▼ Jolanta

[Orpheus Solon]

Growth Solo: Moving On

(( After various recent incidents and a stern talking to by a member of the Sanctum Jolanta decides that it's time for him to move on. He means to find his way on the mainland somehow instead of sticking around when he isn't able to pursue his 'dream job'. While there is that part of him that will miss everything about his life in Pajore this is for the best. With luck he will be able to find a new path for himself in time. ))

Jolanta was standing in silence, looking out over the ocean toward the North. Somewhere in that direction was the mainland, a place that was full of people that he had zero interest in being around, talking to, or otherwise conversing with... but he was heading in that direction nevertheless. There was nothing here in Yael for him any long, not after what he'd been told. It was... harsh, perhaps, on the part of the one that had come to speak with him but at the same time he could understand. There was a lot about Jolanta, especially the present day him that wasn't quite worthy of being near to those of the Sanctum.

He knew from long ago that the curse he was afflicted with was a dangerous one, one that had tried to kill him when he was younger on a few occasions. On top of that it was one that cropped up from time to time and needed, showing itself in various ways, requiring he get himself another blessing. It wasn't a curse that he wanted to spread to those he cared about. He wanted it to be the sort of curse that only afflicted Jolanta himself because he knew how best to deal with it.

On top of the dangers his curse presented he was told that someone who would soak their hands in blood in the name of a Priestess shouldn't be near to such pure people. It was something that made his heart ache just thinking about it but he had to agree. Those of the Sanctum weren't people who indulged in violence, they weren't the sort that went out seeking blood, they didn't even learn how to fight or how to cast magic. They were pure, innocent souls, the sort that one should aspire to be... and Jolanta was not like them in that way. He'd learned to use a sword due to his desire to protect them, he had raised his weapon against a member of the invaders, fought her with the intent of killing her if it came to that. He was dangerous, both his cursed body and his blood soaked hands... and he wasn't good enough to be near them any longer, Priestess Fallon especially.

He was to follow the path of the Goddess Dafiel, he was told, he was to disappear so that those of the Sanctum that he'd effected to this point would forget about him. It was something that he prayed for, that they would forget about him so that they could move on. He prayed that she would forget about him, about the feelings she had for him, and move on. He prayed that she would find someone that was worthy for her, someone that wasn't stained in the manner that he was. Priestess Fallon had always been kind to him, even when his curse had tried to move from him, to her, never blaming him... in fact she'd done the opposite. She was the sort of girl that one would love to have were they worthy of her. Not that he'd ever felt himself that sort of person. He was, or at least he'd been, a servant of those within the Sanctum and nothing more. A servant that was no where near the level of a Priestess.

Lifting a hand he touched it to the bandages he had wrapped around his other arm. Presently his arm was a bit achy, to the point he knew he wouldn't be able to wield his sword if he needed it. Since he was leaving Yael, leaving the influence of the Sanctum, and wouldn't be able to get another blessing any time soon he'd done what he could do, he'd gotten put on his skin the most powerful wards that he could in hopes of containing his curse. While there was nobody outside of Yael that he cared about he couldn't allow his curse to run rampant. He was 'cursed child' after all and even if there was no love lost between himself and the mainlanders he meant to keep the curse to himself. Giving a little sigh he reached down, picking up the pair of bags that he'd brought with him. Said bags were slung over the shoulder of the arm that wasn't wrapped at the moment. From there he checked on his sword, pulled up the hood of the cloak he was wearing, before starting forward. He could see it now, the very boat he was waiting for. He'd get on it, get settled in, and he would head for the mainland.

He wanted to look back in the direction that he'd come from, back toward the Sanctum, toward where he'd been living for the past several years. He wanted to... but he wouldn't. He was to follow the path that Dafiel laid out for him, he was to allow others to forget about him, which meant that he had to forget as well. He had to forget about what he'd been up to until now so that he could move on. He'd done his best serving the Sanctum the best that he could, even if in the end he'd been nothing more then a glorified errand boy instead of the Paladin that he'd wanted to become. It was just the way of things, he'd tried to pursue a path that wasn't meant for him, but he would find a new path one day. At least he really hoped so.

The idea of going forward from here and finding a new path for himself, one that didn't invoke the Sanctum, those that lived there, or even Yael itself was... difficult. There had to be a path for him though, right? There had to be something that he was meant to do other then be a Paladin. What was it that he was supposed to do though? He knew nothing of the mainland other then the fact that a bunch of dangerous people lived there. How was he supposed to integrate himself into a land full of people that he had no interest in? It was difficult to think about but he supposed that he would just have to play everything by ear from here on out. Going from knowing exactly what he wanted to do to having no idea what to do was... terrifying. As much as he didn't want to admit it he was scared but this was how it had to be.

Moving forward Jolanta watched as some people got off the boat, feeling his body tense for a moment at the sight of them. How he wanted to try to drive them off... but that wasn't his place now. He would leave others to take care of these invaders. He couldn't very well tell them to get off Yael when he was heading to their lands after all. He'd merely have to pray to Lurin and Dafiel that this particular group didn't bother those of Pajore or the other various settlements too much. With a little sigh he stepped onto the boat, pulling his cloak around himself a bit more tightly, as he found himself a solitary place out of the way to settle into. He didn't know how long the ride would be but he hoped that he wouldn't stuck in close quarters with the mainlanders for too long.

While he didn't mean to be social, have zero desire to be so, he would take this time to figure out what he was going to do upon arrive on the mainland. He was currently drawing a blank but surely he would be able to figure out something... right?

(( Word Count: 1267 ))  

[Orpheus Solon]

On The Move

How long had it been since he'd left home? How long since his own recklessness had caused him to end up in lands that he'd never had any desire to visit? He couldn't really say. He hadn't been keeping very good track to begin with, had barely even bothered with taking care of himself. He'd been alone in a land with people he didn't like, didn't trust, and deep down had been raised to fear. They were the mainlanders, they were boogieman and monsters, they weren't people that an intelligent Yaeli was meant to interact with. As such he'd only been too happy to avoid them as though they were a plague. It wasn't something that one could do though he learned. Not only did they seem to be everywhere but at times they seemed far too friendly for their own good, making him want nothing more then to avoid them that much more.

His want for a solitary life, away from the mainlanders, was something that he wasn't really allowed to have though. He didn't understand the ways of the mainland, didn't understand the people, the beasts, the climate, or even how best to go about getting food. Being on his own had quickly become a dangerous thing but he hadn't even attempted to ask for help. Leaving Yael had caused his heart to close off completely, to the point where he wanted nothing to do with anyone even if it put his life in danger. He'd been fine with putting his life into Dafiel's hands, praying that he'd be forgotten, and that perhaps he could be reborn in such a manner that perhaps next time his desires could be fulfilled. A rather childish thought for someone his age of course. One that had lead him to collapsing on a beach in the land called Matori from a combination of starvation, dehydration, and exhaustion.

He'd laid there, starring up at the stars, and thought in what he'd thought were his last moments, and had thought that perhaps Dafiel had heard his prayers. It seemed that Lurin wasn't through with him though as the next thing he knew he'd woke up within a darkened back room of an inn. It seemed as though he'd been found there on the beach and he was fetched by those that ran the place. His feelings over the matter were mixed at best. There was a part of him that was very much livid at the mainlanders for interfering with him... while there was a tiny spark of his former self that was glad for it. Surely just dying wasn't the way, right? It was a waste of all the training that he'd put in with his Aunt Vae even if that training would never be able to see through to fruition what it had been done for. He'd never be a paladin as he'd always planned. Such things weren't meant for those that spilled blood in the name of a Priestess it would seem.

Still, there had to be some reason why he'd been spared right? Some reason why those people had found him despite it having been rather late at night been they did. He'd not bothered to ask, not wanting to get too close to the people, though one had volunteered the information regardless. It had been a rare night fishing trip to get some squid that had caused them to be out. A rare trip that allowed them to find him. They said that it was a God called On'os that had allowed them to find him. It seemed that was their God of Time and Fortune and he supposed that maybe that God had worked hand in hand with Lurin to allow for such a miracle on foreign soil. Not that he knew for certain, it was mostly just a guess on his part. He couldn't even begin to guess at what the foreign Gods and Goddesses might do with their free time. It wasn't really his business since he didn't and wouldn't offer his prayers up to them after all. His prayers were meant only for the God and Goddess from Yael. Even then his prayers had mostly gone to Dafiel since he'd left home as he wanted for all of those in Yael to completely forget about him. He felt that it would easier for them that way.

A shame that the same couldn't be done for him. Pray as he might it seemed as though Dafiel didn't wish for him to forget about his life back in Yael. The purpose for that was as of yet still unknown to him though. It seemed as though going forward it might have been a lot easier were he allowed to forget those that he cared about and those that he had wanted so badly to protect. He might be so lucky as to understand why that was one day... provided that he was able to survive until said day. There was so much about his current life that had become precarious these days as he found himself on a path that felt as though it was the polar opposite of the life that he had once been training for.

Once upon a time ago, what seemed like a life time ago, he'd been training to protect holy men and women as a paladin. Nowadays though he was a mercenary, a man that was handed jobs on sheets of paper, and he found himself doing whatever would net him some coin that he could use to feed, clothe, and shelter himself while on the mainland. It wasn't the job that he wanted, wasn't the job he trained for, but it was the job that he had now. How different his life was now then when he started out. One might think that such a large change would be difficult but the hardening of his heart made it easy to do his work, maybe too easy. What was a bit of mercenary work compared to what he'd already had to deal with after all? Nothing could really cut deeper then the words that had driven him from Yael so long ago, not even his sword.

Giving a little hiss between his teeth he headed inside to a bar where he got his usual assignments. He'd drop off the results of his last mission, get paid, pick up a few more jobs, and be on his way. He saw no need to socialize, he wasn't here to make friends after all, he was just here to make money. Even before he went inside though he knew that it wasn't going to be as easy as all of that due to the one that was likely awaiting him inside. After taking a deep breath, which he held for a moment, then gave a twitch of one ear he decided to just go forward and face her.

As he entered a Oban woman glanced up from the papers she was organizing, spotted him, and gave a smile, "Ah! Welcome back, Steel Eyes, I am sure you come to me with only good news? Come, sit for a while, and tell me how your work went!" She said, bouncing in place a bit in a manner made to tempt one to stick around for idle chatter but more importantly drinks. Not something that he could claim he was really interested in, not when he wanted to just get back to work.

"I'm just here to to drop a few things off and pick up some more work." He said as he walked over to the bar. Digging into his pack he got out a bundle and tossed it to her. As she opened the bundle, which contained the ear of the one that he'd hunted down, he said, "The rest of him was tied up and dumped in front of where some soldiers were having drinks, he's no longer an issue." From his pack he also produced a rather gaudy necklace, in his opinion, "This was retrieved from the woman that stole it. Last but not least..." He reached up to his shoulder, plucking a sleeping perzi kitten from it, and handed it over, "The lost cat."

The woman nodded, "I knew you would come through for me, Steel Eyes. I apologize for asking someone as talented as you to fetch a cat but I can't really say no to my darling niece and I figured that you do it fight the right pay." She retrieved a bag of coins from behind the counter, counting out the total for the capture of the criminal, the retrieval of the stolen necklace, and of course for finding the kitten. All of it was counted, recounted, and then handed over to Steel Eyes.

"Now... as for more work..." She picked up the various bounty papers in front of her, gave them a little shake, and said, "There are plenty to pick from. Want me to get you a drink while you peruse them, Steel Eyes?"

"I don't drink." He said simple, taking the papers from her hands and set to flipping through them. He was looking for jobs that weren't too easy, weren't offering too low an offering price, and that weren't those that would basically equate to being a wild keldari chase. No reason for him to waste his time on things that couldn't be accomplished in a fair amount of time after all. He wasn't a hero anymore, he was just trying to make a living. After taking a half dozen of the papers that fit his personal criteria he said, "I will be going. Until next time."

As he turned to go the enthusiastic woman set to waving after him, "Have a good rest of the day, Steel Eyes!" A farewell that was lost on him as he headed on his way. He had a lot to do now so he couldn't really risk wasting his time sticking around the bar now could he? If he stuck around too long in an idle fashion then he would start thinking about everything that had been left behind on Yael, something that he didn't want to risk since it would only drag him down that much more. His new path in life had been set and that meant focusing on the work that he got from the various places across Matori and Oba. That was the life he was living now and while it wasn't the one that he'd planned for it was better then nothing, better then having died on the beach even though at the time he'd thought that was what he wanted.

As he left the inn and the too cheerful woman behind he set to reading over the various papers that he'd taken in more detail. The jobs were of various different categories from a couple of bounties, doing some hunting for a family that was made up solely of a pregnant mother and her young children, and finding more missing pets. That had actually proven itself to be a lucrative and incredibly easy task to go about so he saw no reason why he shouldn't attempt to do such a thing again. Especially seeing that people in these lands seemed to think so highly of their pets. One paper in particular was calling for him to find a missing janarim pup that wore a bejeweled collar and the price on the beast's head for rather massive. It was the sort of money that would pay for his room and board, food, and the maintenance of his equipment for quite some time. As such that sort of made the pup his top priority when it came to which of the jobs he wanted to finished up first.

While the job was paying well, almost insanely so, it was most certainly something that he didn't understand personally but that could be because he'd never had a pet before. At one point he'd consider going out and catching a tintural for... someone, but that hadn't exactly panned out. Many seemed to be fans of making friends with, raising, and breeding various creatures but he found himself debating if he should bother or not. Allowing a pet in his life meant opening his heart up to a creature. It also meant taking care of its needs as well as his own and he didn't know if he was ready for such a thing as of yet. The current him was closed up, cold, and not looking to make friends even if that friend was just some silly beast.

For the time being he was alright with being alone save for the interactions that came few and far between from his work. There were those he had to deal with because he was seeking to catch them and get his hands on their bounties as well as those that worked at the bar. For the most part though he only dealt with the one that called him 'Steel Eyes' since she seemed to be there the most often. She was the daughter of the proprietor which meant she was there more often then she was not. On one hand it made things easier because he didn't have to deal with someone new every time but... on the other hand it also had her thinking that she needed to flirt with him every time he showed up. Not something that he felt any interest in since he just wanted to be left alone but he'd leave her to it since he couldn't just ignore her, not when she was in charge of the papers he needed for work and handing out payments for said work. He'd remain neutral as far as she went just in case. One didn't want to anger the one holding the coin purse that paid their salary after all.

After leafing through the papers he held he decided that he'd see about seeking out the janarim pup first since it had a vague idea of where the little beast had been lost. After that he'd do a combination of dealing with the hunting and taking out a pair of thieves that were hassling people just outside of the city he was in. With that plan in mind he set to moving forward to see how quickly he could get his work done. Once it was done he could relax for a bit, enjoy what came of the coin he got, and then do everything all over again. That was the way of things for Jolanta 'Steel Eyes' for the time being. At least until he figured out what his next step was. Part of him said that he couldn't be a mercenary forever... while the other part of him didn't agree, seeing it as a fine job that paid well. Not something he'd worrying about deciding right away though as work was calling.

(( Word Count: 2477 ))  

[Orpheus Solon]

Jolanta vs Janarim x 2

 

[Orpheus Solon]

A Line on a New Job

Jolanta was in a bit of a mood as he headed into the bar that he often went to when it came to getting himself various work. It was early morning and not as many people were working, which was a bonus, but he couldn't really get his mind off his dreams from the night before. If there was something that he'd gotten good at of late it was putting the past behind him. He offered all prayers to Dafiel while he was awake, begging her for her aid when it came to forgetting about what he'd left behind. It seemed as though Lurin wasn't feeling merciful when it came to the times that he was asleep though. He dreamed of home often, of those that he'd wanted so badly in the past to protect, those that he was willing to trade his own life for. He wanted to be with them again but it wasn't a choice that he had. That place and it's kind, pure people weren't for someone like him.

Lifting a hand he scratch a hand against the marking on his arm, the one that was put in place to keep his curse under control. He was a cursed man, one stained with blood, and therefore he wasn't meant to be near the Priests and Priestesses any more. Giving a sigh he walked over to the counter, readying himself to deal with the woman that was normally working... and instead found himself face to face with the older male that worked from time to time when the woman wasn't about.

The man lifted his gaze toward Jolanta, shifted in place, before he said, "Good morning, Steel Eyes, I take it that you're here for the usual? I'm sorry that my daughter isn't here, I know you tend to deal solely with her." The man gave him a long look, as though sizing him up, trying to figure out what he thought about the idea of Jolanta only dealing with his daughter. It was something that he felt there was no reason to really talk about though. It wasn't as though he encouraged the woman, if anything he did his best to ignore her interest when he was here. She gave him the best prices on the work he came here for said work. If it weren't for that he'd likely have found someone else to pick up bounties from.

"I am here only for work, Sir, not for your daughter. I assure you that my interest is business minded only." Best to reassure the man or else he might refuse to give the bounty posters over to Jolanta. Such a bother that the woman that was constantly on his case was the man's daughter. Even Dafiel in all her power didn't seem to have the ability to get the Oban woman to forget about him despite a few prayers and offers made with that desire in mind. A shame but he would let it slide since she aided him in so many other ways in his life.

The man reached behind the counter to get out the stack of bounty posters, handing them over to Jolanta, before he said, "There's always a lot of work to be had though I feel obligated to tell you that you likely shouldn't be moving around so much on your own. There are bug mages about, kidnapping people, probably killing and cooking them if rumor is to be believed." The man gave Jolanta a once over before he said, "I am aware that you're not interested in making friends, Steel Eyes, everyone says as much. As such I shouldn't care about you either... and I don't. Regardless, I feel you should at least get your warning."

What he did with it after he got the warning was obviously up to him. That much Jolanta could tell very easily. If he got taken away by the 'bug mages' the old man wouldn't care, if the old man was taken Jolanta wouldn't care, he wasn't paid to care. As he flipped through the stuff he had in hand he said, "I will consider your warnings and possibly take some of the jobs that will keep me in the city."As much as he'd rather do things outside of town where he could be left alone he didn't want to get himself kidnapped and cooked as some the dinner of some 'bug mage'. He had to wonder how much of that exact rumor was true or not though. It could just be the ravings of people who were scared about the bug mages and the disappearances that they were behind.

The jobs that would keep him in the city were ones that were a bit of a bother. He really had zero interest in making friends with the local populace and it really felt as though some of the jobs would ask just that of him. A job as a bouncer at a bar to keep people from starting bar fights, catching a thief that was stealing in the marketplace, and a bit of bodyguard work. Of all of those he found himself consider the last one the most if only because of what it was for. The protection of some Oban noble. It would likely involve him looking after that person without having to really talk to them. What noble talked to the help after all? The pay was really good too.

If he had to guess a part of it would be due to the hysteria caused by the bug mages. Everything was changing because of those creatures, up to and including the work that he was able to do easily. So did he want to take on a high paying job to keep some noble brat safe from an attack that likely wasn't coming? He could profit from those that were afraid if he wanted to do so. There was a part of him, the part of him that was more akin to the 'paladin' that he wanted to be that was disgusted at the thought. It was something that he ignored though because he wasn't a paladin anymore. In fact he was never meant to be one because those in charge of the Sanctum didn't want him or his sword about. He was something else now, a mercenary, and that was what he meant to be now. As such he shouldn't worry about what his childish, innocent self would have done and instead consider what was best for him to do in the here and now.

"I'll take this one. If all goes well I won't be bothering you guys for at least a little while." He said, handing back all of the other posters, rolled up the one he wanted, and tucked it away into his pocket. If the job went well and he was paid well for the work then he wouldn't have to return here for a while. It would he nice to be free of the unwanted attention lavished on him by the woman that usually worked here.

As he mentioned that he wouldn't be bothering those in the bar for a while the older man seemed to be quite pleased, "Good to hear, Steel Eyes. Here's to hoping that I've gotten my daughter married off by the next time that you come in here." That way she'd be with a man that was worthy of her as opposed to some foreign mercenary. The man didn't say as much but Jolanta was no fool, he could tell from the look on the man's face what he thought of him. It didn't matter to him though, not when he wasn't really trying to hit on her. It was unwanted attention and if she got married off it would make his life a whole lot easier.

Turning on his heel he started toward the door, not bothering to really say anything as he left. The two of them weren't friends, weren't even friendly, so it wasn't as though farewells were needed. As he stepped outside he took in a deep breath, then let it out as a sigh. Good, he'd gotten in and out quickly, without running into the one that always hassled him. Of course just as he thought that he spotted the girl down the way, chatting with someone at the corner. Jolanta's silvery eyes went a bit wide before he turned on his heel and started in the opposite direction that she was standing in. It would take a bit longer for him to get to where he was heading for his next job but that was fine by him. If it meant avoiding a conversation that he really didn't want to do then he was happy.

As he took a turn that would remove him from the woman's possible line of sight he got out the poster from his pocket, using the address on it to get to where he was heading. He'd head there next since it was still early, see if the job was one that he could pick up, and if he was lucky he'd be starting a new and lucrative job.

(( Word Count: 1524 ))  

[Orpheus Solon]

Deep Thoughts

The job that Jolanta had taken on had lasted three weeks before he decided to finally call it quits. It wasn't that it was a horrible job, it wasn't that it was a difficult job, but it was one that was far too much like the old work that he'd done in the past. He'd thought it would make it an easy way to make money... but in the end it turned out that he couldn't handle it. It was something that made him feel again, something that he couldn't stand. He didn't want that, he wanted to forget about stuff like that. He'd prayed to Dafiel for how long to close himself off to such desires? It was a job that wasn't worth keeping because it was so risky.

Better that he stick to the jobs that didn't involve a lot of emotion. Hunting down dangerous beasts, taking care of thieves and bandits, various errands, those were the things that the present him was meant to do. He couldn't allow himself to back pedal for even a moment lest he find his resolve to continue on with his banishment begin to fade. He wasn't meant to be around the people that he had spent time with back in Yael, not with his blood stained hands. He was merely meant to aid people through other means, from a distance and not in a really face to face way. It was how he best could serve those around him and himself.

Giving a little sigh he set to digging through the papers that he held in hands, doing his best to ignore the woman in front of him that was ever flirting. It was something he'd never courted, instead giving her at all times the cold shoulder... and yet still she persisted. Such a strange woman she was... though perhaps it was all just a ruse? She could very well be doing it to throw him off kilter so that she could try to get him to work more for less coin? It was a possibility he supposed. Giving a little shake of his head he handed most of the papers back to the woman behind the bar, keeping a half dozen of them for himself, "I will be taking these ones."

"Sure thing, Steel Eyes. I know that you'll get the work done so I don't mind you taking so many. I have to say I was surprised though when I got another request for a bodyguard for that noble so soon after you took the job. Not something that you were able to handle? Not much for kids?" She asked in a curious manner after giving him a once over.

"Eh?" That threw him just a bit if only because it was so personal a question. Why should he even bother to answer was his first thought but instead of allowing himself to get too up in arms he instead said, "Not enough adventure in babysitting. I will leave such cushy jobs to others from now on."

With that he gave her a nod of his head before turning to head out the door. If he left it in that way then maybe he wouldn't have to worry about any such jobs being suggested to him again? He felt that he'd much rather throw himself headlong against a pack of janarim or a group of bandits instead. Those were far easier to deal with if you asked him. One just either defeated them in battle, caught them to bring to others as pets, or dragged them in to hand them over to the guards. It was easy, no real thought required passed which way he would go about the task.

As he headed away from the bar where he picked up work he found himself considering the question that had been posed to him by the woman. What did he think of children? To be fair it hadn't been something he'd thought about back on Yael for many reasons, the biggest ones being very personal. He'd always thought himself cursed, heavily so, with the sort of curse that would try to infect those around him. It was why he'd wanted to get multiple cleansings from the Priests and Priestesses when he could. He didn't want to infect others.

Add in then that his entire being had wanted to take care of and protect those same people. There was no way that he'd ever have had a chance with such people even if he hadn't been so adamant about everything remaining as the relationship that stood between protector and protected. The last thing he'd wanted was to let his curse try to take hold in someone such as those that served the Sanctum... and he'd had no interest in those outside of the Sanctum since it was those within that he'd wanted so badly to keep safe. As such he supposed that children would never have been an option back home.

What about now though? He was no longer home, no longer near those of the Sanctum, and he'd made sure that before he left Yael that he'd gotten his arm tattooed with sealing runes. His curse should be held at bay these days so... what about now? After glancing around a moment, sizing up those around him, he found himself lacking an answer. There was the part of him that said it was pointless, that he had no interest in the mainlanders in that way so why would he end up making a child with one of them? Did that mean that he was definitely never going to end up with a child of his own? It seemed fairly likely, didn't it?

No matter, that was the way that things were meant to be. He'd prayed to Dafiel to be forgotten after all and it seemed that it was a prayer that for the most part had worked out. From time to time it seemed as though perhaps Lurin was trying to prod at him... but in no significant manner. Especially not enough to make him consider taking up a relationship with those that he'd always thought of as the enemy when he was younger.

Only once as he felt the influence of Lurin in an earth shaking manner... but even that wasn't enough to cause him to run back to Yael. It had been close, but only enough to turn his thoughts toward the place that he might get himself a boat back home... thoughts that tended to creep up toward quiet times where he hadn't anything else to do. The initial time had been when he had first heard of the Dretch and the threat that they posed to the world and all of those within it. He'd wanted nothing more then to take up his sword and rush back home, to take care of those of the Sanctum once more, but he'd ended up steeling himself against the desire to do so. He was banished, not meant to return, so even if he really wanted to go back to protect them against the Dretch it wasn't an open door that was meant for him.

There were others in Yael with weapons, those that served as guards for the various Yaelian cities, they could take care of the Dretch threat down there. As for himself? Well, if someone paid him enough then he'd gladly hunt the bug mages down and kill them. Other then that he felt he would likely just stick to his normal work instead. He'd deal with dangerous beasts, thieves, bandits, lost pets, and anything else that he was paid to do. He wouldn't be doing things out the kindness of his heart ever again because that just came back to bite one in the backside. Coin was easier to deal with, as well as being far more useful. Emotions were fleeting but coin could get you anything you wanted... hell, if he was really desperate he could use that coin to buy the feigned affections of another for a time. Not that he was anywhere near that level of lonely, not even close.

Shaking his head he decided that he wasn't going to let his mind wander around on such a twisted path any longer. The long and short answers basically lead to the exact same place after all, with him not being the sort that would end up with a significant relationship or a child. It wasn't something he'd of had back on Yael and it sure as heck wasn't something that he'd indulge in on the mainland. He was fine how he was right now. He got up in the morning, he worked hard, he was able to take care of himself, buy whatever he needed, he was training a janarim that would one day make a good mount, and therefore he was otherwise content enough. He wouldn't allow that woman to mess with his thoughts so easily with just a single question. It was ludicrous to do so.

Dropping his steely gaze to the papers he carried in hand he set to leafing through them, trying to decide which one of the jobs that he'd taken on that he'd do first. He supposed the one about the petty crook that was stealing food from various vendors after dark was the best way to go. It was simple, straight to the point, and it was in town. He'd do that one first, get some coin, and make plans from there since other jobs might involve leaving town, something that it was suggested one didn't do alone these days. That might mean taking on a hunting partner, though it was something that caused his to wrinkle with distaste just thinking about it.

(( Word Count: 1619 ))  

[Orpheus Solon]

Forced Travel Buddies

 

[Orpheus Solon]

Jolanta vs Incanthis: Jolanta Wins!

 

[Orpheus Solon]

Jolanta vs Gahiji: Jolanta Loses!

 

[Orpheus Solon]

Recovery in Sald

 

[Orpheus Solon]

Jolanta vs Iroia: Jolanta Wins!

 

[Orpheus Solon]

Jolanta vs Mano: Jolanta Loses!

 

[Orpheus Solon]

Growth Solo: Highly Distracted

(( Jolanta finds himself unable to get over a meeting he had with a woman. He tries to distract himself with work but finds it harder and harder to do as time passes. After what feels like an eternity but is actually just a few days he decides to do something out of character and very spontaneous, that being to rush after said woman in hopes of finding her before she leaves Tendaji for Belrea. He isn't sure what will happen when he catches up with her or if she will even welcome the reunion but he wants to at least try. ))

Jolanta had been pretty certain that he would be fine with everything going back to normal, that all he needed was some time away from Diya and the spell that she'd cat over him would just vanish. That didn't seem to be the case though. He'd taken the payment from Diya, returned to Oba, and returned to work as normal and yet he kept finding his mind wandering to her. He missed her being there, missed her stories, and strangely enough he found that he missed all of the trouble that she got him into.

Giving a bit of a sigh he lifted a hand to scratch it against scruffy cheek in a thoughtful manner. He had been fine being alone before. He'd wake up in the morning, have a light meal, and go off to chase whatever bounty he'd picked up, drop off his prize, get paid, home for dinner and sleep, rinse and repeat. It was easy, but now it just felt lonely, and he felt unable to fall back into his normal routine. What was he supposed to do about it though? It had just been a game, a bunch of play acting, and nothing more. Diya had needed his help to trick her family into thinking she was engaged, and they had succeeded in proving that to those that mattered to Diya. Now that the playacting was over surely he really shouldn't go off and bother her, right? If he went up to her now, after being paid for his time, and claimed that he wanted to spend more time with her she might just think he was after money or something.

He supposed that he could always hope that he bumped into her some time in the future... but given that her destination was the distant land of Belrea, a place he'd only heard of, he didn't know if he would ever just bump into her. What if Dafiel then took hold of her memories, made Jolanta fade from her thoughts? He'd always prayed to the Goddess to be forgotten so that he didn't weigh on the minds of those he left behind in Yael. What if the same happened to Diya because his prayers carried over? A thought that caused him to sigh a bit. Should he pray to Lurin that he remained in her thoughts? Was that considered cheating?

Lifting a hand to adjust his glasses he tried to get his scattered thoughts to focus. The more that he thought about Diya the more his thoughts seemed to just get mixed up. They were just becoming tangles in his head that were impossible to just ignore. It was as though it was the only thing he could think about making him think that Lurin was taunting him now.

Was the God trying to nudge him toward Nadiya? He wasn't sure but he found himself wondering if it was fair of him. Should he interfere with her when she was finally free to travel again? Should he meet with her again when he knew that she had just been play acting? What if she had other, better things to do then deal with Jolanta who might appear as a stalker? Just the idea of that caused a flush to appear on his cheeks. He really didn't want to appear as though he was stalking her, that would be awful and would be the exact opposite of what he wanted to do. He just... wanted to see her again. It had only been a few days but it felt like an eternity.

So deep in his thoughts he nearly tripped over his own feet as he walked, something that only added to his embarrassment. He had to focus! He couldn't let himself get so caught up in this that he ended up falling on his face. He didn't want to look like a fool in front of the people of Oba or else they were going to think the Yaeli as a whole were a bunch of weirdos. Not something that he wanted to be responsible of. He wanted to leave his people with their reputation in tact in case some off the others ended up coming to visit Oba.

Ducking into the bar that he picked up bounties from he drifted to the bar, asking for the stack of papers, and started to thumb through them. He just had to find a job, distract himself, and soon enough he would forget about the girl that he'd spent the eventful days with, right? That's what he tried to tell himself at least. Of course after thumbing through the stack three times over he realized that he couldn't really recall what even a single one of the papers said. He was barely paying attention to even the consideration of doing work, huh? He sighed a bit, trying a fourth time to thumb through the papers but just couldn't get motivated. All he could think about was that if he headed out now, picked up his janarim pup, and his things from the inn that he might be able to catch up with Diya before she left Tendaji for Belrea.

He stood there a moment, considering the thought, before he dropped the papers on the counter of the bar and rushed out despite the bar mistress calling after him. She was calling him 'Steel Eyes' instead of 'Jol' something that only encouraged him more to do exactly what he was doing, trying to find Diya before she vanished forever. He would need the help of both the God and Goddess of Yael as well as some back up from those that lead Matori if he was actually going to find her. The world was a big place, heck Sulburi itself was a big place and it was a single city. The idea of finding Diya in the whole of Tendai was difficult to even fathom but that didn't mean that he wasn't going to at least try. It was the first time that he wanted to chase someone in such a manner and while he had no idea how to do it he would try his best to succeed. Here was to hoping that he caught her before she went to Belrea and he lost his chance.

It might be a bit foolish on his side but he couldn't get her out of his head and he had to see if there was anything between them but the game.

(( Word Count: 1077 ))  

[Orpheus Solon]

Will You Catch Me If I Fall?