Search and Rescue (Quest)

[Vincent]

    Worde lost a large portion of its forests due to the threat of monsters and with it many material resources. The territory may have been well off but the potential to find new ore deposits in the mountains drove a group of explorers into its peaks. This was already two weeks ago. A week passed and they did not return; so another group of explorers were sent to find them and confirm their condition. They too did not return. Two weeks passed and two groups vanished. The expedition has well been considered cursed and dangerous. The families of the lost explorers now turned to mercenaries to find their lost brethren. Most do not hold hopes for their loved ones' safe return. They instead have steeled their hearts and tempered their expectations only now desiring closure and a body they can give the proper rites to.

    Vincent caught word of the mission and believed it could be the work of a powerful monster, perhaps even Burt or something akin, and so he accepted it. His hands still shook and his grip was weak since the battle with the baels. Phoenix Heart pleaded with him to take time to recover but he realized he could use leathers to keep the sword bound to his hand and so he forced himself to action.

    Vincent waited at the base of the mountain path. Looking at it, it could scarcely be called a road, much of the route would be treacherous by its own right, let alone should they find something. Vincent sat and leaned against a pillar that denoted the path and waited. His leg still ached from the fight with the entombed and getting off his feet helped.

    'You need to recover lest you send yourself into an early retirement... or grave.' Phoenix Heart reprimanded him. 'What if you get in over your head? You're in no shape to try using my full power again.'

    'Better that way. It was a magnificent blast, but I had no regulation and I ended up leaving Mila behind. That's not a power suited to emergencies. That is a new battle we must overcome on our own before I dare use it again. As I am now I fear I would just destroy my body.'

    'Pfft, whatever. You're just scared and avoiding it aren't you? The more you fight and get hurt the less healthy you'll be and you have an excuse not to try it.'

    '...' Phoenix Heart saw right through him as always. Vincent grumbled indignantly as he waited for the arrival of the others and their employers.

[Belinda]

The shaman was just about done with her annual visit to Lycia. She saw her family in Santaruz. Gave them their gifts. She helped her brother with his bee-keeping. Baby sat her little niece. Tolerated the subtle insults of her mother. And she wrote letters back to the academy in Nabata and to her friends in Khan Yunis. The letters would arrive there sooner then she would at this point. As she prepared to make her short journey back into Badon to catch the next boat back to Nabata, she was intercepted. A Lycian researcher approached her, he recognized her cloak colors, and her pin that signified she was from Khan Yunis' academia. They sat and chatted for a bit and he mentioned something interesting to her. The scribe mentioned a string of disappearances within Worde. Most of it sounded as if it were exaggerated. But, no one could find the bodies of those who had been lost. 

Normally this sort of thing wouldn't garner her attention. Bel knew that this world was full of things that liked to make people disappear. Things like, monsters, the wilderness, slavers, war, the ocean. But, the Worde and Nabatan borders were a bit of a mystery to her. She also knew that there were certain sections in Khan Yunis library that were empty when it came to the native wildlife of that area. She realized that this was a potential opportunity to document something that may satisfy the curiosity of her superiors. At least, that's what she thought. She doubted her superiors would really care about the native plants and animals of border lands but at least they could use that info to fill in the missing gaps of knowledge in their libraries. So she loaded up her wagon with the necessities and made her way towards Badon. She caught a boat that headed inland towards Ryerde, then rode up towards Worde. 

She arrived in the town and got weird looks as she went about her business. The glances didn't stop her though. She knew most folk had no idea what a yin-yang symbol was. She hoped to change that. One day. But, as she asked around, people slowly started to let their guard down. She explained she came from Acedemia, that she was a scholar. And she had heard about the disappearances and offered to help. She wrote a few letters back to Santaruz and towards Khan Yunis. Just in case this mission turned out to be her last. The town's folk did make the situation sound dire. She was directed towards the others who had signed up for the search. The first person she spotted was a swordsman with light hair. 

"You there. Are you the leader of the search team?"

[Ito]

Ito honestly had no reason to be here. This quest was just time away from Caelin, time that could be spent toppling bandit power structures or rallying Caelinian forces in an effort to retake the land. Something more heroic, more obviously heroic. Rescuing explorers was certainly a noble task, but what did that grant him in his main quest? He couldn't figure it out, quite frankly. Perhaps rescuing the rescuers and their rescuees would enable him access to some greater knowledge that would lend in the fulfillment of his ideal.

Despite his uncertainty, however, the swordsman pressed on. Worde was in his sights, and rescue on his mind. Even if it wasn't his native Caelin, it was still Lycia. Without Lycia, he rationalized, there would be no Caelin to restore. Anything he could do to help would be beneficial to him, and possibly to his home territory. As much as he felt otherwise, it betrayed his very core beliefs to not help. The families of the explorers needed all they could get in the way of closure, whether that be in finding the explorers alive and bringing them back, or discovering corpses in need of burial. Closure was one luxury Ito had always had, however brutal his losses had been. As now he strode up to the designated mountain pathway, he noted the presence of another warrior as well as a scholarly looking woman. Fortunately, he'd arrived just as the woman asked the question that he'd fixed to ask at first.

"I imagine you two are part of the rescue party, if questions like that are being asked?"

[Abelard]

The golden cavalier sniffed the air with one bold snort as his steed plodded along. "Hark, my good man! Our destiny lies merely a short distance away from this location!" Abelard turned back to the Nabatian knight behind him and gave a thumbs up with a bright, beaming smile which managed to catch the sun and gleam. The duo had been together for a short while now, even if their first meeting had been less than fortunate. Ever the keen adventurer and eager to prove himself a legendary hero, when Abelard had heard of the missing group of explorers he immediately saw his chance to make a mark upon the world. However, although he was enthusiastic in making a name for himself, he had a secondary but more important motivation in encouraging Dimino to take on this mission with him.

Abelard had gotten the impression that the man had been beaten down by misfortune recently, and had a strong desire to lift his spirits by achieving a glorious victory worthy enough to be written about in all of those fairy tales he had read as a child... and still drew inspiration from as an adult. Looking back to his comrade, he felt slightly sorry for the armour-clad man who always seemed to be stuck walking, no matter the occasion. "I dare say, old chum, perhaps it would be wise to invest in a mighty mount so that it would be easier for you to keep up with my fearsome Valant?"

Running a hand through his slicked back hair, the man sighs. "Although I suppose that being upon horseback would hinder your form of combat..." Disregarding what seemed like a swell idea at the time, the cavalier presses on, eventually making out what appeared to be people in the distance. "Huzzah! Three figures upon yonder; it seems as though we are making splendid progress."

[dimino]

Dimino follows behind Abelard as they make their way back. True, he could move faster upon a mount, but he prefers this way. Besides, the only mounts his village has that could potentially keep up are camels, which are more suited for Nabatas climate. He really didn't know why he followed alongside Abelard. Perhaps it was a longing for company of sorts considering that he spent a good portion of his travels alone. He couldn't help but smile slightly when the golden cavalier flashed him a smile, which reminded him that peace indeed was not impossible as he initially thought. "I suppose our destiny does lie ahead. If we head further, we will arrive in Nabata, the land that my tribe lies with. Our main objective though if from what I've heard is to find and rescue people that are lost in these mountains"  Dimino says. He had heard rumors of this mountain claiming the lives of many from the tribe chieftan and warned even the strongest of the warriors to avoid this cursed place. It seems that other foreigners didn't head the warning...

As he caught up with Abelard, Dimino could start to make out the figures, and was quite surprised to see one in particular. Was that... it was the hero from the defense of that village! Dimino became especually quiet when he noticed the hero. He promised he would assist the village, and he broke his promise, he went against his tribal code and honor, he had no right to even be near this powerful hero. No matter what good deed Dimino did, he felt that he would never make up for his failures at the village. With that, he sprintedahead to the hero as he bowed to him. "Kýrie...it is an honor to be working alongside such a powerful man as you."  Dimino says, he then sighed slightly, he just wished that the events of the village would turn out differently.

[Elijah]

Elijah was finally in the fief he needed to be. His journey had been longer than he had expected, though he had no one but himself to blame for that, but he had finally arrived at Worde. The fief closest to what used to be Ostia...and as such, the fief that was most embattled by the scourge that had risen from her ruined neighbor.

It drew a lot of emotion out of the man as he walked through what few towns there were in Worde. The fief had effectively broken down into several different troops that now specialized in combat against the undead and other fiends that encroached upon their land. The citizens he passed wore stone masks hardened by the loss of homes and loved ones. No doubt a few of them were survivors from Ostia.

...No doubt some of them were people he had helped save. People she had helped save.

It was not the kind of place Elijah would like to go with his son or daughter, and he had neither with him. All the same he was not alone, and his brisk pace was matched by a quiet young brunette. Her eyes were empty still, like they had been since he met her some days back, but Elijah could catch her giving people the odd glance here or there. The young lady’s expression didn’t so much as twitch, yet in her hazel eyes Elijah could swear he saw…

“This is your last chance, Serai. Town’ll only take you a quarter-hour to reach.” Elijah stated after a silence that had been far too long. The town had not yet dipped underneath the horizon behind them, and they were still moments from Elijah’s current destination. Even having arrived in Worde he was still some ways away from Astraea’s guild - this current job he’d taken was en route.

Serai said nothing. Eli glanced over his shoulder and saw her thumb and index finger squeeze together just above her breast. It was hard to see but Eli knew what was between her digits was actually a bowstring - looped around her torso to secure the wooden bow at her back.

“I’d rather you stayed in the inn and wait for me. You told me yourself that you’ve only fired upon rabbits.”

“Then surely I’ll be able to hit larger targets.”

Elijah sighed. So damn stubborn...the mercenary knew this was a lost cause. Serai hadn’t spoken much since that night, but she also refused to be left behind in any capacity. Elijah didn’t intend on ditching her somewhere against her will, especially not near Worde, but...he supposed she just didn’t trust that yet.

No, that was sugar coating it. She didn’t trust him yet.

Elijah shrugged his shoulders and kept walking. If Serai was intent on joining him during this mission that just meant he had two objectives to fulfill - one of which he had silently sworn himself to when he’d first come across the young woman.

__


A diverse group was ahead of him - and it seemed to Elijah that he was among the last to arrive.

A man and his steed, followed closely by another armored man with a lance. Two swordsman with fair hair, though one seemed older and more experienced than the other. A young woman - no armor or weapons, most certainly a mage - who had almost an aristocratic bearing to her. Elijah could have been off a bit here, but he’d met enough people to grasp the basics of those before him in a cursory glance.

Besides, the makeup of the warriors before him wasn’t all that different from…

“Hey there, apologies for my tardiness.” Elijah announced his presence with a sheepish smile as he scratched the back of his head. “I take it this is the party of those who accepted that job further back, hm? Well, the name’s Elijah. Ex-mercenary. This is…”

Elijah glanced back at Serai. Her gaze flicked between the hired hands carefully...but she lacked focus. No doubt she thought she was studying them with the same detail Elijah had earlier, but she didn’t actually know what she was looking for - and thus could not ascertain who she was looking at.

“This is my partner, Serai.” Serai turned to Elijah, clearly surprised by what he’d said. In all honestly Elijah didn’t really know how else to describe their relationship...whatever it was. “She’s a novice, but her eyes are sharp and her aim is true.”

Serai seemed a little flustered, perhaps even shy, but otherwise said nothing as Elijah stepped forward. Experience led him past the...mostly young...wow were they really all younger than him? Sheesh...anyway, Elijah stepped past the others to swordsman he had earlier picked out as more experienced than the others present, and offered a hand. “Seems like you’re the most experienced here, hm? Might you be the leader of this team?”

[Vincent]

As it turned out Vincent would not be made to wait for very long. As if brought together by some unseen force the men and women who would undertake the mission began to appear rapidly. The first among them was a young scholarly woman. Everything about her stood out, from her red hair, to the symbols she donned. Most of all was her gaze, as it fell squarely on Vincent. Her eyes had intent and Vincent knew immediately she was here for the mission. Pulling himself to his feet Vincent wiped his gloved hands on his trousers as the woman approached. Studying her appearance she reminded him of Mila. Dressing innocently and appearing like a charming woman but hidden beneath that was a power beyond normal men and women; she had to be a mage... or a fool, he assumed the former.

"You there, are you the leader of the search team?" the red haired woman inquired.

"I am." Vincent's reply was lost as another voice sounded louder than his own.

"I imagine you two are part of the rescue party, if questions like that are being asked?" the voice belonged to another swordsman with wild blond hair. Vincent thought he looked young but what he did not realize was that the swordsman was in fact older than him.

Vincent gave a light gesture with an open hand in Belinda's direction, "Unless you are part of the concerned families than yes, we are." He gave Belinda a slightly questioning gaze as a way to indirectly ask her, but alas the newcomers did not permit time for introductions very long as a sharp glinting struck his retinas.

By the gods! "Is that man wearing gold!" Vincent's shock was ill masked. No, maybe it was bronze deceptively shined. Either way he held little hope for that man, he was either very green, or very skilled, and in Vincent's experience it was the former. Shielding his eyes he saw a familiar face behind the glowing man. Dimino had come as well.

Soon Dimino took notice of Vincent and rushed to his side and bowed to him. Vincent visibly stiffened uncomfortably. What was this man doing?

'Oh wow, looks like you've gotten a devoted follower.' Phoenix Heart teased.

"Kýrie...it is an honor to be working alongside such a powerful man as you." At Dimino's words Vincent threw his hands up awkwardly and hesitated before speaking.

"Y-you don't have to bow." 'And his name wasn't Kyrie', he thought. In his panic Vincent had not even considered it was a word from Dimino's native tongue. Though the two fought in the same battle they did not directly interact much and while Vincent may have made an impression on Dimino, Dimino had not had the same effect on Vincent, regardless, "It's good to see you again though." Unsure of himself he placed a hand on Dimino's shoulder and smiled at him. "You can relax around me, you know?"

'Now whisper sweet nothings in his ear.'

'Shut up! I liked it better when you were quiet and rude.'

The party was already shaping up to be a colorful cast, but there was yet another surprise in store. "Hey there, apologies for my tardiness." A man, clearly the eldest of everyone on the mission introduced himself to the forming party. “I take it this is the party of those who accepted that job further back, hm? Well, the name’s Elijah. Ex-mercenary. This is…”

Elijah's words made Vincent wonder just how far word of the recruitment spread for this mission. There were a sizable number of people heeding the call to adventure but Vincent only learned of it when passing through the town. "No worries, we've only just arrived ourselves, and the employers aren't here yet either."

"This is my partner, Serai. She's a novice, but her eyes are sharp and her aim is true."

Vincent cast a look at Serai and held back his concerns from showing on his face. It would be hypocritical to be against someone so young taking part in dangerous missions when he himself did the same, but through his experience he grew to hate seeing the young on a battlefield. Instead of expressing his opinion he offered her a light smile of acknowledgement.

"Seems like you're the most experienced here, hm? Might you be the leader of this team?" Elijah easily picked Vincent out for the role and held out a hand to shake. Vincent couldn't imagine it took a great deal of deductive reasoning to figure out he was in charge when someone was bowing to him.

"I am, but I welcome any wisdom that can be shared from all of our company," Vincent's words were primarily for Elijah, as he was a man older than the rest and should carry not only knowledge through experience but deserved the respect garnered through age, but that did not discredit the others who lived vastly different lives than he had and carried unique insight of their own. When Vincent reached to clasp Elijah's hand his grip was weak despite his best efforts, and his hand shook violently as the muscles rejected the grip. Vincent held the smile throughout the handshake so as not to alert the others but he knew Elijah would notice.

"Right, so..." Vincent peered around for any last second additions before continuing. "My name is Vincent Clark and I was assigned as the leader of this expedition team. I would like to get everyone's names and take this moment before our employers get here to let you all get acquainted."

------------------------------------

The party was afforded a short time to talk amongst themselves before the arrival of a couple who were getting on in years. The woman hung on to her husband's arm for support while he leaned on a cane of his own. Noticing their approach Vincent called the attention of the group. The old man smiled at the party but the woman was too sullen to lift her head.

"We come on behalf of all the families who could not come today. All we know is that they went high into the mountains and have not returned. Please, we don't hope for much, but please bring us closure." The man put an arm around his wife's shoulder. "Please, bring our son back to us... whatever form that should take."

"I promise you, we will do everything in our power to bring them home." Vincent placed a fist over his chest in a motion of a vow. He then looked to the others and added, "If anyone has any comments, questions, or concerns let's hear them now, the mountains aren't kind."

[Belinda]

Okay? Bel's question was both answered and not answered.

"No. I'm not with any of the aforementioned families." She glanced at the rest of the group that seemed to appear out of thin air. She didn't remember being followed by anyone on the way here. But, here these guys were. A kid. A knight. Another Knight on a horse. An.. experienced fighter. If her intuition was right. And an archer. Then there was the young white haired man with a strange aura. She tilted her head slightly as she tried to pick up on what ever sort of vibe the silver haired fighter had. Her thoughts were interrupted by the need to introduce herself to the group. 

"I'm Belinda. Shaman." She pointed to herself.  Her tone sounded a bit firm.

"From the Nabatan Academy of Magic." Belinda wasn't sure if that part was needed or not. But, it was something that was worth mentioning. People are uneasy around Shamans. Dark Magic was responsible for the monsters roaming about. There's been enough research on the subject to prove it. Plus, people were generally uneasy about the subject of the Elder Arts. They were uneducated in it's ways, had superstitions about it, horrible myths and stories over the subject. But, she's learned to deal with the stigma of her craft. She's learned to rise above it and make a small independent place for herself with it. Sometimes, people were put at ease whenever she mentioned the school. School meant things like seriousness and learning. Usually. 

"If anyone has a problem with the Elder Arts, I suggest you either get it off your chest now or hold it in forever. I am here to do a job. And I will not tolerate having that job being jeopardized by your own bigotry towards the elder arts." The shamaness waited a moment and let everyone speak their peace. 

[Elijah]

Hm, seemed the employers were to meet them here? Elijah couldn’t recall that detail from the notice, but there was no sense in worrying about it. What did seem a bit troublesome was Vincent’s grip during their handshake. It ought to have been stronger than it was, especially for someone who wields a blade. The younger man had smiled throughout it, though, and Elijah decided to roll with it for the time being as well.

“Well met then, Vincent. I’m not so sure about wisdom per se, but if you need any advice I’ll do my best to provide.”

---

There seemed to be a brief respite while the group awaited the arrival of their employers, and so Elijah no longer felt quite so bad for his tardiness. Instead he turned his attention to Serai who, in turn, had her attention focused on their surroundings. Her eyes scanned the area with what seemed to be a bit of wonder and curiosity.

“This is the furthest from home you’ve ever been, isn’t it?” Elijah crossed his arms over his chest and leaned his back against a rock as he spoke.

“It...is so much different here,” The edge in her voice was gone here, and in its place a hint of marvel. It brought a smile to Elijah’s face. “I’m almost amazed we’re still in Lycia.”

“World’s big, lass. If you look at a map we’re not even that far from your neck of the woods.” That was very true, they were only about a week’s walk away from her home. Elijah could only imagine the look on her face if he took her to the edge of Nabata, where grassy plains became a sea of sand, or if he took her to Badon to witness the sea proper, or even Pherae to see the mountains of Bern. All of those different wonders would still only be what lay within Lycia’s borders…

It made him feel ever more guilty that he was headed in the one place within Lycia that lacked any and all beauty. A place where nightmares existed just beyond your line of sight, rather than locations you could otherwise only dream up.

This dark turn to his thoughts was broken by the announcement of one of his party members. The girl that had the look of a spell caster revealed herself to indeed be a spell caster, and her name was Belinda. However her speech did not end with a simple introduction and instead evolved into a...standoffish challenge…

---

“That’s right! I’m a bandit too!” The girl proclaimed. Her wild dark hair blew in the wind as she yanked her spear from the corpse of her fallen foe, and she turned sharply to fix her impromptu allies with a fierce glare.

“If any of you have a problem with that…” Her spear spun with the rotations of her wrists only to stop when its tip faced Elijah and the others. “Then come at me right now, and let your blades carry your protests!”

---

…

“Hahahaha!” The laughter practically erupted out of the mercenary. His brief but dour mood had been swiftly replaced with absolute joy and amusement from that old memory. Serai looked up at him and blinked while Elijah clutched his chest and shook his head.

“Well said lass, well said!” Elijah wiped a tear from his eye when he could finally speak again. Though his laughter could easily have been seen as rude or inappropriate, the smile that Elijah beamed at Belinda was one of innocent amusement and good nature. “I fear no spell anymore than I do a blade. You’ll hear no protests from me.”

While Elijah had never truly fought side by side with any dark magic users, in fact it was likely most of his experience with the dark arts actually did come from the hands of his foes, he spoke true all the same.

“The nature of the tool matters only contextually. Far more important is by whom the tool is used...and how.” A certain Nameless Raven had once spoke to him after he’d first brandished his own blade of darkness.

“I am Elijah, and the young lady is Serai.” Elijah gestured to the still surprised Serai next to him. “Indeed, it’s good to meet you Belinda. I look forward to seeing how your spells will aid us in this mission.”

After his modest introduction to follow up Belinda’s it appeared their employers had arrived. Vincent had gone to meet the older couple, and Elijah followed suit. They were among those who had lost family members in the mountains, it seemed. Their son…it was no wonder they made the trek out from the town even though neither of them had an easy time walking. Elijah would have done the same.

Vincent offered reassurance that they would be successful in their mission, so Elijah simply nodded in agreement. There was no need for him to chime in on that front, but instead came the time to focus on the more objective aspects of their task.

“Does anyone have a map of the mountain path? Do we know of any specific landmarks that could be used measure our path and progress?” Neither seemed likely to Elijah, but it was the sort of question Kei would have asked in days past, so it came naturally to the sellsword.

[Abelard]

(OOC: I've been given the go ahead to post even though I'm slightly out of order.)

Abelard hung back and watched Dimino run over to the swordsman, slightly puzzled by his reaction. He clearly held this man in high regard, and if Dimino saw this man as powerful and righteous...

"Hark! A fellow hero!" Whipping the reins of his steed, the golden cavalier burst forward and came to a sudden stop a short, uncomfortably close distance away from Vincent. "Aha! Thou must be of pure heart and raw determination! I know Dimino to be a man of honour, and for him to show such hallowed respect to a stranger must lead one to the conclusion that you are none other than a righteous warrior of pure motivation!" Abelard flashed a wide grin and pointed down to the man from atop his horse. "Of course, a man with such esteem as you must be none other than the leader of this quaint party!"

"The responsibility that comes with being a leader of such noble intent comes with burdens that laden a man like the shackles of which a prisoner would wear! But thou art no longer a prisoner of thy duties, for Abelard the Mighty has graced your party!" Jumping down from his horse, he tightly grabs Vincent's hand in a firm handshake. "Perhaps you have heard of my exploits across this troubled land? I assure you, as long as I remain alongside you I shall do all in my power to make this expedition a success!" Vigorously shaking the man's hand, he eventually breaks his grip and strolls through the rest of the group, completely ignoring them. He was clearly an eccentric one, to say the least.

Appearing deranged and certainly quite mad from his fervent rant, he stops in front of the elderly couple and falls to one knee, and enthusiastically punches a fist to his own chest, forming a vow similar to Vincent's. "I aspire to be the greatest hero this land has ever known, and I pledge to thee that I shall not rest until I reach my dying breath, or your son is found."

[Vincent]

Vincent didn't know how to handle idiots very well. So all throughout Abelard's introduction and flare he just sort of grinned awkwardly. He was actually grateful that Abelard's ridiculous handshake was the way it was. It let him not worry about the issue of his grip. 'Pure of heart, determined, motivated, today's leader, shackled by your sense of responsibilities... yeah he has you down to a T. Well, maybe not PURE of heart, I've seen your thoughts about a certain mage!' Phoenix Heart teased Vincent mercilessly.

'Shut up!' he shouted back in his mind. It was less the teasing and more the fact that such an eccentric assertion could be considered accurate.

"I'm afraid I haven't heard of you, but I certainly like the confidence. Who knows, you may carry the day." Vincent smiled.

'Or get himself killed like a fool.' and there was Phoenix Heart. Vincent was grateful to be the only one that could hear the snark.

Vincent was taken aback by Belinda's sharp introduction having not been prepared for someone to be so defensive. But before he could say anything Elijah had burst into a fit of laughter. Was it at her? It did seem out of place. No, that wasn't it, he seemed to actually appreciate her declaration. "Well, I don't think I could say it better than Elijah here. I welcome you the same as any other. If your motives are pure then what does it matter how you fight?"

'Did you forget about Niel or Burt?'

'No, I could never.'

'So you know how dangerous dark magic is!'

'Be that as it may, I will not show her any ill will for it.'

'That's not what I meant...'

The moment Vincent swore to find the missing people Abelard followed suit. 'Was I that bad when I said I'd be a hero?' Vincent looked at Abelard with the pain of humiliation visible on his face.

'No, don't worry. He's worse... so much worse.'

"Oh my, thank you young man. The world could use more handsome young lads like you." The elderly lady from the couple appreciated Abelard much more than Vincent had and proceeded to pinch one of his cheeks until her husband pulled her back.

“Does anyone have a map of the mountain path? Do we know of any specific landmarks that could be used measure our path and progress?” Vincent nodded, agreeing with Elijah's question. It was great to have this group together but without the know-how through the mountains they were going in blind.

As if on cue a young woman with raven black hair and a white cloth bandana came running up to them. "Waaaaaaaiiiiiit!" She leaned onto her knees desperately trying to catch her breath. "I... Whoooo. One sec..."

"This is Eileen. We asked her to be your guide," The elderly man explained.

"Okay! Sorry I'm late! I worked with the adventurers before so I know where they planned to search. Hope to be of some help. And when we bring them back they'll have to give me that promotion!" Eileen was eager and seemed to have some grievances.

Vincent merely sighed and accepted her presence. "Right then. Good to have you on board. All of you."

"So, when do we leave?" Eileen asked looking at the group expectantly. "I could use a break."

"Sorry, but we're going right now... lead on." Vincent grinned wryly.

"Seriously?" The dejected guide trudged forward before forcing herself to perk up with her steps. "The mountains are dangerous so we'll need to be careful. There are rumors of monsters hiding out here as well, so please keep me safe. I can't fight."

Vincent gave the others another once over before urging them ahead of himself. He would watch the rear. No man left behind after all. The mountainous path was easy at first if uncomfortably uneven terrain. After the first hour of climbing the path became much steeper and the rocks looser. Vincent was growing ever more concerned for the horse, but they were following what was once an old road so, while not easy, with a good guiding hand it should make it just fine he concluded.

The first day passed with little excitement. It gave them all a chance to speak with each other but then the sun began to set. They made it to a small flat clearing where many travelers in the past had made camp. Old stones were circling a dig for a campsite. Vincent felt fine but his face was flushed from all the climbing. He tossed his bag down by one of the sitting stones. "Right then. We should camp here for the night and in the morning we should be able to reach the intended area. That said we need a watch, we don't know what could be out here. Any volunteers for first round?"

"Ugh." Eileen simply groaned.

'Guess she's out.'

'Yup.'

[Belinda]

She wasn't expecting everyone's reactions to be so different. She was used to getting leers from various people whenever she explained her talent for Dark Arts. She really shouldn't be calling it talent. Talent implied she was decent at it. And while she was accurate with her spells she was awful with her casting time. Twas the nature of the beast of Elder Magic. She was not expecting the older looking man to laugh at her face. She wasn't expecting the cavalier to ignore her entirely. Any galvanized cavalier would run their lance through a shaman. A harbinger of darkness and bride of some ancient evil thing. A person who was a stark contract to the knights whom were devout to Elimine or whatever other anti-elder magic entity that existed. The mercenary who led them seemed to have no qualms against her. And the older man eventually explained, he had no problem with her craft. Belinda was happy to at least see two other women who were coming along this journey. Not that the young shamaness didn't know how to defend herself against strange men, but having other women along put her more at ease. She felt her shoulders relax a bit. After everyone's introductions the group was introduced to their guide, a young woman who seemed to only be looking out for herself. Bel could respect that. What she couldn't respect was her naivety. Bel wanted to chime in that she was not ready for a treck up the mountain. She wanted to at least head back down to the village grab her horse and meet them back here. But, no, Vincent, the leader of this entourage determined that they would leave immediately.

Bel's Intel on the job neglected to mention the overnight portion of the trip. The wagon had some supplies that would have made this journey much more tolerable.  But, she wasn't one to quit half way through a job. She needed to get paid. She wanted to bring closure to these families. She wanted to be wrapped up in warm furs, in a little cottage somewhere, curled up by the fire, with a good book. What supplies she had on her were limited. Her tome, coin pouch, journal, ink, quill, extra quills, her white cloak, a canteen, and dried rations. All of her equipment was wrapped up in a sturdy leather bag that hung on her shoulders and dangled over her hip. She did not have a bedroll. As the team climbed up the mountain trail Bel was partially grateful for her light packing. She wasn't unfamiliar to climbing up a mountain trail. Her body was unaccustomed to it. She was used to casual walks through busy market places... Brisk walks through the various halls of the Nabatan academy... Long walks along both Nabata's and Lycia's shore lines.... Not rugged up hill walking through craggy terrain. Exercise does a body good. She repeated that line in her head as she walked. She kept her mind occupied by thinking about all of the benefits that a good hike can do to the body. She theorized that the elevated heart rate would eventually strengthen her heart's over all performance. The steady incline helped to improve the strength in her shapely legs. The clear high air would improve her circulation. These were all good things in the long run, right? No pain no gain? That was the old saying. 

When the group arrived at the eventual campsite, Bel plopped herself down upon the nearest smooth bounder that could act like a chair. She was winded but other wise okay. She did not volunteer for the watch. She knew the value of sleep and she doubted her body would even permit her to stay up more then an hour past dusk. 

[Elijah]

Ah, apparently the world needed more strapping young men like Vincent and the uh...loud one that accompanied him. Not rugged old men like himself. Elijah saw how it was.

In reality he chuckled at the old lady’s words, only to furrow his brow as their apparent guide stumbled late onto the scene. Her name was Eileen - she was tired and did not seem like the type to be capable of protecting herself. Elijah folded his arms across his chest and breathed a quiet sigh.

Just one more person to protect, in the end.

He introduced himself to Eileen with a smile, then waltzed over to Serai once he heard they would be going off on their journey right away. The girl had never gone hiking before, and never had experience setting up camp until her recent travels with Elijah. “Hope you’re ready lass, seems we’re heading out now.”

The brunette nodded and stretched her arms up in the air.

“Ready.”

---

The first day’s march was quiet. Belinda didn’t seem to have too much to say - given Elijah had already gone out of his way to match her introduction he just assumed she wasn’t quite in the mood for chatter. That was fine, just meant Elijah would opt to leave her be for the most part.

Furthermore Serai was much the same. As they followed Eileen through the steep mountain path, a trail that truly did slope at a gruesome incline, Serai simply trekked onward. Her only pause was to drink water while she took in the sight of the trees. Usually they were so tall, but as they continued up the path they seemed smaller and smaller still...a sea of green usually described grass, but from up there…

Elijah had seen sights like this before so his observations were mostly spent on Serai herself. The brunette seemed to like to take in new surroundings with silence. Given she had spent her life trapping and hunting she probably liked to listen to the sound of the wilderness...or something.

He’d never asked her before. Hm, he’d have to bring that up sometime.

Elijah didn’t constantly need conversation or noise in his environment, but he did like to get to know people he would be working with. Fighting alongside.

...People he may very well see die before day’s end.

He’d always been that way and it seemed he wasn’t going to change. As the hike went on Elijah turned his head to the loud cavalier that seemed familiar with Vincent. Not much of an opening, really, but he did want to talk to him at some point. Needless conversation was just that - needless, so Elijah didn’t try to force anything.

Once they’d arrived at a clear, flat area to settle in Elijah wiped his brow. Yep, he really wasn’t young anymore...but his body was forged of stronger stuff than some. Serai in particular seemed rather wiped but the stubborn thing did her damnedest to hide it. Belinda had been quick to sit, and even their guide seemed like she needed some rest. In reality this meant they ought to be the first on watch duty - even if their shifts were to be shorter than anyone else’s. If they were this tired a mere three-four hours of sleep was not going to do much.

As Elijah helped Serai settle what gear she’d carried into place he glanced back at Vincent. Their leader seemed to want to organize a watch already. That was fine, but there was the matter of dinner. “I’m happy to volunteer as first watch, if nobody else wants it, but hopefully you don’t plan to sleep before you fill your belly?”

This was far from Elijah’s first rodeo. After he spoke he looked at Serai, he was already blinking at him.

“Would you mind setting up a campfire, lass? I’ll finish up here in the meanwhile.” Nothing built camaraderie like lending a helping hand to someone. It would be good for Serai to lend her skills to the setting up of camp. The brunette pouted - likely more keen to stick to herself, or to him perhaps, before she nodded and moved to the center of the camp and began to prep a fire.

[Abelard]

Flashing his trademark wide grin, Abelard chuckled to himself as the elder woman fussed with his face. "Ah ha! The honour is all mine, my fair maiden." After the elderly man pulled his wife away from the cavalier (having obviously not taken to kindly to Abelard's overbearing introduction and possibly because he feared losing her to this buffoon) Abelard prepared to remount his trusty steed, Valant. However, the appearance of a young woman with raven black hair immediately peaked his knightly senses as if he were a starving hound catching the scent of blood. A delicate flower attempting to guide the party! I shall have to pledge my allegiance to her as soon as possible! Catching the glance of the elderly woman, Abelard decided that perhaps it would be best to restrain himself for now. Murmuring to himself, he places a hand under his chin. "'Tis true, to break the frail heart of one so old would simply not do." Finally atop his horse, Abelard followed the group on their trek to the campsite with a singular goal in mind; he shall pledge his undying loyalty to that fair maiden!

The first march was dreadfully boring: Abelard was a man who constantly sought thrills and danger, and yet he was simply plodding along a mountain path alongside his horse, feeling his steed pass across the jagged terrain beneath them. He looked around the group he had nearly entirely ignored earlier, and realised that there were in fact two other females that he hadn't noticed. One was a small brunette who seemed to follow that blonde man around like a lost puppy, perhaps because they were family? Abelard would have to ask later. The other was a peculiar lady whose presence the golden cavalier hadn't even noticed when he first approached the group. Dressed in black and with purple hair to accent the look, Abelard could tell there was something peculiar about the woman but couldn't quite place his concerns. Belinda was quite clearly a dark mage or shaman of some sort and needless to say, Abelard was either incredibly tolerant - as he seemed to not care in the slightest of this fact despite the dark arts not having the most noble reputation, or incredibly dimwitted - as he may not have even have made the connection yet. With Abelard, knowing whether or not he had figured something out was a complete enigma.

Noticing the dreadful silence lingering over the party that lasted until they reached the camp, Abelard made a rare mental note to create conversation with his new comrades when they next had to march. Alas, that could wait! He had a more noble mission in front of him! Jumping down from his horse, he got down on one knee in front of Eileen, punching his fist to his chest in a similar salute he had given the elderly couple earlier. "Fair maiden! I understand that you are quite knowledgeable about our quaint expedition, and yet you are as defenceless as a fledgling sparrow! I swear upon my honour as a mighty hero of the land that I shall allow no harm to come to you!" This oath made the air of the camp decidedly awkward, and had seemingly come out of nowhere despite the idea swimming in the man's mind ever since he first saw the girl.

[Vincent]

Vincent rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. In a way he felt called out by Elijah since he legitimately forgot all about his stomach in his frame of business mindedness. "Right... food," That was a thing they all needed. Vincent had packed enough with him to take care of himself and another, though without Elijah's reminder that would have meant little. "I have extra rations if anyone's supplies are lacking." Vincent made the offer openly hoping that anyone who responded was an honest soul. He silently noted the responses of the others around the camp to the fact they would need to make camp. Half were displeased and the other half were content it looked like. He was torn between admitting he didn't know it would be so far himself. Would it be better to seem an incompetent leader? Or a leader who was less caring about his men's supplies.

'Lose, lose.' Phoenix Heart practically sighed.

'I guess so, but I think it would do more to ease their minds if they thought the camp was a part of the plan.'

'Seems reasonable enough I suppose.'

Vincent proceeded to see about helping Serai by offering her one of his flints. Whether the girl took it or not the voice of Abelard soon stole his attention away.

"Oh! Oh my!" Eileen stood and stepped back from Abelard blushing. "I don't know... what to... uh... um..." The girl began to bury her face before offering a softly whispered "Thank you?" Then more strongly, "But I am just a replacement for the real explorers. I'm only going by their maps."

"Nonsense. You've gotten us this far." Vincent offered a smile before starting on a check of the camp's perimeter. It was a small area and nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary so after a short walk he returned and was ready to eat and rest.

---

Before the group went off to sleep during their meal around the fire Vincent wanted to afford everyone a chance to say their own piece of whatever they wanted and to learn more about his comrades. "So, this is going to sound a bit childish but, why don't we all introduce ourselves? Where are you guys from? Why are you here? That sort of thing." Feeling as though the others would be ill convinced he continued. "I'll start."

He stood and began. "My name is Vincent Clark and I am from a village called Anarallo back in Tania. And I'm here because I want to help people. I know, that sounds really cheesy but with the threat of monsters I want to do my part to fix this place." He proceeded to sit back down and looked at the others as if to say, who's next?