Fire Emblem On The Forums: Ashes (IC)

[Zetaark]

"That's fine by me," Ecquis replies, stepping out of the tent and stretching a bit.

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

Meredith got up around 4, like always. She was a bit of an early riser. It was fine really as she could get in some practice while the others were still sleeping. She was particularly focused today. She was mad at herself for letting Dash get hurt as she had. She said she'd protect him, and while she kept him from dying, she didn't keep him from harm. It's why she didn't promise. She knew she'd fail to uphold it. She always did. She grasped her lance, surely her knuckles had turned white under the gauntlets. She beat against the tree full force. The haft of the spear she was holding groaned miserably as she didn't let it have any rest. It was probably vaguely noticeable from camp, a soft echo in the distance. A ringing of metal against wood. It probably sounded ethereal... eerie. Unsettling more than anything else.

She yelled, striking harder and harder at the oak. She made deeper and deeper wounds into the side of the tree, thoroughly damaging the bark on the outside. She even pierced it's flesh releasing small amounts of sticky sap. It flew in the pale morning sun, catching the reflections and faintly glimmering as it flew from the stoic oak. She just kept wailing at the tree, putting all of her might into every swing that she could muster. Swinging faster and faster... releasing something she hardly knew was still lingering within her. And with the last swing, the spear broke in twain. it snapped like dry bone the haft no loner able to keep up with the abuse Meredith put it through. But... it had soldiered on long enough to do soemthing she never thought she would. The stoic oak made one last pitiful groan. It was the first time it even spoke or showed a sign that it felt any of that. But... suddenly it started to tumble backwards... she felled it. 

The tree tumbled downwards it's emerald top falling swiftly from the heavens despite it's size. It landed with a crash like a giant's footstep, caused the ground to quake ever so slightly. A great cacophonous crash, almost as if it were thunder, was the response. A mist of dew rose from the leaves as it was released from the crash. Meredith just sat down, tiried from whatever that display was. She just looked at the sky, not really sure what to do with herself.

[Stalkerkain]

"Come visit a blacksmith with me. I need to have my sword looked at, and while we're there," she said, pointing to Radburn's sword, "can see if we can get you fitted with a weapon."

She didn't know how Radburn could be so awake. She, on the other hand, was definitely not a morning person. They walked towards the cart, planning on waiting for the rest of their party there. Rosalvya started climbing into the cart and halfway through, decided that it was too much effort, and rolled the rest of the way into the cart.

 

"Why exactly don't you have a proper sword?"

[Sutoratosu]

Following the rider outside, Maya near immediately started off towards the tent she'd had Dash put in, on the farther side of the camp. Normally most wounded would be kept as close to the healer as possible, but well... such measures were really unnecessary, when one had access to an actual Staff instead of just vulneraries or mundane healing supplies. A few faint echoes sounded in the distance, but as she moved away from their source they faded into nothingness, just as any thought to them in her mind as she pulled the tent flap back and poked her head in.

"Dash, are you awake?" She called in softly. From his exhaustion yesterday though, she didn't really expect him to, at least not fully... "We're heading to the city in bit, I thought you might want to come. How are you feeling, by the way?"

 

 

[Pyon Pyon Kyuu!~]

"I do not need another sword! This wooden blade has defeated many foes and will slay dragons! Ha ha!" Radburn unsheathed his weapon, and pointed it at the sky boasting proudly. But as Rosalyva's next question rolled out he sheathed the weapon and seemed to calm down. He sat on the cart and said in a calm voice; not the heroic boastful Radburn voice. "This sword was a gift from my little brother. It's important to me, and it's a symbol of my dream. It reminds me of people I love, and what I strive for. It might be just a wooden sword to you but to me." A grin spread across his face. "To me, this sword is sharp enough to cut a dragon in half."

 

Dash looked drowsy, getting up slowly and yawning. But at the first mention of the city, his eyes lit up. "The city!? Yes I want to go to the city! I've never been outside of Laguna Port!" He got up as fast as he could, and being Dash it was pretty fast. However, the straining movements of lifting himself off the ground put a hurt on his recently healed muscles. "Ow ow ow ow... I swear I'm okay just please let me come! I'll behave Miss Maya!"

[Sutoratosu]

Maya couldn't help but stifle a giggle at the boy's eagerness "Alright, alright Dash. Don't worry, Just... try not to overexert yourself too much; I don't think your body's quite used to being healed on a regular basis like the others. Just take it slow for now, give it some time to catch up." even as she spoke those very words though, she felt the tinge of regret creep in at the fact that a mere child like dash would be wounded oft enough to even warrant getting used to it at all.

     "And honestly, you aren't the one I'm worried about misbehaving. Hopefully there won't be anymore trouble from anyone for a while..." that same, infuriating flash of the merchant spattered in blood and fragments of bone flying as the soldier's skull collapsed like an egg crept into her memory. Hopefully whatever Saffron had said to the woman last night really would serve to keep her temper in check from now on...

[Stalkerkain]

47 minutes ago, Pyon Pyon Kyuu!~ said:

"This sword was a gift from my little brother. It's important to me, and it's a symbol of my dream. It reminds me of people I love, and what I strive for."

 

 

 

"Hmm..." she mused to herself. The shift in his tone almost made her regret suggesting a new weapon. The sun was just peeking above the horizon, rays of sunlight illuminating the still asleep landscape. The sun rested over Rosalvya's hair, making it appear as if it were shimmering. She rolled onto her back so that she could bask in the sun's warmth. She treasured times like these; it was almost enough to forget that one was fighting a war. She raised her own sword in the air, as she murmured quietly to herself. "Then you and I aren't that different from one another, huh."

 

47 minutes ago, Pyon Pyon Kyuu!~ said:

"It might be just a wooden sword to you but to me." A grin spread across his face. "To me, this sword is sharp enough to cut a dragon in half."

 

"Oh?" she said lazily. She rolled onto her side to face Radburn, and smiled. "Then I can't wait to see the day."

 

"In the meantime, would you indulge me in some morning sword-practice?" she said, as she leapt to her feet and hopped off the wagon. She didn't think she could fall back asleep anyhow.

Edited March 2, 2017 by Stalkerkain

[Marcello]

4 hours ago, Bfroger6 said:

"Good morning sleepyface~I hurt my big toe on your hard-rock muscles right now~" Klaren was back up at his feet even before Terrin. He looked around and then back at the mage. "Yeah I slept swell~y'know, like super well-swell~!" He then removed his headband and zipped his shirt back up.

 

"I think I'm ready for the trip~ I can't wait, hehe!"

 

"Well, I'm sure your toe will feel better in no time." Terrin yawned as he stood up and began to put on his  robes. "I slept pretty good too, excited to head to the city, for sure." He smiled as he watched the monk excitedly bound about the place, ready to go.

[Code: PIRULUK]

Serene blinked awake to the sound of trees falling in her vicinity.

 

Yawning, she stretched out her nude body, working out the kinks that came along with sleeping amidst the branches of trees. Playfully, she conjured up a lick of flame between her fingers, prodding it and molding it until it took the form of a bird. Then the bird took off into the sky, flying into the distance. Watching it go for several moments, she then turned her attention to the noise.

 

She spotted Meredith, seated on the ground, a fallen tree next to her. Serene raised an eyebrow at the sight of the shattered lance. She sighed. Something about the armored woman drew her. Perhaps it was her hidden pain - much like Serene's own. Perhaps it was her strength of spirit. Serene changed her seating position to be across rather than along her current perch. Then she leaned backward and allowed herself to fall off her branch, catching hold of another on her way down, repeating this process until she landed on the ground without a sound. She quietly made her way around, outside of Meredith's field of vision, using the forest for cover. Then, once she was in Meredith's blind spot, she quietly crept forward, concealing her presence and her approach. Thankfully, she had left her armor behind another tree prior to falling asleep, along with the remainder of her clothing. She made no sound as she moved - only someone who was actively trying to locate her would have noticed her approach. Finally, when she was reasonably close, she spoke up.

 

"I'm fairly certain that axes are better than spears - for cutting lumber, at least."

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

Meredith sat there for what seemed like an eternity. In reality it was probably but a few silent moments. However, silence was where the demons lived. The whispering voices, the echoes of the past. In silence lingered the time to think, to reflect... to dread. To think about how you failed. To think about how broken you really were. How you were a liar. How you weren't cut out for this... how fate was cruel. How it's gnarled boney fingers tugged at your heart... toying with it as it laughed at your misery. How it turned the only dream you had into a twisted nightmare. How you didn't deserve to be here. That your life was not but a cruel showing of the hand of fate. It held all the cards. It was her fault that ugly gnarled beast burned their whole hand. They discarded it into the wind. As if the lives it was playing with were meaningless. Though... perhaps they were now as fate's plan had come to close. It made her what she was. Their parts in the narrative of the world was over now... as their blood stained her hands... her soul. She couldn't stop staring at it. It was... dried there, old. She tore at her fingers, trying to peel at the flakes, but as she did there was only more dried blood beneath. She didn't know what to do.

 

2 hours ago, Code: PIRULUK said:

"I'm fairly certain that axes are better than spears - for cutting lumber, at least."

She visibly jumped. Shaken from what she was feeling. The voice had shocked her out of it, rather violently. It wrested her from the dark corners of her mind, but she was still disoriented. She tried to make sense of it, catch her bearing. It took a moment. She didn't recognize the voice at first... it having startled her awake. But, given the moment to parse what was really happening, she knew it to be Serene's. For whatever reason this thought comforted her. Had it been anyone else... she... she didn't know aht she'd do. It probably not have been good though. It was.. she could feel how it would've went. She exhaled, pushing the feelings welling in her gut out of her body. She still felt as if she would vomit at any moment, as the vitriol... the noxious fumes sat in her gut. She instinctively put her hand over her gut... right over the where the burn would've been. She couldn't feel it through the metal of her armour. That was probably a good thing.

 

It took her longer to answer than one probably would think, so long that if she hadn't start to speak when she did... someone might say their name to catch their attention. It was right in that moment she found her voice again. "Hey Firecracker..." she said... in a groggy lethargic voice, as if she wasn't all there yet even still. She looked back at her, not really noticing or caring that she wasn't clothed. There where just too many other things on her mind. Too much other information to be parsed and sorted through that it didn't register at all. The only thing that did was that she was now there. It helped to some degree. She felt something rise to the surface at the realization she was really there... but she didn't know what it was. It had some name she'd probably forgotten, or perhaps she wasn't in the state of mind to recall. It felt almost foreign to her, this feeling. Like she'd never felt it before in her all of her life. But, she knew that wasn't true. Despite it's otherworldly feel... it felt familiar. She couldn't stop picturing the lake she had always been fond of as a child. How the water felt on her skin... she felt the feeling intensely enough... she touched her face with her hand that was free. The one that wasn't resting on her stomach, above the horrid mark she bore. She felt the cold of the metal and it reminded her she was still there, sitting in a field, having felled a tree with a lance. She barely remembered doing it... she hadn't intended to... She wasn't sure how she got here anymore. Whatever had come over her had passed for now. She closed her eyes as she let her body just fall to the ground... she hadn't passed out, merely she was just too tired to hold herself upright anymore.

"Perhaps... but I never do things the easy way..."

[Pyon Pyon Kyuu!~]

"That!" Radburn pointed at Rosalyva with renewed vigor. "That is a swordmaster's way! Let's warm up before we depart!" Radburn laughed as he took a few steps back and unsheathed his wooden blade, holding it in front of him with both hands, and smiling as if he was having the time of his life.

 

---

"I'll take care of myself. I want to get well as fast as possible so I can help everyone again." Dash answered. "I wonder what Hearthlight is like. I want to see castles and temples and city stuff!"

 

 

[Bfroger6]

"I'd be more worried about that little cut I made under your armpit when I hit it with my toe~infections are a real problem nowadays!" Klaren smiles widely and picks his tomes up, strapping them onto his belt, one at both of his sides. "I'll need money too~" He adds as he kneels down and picks a pouch up. 

 

Right now, his outfit consisted of a shirt and a pair of monk-y harem pants of the same color. "Let's go to the cart, Teri! Let'sgogogogogogo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

[Chevaleresse]

Hoshiko woke up looking, well, like death. If waking up was an accurate term for what she did, anyway. She'd elected to share a tent with Luka at some point before everyone had settled in; she'd have rather slept in the woods, but with the potential of someone pursuing it was probably better to be closer to the rest of the group, regardless of how uncomfortable it made her. Unfortunately, this discomfort had prevented her from really sleeping. She didn't quite know why it was so difficult; she didn't have any reason to fear being accosted in her sleep, as the worst thing that'd ever happened to her while she was unconscious was falling out of a tree and she more or less trusted everyone here. The archer groaned, and sat up slowly.

[InnocentSerenity]

Luka woke up from his rather peaceful sleep with an annoyed expression on his face. He’d have appreciated sleeping in while everyone else handled whatever danger was happening that caused a tree to fall, but today just wasn’t going to be that day. The dancer groaned as he sat himself up, reaching for his clothes folded beside him on the ground.

The boy looked to the other side of the tent, finding the pink-haired girl getting up just like him. “I hope you realize it’s a bit too hot for your scarf.” Facing away from the girl, he slid his bed shirt off over his head, putting on his outdoor clothes from where he was seated. “I need this thing to help with dancing, so what’s gonna be your excuse?” Luka had a sarcastic smile on his face as he spoke. He didn’t exactly have enough patience in the morning to at least act a bit nicer.

“What’s up with you, anyway?” The dancer unfolded his scarf, looking over his shoulder at the girl. “Me groaning is a bit normal when no one’s around." Sometimes at you, too. "You, on the other hand, are usually a bit more chipper.”

[Pyon Pyon Kyuu!~]

Only slightly cloudy, the day was perfect for a walk. As the sun began to cross the sky, so did the travelers. Setting out on their little excursion, with yawns and complains about it being too early. Anna and Ian seemed absolutely fine, the only two who regularly woke up at the peak of dawn. Trees slowly began to disappear as they left the forrest. Instead they were replaced with tree stumps or tree saplings. At some point the party crossed two woodcutters, cutting down a massive oak. Eventually trees disappeared completely into plains. Instead of a clear path in the forrest, there was now a stone path. And in the distance, the party could see walls, and peaking far in the distance a large stone tower reaching high into the clouds. 

"That's the home of the Flamewakers. Feri told me that the top floors are all for the noble family, and the lower flowers are the university. I think he even taught there once." 

 

But being able to see the city in the distance didn't make it come any faster. The party still took a few more hours, and the sun was in the middle of the sky, perfectly above their heads when they arrived. Up close, the walls of the city seemed much less impressive. They were newly built, seemingly built with old stone wreckage of whatever was there before. The guard let the party pass without incident. Saffron glared daggers at Anna during the whole ordeal, and Anna seemed stiff and scared as if a dragon was threatening her. Passing the city gate revealed the wonders of the city; Houses upon houses, neatly arranged. Wherever each member of the party came from, Hearthlight was unique to any other sight they would have seen before. The roads were spacious, and every house looked the same. Two story houses built from dark stone, with room in between them to go towards the back or to other parallel roads. The city was a bit smokey, as several furnaces burned on different parts of the city many times on the second floor of one of these houses. The city was buzzing with activity, even in the clearly residential area from where the party entered. They reached a fountain with a statue of a large man. Long beards he had, and from his open mouth sprayed water going down his robes. His face was stern and he held a sword up to the sky. The sword was ablaze, covered in some oil that kept it alight through rain or cold. 

 

"Ian and I are going this way towards the merchant's guild." She said, pointing westwards. "To the East there should be the main market place and North will lead to the main road, and then to the college." 

 

"That's where Keagan and I are heading. Feri asked us to speak to an old friend of his about some matters. And speaking of which." Saffron changed her tone, trying to sound more imperative rather than her usual princess-sounding voice. "I want no trouble from any of you. We've had more than our handful from certain people." The hairs all over Anna's body stood up straight as she shivered. "And also we are outlaws. Flamewaker is neutral to our cause, and won't go out of their way towards delivering us to the king. However they won't hide us from him either. Not to mention we can never know who is hiding in the city; there may be many of Roswell's supporters hiding behind stalls. So today we are simply mercenaries, no talk of revolution or thrones. If you run into trouble do not fight; run towards the college. If we'll find any allies in this city, it will be Feri's old friends." She exhaled letting air out of her lungs, and putting on a smile. "With that said, I hope you all have fun. We've earned ourselves a nice rest. And if anyone would like to come along you are free to join us." 

[Bfroger6]

"Wuheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee~" Klaren spread his arms wide. The sight of the city excited him and imagining all the things he could see and do only invigorated him further. He turned to the rest of the group, standing before them all.

 

"I'm on my way to the market! If anyone wants to join me, now's the time~"

[InnocentSerenity]

A cough could be heard from Luka, the smokey air bothering him as he followed his allies. “Must be some hardy folk, if they can live with all this smoke.” Or complete dunces. Luka raised up his scarf, covering his mouth to hopefully help.

Luka turned his head, listening to Saffron’s words. You really expect me to pick a fight with someone without a weapon? Then again, I probably would. “I won’t get into any trouble, Saffron. No worries.” Finding nothing for himself to do with the others, Luka walked towards the city’s fountain, his eyes staring at the blade in the hand of the statue.

“I wonder what it’s made of.” Luka spoke aloud, not knowing if any of his allies had decided to follow him. Luka sat himself down beside the fountain, the sword taking his attention.

[Bfroger6]

"Probably some magic thingie~ But that's not important, LOOOOU!!!! Have you not heard I'm going to the market! Yaaaaaaay, market!!! So who wants to come with me!?"

 

Klaren turned to the other expectantly.

[Pyon Pyon Kyuu!~]

A woman standing near the fountain approaches Luka, with a bright smile. She wore gray robes with orange highlights. On the center of her robes a symbol with a a flaming sword hung pinning the robes together. "The statue itself is made of marble, but the sword is kept a lit by a simple trick of machinery. Using complex architecture the sword has tiny little holes. From these holes secretes a special type of oil called Sergius Oil. The oil was named after the same person who discovered the oil, and who this statue depicts Sergius the Flamewaker." The woman pauses as she looks up at the statue with pride. "Sergius the Flamewaker earned a noble title defending the city of Hearthlight from house Nohr in an ancient civil war. Sergius was a follower of the Goddess, and told house Nohr that if they attempted to attack the city the Goddess herself would burn them alive. Soldiers of house Nohr refused to listen and sure enough when they attempted to take the city a ring of fire surrounded the walls and burned house Nohr away. Today we know that it wasn't actually the Goddess who gave Sergius this gift, but in fact his ingenuity. He simply told his men to cover the grass outside of the city in a special oil he found while traveling in Caelum. This oil burns easily and at very high temperatures while lasting for a long time. Sergius lit the flames with fire magic and won the battle with his wits alone. He went on to found the College of Hearthlight and is the ancestor of Flamewaker line. Quite an amazing man wasn't he?"

[Chevaleresse]

Hoshiko's mouth twisted a bit. A tough request, but fair, she supposed. It would be difficult to suppress her overwhelmingly heroic presence, and it grated to not be able to proclaim the glory of the Goddess from on high as she was wont to do, but there was a very real risk of endangering those around her. She sighed. This is why heroes were supposed to work alone; that was, the forces of evil would only be focused on them, and not the ones supporting them. 

 

She had drifted about for a bit, happening to linger near the statue; echoes of heroism had attracted her, mayhaps. "Indeed he was! Though, he may have been divinely inspired to discover this great innovation. Regardless, though, truly a great hero."

[InnocentSerenity]

“Well, he must’ve been a great tactician.” Luka nodded his head, a small smile on his face. As much as he’d wouldn’t want to say it out loud, he was admittedly impressed by Sergius’ planning. “I imagine in times like this, people would’ve appreciated a man like him serving their country.” Would certainly make our jobs easier.

Luka noticed the symbol on the woman’s robes. A flaming sword similar to the one on the statue. “I don’t suppose you’re a fan of his?” Luka's remark was only half-serious as he pointed to her robes. “Or maybe you really like swords. You and my mother would get along well.” Maybe someone could teach me them, too.

Edited March 7, 2017 by InnocentSerenity

[Pyon Pyon Kyuu!~]

"You could say I am a fan of the whole lineage. My name is Yasmin, I study at the College, this badge." She holds it up without unpinning her robes apart. "Is a symbol of my enrollment there as well as the symbol of the house Flamewaker The last few years I've taken to studying history, and no family is more fascinating on the face of Ignis than the Flamewakers. I guess I am a little biased since I have lived in this city all my life." Yasmin laughs off her remark. "I work as a tour guide during the summer, and to apply my studies. After all, what better way to remember everything than to teach it."

[InnocentSerenity]

Well, guess now’s as good a time as any to learn about the world like the other performers said. Not my fault I liked staying near home where I knew everyone. “Well, I don’t suppose there’s a tour you’re offering soon?" Luka put on one of his more genuine smiles as he spoke. "My name's Luka. It's my first time here, as you can tell."

 

Luka looked over his shoulders, seeing the girl in twintails right behind him. The boy backed up, standing next to Hoshiko, as opposed to in front of her, pointing an opened hand towards her. “Might be my friend’s first time here, as well. I'm sure she wouldn't be opposed to coming with.”

Luka's eyes glanced in Hoshiko's direction. I doubt you have anything better to do, anyway.

[Pyon Pyon Kyuu!~]

"I'd be thrilled to show you around! Now a days people do not take the time to appreciate the history and the sights behind a city. Hearthlight has several ancient workshops, castles and churches to explore. The tour is free of charge to encourage  you to buy locally from any of the shops we pass by. How many will be joining the tour?"

[Marcello]

"If you two don't mind, I'd love to tag along and see the college. Perhaps I could learn a thing or two. Anyway, I recall my own magic teacher mentioning the occasional visit to the place, I'd be remiss to not take a look myself." The thunder mage remarked to Saffron and Keagan, clearly quite eager to see such a place, before looking over at Klaren. "Perhaps I'll find you in the market, later?"