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itspao_ rolled 5 100-sided dice:
47, 86, 54, 30, 49
Total: 266 (5-500)
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 Posted: Sat Nov 30, 2013 5:45 pm
A i n s l e y ' s..S t a t i s t i c s.Name: Ainsley
Stage: Adept
Level: 38 (3/38)
Luck: 25
Luck Exp: 0/3
Creature: Aisko Kengurha x5 (Lvl 28, LUK ≥ 18)
Success Rate:
---Failure: 1-20
---Success: 21-100
Experience: 38(28/38) = 28(5) = 140(2) = 280 Exp Gained (blood moon effect)
---to Level 38 ► 38/38 - 245 left
---to Level 39 ► 39/39 - 206 left
---to Level 40 ► 40/40 - 166 left
---to Level 41 ► 41/41 - 125 left
---to Level 42 ► 42/42 - 83 left
---to Level 43 ► 43/43 - 40 left
---to Level 44 ► 40/44 - 0 left
Final Result:
---Success = +3 Luck, +2 Luck Exp
---Level = Lvl 44 + 40exp left over
---Spoils = None, he doesn't keep any of it
Word Requirement: 300(5) = 1,500 words
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Posted: Sat Nov 30, 2013 7:19 pm
"Please, please, please, please, please!!" Ava had pleaded with him for the third day straight before Ainsley, with Quan's permission (given with the most obvious of amused grins), finally agreed to take on her task. His friend had approached them with a request from the Mistress to go searching for some creature or another known for its fur and horns, though neither of them knew what such a thing was called. It was only with Quan's knowledge of the various creatures (courtesy of his chosen profession) around Magesc were they able to identify what creature it was that the Mistress was in search of. After a bit of research, Ainsley and Ava had both learned of the creature -- the Kengurha -- and the various rumors about the uses of its horns and furs.
"The best ones are only on Aisko," his mentor had said, so Ainsley outright refused to go. He despised the cold, more than he despised the wind on Ayr. What's more, there were dragons on that continent that he knew he wouldn't be able to beat. Considering his luck with Firani, Ainsley's confidence with the beasts was at its all time low, though he'd never admit that to anyone. Not even to Quan, though he could guess that his mentor already knew what state he was in regarding all things dragon-related. Still, Ava was consistent with her request. She visited every day, insisted on doing his chores for him (like laundry and such, which he refused to let her because it involved his unmentionables, as well as Quan's), even cooked for him and offered to buy him snacks with bribe money given to her by the Mistress in case their request was initially declined.
"I don't want to," he said flatly while sitting comfortably against the wall of his room, reading a book as any dutiful student would. He'd contented himself with his indoor studies, and his axe rested quietly beside his bedside table, unused for the past week or so. Quan didn't insist on any physical training or labor considering the extent of his injuries, but by the time Ava had come around his wounds were almost completely healed and he could afford a training session or two every so often now. Still, the teen refused and kept on with his reading.
"But I've cooked for you!" she retorted, a pouty look on her face. "And I bought you those sweet beans that you love, and a bunch of other herbs and things you can use for medicine and food!"
"Pouting worked only when we were younger."
"Not according to Lyan and Iris! Even the Mistress says I have a talent." Ava huffed and crossed her arms, staring down Ainsley, who continued to try his best to ignore her.
"Well, I'm not Lyan, Iris, and Seren forbid I'm even remotely related to the Mistress. So, talent or not, I'm not going. Get it? Not. Going."
"Yes! You! Are!"
And these conversations went on for three days until finally the blonde caved, admitting that she was too persistent and, worried over the state that Ava would be in if the Mistress didn't get what she wanted, finally giving in.
"On one condition," he blurted, closing his book at the end of Ava's continued utterances of "please" and "for me". "You have to come with me, and the price is double for the trouble of the cold and possible run-in with whatever other things we could run into while we're there. Tell the Mistress that, and if she gives her OK then pack and meet me here again tomorrow."
With a squeal and a hug, which got Ainsley to smile the tiniest of smiles, Ava was off and back within a day's time, packed and ready for an adventure. Ainsley was packed as well, though it was partially because he wanted to leave before Ava got back. He really didn't want to go, and was ready to jump ship and saddle Quan with the job. Ava got back before he could leave though, much to the blonde's annoyance.
And so here they were, a pair of young Orderites trekking through ice and snow to find these so-called kengurha. They had yet to see any sort of creature, not even a dragon (much to Ainsley's relief), so after Ava had finally run out of questions since all they could see was the large expanse of snow and ice all around them, they walked in silence.
"How much longer?" she asked at some point around noon.
"Depends on when we get lucky," he replied with a frown. The cold really wasn't doing his mood any favors. "These things aren't going to be walking around with large signs on them, you know."
"Maybe if you weren't lugging that gigantic axe around, they're venture out more often!"
Ainsley made a face. "And how, miss know-it-all, do you think 'hunting' works? We just beg these things to kill themselves so we can make a bit of extra cash?"
"But they probably feel all threatened because of it! I am, and I'm your friend." Ava quieted after that, twiddling her thumbs at lowering her head. Ainsley didn't say much else and left his friend to her own devices as he walked on, keeping a keen eye out for these kengurha. At this rate they'd likely freeze to death overnight if they didn't find any of these things before sundown.
It wasn't another hour before they finally caught signs of possible kengurha nearby. Ainsley, not wanting Ava to see anything unnecessary, told her to keep quiet and stay put nearby a small ice formation that provided a bit of shelter and a hiding spot. From there he went only a several meters east and caught sight of the first kengurha, followed closely by another...and then another, and then another. The teen couldn't count how many of them were there, but from where he sat there seemed to be more than enough. From the looks of the amount of fur and the size of the antlers, Ainsley figured five was plenty, so he readied his axe and crept towards the creatures as quietly as he could manage.
The snow was crunching beneath his boots, but that was about all the noise he was making. It was, unfortunately, enough to startle the kengurha when he got close enough, so he swung without looking and hoped for the best. These things didn't even bother to seriously fight back, to his relief since the horns looked like they could do some serious damage, and so Ainsley swung and swung and tried to catch them as they tried to run off. A few of them hurtled toward him, doing some damage to his legs because of their horns, but he incurred only minor injuries in the process. This would have been a better experience if he had taken up archery, but since all he had was a giant axe, this was the best he could do.
After almost blindly swinging (as was his habit...) at these swift creatures, Ainsley managed to take out five of them, and the bodies lay limp and bloodied in the snow. The blonde knew that Ava wouldn't take too kindly to this sort of mess, so he did his best to clean up the things before taking them back to her. When he got back, Ava smiled and heaved a sigh of relief before taking the large pack of what she assumed were the creatures that he held out to her.
"How many?" she asked, trying her hardest to hold up the sack. It was a little too heavy for her, so with a smirk Ainsley took it back and easily hoisted it over his shoulder.
"Five, I think. They're fast, these kengurha, so I had a rough time. If I had a bow and arrow this probably would have been easier." The teen said this with a smile though, so Ava quietly thanked him and they headed back towards where the boat was docked. The trip was more lax, oddly enough, and the two exchanged conversation as friends usually do. Ava avoided subjects about her home life, though Ainsley only tried asking a few times. Eventually, he stopped asking and things got quiet. It was the awkward sort of quiet, with Ainsley brooding and Ava unsure of whether to share a bit about what he was so curious about.
"She's gotten a bit better..." Ava finally said. The only indication that Ainsley had heard was the slight pause in his step; he didn't say anything though, so she went on. "She gives us more to eat and we actually have a small bit of salary now, so it's not all bad. The beatings are less and less, too."
"She beat you before we left, didn't she?" he asked some moments after Ava finished speaking. Glancing back at her small figure, Ainsley caught a ghost of a nod, and he sighed. "Because she didn't want you to come with me?"
She nodded, and things got quiet again.
The whole trip back to Serenia was quiet, and Ainsley watched Ava as she looked on into the distance. He recognized the look in her eyes. It was the same one he'd seen in his own reflections back before Quan had liberated him from that hell of a household. From that hell of a life. In the end, he said nothing and the two parted ways after she handed over the promised amount. Quan, knowing that Ainsley didn't want to visit the Mistress's house, offered to help her with getting the skin and horns cleaned up before taking her home.
Ainsley, in the meantime, went back to brooding. He'd thought about it before, though he was too young then to do anything about it. He couldn't take Ava out of that house, not in his current state. With time, hopefully...
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