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Post by Midori on Jul 23, 2019 19:30:38 GMT -6
Bulgar. Captial City of Sacae and the largest trading hub in Eastern Elibe.
Midori and her caravan of five rolled into the big city last night. They changed out of their Eturian garb the moment they knew they were within Sacae's borders. Midori was delighted to be back in her more traditional robes. They were less constrictive then the common Eturian's dress. They were tired, weary, and ill prepared for the journey going forward. But, they were glad to see that the war's reach had not decimated the great city. The city appeared to be as lively as it ever was. The Chaklai had a sister tribe that resided permanently within the city offering aid to the wounded, and spreading the word about the Chaklai's faith. The sister tribe managed to keep a small territory within the city. They built a small shrine and have a large garden used to grow both food and medicinal herbs.
The caravan was ill prepared to move forward. Their next destination was towards the south west. Towards the mountains that connected Sacae and Bern. There nestled among one of the mountain ranges several valleys, was the Chaklai Village. Dangers lurked between here and there. Monsters, Bandits, possible pockets of Eturian Resistance.. they needed to bolster their numbers with mercenaries. But, there was a problem. The troupe did not have much to offer in terms of payment for the would be mercenaries. So they were kind of stuck. The best they could do for now was rest then wander around the city looking for work. Hopefully, they could earn enough money to pay their would be protectors in the future.
The next day after their arrival, Midori was out and about. Lady Lucy had tasked her with a simple errand, to fetch a bucket of water from the local well. She learned where the well was when they arrived. It wasn't too far away about a ten minutes walk away from the Chaklai's territory.
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Reed
Squire
"If some feller gives me a lance, I'm'ma fight tooth 'n nail for what I reckon is right."
Posts: 79
Profession: Farmhand
Affiliation: None
Guild: None
Affinity: Light
Profile: Reed
OoC Alias: Ardent
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Post by Reed on Jul 24, 2019 16:51:15 GMT -6
"Ugh... Really, girl? Another one-a them tantrums, eh? Awright, fine... Guess ya wanted to go to Bulgar that badly," Reed sighed as his horse snorted in protest. What was originally the plan to head straight to Lycia (as his father instructed him to) turned into the spoiled steed's bizarre attraction to the trading hub of Sacae. As for why? The farmhand really wasn't quite sure. Sometimes Gracie just didn't want to listen to her master's requests. One moment she would be as trusting and reliable as could be, and the next she would be the one to steer her rookie rider wherever she pleased with little resistance. Rather than punish his companion, however, the boy shook his head with a disappointed bite of his lip and dismounted to lead her through the town.
Interestingly enough, no matter how many times Reed tried to bring her to a stable so she could rest, the mighty horse pulled the Arkyan back with relative ease. Five attempts each at three different stables equals fifteen separate times that the poor boy had been yanked away. Yep, this had to be one of her moods. "Agh, damn it, girl... Fine, fine! Yer obviously draggin' me somewhere for a reason. Better be a gosh-darn good one... 'Kay then. I ain't gonna go yellin' atcha, since I love ya, so go on." With that, he let the reins go completely and gestured onward for the horse to move. Seemingly satisfied, the war horse nickered and walked onwards to what appeared to be the town well. An odd choice, but he didn't bother to question it: sometimes she was just picky for no reason.
Maybe heading to the well wasn't that bad of an option: Reed certainly appreciated the chance to wash some dirt out of his tunic and to focus once more on what he needed to do. Being a man was all about independence and doing things well: both of which he had no experience with before. Besides the Regal Halberd and the vicious beast of a mount, the boy wasn't exactly soldier material anyways. Would any group even give him the chance to help if he arrived to Lycia? These thoughts and more buzzed in his head like angry wasps as he pulled up a bucket of water and set it aside for his horse to drink to her heart's content: before he did anything, of course. Courtesy to the one pulling all the weight.
As he stood up from placing down the bucket, however, a peculiar sight caught his eye: what appeared to be a girl in somewhat familiar garb was arriving to the well. While his memory wasn't perfect, Reed recognized the robe's design and the stature of the woman almost instantly. He had met this person before! It was the girl next to the Heelcutter in the inn, right? What was her name again? Mary? Millie? Maury? No, that wasn't right...
"Oh! H-Hey, Midori! Over here: it's me, Riley!~" the squire waved with a toothy grin.
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Post by Midori on Jul 31, 2019 18:11:07 GMT -6
Midori turned her head up to look at the figure that called her name. Now there was a welcome sight. She smiled at Reed and gave him a small wave. Now that she looked at him, he sort of looked like he was the same age as the other young squire she just met. Ah how funny, that life seemed to be throwing these adorable young not kids-not yet adults at her. She approached the well and proceeded to fill her buckets. Then she set the bucket down and went to greet reed properly.
"Hello Reed. It's a pleasure to see you again." She almost wanted to give the lad a hug or rustle up his hair. But, she refrained from doing so. Reed was not her child or relative or anywhere close to her branch of the family tree. Ah, but he introduced himself as Riley a moment ago. Reed must be a nickname. Or perhaps it was the other way around.
"And it's pleasure to see Gracie again too." She remembered the horses name.
"It's been a while since, I last saw you. You both look well. And you look like you've gotten taller too. You are already up to my nose." She didn't quite remember how tall Reed was last time she saw him. But, she felt right about this.
"Are you out running errands as well?" Now, Midori did not remember where Reed was from. So she phrased her question to be as generic as possible. To avoid accidentally offending him. All that she did remember was that he was a farmhand. He had a horse. And He wielded a lance.
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Reed
Squire
"If some feller gives me a lance, I'm'ma fight tooth 'n nail for what I reckon is right."
Posts: 79
Profession: Farmhand
Affiliation: None
Guild: None
Affinity: Light
Profile: Reed
OoC Alias: Ardent
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Post by Reed on Jul 31, 2019 22:32:28 GMT -6
The green squire couldn't help but let out a small chuckle and a smirk as the priestess had mentioned his height. So he was already looking a little bit like a warrior after all! "D'aww, shucks, yer too kind to me, m'lady! Yeah, I've been gettin' some time to bulk up: gotta be able to handle Gracie over here, y'know? She's been actin' up for quite a while. Ya wanna say hi, girl?" he goaded, nudging his steed. The beast, while not moving her head from the bucket, glanced up to Midori briefly and swished her tail once before returning to the water. Not much for pleasantries as always. "Er... Awright, yeah, that's about all yer gettin' outta her today. Another lil' tantrum. I swear I spoil 'er too much..." the boy stated with a somewhat disappointed sigh.
The Chaklai woman's next question didn't exactly bide well either. While normally Reed would love to be running an errand and returning right home the next day, only to do the same thing next week again, this time would be different. Sure, he was welcomed home anytime he would have a hankering to see the farm again, but disappointing his father by doing so so soon was definitely not something he wanted to do. "Huh? O-Oh, uh... Nah, not really this time. It's a bit of a long story, but to keep it nice and short for ya, Gracie got spooked when a couple-a low-life raiders were takin' out some Arkyan farms in the area. She, uh..." the amateur began, trailing off and taking a glance at his horse apprehensively. He then made a quiet pounding motion with his right fist into his left palm, and then pointed to the horse's hooves followed by a quick finger drawn across his neck. Actions speak louder than words.
"...Yeah, that happened. Pa says I gotta leave the house with these big ol' poetic lines like 'ain't no farmboy has ever carried a lance like that' or 'Gracie ain't no stable dweller, she's born to fight' or somethin' like that. I don't think that makes a lick-a sense, but... Well, maybe I don't have to? I guess this is part of them big dreams I had 'bout becomin' a knight." Reed concluded with a reassured nod. Obviously he was upset and afraid of this new development, but he certainly did a great job of not showing it. Mere seconds later, the usual cheeky smile returned once more as if nothing had ever been spoken in the first place. "So yeah! Apparently a lotta other riders don't like Gracie when she's throwin' her lil' tantrums: somethin' about her bein' scary. So I couldn't leave her in a stable while I get stuff in town. She wanted to come here for a rest, and here I am!"
"But golly, it feels like forever 'n a day since I last saw ya! How's it been, hm? Yer the one with Ashes, right? How is she?~"
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Post by Midori on Aug 4, 2019 7:21:56 GMT -6
Midori watched and listened to Reed talk about his adventure. Or rather Gracie's adventure. So it seemed that the horse was the one who mostly dealt with the bandits and it earned Reed a new lance.
"Oh my. I never thought Gracie to have such a blood-lust. I'm relieved to know that both of you made it out of that ordeal alive." Midori took a moment to look at Reed's new lance. It did look pretty special. And she could understand why his folks would want to shoo him out of the village. A violent horse and a weird lance. If she didn't hear it from Reed himself, she would have chalked it up to a case of demon possession. Something that would inevitably require her services.. probably. Then again she knew exactly what sort of monsters an angry horse could be. Ashes had that streak in her too, although it only came out whenever Midori was in true danger.
"Ashes is well." She commented.
"I've been traveling. Our tribe's caravan has been trailing up and down Sacae trying to help those afflicted by war. Unfortunately, our efforts have been.. less than successful. We managed to get as far as Eturia before we were forced to turn back. Now we are here. Fortunately, Bulgar has managed to stay standing despite the war. And other members of our tribe has managed to make a small settlement here. That's where we are currently staying." Midori picked up the buckets of water.
"Want to come with? I could use a hand with the work. We'll give you and Gracie a free meal as thanks."
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Reed
Squire
"If some feller gives me a lance, I'm'ma fight tooth 'n nail for what I reckon is right."
Posts: 79
Profession: Farmhand
Affiliation: None
Guild: None
Affinity: Light
Profile: Reed
OoC Alias: Ardent
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Post by Reed on Aug 4, 2019 9:04:08 GMT -6
A caravan! How fortunate! Sure, it wasn't Lycia like Reed's father had ordered him to ride over to, but quite honestly, the Arkyan amateur wasn't thrilled in the first place to strut into what he believed was a hell on earth with his beginner's harness and dirty ranching gear. He was also fairly sure that no one would really understand him well in Lycia, either: the dialect and accent of his people weren't too far-fetched in Sacae, but elsewhere was a complete mystery as no member of his tribe has really left Sacae or Ilia before. Regardless, hearing about some potential opportunities helping out a caravan would probably do something to give him his first real experience as a "free lancer", pun intended! "Shucks, you kiddin'? I'd be tickled pink to lend ya a hand with that caravan business! Ain't like I got much else on my plate right now that needs a lotta urgent attention: ya got yerself a deal, ma'am!" the boy confirmed with a reassuring nod before stooping down to take away the bucket that Gracie was almost done drinking from.
Still, something about her mention of a war hung in the air like an ominous cloud. The farmboy hadn't really been taught much about what wars were currently going on, or even what the countries were in the first place. All he knew were Sacae, Ilia, Etruria... Yep, that's about it. Lycia was just a dream for him, and all he could gather from it was the name itself and that they were having a massive monster problem. From what he could gather from Midori's explanation of her situation, Etruria doesn't exactly like Sacae, or at least her tribe. "But, uh... Yeah, I ain't no bookworm or anything, so I dunno much about this 'war' yer talkin' 'bout. Lemme tell ya: I ain't got a fixin' to get myself or my girl here killed right easy, so maybe I could use a lil' rundown of what's goin' on so I don't off 'n say somethin' I'll regret to the wrong guy? T-That is, if yer willin' to humor me, 'course!" Reed pleaded, standing up with the bucket wrapped between his arms... and Gracie, following suit to still drink from the bucket. How curious, to see a normally intimidating and daunting animal of war following her young master's bucket like a baby foal.
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Post by Midori on Aug 7, 2019 18:39:20 GMT -6
"Alright then. Deal accepted. Though I've got to bring you to Lady Lucy first. You remember her. My blonde mentor. The former Ilian? She's going to be happy to see that you are still in one piece." She'll probably dote o n you in her own colorful way. The pink haired priestess mused to herself. She led the way for Reed to follow.
"You haven't heard of the war?" Midori was shocked by Reed's comment. She thought everyone at this point would have known about the war. Eturia's mass invasion of all things not Eturian. Then again, Reed was from a rural farm land. Perhaps the war hadn't reached his home turf yet. Or perhaps he's been lucky enough to avoid Eturian and Sacean scuffles all together. He did have a chance at the latter. Especially, if he was just traveling by himself. Probably slipped right under both armies noses just him being by himself. Midori took a deep breath in. She needed to remember her virtue. Patience. Calmness. WHAT HE HAS'NT HEARD BOUT THE WAR? Kiseki decided to chime in with a terrible impression of Reed's farm boy accent. This caused Midori to close her eyes as she was not prepared for the sudden comment. Or the sudden volume of the comment that rang out in her own head.This child is charming, my dear. His speech is infectious. I couldn't resist. She opened her eyes again and took another moment to prepare herself.
"Alright. I shall tell you what I know." And so, she explained. She told Reed all about the war between Eturia and Sacae. She explained how the various tribes of Sacae banded together to create one unified army. The leader of this army was Grand Khan Selibas. Eturia was on a war path. From what she understood they wanted to conquer all things that weren't Eturian. As far as she knew things were currently at a stalemate. The Chaklai haven't received a call to aid the front lines in months. So, that is what she based her assumptions on. She also went to explain what she had seen when they traveled northwards. Into Eturia. She told him she had seen the ruined villages. And several bodies of people that they were too late to save. She also told him about the monsters that roamed the borders. The same ones that they fought back in the tombs. And shared with him her quiet fears that if they had made it this far northwards then, no where is truly safe when it came to the un-dead.
"I don't know what the current status of the war is right now. Though, I do know things, have been quiet. The borders are uneasy. The caravan is looking to move away from the war borders. But, know this if you travel with us, there may be some hostility. We will take the path that leads away from the violence of course. But, bandits, monsters, and stragglers from the war are very real possibilities."
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Reed
Squire
"If some feller gives me a lance, I'm'ma fight tooth 'n nail for what I reckon is right."
Posts: 79
Profession: Farmhand
Affiliation: None
Guild: None
Affinity: Light
Profile: Reed
OoC Alias: Ardent
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Post by Reed on Aug 10, 2019 0:43:22 GMT -6
The ride along felt a sharp contrast between what he already knew and what was reality. While the mention of Midori's spell-slinging mentor was comforting, knowing that they'd at least have a powerful warrior and that everything wouldn't be left entirely up to him, her description of the war was far from settling. Compared to what he knew about Etruria, the revelation of their conquest was quite the shock initially. Apparently they weren't just some bookworms: if they had the military might to cause even Sacaean tribes (which don't all get along as well as others can) to band together and to form one army in the name of the country, that meant that Etruria meant business and wasn't something to poke a stick at. Though Reed knew none of it, the Arkyan tribal chief was invited to send over troops... However, the aging fool had organized his people in a way that made that highly improbable to even contact most settlements, not to mention gather so little as a squad. Nearby tribes often shook their head at his decision to have a much looser domain over his people, and rightfully so. The isolatory "civilization" might as well have been Ilian, what with the very popular approach of marrying foreigners and their frequent travels to the mountains north of Sacae. No troops were formally sent to the united army, mounted or not, but at the very least the families that knew more about it were more than happy to give up a good chunk of their crops for the cause.
"Geez... I ain't gonna lie to ya: got me a lil' spooked with all the talk 'bout war 'n stuff. I still ain't too sure 'bout this, 'cause it feels like just yesterday Pa was teachin' me how to hold a pitchfork," Reed confessed with a worried glance to his horse. Gracie, who appeared to be inappropriately content with the situation, began to swish her tail somewhat cheerfully. Not much comfort to find there when her attention span only heightened when there was someone to ram into. Well, at least she was there when he was in danger? "...Them monsters still ain't gonna let up, though: human or not, seems to me like there's always gonna be somethin' out there scarin' folks. Lemme tell ya somethin' right quick, Midori: I ain't no liar. If I had my druthers, I'd best just ride right on home."
The ranchhand grit his teeth and glared at the ground before giving himself a nod of reassurance and looking back up to the priestess. "B-But I ain't gonna let no piddlin' jitters talk me outta this! Dunno if I told ya this, but I'm gonna get real strong as a knight one day. If it ain't for my sake, I'll do it for Gracie, yeah 'n probably for my lil' sister Beth, too. I got too much to prove to just skedaddle. Ya need some help with that caravan stuff? Well, I'm yer man for that, I guess. Pro'lly for the best I do somethin' now than never," he confirmed, fueled with a sort of scared confidence. The clashing feelings of fear and determination felt new, but surprisingly good.
Though thinking too much about it was already a bad idea. Riley already recognized that his shiny new halberd might have some blood on it by the end of the month if he needed to use it, and constant self-reminders is a new form of torture coping with it. He needed a distraction; the weather was just a boring, obvious cop-out for a topic, and it wasn't like he knew much about recent events to bring up something. The squire glanced over to the troubadour's staff. Aha: magic! It never disappoints!
"So, ah... Ya hear me ramblin' on 'bout how Pa taught me to swing a lance. How about that there magicky stick-a yer's? 'S it somethin' that anyone can pick up 'n try, or didja learn from an expert like me?" he questioned with a curious scratch of his chin... Well, right before his steed deciding to step into a small divot in the ground forced him to hold on again.
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Post by Midori on Aug 12, 2019 9:31:55 GMT -6
"We appreciate any help we can get. Like I said, the caravan is kind of in a tight spot at the moment. We could use any extra help we can find." Midori explained. She didn't mean to frighten Reed with her talk about the war. But, the boy needed to know the truth of what was going on out in the world. And he like Eqwin seemed to have a sort of resolve to become stronger like a knight to defend his home. To defend his family. A noble goal.
"I've been training with the staff since child hood. Before Lady Lucy, I had many teachers. At home the shrine... has many monks and nuns. Priests and Priestess. I learned the basics from them. Not everyone can use healing magic.. or magic in general. It has something to do with the person's own ability to tap into the magic of the world around them. And possibly inheritance.. Every one seems to have a different interpretation as to what.. makes someone able to do magic." Midori tried her best to remember the lessons on magic. But that lesson had been so long ago.
The pair of them arrived at the Chaklai temple. This temple wasn't as grandiose as the one that was back in the home village. But, it was a start. A two floor home made predominately of wood. The main 'shrine' part was on the first floor of the home. The front end of the shrine had a large Torii. A bright red structure that was rumored to ward off evil. The whole area had a strong smell of burning incense. The 2nd floor was the living quarters for those who ran the shrine. The small property behind the shrine home was reserved for the animals.
"We are here."
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Reed
Squire
"If some feller gives me a lance, I'm'ma fight tooth 'n nail for what I reckon is right."
Posts: 79
Profession: Farmhand
Affiliation: None
Guild: None
Affinity: Light
Profile: Reed
OoC Alias: Ardent
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Post by Reed on Aug 13, 2019 16:03:34 GMT -6
"Childhood, huh? Yeah, then ain't no hope for me there, eh heh. Can't even read very well: Beth's probably gonna be able to since Ma always reads to her, but I ain't much for books anyways. While I probably don't got no magicky-potential business, I reckon Gracie's got, like, a 'sixth sense' or whatever it's called! Sorry, girl, but you ain't gonna hold no staff, though,~" Reed joked while patting his horse's neck casually. Perhaps that was why the Arkyan was fascinated with magic: typically almost no one had any affinity with it within his tribe, and those that did were often too poor or too disinterested to study it further. The most magic that this farmboy carried on him was a halberd that had some resistance against spells. Still nothing too impressive, but it helps to have something that can fight what you can't handle. "But hey: mighty impressive of ya to go 'round with somethin' that neat. Anyone can swing a blade, but it must take a lot more to use magic to fight or heal."
As they approached the shrine, Reed stared the structure up and down to soak in the atmosphere. Had he not known that they didn't leave the country, he could have sworn this wasn't the Sacae he remembered. Between the "red doohickey" in front of the building and the odd yet relaxing aroma that hung around the area, it felt so different from what he'd grown up with. Gracie, however, was not too happy about the change in scenery. A few seconds after the smell of incense reached her nose, she let out a sneeze that startled her rider and made him desperately try to steady himself lest he fall off of her back. Hopefully it would be an adjustment that comes sooner rather than later. "Gah! Okay, okay! I'm good... M-Maybe I shouldn't be ridin' ya in here, girl. Not much room: here, I'll walk with ya. They got a stable here, right Midori?" he asked, unbuckling his restraints and dismounting the horse carefully.
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Post by Midori on Aug 14, 2019 19:01:32 GMT -6
Midori giggled lightly at Reed's comment about Gracie holding a staff. The mental image was amusing. A fully armored Reed, in his current farm boy state, with Gracie, holding a gaudy gold staff in her mouth. Both ready to charge into battle. She shook her head lightly and the image faded away.
"If you travel with us, i'm sure Lucy can give you a lesson or two in books. It is a long way home." Midori commented. She replied to his comment about swords and healing.
"I have been told that before.. a lot actually. It takes more to heal then it does to destroy. And in a sense.. it is right. The Chaklai make it a policy to try and help anyone that needs it. Sometimes.. that means helping those who are.. unsavory. People sometimes do not want help. And we.. have to be nice.. and merciful to those who may wish us harm." She continued. Gracie did not like the change in scenery. Midori put the buckets down and fetched a carrot from one of her pockets.
"There you go Gracie. Just endure the smell for a bit more. I promise it's not as strong behind the temple." She held the carrot out toward the horse with an open palm. It gave Midori a moment to approach Reed. Midori turned up to give Reed some instruction.
"Yes, there's a spot in the back of the temple for the horses. I need you to do a few things before entering. First, get off Gracie. You need to bow to the temple first before I guide you in. Mimic my hand gesture." Midori pressed both her palms together and raised them towards her chest.
"Offer a prayer of thanks for the blessing you are about to receive. Or a prayer of thanks for the god's granting us this meeting. Something along those lines. Wait til I finish my bow before you finish yours. Then I'll guide you around the back. Try to make as little noise as possible as you walk. That's.. not anything to do with.. divinity. I just know there are people sleeping inside." With that instruction given, she returned to her place in between both buckets. She would begin her bow once Reed was ready.
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Reed
Squire
"If some feller gives me a lance, I'm'ma fight tooth 'n nail for what I reckon is right."
Posts: 79
Profession: Farmhand
Affiliation: None
Guild: None
Affinity: Light
Profile: Reed
OoC Alias: Ardent
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Post by Reed on Aug 16, 2019 23:46:52 GMT -6
Reed smiled as Midori offered him the opportunity to learn how to read. Though the spelling was still shaky, there had to be some irony in there, right? "The Reed who can't read". Awkward. The potential of traveling with the group of Chaklai was also tempting: not only would it be nice to get to know another tribe rather than just jumping into the first recruiting force, but this one in particular seemed to be a lot closer to familiarity than others he had known. He wasn't entirely sure if it was just them being hospitable folks, but there were quite a few similarities to be seen. "Yep... 'Course ya calm down when ya get somethin' to eat. No wonder ya haven't pushed Beth over before... he remarked with a lighthearted chuckle as the horse's eyes went wide in awe at the gift bestowed to her by the priestess. She gently reached out to grab the carrot and began chewing slowly, savoring the vegetable as if it were her last meal for a week.
The squire listened intently as Midori explained the customs of the shrine, mimicking her hand gesture by pressing his hands together and moving them close to his breastbone. The closest thing that he could compare this tradition to in his mind was giving thanks before dinner. To whom? And why only then? For that and more, he wasn't entirely sure. Some things you just did because you were told to once and you always have. He nodded in confirmation and began to bow slowly, hinting that Midori should begin without concerning him. She didn't specify anything about his prayer being quiet, and thus he chose to mumble very softly to himself as to not disturb his friend's own practice.
"So, uh... Hey. We ain't talked in a while, 'n I don't even know what to call ya... But whoever ya are, thanks for watchin' out for me, 'n for helpin' me make it this far so I can be here today. Also, that Gracie's alright, too: dunno what I'd do without 'er. I don't got a lot to ask for, but please lemme have the strength to keep goin' when I go 'n get myself into a fix. That's, uh... 'bout it? Sorry if that sounded bad, I reckon I gotta work on that, too. Thanks again."
It appears that along with being out of touch with magic and culture, spirituality was bundled into that wonderful little package of isolation. Though the attempt was genuine, the poor Arkyan wasn't very sophisticated or formal about the prayer. He exhaled softly through his nose, remaining in a bowed position as he waited for Midori to finish. At the very least, he would do his utmost to respect the customs of his hosts despite his disconnection from it.
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Post by Midori on Aug 26, 2019 15:19:39 GMT -6
Midori stood in front of the temple. She bowed to the statue of the deity inside. An artists rendition of the first saint. A man who was supposedly followed Hannon during the age of Heroes. After the war, he found enlightenment or a path to heaven, after intense meditation. His statue was adorned with lotus blossoms, symbol of the Chaklai. Scattered about the base of the statue were stones. Each stone was carved with the name of the ancestors. Monks and Nuns who came before. And a few small relics of bronze. After the bow, Midori stood up straight. She kept the palms of her hands together and silently prayed to the gods. She was about half way through her prayer when she heard Reed's prayer. You.. forgot to mention to him prayers were supposed to be silent. Kiseki chimed in.
You mean that isn't a universal rule. She opened her eyes and stared at the statue for a moment. She heard Reed's entire prayer. It was so wholesome. And reflective. Can we keep him? Kiseki asked. Midori closed her eyes quickly. She resumed her prayer and finished. She turned around and returned her attention to Reed and Gracie.
"That was a nice prayer. But, next time, uhm.. do it in silence." She gave him an affectionate pat on the shoulder.
"Just give me a quick moment to put the buckets away." The priestess retrieved her two buckets. She went out towards the back end of the temple. She put the buckets away where they were supposed to go. Then returned to Reed. She guided the young lad and horse out towards the back. To the stables were the horses were. Ashes and Cinammon were safely within the confines of the stables. They stuck their heads out to see the new horse Gracie. There was an empty stall next to Cinammon's stall.
"You can put Gracie in the empty stall. I'll give you some spare oats and water to fill the feed buckets. Then we'll have you see Ladu Lucy. And figure out what needs doing."
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Reed
Squire
"If some feller gives me a lance, I'm'ma fight tooth 'n nail for what I reckon is right."
Posts: 79
Profession: Farmhand
Affiliation: None
Guild: None
Affinity: Light
Profile: Reed
OoC Alias: Ardent
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Post by Reed on Aug 26, 2019 17:51:30 GMT -6
"Huh? O-Oh, uh... Gee, thanks! I, uh... Yeah, gotcha. Sorry, ain't ever done anythin' like that other'n when Ma makes us do it. My bad: I'll zip it next time, promise," the rider apologized with a self-conscious chuckle. He blushed redder than a tomato, for while he knew and accepted that he sounded sappy saying it, it wouldn't do to feed the fact he had such a sheltered life so much that it never changes. Gracie, once again, seemed disinterested as her young master led her further into the temple. As far as she was concerned, anywhere that didn't smell like one giant incense candle was fine compared to her current state.
From the minute that Reed had led his horse into the stable, he worked efficiently and with a great attention to detail. It didn't take more than a minute or two from removing her saddle to filling the feed buckets, even though he paused momentarily to make sure that he was using the right places for each. While he was a questionable battle buddy, Gracie sure didn't mind working with him as he had set her room in the stable up. She gave Ashes and Cinnamon a passing glance, and nothing more. "Just a lil' more, aaaaand... Done! Awright, girl, you'll be stayin' here for a bit. Be nice, 'n I don't wanna hear 'bout you causin' any trouble 'round this here temple. Make friends!" the Arkyan doted as he rubbed the muzzle of his steed. While an interesting interaction nonetheless, it could be comparable to that of a parent dropping a child off with a caretaker. Reed exited the stall and brushed his hands upon his rough work pants before turning back to Midori with a nod. "Lady Lucy, eh? She's that woman with the spells, right? Saved my life once, so I reckon I oughtta pay 'er back. Let's go!~"
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Post by Midori on Sept 3, 2019 19:20:34 GMT -6
"And you two. Be nice to Gracie. Please." Midori spoke to Ashes and Cinnamon. She used both her hands to rub their muzzles.
"Gossip in horse. I'm sure you both have a lot to catch up on." She spoke to them like a parent would a child. Then she led Reed out towards the back entrance of the small temple. She knocked on the door gently. The person on the opposite end opened the door and took a look at both of them. Midori bowed lightly at the figure.
"Ah there you are Midori." It was Lady Lucy. She glanced back at Reed who was behind her.
"And you've brought a guest. Boy, I haven't seen your face in a while. Come on in." The older woman motioned them both inside. The back end of the temple was small. But it had a table with a few chairs and crates that can also act as chairs. Lady Lucy was in a more casual attire. But, her light armor hung on a hook behind her. The metal bits were all shiny. Freshly cleaned. Lucy herself took a seat on one of the crates. She was busy mending the holes in their caravan's clothes. Midori took a seat next to her. Lady Lucy instinctively gave the pink haired maiden the needle, thread, and cloth she was working on. Midori sighed softly and started to work on the freshly given holes.
"I know you dislike it, but the sewing will help with your stitch work." Lady Lucy commented. Midori was at least grateful the clothes were laundered and dried before they were to be mended. Midori was so used to just healing gashes with her staff. Sometimes she forgot she needed to remember how to heal with out the use of magic.
"So, Reed. What brings you by?" Of Course Lucy remembered his name. There were few things in life the old woman ever forgot.
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