Fire Emblem on the Forums: Sea of Crossroads [IC]

[Zetaark]

"Heh, thanks. Nobody's really put it in those terms. I suppose I am doing what needs to be done in my own way," Madante nods to himself before thinking about Myrdwyn's question. "Honestly? I'm not really sure. I wasn't like my little brother who just fell in love with shipbuilding. I never latched onto any particular field of work, though I did mess around with a few things. Blacksmithing, gardening, carpentry, I tried all of them out at some point or other. I also was a sort of local handyman at times, but that was mostly for just menial requests and the like. Out of curiosity though, which of those jobs do you think I'd be best suited at? And be honest," Madante requests, seeking an outside opinion.

[Anstane]

 

Darius turned his head to Idei after he stepped close to him.

 

"Peace? Heh...at times I do wish for peace. I haven't truly experienced that in a long time...not since I was abandoned by my old mentor..." he sighed out, reminiscing on his past, watching the ocean waves.

[Chevaleresse]

"Dunno, honestly. I never really had any trouble figurin' out what I wanted to do with my life. If I had to pick one, though, I guess it'd be smithin'? That's kinda like fightin', right? You gotta balance out all this stuff but still make sure you're hitting the metal right, that kinda thing. Honestly I don't know that much about it, though I wouldn't mind learnin'."

[Swordstar]

Selia gently touched the tattoo of an eye on her forehead and closed her other eye. The cards began to glow brighter, flashed brightly, and then went dark. Opening her eye, she reached out and flipped the first card and raised an eyebrow in surprise.

 

"The World. A rare card. Your past is firm. You have no doubts about where you've been but you have moved on from there for a reason. The past was good, a solid foundation. But now you are moving on to something new that can build off of that foundation and become greater."

 

"Your second card is Judgement. There is some decision you cannot make because of how large it seems to you. Others may dismiss it, but you know the finality of making such a decision. Remember, only you can make this decision but it is entirely up to you. Your choice will influence many things in your life and possibly others. So be wary."

 

"Your final card is The Lovers. A fanciful card. Perhaps not tomorrow or next week, but some day you will meet someone. Take the time you have to prepare. A relationship is only as strong as its weakest part. You must know what you want and what kind of person you are looking for. Without these things, even The Lovers cannot save you from yourself."

[Pyon Pyon Kyuu!~]

Emilee closed her eyes are the last card came up. She had said all those nice sounding things before, but she truly didn't wish for a bad future. She hoped that everything was okay, and that she was on the right path. When she opened her eyes and confirmed it, she smiled and beamed with joy. "So this means I am going to meet a Prince after all! Yes!" She smiled wide and placed her hands close to her chest. "I wonder how he'll look like, I bet he's strong and super handsome. I'm sure he's the kindest most gentle man ever, and takes care of those in need." She daydreamed. "What is his name? Can the cards tell me that? What about his hobbies? Can he ride a pegasus?" 

[Zetaark]

"Hmm, I never really considered it quite like fighting. I've always found the process to involve a more intense focus. Maybe it's just me though. As for learning, I'm not exactly an expert, and I certainly don't know when I'd get a chance to show you, but I could try and teach you someday if you'd like. How does that sound?" he asks in an easygoing voice.

[rokubiraijuu]

Surprised to hear the other man say so much, Idei glances sidelong at him, taking a moment to study his face. "I am . . . sorry to hear that," he replies, looking down at the floorboards and then up back out to sea. 

 

"I had a beloved mentor that I lost too. I can imagine how it feels."

[Anstane]

 

"Guess you were abandoned too, huh? I guess he left me because...I might have been a tad too extreme in my actions and why I was learning magic in the first place..." Darius sighed out, closing his eyes for a moment and shaking his head.

[Chevaleresse]

"Sure. Suppose it'd be nice to hit something that wasn't people for once. Metal complains a lot less, usually. Probably won't have time for it any time soon though, really."

[rokubiraijuu]

Momentarily, Idei considers correcting the mage, but he soon continues and the opportunity is lost. Abandoned? If anything, it is he who has abandoned him, all of them. His chest tightens briefly, but he returns his attention back to Darius, both eager to think of something else and also interested in what he'd said.

 

" . . . Would you wish to share that reason?" he asks calmly. "Magic is still strange to me. In my tribe, it is a practiced secret only the diviners can know."

[Anstane]

 

Darius sighed out, quietly.

 

"It was to get back at a world that would hurt and otherwise cause me trouble...ever since youth, I'd get bullied and abused, even beaten for the mark on my face and my figure...by kids in my youth and then shunned and attacked after I escaped an abusive orphanage...back then, all I knew was pain and it was what I wanted to inflict back to those that hurt me..."

[rokubiraijuu]

Quietly, he listens to the other, to the resignation in his voice. Sympathy roosts heavily in his chest and he barely moves for respect for the other's past situation. What a life to live. He can't imagine something like that happening in his tribe, but then there had only been so many people. Perhaps it isn't so much that it never happened as it was that those it happened to were simply no longer part of the tribe.

 

" . . . I am sorry," he finally replies. "I admit I have never experienced such things." His life had been happy, relatively ordinary. A boy raised like every other Nayavu boy. "Only since I left the sands have I seen how different lives can be." He pauses, then looks at Darius again. "Do you still want revenge on those people?"

[Anstane]

 

Darius thought about it for a bit before releasing a large sigh.

 

"At this point? I don't even know. Part of me wants to keep it up, inflict pain unto those that did so to me and to those that would inflict it to others. And yet...I don't think I want to do it like this...I don't want to lose myself to the elder spirits. I've been given a chance to see that I can have a future...I am at a crossroads right now, so to say..."

[Sutoratosu]

Giving her regards to Karik, Cadence had wandered off not long after Belros got his appraisal. There was no real destination, nor any task in mind. She simply stared out over the open waters, too many thoughts swirling about to sort them out. It was only then however, that she heard them chattering as always- something about... fire? Fire...? 

 

She didn't smell anything burning, didn't see any smoke. What could they be-

"Oh...crap..." There, not but a few meters away, a certain mage had her head buried in a book. She knew exactly what fire those cheeky little bastards were talking about now, and as her face flushed they chatter turned into laughter. All she could do was look back at the ocean, try to ignore it...

 

Actually, no.

 

No, fuck them and what they had pulled on those docks back then. Should've never started talking to the treacherous wanks again. Listening to their mockery drive on, Cadence took a breath, steeled herself, and began calmly walking over. Where there had once been laughter in her ears, it was soon replaced by confused murmurs. What was she doing? What was she thinking? She had to admit, a large part of herself was asking those very same questions. But apparently there was a plan somewhere,

"Sorry to bother you," She began, "I... don't think we properly met before,Granted that was mostly my fault... I'm Cadence, by the way."

 

Silence. For once, the fickle, mischievous buggers were utterly silent. And it was golden.

[Zetaark]

Closing her book to look upwards at the voice, Helena gives Cadence an inquisitive look before speaking.

 

"Helena is my name. And yes, our first meeting did...go up in flames, so to speak," she replies, holding back a small chuckle. "So, is there anything you need from me, or did you just want to talk?" she asks in a more neutral tone.

[Sutoratosu]

"I uh... just wanted to talk, actually...." About...what? She didn't know, really, had half expected to be laughed out. Not even two minutes in, and she was already a good three steps further than she'd planned for. At least she hadn't berated her as some two-bit wannabe mage; unlike the fire on that poor dockhands roof, the damage seemed to have been temporary. After what felt like an eternity (though in truth was barely a few seconds at most) she noticed the volume, 

"What were you reading just now, if you don't mind me asking? It doesn't look like any tome..."

[Zetaark]

"This? Just some research papers on magic I brought with me on my travels. I'm reading over them again to see how they compare with actual usage," she pauses before speaking again. "I've been meaning to ask this for some time now, but are you actually a student of magic? I've admittedly not seen much in the way of your combat style until recently, but it seems you're more trained with swords than anything else. Yet, I can sense quite a bit of magical potential from you. Is it personal preference, you trying to learn some mixed style, or some other less spectacular reason?" she asks, looking at Cadence intently.

[Sutoratosu]

"Uh, well..." She sheepishly began, "I....no. I'm not. Never had even a day of formal training in it before. Most of what I know, I got it from playing with the spirits or watching my dads work when I was younger. He wanted to train me, and I wanted to learn from him, but...never got the chance."

"I've been drilling with these damn things since I was Eight. Can't pick up a tome; never learned how to properly use one, and last time I tried things kinda... blew up. I've practiced how to use spells without one, like my father could, but doing that on a regular basis will just end up killing me. These barbaric pieces of sharpened metal are the only things I can actually fight with- I don't really have any choice in the matter. "

[Zetaark]

"I see," Helena sighs after hearing that Cadence never got the chance to learn from her father. As she continued with her explanation however, Helena's expression changed slightly.

 

"You have no choice you say? Says who exactly? Your magic potential isn't gone I can certainly tell you that much. And unless Madante was drilling you on swordsmanship, which I personally doubt for a few reasons, whoever your sword instructor is isn't here to keep you set on the sword either. And as for the teaching process, I've seen people much older than you take their first steps into learning magic, and some of them have managed to make something of it. Sure it may take some time, but it certainly isn't out of your reach. Forgive me if I'm stepping out of line, but I just need to know. What's keeping you from learning magic now?" she asks in a serious, expectant tone.

[Sutoratosu]

"My mother, that was who," Cade answered "She never cared about it, up until then... but once my sister failed, I was the last one she had to try and mold. If it hadn't been for her, my dad probably would've started training me. I was to become the sword of their house, it's protector. And I was to do it following the old ways of our blood line, and nothing else. My sisters got lucky- they failed to live up to those expecations, and the next oldest simply took their place. I was the youngest, there was no one else. Didn't matter how hard I tried to flunk it, didn't matter what I did to try and get out- the results were always the same... she'd just get harsher."

"Even when I cooperated, she demanded perfection. Picked out every little flaw, no matter how small- if I didn't improve, same thing happened. If you think I really had the time or the energy to learn magic under her tutelage- you're wrong. Hell, I'd be lucky if she just yelled at me if my focus wandered. It was like that up until.... recently. Let's leave the story at that.

     Just for the record though- you're asking what's stopping me from learning now... nothing. I taught myself, even, hell ever since I revived Karik when we first met, I've been trying to refine what I could into something useful, practiced almost every night on my own. I was tired of how I constantly fell short and could contribute practically nothing while everyone else fought. Tired of being utterly useless, all because I was stuck relying on pathetic weapons like these swords... especially when I could practically feel the power of the spirits thrumming everywhere. Do you know what its like, to be dead weight, constantly taunted by something so much greater? I do. And even now, I am taunted still- for all that practice, for all those nights of lost sleep, all the blood, sweat, and effort... my body can apparently only take so much. I fight with swords because I have to pick and choose when, or even if, I use a raw spell carefully. It's a matter of practicality more than anything."

[Zetaark]

"Well then, so that's the reason," Helena mutters to herself before looking at Cadence. "To some extent, I can understand your frustration about your lack of proper training. To know you have the potential and to be unable to truly utilize it to its full potential would be maddening to myself or my family. But..." she pauses before speaking again. "Your frustration seems to be affecting you in more ways than you think. I'm not sure who told you about wild magic, but either they didn't tell you much or you didn't care about the consequences. Though, I think you've figured it out by now. What happens if you overuse that power," she stops and looks out to sea. 

 

"I have a question for you. Suppose you got the power to fully utilize your magical potential right now. How would you use it? And perhaps more importantly, would you be willing to accept any and all consequences from using it the way you want?" she asks.

[Sutoratosu]

"No one told me about Wild Magic, not at the beginning. When I first used it, I was trying to save someone who didn't deserve to die... I was scared, frustrated, guided by instinct and nothing else. Everything after that was simply me taking it to the logical conclusion; trying to confine it to replicable conditions, establishing greater control. It wasn't until I'd already refined it enough to kill men twice my age that I was told of the true cost it exacts. If I got the power to use my magic unrestricted though, right here, right now?"

"Hmm..."

"I wouldn't be spending my life killing thugs, treasonous nobles, and madmen. I never wanted to become a warrior, I never even had an interest in fighting to begin with. If I had the means to fully realize my talent, I'd leave everything behind. My mother, my household, the guard, everything.

     The power of the spirits has better uses than tearing each other apart in an endless cycle of petty conflicts. My father spent his life trying to rediscover and archive things that had been lost to that very cycle,  had no end of tales from when he was young and travelled the isles in search of lost knowledge and forgotten history. All I ever wanted as a little girl was to do the same someday.

     As for responsibility... you ask that as I hadn't already accepted it, being here, fighting for the gaurd. As if I don't lay awake some nights, thinking about the people I've killed. Thinking about how one of us is able to think of it at all, and the other isn't so lucky. There's blood on my hands, it's only a matter of time before it lies on my heart. Magic can change nothing about that simple fact- whether I happened to kill those people with a sword, or did it with a wild spell, it doesn't matter. They're still dead by my hands either way."

[Zetaark]

"Stumbling into Wild Magic? I suppose the situation described could do it, but it's still not too common. Oh well," she shrugs before listening on. As Cadence continues speaking, Helena's expression slowly begins to soften, and once she finishes, she speaks with a bit of a smile.

 

"And here I was concerned that you were just entirely fueled by rage or resentment. But it seems like you still do have a heart, albeit a jaded one," Helena chuckles a bit. "It also seems that you and I have a bit more in common than I would have thought. The reason I asked that last question was to see what your motivations for magic were. If it were motivated by revenge for your family or something similar, I'd probably end up lecturing you in some annoying fashion about the dangers of using magic to fuel revenge or some such. But it seems that there's no need for that," she finishes with a nod.

 

"Still though, I am a bit curious on one thing. In the event that you do run into your family by sheer chance while on the Guard, what will you do?" she asks out of the blue.

[Sutoratosu]

There was several moments of awkward silence. Cade simply stood there, eyes wide like a deer about to be made wyvern chow. Of course, she'd asked herself the very same question sometime after the fact of actually joining... but it wasn't any easier to answer now than it was then...

"Uuuh....ummm" for she had no answer. She could go the rest of her life without ever seeing the beast that was mother's fury again, and she would've been quite happy with that "I...I...I don't...really know. After what happened back home, I... I can't take that woman in a fair fight. There's probably not a lot of people who can, especially as enraged as she was when I... last saw her. Barely even got away alive...best I could do is try to run. Again. I don't even know how my sisters or grandfather would react. probably try to take me back, for one reason or another,"

      She shook her head, trying to take a few steadying breaths as she braced herself on the railing. For once though, dads old technique seemed to be doing fuck all to help "I-I can't... I won't go back. Don't care what they say... I don't want to fight them, but if that's the only way to flee... I'll do it, I guess. Probably won't win- Meila or Prudence I might be able to take... okay, no, just Meila. Prudence and Ingrid probably wouldn't have much trouble bringing me back by force, if that's what they wanted to. And my grandfather... I'd might as well just give up and come quietly in that case. I've never seen him in combat when he hasn't been holding back by a lot, and even then... he's still terrifying, just like all the old stories about him say.

"Though, if all they want is to try to talk... I... I don't know. I wouldn't mind seeing my sisters again..."

[Zetaark]

"I'm not entirely sure what response I was expecting from you, but this is something else. Who said anything about fighting them? Is your family situation truly that bad that any attempt of talks would just degrade into all-out combat?" she asks, mildly surprised. "Though I guess that's not something you would open up about too much to someone you've barely spoken to. I guess I should rephrase my question. If you were to be brought face to face with your family under the pretense that no combat would or could come about, what would you say to them? What would you most want to say to each member of your family if given the chance?" she asks in a serious tone.