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Post by VecaVjestica on Jul 31, 2009 7:51:45 GMT -5
It was like a bad dream...and it's a pity it wasn't only a dream. This was supposed to be a slow night, Nura thought to herself ironically, standing in front of the one man she was sure she will never even see, let alone speak to - Waeleth III, the High King of Waeleden and head of the Wael Clan. The single most powerful human being in the world and Nura was speaking to him. What was next, a rain of silver? She immediately scorned herself for such thoughts. This day was too strange to make silly wishes. Gods only knew what could happen next. Yes, it was supposed to be a slow day. Mondays always were. And except the pending visit of his Majesty and his entourage who have announced that they are to visit the Matchless Mine some time during that week, nothing special was supposed to happen at all. In her short but difficult life, Nura had been to very few places that grew on her as quickly and deeply as the the Matchless Mine - and the same went for the tavern's owner, Sylius Render. He made her wish her mother could've met him. He was a man made of honor, strength and hard work, the kind anyone would wish for a father...which is exactly how he treated Nura and, for the first time, gave her hope that there is a place in this World she can call home. She's already been here for half a year, longer than she's ever spent in a single place. She was beginning to make her mark in Swordstroke Moors, to build her position as Sylius' second-in-command, even began to learn the secrets of his famous ale. Life was good here. It made sense. Sylius used Mondays for rest and relaxation, which implied a visit to another famous establishment of Swordstroke Moors - the bordello called The House of Flowers. Nura and the other girls were on their own, but that was not at all a problem. Swordstroke Moors weren't your typical lawless border town, and even though it never lacked rowdy men, all most all of them knew and respected Sylius. Even those who disliked him didn't make trouble at the Mine. To drink their ale and enjoy the affection of their waitresses was too good of an experience to risk being banned. Fights rarely broke out here (in comparison to other taverns), and even when they did they were quickly ended by Sylius or, in his absence, their regular patrons, who were mostly his old army buddies. But, tonight, they were of little help. Nura still had trouble believing everything that has happened. First there was the Templar, a small, harmless looking man outside of his armor, the predecessor of the King and his escort. Then an Elf, pretty short for his kind. Elves weren't an everyday sight at Swordstroke Moors, but they did come around every now and then, so there wasn't really anything particularly strange about that, except that they rarely visited anything but the Apothecary Quarter and the Market Square. And then she came. The unearthly beautiful woman that made everybody's heads turn and inspired fear and caution. Her skin was pale as snow and she her attire was just as black as her hair. But it was her eyes that made people shiver, pale yellow, like on no other living creature Nura had encountered. Then again, she was no living creature, but a Necrid, as the Elf's magical amulet has shown. And the rest was chaos. The woman and the Elf exchanged angry words, fairing up the room with heavy and unstable tension, when another Elf had jump in, shooting an arrow straight into the Necrid's chest. The woman merely laughed and pulled it out. She mocked the Elves and did two things that made Nura shiver - threw a bag of gold on the bar's counter and a chair at a group of men who have been heavily drinking that night - and (after a strange moment where she cried for mercy as if in terrible pain) then disappeared in a flash of yellow light. But though she left, the tension she created not only stayed but exploded in violence. Nura tried stopping it, but nobody would listen to her, and gods only know how much worse the consequences would've been if the King and his men hadn't arrived and helped the armed forces of Swordstroke Moors arrest the perpetrators and end the fight. The Elves managed to escape just as they came in, and Nura was glad for that because she was sure they would be blamed for the mess the Necrid woman had created. The good thing were that all the tavern's girls were safe, even though one of them was almost raped and beaten, much like Nura. Sylius had returned from The House of Flowers the minute he heard what happened, and Nura gave him the gold the Necrid left. He was the one who deserved it, because the Mine now laid in ruins. She had just finished telling him what happened when the Templar who arrived first called her to come inside the Mine to do the same with the King. Inside, the King's soldiers cleared things up a bit, making room for their ruler. What a cold man, Nura thought when she saw him. For some reason, the idea that the Necrid woman would make him a perfect match crossed her mind. Still, there was no time for idle thoughts, because she had to carefully - and in full detail - lay out the dramatic events of that night to him, very careful not to mention the gold and to make it clear that the Elves held no blame. She spoke calmly, looking the King straight in the eye, and held her dignity in spite of the fact that her face and neck were bruised, her lower lip cut, and her clothes in tatters. Now all that was left was for him to give her one more cold, short nod and she can leave... Or so she thought, because unbeknown to Nura, not all of the King's body guards were completely human...and her latent talent began to have a strange, unpredictable effect on the one who stood directly behind her.
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Post by Trippy Hare on Jul 31, 2009 7:53:02 GMT -5
Barax tried to make himself invisible as the waitress told her story. To think that he had been within inches of an undead abomination! Not to mention the dramatic, near-riotous fighting! It was not the sort of impression he had been hoping to make. The first night he was here, and all hell broke lose. The king would surely think ill of him. As Barax slunk further towards the periphery of the little knot of people within the remnants of the bar, Barax's mood fell further towards despondency. He'd be extremely fortunate if the king let him live- let alone let him keep his Templar suit. Though, really, losing it might as well be a death sentence. He was nothing without his suit- and with the famous pub in tatters and a town full of raging drunken militia, he wouldn't stand a chance. They'd tear him to pieces. Barax was too busy being wrapped up inside his own sad thoughts to really take stock of what had happened here- though the bar was in ruins, most of the damage was to the furniture, with some structural damage by the door. It would be a simple task to rebuild the place, and as popular as it was, it wouldn't take very long to do so. Then there was his actions during the course of the night- though he hadn't been able to prevent a fight, he had ended it. With the elves long since vanished, and the bizarre beauty gone without a trace, he was the only person besides the waitress who had seen the entire incident- and nobody would believe that the waitress had stopped the mob. The King seemed to share this opinion- but it was not the Templar who had his interest. There was something about the girl, something he couldn't quite put his finger on. She certainly didn't look magic- but the effects could not be ignored. She would be useful to keep around- healing any physical damage near her, regardless of how old the wound was or the nature of the injured- yes, most useful. Dangerous too- if she could heal old wounds, like burn scars, there could be catastrophic consequences. Barax's reverie in misery was broken by the king calling his name- and even worse than that, the king didn't look happy. 'No good can come of this', Barax thought to himself, shaking slightly.
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Post by VecaVjestica on Jul 31, 2009 8:05:57 GMT -5
"And that's all?" the King asked and Nura nodded silently. She wasn't the only one with the habit of looking people straight in the eyes when she talked to them - it seamed he used that tactic as well. But while Nura's gaze was uncomfortable because of her big, unusually colored eyes, the King's cold stare made you feel uneasy and nervous in a much more malicious way. He made you feel...unworthy and small...like a bug beneath his feet. Nura kept praying he dismisses her soon so she can leave this constant sensation of threat behind her. And that's when the man who stood behind her - one of the Kings personal bodyguards - began to shake violently, to gurgle and wheeze as if he was having an epileptic attack. He couldn't stand up straight and finally fell to his knees, holding on to one of the remaining tables for support. Everyone was bewildered, unable to do anything more than stand and stare at the poor man...except for the King, who seamed slightly surprised but more irritated by this event, as if the bodyguard was nothing more then a machine malfunctioning in an inopportune time, and Nura who, after the initial shock, run towards the man and tried to help him. The man cried out in pain, large beads of sweat covering his forehead, falling down on the floor and curling himself up in a fetal position. Nura touched his neck and almost froze when she realized he had no pulse. She also noticed how pale and cold his skin is, especially in contrast to his dark hair, and the touch of yellow tint in his eyes. That almost made her take a step back, because she immediately remembered the Necrid woman. But, strangely, the man was becoming more...rosy...as if the blood was returning to his cheeks. This was so strange, especially since it was becoming more and more visible by the moment. Finally, the painful cries slowly turned into whimpers and the man calmed down, still trembling as if it was freezing cold. Was it just her imagination or did his eyes just turn green? Nura looked over to the King - did he even know he might have an Undead so close to him!? And then she realized he was looking at the soldier with interest, the way a scientist would observe the death of an animal he injected with a new brand of poison he just invented. Oh, yes. He knew. Nura frowned, and the turned back to the man. If he was an Undead, what had happened to him? Nothing, absolutely, nothing could harm a Necrid. She remembered how the woman cried in pain before she disappeared. Could it be the same thing, she wondered. She touched the man's forehead and almost immediately withdrew her hand, shocked. "What is it?" the King asked, but Nura couldn't speak. "Tell me what happened!" the King demanded impatiently, making Nura shake out of stupor and turn back to him. "He...he's warm," she told him, still taken by her discovery, but not enough to stop herself from touching the man's neck again. His heart, completely silent just a few minutes ago, now beat strongly and evenly. "And he has a pulse," she added and stood up, looking towards the King once more. The way he returned her look told her that he full well knew she had discovered something she shouldn't have known about. Ever. This made Nura wonder if she will ever leave this room alive. There was no way the King would want anyone to know he employed Necrids, and Nura was nothing but a bar-maid. He could invent any reason to kill her and nobody would dare question him. For the first time in her life, Nura was actually frightened for her life. "Step aside," the King told her coldly and the turned to the officer who stood to his right, "Fetch my doctor." The man nodded and left. The King waved his hand in Nura's direction and two of his bodyguards stood behind Nura, each firmly gripping one of her forearms. "Have you ever heard of the expression 'Curiosity killed the cat'?" the King said to Nura, standing up from his chair. He walked over to her slowly, and she just knew he relished her fear. "You are such a young girl, with your whole life ahead of you. 'Tis a shame that you attempted to assassinate me and my soldiers had no choice but to kill you in order to save my life." Nura didn't reply. Words had no purpose here. If the King decided she is to die, nothing could save her. He stood there, looking at her, and Nura grew angrier by the minute. Why does he play with her like this? Why doesn't he just kill her? But instead he just stood there, with a look of mind amusement on his face. The officer returned with the doctor, who began examining the man who still laid on the floor, and it didn't take him long to make a diagnosis. "The man is perfectly healthy, Your Majesty," he told the King, bowing deeply, "In some sort of shock, but otherwise healthy." The King nodded and dismissed him with a wave of hand, but before the doctor reached the tavern's door, the two men who guarded Nura began showing the same violent symptoms as their comrade. The doctor, obviously an intelligent man, returned right away, but it was also obvious that he wasn't particularly brave, because he first observed the process from a safe distance and then approached the two men who, like their comrade, ended up on the floor. Nura was now more afraid of the strange events than of the King and his "justice". Her normally calm, unreadable facade was now visibly shaken and she didn't even take her chance to escape. The conclusion the doctor drew was the same as before - the men were physically healthy, though they have suffered some kind of shock. The King, now angry, grabbed Nura by the shoulders and practically growled to her face. "Who are you? What are you?" he demanded to know. But she didn't speak. What could she tell him? If these men were Undead and now were living, then something unnatural was happening for sure, but could the King's suspicions be correct? Was she the one responsible for it? She knew she didn't actively use the small part of her talent that she was able to control, but what about the latent part. It was much greater and it was entirely possible that she didn't know of everything it was able to perform. Was she really able to save the Necrids from their faith, one worst then death itself? "I...I don't know," she told him finally, giving it up. If she will die either way, there was no use in hiding, and if there is any chance that her being so different from most people can save her, then the sacrifice was worth it. "I am a bastard daughter of a bastard daughter. I don't know who my father or grandfather were. I..." she paused, finding it difficult to share her secret with this man, a man cruel and cold, but she found strength within her to finish the sentence, "I can...heal people. Animals and plants, too. I just...I can't really control it. It simply...happens." The King looked at her, as if he was deciding if she was telling the truth or not, and then let go of her and pulled out his sword. Nura began to tremble. Was he to kill her with is own hands? Her heartbeat quickened...and then slowed down in relief when the King used the sword to cut his palm instead of cutting off her head. She was too happy she was allowed to live a little bit longer that she didn't even remember to wonder why he did such a strange thing. Nevertheless, she soon found out why when the King ordered: "Prove it. Heal me." Nura gave him a strange look before she did as she was told - she took his hand and concentrated on closing up the wound. Moments later, his palm looked as if it was never cut, with blood the only proof that it indeed was. The king wiped off the blood with a handkerchief and examined his palm. "Marvelous," he spoke, but it was obvious he was just thinking out loud, "Even some of my old scars are gone, though only the most shallow ones." He began to laugh, but that only made Nura more nervous. It was not a good laugh, not by any measure. He looked back to her, like a hawk would look at a field mouse. "My dear girl, you will be happy to find out that you never tried to kill me, but instead have been rewarded for your bravery by being kindly invited to become a part of the inner circle of my personal entourage," he told her, to which Nura frowned and replied, before even thinking about it first: "Why would I do that? I'm happy where I am." It was only then that she realized saying that was a huge mistake. The King smiled, which only made him look like a viper that's about to bite. "Well, my dear, the choice is yours - you will either be a happy dead, or an unhappy living. The choice is yours."Nura sighed. There really was nothing to think about here. To survive was what she was taught. Righteous indignation and a heroic death may be romantic, but her sense of practicality and self-preservation were stronger. But there was something just as strong in Nura, and that was the instinct to never go down without a damn good fight. "No. Unhappy and living won't do. I want more," she spoke, spitefully eying the King, her voice now as cold and unyielding as his, "There is a man I want to see dead and a family I want to see utterly humiliated. You will provide me with this, and I will accept your...kind invitation." The last phrase was thick with sarcasm. The King merely laughed and replied, his voice oozing condescension: "Who the hell do you think you are, giving me conditions!?" But he made the mistake of underestimating her just because she was a simple bar-maid. With a quick swing of hand, Nura pulled out her blade and leaned it against her left shoulder, the razor-sharp edge gently pressing her neck. "Either we both get what we want, or I die," she told him calmly, "The choice is yours." And the King knew from the look in her eye that, this time, he's met his match. "You really would do it, wouldn't you?" he asked and Nura nodded. The King sat back in his chair, sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "A dead man and a humiliated family...I can live with that," he said and that snake-like smile returned to his face, "You have yourself a deal. Now tell me - what is your name, and who are the people you so desperately want to ruin?"Nura returned the blade to it's sheath, doing her best not to sigh in relief. It was a good thing her bluff worked, because she wasn't sure if he's have the strength to fulfill her threat. She pulled over one of the chairs and sat down. It was against protocol to sit in the King's presence, but she was tired and frustrated and really didn't give a damn about things like that any more. "The name of the man is Carmine Lax. He owns the Sureeta Dawn plantation in the West. He killed my mother. I want him publicly trialed for his attempt to rape her and manslaughter, and sentenced to death. And I want to be there to see it happen," she said as she sat down, crossing her legs, "The last name of the family is Bensen. I don't know where they live, only that they are rich and deal in trade. Fidela Bensen - my grandmother - died because of their cruelty and hypocrisy. I want them ruined. I want everything but what they need to barely make a living taken away from them. I want everyone to know why that has happened. I want to be there to watch it happen - and I want them to know who I am." She sighed, calming her temper. She always became angry when she remembered the injustice her grandmother and mother suffered for no other reasons than being female and without protection. It was payback time, and those who wronged them will pay with interest. She cursed herself for not remembering to mention the old couple who gave her mother refuge when she killed her torturer and escaped, but she knew that it didn't really matter. They were very old with no children or other family, and it's been over two decades. They were surely dead by now...if the angry villagers didn't kill them the night when her mother was forced to flee with her as a baby in her arms. "And my name," she finished her sentence in a much calmer tone, "Is Nura Besazar." The King gave her a mocking look. "The Light Kissed by Fire?" he drew as insultingly as he could to show her just how ridiculous her name was, making Nura - and not for the first time - wish her mother had given her a plain name, like Ellen or Jayne. The King said nothing about the glare Nura gave him as he continued to interrogate her: "You are from the Southern nomad tribes?" he asked, and Nura waved her head in negation. "No, but the woman who raised my mother was, so my mother saw fit to give me a meaningful name, as it is custom amongst them...though I fail to see how that's of interest to you," she replied simply. The man threatened her life and blackmailed her into slavery; she owed him no respect. He laughed, somehow amused by her display of defiance. "It isn't," he said coldly and called out to the Templar Knight who brought Nura in, Barax Shaden. She sat there as the King gave him the orders and waited to see what her destiny has in store for her next.
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Post by Trippy Hare on Jul 31, 2009 8:12:31 GMT -5
Barax could hardly believe his eyes. Somehow, the waitress had brought down the King's own guards! Even more amazing than that- they seemed perfectly unharmed by whatever witchery she had pulled, and even the King seemed rather nonplussed about the whole ordeal. Of course, he'd yelled a bit, but that seemed normal, considering the ever stranger circumstances Barax found himself in. This was a long, long way from Saparte- and for the first time, Barax found himself wishing he were home. There was no talk of unnatural things back home, nor accusations of assassination attempts or anything like that. Barax was deeply uneasy. All his life, he'd been taught that allegiance to the Crown was tantamount to a life worth living, that the monarch was divinely chosen to lead. Yet, Waeleth seemed a little off tonight. Accusing a tavern wench of an attempted assassination was a big stretch- nobody would find it even remotely plausible. And what in the world was cutting his own hand meant to prove?! Barax was definitely uneasy- all this talk of unnatural things, the sudden changes in Waeleth's guards, and the decidedly unhinged behavior of his King... something was amiss. Barax visibly cringed as Waeleth called him over- he had been doing a rather effective job of slinking into the shadowy corners of the tavern, in the hopes of sneaking out to his Templar suit, and the safety it afforded him. Waeleth's summons felt almost like stepping into a snare, like he was caught by the leg and dragged back into the limelight. Even still, he was a Templar, after all. He would have to act the part, no matter how much he loathed how all eyes turned to look at him. He snapped to attention with a crisp salute, and shouted, "At your command, my liege!""I have a task for you, Templar. We must converse in private, as I do not wish to give the wrong impression of my intentions."[/i] Waeleth snapped his fingers, and his physician and the three puzzled-looking guards all filed out- with Nura in between them, looking both frightened and stubborn. "Ah, that's better. I suppose you heard the rather odd request that woman made of me?"[/i] "Yes, sir. With all due respect, my Liege, this whole evening has been rather odd."Waeleth chuckled humorlessly. Minions could be so thick sometimes- which suited the task at hand just fine. "Be that as it may. This... Nura. She has had a most curious effect on my personal guard- I'm sure you noticed. She may not appear so, but Nura is a very dangerous woman. I cannot allow her free reign, in case on of my enemies were to capture her and exploit her unusual abilities against me. Nor can I simply kill her, as this... talent, as it were, may prove useful to me. And, most unfortunately, I cannot keep her close at hand, as this same 'talent' could pose a threat to my personal guard. Do you understand what I'm saying?"Truthfully, Barax hadn't a clue what Waeleth meant. Nura certainly didn't look dangerous- but he had a point. Somehow, Nura had hurt those soldiers- but then, none of them were harmed at all. Was her 'talent' a temporary thing? Did it only work on certain types of people? Or was her excuse about not being able to control it a desperate lie? The last seemed most plausible. The soldiers were obviously fine, albeit a little confused-looking. Everyone here was Terran, yet she had no effect on the other bar patrons, nor he himself. Nura only had an effect on the king and his cadre of soldiers. "I... I am not sure, my Liege. You have said that you cannot have her close by, in case her talent is harmful- but then, you cannot send her away in case an enemy of the state should seek her for that reason, and you cannot kill her... because the talent that is harmful to you may somehow be beneficial to you?"Waeleth smiled, that same cold, humorless smile. "Precisely. I told her she could seek revenge- and I will hold true to that, as it will get her away from myself and my troops, yet she will not be within easy reach of my enemies. This, Templar, is where you come in. You are to accompany Nura west, to wherever it is she wishes to go- but under no circumstances are you to let her leave Waeleden.""My Liege?""Nura is, for all intents and purposes, a prisoner, and you are her jailer. I don't care what you do or how you do it- but keep her alive, keep her in Waeleden, and keep her away from me. Understand?"[/b] Barax nodded, croaked "Yes, sir" weakly, and stood at attention while Waeleth swept out of the tavern. A moment later, Nura was brought back inside, looking thunderous. "Well, we'd better get going. There's no sense in sticking around here," Barax offered shyly. "Perhaps we should stop by your domicile first, so that you might change into less tattered clothes," Barax added, blushing hotly. "For what it's worth- I am sorry, for my part in all this."
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Post by VecaVjestica on Jul 31, 2009 9:11:26 GMT -5
"At your command, my liege!" the Templar replied eagerly. "I have a task for you, Templar. We must converse in private," the King replied and snapped his fingers. Obedient dogs that they were, the King's guards immediately shoved outside everyone who stood in the tavern but the King and the Templar. Nura was furious by such behavior. To treat her like she's a pesky piece of dust that needed to be cleaned up, it was beyond humiliating. But she didn't dare voice out her anger, even thought it was visible on her face. After all, what would be the use? The soldiers laughed at the death-glares she was giving them, teasing her about her temper and her practically naked bosom that was very much exposed because of the tears on her dress...but they suddenly became silent and left in a hurry, as if they were frightened of something. Nura turned around and saw Sylius approaching her, looking rather mad. "What did they do to you in there?" he asked, and Nura hugged took him aside to tell him the whole story. It was difficult, but she knew she had to tell him everything, even the things she hid from him before. She was frightened he would be angry and disappointed in her, but all he did was watch her with that serious look in his eyes, frowned and teeth clenched. She felt embarrassed, she felt like she betrayed him, she felt...all in all, terrible. He didn't deserve this any more than she did. "Necrids amongst his personal bodyguards?" he murmured angrily, "The man has no honor!" He paced around, as if itching for a fight, and Nura could do little more but follow him with her eyes. After a moment, when he calmed down a bit, Sylius approached her again and hugged her tightly. "My little girl...what will I do without you?" he said softly, his voice braking up. And that was it. He didn't ask for any explanations, he just accepted what she had told him and held her in her arms, saying goodbye to the girl who has his family, in these few short months. Nura could feel her cheeks becoming wet from his tears and she too began to cry. They stood there for a while, two lonely people who had just began feeling some kind of connection to another person that they now had to part from, probably forever. But that couldn't last forever. Neither of them was used to such open and strong displays of emotion...plus, they knew that they didn't have a lot of time. "Come," Sylius told her, "lets go back to the Mine." And it was a good thing they did so, because there was an angry soldier looking for her near the entrance to the tavern. "Where the hell were you!?" he exclaimed angrily and grabbed her by the forearm. "The King is looking for you!" he said and pushed her back inside, deaf to Sylius' curses. Nura stumbled back in, but quickly regained her wits and approached the King again. "Ah, Nura! Good to see you back," he told her, a tone of boredom in his tone, as if he couldn't wait to see her gone and this whole business over. Nura didn't reply, fearing she might say something that was not wise. "I have decided that you shall head West, to that plantation you mentioned," he told her and sat down at a nearby table. There were ink, pens and several large peaces of parchment there and, for a moment, the King ignored everyone in the tavern and composed three letters, which he then signed and sealed with his large royal seal, folded and tied with thin, gold-colored ribbons. He gave her the letters and explained: "You will give the first to the judge at the nearest court, and thus have your revenge against the man who killed your mother. The second one is the official royal proclamation that you are under my direct protection, that everything you do is with my approval and that anyone who harms you or denies you help is to be severely punished. The third is a credit letter that will provide you with means to support yourself on road. And, finally, to assist and protect you on this journey, you will be given one of my finest Templar Knights." He pointed towards Barax as he said that, but something about the way he underlined the word "finest" sounded more like mockery than praise. Nura frowned. "His job, from now on, if to go everywhere with you. You are, officially, in his charge," the King said and, in her mind, Nura translated this as: "this Templar is your jailer". "As for the Bensens, we'll see to that later. You may go wherever you want, do whatever you want - as long as you stay in Waeleden and quickly respond to any orders you may receive from me. And you can leave right now, if you want." And Nura translated this as: "leave me be, you stupid pest," so she merely nodded and put the letters in her pouch. The King and his escort then left the Mine. Where did they go, Nura didn't know, and she cared even less. "Well, we'd better get going. There's no sense in sticking around here," she heard someone speak and turned towards the voice, only to see her "personal Templar guard". "Perhaps we should stop by your domicile first, so that you might change into less tattered clothes," he offered, sounding meek and shy. Who is he going to protect, Nura wondered, so benign and clumsy? But it wasn't like she had a choice here, so she just nodded. "For what it's worth- I am sorry, for my part in all this," the Templar said, his cheeks covered in a deep red color. She didn't understand why he felt so embarrassed, but she didn't care either. "You have no reason to apologize," she said simply and began to climb the stairs. "Wait for me here. I shan't be long," she told him and proceeded towards her room. She was sorry there was no time for a proper bath, but since she couldn't bear to put clean clothes on before at least some freshening up, she settled for a short wash-up with cold water she scented with a few drops of aniseed extract and a linen cloth before putting on a clean change of undergarments, a light riding dress, soft boots, and on her combed and re-braided hair a summer kerchief. Then she started to pack. There were not many things in her wardrobe, so she was soon done, and after adding some traveling necessities, like food, medical supplies and dishes, the entire cargo wouldn't burden her horse too much. Right about then, there was a knock on her door and Sylius came in, carrying a pair of large saddlebags that looked generously filled. "Just some things I think you might find useful...and I decided you should take the chestnut mare. You've been the only one riding her anyway," he told her and Nura just accepted the gift, not asking any questions. She knew arguing was of no use. Sylius needed this to make him feel better, like a father who took care of his baby-girl the best he could before sending her off to make a place for herself in the World...and she needed it to feel like she wasn't being forced to do this, but was leaving on her own will. "I'll miss you," he told her, and then added, "I spoke to the King. He'll be staying at another inn, but he expects me to bring him a barrel of our ale right away." He sighed and gave her another hug. "Do try to visit sometimes, will you?" he said jokingly, even though they both knew how small chances of that ever happening were. Nura just nodded and gave him a kiss on the cheek before they ascended downstairs, where Barax waited for her.
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Post by Trippy Hare on Aug 2, 2009 0:49:07 GMT -5
Nura was true to her word, and returned in short order with what Barax assumed was all her worldly possessions. He felt a pang of sympathy for her- although he had little else besides his Templar suit, he at least had a family back in Saparte. He had people to say goodbye to. He tried to give Nura a comforting smile, but his usual anxiety made it seem like a grimace, so he faked a cough to cover for himself. "Ladies first," Barax said, standing to the side of the doorway to let her pass. It gave him a good reason not to look into her tear-stained face, at least. He already felt terrible for wreaking such havoc on an otherwise peaceful place. A small voice told him it was the King's presence that had attracted miscreants, but he brushed the thought from his mind. Waeleth had been good to him, and his family. He had given Barax the chance to live up to the honor of the Shaden name, despite being unfit for Army duties. Strange though the king's behavior was tonight, and bizarre as his current orders were, Waeleth was still King- and had still given him a great deal. He followed Nura as she walked toward the stables, wondering slightly if she knew were he had parked his suit. Closer observation showed she was carrying saddlebags, which presumable meant she had a pony, or even a horse. This would make travel somewhat easier, in that Barax wouldn't have to worry about carrying Nura or anything like that. He hoped the horse was well tamed, as the sight of a Templar suit would make most creatures flee in terror. "This... this may not be the best time to mention it- but as we are traveling west, if it is acceptable to you, we can pass through Saparte. I have relatives there who can give us provisions and lodging."Barax regretted saying it almost immediately. How could he be so tactless? This woman had lost her only home, and had no family, and here he was, talking about visiting his own family at his own home! "I'm sorry, I should not have brought it up. Forgive me, I am a little unnerved after all that's happened tonight. OH! Oh no, I didn't mean... I'll just remain silent, then," he stammered, after trying the backpedal out of his first faux pas and stepping squarely into another. As Nura was loading the bags onto what was presumably her horse, Barax slunk around to the back of the building, where his Templar suit sat over a smoldering bed of coals. A quick check of the gauges showed it had enough power for a few hours' march, a little less than half a day. Hoping that would be enough silence to dissipates his own awkwardness, he climbed in and activated the steam engine. With a loud clank and a hiss, his armor lurched upright. Barax immediately felt more secure, as though at home. This was where he belonged, where nothing could touch him. Here, he was his own king. "I can follow behind you, if you prefer," Barax called down to Nura. "I don't want to startle your mount." He chuckled, the sound safely muffled by the hiss of steam and the clanking of gears. Normally, he wouldn't dare make such a comment, rife with lewd connotations. But it's not as though anyone could chastise him- he was up here, in his Templar suit- while they were not. Normally, it would be dangerous to set out on the open terrain between towns in the dead of night- but then again, a massive walking steel giant tended to keep bandits away quite effectively. Barax had taken the liberty of attaching a lantern to it, affording him enough illumination to see the path ahead. Nura's horse proved to be remarkably calm, and kept pace alongside him, albeit giving his suit a fairly wide berth. An hour or so out of Swordstroke Moors, Barax suggested that Nura affix a lantern to her mount as well, and after a short break to fashion a pole on which to hang it, they affixed her lantern and set out once more. the countryside was mostly grassland, with a winding creek veering off to the south. The night was warm, with just a hint of a breeze. Not that Barax could notice it- within his suit' the temperature was stifling, and the air thick and hot and damp. He had unfortunately forgotten to fill the reservoirs- so although the gauge showed sufficient pressure for a long march, he lacked the water to maintain that pressure- which meant, they would need to stop fairly soon, so he could fill the tanks. That also meant first purging the hot steam, then filling the tank, then heating it- as it was still night, he would not have the sun to do the task for him. "Miss... erm... Nura? I'm afraid I neglected to adequately fill my reservoir. We will need to stop soon," he called out, keeping a nervous eye on the gauge. As luck would have it, his lantern reflected off a small pond nearby. There seemed to be a few of them around here. Most likely seasonal pools, which formed after a torrential rain and dissipated days later. That meant the water was clean, probably even drinkable. How convenient! "I've spotted a sufficiently large pond to suit my needs. Shall we camp there until sunrise?"
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Post by VecaVjestica on Aug 2, 2009 3:47:21 GMT -5
Nura did her best to keep the emotions raging inside of her on a leash. It was a matter of pride as much as privacy. She didn't want her "guard" to start asking stupid questions, or try to console her, or anything like that. Such things should be done by people who are close to you, who love you. When done by strangers, they're reduced to idiocy. She didn't reply his courtesy, just took advantage of it and headed to the stables where Shine, a strong two years old chestnut mare waited for her. She was a well trained, obedient horse, much thanks to the fact that she didn't find it strange that she can understand Nura. Most animals felt uncomfortable or confused by this part of her talent, but Shine was very adaptable. While she was loading the little that she had onto Shine, the Templar rambled on. She only half listened to him, concentrated on strapping on the saddle and her baggage. The man practically confused himself, kept trying to say something that would make her feel better and then correcting himself only to end up blundering some more, and Nura was finally forced to speak to him and put the poor man at ease. "Will you, please, relax a little!?" she exclaimed, maybe a bit more harshly than she intended, "I'm not some dainty little lady that faints at the mention of blood, Templar! You don't have to watch your tongue around me. I've survived much more terrible things than those that have happened tonight, though I admit none were quite as colorful. So just...relax. We'll be traveling together for a long time. There's no need to make it difficult."Finally, they were both ready to leave. It was now late at night and they will, no doubt, have to make a stop by the morning, though Nura wouldn't mind if they waited until the following night. It wouldn't be the first time she had such a long stage of travel, though it has been a while since she did. "I can follow behind you, if you prefer," the Templar offered, "I don't want to startle your mount." Nura just gave him a look. One moment he's tripping over his own tongue and the next he's making smart remarks? What a strange man. "Do what you think is the best. Shine won't be scared," she told him and led the mare outside. Sylius stood at the Mine's door, watching Nura and Barax. She waved to him, sad that they had to part so suddenly, and he waved back with that blank, serious look he always had on his face. She felt like crying again, but suppressed the tears. The strange couple traveled for hours in silence, except for the noises that the Templar's armor was making. Nura rode by his side, albeit at a distance. Shine found this walking machine stinky and loud and unpleasant, but did as she was ordered to. Nura promised her a generous treat of fresh fruit when they stop for a rest. But as it was getting later, it was also getting darker. The sky, though clear, was moonless and the stars covered it like tiny crystals spread across a dark silk cloth. It was beautiful, really, but eventually the lantern which Barax wore on his suit became insufficient and, to his suggestion, they made a short stop so Nura can fix one onto Shine as well. And just as she managed to securely attach the pole with the lantern onto the saddle, the Templar spoke again, his voice and general attitude back to shy and nervous. "Miss... erm... Nura? I'm afraid I neglected to adequately fill my reservoir. We will need to stop soon," he told her, "I've spotted a sufficiently large pond to suit my needs. Shall we camp there until sunrise?"Nura nodded, looking over to the spot he mentioned. It was barely visible in the dark, but obviously a comfortable place to spend the night outside. "Yes, that seams like a good spot. You go do what you need with the suit. I'll start a fire," she told him and they moved over to what seamed to be the best spot to make camp. And while the Templar saw to his armor, Nura, true to her word, gave Shine an apple and set up all they needed for the night - the fire, the blankets, the food. The night was warm and Nura finally felt some peace, though not the need to sleep or eat. Shortly after her work was done, Shine complained that the apple wasn't enough for her, so she took her reigns and led the horse towards the nearest pool of water so she can eat and drink all she wanted. The fire light gave the pool an orange shine and the water was pleasantly warm. Thinking that there was no harm to it, Nura took of her soft riding boots and socks and lifted her dress up above her knees. She sat on a large rock on the edge of the pool and dipped her feet. It felt beautiful, relaxing and clean. She sat there for a while, running her feet trough the water. It felt so good, it practically teased her to take her clothes off and take a swim. And why not, the thought crept up on her. The Templar was away, and gods only knew when she would have the next chance to bathe. In a moment, all her clothes laid on the bank, safely away from the water, her braid was wrapped around her head to keep her hair from getting wet, and Nura slowly entered the lake, relishing the feeling of the warm water closing in around her naked body.
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Post by Trippy Hare on Aug 2, 2009 4:49:54 GMT -5
Barax could have kicked himself for being stupid enough as to leave without filling his suit's tanks. Without the steam pressure, his mighty Templar armor was basically a massive, vaguely humanoid statue- and a fat lot of good that would do to fulfill his orders. Grumbling to himself, Barax parked his Templar suit near to the pond and disengaged, sighing heavily as the suit retracted to its standby position- vaguely reminiscent of a person having a squat. The process of filling the tanks wasn't exactly easy, and the most dangerous part- purging the pressure- was the first one he had to do. Since steam retained its temperature far beyond the boiling point, he couldn't just vent it into the air. One breath- even just a gasp- would flash-fry his lungs. He'd seen firsthand how hideous a death that was, and had committed to memory the precise procedure needed to avoid a relatively simple and lethal mistake. Barax spent a few minutes tightening and checking the purge line for any visible damage, before slipping one end into the pool. The water would act to cool the steam, and also keep it from billowing into camp- or lungs. 'A pity it isn't a lake,' he thought to himself. 'Then we could have fresh fish for dinner.' With the pleasant- and slightly disappointing- thought of steamed fish in his head, Barax released a lever, and superheated steam hissed into the pool, boiling some of it away as expected. Barax sat next to the pool, stretching out his sore muscles. It looked inviting- a little warm pool, like a private hot spring, in the middle of nowhere. He took his boots off with a sigh, then tested the water with one foot. It was still hot, but not unpleasantly so. Barax immediately cursed himself under his breath. There was still a lot of work to do- and here he was, splashing about in the water like a child! He put his boots back on once his feet had dried slightly, and returned to his armor. After a furtive glance to make sure Nura hadn't run off, Barax reeled back in the purge line, and began the process of refilling the suit's reservoir. This required a lot of stamina, as the only way to fill a suit was to physically pour water into the reservoirs- which meant climbing up and down the thing carrying buckets of water. Sighing heavily, Barax took off his spectacles and carefully placed them into the operator's compartment, to avoid accidentally breaking them. He had broken several pairs attempting this same task, so it was prudence that dictated caution. With them safely stored, he began the laborious effort in earnest. After half an hour of this, Barax was thoroughly soaked- with sweat as well as spillage. Though he had a change of uniform in the suit's cargo compartment, he could not pack wet clothes. Which meant he'd have to lay them out to dry, which also meant he'd have to take them off first. The water in the pool was still pleasantly warm, and exuded an ambient comforting temperature. 'I shouldn't put on a nice, clean uniform while being filthy myself,' he reasoned, more to rationalize taking a little dip than anything else. What harm could it do? A moment later, Barax had carefully laid out a swatch of white polishing cloth to serve as a towel, and slipped into the pool. It was deliciously warm, and very relaxing. It wasn't very deep- the water only barely covered his head if he stood in the center of the pool. Barax closed his eyes and submerged, letting the warm water cover his head and wash away the days' dirt and sweat, before surfacing. Problem was, he couldn't see where he had put his towel- and a breeze had kicked up, immediately chilling the skin exposed above the water's edge. At first, Barax thought that perhaps the wind had blown away his towel- but when he turned to look at the other end of the pool, there it was. Or at least, it looked like it was. It was pale, but not uniformly white- like a polishing cloth that had seen much use. He could even make out a lumpy dark shape, that he assumed was his boots, lying next to it. Satisfied that he hadn't gotten disoriented, Barax leaned backward and floated on his back, letting his legs trail down to squish his toes in the muddy bottom. It was a gorgeous night- cloudless and moonless, with the profound noisy silence of insects and rustling grasses. A bird- or possibly a bat- flew overhead, making a rustling sound so soft as to almost be silent. Barax smiled, and looked toward shore. It was late, and he was getting hungry. It seemed as though he had been heading towards shore all along, as the shape he figured was his towel was a lot nearer. It didn't occur to him that it might be Nura until just before she bumped into him. Surprise, embarrassment, and confusion collided in his brain, resulting in a lot of messy spluttering and splashing. Barax was so stunned he forgot he was floating in water slightly deeper than he was tall, and he momentarily sank before bobbing back to the surface like a cork, spitting out some of the water, and coughing up still more. "Nura?!" he exclaimed, between racking coughs. "Wha- but- I thought you were still at camp!"
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Post by VecaVjestica on Aug 2, 2009 5:22:50 GMT -5
After some swimming and playing around, enjoying the sheer freedom of having an entire small lake all to herself, Nura floated on the water, her head slightly risen from the surface. She wouldn't mind wetting her hair if she had means of drying it before going to sleep, but it was already late at night and she didn't want to deprive herself of precious sleep. The calm of the land and water around her slowly melted away her anger, sadness and resentment to a small lump of discomfort somewhere in her stomach. She still felt betrayed by her destiny, but at least she was no longer moping over it. She looked forward, concentrating on the good aspects of the deal. She had freedom, protection and money; she will have vengeance on the people who hurt her mother and grandmother; she was a slave, but at least she was a precious one. She didn't allow herself to fall, and she clung onto the beauty of this little piece of Heavens she was at like to a lifeline. Still, even though both the weather and the water were warm, the breeze felt cold on Nura's wet skin. She knew she had to come out soon or risk becoming ill, but she took her time, relaxing a bit more before swimming back to shore. It wasn't like she was rushing anywhere, and the camp was near, so even if Barax returned while she was bathing, he could surely see where she was, or at least where she left Shine and her clothes. The idea that he might see her naked didn't concern her much. When migrant workers had the luxury of bathing, they didn't have the luxury of bathing alone - and even the rare plantations that offered communal bathrooms often made the same one for the use of both sexes. Hell, in some parts of Waeleden it was customary for men and women to bathe together! And then she felt something warm touching her. Startled out of her wits, screamed, swiftly turned around and hit that "something" as hard as she was able to under such circumstances. It didn't even occur to her that it could've been Barax until the initial shock passed and she saw him nearly drowning from the surprise, waving his hands and splashing water all over her. Well, there goes the idea of keeping her hair dry. "Nura?!" he exclaimed loudly, coughing and spitting out the water caught in his lungs, "Wha- but- I thought you were still at camp!" Angry, she hit the surface of the water with her palms, splashing Barax over the head with a heavy wave of water. "What, you can play around in water under the pretense of doing important work while I have to guard camp and make you dinner, like a real woman!?" she exclaimed indignantly. He scared the air out of her, almost drowned them both, and he has the nerve to complain!? Men!
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Post by Trippy Hare on Aug 2, 2009 17:45:41 GMT -5
Barax's immediate reaction- other than nearly drowning- would normally have been extreme anxiety and shyness. He was naked, in front of a woman who was also naked! The impropriety! This was hardly a normal night, however. And her accusation that he was merely playing while she was doing all the work was maddening! "Did I say you were guarding camp? As if you could?! No, I said I thought you were at camp- as in, I didn't know you were here, because if I had known, I would have given you a little privacy!" Barax felt his face flush hotly- how could anyone think him capable of spying on a bathing woman? Ordinary men- stupid, callous, piggish men- would, be he was far too shy to even think about doing such a thing. "And what's to say I'm playing around?! It takes a great deal of work to keep my armor operating, and the only reason the water is warm at all is because I purged superheated steam into it, to keep that very same steam from boiling away my- or your- lungs! I was sweaty and dirty, and thought a bath might be nice, that's all!" he continued, breathing heavily in anger, even as his face grew hotter from embarrassment. "I thought you were still at camp, so I figured I'd have a little privacy to bathe. Had I known you wanted to do the same, I would have been happy to wait until you had finished!" Barax turned away from her, splashing some water into his face in an effort to wash away the hot blush he could feel creeping across it. He shouldn't have yelled at her, but then, she shouldn't have immediately jumped to a negative conclusion. This was not a promising start to their travels. "In the future," he began, keeping his voice calm, "perhaps it would be best if we told one another prior to bathing, so that one of us could stay and guard the camp- or at the very least, so that we don't both drown naked in the middle of nowhere." He stifled a chuckle- it was rather funny, once one got over the humiliation of it all. "And since I am almost completely blind without my spectacles in the dark, and after all this excitement I can't even remember where I put them, could you- please- bring me a towel or something? Otherwise I'll be stumbling around cold and naked in the dark trying to find one."The blush came back with a vengeance as soon as he said it, so he submerged so that only his eyes and nose were above the water, so she wouldn't be able to see his face. Barax decided it would be best to stop talking for the moment, and simply wait to see how Nura reacted. She certainly looked furious- but then again, as she didn't expect to bump into him, she was probably feeling the same embarrassment he was. Barax wondered if she was blushing too, but in the dark, it'd be impossible to tell. That, and he was nearly blind anyway. He hadn't even recognized her shape as anything other than a towel until she was almost upon him! Nura had probably gotten a much better view of him than he had of her. The one positive side of this whole incident, and he was too nearsighted to even enjoy that. After a few choice words, Nura departed- presumably to get dressed, and hopefully to bring him a towel. He could see a glowing orange blur, in the direction she was heading. That must have been the camp. He thought he had parked his armor near to the camp, but apparently he misjudged the length of the strides he took within it. That, or he was right next to it, and mistook it for a rock due to his poor vision. 'Blind idiot,' Barax cursed himself, under his breath. The breeze had picked up again, chilling his skin. The water temperature wouldn't feel warm much longer, and soaking in cold water could give him hypothermia. The more Barax thought about it, the less likely it seemed that Nura would oblige him with a towel- which meant he had to find where he had put his own- or his armor, which had a clean uniform and several polishing cloths he could dry off with. The pool wasn't very large- he could probably just follow the shore around and feel for a hose, or buckets, or other signs of where he had been set up earlier. He decided that the shore closest to camp would be a good starting point, and made his way to the water's edge. No sooner had he done so, than a large cloth landed over his head. "Thank you," Barax said, the sound muffled slightly by the cloth. "Out of curiosity- when you were yelling at me about being left to guard camp and make dinner, does that mean you actually did cook something? Because that would be wonderful," Barax said, chuckling. She had already seen him naked and startled, so it wasn't like he could possibly be any more embarrassed by being a little cheeky.
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Post by VecaVjestica on Aug 3, 2009 2:13:53 GMT -5
"Did I say you were guarding camp? As if you could?! No, I said I thought you were at camp- as in, I didn't know you were here, because if I had known, I would have given you a little privacy!" Barax exclaimed, his face redder by the minute, but Nura didn't stay quiet either: "As if? As if!? I've done guard-duty for the larger part of my life and I'm obviously not so bad at it, since I'm still alive!" But he just kept at it, yelling at her and trying to justify his actions, to which her only reply after the entire tirade was spoken in a condescending tome: "And you honestly think I care why you do what you do?"Oh, this was so stupid! Why was he making such a fuss of it all? Sure, they startled each other, and being naked in front of strangers can be embarrassing, but it wasn't that big a deal. She has seen both better and worst looking men than him naked, and she was sure that she wasn't the first woman he saw naked. They were grownups - or, at least, she was. Right now, the Templar behaved much more like a child than a grown man, yelling and splashing around like a mad duck. And to top it all off, he even dared lecturing her: "In the future, perhaps it would be best if we told one another prior to bathing, so that one of us could stay and guard the camp- or at the very least, so that we don't both drown naked in the middle of nowhere." Normally, Nura would agree, seeing how it was a completely sensible suggestion, but she wasn't going to give him the pleasure just yet. "And since I am almost completely blind without my spectacles in the dark, and after all this excitement I can't even remember where I put them, could you- please- bring me a towel or something? Otherwise I'll be stumbling around cold and naked in the dark trying to find one," he went on, going so far as to give her orders (that forced "please" was totally unconvincing!), and she felt a strong urge to drown him right there and then. Instead she quipped: "The way you behave, I should let you do just that," and swam away before he got the chance to reply. She was a strong swimmer and the pool was small, so she reached the part of the bank where she left her things within a few short moments. Shine was still grazing and she didn't bother her because she knew the horse wouldn't go anywhere far or run away. She picked up her clothes and boots and headed for the camp where she dried herself with a towel, got dressed, put a small pot on the fire and then, after a moment's thought, decided to grant the Templar's request and bring him a towel (actually, what she did is demonstratively throw the towel at him when she saw him approaching the shore, but he didn't deserve even that, so he should be happy). If anything else, he had the decency to thank her, though he spoiled that moment of courtesy with cheeky questions and cheesy chuckles: "Out of curiosity- when you were yelling at me about being left to guard camp and make dinner, does that mean you actually did cook something? Because that would be wonderful."Nura merely smirked and put a plate with a quarter loaf of bread, large chunks of cheese and beef jerky, and an apple at bis bed-site (which, in the preset circumstances, consisted of two blankets and his cape folded as a pillow). There was no warm food, but she did brew some Klamath Weed tea, both to warm them up and because of the herb's well known ability to soothe nerves and help one sleep. By the time Barax was out of the water and dressed, it was done. "This was all I managed to pack on such short notice, but we'll be passing trough a village tomorrow and we can buy some food there," she told him when he sat down to eat, not an apology, just a mere statement of fact, and then started eating herself.
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Post by Trippy Hare on Aug 3, 2009 5:13:08 GMT -5
Barax hadn't really expected her to have prepared anything, and was thus pleasantly surprised at the spread. Granted, it was all travel provisions- some bread and cheese, with a little dried meat. Still, the fact that she had the foresight to pack that in such short notice was impressive. Barax ate slowly, mostly lost in thought. This was a bizarre turn of events. On the one hand, the King had made it seem as though guarding Nura was important, like she was valuable to him- but on the other hand, why only have one Templar guarding her? And Barax had never spoken to the King before, nor had he gotten the impression that the King had much faith in him. It didn't make any sense- and compared to the rest of the King's odd behavior, made even less. Perhaps the stress of ruling was beginning to take its toll. For the most part though, the King was still a great leader. The scent of Klamath tea immediately pulled Barax's thoughts back to the present. "Ah, Klamath, my favorite!" he exclaimed, gladly taking the proffered cup. "My mother used to make me Klamath when I was ill as a boy- which happened rather often," Barax added, the hint of a smile on his face. "I actually believed it was magical for the longest time. I drank gallons of it when I was in the Army- stupid as it sounds, I really thought it could somehow 'make me better', like it has when I was young. Fat lot of good it did me, though," he said, staring into the distance. "Nine generations of Shadens have served in the Army, and I'm the first to fail out. If it weren't for the Templar Corps, I'd probably be mucking out stalls for the rest of my days. It's my eyes- apparently, wearing spectacles is unbecoming for a soldier."Barax drank his tea slowly, letting the taste linger on his tongue. It was slightly sweeter than he was used to, but it was still delicious and soothing. It must have been freshly picked, or close to it. That meant it was in season, which also raised the possibility that whatever village they came to would have more. "Maybe if we're lucky, they'll have fresh Poffinfruit- it'd go wonderfully with Klamath," Barax mused. The thought of what supplies to procure brought Barax out of his wistful reminiscence, and he began to make mental note of which supplies would be most needed. "Hopefully they have an apothecary, as well. I have a few medicinal supplies, but not enough for two people. It would be better to have too many and not need them, then need them and have too few."The effects of the tea brought to bear all the fatigue from the day's events. It hardly seemed possible how much had happened so quickly. Life in Saparte was certainly nowhere near as exciting, save for the day he fought off two daemons. Other than that, every day there was more or less like every other day. This constant excitement was exhausting. "On that note, I think I shall retire for the evening. Good night, Nura," Barax said, barely covering a wide yawn. With that, he rolled his cape and towel into a pillow, and was sound asleep minutes later. As the dawn turned into a hot, bright morning, Barax awoke, and set to work preparing to depart. The fire still had an ember left, so he coaxed it into full flame, finished the piece of bread and some cheese he had saved from the night before, and set to work preparing his armor for the day's march. This consisted mostly of polishing the solar heating element, to allow for the sun's rays to heat the water in its reservoirs into steam. Once that was complete, Barax lumbered it into position over the renewed fire, to help speed along the vaporization. Moving Templar armor that was under-powered was no simple task, and even though it only moved a few yards, Barax was feeling his arms and legs tingle and burn from the sheer effort. It didn't take long to fully pressurize his suit once it stood over the flame, and the village was only a few hours' march away. Had they tried to continue last night, they may very well have stumbled into it- but despite how tense and awkward the previous night had been, Barax thought it was more prudent to avoid stomping into a village in the dead of night, thereby waking every living thing there. It was better to arrive by daylight, like normal people. The day was clear and hot, without a cloud in the sky- which gave Barax an excellent view over the rolling grasslands they were marching through, especially elevated as he was in the suit. It was this elevated view that allowed him to spot a plume of smoke. Normally, smoke from cooking fires or forges traveled through a fireplace or chimney, which caused a very thin plume that couldn't really be seen from far away. This one, however, was fat and dark, and immediately raised Barax's guard. This did not bode well. Barax kept his pace steady, so as not to alarm Nura. If his suspicions were accurate, they would both know soon enough- but for the moment, a slight dip in the terrain obscured it from her view. Her horse seemed to have scented the smoke, though, and was visibly agitated. As they grew closer, the scent of smoke became more pronounced- until finally, Barax discovered incontrovertible proof of foul play. Lying across the roadway was an overturned hay cart, half on fire, with several arrows sticking out all over it. The driver was gone, as was the mule, but the mule harness had been cleanly cut. "Bandits," Barax muttered to himself. He pressed a switch to divert steam pressure to the miniature ballista concealed in his shield, and loaded a cylinder of bolts into position. Unless the village was being attacked by an army, a single cylinder would certainly suffice. "Stay here," Barax told Nura, gesturing with the enormous over-sized armor's hands. "And stay out of sight. I'll come for you when it's safe." With that, Barax used his armor's sword to flatten the burning cart, which both got it out of his way and stamped out the flames. Barax had a feeling Nura would resent being ordered about, but he hoped- for her sake- that she had the sense to stay put anyway. Bandits wouldn't care if she had a letter from the king- they were outlaws and vagabonds, what did they care for the rule of law? His pace quickened as he approached the village, and by the time he reached the first outlying cottages, he was running at a dead sprint. Barax stormed into the village like a thing possessed, his eyes scanning for any sign of movement. It was a safe bet that all the actual residents had hidden inside their homes or in cellars, which meant everyone he saw was a potential target. He fired a bolt through one bandit, who had been dragging a woman by the hair, and another through a bandit on horseback. The second target had gotten a shot off, but his arrow clanked harmlessly off Barax's suit. A loud clang and a shake told him someone had tried jumping onto him from above- a stupid move. Barax dropped to the ground and rolled, crushing the villainous scum like a wine grape. As he stood up, a bandit peeked out from behind a crumbling retention wall and fired a pitch-soaked flaming arrow at him. Barax laughed as the arrow stuck to his suit like a a smashed insect. He casually brushed it off with his sword hand, leaving a thin trail of smoldering pitch. It was almost unfair, fighting these cowards in a Templar suit while they did little more than lob sticks and stones at him. If they hadn't been criminal parasites preying on the helpless, Barax might have felt sympathy for them. Instead, he smashed the bandit into the cobblestones with one stroke of his massive sword. It would have been a waste, firing a bolt at such close range. Barax marched through the village square, cutting one bandit in half with his sword and stepping on one who had tripped trying to flee. Whatever resolve they had seemed to break then- everywhere he looked, he saw bandits fleeing on horseback. He fired three more bolts into a knot of men trying to flee. Two were killed outright, while four more were crushed as their mounts tripped over the lead horse. Barax felt a twinge of remorse- he hadn't meant to kill the lead horse, only spook it. There was no time to berate himself for failing to lead a target though, there was still work to be done. It was impossible to hear anything, over the din of battle and the clank and hiss of his suit, but Barax let out a loud war-cry anyway. It felt supremely satisfying to be doing something meaningful with his Templar suit, even if it was sheer coincidence and bad luck that brought him here in the first place. Despite the noise, he heard a scream and instinctively turned towards it. Seeing a man dressed in rags with a woman hoisted over his shoulder, Barax fired another bolt at the man's legs, hoping to miss the hostage but kill or disable her captor. The bolt ricocheted off the cobblestones and caught the kidnapper square in the chest, knocking him backward in the process. The woman fell to the ground and scooted away from the bleeding corpse, so Barax reasoned he had missed her. By now, the villagers were emerging, and trying desperately to put out the fires by forming watering lines. That usually indicated that the attackers were no longer a threat- meaning, any bandit left alive had fled. His work done, Barax strode over to the woman who had tumbled when he shot her captor. Though he knew she was at least well enough to move, it wouldn't hurt to double-check. If nothing else, he could recover one of his bolts, provided it hadn't splintered when it struck the cobblestones. To say he was shocked to find Nura sitting there in the dirt would have been an understatement. "We keep bumping into each other in the most unusual of circumstances," he quipped, trying to keep from getting angry- though it didn't work. "I thought I told you to stay put! AND to stay out of sight! You could have been killed!" Barax opened the cockpit of his armor, both to get some fresh air and to speak more clearly. "What good does it do for you to jump into the thick of things, if all you do is play the helpless damsel in need of rescue?!"
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Post by VecaVjestica on Aug 3, 2009 6:09:22 GMT -5
"Ah, Klamath, my favorite!" Barax exclaimed happily as he took the cup she offered him. "My mother used to make me Klamath when I was ill as a boy- which happened rather often," he said, smiling, for some reason thinking Nura was interested in listening to him. Still, she ate her food and pretended for the sake of good manners. Even silly life stories were better than being yelled at. "I actually believed it was magical for the longest time. I drank gallons of it when I was in the Army- stupid as it sounds, I really thought it could somehow 'make me better', like it has when I was young. Fat lot of good it did me, though," he said, staring into the distance, and Nura couldn't help thinking he was sad, "Nine generations of Shadens have served in the Army, and I'm the first to fail out. If it weren't for the Templar Corps, I'd probably be mucking out stalls for the rest of my days. It's my eyes- apparently, wearing spectacles is unbecoming for a soldier."Nura looked at him. Truly, he was no soldier. Sylius, even in his age, was a real soldier, a warrior. But this funny little man...if they had put him in the living wall, he'd be the first to die. Even his personality didn't become a soldier's job. It was funny how he turned into a much more confident person when he was inside his armor, she thought. If he had that kind of attitude outside of it as well, maybe he wouldn't feel such a desperate need to please his family. Still, she felt the need to help him feel a bit better, though she wasn't sure how she could do it. She barely knew the man, so to think that she might find a way to make him lighten up was foolish. "But the Templar Corps does exist, so now all you have to do is make sure then tenth generation of Shadens comes up," she told him, trying to make a joke. What she really wanted was to smack him on the head, and tell him that his family should love and respect him for who he is, and that if they don't then they don't deserve him and that he should've spent the time he did on trying to join the army on finding out what his true calling was...but she didn't. He wouldn't have understood. She was done with her diner faster than her companion and used the time before they went to sleep to comb and dry up her hair, which was a task that required patience. The way her hair reflected the fire light, it almost looked like a part of it, and this was a sight that made Nura nostalgic for the times she spent on road with her mother. Barax kept talking, sipping his tea and finishing his dinner. Nura merely nodded along and appropriately replied with "Yes", "Sure" or "Of course" where necessary. Eventually, he got tired of talking to himself and went to bed, and Nura did the same as soon as her hair was dry enough to be braided in again. It took some adjusting - she hasn't slept in the open for a while - but in the end, she slept as calmly as always. She woke up an hour or two after sunrise, nudged by Shine who wanted another apple. Nura smiled and petted the mare before slowly getting up and stretching. She was all stiff, which meant she was out of shape. Not something she wanted to discover about herself when you have many long journeys and outdoor nights in your immediate future. Barax woke up around the same time, which was a lucky thing, because that mean they wouldn't waste any unnecessary time in preparations to continue with their travel. It took some effort to get the Templar armor running again, but the important thing for her was that she was ready by the time Barax was, so they could hit the road without any problems. The day sunny and bright, and a bit too hot for her taste, but not unpleasant. Much like the night before, Nura and Barax traveled in silence. She didn't mind mind it, because it seamed that, when they talked, they either bored each other or had a hissing fit. Though she was aware some people liked to argue, Nura wasn't one of them, and she preferred silence and occasional exchange of thoughts with Shine. But as they approached their destination - the village where they planned to restore their rations - it was obvious something was wrong. Shine felt smoke and became nervous. Half an hour later, Nura could see the smoke herself. And that made her worried. Soon enough, it was clear as day that the village was under attack. Barax obviously came to the same conclusion, because he ordered: "Stay here. And stay out of sight. I'll come for you when it's safe," and practically jumped into the fight. Only Nura wasn't able to stay away. The mare's nervousness was beginning to affect her and the voices of crying children and screaming women made her heart ache. She knew that it was the smartest thing to do, but just couldn't merely wait and do nothing. And when she saw a crying woman with a baby in her arms and a girl not older than five beside her, trapped between the fire and a raging bandit, there was no more room for rational thinking - she had to become involved. She rushed her mare straight into the man, making him drop on the ground and hit his head pretty hard. She jumped down and helped the woman stand and took the little girl in her arms. "Come on! We have to get out of the street!" she told the woman and they began to run. It seamed the woman knew where she needed to be, so Nura just followed until they reached the place where most of the women, elderly and children were hiding out. Unfortunately, one of the attackers followed, but they didn't even notice him until it was too late. He carried a sword in one hand and a torch in the other, and having no other choice but to fight, Nura grabbed the nearby shovel and started hitting the man as hard as she could. "Go!" she ordered to the villagers between strikes, "Get out of the village, now! And don't return until the bandits are taken care of!" She didn't even turn to see if they did as she said, but from the noises they made, she was certain they obeyed. But the bandit in front of her was not the only one who noticed her, and Nura suddenly found herself lifted up and thrown across the shoulder of another man, unable to do anything else but curse and yell and try her best to kick and hit him in hopes she'll make him drop her. He did drop her in the end, but not because of anything Nura did. She didn't even realize what had happened. All she knew was that there was a bright flash and she was on the ground, hurting her arm and her hip, while the man was dead, a gaping hole ripping his chest open. The sight made her shudder and almost panicky move away, trying to ignore the awful scent of burned human flesh that made her feel nauseous. It didn't even dawn on her that the only thing that could've caused such an injury was Barax's Templar armor until she saw him in that contraption, standing right above her. She didn't even hear him approach her. "We keep bumping into each other in the most unusual of circumstances," he quipped, obviously annoyed by the fact that she didn't obey. Nura wanted to calmly explain she was just trying to help - she was sure he'd be less angry if he understood her reasons - but he never gave her a chance. Instead, he decided to be a jerk. "I thought I told you to stay put! AND to stay out of sight! You could have been killed!" he said as he opened the cockpit of his armor, and she could see the frustration on his face as clear as day, "What good does it do for you to jump into the thick of things, if all you do is play the helpless damsel in need of rescue?!"Nura bristled at the last sentence and frowned. If she could reach him, his nose would be broken and heavily bleeding right now. Instead, she decided to control her temper and bite her lip. Her eyes, however, spoke for themselves. Locked onto his, they burned with that golden-amber shine they always got when emotions would flare up and overcame her. "Instead of wasting your time scolding me, how about you help these people put out the fires that are eating up their homes while I continue to help the women and children as I initially did?" she replied coldly and left him with the words in the mouth. She didn't want to argue, not because she wasn't in the mood but because she was afraid she might loose control over herself. Finally, when all the fires were extinguished, all the children accounted for and the people felt much calmer, safer, it was time to trade. Nura took care of that, haggling to get a reasonable price (though she didn't overdo it - these people very much needed the money), and packed the rations and herbs she bought on Shine. The horse protested, more out of principle than because of the weight, but Nura hushed her up with another apple. They left after lunch, which the villagers insisted they have with them. It was a good meal, warm and nourishing, and Nura was grateful for it after the dry food they had last night and that morning. "I suppose the next stop is...Saparte? That's the name of your hometown, yes?" Nura asked Barax once they were on their way - the first time she spoke to him after their last snappy duel. She was now calmer, but still very angry, and she was merely waiting for the right moment to pay him back for calling her a useless damsel.
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Post by Trippy Hare on Aug 3, 2009 20:01:01 GMT -5
Truth be told, Barax hadn't meant to sound so angry. It was mostly the adrenaline, the stifling heat of his suit, and the thought of just how close he had come to hitting her with that bolt. If Waeleth found out that not only had he failed to protect Nura, but had actually caused her demise... well, it wouldn't be pleasant, that was certain. In any case, it really was no surprise that Nura was furious at being called a useless damsel. Even with sweat and steam and dust and grime stinging his eyes, he could tell she was moments away from scaling his armor and punching him on the nose. "Instead of wasting your time scolding me, how about you help these people put out the fires that are eating up their homes while I continue to help the women and children as I initially did?" she replied coldly, before running off to lead a terrified family away from their burning cottage. Barax grunted in frustration, closed his suit, and got back to work. Since most of the homes had thatched roofs, and since the villagers couldn't climb up to pour water on them, the task fell to Barax. He initially tried to tamp the flames, but that proved ineffective. He then tried simply scraping all the burning thatch off of the cottage- leaving it exposed, but not burning. It was hot, dirty work, and utterly exhausting. By the time he was finished, Barax was too tired to even think of trading, so he let Nura handle it. The people insisted that he join them for lunch, which Barax gratefully obliged. He was starving after the morning's exertions, not to mention thirsty from the intense heat of the suit, the battle, and the fires he'd put out. All told, he'd fired off almost an entire cylinder of bolts- all but one of which were recoverable. All in all, the battle had gone quite well. Two villagers had suffered minor burns, one had a broken nose, and most had some cuts and scrapes. But nobody had been killed or raped, and their gratitude was tremendous. "No no, really, that isn't necessary," Barax said, for what seemed like the thousandth time. "It wouldn't feel right to accept payment. I consider the wonderful meal to be payment in full." The grateful villagers had been offering him everything from gold to livestock to free brothel services for over an hour. Flattering as it was, he simply couldn't accept their offers. They had enough to worry about with rebuilding- which he would not be able to assist with. It was midafternoon when he and Nura departed- much later than they had planned for, which meant another night of camping out. At least this time they were both in good spirits. "I suppose the next stop is...Saparte? That's the name of your hometown, yes?" Nura asked, an hour or so into their journey. It caught Barax a little off guard, as they normally traveled in silence. He was glad she was not angry at him for suggesting it, though in reality he hadn't thought it through. There was no time to send word to his parents that he'd be visiting, nor would he be able to stay very long. Worse still, if his sisters were visiting also, there'd be no room for Nura- or himself, for that matter. The Shaden house was not particularly large, while the Shaden family was. "Yes, we aren't far, probably another day or so. So long as my sisters are not also visiting, we'll have lodging taken care of. I had hoped to make it there tonight, but- well, there were more important matters to attend to." They trooped on quietly for another hour or so, mostly silently. "Truth be told, I'm glad we made camp last night, instead of marching on to the village. Can you imagine what would have happened if we had left before the attack? I shudder to think of it," he said with sincerity. In the context of today's events, forgetting to fill his reservoirs seemed more and more like a blessing in disguise. As an added benefit, the only real maintenance he would need to do tonight- besides the usual polishing and inspection of seals and joints- was repacking the bolts he recovered into their firing cylinder. A pity he'd broken one. Which brought his thoughts back to the present. "My apologies, by the way. I'm sure I came across much angrier than I meant to- the effects of adrenaline, I'm afraid. You weren't injured when that rogue dropped you, were you?"
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Post by VecaVjestica on Aug 3, 2009 23:49:49 GMT -5
After a moment's pause, Barax replied: "Yes, we aren't far, probably another day or so. So long as my sisters are not also visiting, we'll have lodging taken care of. I had hoped to make it there tonight, but- well, there were more important matters to attend to." Nura nodded. It didn't matter, really, when they would arrive, because they weren't pressed by time, though it would've been nice if they could've reached it by nightfall. Oh well... "Truth be told, I'm glad we made camp last night, instead of marching on to the village. Can you imagine what would have happened if we had left before the attack? I shudder to think of it," he suddenly said after almost an hour of silence, nearly startling Nura who was lost in her thoughts. Still, she regained her wits quickly enough to be able to reply. "You're right," she told him, "It would've bought us time, but the price would be awful...and, even worst, we'd probably never even know we paid it." This was true. If things had happened differently, gods only knew when - and if - they would've ever found out that they could've saved lives and property of many people if only they had stayed a bit longer, and that would've been a terrible discovery. Thank gods, their timing was perfect. One of the women later told her that Barax had joined the fight shortly after the bandits arrived, and it was thanks to the superiority of his machine over the assailants' weapons that nobody was so severely hurt that would force Nura into having to publicly reveal her talent. All in all, it was a lucky thing for everyone things played out the way they did. "My apologies, by the way. I'm sure I came across much angrier than I meant to- the effects of adrenaline, I'm afraid. You weren't injured when that rogue dropped you, were you?" Barax added a bit later, making Nura frown. That part of today's events didn't have to be mentioned. "I've had worse, don't worry," she replied calmly, her tone making it clear that this was not a matter she wished to discuss.There was only one time it really needed to be mentioned, and that was after she makes him pay for those disrespectful words...and she will make him pay, she swore to it, even if it takes her years to do so. As earlier discussed, upon nightfall, they took some distance from the road and camped out. They didn't bother to travel for long after sundown simply because there was no need. The fire was lit quickly and Nura took it on herself to prepare a tasty broth with the remaining dry meat and the vegetables they bought in the village, mostly rooty things like carrots, potatoes and onions, things that are easy to store and maintain. They had some other things as well, but not in large quantities. Tomatoes, for example, were great to eat, but terrible to carry on long distance travels. Early in the morning, they continued their travel. This part of the journey was a lot less dramatic and the day was far more pleasant thanks to the soft breeze that helped fight the heat. She suspected they didn't have all that much road to cover that day, and they would probably spend the remains of the day at the Shaden family home, or maybe the town inn if there turns out to be no space to house them in for the day. That meant at least one night of good sleep, and Nura was happy for it. She will undoubtedly sooner or later become accustomed to resting on the ground, just like in her nomad days, but for now, beds were her favorites.
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