#λ::|| italy | 1300s ce

[ofspvrta]

❛  how did you do that?  ❜ (from Vittorio)

μ::|| meme:   🐝  *  ―  𝑨𝑵𝑮𝑺𝑻𝒀 𝑸𝑼𝑬𝑺𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵 𝑷𝑹𝑶𝑴𝑷𝑻𝑺. | accepting [ Ξ ]

θ::|| @dimensionalspades | Vittorio

The voice rang out just as the gold light surrounding her and the staff that had now returned back into her body had dissipated. A silent epitaph falling from her lips as she realized too late that she wasn't alone when she used her powerful gifts. Sword in her free hand, she held to it cautiously as she turned to face the voice, wondering if the man was with the bandit camp she had dispatched or just had the misfortune of finding himself out here. A dark brow raised in his direction.

"Family secret." A pause, "do you make a habit of sneaking up on people like that?"

[ofspvrta]

"People, architecture, historical records..." friends, family. She could go on, but she didn't really feel like getting drunk so early. An old habit that she could never truly shake. "It really is astonishing, but then I remember the good mankind can do... not everything is awful. There is hope."

Kassandra smiled in return. "The trees were fine, and those that weren't we cut down for kindling. Some were even used for large festival fires." Kassandra couldn't blame him for his pacifistic views. In many ways, she envied him. Her hands, though they appeared to be mostly clean now, always felt permanently stained with the blood of a thousand wars.

She nodded, "I have. The world feels like it works in cycles. Enlightenment, war, dark times, enlightenment again." Maybe the cycles could be too predictable at times, but it was there.

. He sighed, staring at the fire with a frown. "There is much war has taken from us. Too much has been eaten by violence and greed, it is astonishing we have survived so long as a species." He waved a hand dismissively, as if trying to wipe away the notion of war in its entirety.

He chuckled at her reassurances. "I appreciate that. Hopefully the trees recovered well." His grin to her was more wry, aware that his more... sensitive disposition wasn't shared by all, and appreciating the kindness she showed.

"Ah, how true! The dead can tell us as much about the future as the past. History repeats itself in so many ways. I am sure you've seen this in your studies as well."

[ofspvrta]

"It does break the heart to know how much knowledge was truly lost. So much history destroyed due to wars and time, a shame there's no way to carefully preserve it all." Beyond what her memories held. And they held everything in such perfect clarity, it was a miracle she hadn't been driven mad by what she was able to retain all these years. "That we do. That we certainly do."

Realizing what she said might have offended his peaceful nature, she held a hand up, "The targets were all trees, I assure you. No people were hurt in the lessons." And it was even more fun with a belly full of mead. "They were and I will. There's value in learning both from the dead and the living. The dead can show us where we came from and help us appreciate what we have, the living can teach us where we're heading and to appreciate living in the moment."

. "Ah, I have been there! My uncle oft spoke at length about the library. You would have thought he experienced the tragedy himself." He remembered being enthralled about the idea of such a place of knowledge, and had decided even as a child that he would craft his own Alexandria. The castle library wasn't nearly as large, but it was impressive on its own. "Hard to tell! We span the breadth of the world between us all."

He made a face at the notion of throwing axes, the expression somewhat unnerved, but it settled after a moment, still listening to her. "They sound good company, then. I am sure you'll keep those experiences for life. I am envious! Most of my work revolves the culture of the dead, not the living. Both have so much to teach us, though!"

[ofspvrta]

Kassandra smiled to herself hearing him speak on Egypt's history and fringe societies. Two things she has very first-hand experience with. More than most, she'd be willing to venture. "Have you ever been to Egypt yourself? I went once, years ago, stood where the Library of Alexandria once stood. There's so much history there, a beautiful place." Kassandra chuckled, "I wonder who, among the three of us, is the most well-traveled?"

The smile faltered for a moment. Oh, how her heart missed Ravensthrope and longed to return to that time. "I was with them for a little while, a year or so. I think I learned how to handle my mead better, and they taught me how to throw an axe. But I learned their prayers and their festivals. I think I took their work ethos to heart, for certain. They are a hearty people." While she had never been religious, a part of her was envious of their faith, the truth weighed on her for centuries. It could never be unlearned.

. He thought on the library for a moment, sighing as he tried to think of the most interesting ones. "We've collected quite a few about Egyptian archeology and lawmaking, I have a few tomes that cover medicinal plant uses by some fringe societies, and I've made a section for fiction, if you enjoy those types. My copiest is a fantastic man who almost does more traveling than me!"

He stretched again as he listened, shaking out his legs a few times. "Ah! Quite lucky, then. I imagine they allowed for a great deal of experiences. How long were you with them? Any practices you took into your daily life?" Perhaps he could be too hard on the faithful. In a way, his work had become his religion, fanatical in his desire to spread the notion of the Observers. But his belief was in a world without war, not a world that bent to his rule based on the supposed presence of a deity.

[ofspvrta]

Kassandra didn't even need to eat and yet she could put away food like it was nobody's business. Call it a leftover effect from when she had to live not knowing when her next meal would come. She especially loved trying the food of the cultures she encountered.

"Oh, and now you fully have my interest. Most of my tomes are home in Greece, kept under lock and key. Not necessarily information most people should have access to, given the nature of the items I hunt." A brow raised in curiosity. "What other sort of tomes do you have?"

"I was taken in by a Norse village for a time. They still practiced the old ways, one of the few people in the land Christianity could not claim. They taught me the old ways of worship and festivals. They were very welcoming." She may have lied a little, but how could she explain she lived in a settlement in England when the Viking practices had died out about two centuries past?

. He nodded in agreement. He was never a particularly voracious creature but for the times that he had gone without food too long and someone reminded him. Those times, however, he'd probably fight the cosmos itself for even a small scrap of sustenance. Being stolen by a bird... unforgivable!

"And mine is grand! My uncle collected tomes for many years befgore I began to help in bringing more. Some are not strictly about our research, but..." he shrugged. "There is some merit in those tomes as well."

"Ah? Do you have a favorite, then?" He asked. "Some culture you've experienced that has stuck out to you? I'm afraid my studies focus on those no longer with us rather than my neighbors."

[ofspvrta]

Ikaros had finally settled in a nearby tree. It seemed the faithful companion had grown tired of flying and she often wondered if he also was cured of the feeling of fatigue as she was. The staff made him immortal by proxy, but did he have the other side effects? He still seemed to have a voracious appetite, or perhaps it was out of habit.

"It's a shame to lose any food not willingly given." She adjusted her armor, still not feeling the wear of being on the road for some time.

"It is, they don't know what they're missing." Not that she'd ever hang around those institutions for long. The longer she stayed in any one location the more likely her secret was to get out. Plus as much as she longed for a more peaceful existence at times, she couldn't ignore the call to action she felt in her bones. It was who she was, she couldn't change it if she tried. "I'd definitely be interested to see your tomes, a good library is never to be looked down on." For a moment, she paused, mulling over her answer. "Traveling. Hunting. I like experiencing new cultures. No better way to learn than to be there and experience it for yourself."

. He chuckled at her reply, brows lifted at the description. He supposed he would. There were days when the road exhausted him beyond belief and he'd ravenously downed anything in sight that was edible.

"I see your point." His eyes were full of mirth, stretching himself and rolling his shoulders.

"It's a travesty, but their loss will be my gain." His expression was sympathetic. To a lesser degree he could sympathize, spending too many hours of his life arguing with his father only to be met with a stony gaze and a demand to pick up blades- told he was a coward when he refused. "I will always appreciate a fellow open mind. I have a library that may call your name when we return to Portoscuro. My uncle and I curated a great collection. What do you do when you are not fighting or learning?"

[ofspvrta]

Kassandra was lucky to have Ikaros in her life, a loyal bird, awe-inspiring, and not helping the goddess or demigod rumors at all when he appeared by her side. Combined they were a mighty force in the Greek World. Now they were simply a curiosity for any who perceived them for too long.

"You say that, but when you spend so long on the road and just want to settle down to eat, even one stolen olive can ruin the whole meal." But he was worth the trouble to keep. Ikaros screeched, knowing he was being spoken of. Always so dramatic.

"Learned, yes, but those spaces accept my kind less than the mercenary work does. Anyone willing to get their hands dirty for the right price can be hired, but to be a woman of academic standing is unwelcome." And she lacked any form of formal education. She simply had age and experience as her advantages. "I had to teach myself everything I know."

.     Vittorio laughed at that. He liked the pigeons, they were good little birds, but yes, the aviary was basically a giant pigeon shit keeper.

"Ikaros is certainly more regal than a pigeon. Stolen snacks seems a fair trade for his services." Though, he was sure he'd sing a different tune if the bird stole his sausages or tarts. Then he'd find issue with the bird, of course. Until then, a regal king of the skies.

"Ah, you seem like the talented kind. I am sure you would have no problem finding yourself better employ, no? There are always places for learned sorts." At least, to him. The more academics that he could surround himself with, the better. Not everyone agreed, but the people who mattered did.

[ofspvrta]

There was a brief moment of a homesick expression, a longing to return to what was when the world was smaller and all she had to worry about was Markos' bullshit back on Kephallonia. Oh, things were easier then, weren't they? But through the years and the miles and temporary lodgings, none of them quite felt like home. Only shelter.

"That's because they are pigeons. Smart birds, but they shit everywhere. I generally just let Ikaros do what he will. He always sticks close and minus the occasional food theft, he stays out of trouble." At least, what she would consider trouble, at any rate.

"Bit by bit," she agreed, nodding. "Hope is in short supply, so we must hold onto it while we have it." Hope for her was to one day rest and take her place in Elysium. But that time was still so far away. Until then, she would make sure she left the world a better place than she entered it. Or at least rid it of as many Pieces of Eden as she could. "It would be nice, though, I would be out of a lot of jobs. But a world where my ilk aren't necessary is the goal."

. "How true!" He spoke wistfully, expression and tone that of contentment. The thought of returning home after a long journey was always enough to sustain him when the digs became exhausting, their efforts fruitless. But then sitting at home pouring over papers and listening to the bickering and petty complaints of other nobility made him yearn for fruitless digs. At least then, there was something to keep his mind busy.

"I do not know. I've never kept any birds, but he avoids the aviary where the messenger pigeons are kept. Perhaps he is avoiding them." He grinned at her, as though sharing some secret behind Adriano's back.

"I cannot lose hope. No one clears the blocked path if they do not move." He rubbed at his neck. World peace was a hell of a goal, but Vittorio was not a man frightened by daunting tasks. Kassandra seemed the same. Perhaps together they would see the world change. Bit by bit. "Non-violence is the higher calling. It will not be easy, but I believe that it is possible."

[ofspvrta]

"Truly, there's nothing like returning home after a long journey." Even if she no longer had a home to go to. She was Greece's forgotten daughter several times over. The statues in her honor now stood as testament to an anonymous soldier, or a forgotten goddess. No one truly knew her name and her home on Kephallonia had long been claimed by time. The Gate of Atlantis on Thera was now the closest place to home she had. And one day, it would be her grave.

"Well, it's a good thing Phobos isn't a cat then. I wonder how well he does with birds..." Ikaros was fairly protective of Kassandra and didn't much care for many others unless food was involved.

"That is true. I've seen tyrants of every stripe, of all walks of life. If they could get even the tiniest bit of power or leverage over someone, they will." She didn't hold the hope that he had, though. Almost two thousand years have shown her that man was unwilling to do better. "Maybe someday. I fear we may not see it in our lifetimes, though."

. "Excellent! we'll have a good time! I am happy to be on the road now, but I'm sure I'll be just as happy to be home by the end of this." He did enjoy being out on the road and at sites, but he wasn't immune to homesickness. Starry skies and the smell of nature couldn't make up for a soft bed at home.

"Adriano is exceptional with horses, but he is terrible with cats." He'd never met a cat that tolerated Adriano for more than a few minutes.

"Mm, I agree. But, some people think they can only attain happiness through the subjugation of others through those things. People seem all too happy to war over religion, region, and language. Some day we'll be free of that kind of hatred, I hope."

[ofspvrta]

"I would be more than happy to attend. People who think fish smells strong have clearly never grown up around a port." The sea and all its creatures is a smell she'll never get out of her head and she wouldn't want to anyway. The scent just made her think of home. Whatever that meant now.

Phobos went calmly with the man. "Your handler seems gentle enough. Phobos doesn't usually like strangers that much."

"There are universal truths in humanity, don't you think? Look past religion and region and language and we all bleed the same. We all want a happy life and to live as we were meant to." Though some would say her ideas were... radical. Ah, to fight the gods, Kassandra had come far closer than any being alive could claim. "I don't know, I think fighting a god could prove interesting."

. "You are of course invited. I've been told the smell of fish is strong, but I've lived there all my life, I cant's say I notice it anymore," he chuckled, expression bright. "If we make good time, we should be back just when they are preparing for it."

. The man graciously took Phobos with him, talking to the horse quietly, as if more speaking to himself about what needed to be done still.

. "You make a good point. I think it is interesting that so many disconnected cultures have such a similar theme. A cohesion to fight destiny if it comes down to it." He remained standing, though he moved to be by the main fire. Sitting right now seemed a bad idea. "I don't really want to fight gods, but I'd like to study them."

[ofspvrta]

"I don't mean to brag," she said with a hearty laugh, "but I do tend to hold my own in those departments. A little more brawn than brain, unfortunately. I know where my weaknesses lie." Though she was far smarter now than she had been in her youth, that was for certain. Taking the time to learn and centuries of experience could do that for a person.

She glanced away for a moment. He wasn't wrong, no one knew better about the cost of bloodshed than she did. "Sometimes it is unavoidable, but when it can be avoided, it should be."

Colorful was certainly a word for it. "As colorful as our politics. Always a scandal among the gods. But I've heard the festivals in the gods' names were always something. Especially Dionysis." She had certainly been to more than a few of those. Delightfully good parties, so much wine she couldn't see straight for most of the night and barely remembered a thing come the morning. But she knew the truth about the gods, all of them. Horrible, horrible truths that man was not equipped to hear.

Kassandra brought Phobos to a halt as the caravan slowed. It was getting late, night was settling in and they'd need to set up camp for certain.

"I have plenty of favorite stories. Though I'm particularly fond of Homer's Odyssey. Man triumphs over impossible odds and the wrath of the gods. Those are the stories I live for."

. "Brain and brawn, you are blessed with more than most!" He was privileged in his life. Little to worry about in terms of food or a roof or anything to do. His only real troubles came when he came of age to hold a blade. What a despicable honor.

. "I think you're right not to. Bloodshed is a terrible thing, pointless bloodshed is heinous." He scrunched up his face, expression darkening for only a moment.

. "I am not as familiar with them as I used to be, but I truly enjoy what I remember. One of the more colorful pantheons." The only real look into what was and wasn't real were texts on the Observers- at least, as far as he was concerned. But, he'd found calling people's gods mere stories tended to not go over well. Besides, who was he to say they never existed? Maybe they found texts from the beginning of time speaking of Zeus' might or Hades' temperament.

. As the caravan slowed for the evening, Vittorio looked around, finding that now that he was focused on it, his hips were sore from riding for hours. He hadn't been quite paying attention.

. "Do you have a favorite story?"

[ofspvrta]

"I like to think my wits are as sharp as my blades. It's kept me alive this long." She shrugged. "Maybe when I was younger, but I grew up with little to my name, it was less greed and more a means of survival. Anything to have some food on my plate and a roof over my head." And how grateful she was that she had no more need for such things. She still sometimes missed the idea of a place to call home and being able to enjoy a hard-earned meal.

"I don't trust the ones who use it as an excuse to kill whoever they like. They don't care about the coin or contract, they just want bloodshed." As someone who had more blood on their hands than anyone, she knew how taking a life could change someone. Some it changed for far worse.

"Yes. Every day he'd drag the sun across the sky on a chariot driven by four horses." She spoke with a fondness for the old tales. Even if she knew the truth, there is something beautiful about some of the stories, the imagery, the fact that some of the tales were kept alive through oral tradition and writings.

. He looked pleased at that, "Ahh, far craftier than they," he said. "It's to be expected. Easier when you are not hampered by unchecked greed." Again he wondered what that collection could look like. Were there any artifacts that spoke of the Observers? The Lapis Paradisus? Questions, questions, none of which she seemed to wish to answer. Perhaps in time.

. "The best kind," he said with a nod towards her. "The last thing I need is a thug with no care for the work we do who has a thirst for blood." The thought alone of losing precious work to heavy-handed miscreants or spilling innocent blood for no other wrong than desperation.

. "Helios, the Greek god of the sun, correct?" He liked Greek mythos, even if he did not much believe in religion. There was an interesting mesh of stories that created quite fascinating tales.

[ofspvrta]

The mercenaries would love to talk of big scores they had pulled from the board. That was their loss and her gain, especially when they'd brag about some shiny object of some dead civilization. It was a good time for her to swoop in before they could get it, in case it was the artifact she was looking for. Half the time it was.

"If it's any consolation, I've swiped a few of those jobs out from under their noses, getting to the artifact before they could. Their bragging is their downfall, all ego and no brains." There was a laugh as they traveled. Some mercenaries were too stupid for their own good.

"Some of these mercs would sell their mother for two florins. A lot of these guys are only interested in the coin, others are in it for an excuse to kill. And then you have the mercenaries like myself who enjoy the adventure and have a code of honor." There were just some things she drew the line at. Sunset was quickly approaching and she couldn't help the smile that wore across her features. "The sky is prettiest when Helios sets the horizon ablaze."

. Vittorio made a face, nose wrinkling with his distaste for the thought of simply selling priceless artifacts for some coin. He couldn't fully blame them, but it always seemed so... Well, they should locate people who could appreciate and care for the relics, not just hoarding treasureseekers who couldn't understand the true worth of the items.

. "The thought makes me a little ill, those artifacts being pawned off. Imagine the knowledge lost to greed and lack of care." There were times when Renzo and he would enter a place, only to see it'd been scavenged already.

. "I wonder what the price would be for some? What would make it 'worth it' in their eyes to adjust their philosophy?" He looked ahead again. Dusk had slowly begun to descend on the world, painting the hills and trees with vibrant pinks and yellows that seemed to drip off the edges of the landscape. "Ah, there is little better than travel at this time."

[ofspvrta]

"Your contract just felt like it was right in my wheelhouse." Her next destination was Spain anyway, so getting paid to go where she was already headed was a bonus, but this honestly had proven to be more valuable than she imagined. Vittorio was already proving to be great company so at least she didn't have to make this journey alone.

"As am I. Trust me, it's not a conversation that comes up around other mercenaries. They see something old and valuable looking they usually just contemplate where they can sell it for the most coin, not exactly the best conversation." She caught the tone shift, but she wouldn't prod him on it unless he wanted to discuss it. Some sorrows were not meant to be shared, especially with a relative stranger. "Very true, but it is a tale as old as time. Many would have to wish to change at once for it to truly be viable." Even the First Civilization were guilty of such foleys.

. "I should be honored that you'd choose to agree to work with me, then," Vittorio replied readily. His tone was earnest, his smile genuine. Good help that wouldn't kill you in your sleep was hard to find, and even if they were still in the early stages of knowing each other, Vittorio felt something of a kindred spirit.

. "And for that I am grateful!" He laughed, bright-eyed and wide smile. "My uncle Renzo and I could speak about it for hours, I miss being able to." The touch of melancholy only lasted a brief moment. If there was a man who understood Vittorio better than anyone, it was Renzo. But, as much as he missed him, he would not dwell forever. "Ah, Man is adaptable, though. We can change at any time we wish. It is only making people wish to change that is the trouble."

[ofspvrta]

"Trust me, I know. Many in my profession are far less savory than I am, for example. Gruff people who will kill for a few coin, though I'm more selective with my jobs these days." The few times she took mercenary work to line her coin purse, these days, it was mostly taking out a corrupt lord or hunting work. They paid well enough.

At least this job provided good company and someone she could talk shop with without having to reveal more than she needed to.

"You just so happened to find the one mercenary who can keep up with you on strange artifacts and can keep you safe." Now she was being braggadocious, but she had every reason to be so. She was, without a doubt, the best at what she did. She had the unfair advantage of centuries on her side. "Given the nature of man, I very much doubt it. But it's a nice thought."

. "There are good and bad examples of every kind of person. But some professions make the differences more... apparent than others." He didn't quite know how to tell her that if she stayed around long enough, she'd be dragged to those events. If she stayed around that long. They seemed a good fit, but first impressions were hardly the indicator for a long term situation.

. He would freely admit he was optimistic, though. Having another person to talk about artifacts and finds was exciting.

. "Good news for me, then," he replied. He was glad of her commitment, but in a perfect world, there would be no violence needed or committed. He'd prefer that- that he was stuck in one where he need hire a bodyguard was something of a point of contention. As much as he wanted to simply ignore the necessity, his life would be in constant danger. Vittorio sighed. "Hopefully someday there won't be a need for that."

[ofspvrta]

"Ah, yes, Phobos has done that to me as well. Cleaning mud off of armor is easy enough but getting it out of the fur on my cloak was an entirely different story. Sometimes they are little more than giant dogs or like cows playing in the field." None of her horses had ever quite lived up to her original Phobos, but they were all good, reliable horses regardless. They didn't flee too far when a battle broke out and that was invaluable to her.

Kassandra's mind wandered through all the measures she had to take to safely handle the artifacts. Some jobs were easier than others, one of the hardest had been the Isle of Skye, between a curse that had obscured the artifact from her sights, to a stubborn Vikingr who seemed intent on doing things herself, to the artifact literally turning the island against her simply for being there.

"I do. A place no one else knows about. They're safe there."

. "Domenico is a wonderful steed, a bit too smart sometimes. But there are moments where he's.... less intelligent. He saw a puddle he wanted to roll in and decided he was going to no matter if I was still on his back." He was generally in tune with the beast, working well with him in most ways. But sometimes Domenico knew he could get away with certain things, and that included some measures of mischief.

. He furrowed his brows, lips drawn into a thin line as he considered her words. Certainly, there were artifacts that he'd encountered that had the same properties- though Renzo had very quickly taught him in his youth to take care around any artifact. One never knew when something could simply be dormant.

. "Good to know, I suppose. Do you have a plan for where to store these artifacts, then?"