed everything up at home by leavin’.. I can’t just abandon my friends, again. If only I hadn’t run off.. but then you would’ve..” Selunae lamented, knowing now that either way someone would have been damned. Such a cruel and fickle thing fate was. Was there even a way to fix this anymore? The huntress hesitated in thought, weighing the choices laid out before her. Finally, she decided to lay it out, her heart heavy with regret.

“I.. well..” Selunae sighed, a tear rolling down her cheek. She took the novice’s hand into her own and placed her other hand on top. Her lip quivered, and by her expression alone it was clear what her decision was. “I.. can’t go through with it. I promised to keep ya safe and… I’m scared.. scared of losing you too. It’s just.. j-just too much for us alone. I know it’s selfish.. but I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to ya because.. because you were helpin’ fix one of my screw-ups. P-please.. understand..” The huntress threw her arms around Kyra and began crying into her shoulder. She knew she was letting the hunters down and letting Kyra and Devon down as well, but her heart wouldn’t let her put them at risk. After all, what chance did the three of them have?

Just then, from nowhere, another voice called to them. Selunae jumped with a fright, almost shoving Kyra away in the process. Turning to face the interloper, the huntress could scarcely believe her eyes. Or her ears. Here was, against all odds, a young soldier clad in fine armor. Not only that, but he was offering desperately needed assistance. She was speechless, still startled too.

“I..uh..you..,” her stuttered response was complete disarray, the young knight’s sudden arrival completely throwing her out of sorts, not that she was so far off from it beforehand. The huntress quickly brushed the tears from her cheeks and rubbed her eyes, hopelessly trying to hide that she’d been crying when Alphonz had approached the pair. “Well, uh.. we were gonna go after the bandits, yeah. We were hopin’ to get some help from the town guards but they.. tried to stop us.”

While maybe most would have found his mannerisms lacking, given the circumstances prior to his approach, Selunae was merely grateful for the offer of assistance. He was quite literally a knight in shining armor, showing up when he was needed most. It was a start. Maybe there was still a chance after all.

“My name is Lunie,” the girl began, with an awkward attempt at a curtsy that demonstrated clearly that she wasn’t completely sure how to perform one, “and we’d greatly appreciate your assistance Sir Knight.”

Alphonz hadn’t been around the huntress long enough to know the difference, but Kyra would already be able to pick up on the sudden change in Selunae’s behavior, like she was attempting to be somewhat fancier. It was definitely an amusing shift.

[Kyra]

As Lunie began crying and expressing her grief over the matter, Kyra hugged her and simply said, "Hey, Lunie, hey... Don't worry about it, okay? I understand how you feel. I just assumed that you'd wanna keep going based on how you've been so far, but I completely understand wanting to avoid this matter entirely... Well then, where would you prefer-"

Just as Kyra was about to finish her question, they were approached by a knightly looking figure. The boy, who seemed not much older than Kyra herself, introduced himself as Alphonz. Putting aside his blatant social ineptitude, she was relieved, and amazed, that someone came to help them out of the blue like that. Lunie seemed to be taking a fancy to the boy already. Hmm? Trying to impress the nobility now, are we, Lunie? Heheh, you're going from rogues to knights in the time it'd take to eat dinner. Well, as long as your mood is brighter. I just shudder to wonder how you'll be when Alphonz and Devon are both near you...

Kyra looked back at Alphonz, saying "It would be our pleasure to have you, Alphonz. My name's Kyra. We also have a friend of mine on board to guide us there and hough the caves they're holed up in. I was thinking we could just leave now, so if we can just find... Sigh... Come out, Devon!"

Stepping shamelessly out of the shadows of and nearby alleyway, Devon walked towards the group, armed with a couple more daggers than before. "Damn, Kyra, even my hiding places? You really do know me to well! So, when are we off? Oh, wait, silly me! I know that already. So, um, are we leaving now, since we have.. him?" Devon seemed to be a bit on edge now with the arrival of Alphonz, and that's one feeling Kyra has only rarely seen in Devon.

"What's the matter, Devon? Afraid this knight here is going to arrest you for the petty change you steal from people? I doubt it. He wants these bandits gone just as much as we do, it seems. Suddenly, Kyra had a possible revelation, leaning in so Lunie wouldn't hear. "Or are you jealous that you're getting upstaged by a newcomer?"

At that, Devon's face became extremely flustered, and he just stared at the ground, heading towards the gate. "Let's just get going already..."

[Alphonz]

As the red headed girl noticed his presence, the tears trickling down her face instantly told Alphonz that he probably showed up at the wrong time... As always. Ugh, at least they're still being nice. From the looks of it, her other slightly taller friend was trying to comfort her and seemed less startled by Alphonz's appearance, so at least there was that.

As the red headed girl spoke, apparently Lunie was her name, she seemed to refer to him as "Sir Knight" which definitely made a smile shily a bit. "Oh no, please just call me Alphonz. I don't want more people treating me special if I can help it hehe... Guess he should've realised wearing his family crest on his cape didn't help that people would realise he was of somewhat noble descent.

He then was told that they had another person with them. Apparently somebody who could guide them to the bandits's hideout? Alphonz was wondering who what kind of person would know thi- Oh and of course it's a freaking thief. The daggers on him and that tone of voice just reeked of criminal activity. The pickpocket also seemed to be aware of the many differences in between him and Alphonz, which seemed to make a bit on edge. Staring him down with no compassion whatsoever, it was Kyra's words which made him calm down a bit... Ugh, alright I guess she's right, his help is required. I'm simply going to have to keep my dislike of thieves and criminals for myself until this is over with.

However, that didn't stop Alphonz from giving Devon a look that anybody could translate as "If I see you doing anything fishy, I'll be bringing you to the guards personally. Also yes I would arrest you for stealing petty change in any other circumstance". Sighing a bit, he calmed himself down as he started rubbing his temples a bit. At least the other girls seemed much less annoying than that silver-tongued hooligan. Seeing him walk off, he turned to the two girls.

Well anyways, nice to meet you Lunie, Kyra... and I guess that knave Devon too." that last part sounded much colder than how he talked to the two girls. "Before we go, do you two perhaps need to purchase some tavelling equipment? I was given an allowance for this mission so please, don't be afraid to ask. Alphonz himself already had what he needed in his backpack if they needed to set camp or hunt for food or whatever else you would need in a survival situation like rations or a mess kit.

[Lunie]

Truthfully, Seunae’s change in manners was merely because Alphonz had the look of someone with a grander station in life. One that deserved respect. His armor alone stood out above that of common soldiers and guards. It was only his manner of speech that might give one doubts, but even there his voice carried a sense of pride. Her mother had taught her to be courteous and respectful like this when she was young but somehow those lessons didn’t hold up so well over time, as it came off a little awkwardly.

“Pleased to meet you, Alphonz.” The huntress offered a sincere smile to the armor-clad teen, then quieted herself as Kyra spoke to him as well. However, before the novice completed what she was saying, she’d interrupted herself to call out Devon. It surprised Selunae when the young thief actually did emerge from between two nearby buildings, and she blushed a little when she realized he’d followed them. Then when Kyra accused him of stealing from people, the huntress shrank back a little, not sure what to think about the handsome rogue anymore. He didn’t even try to deny it. Was he any better than the bandits then? Just what was she getting herself into?

It was a silent remonstrating from the novice that finally got Devon’s goat. Selunae sighed, she really wanted to know what Kyra said but it wasn’t meant for her ears. The huntress quietly gravitated towards Alphonz, feeling noticeably less comfortable around Devon, not because of the faux pas from before but because he seemed a bit dangerous now. Perhaps dangerous to her. She wondered now if they could trust him, or if he was really one of the bandits himself. What if he was going to serve them to the bandits for a payday? What if it was all just a trick? What if.. No, he was Kyra’s friend and the novice had known this about him all along. Selunae had faith in her friend not to steer her wrong, but she’d be more cautious around the young rogue though.

The huntress perked up, disrupted from her concerns by the knight’s inquiry of supplies. There was something she needed, so she decided to speak up. “Umm... actually, I do need a new bracer. My old one kinda got eaten by a wolf.” Selunae raised a scabbed-over left arm for emphasis. She had meant to sell the wolf for it’s fur, but perhaps her father had taken care of that today. It had been an eventful morning. He’d probably stabled Starchaser by the city gate as well and Selunae would need to retrieve her before leaving. And where was Ito? He’d told her he’d meet her in here Lucerne, but she hadn’t seen hide nor hair of him. She hadn’t traveled especially quickly to get here, but she didn’t want him to arrive after they left and then not be able to find her.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t leave til my friend gets here. If you have to leave without me, I’ll be fine. I don’t want him to show up and me not be here though. If we had more people, I guess it wouldn’t be so big a deal. Guess I’m jus’ still nervous about such a small group.”

[Kyra]

Kyra was a tad concerned about the group dynamic at this point. She could tell the others didn't trust Devon, but why would he betray them? What reason? He had been friends with her for years... Kyra found it hard to see Devon abouts a bad person, even if he did resort to petty crimes when times were tough. It's not like he murdered a child or something horrific like that. Sigh.. I suppose he does seem a bit more on edge than normal.. Maybe something is bugging him. Well, in any case, I hope it doesn't get in the way of the mission...

When Lunie mentioned again wanting to wait for this friend of hers, Kyra nodded her head. "Alright, that sounds okay to me, Lunie. We'll get anything we need while the shops are still open, and once night falls, we can start heading out towards the cave. And thank you, Alphonz, for being so generous with the allowance you have for this mission! Now, what do I need...?"

The small group of now four relatively young adventurers headed throughout the central marketplace and shops of Lucerne, purchasing whatever they needed, whether it be armor repairs, rations, and so on. They waited until nightfall, and Lunie's still-unknown friend still had yet to show up. Kyra was beginning to grow a bit impatient, as was Devon. "Lunie, are you sure your friend is coming? It's been a while now, and there still doesn't seem to be any sign of them. Maybe we should just leave with who we have."

Devon also spoke up, "I agree with Kyra. The longer we wait, the easier it may be for our mission to be jeopardized in some way. I'd be willing to wait perhaps a few more minutes, but after that, we should just go."

[Alphonz]

They had then went off to purchase supplies for all of them. Lunie getting herself a new bracer while he decided to purchase some rations, knowing they would probably come in haandy if they wanted near the camp to wait until the best time to infiltrate. He also decided to get himself a flask of oil with some flint and steel, who knows? One thing that Alphonz knew about war is that using all at your disposal is the key to victory. Having an easy way to set something on fire could probably help.



Night had fallen and the four of them seemed to be waiting for Lunie's friend. They were waiting around close to the merchant district and Alphonz had decided to do a bit of armor maintenance instead of twiddling his thumbs. Doffing his suit took a fair bit of time, maybe around 3 minutes to undress down to the linen shirt he wore under the plate mail. This little ritual was something he enjoyed doing quite a bit. Seeing his armor shine was always the high part of his day after his training. After all, he still hadn't done enough to merit having somebody assigned to the maintenance of his armor unlike his father who was much too busy with other matters. Taking off his backpack and siting down on a free table as the others were waiting, he pulled out a hankerchief with a bit of wax and slowly started to rub every nook and cranny where rust old appear. Folding the fabric with his family's symbol and putting aside, he was able to start rubbing the entire set of plate mail.



After a little while, he started hearing Kyra and Devon complain that things were taking much longer than they had anticipated. And honestly, Alphonz agreed with them in a way. Waiting around could mean being too late... However, he still found that there was still reasoning for staying put for now: "Let's not be too hasty here. While yes, maybe waiting around will make us fail later down the road, let's not forget we are only four, and from what I can gather, unexperienced combattants. If Lunie knows someone that help procure assistance, I think it'd be foolhardy to not wait a bit longer. Going with only four of us might create some problems if we start being outnumbered."

After saying those words, he at both of them with an inquisitive look: "Actually, I didn't even ask you why you're all doing this... I mean, it's pretty rare to see young people such as us trying to do something like this. Have these bandits done anything personal to you?"

While it may not look like it, Alphonz was actually trying to better understand these two. He knows that caring for the people of Bern was one of the best ways to become a great leader. It's just... Let's just say social interactions with civilians was a thing that Alphonz was very much so inept.

[Lunie]

Selunae had immediately fitted the bracer to her arm and laced it snugly before she even left the store she bought it from. It was a pretty important piece of her ensemble, after all. He old one had protected her from bandit axes and wolf fangs alike, even if she’d still become quite injured anyway. In the end, her wounds seemed superficial thanks to the bracer stopping them from becoming more severe. The new bracer was, just as her old one, a basic design with no decorative features. There were no intricate designs embossed in the leather, no gilded plating, only the intrinsic functionality of protecting her forearm.

She also accompanied Alphonz in procuring rations, bickering with him over which meats were better and which dried fruits would better suit the journey. In the end, it was Alphonz that had won out, mainly because he was the one spending coin, but there had been small compromises. Unfortunately, cheese had not fit into the budget of this trek. It had been a good diversion for keeping her mind off of the negative things lately, though. Ito still hadn’t shown up, and she was already worried something happened to him. He seemed to find trouble just as readily as she did, after all.

Eventually, Selunae had been reduced to pacing about. Her anxiety was as apparent as Kyra’s impatience. The situation was beginning to create tension in the group, as if Devon’s ‘occupation’ hadn’t created enough already. It ate away at each others nerves, the inactivity causing a unique irritation in each of the group. For Selunae it was more the worrying. It helped that Alphonz was speaking up for her but his words didn’t produce Ito. Eventually Alphonz asked about motives, something she wasn’t sure she wanted to talk about. Still, he was helping and deserved to know at least something about the people he had selflessly volunteered his assistance to.

“Well.. um.. the thing is... Ya see, what had happened was.. I kinda.. well.. ran away from home a month or two ago. I guess all the hunters were out lookin’ for me, because uhh, well I was one of ‘em. So they were worried I guess.. When I came home yesterday, my father told me that uhh.. these bandits made the hunters join them because they were too busy lookin’ for me to hunt all proper,” the huntress became teary eyed again as she reached this part. “So, one of the old hunters, the one that was teachin’ me about huntin’ he wouldn’t let the bandits take the hunters away and t-they.. they killed him. Most of the h-hunters didn’t make it b-back. It’s all my fault... If I hadn’t..” Selunae cut off there, unable to continue. She sniffled and wiped the tears from her face, averting her gaze away from Alphonz.

Later, after Kyra had her own chance to explain her part, a man in his late twenties emerged into view. He had dark brown hair and a long thin beard hanging from his chin, and was adorned in a flowing blue robe with black and gold trim and accents. He seemed to be minding his own business, but the moment Selunae spotted him, she became excited and ran to him, behavior that would have thrown anyone aware of her fear of mages and magic. His reaction was very different once he saw her. A cringe, as he knew what was coming. The huntress flung her arms around the mage in a tight hug, which resulted in him humorously struggling to get free. “Chase!” she exclaimed with a new joy in her voice that had been lacking the greater part of the evening. “What are-” she began, but was cut off by the highly irritated spellcaster.

“Unhand me, you unwashed female! Why must you insist on this every time we encounter one another?” Chase protested, a sudden spark of light appearing, accompanied by the tiniest charge of electricity. Immediately, he was released by his captor, the huntress yelping with pain.

“Ugh! You’re so mean! That’s the third time ya’ve done that to me!”

“..And it’s the second time you failed to learn your lesson. Roddrick requested that I observe you. We were informed of the slight the bandits visited upon your hunters soon after you departed. He wished me to ensure you did not act recklessly.”

“Aww, ya came because you do care about me,” Selunae moved to hug him again, but stopped short.

“I am here at his behest, not of my own personal interest. Your assumptions matter not.” The mage glanced beyond the huntress to those beyond. “What of these suspect characters you have surrounded yourself with? Am I to take it they are your associates?”

The huntress just smiled cluelessly. Half the words he said usually flew over her head, and this time was no different. Recognizing her expression, he gave a groan of dismay.

“I withdraw my query. What is- Ahem.. Who are they and what are you planning to do?” Chase felt somewhat uncivilized ‘dumbing down’ his words for the huntress, the sacrifices he made for the sake of others were noble and should be appreciated.

“Oh, I should introduce ya. Come over here with me, willya? That’s Kyra, and that is Devon over beside her (watch yer stuff with that one around.) Oh and the one with the fancy armor is Alphonz. Everybody, this is Chase. He likes big words.”

“Charmed, I’m sure,” the mage offered in lackluster response, not particular happy with where he knew this was going. “One would assume you intend to assail the uncouth ruffians yourselves, are my estimations accurate?”

“Well..” The huntress hesitated, “We were kinda tryin’ to gather people to go after the bandits, just a little bit.. Ain’t that right Kyra?”

[Kyra]

Answering Alphonz's question regarding personal investment in this, Kyra chimed in, "Like Lunie said, this connects more so to her, but as I've just met her and we're already fast friends, I think I'm obligated to help her. And maybe if we can prove ourselves to her mother, we'll be able to go off and travel without her hating me fly stealing her away, or constantly worrying about her little girl, or something like that." Kyra was about to comfort Lunie, seeing her start to cry, but she seemed to be trying to steel herself in front of the young knight, and so she let it be for now.

Shortly afterward, Kyra watched as Lunie ran towards a stranger who was seemingly unaware of her, at least at first. He seemed like the mage type based on his choice of attire, and once the weird mix of a heartfelt reunion and an awkward introduction had finished, her theory was indeed confirmed, and it seemed that he went by the name of Chase. When Lunie introduced her to Chase, she brought her hand up in a simple wave and said, "Hey there, Chase! You seem pretty... uninterested. Well, I suppose if you're going to be here with us, I'll explain what's going on, as Lunie alluded to, and you can decide whether it's worth your time to join us. To make it short, yes, we plan on getting back at the bandits at their cave hideout. Devon here is going to guide us to and through the caves, and once inside, we plan to free the hunters they've imprisoned and turn the hunters who joined against the bandits if possible. We may be a small group, but I think the nature of this mission almost requires smaller numbers, so as to avoid being spotted."

Hmm... Well, we have five now. That should still be alright, I think. Any more and it's possible we might be too obvious or something. Then again, I've never lead a strike mission before. Then again, I've never really led much of a combat mission before. Then again, I've never really led "troops" in any capacity anyway. Then again... Oh, whatever! We need to just keep moving! Chase is here now, so we can't waste anymore time!

Speaking up again, Kyra addressed the other four. "So, I suppose if everyone is settled and ready to go, we should be off then!"

[Alphonz]

And now he felt like a total ass for asking her to bring up painful memories. Seeing tears well up in Lunie's eyes made Alphonz feel completely powerless. He knew he was awful at comforting people and he wanted to get better at it... But once again he couldn't find the words to say except a very quiet "L-Lunie..." as she turned her head away, he felt angry at himself about not knowing what to say as he started to polish the last piece of his armor ferociously.

Kyra seemed a bit less personally involved so at least he didn't make two girls upset instead of one. And also she mentionned how they would be travelling together if possible. Hmm, maybe I also need to distance myself from the Vanguard if I want to truly grow stronger...

Suddenly, it seemed like she forgot her pain as she seemed to notice what was probably a friend of hers. A man in his twenties by the look of it. Was he going to join them? Well a mage would definitely be a fine addition. He didn't know much about magic but he sure knew about it's destructive potential. Waving at him he said: "Nice to meet you Chase, I'm Alphonz Montlaur. I've just met your friend Lunie recently as our goals seem to converge. While I don't think I can match your expertise in vocabulary, I still hope we can get along. Well, if you do decide to join us that is. I think we could use your magic skills so I'd be very glad if you decided to join us"

As Kyra turned to tell them to get ready, Alphonz was caught off guard as all of his armor was still deattached. At least his maintenance was done but he had to put it back on... "Umm, I might need a bit of help if we want to get things moving a bit faster... Lunie, you got a free pair of hands I can borrow?" Putting armor on was still a long process. With somebody helping him at least it wouldn't take forever... Ok, I also still struggle putting it on by myself, I admit it...

[Lunie]

Selunae took a seat near Alphonz as Chase settled into the group. Perhaps out of boredom, she seemed to take an idle curiosity in the attention he was giving to his armor. Watching his meticulous care seemed to put her at ease, though her eyes were still clouded with doubt and anxiety. She was content enough to observe his work, though her contemplative expression might raise question as to whether she was even paying attention to him or not. The mage, however, was anything but quiet and contemplative. It was an ironic role-reversal of sorts as Chase was normally reserved and aloof, while Selunae typically was the talkative one.

“Well met, Alphonz. It gladdens me to discover Selunae has made acquaintance of someone of clear distinction such as yourself. I feared she would fall in with the local peasantry. Do you have any notion of how enduring the stench of livestock is once it sets into your garment? It’s deplorable! You seem quite young, however, to bear the uniform of the Silver Vanguard, young knight. Am I mistaken in placing you among their ranks?” His arms akimbo, Chase shifted his focus to Kyra who also had addressed him.

“Uninterested?” The mage arched an eyebrow at the novice. “This is certainly one method of describing the disdain of chaperoning such a rabble. I should think this task more befitting the likes of Faidri, but I digress. I am inclined to so believe that Selunae would scamper off no matter my method of dissuasion and thus it would seem any protestations I might have to joining would be moot. However, since you doubtlessly lack the propensity for stimulating my intellect, I would find it most agreeable that we limit our interactions whenever- graagh!” Chase turned his attention to Selunae, who had become irritated and punched him sharply in the arm. He rubbed it gingerly, despite being a grown adult of near thirty years of age he was not physically acclimated to such display of aggression. It would surely leave a bruise.

“Just ‘cause I don’t understand what yer sayin’ doesn’t mean I don’t know yer being mean to my friends!” The huntress gave him a scowl before returning her attention to Alphonz.

“Why, you contemptible scamp..! I.. ahem..” the mage cleared his throat and gathered his composure, ignoring the dirty looks he was receiving from the group. Electing to make a tactical retreat, he seated himself with dignity a small distance away from the others and retrieved a heavy book from an ornate leather satchel, occupying his time poring through its contents, not looking up from it once.

Selunae, however, was comically trying to help Alphonz assemble his suit of armor. If the young man hadn’t known how to do it himself, the two could easily have spent the rest of the night failing at the task, as she scarcely knew what she was doing. She didn’t know which piece went where, and would also grab the wrong parts when he would ask for them. It was much more complicated than her humble armor, without a doubt. Still, Alphonz was indeed able to don his armor in its entirety quicker with her help, so the endeavor was a success in the end.

Time was up, everyone was ready to go. Ito still hadn’t shown his face, though, and Selunae was mournful to leave without him. She had waited as long as she could, had he encountered trouble? If he hadn’t, he certainly would when she found him. He’d promised her. Promised!

The five mismatched adventurers departed Lucerne on horseback, Selunae taking a long look back her hometown, wondering if she would make it back here again. She truly hoped that her impulsive decision had not set wheels in motion that would bring about the death of any of her friends. It was too late to turn back now. Only time would tell what fate had in store.

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