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 Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 3:21 pm
 “Growling? I'm not the one growling, if you want to hear a growl, keep t--”
Skrimir's other hand alighted on solid stone. That shouldn't have been-- he'd passed through a gaping tunnel, and the fact that it was completely gone baffled him. It was impossible, so impossible that Skrimir thought his eyes played tricks on him and he let go of Tibarn. The Hawk King smacked the hand away; he'd said something, but it didn't really matter.
And the smell.
Skrimir barely had time to react when a gravel roar exploded in his left ear, about half a ton of bulk and claw colliding with him. Not enough time to transform-- he seized the mass in alarm and shoved it away. It crashed against the stone, but rebounded quickly again.
Staring him in the face was an enormous brown-furred creature with a long angry muzzle. Skrimir knew what this kind of animal was, though he'd never seen one before. A bear. They weren't common in Gallia-- too much competition with much smarter Laguz. But he'd heard of them, and their supposed ferocity.
Good. That was a challenge. The Bear collided with him, and Skrimir took a paw in each fist. His muscles bulged, he began to grin--
He saw the entire wall behind the bear, and that it was completely solid. Not even a crack. The tunnel had vanished.
That was irritating.
The indignant demands of the Hawk King behind him really were inconsequential now. Yes, he'd found the man. But now after that gambit in the cave, after starving for hours and wandering to no real merit... enough was enough.
The bear was probably horrified to see Skrimir's hands burn and melt into paws, to feel claws pierce thick hide. But then again, there was no asking it-- it powered forward and almost toppled the great red lion in one go, barely brushed aside with sheer strength alone.
Skrimir snarled. “Are you going to do anything or not, Hawk King?”
He lunged at the bear.
“The sooner this is out of the way, the sooner we will be back in Gallia!”
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Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 3:25 pm
 I must survive? He sounds as though I'm the only one left...
But then he heard yet another woman scream out in agony, followed shortly thereafter by the sense of darkness closing in around him--Shade had been dispatched. By the sound of it, he hadn't attacked in vain... that damnable wyvern rider, lord, what-have-you was crying out for a healer.
It wasn't enough, however--not nearly enough. Cairne couldn't see their assailants, but he could certainly hear--apparently their "monster" had a voice. The only such talking beasts he knew of resided in Learania. In addition, it was quite difficult to miss the shouts and cheers of their wyvern-riding leader, and Learania was indeed a country known for wyvern riders.
At this point, it was too late--there were too few of them left to avoid destruction. The Aishyu were, in short, doomed. But indeed, if but one of them could escape and warn the elders... retaliation for this wanton butchery would be swift and just.
Cairne didn't even bother trying to find a horse--in all this chaos, his chances of finding one at this point were slim to nil. "Come forth, Shade! Your master calls," he said, and the dog reappeared a moment later.
Cairne straddled the large dog's back, holding on tight to its ethereal mane. "Shade, we must flee. GO!"
And Shade bounded off, weaving in and out among the few survivors, darting into the woods. By now, the flames were rapidly spreading, and would likely turn into a full-blown blaze that would last for days on end without a proper rainstorm... but there was still time to get through the woods, and Shade was unhindered by the heat or the smoke.
The scale of the destruction hadn't quite settled in Cairne's mind--after all, how could it? Everyone he had known since he was born, dead and gone in not even an hour? It would hit him in time, but it was just too much to absorb for one mind. Not just yet. For now, there was just one thing left to consider:
Vengeance.
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Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2010 3:54 pm
Tibarn blinked.
It was a bear. What the <******** took a moment to back up some, folding his wings. "Just what exactly do you want me to do!?" he yelled, hopping back to dodge a wildly swung claw-- whose, he couldn't see. "Cave's too small for me to transform!" the fight was progressing away from the back wall, and Tibarn had to duck and dodge around them. A swiping paw caught the side of his head and threw him back against the wall with a rough thud.
He slid down to the floor, eyes closed, one hand against the bruise bruise forming above his left ear. A soft moan echoed through the cave, and he barely collected himself in time to roll away from the two fighting beasts as the bear pinned the leonine prince.
Slowly, Tibarn pushed himself up, staggering a bit and rubbing his throbbing head. "Augh, son of a b***h... better be the bear hit me, man," he snarled, turning suddenly and lunging down to grab the bear by the throat, wound his right fist back, and brought it crashing down repeatedly against the bear's muzzle and face and eyes. Teeth and blood began to fall onto Skrimir's chest as the confused bear writhed and struggled, fighting to get away from Tibarn, or to get its paws free to strike at the powerful Hawk. "Would you-- finish-- killing this ******** because-- I don't think I'm gonna get there fast like this!"
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Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2010 7:49 pm
Adliana. It is a place where the tall grasses flow beautifully in the wind, bending and flapping as the breeze blows so that from above it looks to be a silky green cloth. it is a place where the wild flowers let loose their petals to dance around in the sky. It is a place not ruled by kings, nobles, or any one person. It is a place of kinship, loyalty, bravery, pride, seclusion, and riding together wherever the spirits lead.
It is a place of peace.
Within the plains, as it is known commonly, the people live in separate tribes that migrate about to different locations, when the time comes. These tribes are headed by one leader each, known as the Chieftain. The Chieftain looks over the people of the tribe and sees them all as family. The Chieftain makes it his, or even possibly her, duty to ensure the well-being of the tribesman. Each Chieftain is chosen by the spirits to lead, and a tribe thrives or withers depending upon the chieftain. This is part of the law of Adliana.
Apart from the various Chieftains, there exist three elders. The elders are also chosen by the spirits, and are known to be the wisest of all. Chieftains come to them for guidance in hard times, and their will stretches far and wide. They are the diviners, the law makers, the ones said to be in full communication with the spirits. If one could narrow down who the true leaders of the plains are, the answer would end up being the elders. Defying them is seen as traitorous.
 First, there is Elder Shamir. He is the youngest of the three, and therefore the newest elder, though he has sat with the other two for several decades. The spot he holds is always the one being replaced, for those of elderly ages tend to be close to the end of their lifetime. It is presumed the spirits chose him for his abilities in divination which are said to be even greater than the other two. It could also have been because of his accomplishments in developing the art of summoning, when he was a youth. However, despite his high position, he has a sinister and gloomy view of things. He is often forced to remain in line, by the other two.
 Next is Elder Kusume. She is the oldest female alive, possibly in the entire world. Her wisdom is said to exceed the others, and she always spares a calm, gentle word for the situations presented before them. When she was younger, the plains were still adhering to very traditional roles for both genders and all ages. Because of this, she became known for her insight in herbal medicines, and healing of all kinds. Her insight was so expansive that she also studied in the elder magics. Outside of the plains, such magic is referred to as dark because of its misuse. However, in their culture, it is called elder magic, and for the most part is used properly. Many people have lost their way along the path of elder magic, but Kusume stayed pure; used correctly, there is nothing dark about it. Kusume is seen by most as the voice of reason, and is an inspiration to all females of the plains.
 Lastly, is Elder Kenafa. He and Elder Kusume are siblings, and he is the older of the two. This makes him the oldest male in Adliana, and possibly the world. In fact, both Kusume and Kenafa are over a thousand years old. They were but children during the times when Adlians were forced into slavery. They remember those days well, and will never forget. Long side story aside, a ritual was performed and the two of them were bestowed with bodies that would age very slowly. Essentially, their lives were extended exponentially. They were chosen by both the spirits and all the plainsmen to carry on and become their guides. In his youth, Kenafa was a fierce Nomadic trooper, nearly bursting with bravery, charisma and his skill in leadership. It is because of these assets that he is known as the ring leader of the three elders, and his word has the most influence.
When the laws of Adliana are broken... they act. For that, as well, is their law.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Within the center of the plains, lies an encampment. Within this encampment dwell the Elders of Adliana. The camp is not a big one, despite what foreigners would have expected. There is an old rickety wall around the camp that looks as if it was there since the elders were young. Within the walls, several small buildings surround a fairly large ger in the very center. Not many people call this camp their home. The only people that dwell within it are the elders and specially chosen nomads who have pledged to guard the wise ones with their lives. It's location is chosen specifically because of the migration patterns of the tribes; they will all more or less have about the same distance to travel to get there. Also, much like how the mysterious Fefga Manor used to be, a magical shield surrounds the camp, keeping out all those who are not friendly. In other words, it is the heart of the plains.
At the encampment, the sun was just about straight overhead. The day so far had been just like any other. It was not a strange thing then to see a man riding into the camp. Well, the shadowy wolf was slightly odd, but it wasn't anything completely ridiculous. After a slight fuss and a little confusion, a guard literally led the man called Cairne by the hand to the large ger, to see the elders.
(Forgive me for speeding this along, Rhys, but your post would have basically just been conveying somewhat we know already.) After the blind man had been shown inside, he was positioned into the middle of the building, and helped down to his knees. Though the man could not see his surroundings, in front of him were the three elders. To his far left sat Elder Shamir, with Elder Kenafa in the center and Elder Kusume on his far right. The room was fairly dark inside, and had a mystical aura about it. The tall man in the center looked down on the blind one with his stern eyes, and spoke out in a deep and surprisingly strong voice. "Speak."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Once the news was finally delivered, the elders looked at one another with expressions of great concern. Such news was not to be taken lightly. Even worse... was the news that Learania was the one who had attacked them. Elder Kenafa could not contain his deeply festered grudge. His voice stung like needles as he spoke. "Learania. Have they not grown up at all? That man... His lies have run deep. Blinded us. It seems his recent ascent in power was all he was looking for!
When the news was given, the woman among them could only close her eyes. She raised a hand to her heart, and shook her head once. "... ...I believed... that our world was finally ready to live together. Such reckless hate... it pains my heart.
The bald one scoffed. "Pheh! If this news is true, then it only means that they must be destroyed! This is our law, is it not?" He banged his cane on the ground. "There must be proof!! Only then can we amass our forces and put an end to this senseless invasion from our narrow-minded neighbors!"
Elder Kenafa glanced over to his right. "...We will not invade. I have no intentions of being a war monger, Shamir. However, yes, we will stop this slaughtering of our people." The elder raised his hands and clapped, and a guard came inside. "Send out word to the tribes. Tell them about this invasion, and have them prepare for it accordingly. All tribes are to cut off ties with Learania, and treat them as our enemy, from here on. If they are attacked, they are to send word back to us. That is all. do this now."
The guard bowed to his elder, then left the ger, escorting the blind man with him as he went. Once the two had left the ger, Shamir looked over to Kenafa with his beady little eyes. "So, do you honestly believe the cripple? It could all just be a waste of our time."
"..." Elder Kenafa did not answer at first and did not even look over when he was spoken to. Finally, he let out a sigh that was almost a growl and answered. "Perhaps.... ....There is but one thing that bothers me." Elder Shamir raised an eyebrow and Elder Kusume slowly turned her head to look at her older brother. "....None of us, not even you, Shamir.... were able to foresee this attack coming. Something is making the spirits unable to connect with us. I find this... the most chilling thing of all."
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Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2010 9:20 pm
"HWA?!" Songhua released his bow and an arrow soared out, drastically missing its intended target, which, literally, was a giant target. Off screen, a cry of pain could be heard, but nobody paid it any mind. "Break off ties with Learania?! What is this nonsense?"
Suffice it so say, the message that the elders had sent out to the tribes had reached Songhua's ears. During this time of the year, the hearty man liked to move the tribe to the north-east corner part of the plains. It was nice to be in an area that wasn't too far away from the coast, where the temperature was just perfect! Springtime in the plains was magnificent, and being in that location during that particular time of the year was simply superb. The Chieftain also liked being able to have his fill with fish. But the news he had just gotten made it impossible to enjoy himself. "My heart goes out to my kinsmen who were slain, but if Learania is the suspected attacker, then we should be striving for clarification from them, not distancing ourselves and preparing to engage them!" The Chieftain lowered his bow and raised his left hand to the bottom of his chin, then began to stroke his beard. "I simply refuse to believe that this is what it appears to be..."
Songhua pondered to himself for a moment. "This is not something Rath would do. My gut tells me that I am correct, and it generally knows what it is talking about, mhm, yes indeed!" By this time, Songhua had put his bow away and thus had two free hands, which he used to pound one into the other. He kept them like that for a few seconds as he paused, but then placed the left back under his chin and continued to stroke his beard. "...Although, there was that one time where I confused what my gut was saying from what my stomach was saying, ehh.... but other then that one falter, I have never been mislead! No, I most certainly have not!" He pounded his hand upon the other again as he finished speaking, then pointed out to one of his attendants that had accompanied him to his target practice. "Kalilah! Come, come, there is no time to waste! I need you to get a horse, and travel to Learania. You must find out out what is really going on! I will meet you in the province town closest to the border, on your way back. After that, we will make our way to the elders encampment. Depending on the news you bring, we will either plea with them... or supply the proof they need to call up arms."
The Chieftain then hurried her off, and helped her get the horse prepared. "Be quick, daughter of the earth, but even more so, be careful. You are one of my most skilled, and it would pain me to learn that something ill had befallen you. I do not believe that Learania is really attacking. However, somebody is, and we must protect our bonds." Songhua spanked the backside of the horse and it took off. "May the spirits guide you, Kalilah!" He turned and began to walk off somewhere, but then stopped and turned back. He then lifted his hands to the sides of his mouth. "...AND SEE IF YOU CAN BRING BACK ONE OF TIBARN'S DISHES, WITH YOU!!"
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Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2010 10:33 am
 The sun was high and the villages were up and about. Kalilah however, was asked to accompany the chief to his target practice. This wasn't a problem for the young girl, after all, she was one of his attendees and having to run errands or even be around in case something goes wrong was naturally normal for her.
Kalilah was much too busy with her own thing to pay attention as to how accurate Chief Songhua's aiming was. She had her own swordsmanship to keep track of. Her Wo Dao was still in its case when she started swinging the object in a practice manner. Swing once, dodge left, swing horizontal for the torso, then sw-OOOH BUTTERFLY!!! Butterfly~ She loved Butterflies~. It fluttered across her, catching the young swordman(or woman in this case) attention before she started pouncing in the air like a ridiculous cat trying to get a piece of yarn.
Aha! Cornered the insect onto a flower..if she could just get close enough to pet it..to touch it she would be one happy tribe person. She crawled slowly toward the butterfly perched on the flower...closer...closer aaaaan-"Kalilah!""EEP!!" her body lurched forward, landing face into the dirt. The butterfly flew away, mocking her in a way that she couldn't catch that beautiful creature. The girl sat up and formed a very large pouty face and turned to the chief, seeing that he was calling for her. Kalilah sprung to her feet and made a mad dash over to Songhua.
...? No time to waste? Get a horse? Learania?? Hwwwaaaaa? Oh! Oh! She got it now! Find out what Learania is truly intending cause this is now their normal behavior! Something along that line then report back at the border line. "You got it!"
Haste must take action! Kalilah was quickly led to a horse. Wow, been a while since she was even ON a horse but no matter! An errand was an errand! And this called for drastic measures!
Wait, did Chief Songhua just praise her? Holy father sky! That wasn't a rarity but the praise got her adrenaline going she was ready to roll! Just find out whose really the one in charge of the attack, simple enough, but defend if one must. She nodded and before Kalilah had the chance to even respond, Songhua had smacked the horse, ordering it to go. "EEP!" with a loud yelp, the swordmistress was off.
The last thing she was able to hear was the chief's demand in bringing a dish made by Tibarn.
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Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2010 2:39 pm
Nothing was different. Learania had been through the Razevi fiasco, aided the neighboring Estarcia in a war, and yet life continued as normal. What seemed truly disturbing was that Estarcia made little to no recognition that Learania had even helped them. Relations between the two countries were more or less the same as they were before the invasion. Only one thing had really changed; more people now knew that Estarcia had a sacred relic called a Fire Emblem. And many of the guild members had figured out what it could do. It could only be imagined the frustration some of them felt. But like all beings, people were moving onward toward tomorrow.
Rath was also moving on, in his own way. He had been working hard just as always, mainly staying in his office. At times he wondered if Nino really had to do this much. Although, he was really doing both his and her work. Despite how easy it was to stack up, Rath's hard work had made it so that he was finished with practically everything he had to do. This was good, because he had wanted to begin a different project for some time now. Ever since last fall, he had been wanting to lead up an investigation on the asylum break out. At long last, he would be able to do so.
However, a knock on the door interrupted the acting captain's thought on being able to start that project. Rath sighed a little, as he set some of his papers aside. "Come in." The door then opened and in came a Learanian soldier who was accompanied by a young green-haired girl, with a feather in her hair. Something about her reminded Rath of Lyn, except that she was even younger. He had never seen this girl before, but her appearance made him believe that she was from the plains. He always a knack for being able to identify plains-people. The fact that she wore an insignia in part of her clothing that was characteristic of Adliana also cleared up whether she had just arrived from a different world or not. The way she had walked into his office also signified that she had ridden a horse for quite some time, and clearly was not used to doing so. As Rath finished looking her over discretely, he addressed the visitor before the soldier could introduce her, himself. "Your visit must be important for you to have come from a different country. Speak, Adlian. ...I would hear what you have to say."
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Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2010 2:54 pm
The ride was long but somehow Kalilah had managed. With a few sore muscles along the way since she had almost never or rarely rode on a horse unless she absolutly needed to. She was greeted by a very rude soldiers. How mean! Were all Learanian soldiers like this? Hmph! Well, she'd have to shove a biscuit at him later...oh wait! She didn't have any!! Aah no time, no time, see the captain, see Rath. Everything must be sorted out!
Well, she got her point across when the girl was lead to a room that apparantly was their leader. Kalilah stared for a moment, she had never actually met Rath in person but now that she looked at him he's kinda cute! Was he a tribeman as well? Or perhaps chief? The swordmistress was curious but of course, now was not the time! Kalilah girl, Chief Songhua sent you on this errand because you are reliable, don't blow it. "Yes, under orders of Chief Songhua himself. I have come to Learania to confirm whether or not Learania is our enemy. We have been informed that this country has attacked Adliana. Adliana has been told to cut ties with you but the Chief feels something is amist." this is probably the most serious she's been in months or seasons. Kalilah can't really remember a clear time where she didn't have that smile glued to her face.
The message was delivered and by the looks on the man's face, it does not seem like he has any idea on what is going on.
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Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2010 3:18 pm
Skrimir heard only a few of Tibarns' words. They were, “Kill,” “this,” “********,” and not a single one of those three words made much of a difference in his mental state. Getting rid of the bear being the general plan and all.
A shower of broken bears' teeth fell off of Skrimir's chest as he powered forward. it took one finally well-placed strike of the paw to earn a loud crunch that filled the cave. Skrimir watched the bear scream in pain as its shattered jawbone dangled limply, gaping open its mouth. Still it pressed on, but by that time Skrimir had its furred neck in his jaws. He viced down, tasted the kill. The neck snapped, death instant.
Skrimir threw the heavy corpse against the back wall of the cave, scattering torn fur and blood. Not enough to break much of a sweat, even... though he'd never fought a bear before. It couldn't have been called a fair fight though, considering his company.
His fangs still dripping, Skrimir regarded the Hawk King. “You'd better explain,” he demanded, incensed, “why you've been in Goldoa for all of this time!”
As Skrimir transformed back, the sharp taste in his mouth didn't fade-- he'd known that taste many times and found no joy in the blood itself. But after the whole terrible day's fiasco, his stomach hissed and nagged at him that the acrid iron in his mouth had to be cleansed by something more civilized.
He stared at the Hawk King, feeling that the day had been much, much too long.
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Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2010 8:56 pm
"..." Rath blinked. "...Pardon?" He couldn't help but slightly let loose a dumbfounded look at first, but quickly pulled it back, remembering that the girl had mentioned Songhua. He fell silent, disregarding the others in the room. Hopefully the girl realize that his utterance was rhetorical.
The fact that she was part of Songhua's tribe was enough for Rath to believe what she said. The man had enough trust in him, and so Rath would share the same trust to Songhua. He determined that the message was true. But with it being true, it meant that Adliana was attacked. Furthermore, it was an attack that made the plainsmen think that it was Learania who initiated it. What a horrible mess. Rath, along with Songhua, worked so hard to restore relations with Adliana and become allies. With this news of attack, it was no wonder that they chose to break off ties. Thank goodness it seemed that Songhua could always be depended on.
Rath looked up to the girl, realizing that she still needed an answer. "I do not know who has attacked Adliana, but I can assure you that Learania took no such action. Please inform your chieftain of this. However, wait for a moment or so, before you depart." He glanced over to the guard. "Guard. Bring my daughter before me. I wish to see her." The guard bowed, then left to do what he was asked to do.
Not too long afterward, the guard returned with a knock on the door as he opened it. His short time away must have meant that Sue was in her room, perhaps. Wherever she was, it did not matter, for she did return with him. Rath waited for Sue to come in and stand before him, and then made aware to her why he called for her. "Susan. I have just received a message from a member of Chieftain Songhua's tribe. Adliana has been attacked, and Learania has been named the attacker. I wish for you to accompany this girl back to the plains. Do what you can to show that we are not the ones who did this, and in fact remain and will remain their fierce friends in time of need. Bring with you all who you think can help. I ask this of you because I trust that you are capable. ...Are you up for this task?"
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Posted: Thu Apr 29, 2010 7:35 am
Tibarn panted softly, rubbing his knuckles. "Boy, Skrimir, I am so damn glad you showed up and dragged me into this cave," he muttered. "I love fighting bears in tiny dark spaces so much, I really just don't know how I can ever thank you." He spat onto the floor, regarding the dead beast on the floor. On the other hand...
Then something clicked in his mind and he turned, one brow flying up into his bangs, to face Skrimir. "... Goldoa? Skrimir, where do you think yo-- gah, damnit." He dropped his face into his palm-- a mistake in retrospect, as he found his nose smeared with blood as a result-- and sighed. "Of course. Look, let's... calm down. Come back to my place, we'll have some lunch and I'll explain everything, okay?" His eyesight in the dank cave may have been wanting, but Tibarn's hearing was still spectacular. The rumbling of Skrimir's stomach betrayed the Gallian prince's legendary appetite-- he wouldn't turn down a meal.
* -----* -----* -----* The Hawk King carried a large pot from the stove to the table and began to quickly ladle out a large portion of bear soup into the bowl in front of his red-headed comrade. Tibarn had convinced Skrimir to grudgingly return to the castle in Eyris with him, and had been making lunch ever since the two had arrived at Tibarn's suite in the southeast tower. A few choice cuts of bearflank steak sizzled on the balcony grill, but they still had a while to go, and soup would do for a nice appetizer. After filling both his guest's bowl and his own Tibarn put the pot back on the stove and took his own seat at the table.
"I do a lot of my own cooking these days. A lot for other people, actually. It's a hobby, Nealuchi used to teach me in my spare time, after Naesala abdicated the throne." He shrugged. As nursemaid to kings, Nealuchi had been known for many skills, but he was particularly known as an excellent, if inventive chef. He pretty much had to be-- ingredients considered standard on the mainland were scarce in the barren spires and cliffs of Kilvas. "In any case, Skrimir, I know this is hard to swallow, but I've been telling the truth. We're no longer in Tellius. This... is another world, and so far as we know, there's no way home. There is... a lot of us here. Soren is here, and Rhys and Janaff. Lethe and Lyre, too." He sighed at the disbelief written on Skrimir's face, then shook his head and took a moment to have a few spoonfuls of soup. "I didn't believe it either, at first. Nearest I can tell is that some g--"He was interrupted by a pattering of feet on the hardwood floor, and a head of blonde hair suddenly emerged around the door! "Daddy!" cried a little girl, giggling madly as she ran to the table! She was wearing a little white and yellow sundress and her ever-present sky-blue bandana in her hair. Tibarn was up in a flash, grin spread on his face as he leaned down to pick up the squealing barefoot girl in his strong arms, revealing the bright red, unmistakable Brand on her right arm. "Daddy, I did colorin' in school today! Who's that?" she added, turning suddenly to face Skrimir, as if noticing him for the first time.
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Posted: Sat May 01, 2010 8:14 am
I shall now demonstrate the law of Sacae...
all our tribesman banding together against our invaders!~)Sue(~  Sue had no idea what today was going to have in store for her. Yesterday had been wondrous as far as selling her hand-made nomadic bows, so maybe today would be the same as yesterday. Nothing could possibly change the peace that was set over Learania, right? One had to think positive, or they would live their lives in fear and never even want to enjoy the outside. For the nomad trooper, that would not do at all.
"Today shall be interesting, no matter what's ahead of me." Sue thought with a smile. It was true that Learanian life was never boring. As he dressed herself in the traditional red robes of Sacae, the green-haired nomad heard a knock on the door. Whoever could it be, she wondered? She was quick to answer, and was just a tiny bit surprised to find a member of the Guard telling her that Rath needed an urgent audience with her.
There was no time to question or hesitate. Grabbing her favorite short bow, and sheathing her silver sword after quickly fastening its hilt to her belt, Sue was off to meet with her father in an almost lightning speed. She didn't even need Andre to take off this fast. Father Sky and Mother Earth were just telling her not to take the news she was about to receive lightly, hence the hasty arming of her preferred weapons.
Sue met with Rath in no time, only able to give her father a short greeting before hearing quite dire news. Adliana was under attack? Learania was being put to blame? This was a horrible message to wake up to, but one that the gut feelings Sue had earlier was preparing her for. She eyed the girl that Rath spoke of, the one who needed an escort back home. Maybe this task would be a big part of showing the loyalties Learania had to Adliana. Sue hadn't the choice to deny this mission. "Of course I'm up to this, Father.... I mean, Captain. I shall choose my followers carefully, and do whatever is necessary to show that we are not the ones responsible for this treachery."~)Nomad Trooper(~ You who harm the defenseless will pay at
the ends of >>-arrows-> and 0=|IswordsI> Ah! Crap post is crap. I promise they'll get better after finals are over. v.v
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Posted: Sat May 01, 2010 11:06 am
The bowl dropped to the table with a dull cling. He'd finished the soup, so there wasn't much of a splash. But it fell out of Skrimir's suddenly-slack hand as his eyes darted over exactly what he was seeing.
All right, he had tried to pass it all off as a bad vision, and he'd wake up in the cave mouth eventually. But this was just too much. Far too much.
He tried to process it. He really tried. But Tibarn, King of all Hawks, was picking up a tiny child in his great arms and tossing her. Seemingly with paternal joy. And really, the kid looked a little like him. Minus wings, and that which she'd probably gotten from a mother. Plus a bloody red brand that just seemed wrong wrong wrong.
Skrimir had never imagined the hawk could have looked that happy. But the swirling torment of new information pounded his skull. And this little girl was proof.
This was just too much.
“Who did you...” he began, but half of it came out in snarls. “To make that?”
The truth of the day screamed. This was some terrible place where the Hawk King had a branded daughter, where the Hawk King was domestic, where everything was upside-down, inside-out-and backwards. And therein lay the question. The man cooked food. The man played house. The man had a branded daughter, and Skrimir knew all too well the implications of that...
Skrimir had to get out of here. Back to where the world made sense, back home. But even as he thought that, he could almost feel his uncle strike him upside the head.
Because that little girl Tibarn had in his arms had gone quiet, and was staring at Skrimir's outburst. The lion prince settled grudgingly back into his chair, searching for better words to fix what he'd likely gotten himself into. He couldn't dredge up much, which was a shame. It was probably a bad idea to scare the Hawk King's daughter, no matter if she was branded or not.
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Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 4:40 am
Oh Goodness mother earth, could this man be anymore dreamy then he already was? EEE! Kalilah was restraining herself from suddenly jumping on the poor man and possibly frightening him just a bit. But his stature was just too cool! Those clothes obviously point out that he is from another tribe, so what was he doing here? Oh who cares, he's still hot! Oooh, why couldn't more men back in her tribe be JUST as dreamy as Mr Rathy-kins here?
If anybody could see the inside of her mind right now, they can clearly see a fangirl ready to scream out and suddenly profess their love to a stranger. A fan's a fan and Kalilah seemed more then just a fan anyhow. She got the part where Learania was still on their side and she was to take his da-WAIT JUST A DARN MINUTE! His DAUGHTER???? He has a DAUGHTER?????? Kalilah's eyes widened when he mentioned that, and when his said daughter came into the room, her jaw dropped when this girl.....Susan? Sue? Looked just as old as she did! HOW OLD WAS HER FATHER AND....AND WHY DOES HE LOOK LIKE...LIKE.......WELL THE IMAGE IN FRONT OF HER!!
Rathy-kins was a married man..a married man! This came to news to her as her fantasy already shattered and her mind was drawing an image of a girl in the 'I fail' position with a slight 'DONG' in the background as sound effect when it happened.
It almost looked like Kalilah wasn't paying any attention at all, but in fact she was and this conversation was over. The swordmistress was to bring this girl with her back to the Chief and explain everything out. Sue had to gather people of course and quite frankly, Kalilah wanted to wait outside rather then in the building.
She looked to Sue then to Rath, then back at Sue once more "Would you mind if I waited outside while you gather your men? I feel.....a little stuffy in here" that is, if neither of them minded. It didn't seem like Rath was going to be going so he sent his daughter, like father like daughter hm? However, Kalilah did wonder who her mother was. Kalilah turned back to Rath, wondering if he was going to say anything else before the two were done.
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Posted: Mon May 03, 2010 2:28 pm
A grin managed to find its way to the top of the plain surface of Rath's face. Her activities were known to him, and he was pleased with the responsibility that his daughter had taken up for herself. She had not even needed to come to him for help. She was like Lyndis; always trying to carry on through her own will, while not taking her friends for granted. Along with the grin, a quiet phrase also managed to escape. "...Your mother would be proud of you."
There was a few seconds of silence where nobody said anything, but Rath soon spoke up once more, to alleviate the possible awkwardness. The grin that had emerged was caught and returned to the depths of the void. This time, he spoke to the Adlian. "You may wait either at the castle gates or at the northern gate from which you entered, if you wish." He glanced over to Sue. "It would do well to gather those you will take quickly. This misunderstanding cannot be allowed to stand or the anger the plainsmen must have will fester. Being ready to go within the hour is preferred." He addressed the both of them this time, but still mainly was speaking to Sue. "I will not be able to see you off, so I will tell you now... Be quick, be careful, and most of all follow what you have been taught. Both of you. I wish you success." He looked down to his work, and pulled a document toward him, to read it. However, he stopped and glanced up to Sue for the last time before she would leave. "...And a safe return."
[In other words, if you wish to have a character involved in this event, then go with Sue. Skrimir, Tibarn... hurry.]
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