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patrickcharlton-oshea-author · 6 years ago

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Chapter Seven: “Ow!” Once more, Peter woke into darkness. This darkness was more stuffy and musty though. He tried to sit up, but a sharp pain in his forehead and a burst of stars caused him to lie back again. Through a rising panic he explored his environment with the only sense available: touch. He was bounded on all sides by silk-lined walls, leaving little room to move. Eventually he found a braided cord by his head and pulled on it vigorously. Far off a tinkling bell could be heard. Right. The bell. He continued to pull the rope as hard as he could. “All right. Keep your shroud on.” A voice from outside his confinement grumbled. “Damn Travellers. Why can't they stay dead like the rest of you lot?” A sliver of light pierced the darkness, then widened as the lid of the sarcophagus was pushed aside. Peering in was quite possibly the ugliest face Peter had seen since joining the game. It was indescribable. He sat up and took a deep breath of fresh air. Well, air anyway. It was decidedly not fresh in here. The walls were lined with horizontal alcoves in which resided skeletons. Some had weapons and shields placed on them. Some had jewellery strung from their bony bodies. They were all absolutely dead. “Well, Traveller? Would you like some more time to regenerate, or are you ready to face the world again?” The man asked. It had to be a man. Nature couldn't possibly be that cruel to a girl. It's frame was hunched, knobbly and moved weirdly. The voice that issued from him was oddly calming however. “I'm ready to get up, thank you. Sorry for going crazy with the bell. It's the first time I've died.” Peter edged over the side of the stone coffin and stood blinking in the half-light. “Oh-ho! A first timer! Well, welcome to my crypt. I'm Jacob, and it's my job to guide you to the Sisters of Mercy. Follow me.” He began to head for the door with an odd, rolling gait. Peter thought he might have made a decent sailor with that walk. “I've not had a Traveller through here in a little bit. Folks just aren't dying like they used to.” Peter followed him along a torch lit tunnel. They were well spaced apart and he was glad of it, his eyes were still quite sensitive. “Popular place, was it?” “Oh, for sure,” Jacob replied. “It's dead centre of town. People were dying to get in here. I even used to have my band practice down here, until people complained. Apparently we were loud enough to wake the dead.” Peter smiled to himself. His dad told the same sort of jokes all the time. Then his smile faded. His dad used to joke, but hadn't in a long time. After a walk long enough that Jacob's jokes had started to repeat, they arrived at a steel ladder set into the stone. “Up you go young sir. Thank you for listening to an old crypt keeper’s rambling. The Sisters will meet you at the top of the ladder. They've got tea and biscuits I'm told. Now, as much as I like the company, I hope I don't see you again. In a box, at least. Feel free to drop by the cemetery any time.” Peter took hold of the first rung and Jacob ambled off, muttering to himself good naturedly. When most of your friends are dead, you get used to the sound of your own voice, he guessed. At the top of the ladder he was indeed met by a Sister in the usual habit. Instead of speaking, she merely gestured for him to follow a short way down a much lighter corridor, with walls that were all white marble with sconces set in a much more regular manner. He was waved into a room with a wooden chair and desk against one wall and a rug and cushions on the opposite side. On the desk was parchment and a quill with an ink bottle. Set in front of the cushions was a small coffee table with a steaming mug and an assortment of snacks. Peter threw himself down on the cushions, grabbed a biscuit and dunked it in his tea. Munching on the snack he looked around to find himself alone. He sat and sipped the tea, which was quite excellent, and thought about how he'd died. It had hurt, and the surprise had made it worse. It had shocked him so much that as soon as the darkness had rolled in he'd logged out, fast. He replayed the moment in his mind again. He'd experienced something similar when Billy had hit him. The surprise that someone, or in the rabbit's case, something, had wanted to hurt him so badly. He was feeling an odd mixture of rage and fear. He desperately wanted to hunt down the mad bunny and cause it as much pain as it had inflicted upon him. Yet, it had taken him down so fast, so easily, he dreaded that it'd do exactly the same again. Peter sipped his tea again. Perhaps he should simply leave it alone for now. If he was more careful, quieter and more attentive he could avoid putting himself in that situation again until he was stronger, and armed. Sparked by the thought of arms, Peter rolled up his now very grubby sleeve and looked at his left forearm. He scrolled through his stats to the skills section, worried about experience point loss. It had been mentioned on the wiki that when your character died you could lose stats and skill points. He had no stats to speak of anyway, but he'd just earned himself some points in herbalism, fractional though they had been. No, the score was unchanged. Still sitting at 0.3%. He let out a sigh of relief, which cut off shortly. He quickly scrolled to the inventory mark and popped it open. The berries were all still there, and his sickle was undamaged. Unlike his clothes that were rapidly becoming tattered, it was almost pristine. This time his sigh of relief was uninterrupted. Just as he swallowed the last of his tea, a Sister appeared in the doorway. It could have been the same one. Was there even more than one here? “Traveller, are you prepared to face the world again?” she asked. He thought the voice was the same as the one he'd met in the chapel, but he wasn't certain. They might have just used the same voice actress for all of them. When he nodded assent to the question, the priestess gestured for him to follow her. They walked up the hallway and ascended a short flight of stairs which brought them out into the graveyard. The priestess bowed and retired back below. Jacob was there, tidying a plot with a scythe. It wasn't a large graveyard, room only for about fifty plots and a marble arch that led down into the crypts. The tall brick walls kept the air still in here, but the sun shone gently, reflecting off the polished headstones. One plot stood empty with a pile of fresh dirt next to it. Peter wandered over, curious. The headstone bore his name. Shocked, he called out to the crypt keeper. “Jacob. What the hell?” “Well, Traveller, how did you think you got down into my crypts?” Jacob leaned the scythe against the stone. “By the grace of the gods, when you bind your soul to this place a stone is set in the yard here. If you die out there, your body is brought here by their will and I have to dig you up and take you down for a rest while your body knits itself together. Most Travellers are awake and screaming when this happens, but some lucky few sleep through it like you did. It's one of the reasons Travellers go to such lengths to avoid dying. Massive sets of armour, magic potions and shields, some even hire mercenaries to do the adventuring for them. Still, I usually gets to see them all at least once. Now, I've got duties to attend to, unless you want something else?” “No, thank you,” Pete mumbled distractedly. “You've given me much to think about.” Pete wandered over to a nearby bench and sat down. Lifelike NPCs, painful deaths AND respawning in a coffin. None of this had been noted in his research. What else hadn't been mentioned? Was it even worth playing? But the flipside of the coin wasn't much better. His parents didn't look like they were going to stop fighting any time soon. Did his dad really just fall asleep working? He was in for a world of pain when he got back to school anyway and the advice he'd been given sounded like it was going to earn him more beatings whether he listened to his mum or dad. At least here he knew he could eventually do something about it. Armour had been mentioned, as had magic. Now he just needed the means to acquire it. The quest! Peter jumped up and ran out the gate of the graveyard excitedly. He'd completed the quest for the herbalist and was owed some money! Running into the square he found he had absolutely no idea where to go from there. He checked his arm again, flicking to the quests section and thumbing the guiding lights option. Once more the little lights shimmered into life to show him where to go. Magic GPS, what an idea. Following the flickering trail along the street was a cinch. It wended itself around people, NPCs, Peter reminded himself. There couldn’t be this many people role playing as Citizens, could there? Jogging along the trail Peter kept one eye on the lights to ensure he was going the right way and turned his attention to his surroundings. He passed a few stalls, one selling fruit, one selling smallgoods, one selling an impact... Wait? An impact? Peter was flung through the air, visions of a large animal mixing with sky and ground. He skidded to a halt in a jumble of arms and legs. Picking himself and dusting off his increasingly ruined clothing he looked back the way he'd come. The lights passed through a rider on a barded warhorse as though it wasn't even there. Peter thought about this as he tried his best to tidy up. Maybe the magic GPS didn't account for Travellers, if that’s what the rider was. He certainly looked the part. Peter picked up a clod of earth and slung it at the back of the oblivious twat who'd paid exactly zero attention to the poor person he'd bowled over. They were just riding up the middle of the street as though they owned the road. Of course, his stats in this game were the much the same as his athletic ability in real life, and the clod bounced off the head of a random figure who'd just stepped out their front door. As the poor innocent tried in vain to solve the Mystery of the Muck Missile, Peter ducked guiltily into an alley between two houses. Then he remembered the bus that had embarrassed him the previous morning and felt vindicated. Stupid machines, Skynet could suck it. So could the jerk on his armoured ass. “Bugger them,” he thought, and strode back out into the street. Pointedly ignoring the ruckus up the street where the Mysterious Muck Missile Manhunt had become a small riot with pointed fingers and accusations thrown as randomly as Peter’s clod, Peter followed the lights down the road to an unassuming building with a wooden sign in the shape of a maple leaf hung above the door. Opening the door to a jingling bell Peter found himself in a dimly lit room lined with open topped boxes and labelled jars. Behind a counter at the back of the room stood an elderly man with an impressively long white beard. The flickering lights had formed a ring around him, indicating he was the objective of the quest. The herbalist himself, he assumed. Well, he could wait. Peter browsed the merchandise, examining the assorted leaves, roots and sticks of exotic wood. Some he recognised from the real world, camphor wood, cinnamon sticks and vanilla seed pods. Others were clearly made up. He doubted that there was any such thing as Blood Orchid root, mallets from a Sledgehammer Plant, or Dragon Fruit seeds. The man at the back of the room coughed to get his attention. “Can I help you, young Traveller? Is there something specific you need for, say, a potion or salve?” Peter ceased his browsing and opened his inventory. He withdrew twenty of the berries and placed them on the counter. “I have come to fulfil your quest. You needed raspberries, yes?” The herbalist's face lit up with a smile. He quickly swept the berries into a large jar and hid it under the counter whilst looking shiftily behind him at the curtain that separated the shop from the rest of the building. “Well done, Traveller. Here are five coppers for your efforts,” he whispered, dropping the coins onto the counter. You'd think Peter had just brought in a package of illicit drugs the way he was acting. “May I ask, what sort of potion do you make with those?” Peter inquired, whispering as well. “No potion, I just really love raspberries. My wife says I eat too many so I have to hide them from her,” he replied with a wink. In a louder voice he continued. “Maybe you seek recipes? Your interest in my wares suggests you may be in the herb business yourself?” Shaken by the sudden change of tone, Peter stammered, “R-r-recipes? I'm new to the world, could you explain, please?” “Certainly, Traveller. Whilst you can eat the raw ingredients to gain the benefits of a herb, you also receive all the effects from that herb. Recipes and the correct brewing equipment will allow you to distil the desired effect. I have for sale a basic mortar and pestle, a small cauldron – popular with the alchemist on the move – and the recipes for basic health and essence potions. I also carry more advanced recipes like barkskin, stoneskin, alacrity and mental acuity enhancement. Which would you like?” Peter dropped his voice to a whisper again. “First, I have some more raspberries, if you're interested.” He placed the rest of the berried from his cache on the counter. “I can only accept twenty more, Traveller. Any more and I'll have a stomach ache, and the rest will spoil. I can offer three coppers, is that acceptable?” When Peter nodded his assent, the berries were swiftly replaced with the metal disks. “Good sir, I have but eight coppers to my name.” Peter raised his voice again. “What do you have that you can offer in that price range?” “Nay young lad. Whilst that sum would procure some herbs from these stocks, it wouldn’t afford you the meanest of the tools I have to offer.” The herbalist shook his head sadly. Dismayed, Peter slunk out, slamming the door behind him. He was getting exceptionally tired, his eyes were burning and head filling with cotton wool. He couldn’t catch a break. “It must be past midnight. I should try getting some actual sleep.” He sat on the step outside the shop, closed his aching eyes and logged off for the second time that night.

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galadrieljones · 7 years ago

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zero: chapter 6

Fandom: Horizon: Zero Dawn | Pairing: Aloy x Nil | Rating: M (Mature)

Content: Existential Angst, Touch-Starved, Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Alcohol Abuse, First Loves in the Wild, Slow Burn, Violence, Love Triangles, Nightmares, Hurt/Comfort, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Post-Traumatic Stress

Forgiveness

“He won’t be there,” said the barmaid. She was putting together a nice cup of coffee for Aloy. The tavern had big, wooden walls and low, brass lights, and it was rather crowded for a typical morning in the Maizelands. Somebody was talking like a parade had come to town. New merchants from the Borderlands with new wares, and this got the villagers excited.

“What do you mean?” said Aloy. She had her hands folded on the counter in front of her.

“If you’re going to see brother Nil? He won’t be there. He caught word on some bandits from Oseram travelers. He told me to tell you if you came, and he left a note where his camp used to be. He said it would be a note that only you can read. Whatever that means.”

Aloy got red in her cheeks. She felt the go-between nature of this barmaid and the rest of her life, and it was making her itch. She sighed and rested her chin in her hands. “More bandits,” she said. “Great.”

“Are you surprised?” said the barmaid. She handed Aloy a little cup and saucer. The coffee smelled good. They didn’t have coffee in the Sacred Lands and Aloy was growing used to it here.

“Not really,” said Aloy. “He’s not really the sitting-still type.”

“And neither are you, I take it,” said the barmaid with her green eyes. She introduced herself as Brissa. “I knew Nil as a kid in Meridian Village. I don't know that he remembers me exactly whenever he comes in here. I was a touch younger, but I remember him.”

“Did you know Avad?”

She blushed. She was tall and rangy and beautiful, but she wore a wedding ring and had some ceremonial tattoos on her neck that communicated the rites of a Carja marriage. “No,” she said. “Only Nil knew Prince Avad.”

“Does everybody know Nil? It seems like they do.”

“Not everybody,” said Brissa, smiling. “But many do. None speak of him anymore, of course. They all think he was a betrayer, but I remember what happened in Sunfall, and a lot of us know the truth behind his allegiances.”

“What truth?” said Aloy.

“That his mother was murdered by Oseram mercenaries,” she said, almost casual. She began polishing a glass with an old brown rag. “Mercenaries who later joined Avad’s cause in Meridian. Nil was a teenager. It was a big deal.”

Aloy felt suddenly very far away and cold. “His mother was killed by Oseram?” she said.

“Yes,” said Brissa. She set down the glass and rubbed her eyes. Then she looked right at Aloy, very serious. “He doesn’t talk about it, does he?”

“No,” said Aloy. “He doesn’t.”

Brissa sighed. She seemed unsurprised by this, the fact that Nil had kept it all a secret. “I guess you two just live in the moment then,” she said. She looked up. “Am I right?”

“What does that mean?”

“You both hurt, but you don’t talk about it. Why not?”

“I’m fine,” said Aloy, so quick and so certain, she almost convinced herself.

But Brissa was not so easy. She sort of squinted, leaning over the bar as if she were reading the glyphs of truth on Aloy’s soul. She nodded, once. “Right,” she said, smiling. Then she changed the subject. “When he moved away from Meridian Village, you know, we were all so sad.” She sighed. “He was so cute, and he writes good stories. He used to read them at the campfire and change his voice for all the characters.”

Aloy allowed herself to laugh at this. “Nil?” she said.

“He used to be much happier,” said Brissa. It was a blunt fact as she tended to her nails with a slender file from her pocket. The Carja spoke with a forward measure. They rarely hid their truths and were uncontained with bravado like the Oseram or the Nora. They wore their bravado on their faces in tattoos and ceremonial make-up. They wore it on their head-dresses and elaborate fashions of metal and ceramic plates. “He was light on his feet back then.”

Aloy nodded, feeling a little guilty for some reason.

“Were you ever light on your feet?” said Brissa.

Aloy gave her a look. She pushed the hair off her face and felt suddenly persecuted. “What’s with the interrogation?”

“Nothing,” said Brissa, innocently. Like it was all a joke. “I just get that you’re a warrior-type, and him, too. So serious. My brother’s a little like that. Not my husband. He’s a fisherman and he just wears his emotions like jewelry. That is why I love him. But still, working at a bar, I’ve had some practice.”

“I’m not that serious,” said Aloy. “I can be…less serious. And I don’t even know if I’m a warrior. I mean, I’m good at stabbing stuff, if that’s what you mean.”

Brissa laughed at this. “You’ll come around one of these nights, Aloy, and I’ll get you toasted off your ass,” she said. “We can talk about your whole life, and your big handsome lover Nil and his childhood brevity.”

Aloy felt very tense in her face and her neck as she drank her coffee. The room was warm and itchy. She tried to pay with a couple coins before she left but Brissa would hear nothing of it.

Afterward, Aloy encountered a distressed man in Brightmarket who had grown worried upon the disappearance of his daughter. It came suddenly, like a big wind in a canyon and took Aloy off guard so that she could not escape him. She’d been busy, walking along the river, gathering up ridgewood for her arrows, trying not to feel both sad and elated at once. She didn’t even see him coming and then suddenly she was involved in his life, and he had a very sad face that made her think of Rost, and then it was too much, and it was in this moment that Aloy felt her heart shut itself away behind a curtain and she began to realize exactly what Brissa had meant about her being a warrior, and she felt annoyed.

The man’s name was Lahavis. He was a diplomat, high born, and he had dealings in the Carja Civil War, and Aloy wondered about his allegiances. His daughter, Elida, had disappeared, and Lahavis was worried that she had taken her own life.

“Why would she do something like that?” said Aloy. They stood by the river, which smelled of medicine. It was late morning, and she had a whole bundle of ridgewood beneath her arm, on her way out to Nil's camp.

But the man looked disheveled. He became uncertain and panicked. “I don’t know. Why would she? She is about your age. Why would a young woman about your age find herself in despair?”

Aloy sighed and didn’t have the answer. “People get sad,” she said. It seemed to be the only true response. She gave in, because the man seemed desperate, and he offered to pay her. “I’ll find Elida.”

“Thank you,” said Lahavis, and then he started to cry and leaned into the railing of the bridge over the river where they talked beneath the rising sun. “You have no idea how grateful I am.”

Elida was pretty and mild, and it turned out she had stolen a boat off the Brightmarket docks and rowed it across the canal to an abandoned little island covered in moss. It was hell getting over there. Aloy tracked her to a beach that faced out against the lake, and she was surprised by a Snapmaw, which she killed quickly, but those things were long and evil, and she sustained a kind of bad frostbite to her left arm. She sat swearing and sweaty down the beach from the big, sparking beast and all of its severed electronic impulses. It was dead. “Stupid fucker,” she said as she examined her injury and spat into the sand. She saw a girl then, climbing down from the mesa overhead. This startled Aloy at first, as she was on her guard, but then she noticed the delicate weaving of the girl’s lavender dress, her shiny hair. This was a noble girl, hesitant, and Aloy knew right away that it was Elida, and she sighed with relief, as she assumed this meant her job was complete.

But Elida was atypical in her behavior. She did not speak at first and seemed unwell and frightened. She rushed to her little camp under one of the escarpments in the cliffside, and she rifled through a little hope chest without a word until she found a small covered jar full of a thick salve that Aloy recognized, and then she approached Aloy with the utmost caution.

She held out the jar. “Thank you,” she said, shy. “Here. For your wound.”

Aloy took it without question, staring at her and trying to figure out what to make of this scenario. “Elida?” she said.

“Yes,” said Elida. She then became curious. “Where did you learn to fight like that?”

“Like what?”

“You killed that Snapmaw with just a tripwire and your bow. It was incredibly fast. I thought you were going to die.”

“Oh,” said Aloy. She sighed. She unscrewed the jar and smelled the contents inside. It was hintergold and something stronger. “I’ve had a lot of practice. I don’t recommend it.”

“How do you know my name?” said Elida then, sitting down beside Aloy. “Did my father send you?”

Aloy rolled up her sleeve. The patch of frostbite was small and incomplete but it hurt like fuck. “Yes, he did.”

“Did he pay you?”

She wouldn’t lie. “Yes. But I’m not going to make you do what you don’t want to do, Elida. I just came to make sure you’re all right. I’m not here to force you home if that’s not what you want.”

Elida nodded. She seemed to trust Aloy. She glanced back to her camp. It was set up with a square garden of pretty herbs and a tent and a dead fire, some dead rabbits strung up and many more salves and potions for medicinal healing. The day was bright and new, the sun hot overhead. Aloy noticed that the camp had two bedrolls, and she looked around, but there didn't seem to be anyone else there on the island.

Meanwhile, Elida took off her elegant head-dress, and she drew up her knees and hung her head between them, and she sighed. She had red And puffy eyes. It looked like she’d been crying on and off for a very long time. “I’m alone,” she said.

“Are you?” said Aloy.

“At the moment, yes. I’ve been waiting for someone, but I don’t know where he is. I am okay, though. I promise.”

“Who are you waiting for?”

Elida became troubled. She looked away and her cheeks were very pink. She began drawing shapes in the red sand at her feet. An elephant, a butterfly. “Your name is Aloy, right?”

Aloy looked down at her hands as Elida changed the subject, the linen wraps around her knuckles and wrists, and she played along. “Yes. I’m Aloy.”

“I’ve heard all your stories,” said Elida. “How you saved King Avad from the Oseram invaders. How you can tame machines with your spear.” She looked up, curious and bright. “And yet now, you’re here for me? My father must be paying you a lot.”

“It’s not about money,” said Aloy, rubbing her hands together and pressing them into the sand. “Or, maybe it is a little. But in the end, I think you’re kind of my age, and I just—took an interest. Your father was worried you’d killed yourself, Elida. That’s serious.”

“He was?”

“Yes.”

“Maybe you’ll get it then,” said Elida. She drew some more shapes: a tree, a sun, a hand. “Maybe I can tell you. Maybe you’ll understand.” It was almost like she was talking to herself. “You’re you.”

“Maybe I’ll understand what?”

“What I’m doing here,” she said. She sniffled. She started to cry. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t cry,” said Aloy. “Don’t apologize.” She put her hand on the girl’s shoulder, but she felt brute in her attempts at comfort as she always did. She did not feel like a comforting person, and this made her insecure. She did not know how to be soft, and she didn’t know what this meant for her. She was not a wise, soul-reading barkeep or a noble maiden wasting away on an island of moss. She had never learned those things. She was an outcast. “Please.” She lowered her voice anyway. She tried, because that’s what Aloy did. “It’s okay, whatever it is. It can be fixed.”

“Can it?” said Elida, a question.

“Well, maybe not,” said Aloy, giving in, feeling tired all of a sudden. “But I can’t know unless you tell me what’s wrong. Is this about another person? The person who shares your tent?”

“Do you know about that?” said Elida. “Have you ever been close to someone like that?”

Aloy thought hard about it. Despite the untold histories, the secrets, she knew now that she had. “Yes, a little.”

So Elida took a deep breath and told Aloy about Atral. She told Aloy that Atral had helped her plant the little garden by the camp, that they had used to be friends but now they were more than friends. She told Aloy that he had joined the Shadow Carja, and that this was their doom. She said that the war had changed him, that it had changed them both irrevocably, and that in answering that change, they fell in a kind of hard love, the only thing that could save their young souls. It was the only thing, like bells ringing in a far away land, and it drew them to its beauty but it was impossible, and it was ghosts. All ghosts. She needed help finding him and making sure he was okay, and she felt belittled by her weaknesses, and her father was too curious and too concerned to be of any help at all, and so she had to leave him or else go crazy. “He won’t get it,” she said. “All he’ll see is treason.”

She spoke of Atral’s sad eyes as the sun went up and up over the mesa. She spoke of how the war seemed to make him both taller but also brittle and sad. Aloy became so wrapped up in the story, she cast her eyes to the sky and then she closed them. She forced her mind into darkness for it was all she knew. Elida was a proper girl with good posture and enunciation, that is what she tried to think about. Elida did not deserve this, because she was an innocent. But then, Elida said something at the end of her melancholy prayer of love, and it was gritty and strange, and it jerked Aloy hard into the moment in which her idiotic deflection tactics fell away like an old curtain, and she saw only Nil inside her mind’s eye, and everything that became of him when the sun went down.

“It’s like…I’m dead,” said Elida, still drawing those shapes in the red sand. But they’d started to mix together, and Aloy couldn’t tell them apart anymore. “It’s like I’m dead, and I only come alive when I’m here with him.” She looked at Aloy, the utmost earnestness in her strange, royal eyes. “Do you know what that’s like, Aloy?”

Aloy became confused, because she did not. No matter what had happened to her, she had never once felt dead. She wondered if Nil felt dead sometimes, because that is who she thought of when the big questions came to mind. “No,” she said. “But I can understand what you’re feeling, Elida.”

Elida nodded, her eyes like little sad lights in empty windows. “You’re lucky then,” she said, wiping away all of the pictures she’d drawn in the sand, smoothing them free with her palm. “I feel so empty.”

“I’ll find Atral,” said Aloy, like a reflex. “Don’t worry.”

And she did. She did find Atral, but it wasn't what any of them wanted. Even still. I’m not dead, she said to herself that day and all night, like a chant, a reminder of self-forgiveness for all the things she wanted and wished for and how it measured up with what had come to pass. Losing Sickle, kissing Nil by the river. I am me, she said as she lit an entire patrol of kestrels on fire, and as she watched, covered in blood, as Atral died on the dirty fucking floor of a cliffside watch on what had otherwise been a very clear and beautiful moonlit night. He was sturdy and good and he had kind eyes, and she didn’t understand what could make a young man like this get caught up inside a war like that. But how could she? Knowing what she knew now, or what she didn’t, rather. He gave Aloy a little metal key, all bloody, pressed it into her palm as if to symbolize the entirety of young love and life right there in a single gesture. Then, he asked if Elida was safe, and he asked for forgiveness. He promised that he had never betrayed her or their secret meeting spot. He said, “Give her this key, and please. Tell her…tell her it’s all worth it.”

Aloy left Brightmarket that very night, feeling mixed and torn, with Elida tucked into her grief and her loving father’s arms behind her. Elida had cried, but she was oddly filled with a new and tearful optimism that renewed Aloy. The woods were warm that night, and welcoming to her weary soul after she found Nil's note, accompanied by a cryptic map, and she sprinted cleanly through the forest, staying in the shadows, as quiet as can be, and when the moon was high and she knew that it was getting into the witching hour, and she had traveled many miles and made it very far, she found a freshwater pool somewhere isolated off the river with the moonlight sprinkling through the trees and the fireflies off in the distance, and this is where she decided to build her simple camp for the night, and she took off all her clothes and folded them neatly beside the bedroll, and then she went into the water and washed Atral’s blood out of her hand creases and out of her hair. It felt good in the water, and she wasn’t afraid. She slept in her tent with the flap open and no fire, sound traps and tripwires planted everywhere, on all sides, but it was quiet that night in these parts of the Sundom, and nothing and nobody disturbed, almost as if someone had cleared a path for her.

Sometimes, when Aloy thought about Nil, she thought only about his demeanor upon killing a man. He stood tall and fierce as he ripped the spear from the meat of their spine, as if certain he could never die, and he let the body fall heavy to his feet in anger. But at the end of the day, there was nobody better at building and maintaining a camp than Nil. His delicate ways in how he applied the medicine, braided her hair. She wondered what it would have been like to hear his stories in childhood, all his different voices to pass the time. She thought about those days after Sickle, and how many nights she’d spent in the Borderlands, punishing herself—but for what? Punishment for something she couldn’t place. But she knew now. Survival is not a crime. This is what Aloy decided that night, young and feeling young. It is all worth it. She drifted, safe and sound in the far-flung weeds of existence with the big bugs buzzing in the treetops overhead. Her hair was down and unbraided as she slept, drying to frizz against the pillow that smelled of aloe and pine.

#zero #horizon zero dawn #horizon: zero dawn #hzd #horizon zero dawn interlude #aloy #not da #nil #aloy x nil #elida

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yesnomaybelobster33 · 7 years ago

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Winning (Sfw)

Blurr had tried his best. Really he did. But once he caught Knock Out talking about him in the corner booth with his conjunx he just couldn’t pull his attention away. He wasn’t even really talking about him, just drunk and irritated he was bemoaning how shoddy Cybertron and everything to do with it was. How much money and supplies Velocitron was pumping into the place for little to no change. How angry Override was. So of course he was bitching about how they had came to find themselves in the situation. How Blurr was nothing but a second rate wannabe, how he had cheated. No holds barred meant anything went but that meant anything by a racer’s own personal merit. There was no way another racer could have gone down and done the things Windblade had done. He’d had the win handed to him. All the twists, all the turns. He was nothing but a fraud who couldn’t stand on his own speed.

At the time none of that mattered to him. He’d been racing for Cybertron not himself. They needed Velocitron’s assets so they abused their broken system and Override’s adherence to good face to keep their win despite Knock Out ousting them and raising one hell of a fight as far as Moonracer informed them. He couldn’t even blame the mech for it. He had every right. Cybertron was a slagpit but it was their slagpit. Now though the facts of how he’d won were getting to him. Knock Out was getting to him. Blurr could handle snide comments, he could handle scathing looks. He almost felt bad for the mech despite his less than congenial attitude. Knock Out didn’t want to be there. He was angry Moonracer had gone behind his back and forced him into the situation. He was making the best of everything but his true feelings had to come out sometimes and there was no denying he was right. Blurr had cheated even with Velocitron’s rules. Blurr was no cheater.

He had just called closing and Breakdown was stacking their glasses and about to escort his conjunx from his seat when the bartender slammed his servo down on the table. He put on his best smile and cocked his hip. Figuring the mech was still burning hot there was no way he was going to say no. “Hey. Wanna race?”

Knock Out looked up at him, a slight cloud in his optics but it would clear by the time Blurr dragged him off to their track. His face stayed impassive though. Blurr’s confidence dropped but he kept on smiling. “No.” NO? “However you are more than welcome to race Breakdown. I think he’s more your speed darling.” Blurr watched Breakdown tug Knock Out close, the mech mouthing apologies for his partner’s behalf as he tried to get him out the door. Blurr wasn’t having it.

“You’re serious. You’re going to sit in my bar and insult me for hours and not follow up. Seems like you’re scared.” The taunt didn’t seem to work. Either drunk Knock Out’s confidence and petty nature soared or the mech just had a sturdier ego than Blurr presumed.

“I saw what you were capable of. I’m not impressed. Go run to your boss and let her comfort your ego.” Blurr could only watch the other mech walk away and take the rather large tip Breakdown placed in his servos. This wasn’t over.

No matter how much he asked and goaded though Knock Out refused him. Until he finally broke the other mech. He caught Knock Out alone at the bar. He’d been with Moonracer but Moonracer had left five drinks ago. So he nagged. Even slipped the bot a few drinks with the house’s best to get him in the sort of mood. Refusing Blurr had likely become a game for him at this point. A victory more sweet than winning the race against him even would be. Letting Blurr suffer in the unknowable.

By that time of the night he’d actually sat down at a booth with the racer, it was after hours now but he’d gotten the doctor talking. He’d mentioned liking his new paint and that was all it took for Knock Out to go on about his new collection he was going to bring to the poor drab out of date Cybertronian public. When he finally brought up racing though Knock Out sighed, his mood turning in an instant to exhausted.

“D-do you think I’m being mean when I say I can help you be faster? Do you think I’m trying to insult you or be catty? L-et me tell you- I’m not. I….I can be so much crueler than that. That- that is my job. It requires skill. On my home powers rise and fall by my skills and the skills of my competitors and I’ve proven myself the best. Y-you you’re certainly��..you’re not bad…..but you’re recreational. You have fun here on Cybertron and that’s nice. I like having fun. I’m glad Breakdown and Moonracer get to have fun. You’re pride, you and your boss’ insult to my job….that wasn’t fun.”

Blurr didn’t really know where to go with that. It wasn’t a no but...it wasn’t exactly leading to a yes. “Well then why won’t you have fun with me? Come on, if I’m not a challenge -”

“No….because you think me saying you’re not a challenge is an insult. That saying you’re no match is me being cruel. You need to get tougher metal. I don’t like that sort of fighting, it’s rude. I’m not rude I’m honest. Whether you like it or not says more about you than it does me. I’ve been in your sabatons, I’ve fought against what I didn’t want to believe. Here you don’t need my help-and that’s fine. That’s fine. This isn’t Velocitron.”

That...was new. “What do you mean...you’ve been in my sabatons.”

“Of course! I came from Cybertron! I reared up the first batch of new world sparklings myself! We vintage bots….we all had to change to stay ahead. It was hard.”

“Knock Out?” The mech was off somewhere in his memories.

“It’s not a fair fight. You-you like fair. How about you try racing Moony first. She’s soft sparked and believes sparks and gumption mean more than science too. She’s also very fast. If you can beat her then you can try me. How about that?”

Blurr tried not to roll his optics. Knock Out was barely even listening to him now. Still...he wasn’t talking nonsense just yet. So Knock Out’s bias stemmed from their frame makeups...well….sure Blurr could admit there was some validity to the idea….but it couldn’t matter all that much. Unless there was some new metal forged on Velocitron that Moonracer had failed to mention science couldn’t gotten that far ahead. There was only so much that could be done and Blurr was positive his skill could beat whatever advancements Velocitron had made. He also didn’t want to play Knock Out’s games. So...he lied. “I’ve already raced Moonracer. She is good but I’m better. I’m surprised she didn’t tell you we had a great time.”

Knock Out gave him a skeptical look but sighed as he shrugged his shoulders. “Fine. You pick the track. Tell me the time.”

It was a few nights later and he was standing with Knock Out on the outskirts of the city. Knock Out looked tired. He was sure the mech would use it as an excuse when he lost. Still he stood and waited for Blurr to send the route map to him. He pinched the bridge of his nose when he opened it. “This route is quite long. I thought this was a test of speed. A drag race would be more appropriate.”

“Oh come on. I’m not delusional I know you’d beat me in a drag race. Your lighter and you can go from zero to four fifty, I can only get to three ninety-four hundred.”

Knock Out threw up his servos in exasperation. “Then why are we here if you know I’m faster.”

“Because this isn’t about that. This is about racing! I know I can beat you.

Knock Out snorted. “Oh okay. How are we doing this?”

“Fair. You stay in your lane all the way to the finish line.”

“Sure.”

The two took their places, Knock Out waiting on Blurr’s call. As soon as it came Blurr could only gawk as Knock Out shot ahead even though he’d been expecting it. It wasn’t a big deal. Knock Out couldn’t last at that speed and as soon as he reached a bend or a turn then Blurr would get ahead. So he diligently sped along, bitterly watching the other mechs taillights. Waiting for his in.

Blurr felt the turn. Watched Knock Out’s frame tip as the force pushed and pulled at him. Figured he’d be a stunt racer. “SLAG!”

Gunning his engine to meet the racer’s pace and forego his usual tricks Blurr kept up. It wasn’t that hard. He knew he could win. The race in Velocitron was just a one time. He hadn’t been used to physical brawls and all the track challenges and trying to beat other professional racers. If he had time to practice that he was sure he could get it down, sure he could handle the challenge. Sure he could- The were almost at the end on the track, still neck in neck yet something caught Blurr’s attention. Knock Out’s speedometer. It was only at four hundred.

Something bubbled in Blurr’s spark. Rage, disappointment, shame. He didn’t know. Knock Out was playing fair, he was giving him a handicap! HIM! He’d wanted to beat the slagger at his top speed not like this! He wanted to prove that fancy metal and frame types didn’t beat skill! Except….in his thoughts he’d neglected to take in Knock Out’s skill. They were both just as good, this was both of their lives after all. It would made sense that Knock Out knew all the tricks, perfected all the techniques... just like he had.

Blurr gunned his engine harder, straining it and his spark to shoot ahead. Knock Out smoothly met him, like it was nothing. Because in his mind it was nothing. He was trying to prove his point. That even the best still had room to get better, that sometimes the best were bested. Vintage...primus the word had stuck in his processor, he may have well just called him trash. Mechs like Kup were vintage, mechs like Alpha Trion were vintage! If Knock Out considered himself vintage….than what did that make Blurr in the other racers optics.

Before he could stop himself Blurr swerved and rammed himself into Knock Out’s side, just about to make the last turn the lighter mech flipped like coin and rolled off into the dirt. Blurr watched him transform in his rearview and honestly the look in the slaggers face was priceless. Thrill surged through Blurr’s spark as he crossed the line of street lights that lead back into the city that marked their finish line. As he transformed though it quickly faded and guilt set in. Sliding to a halt he kicked at the dust and steel of the road sending up sparks. It wasn’t his fault! Knock Out still didn’t bother giving him a fair race and his anger got the best of him because of it! It was his fault!

Knock Out was smiling, actually laughing as he massaged his dented door as he headed up the last stretch of road on ped. Blurr stormed to meet him. “I want a rematch! I said I wanted a fair race do you even know the meaning of fair where you come from?”

Knock Out threw up his seros again, “Alright I’ll bite, why?”

Blurr felt his digits curl against his palms. He couldn’t believe this slagger? “Because it wasn’t fair! You didn’t race fair!”

“Ah yes but you did.”

“No, but if you hadn’t-”

“If I hadn’t what? I thought I was being very fair.” Blurr held his glossia. There wasn’t anything he could really say. Knock Out was right, even if it wasn’t what Blurr had wanted. He’d won the race with both of them going at the same top speed...except he’d had to cheat to get ahead or else it would have been a tie. “Exactly. Welcome to the Velocitronain mindset. Imagine for me if you will, back on my home two mechs scouting the wilds. They forget the time, the sun is coming and there is only one place to hide. It only fits one. Congratulations Blurr, you survived, you won.”

#maccadam #taao #till all are one #transformers #blurr #knock out #who wrote it better me or cars 3 #fic

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thewidowstanton · 8 years ago

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Tessa Blackman, hand-to-hand and acrobalance artist, Josh & Tess, Living Room Circus

American circus artist Tessa Blackman – who is from Chicago – trained as a dancer from the age of five. She specialised in classical ballet at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and also did tap, jazz and contemporary. She went on train at Chicago’s Second City and has also studied holistic energy and worked with InVision, a school of psychic abilities.

In 2016 she graduated from the National Centre for Circus Arts in London with her hand-to-hand partner Joshua Frazer. As Josh & Tess, their acts are an enticing fusion of ballet and circus. They are members of Living Room Circus and appear in its show The Penguin and I from 29 June – 2 July at The Dairy at Springhill Farm, in Forest Row, Sussex. It runs again on 25 July at Jacksons Lane in London, and the duo appear in Simple Cypher’s Cypher Stories on 26 July at the same venue during its Postcards 2017 season. Tessa chats to Liz Arratoon.

The Widow Stanton: Any there any other performers in your family? Tessa Blackman: Yes. My mum, Suzanne Lek, was a prima ballerina. My great, great uncle was Nicolas Legat, who was a really famous Russian dancer. He was kind of like in the beginning of the whole Vaganova technique. Back in the day there was the Legat School of Ballet and the Royal Ballet and they were kind of rivals. So my mum went there from ten to 18. But then Legat got shut down. She worked for the London Festival Ballet and then moved to Yugoslavia and worked in a company there. She also worked at Pineapple Dance Studio and then actually first brought Pineapple to New York. My dad isn’t a performer but he loves the arts.

Is your mother Russian? No. Our familly line is Russian but she’s actually Welsh… well, it’s all mxed up because my grandparents lived in Holland but when the Nazis invaded they moved to Wales, cos we’re Jewish. My dad is from Chicago, born and bred.

Did you always want to be a dancer? Yes. When I was five my mother was teaching and I said, ‘Please can I come and take some classes with you?’. There was never pressure. She never pushed me to dance but it was kind of, ‘If you’re gonna do it, you’re gonna do it well.’ Then she pushed me pretty hard, but in a good way. It was tough at times and I danced from five years old up until 19. I went to North Carolina School of the Arts boarding school for ballet and yeah, I always wanted to be a dancer. That was my thing.

So why aren’t you a dancer? Yes, exactly. When I was 18, I had a really bad back injury; I had a herniated disc and that was the end of my ballet career. I kind of took about four years out. All the doctors wanted me to have surgery but there was something instinctual in me that told me not to do it, and I said I didn’t want it. I did holistic therapies and everything I could and essentially healed myself over time. During that time I went to art school, started painting, did a lot of energy work…

Did you do acting at Second City? Isn’t it an improv place? Yeah, they have a five-level improvisational programme and I did that for a year right after NCSA.

What made you move on to circus? Basically when I was living in Chicago and doing all these crazy things, I started getting romantically involved with a Circus du Soleil performer, who was a dancer in Dralion. [Laughs] I was like, ‘This is awesome!’. I was going to all his different shows around the States and he took me backstage one day and I got to meet all the performers. I was talking to them and was like, ‘How do you do this? This looks insane!’ They were like: “Well, you can train your muscles just like you train your muscles for dance.” They gave me this conditioning programme that I started doing on my own.

Then because I have a UK passport, I decided that I was gonna buy a one-way ticket and move to England. I did that – it worked with our relationship because he was travelling everywhere too – and I researched where I could take circus classes. I found Circus Space, which the National Centre for Circus Arts was at the time. It said, ‘Degree auditons in four weeks’. So I was like, ‘Maybe I should do this’. [Laughs] I trained for four weeks and I got in, which I still can’t believe. I couldn’t believe it happened because I had only really been physically training hard and getting back into shape since my injury probably for six months prior to the audition. I did a dance performance for my audition piece; I’d never done any circus before, I couldn’t even do a handstand. [Laughs]

This is marvellous, almost like running away with the circus… Yeah, I always describe circus to people as like one of those claw machines at fairgrounds that pick up toys. [Makes a claw hand motion] Circus just sort of picks you up and you’re like, ‘Oh, how did I get here?’. Everyone’s story is just completely different. What made you choose hand-to-hand? I was trying a bunch of disciplines and because I had no gymnastics background I had zero upper-body strength. I found aerial quite challenging. Then I started doing acrobalance and me and Josh paired up and started working together. It was really interesting, because we were similar in size and I was basing him a lot and he was basing me, and I realised that actually hand-to-hand was closer to dance than I thought and it felt really good. And we were dating, so it seems as if my romantic life takes me in the direction of my art forms [laughs]. We just dove into it together and started training and we loved it.

Your degree piece, Bound, was so distinctive and really impressive. How would you describe your style? Where we started is kind of like gender neutrality and not being confined to our genders in the way we express ourselves as artists. So we wanted to bring in a fluid movement quality and not have that be distinctly feminine and bring in a raw quality and not have that just be male; how we can both move in-between that language together and display a woman strongly and maybe display a man femininely.

Since our devised piece we’ve developing a lot with the knotted ropes – Shibari – moving more towards this raw, more aggressive style at the minute. I’m seeing that Shibari is getting more incorporated into circus now, which is really cool [see our interview with Hanna Moisala]; the whole self-suspension thing, having it be an aerial apparatus. We haven’t explored that as much but we’ve been using more the harness work.

Would you agree there has been quite a move to having women as bases? Is there a point to prove? Yeah, absolutely. I think for years we’ve been in that space as women of trying to prove a point, but for me I like to think of it, in respect to the feminist movement, that we’re not trying to be men, it’s more that we’re trying to display our strengths. The difficulty is that people are going: “Oh, you’re just trying to do the man’s job.” But it’s like, ‘No, actually these jobs are equal and we’re trying to show you that we are strong as well, that we are just as strong, we are built to do things like that, too’. It’s like: “Female bases, what’s this?” But it’s super-exciting to see and everyone loves to see it. I think it’s amazing that it’s happening.

How hard is your ‘iron-jaw’ move? [Laughs] I think that like with every circus trick, it’s an illusion to a certain extent; you have the strength but there are ways of making it safe for your body. I would say it’s probably more like a neck hang than it is genuinely from my jaw.

You might be interested in the aerialist Miss La La… but tell us about Josh and why you like working with him? A lot of reasons. We’re basically best friends. We’re not together any more in a relationship so that’s been a difficult transition but the fact is that when you work so close with someone you become best friends. We were living together for three years, we saw each other 24 hours a day so I think my relationship with him is unlike any other I’ve had with anybody. It’s probably one of the most special relationships I’ve had.

The way I kind of describe our creative process sometimes is at times I throw up on the table and then he cleans it up [laughs, a lot]. I’m kind of like, ‘Wah, wah, wah, here it is, this idea, this idea’, and he’s like: “OK, but how can we make that all work and structure it together.” It feels like a good balance.

I’ve always loved adagio and hand-to-hand with the woman in pointe shoes. You support Josh on your shoulders while on pointe. It’s stunning but what does it do to your feet… [Laughs] It requires a lot of training with my legs. The strength isn’t all coming from my ankles, it’s coming from my entire leg, so I have to keep up on my physio with my ankles and then also the strength of my inner thighs and glute muscles so that the whole leg is working to lift the body rather than just my feet.

I’ve never really understood pointe shoes. Is the inside shaped to cushion your foot? Not really. It’s a really close fit but they’re made of papier maché and have wood around the block part. You mostly wear toe pads inside. Most people use cotton or little gels, so sometimes there’s a little bit of foam at the tip of the shoe.

What have you done since graduation? I’ve mostly been working with the Living Room Circus, which is run by Elinor Harvey. She won the Deutsche Bank Business Plan Award in our year at NCCA. We did our first performance together last summer in a yurt in Forest Row in Sussex. We’re coining ourselves right now as an immersive experimental circus company. We mix circus, dance, live music and physical theatre, with an emphasis on audience interaction and involvement. We’re working on The Penguin and I, which Jason Dupree is directing.

Tell us a bit about the show… We’ve been creating a series of scenes that we can then adapt into whatever space we’re going into. For the new show we have this bespoke sofa that we can use in different ways, to balance on, to hang from. We actually got the money to make it from a Kickstarter campaign, which was great. This coming week we are performing in a dairy farm again in Forest Row. We have the scenes all laid out and we’re going to see what we can do with the space. It’s going to be really, really cool. It’s Eli’s home town and it’s kind of like our starting place.

Can you pick out a career highlight or two so far? Right off the bat, I’d say how much Josh and I have travelled so far. We’ve been to Corsica, Israel, Belgium and around the UK, and that alone is pretty awesome and exciting. Then just working with the Living Room Circus has been amazing because it feels just like a circus family. It feels like we’re a bunch of kids making a company, because we haven’t really had that much outside help. We’ve had help funding-wise but yeah, we’ve created this family together and we’re trying to make it work and see what happens.

vimeo

The Penguin and I runs from 29 June – 2 July at The Dairy, Springhill Farm, in Forest Row, Sussex and again on 25 July at Jacksons Lane in London. Josh and Tess also appear in Simple Cypher’s Cypher Stories on 26 July at the same venue during its Postcards 2017 season.

Picture credits: Tessa’s headshot, Nizaad Photography; Josh on shoulders/iron jaw, Bertil Nilsson; The Penguin, Miriam Strong

For tickets for The Penguin and I at The Dairy and at Jacksons Lane, and for Cypher Stories. click the links

Twitter: @LRCircus @jacksons_lane @SimpleCypher

Follow @TheWidowStanton on Twitter

Click the links to read our interviews with Simple Cypher’s Kieran Warner and Christopher Thomas

#tessa blackman #joshua frazer #josh and tess #interview #hand-to-hand #living room circus #acrobalance #circus artist #Elinor Harvey #shibari #simple cypher #jacksons lane #the dairy #postcards2017

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bdo-kenai-kanu · 7 years ago

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The Lost Necklace: Part 1

The day was a hot one, summer having come into full swing. The streets of Calpheon were far more crowded than usual and the heat was almost stifling despite the crystal clear blue of the sky with nary a cloud in sight. There was a light breeze that wafted through the streets but it carried warm air and it did little to quell the sweat the heat caused. Kian sat at the bar below the tavern room he and Deoku rented, indulging in a cold ale as he looked about in a bored fashion. In the week they had been in the city, Kian had already explored all it had to offer and had already grown bored of flirting with the attractive men that made their way in and out of the pub. He felt a bit neglected but understood Deoku's new infatuation and tried to be respectful of his mentor's interests but he still wanted some of his time. He blew a heavy sigh and took another pull from his glass mug, the condensation rolling down the side and cooling his fingers, offering a brief reprieve from the heat that made the area swelter, his hazel gaze staring at a spot less than interesting upon the wall across the way, his jaw resting in his palm as his elbow propped atop the bar top.

Deoku yawned as he made his way back to the inn to find his friend and student. As he approached the door he could hear the usual clamor, drunken singing, and loud voices of a local tavern. The striker entered the dimly lit room his eyes scanning for Kian; smiling when he noticed the young man sitting at the bar. Deo approached him and patted him on the shoulder as he took a seat next to his student, "If you look any more bored I may have to worry about you having a case of depression.", he teased. "Don't worry I have just the thing to cure your problem Kian."

The sound of his mentor's voice perked the young Striker up a bit as he looked over his shoulder and offered Deoku that boyish smile of his, "Hey there, thought you were gonna sleep the day away. Must be getting old." he snickered cheekily, turning in his seat to better regard the older man. He looked him over curiously, "No plans today? Usually, you're up and out by this time."

"Geez, I'm not that old...", the man laughed. "Besides i was up and out believe it or not. I was finding some work for us. I think you'll like this since it will finally give you some action and excitement.", he explains as he reaches for the scroll in his pocket. Deo then unrolls it for Kian; allowing him to read it. "It's a bounty on an idiot in the region going around killing random travelers. This way you get some entertainment and training all in one.", the striker grinned. "I figured between the two us this should be no sweat at all, though we should still be wary he is a killer after all."

Kian snickered playfully as he nudged his mentor, clearly giving him a hard time but meaning none of it. When Deoku pulled forth the bounty, Kian's gaze fixed upon the parchment and he leaned in a little to catch a better look, lofting a thick brow in curiosity. He perused his lips in thought a moment before nodding, "Hmm, sounds like fun. I could use some exercise - I'm starting to get a beer gut just sitting here." he quipped jokingly, a grin on his lips.

Deoku chuckled, "Yeah you keep gulping down all that ale and you'll start looking like some of these guys.", he said thumbing in the direction of some of the local drunks; seated with their beer bellies prominently on display. "Of course you're going to have fun. It's me you're talking about here. You never get too many dull moments!", Deo smiled. "Maybe after we finish up with this guy we can get some fishing in too. I haven't checked the supplies but I'm pretty sure we could use a bit more.", the man suggested.

Kian's hazel eyes lit up to a sparkle at that, his grin bright with delight, "Hell yeah~! Now we're talkin'! Find a nice spot and go swimming, bring along some beer and rods- nothing better to beat this summer heat!" Kian all but jumped up from his stool, readjusting his gauntlets- a habit of his when eager to accomplish something. He flashed a devil-may-care grin his mentor's way, practically bouncing in place with enthusiasm. "Best get to the going while there's still daylight to burn!

Deoku smiled and laughed at the sight of the young man eager behavior before standing up. "Alright let's get moving then. Seems we're going to have a full day ahead of us.", he rolled the scroll up again and placed it behind him between his back and the sash around his waist. He then reached for his bags and handed Kian a cloak. "Since this attacker likes targeting unsuspecting travelers. I figure hiding our armor and gauntlets will tempt him out of hiding. Especially since we'll be carrying fishing gear.", Deo grinned at his student. "Poor fool won't know what hit him." , he then handed the extra cloak to his pupil.

Kian accepted the cloak and slipped it about his broad shoulders, making himself look the part of a harmless traveler. He flashed Deoku a grin and nodded, "Ready." he proclaimed, joining his mentor to be on their way. He took extra care to conceal his gauntlets as they exited the tavern, the pair retrieving their fishing gear and tackle before setting off to find trouble.

"Damn, who would spend their time lurking out here in all this heat just to attack people?", Deo asked no one in particular; looking to the clear summer skies as he and Kian walked along the road. "Even if we don't manage to find this guy today, I am definitely going to enjoy the water when we go fishing.", he then mentioned to his companion.

Kian nodded in agreement though he seemed a bit more acclimated to the heat. Even so, he blew a breath past dry lips, "Yeah, no kidding. But some folks just do things with no thought behind them... worst kind of people. I can never understand how someone can just so blatantly and blindly do harm to others with no remorse. It makes no sense." He offered a shrug, drawing forth a water skin for a drink and passed it over. "But one thing's for sure, the folk here will be better off. And so will we once that water cools us off!"

Deo takes a few sips of the water,"Definitely, from what I understand this region has enough issues without this guy terrorizing people. Putting him away will make getting a chance to put this fishing to work all the sweeter." Just as the two were sharing a laugh and excited at the thought of their swimming and fishing sessions; a nearby bush or tree leaves made an unnatural rustling sound. "Hmm seems we may have found our company. Keep acting normal until we can confirm it."

Kian knew the drill well and played the part, carrying on as though nothing was amiss as he babbled about what sort of fish they might catch. All the while though, his keen eyes kept track of every movement, his acute hearing zeroing in on the slightest sounds around them. He waited until the opportunity presented itself, keeping cool and collected, waiting for the lurker to make his move.

The masked individual dropped out of the tree sprinting toward the two strikers and full speed. "More victims!!!", he shouted in a crazed manner as he reached back over his shoulder; hand ready to draw his blade on unsuspecting travelers.

The man's mad dash hardly seemed to alarm Kenai, keeping his attention focused on the figure rushing them. He waited patiently for the man to draw closer before striking with lightning reflexes. It seemed as though within seconds Kenai flung his cloak off when the man had entered striking distance and with a whip-like motion, the young Striker had the length of the cloak snapping out to wrap about the charging attacker's feet, instantly tangling him up and bringing him tripping and stumbling to the dirt, all the while staying well out of range of any weapon that could have been drawn against him.

The crazed man quickly disappeared in a puff of black smoke as he hit the ground; caught off guard by his would-be victims. "Nice job Kenai. Hmm seems we have a ninja on our hands...Guess that would explain some things.", Deoku mumbled then giving the ground a powerful stomp tripping the ninja and knocking him out of his stealth once more before he could get a chance to make another move. Frustrated on the ground the man tried to reach for a shuriken to toss at Kenai and Deoku.

Deoku smiled and gave his student a pat on the shoulder," Good work Kenai swift, accurate, and alert. Your skills improve every day. I must admit I wasn't exactly expecting a ninja. Then again, whoever reported him didn't exactly give detail as to the attackers fighting style. Most likely too terrified and was more concerned with escaping." He stated as he tossed his protegee a chain for the man's hands while he chained the feet of the unconscious ninja. Satisfied Deoku proceed to check and disarm the ninja just in case, "Now we just have to drop this guy off to the guards claim our reward and get ready to enjoy some fishing! Ha!"

The older striker lifted the ninja onto his shoulders and proceeded back to the city gates.

Kenai grinned boyishly whilst he itched modestly at the side of his nose, even crinkling it briefly, "Nah- he wasn't all he was cracked up to be." He placed his hands on his hips, watching Deoku manhandle the unconscious heap that was the knocked out ninja up and over his shoulder. "Well, can't complain about easy coin!" He took to following his mentor as they headed back to cash in on their bounty, his cheery demeanor obvious in his face and tone. "Can't wait to take a dip! Maybe we'll get lucky and hook ourselves a large bass or trout...."

"At this rate soon it will be time for me to teach you more advanced parts of striker combat." Deoku looked up at the sky in thought, "Man, my mouth is almost watering at the thought of a nice tasty fish right about now." He looked over at Kenai good thing this guy didn't take all day and ruin our fun. Definitely can't say that about every job." , the man chuckled as the neared the city once more.

Kenai grinned broadly as they drew closer to the gates leading into Calpheon, his hands folded casually behind his head as they went, "You and me both! " They passed through the gates with more than a few funny looks aimed their way but they largely went ignored. "So... where we takin' funky face, here?" he implored, a thick brow raising imploringly.

Deo put down the ninja's chained body and responded to Kenai, "We're already here kiddo. We just needed to deliver him into the hands of the Guard Captain." He then walked over to the Captain showing him the contract for the bounty. The armored guard captain then walked over to the unconscious individual on the floor and slapped him a few times until he woke up. Dazed at first the ninja looked around at his surroundings and realized where he was. "NO! Noooo!!", he yelled and angrily struggled uselessly to free himself from his chains.

The guard captain chuckled, "Oh yes my friend you're finally gonna get what's coming to you. Good work to both of you; here's your reward.", the guard stated to the two strikers as he handed the nice bag of coins to Deoku who split it with Kenai. "If we have any more work like this we'll be sure to look for you. It's good to finally have scum like this dealt with so people can travel safely around these parts."

"Well, Kenai...", Deoku began as he picked up his bag and rod. "Ready to find us a nice spot for fishing?", he smiled as he looked to his pupil.

Kenai had stood by stoically as the exchange of the criminal and bounty were exchanged, smirking slightly at the disheveled man's outburst once it dawned on him he was caught. As they walked away from the scene, the young Striker accepted his share of the coin from his mentor, pocketing it casually, "Nothing like a good day's work." he chirruped, satisfied.

He then shifted the weight of his pack upon his back, almost absently, as they passed back through the gates, "That was almost too easy but I guess I shouldn't complain. Some quick coin at least." he shrugged as they made their way down the well-travelled dirt roads leading out of the capital, the river flowing out of the city's walls on their right to form a swift flowing brook which they followed in hopes of finding a secluded location to set up bait and tackle in peace without interruption from travellers.

"True it was easy...but I wouldn't doubt something more challenging may pop. It wouldn't surprise me if a guy like that ran with a no good group.", Deoku mentioned to his apprentice. "They may show themselves sooner or later in an attempt to either break him out or get revenge on his captors.", the older man shrugged casually at the thought as they continued to walk. "Ahh there we go...", he smiled and pointed at a slope between a few bushes that lead down to a nice secluded spot by the river.

The spot pointed out to him had Kenai perking up with anticipation, following the gesture to the indicated location, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Oh yeah, that's gonna be a great spot." he readily agreed, already picking his way over, careful to step over stones and slip past the shrubbery concealing the slope and made his way down.

The area was a shady little glade, an apple tree appearing to lean over the shallows of the embankment where the current ran much slower, creating a pleasant little inlet where reeds grew in abundance close to the grassy knell Kenai came to stop at. The waters were crystal clear, the silhouettes of fish easily spotted gliding beneath its surface as Kenai unshouldered his bag, taking a moment to appreciate his surroundings, closing his eyes for a moment and inhaling deeply. There wasn't a soul to be seen nor a sound to be heard that did not come from a buzzing insect or a trilling bird. "This is peace...." he sighed, contently.

"You got that right. A moment for us to kick back and relax. No worries, no work, just pure enjoyment" Deoku agreed, setting his bag down along with his fishing rod. He then took a moment to look around over the scenery and sounds of the calm flowing water before turning back to his bag once more. "This is going to be a good day, Kenai.", he said as he dug around in his bag taking out some bait, fishing knife, and a couple of bottles for them to enjoy drinks.

The younger Striker turned to follow Deoku's lead, squatting down on his haunches to rifle through his pack and retrieve his small tackle box before standing again. Accepting the bottle from his mentor he offered a boyish grin with his thanks before retrieving his rod and setting up his line. He picked a spot beneath the apple tree's bough, getting comfortable on the green grass before casting out, lazily reeling back in periodic spurts, getting the lure to dance in an effort to garner some attention from the fish. "It already is, if you ask me. Only thing that could make it any better is getting laid tonight." he snickered jokingly before raising his bottle to his lips for a lengthy pull of beer.

"Hey, you never know Kenai, when we get back to the city maybe you'll make another catch.", the man chuckled. Deo removed his shin guards to get more comfortable before attaching the bait and casting his line, finally taking a seat amongst the soft grass. "It's not too late for it to come true; your prayers may yet be answered! There's plenty of day left and the night is long my friend.", he continued as he looked over at the young man. "Let's see what kind of dinner we can get for ourselves first. Hopefully, these waters will be kind and give us a good feast."

Kenai nodded in wholehearted agreement with his mentor and fell into peaceful silence after. The afternoon crawled by slowly as the pair drank and continuously cast out their lines, ever patient for a bite. It was a good thirty minutes before Kenai let his attention wander back towards Deoku, his expression curious. "So.... You never did tell me how things went. Ya know... with your tour and such. What’s she like? The Elf, I mean. Uh... I forgot her name...."

Deoku looked over to Kenai, "Oh you're right! But I didn't want to bore you with that Kenai. I wouldn't say that much happened though we toured the city and I get the feeling that she likes me but I don't want to jump to conclusions. This one is a slow burn.... her name is Olivette, and she is very shy and reserved." He then laughed lightly,"Stop me if this becomes too much for you, I'm not trying to put you to sleep and make you miss your fish. Unlike most elves, she's not very tall or thin, but her curves are very nice in my opinion. She has long green hair of varying shades, lovely eyes one blue and one green, and cute long ears that let you read every emotion running through that attractive head of hers.",he felt a tug on his line as he talked to Kenai then tried to reel fight with it a bit and reel it in.

Kenai couldn't hide his bemused smirk as Deoku went on about the woman who seemed to have infatuated him so. It surprised him a bit as he had never seen the older Striker so enraptured before and oddly felt a small pang of envy. Before he could make some cheeky comment, the sudden snag on Deoku's line caught both of their attention and Kenai couldn't help a bubble of excitement as he watched Deoku attempt to wrestle the fish into submission, "You got this! Reel that sucker in!"

"Hehe, This sucker isn't getting away!!! Come to me my scale covered friend. You'll be a good meal today!", Deo and the fish did battle as epic as any on the battlefield, but the fish was no match for the human's endurance. Eventually, he was worn out and reeled in. When Deoku finally got him to land they found it was a fine salmon attached to the line. "Ahhh, very nice! Look, Ken, seems we will be eating good this day.!", the man celebrated as he unhooked his first catch, and placing it in a basket. Once the fish was secure he attached some new bait and cast his line again.

"I'm surprised you're interested in her though, Ken?", he smiled to the young student. I wouldn't worry too much; I can read it in your body and feel it in your aura. You'll find someone too. For that matter even I haven't found someone yet. I may like her, but those feelings may not be the same. Keep in mind you're much younger than me, so you have plenty of time. Until then, me and you have all the time in the world!", he reassured his friend.

Kenai chuckled quietly as he leaned over to inspect the fish his master caught before straightening, giving his rod a light flick to make his lure dance a little more in the water, "Nah, it's nothing like that. Just... well...." He didn't really know how to convey the feeling he had, mixed as it was. He was happy for Deoku. It was nothing personal against this Olivette, really. He honestly felt a bit silly. He knew Deoku would always be there when he needed him. But he couldn't help but feel a bit protective and a bit jealous of the fact Deoku seemed to want to spend so much time with her. He felt childish so he just shrugged, "Eh- never mind, it's stupid. Whoa-!"

All at once his line went taught and he had to jerk back to ensure his fish hook caught in whatever snared his bait. He sat his nearly empty bottle aside, using both hands to fight with his rod, biting his lower lip in concentration. It seemed as though it was his turn to wrestle with the fishes. "Gah- come on! Come on! You're not escaping me!" he gritted between clenched teeth. He offered some slack to avoid his line snapping only to jerk back the rod sharply when he felt his prey give a little and after a few minutes, he proved victorious, reeling in a fat bass which floundered helplessly on the bank. "I am victorious!" Kenai crowd playfully, hooking his finger in the gill to lift it, "A worthy challenge and a worthy meal!"

He moved to place it in the basket, almost fumbling it as it suddenly decided to give one last valiant attempt to fight before the prize was shoved into the basket and the lid hastily put back on. "Damn fish don't know when to quit...." he grumbled. After a heavy exhale of breath past his lips, he resumed his original line of thought, "Anyways... yeah, of course, I'd take an interest, ya know? Just happy for ya is all."

"Ha, Nice catch! a big one too! I think we need to drink to our victories." the man grinned at his student before taking a hold of his bottle; then having a satisfying chug. "Ahhhh....Oh almost forgot. I brought along two extra just in case we weren't done fishing before the first two bottles emptied. Not enough to get us drunk but enough to keep us both from dying of thirst", he then reached into his bag pulling out a final one for himself and another for Kenai as well. "It's nice to hear you're happy for me, but don't celebrate that victory just yet. We still have to find out how she feels.", Deo then looked out at the water as he thought.

"Many of men have made the mistake of assuming a woman's kindness meant something more than what it was. I don't want to get ahead of myself. Besides even if she does feel the same you're going to be stuck with me for quite some time, Kenai!", the striker smiled over at his friend. "Not to mention there are many adventures left, plenty of bad idiots to smack around, more to teach you, and an endless amount of fish that need catching." he finished with a laugh.

Kenai grinned at Deoku's words, feeling a bit of relief rise in his chest. He accepted the second bottle eagerly and took a deep draw from it before lowering it and exhaling a satisfied sigh. "I look forward to many more adventures, Deoku. But for now, it's nice to sit back and enjoy the little things." he mused. He began putting his rod aside, propping it up against the tree before rising to his feet, "Well, dinner is done and caught. One thing left to do...."

He began removing his vambraces and the plated shin guards he wore, placing them near his pack which also rested against the tree's base, soon followed by his uwagi and zuban, leaving him in his undershorts as he padded over across the soft green grass to the edge of the bank. The sun peeking through the branches of the overhanging tree cast a dappling shadow across Kenai's back and shoulders, his many scars from his ugly past evident there as he gazed down into the crystal clear waters. "Looks cold." he mused, more to himself than Deoku.

"Indeed! It's part of why I'm looking for a good woman to come home to between our great adventures. The little things are always important. They help take your mind off of troubles. The more of those little enjoyable things you have the more you have to distract you from your woes.", the older gentlemen then took another swig from his bottle. He then observed Kenai as he stood at the edge of the water,"Hey Kenai, you just took down a ninja with no hesitation...you're not going to let some cold water stop you now are you?" he grinned and questioned with a tease. "Speaking of which..." he reeled in his line not wanting it out there while his student was swimming and sat it aside with his bag.

He then quickly removed the rest of his armor and stripped down to his undershorts as well. Deo then turned towards the water and made a quick jog across the grass. "Woooo! Now, this is how it's done!" the older man playfully jumped into the water showing that age still never changes some things. "Oh God, that's cold! Brrr. But definitely, the fastest way to adjust." he smiled from the now rippling wavy waters.

Kenai scoffed, hands on his hips as he took a proud stance, declaring with mock bravado, "Who me? Never! I am Kenai the Great! No foe stands a chance! Not even the coldest of waters! I am the Mightiest!" he struck what he imagined to be a heroic pose though it was almost comical with the way he offhandedly procrastinated jumping in. "I am Kenai the Iron Fists! No challenge is too great an-" his playful boasts were cut short as Deoku dashed past him and jumped in, splashing cold water on his student in the process. "Gah! Hey! I was busy over here!" With a boyish grin, Kenai jumped in, refusing to be shown up by his guardian. He resurfaced quickly, gasping from the initial shock of the cool water against his skin, warm from the heat of the summer's afternoon but recovered almost immediately, hands rising to brush back soaked tresses from his face, "Whoa- that's cold! Oh- its cold it cold..!" he sputtered as he paddled around a little to get more accustomed to the river's temperature.

"I used to have to deal with water like this all the time when going out fishing with the monks, though sometimes it was a bit warmer because it was sea water." the striker swam around on his back for a minute or 2 before going under to get a look around. The water was surprisingly clear but somewhat expected with a lack of any pollutants around. To Deoku there was just something peaceful and serene about being under the water's surface; like an entirely new world that you're oddly flying around in even though you are swimming. He watched as the many fish sped about all around them; both big and small before coming up for air. "This feels great." the man stated as he wiped some of his wet hair away from his face.

Now acclimated to the water, Kenai agreed,"It is... I admit, I was looking forward to this- it's been so hot lately." He swam about almost lazily, simply enjoying the cool water against his skin, occasionally looking over towards Deoku when he would disappear under the surface and resurface again. "We'll have to remember this spot. Definitely revisiting this spot in the future!"

As the younger Striker swam out a little further down from there fishing spot, still easily within eyeshot of his mentor, something caught his eye and drew his attention. It was a small glimmer beneath the water's surface when the sun peering through the leaves of the trees above shifted just right, and Kenai moved a little closer, careful not to stir up the sands of the river's bottom and further conceal the sparkle that attracted him. Ever curious, Kenai took a breath and slipped beneath the water's surface to investigate.The source of the gleam appeared to come from something half buried in the sand and it wasn't until he hovered lower that he could make out the color of something amber-like attached to a silver chain entangled about some algae covered branches that he realized it was a piece of jewelry. He made a note of where it was before rising to the surface for a breath.

"I don't think we will be forgetting this spot, my friend. Though we will need to find more spots like it if not better, since the two of us will be traveling it will be a good idea to have multiple places just in case we want to kick back like this again." he noticed Kenai looked at something before going under and waited for him to resurface. "Found something over there Ken?", the man half shouted to the other striker in the distance.

Kenai nodded, shouting back, "Yeah! One sec!" With that, he slipped back into the water and returning to the spot he had seen the item earlier. It took a brief moment to free the delicate chain without breaking it, pulling the item up with him to the surface where he could examine it better after rinsing the sand from it. "Definitely found something." He examined the jewelry in his palm curiously. It was an acorn pendant, the pendant itself seemed to be made out of some amber colored glass which gleamed beautifully in the sunlight which shined through it and cast its glow on his skin.

"Huh...." He turned about and swam back towards his companion, holding out the necklace to him once he was close enough to Deoku, "Check it out. Pretty, isn't it? Someone must have lost it."

"Nice find," Deo commented as Kenai swam closer with the necklace in hand. "That's the problem with wearing one's jewelry while swimming. One second it can be there the next it's gone. The water can be a better pickpocket than most professional thieves.", he chuckled as he waded in the water while observing the amber colored jewel. "Hmm now you have a new decision on your hands. To attempt to track down the person that lost it, sell it and make some nice silver for yourself, or keep it for your own use!"

Kenai paused, considering the item in his hand, his thumb absently shifting the pendant about in his palm. Selling it was out of the question. It didn't sit right with him to sell away something that wasn't his own. He could keep it, true, but the piece was certainly feminine and would not suit him in the least even though he certainly fancied it. So that left one last option, "Well... it doesn't seem right to just go and sell it. It could be precious to someone. It certainly doesn't suit me. Maybe we can try to track down who it belongs to. If we can't...." He gave a brief pause in contemplation before a small, mischievous grin tugged at the corner of his mouth, his hazel eyes raising to regard his mentor, "It could be a nice offering to your Elf-friend if we can't find the owner." He moved towards the embankment and climbed out, walking over to their possessions to place the necklace in his pack for safe keeping.

Deoku paused a moment trying not to blush at the thought, but instead cleared his throat," I-I guess that could be an option too...", he then remarked calmly as he swam over to more shallows waters and stood up; walking over to his bag. Deoku opened it once more rummaging through," Here you go Kenai.", the man tossed his friend a towel and pulled one out for himself. He dried himself off as much as he could before gathering his armor and clothing, slipping them back on one by one. The older striker took a leisurely stretch," Whew, I think we really needed that bit of relaxation.I feel much better already." Deo contemplated for a moment. "Unless there's some inscription on the necklace you found I think the only thing we can do is ask the guard station or some of the shops if anyone came by looking for a necklace like that one."

Kenai nodded, toweling off himself, "Yeah, seems like the step in the right direction, anyway. I mean... It's kind of a specific piece of jewelry so someone is bound to recognize it right?" Once he finished drying off, he took to redressing himself, slipping articles of clothing back on. Once dressed, he retrieved the remains of his beer and chugged it down. "Best get a move on before it gets too dark to do anything." He retrieved his pack, pocketing the necklace before eyeing the basket of fish, "Though the question is... should we take care of food first or after....."

"Hmm well..."Deoku took a look at the sky. There was probably at least 2 hrs of daylight left; 3 if they were lucky. "Probably the food so it won't spoil on us. The way I see it is the guard station will always be active since they switch shifts and the city is protected 24 hrs around the clock. A few of the shops close but many of them stay open as well." the teacher reasoned "The only thing we won't be able to do is probably go to the person themselves as total strangers once the sun goes down. That is assuming its identified. After all, two ruggedly handsome men like us showing up at someone's door at night is sure to frighten them.", he chuckled at the last part.

Kenai nodded thoughtfully, "True enough. Alright- food it is then!" A grumble from his stomach seemed to second the opinion. He stooped to gather his pack, slipping it onto his back before grabbing the basket containing their dinner. "Alright, let's get back, the sooner we get to frying these delicious morsels the better my stomach will feel." he chirruped with a boyish grin on his youthful face. He began picking his way out of the little glade towards the nearest gate back into the city.

"No disagreement here. We haven't had anything but drinks. " Deo lifted and shouldered his bag and picked up his rod as well then headed out to the road with Kenai. "Can't wait to sink my teeth into these fish. I think if we went any longer like this some unattended horses may be in trouble." Shifting his bag a bit on his arm Deo asked,"After we finish our plans with that necklace you have plans for tonight or is a good sleep on your mind?"

The youthful Striker considered the question as Deoku fell into step beside him, offering a slight bob of his shoulders in a shrug. "Dunno, to be honest. Didn't really plan that far ahead. Guess we'll see how I'm feelin' after we eat." It didn't take long for them to reach the city, making their way through the streets that were still surprisingly packed with people. As they weaved through the crowds towards the inn they currently stayed at, Kenai looked to his Mentor, "Don't these people ever go home?" he laughed jokingly.

"Ha! The way it's constantly crowded... I have to wonder the same, my friend. Since arriving in this city I can't remember ever seeing an empty street.", he smiled as they headed into the inn and to their room where he gladly relieved himself of his bag and fishing pole. "It will be nice to not have to lug those around for awhile.", he mentioned before walking over to their cooking area, getting out some of the seasonings they'll need once the fish is prepped.

Grateful to be out of the cluttered streets of Calpheon, Kenai blew a sigh of relief once inside their room. He sat the basket of fish upon the table before slipping his own pack off and placing his rod in the small closet space their room came with. He slipped off his vambraces before joining Deoku in the kitchenette, pulling a scaling knife out of their supplies, "Looks like your cooking tonight," he eyed his Teacher as he collected seasonings from the cooking range he stood at, "So I'll do the cleaning." He carried the basket over to the sink, drawing the fish out to rinse them in water before setting into his task, scaling and beheading their catches before removing the insides and filleting them. "We're going to feast like Kings tonight." he mused.

"That's right, Kenai. Prepare those tastebuds! ", Deo chimed in as he started up the fire to get the small cooking utensil in the room warmed up for when the fish come his way. He placed a small pot on top pouring in a bit of wine, squeezing in some lemon, then sprinkling in some garlic, basil, salt and black pepper stirring it a bit as he let it simmer."Even the kings are about to be jealous of our meal!" he boasted and smiled to Kenai.

A delighted chuckle slipped past Kenai's eager grin as he joined Deoku at the stove with the first skillfully sliced morsels of fish, the fillets from the Bass, offering them to his Mentor to begin cooking, "Don't tease me, I'm so hungry already!" he quipped, his stomach once more grumbling in agreement. He turned back to finish his task with the remaining fish, this time cutting the salmon into steaks rather than fillets. "Hmm, should I slice potatoes after this for chips? Or maybe steam some rice.... Unless you wanna handle all of that- either way, my mouth is already watering." he mused, dexterously working his knife through the salmon splayed out on the chopping board.

Deoku took the slices of fish handed to him placing them into the pan; a satisfying sizzle sound began to fill the room. As the fish cooked the older striker poured a bit of his seasoning atop the fish and into the pan. After a few minutes he turned the fish over and poured a little on the other side as well; the seasoning cooking itself into the meat of the fish and sending a pleasing aroma through the room. "Don't worry Kenai, your stomach will thank you for the worthwhile wait!"

The man grinned,"So is your mouth watering yet over there?", he turned the fish over once more making sure it cooked all the way through, before slipping the first few pieces onto a plate.

Kenai returned with the salmon steaks, the aroma of the sizzling bass making him nod in appreciation, "Man, I'm starving! Better hurry, Deo, before I wind up chewing on the corner of my plate!" he joked with a laugh, setting the salmon within reach of his mentor before he turned to set the table. It didn't take long, the small table was easily outfitted with plates for two, including two forks and knives, a pair of cups, and a jug of beer. As he neatly set everything out, he glanced over his shoulder as Deoku worked over the stove, "So... did I tell you about what the maid asked me the other day?" he implored out of the blue, having suddenly remembered the conversation.

Deoku took the still shimmering bass and slipped it onto Kenai's plate, then turned back to the stove and placed the salmon into the pan. He then used what's left of the seasoning to repeat the process. "The maid? Was she hitting on you Kenai?", he questioned in wonder.

The young Striker merely laughed, shaking his head as he took his seat and waited for his mentor to join him, "No no.... Actually, it caught me off guard. I forgot what I was doing but she came in to tidy up and see if we needed any more towels, right? Uh- you know, the younger maid with the light brown hair and the freckles? Er... what was her name...." he pondered, momentarily sidetracked. "Uh... Tally? Tassy? No... Tina? No, wait, Tonya? Ah, I forget." he remarked sheepishly but Deoku would realize he was speaking of Tiffany, one of the younger maids of the tavern who did seem to fancy Kenai without him realizing it. "Anyways, so she was fluffing up the bed and setting out towels and whatever while I was grabbing something- this was while you were out and around in the city- and she goes: 'So are you married?' and Im like, 'Uh... no?' and then she gives me this funny look, right? So I asked her why she would think that and apparently... she thought -we- were a thing, like- you know. Anyways, so of course, I was like 'uh, no?' and she got all red and apologized which was cool but still I had a laugh. According to her, not many "couples" like us come into the inn for anything short of bumping funny bits and I guess since we don't really look related she thought dirty things were afoot in here between us- which I assured her wasn't the case and explained that you were my Mentor and yadda yadda. But yeah, basically she thought I was a prostitute or something. I laughed and she left all embarrassed." he yammered until his story finished, snickering. "So yeah, that's what happened. I should probably apologize to Tilly for laughing at her. Well, not -at- her at her but at what she said. Well, maybe not like "Hey I'm sorry for laughing at that one thing you said," but just apologize for being an ass." He mused.

The older striker laughed as well," They don't have father/sons that stay here, or just a couples of guys who have been traveling and need a place to stay while low on silver rent a room together? Seems odd that only male couples in that kind of relationship would stay here." The man flipped his fish over one last time before putting it on his plate and joining Kenai at the table. "It's fine though, she's young, and will eventually learn that many types will show up around here." Deoku blessed the food for them and grabbed his fork to dig into the meal. "By the way, if you do apologize to her, don't forget the poor girl's name is Tiffany. I wouldn't want her giving us dirty bedsheets because you called her ten different names in one sentence.", he joked.

Kenai snapped his fingers, perking up, "Yeah! That was it! Tiffany. I knew you knew who I was talking about." he grinned, hands collecting his utensils, "Thank you for dinner." He set to with gusto, falling silent to enjoy his meal. As they ate, the noise and the accompanying bustle outside seemed to gradually die down some with many citizens retreating to their homes with the later hours of the evening. Kenai poured them both a glass of amber beer from the jug on the table, remarking out of the blue, "So, I think we will be looking for an Elf or a Shai. An acorn is pretty symbolic and the necklace looked custom made." he observed. He took a moment to withdraw the chain and pendant from his pocket to lay on the tabletop for them both to see, the light for the lantern lit on the table's center illuminating the amber glow of the acorn. He took another morsel of fish into his mouth, gaze on the necklace thoughtfully. "Not many have the skill to work on something this delicate. We may need to ask around for glass blowers or jewelers with experience in the skill. So that narrows the list a bit. At least we'll have an idea of what to ask for."

"Good observation. I definitely don't think we'd see any giant running around with this one. And even though a human would probably wear it it's not usually their taste.", the man then took a few bites of his fish while gazing at the unique necklace sitting in the center of the table. "Mmm", he nodded in thought. "Food like this taste so much better when you're hungry.", the striker remarked "Hopefully one of the jewelers or blowers in this city will be the one that made it. More so hopefully they will still be open this late."

Deo looked out the window, even though there was still a bit of light he knew any shop that did close would start to pack up in the next hour or so. The man then grabbed his mug taking a satisfying drink of the amber beer within. "It must have been really annoying for the person who lost it. I can imagine they tried to swim around looking for it assuming they noticed it was gone right away.", he sympathized at the thought of their loss.

Kenai chewed the last of his dinner with a thoughtful expression, his gaze fixed upon the mottled amber of the glass pendant. "Yeah... it's kinda strange though. How would it have fallen off if the person was wearing it? The clasp of the chain was still linked and it's too small to slip over someone's head. Maybe it was in a pocket or something.... Either way, I can't shake the feeling this is something particularly special to whoever lost it. Custom made items usually have some sort of sentimental value to them. I can't help but be curious as to what the story is behind this necklace."

"Definitely, much like the armor, the blacksmith made for us when we helped his village... Some things mean a lot and can't simply be replaced by making a copy. Hopefully, we'll get it into the right hands.", the striker smiled to his pupil. "I'm also proud of you kid; most people around here would have walked off with that necklace and pocketed a bit of silver with it. Even if we don't manage to find the person at least you'll be able to say you tried.", Deo then munched down the last of his fish and chugged down the rest of his beer so they could get moving before it got any later.

Kenai shrugged as he stood to gather the plates, making for the wash basin in the kitchenette, remarking honestly, "It just wouldn't feel right if I didn't try. I know what it's like to lose something special. Even if the circumstances are different, I would imagine there is still some similarity in the feeling." He gave the plates a quick but thorough washing and placed them on the drying rack. He then moved to retrieve the necklace from the table, once more pocketing it.

"You're right the circumstances are different but still would have a similar feeling." he looked around the room a moment noting that he wouldn't need to carry much this time around. "Alright, looks like we get to travel light again," Deoku said as he made sure his small bag of silver was on him; not wanting to leave it in the room while they were away. " I guess we'll stop by the nearest jeweler or blower whichever is closer.", he then walked over to the large wooden door opening it so the two could make their exit.

Kenai nodded and moved towards the door, exiting with his mentor behind him. It was now fairly late in the evening, the sun having gone down and the stars speckling the sky above and the streets lit with lantern light. There were still folk out and about along the streets but far less than there had been during the day and many of the stalls and shops had either closed or would be soon. They managed to find a Guard on patrol, a tall man with a beer belly and a thick brown, bristly walrus-like mustache who seemed more on a leisurely stroll through the city than really being aware of his surroundings. Kenai couldn't help but loft a brow at the man curiously, whose deep gruff voice seemed to emanate more from the facial hair that covered his lips than the mouth hidden behind it as he let Deoku take point, his Teacher far more a people person than he.

"Ahh, finally some elbow room on these streets!", Deoku exclaimed enjoying a little more space as he walked without feeling as if he couldn't take a step without trampling over some poor soul. "Look at this Kenai. I really have to come out here at night more often. I can move without feeling as if I'm wearing other people on me!", in his moment of celebration, he quickly noticed the guard. "Perfect. Here's our guy Kenai..or hopefully he can help us at least." The tall striker approached the guardsman gaining his attention, "Excuse me, guard! I was wondering if you could help me and friend here. We were wondering if you or your men got any reports of a lost necklace? If not could you kindly point us in the direction of the nearest custom jeweler?", he asked the large gruff man before them.

The Guard paused in his stride, puffing his barreled chest out as the two Strikers approached. He gazed at them down his hawk-like nose, thick bristly mustache shifting from side to side as he sniffed with an air of dignity, his voice gruff and gravelly when he spoke, "Hrm? What's that? A necklace ye say? Do I look like the cities lost an' found to ye?" he huffed. He gave each of them a pointed once over, seizing them both up with a bushy brow raised in question. Kenai had to resist the urge to roll his eyes at the man's mock bluster. Guards like this one had a tendency to take themselves too seriously and think too highly of themselves- far too much so to help a commoner. More often than not, they viewed such interruptions as a waste of time. "Look, we were just asking, sir, that's all. I'm sure you must have seen someone around town with this at some point?" Kenai withdrew the necklace from his pocket, holding it up just enough to let the pendant dangle from his fist.

Deoku looked on as Kenai showed the man the necklace, "We're aware you aren't the lost and found my good man. We are simply asking if anyone came to you or your fellow guards looking for that." the striker pointed to the object as he spoke. "If not we will simply be on our way and leave you to your business."

The annoyed Guard twitched his mustache again but this time took a moment to regard the necklace in question, beady dark eyes squinting suspiciously, "Never seen it afore but how do I know ye didn' steal it, eh?" It was clear he held the pair under a great deal of scrutiny, "I don' recall ever seein' ye two hereabouts afore neither. Could be startin' mischief." he grunted.

Before Kenai could retort with a smart ass comment, another Guard turned the corner, a lantern in hand. She was tall, slender and her armor looked a size too big but she carried herself confidently, her blonde hair tied up in a high ponytail that bounced behind her in a light curl as she walked towards them, her expression friendly. "Taking your time in your patrol, Borus? Oh, hello- who have we here?" She stopped just short of them, looking from Deoku to Kenai.

The older striker smiled at the woman still staying as civil as possible he greeted her," Good evening Ma'am. Me and my friend here were simply trying to ask your guard Borus here if you all had any reports or request about a missing necklace.", he gestured his head toward the item Kenai was still holding. "Now it seems we are being accused of mischief. We aren't looking for trouble or hassles here; we'd simply like to return it to the owner. If the guards have no idea who that belongs to could you point us to the nearest custom jeweler?"

Borus looked indignant, his pot belly jutting out as he straightened himself up to his full height- which turned out far less impressive than he intended. Before he could go on another tirade, the female Guard laughed good-naturedly, walking up to her fuming companion to pat him on the shoulder, "Come now, Borus! These are the guys that brought in our highway robber earlier! They're good folk." she reassured. "Anything you two need, we'll be happy to help." She lowered her voice then, in a mock whisper, "And don't mind Borus- he's just crabby he got stuck with the graveyard shift rather than enjoying a pint in the nearest tavern." she quipped good-naturedly with a wink. To which Borus sputtered in annoyance. Kenai snickered. "Well then, let's have a look-see what you got there." The woman took the necklace from Kenai and inspected it a moment, a thoughtful "hmm" on her lips before she shook her head, handing it back. "Well, can't say that matches anything our local jeweler's make in abundance. If I were to venture a guess, I would say it was a custom order. We do have a Glassblower in town you can ask about it and see if he recognizes it though. He's a Shai from Florin, goes by the name Pippin Loamsprout. You can find him at his temporary stall on the other side of the city past the Noble District."

"Thanks so much for your help Miss... Actually, I didn't catch your name.", Deoku scratched his head. "Regardless, I'm Deoku and my friend here is Kenai. We really appreciate your help here.", the man then turned to Kenai. "Well looks like we are going to make a stop to the glass blower and see what they have to say about our necklace." Turning back to the guards he addressed Borus," I know it isn't the best shift but don't let it get to you. I'm sure there are some advantages to working the night shift.", the striker then looked to the female guard once more; extending a hand of gratitude.

The moody Guard seemed to ignore Deoku, crossing his arms with a 'harumph!' which seemed to only make the female Guard laugh. She accepted Deoku's hand and gave it a good-natured shake, her smile only accenting her cute features, "Don't mind him. By the by- the names Tabitha Grove. I'm happy I could offer some assistance! Hope you guys have some luck in your search, not every day we have such outstanding folk trying to do right by the owners of lost jewelry. Most would pocket it or pawn it off. Just goes to show there's still some good worth fightin' for out there." she grinned and offered the pair a wave. "See you two around! Watch yourselves and have a good night." She then looked to Borus, encouraging him along with her, "Come on you big grouch, it's almost time for our relief to check in, I'll treat you to a nice ale, how about that?" As the pair moved off, the woman seeming to placate her moody partner, Kenai couldn't help but smirk cheekily. "Woman sure knows her way around the big'un." he chuckled before turning back to Deoku, returning the necklace into his pocket. "Well, guess we should get going before we miss him. It's getting late."

Deoku watched Borus's reaction and shrugged at the thought of not being able to please everyone. Listening to Tabitha's words the older striker chuckled as he shook her hand, "I told Kenai the same thing about what most would have done with that necklace, but it's nice to see he's not like everyone else." Deoku gave the young man a proud pat on the shoulder. "Thanks again Tabitha you and Borus have a good night as well!"

The two strikers turned to make there way to their next destination walking more briskly than before. "It's always good to have someone like her around to get a handle on the guards that are a bit rough around the edges.", he smiled "Otherwise some of them would throw their weight around...no pun intended. But any way you're right we better get there fast I imagine he'll take a bit of time to pack up , or if we're lucky a customer may have held him there. You know how last-minute shoppers can be!"

They hurried along the streets, the late night stragglers thinning by the minute as they made their way across bridges and along cobblestone streets, the street lamps providing a golden glow to illuminate their way. They passed another Guard on patrol but they seemed to care less about the two Strikers as they made their way past. At length, they came upon their intended destination, turning the corner of several of the more upscale townhouses on the outskirts of the Noble District, just before the winding path that carried merchants up and around to the upper levels of the city. A Shepard passed them by, ushering his small flock of lambs and sheep out to the pastures of grass beyond the cluster of buildings and market stalls they arrived at to graze and Kenai noted some vendors packing it in already, some merchants wheeling away their carts of fresh produce and some simply locking up shop. "This looks like it."

"Seems you're right Kenai. We made it just in time too." , Deoku approached the glassblower packing up to make his way out. "Excuse me, we aren't here to purchase anything but we had a quick question for you about a necklace we found.", the striker mentioned as he approached. " We were hoping perhaps you could tell us something about its creation or even better maybe you are the one that crafted it for that person. We've been trying to find it's owner to return it.", he then explained as the craftsman continued to pack only stopping briefly to listen.

The Shai was a typical little fellow for his kind, chubby with mud brown hair, mouse-like ears jutting out from under his wide-brimmed straw hat at either side of his chubby-cheeked face. Dressed in merchant clothes, the Shai twitched his mouse-like nose at them, blue eyes regarding the pair of Strikers in an almost impatient manner, "Not gonna buy so you decide to waste my time?" He implored. Shai were not known to be polite. "Fine, let me see it then." he huffed, turning to face them with his gloved hand outstretched expectantly, boot tapping impatiently upon the ground. "Don't have all night you know!" Kenai frowned but shrugged, retrieving the necklace from his pocket to place in the Shai's upturned palm. "Recognize it?" He watched as the Shai looked over the piece thoroughly, turning it over in his tiny hands as he muttered to himself, "Hmmm... skillfully made... lightweight considering the glass pendant... the cap is actually a real acorn cap, encased in bronze which is a nice touch.... not my work, mind you, but just as good.... Actually, I think I recognize this mark..." Long ears perked up in surprise as he pointed out the tiny etching upon the pendant's clasp, "See this, here? That's a "maker's mark". Mark of the trade if you will. I know the Shai that made this though she passed away a few years ago." he explained. "I recalled her making some custom pieces for the locals. In Fact, I believe this particular necklace was made for a baker's daughter. Some kind of birthday gift I think. That's all I can really remember." He handed the necklace back to which Kenai pocketed it. "A baker's daughter, huh?" he looked to Deoku, "How many bakers do you think live in the city?"

"It seems the world is a small place after all Kenai." The man says to his younger apprentice. Deoku pauses to think for a moment, his index finger and thumb stroking the facial hair of his chin. "Hmmm...that couldn't be a coincidence, could it...? I know a baker's daughter, could fate be working with me here. I wonder. ", the striker thought aloud before shifting his gaze back to the Shai. "This baker's daughter...you wouldn't happen to remember if she has green hair or was of elven descent?" he questioned the annoyed Shai. "We won't keep you any longer if you happen to know."

Kenai regarded his mentor curiously, his head canted to the side with a lofted brow before his hazel gaze shifted back to the Shai expectantly. Pippin Loamsprout sighed, hands akimbo as his nose twitched in annoyance, "I can barely remember the faces of my own clientele. In fact, I probably won't remember your mugs after tomorrow. The only other piece of information I can offer you is that they were from out of town originally. Moved in from the lumber town further south of the capital called Trent. If you want more information on the Baker, I'd suggest you go find Valkyrie Paloma. She's old now but back then, she was a sponsor of Calpheon's annual bake-off. If anyone knows about sweets, it's her. Now, if you'll excuse me!" Kenai stepped back out of the Shai's way as the impatient little fellow picked up his cart and trundled off, grumbling about lost time. He couldn't help but chuckle, shaking his head, "Shai were never the most polite of critters." he remarked, bemused. His attention turned to Deoku then, "So... what's on your mind?"

"Thanks for the information," Deoku said to the impatient Shai walking off without hearing another word. The striker then turned his attention back to Kenai, "Well...the elf I've been seeing. She is the daughter of a baker and before moving here lost her mother to the cyclops in the forest near Trent." I'm not familiar with every baker's daughter that could possibly be in this town, but that seems to hit a bit too close to home doesn't it?", he explained his logic to Kenai.

"Or maybe it's just wishful thinking and a coincidence that this person and her share a similar background." , the man then shrugged and sigh at the thought. "Either way I guess the only way we'd find out is to take it directly to her or find Valkyrie Paloma first....", something seemed to click in Deoku's mind. "Ha, nevermind we have to find the Valkyrie first. I just realized I'm not even sure where Olive lives!", the teacher chuckled.

"At least we know where to find the Valkyries. Welp let's take a trip over to the valkyrie school. Hopefully, they don't think we're some Perverts showing up this late and attempt to kill us!", he joked to Kenai and started in the direction of the school.

Kenai blinked, surprised, "Well shit. Looks like the stars are aligning for ya, old man. Fate's spinning her thread and all you have to do is follow it!" He patted his pocket once more just to ensure the necklace was still there before he began walking off towards the Academy, standing tall and proud like a pillar of holy light above most of the city. The trek took at most twenty minutes with brisk walking, passing a few Guards on patrol as they climbed further up towards their destination. When at last the reached the stairs before the grand building itself, a pair of Valkyrie sentries stopped them in their tracks. "Halt! What business have you here, strangers?" the first shouted, a tall, slender woman with a high red ponytail and blue eyes. "It is after curfew! State your business or begone!" yelled the second, a shorter woman with an athletic build and brown eyes, her brown hair cut into a jaw length bob. The pair brandished their weapons. Kenai held up his hands to show he was unarmed and meant no harm, "Whoa now! Easy ladies. Apologies for us being here so late but we were told to speak with a Valkyrie Paloma... we were informed she may be able to help us with a matter of importance." he explained.

"Sorry for the late visit ladies. I'm Deoku and this is my apprentice Kenai.", Deoku introduced to the two wary warriors. " It's as my friend here says.", the striker approached the two of them cautiously with no aggression in his movement or behavior before coming to a stop. "We simply need Valkyrie Paloma to help identify someone for us if possible and we'll be on our way.", he continued looking between the two of them. "Is there any way you can help us out with that?"

The two Valkyries where clearly fresh from the Academy, their egos inflated with the illusion of self-importance that came with their duty as sentries. The first Valkyrie snorted, indignant as she straightened her self, staring down her narrow nose at the Striker as he spoke, "We care not what it is you seek, stranger. No one disturbs Matron Paloma, especially at this hour!" The second Valkyrie huffed, brown eyes narrowing dangerously, "It is as sister Lyla says, no one is to disturb the Matron! We insist you leave, your presence here is a distraction- an unwelcome one at that!" Kenai regarded the two in an almost bored fashion, "Look, just one quick question, that's it! Also- who the hell are we distracting? The owls?" he implored, offering a pointed look around the courtyard. It was just the four of them with no one else in sight.

Instead of starting a conflict with the two women, the older striker simply shrugged. "No problem we'll come back tomorrow when you two aren't on duty and simply let her know; that while seeking aide her two honorable virtuous valkyries on the late shift turned their noses up at us, higher than the snobby nobles around here...." he trailed off as he made a move to turn and go."Let's head back Kenai. No need for conflict Valkyrie Paloma will tend to them herself. After hearing so many great things about the valkyries clearly that guard...what's his name again? Oh yeah, Borus; he'd have been much more helpful than this.", he addressed his student nonchalantly.

"How- how dare you!" Valkyrie Lyla shouted, agitated. It seemed Deoku's jab triggered her sense of self-righteousness and Kenai just stood back and watched, doing his best not to laugh. "Show some respect! We were appointed by the Matron herself! You have no right to judge me!" The second Valkyrie looked lest indignant, an anxious look crossing her face at her companion's raised tone, "Sister Lyla, keep your voice down! You'll wake the Matron!" "Ye already have." came the voice from behind them, gravelly yet feminine. The pair of Valkyries jumped, posture going rigid as they all but sweat bullets. The woman that appeared from the shadows behind them was certainly far older, in her seventies at least, with a heavier set build bent with age with pronounced wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. She was dressed in a nightgown and robe with her long grey hair tied into a loose ponytail which hung over her shoulder, her blue eyes regarding the youthful pair of Valkyries tiredly. "Have ye nothing better to do than to wake an old woman's slumber? Bah, be ye gone ye two pests lest ye wake the grounds with ye nonsense! Go on then, away with ye!" she scolded, menacing the sputtering pair with her cane. "O-of course! Our apologies Matron! Please forgive us!" the sentries groveled in unison before beating a hasty retreat. Valkyrie Paloma grumbled to herself as she itched at her lower back, supporting her self up by her cane as she squinted sleepily, "Bah- great big pair o' noodles those two are." She turned her gaze to Deoku and Kenai, sizing them up, "Well then, since ye two are here, persistent as ye are, at least come inside and partake in some tea." she bade, turning to lead the way inside. It was clear she wasn't going to take no for an answer.

Deoku smiled at her and gave a gentlemanly bow. "Sorry to visit you at this hour, but thank you for having us, Matron Paloma. We will gladly join you for some tea.", Deoku greeted her then introduced himself. "My name is Deoku and this is my student Kenai." he stated as they followed her to her building. The striker gave a grin to Kenai at his victory of setting off the 2 valkyries who had scurried away after giving the strikers such hassle.

Kenai was doing his best to stifle his laugh at the Valkyrie Sentries' expense, following Deoku and the old woman inside the darkened halls of the Academy's lobby where a door sat ajar off to their left, light from a fireplace seeping through to provide some light as they drew near it. It reminded Kenai of the type of living quarters one would find in a gatehouse and figured the purpose of this small living space served a similar purpose. As Paloma shuffled inside, the two Strikers close behind, Kenai could see that the living quarters, though narrower than most apartments, made up for its width with length. If he were to guess, he would have assumed that the room ran the width of the outer wall where several windows sat, which would have explained how the old woman so easily heard the confrontation outside. Even so, the space was cozy and offered space for them to move around freely without bumping into each other and the decor reminded Kenai of some rustic country home in Balenos, the crackle of the warm fire only adding to the aesthetic. "Nice digs, Matron." he remarked in approval as they joined her at a long sofa, the coffee table in front of it already set with a tea tray and a teapot, steam rising from the spout and three cups. It seemed she already prepared for them before her intervention with the sentries. "Thank ye, young'un. Sit ye two down. I shall hear ye plight whilst I pour ye cups." She nestled herself, with some effort onto the plush couch cushions with the aid of her cane and almost immediately a trio of cats appeared, purring and meowing in affection. Paloma chuckled, scratching their heads each in turn before she made to pour their drinks. Kenai regarded the cats a moment, debating silently if three cats constituted a label as "crazy cat lady" before he took his seat on the couch, "Thank you very much, Matron."

The older man looked around as the entered Paloma's place of living. His eyes wandering about taking in the inviting surroundings before turning his attention to the couch they approached. "Seeing the tea set like this I almost feel like you were expecting us to show up," Deoku spoke up with a chuckle. "Thank you again for giving us a moment of your time.", he then said as he sat down on the couch watching the cats rush over to Paloma as she poured the tea. "The reason we came was that we found an interesting item, a very unique necklace, while at the river today; it's been quite the task just getting it back to its owner. The Shai we spoke to before coming here mentioned you may know something about a baker that use to be in this town and his daughter; whom the necklace may belong to.", he explained to the older woman about their situation.

Paloma chuckled quietly, "With the way those two were going on, I'm surprised they didn't wake the dead. Decided since I was going to have company one ways, might as well be prepared for it." She nestled more comfortably once the cups were poured and sipped from her teacup. The brew was minty and refreshing which Kenai found agreed with him immensely. "So ye be wanting to know about yon Baker's kin?" Paloma began, thinking as she took another lengthy sip of her tea. "Nought a Baker I did not know well during my time as a Sponsor of the Calpheon's annual bake-off. The city still hosts it, ye know- ye should attend in the springtime! Eh... where was I... oh yes- many a fine baker I have met in that time. One, in particular, was fairly well liked by the citizens here. His specialty where pies, I believe! Ye naught taste pies like these- they were to die for." The old Valkyrie's thoughts seemed to wander off then as she mumbled to herself,"Ah, those were the days...." she sighed wistfully, "I was young and beautiful- able to indulge in whatever sweet things I wanted... and that baker...." she snickered in an almost pervert sort of manner, her cheeks tinting red with a blush, "Such a gentleman! Kek kek, he could whip my batter any day...." At that, Kenai nearly spat out his tea through his nose.

The striker laughed lightly,"He was popular with the ladies around here I suspect? Didn't he have a daughter as well?", he then questioned subtly trying to trigger her memory. He then reached a large hand down grasping the small teacup. He blew on it lightly before taking a sip. "You ok over there Kenai?" the older man teased his apprentice a bit giving him a smile watching as he tried to hold back his reaction to her words.

Kenai had to pinch his nose to keep the hot tea from shooting out of his nostrils as he snickered at the old pervy woman,"Fantastic, Deo." he reassured nasally, his voice thick with amusement. At Deoku's prompting, Paloma seemed to come back to reality, blinking owlishly, "Why yes, actually. Shy little thing but sweet as cherry pie. I recall she was bullied a lot, the poor dear. Children can be cruel when they are raised ignorant to anything different. I believe she was homeschooled as a result. Can't say I ever saw her attend any of the local schools and I do not believe she had any friends... I think she lived a very lonely life but ye would never guess with the way she always smiled." The old Valkyrie gave pause to slurp her tea, her expression thoughtful. "She was the apple of her father's eye, that one. Can't say I remember her name, sadly. I haven't seen her in some years... not since her father died. Caught a sickness, he did." Kenai hummed in thought, a hand moving to his pocket to retrieve the necklace. She presented it to Paloma, his eyes searching her face keenly, "Did she wear something like this?" he implored, letting the glass pendant dangle before Paloma's blue eyes. The old woman paused, inspecting the jewelry with a great deal of thought, a low gravelly hum in her throat. "Strikes me as familiar... can not say if t'was hers or not... However, I do recall an emblem of an old Elvish family... Their heraldry consisted of acorns and oak leaves... this pendant reminds me of it. Apologies but I have not much else to offer ye."

"That's fine Matron Paloma. You've helped a lot.", Deoku assured the old woman as he finished the bit of tea left in his cup. "One last question, the daughter's name if you can recall; would it have happened to be Olive or Olivette?", he questioned. "I encountered an elf by that name recently short, with long green hair, a darker skin complexion than most elves, with both green and blue eyes. Her story seemed to match yours.", he described Olive to Paloma as he sat his teacup back down on the table once he finished.

Kenai shifted his attention once more from Deoku to the old woman, curiosity in his hazel eyes. As she too finished his tea, Matron Paloma hummed in thought, absently scratching one of the many cats that surrounded her on the head. "Hmmm.... green ye say.... Mayhaps... hard to recall though I do remember the child had unusual eyes. A bit striking.... hard to forget such an oddity." She chuckled lightly, "I do believe she shared the name of some sort of food which I found peculiar yet in a way pretty. Bah, this old woman is tired. I hope ye two found some use in what I had to offer." Kenai watched the old woman attempt to rise shakily and stood to assist her, his efforts rewarded by a grandmotherly pinch to his cheek that made him wince. "Oh my, but aren't ye a darlin' helpin' out an old bag like meself! And so handsome!" she keckled, offering Kenai a wink that made him laugh a bit nervously. "Heh, um, j-just happy to help, marm!"

Deoku laughed lightly at Kenai's reaction before speaking."Thank you, Matron Paloma. I think your info gave us a good idea of where to go with this. We'll head to that baker's house if you remember where he lived. That will be the best place to visit first..we may just run into this daughter you speak of.", he stated as he rose from his seat to take their leave for the night. "We won't hold you up any longer from getting some rest. And the tea was very nice by the way.", he smiled to he and Kenai made their way towards the door.

The elderly Valkyrie hummed tiredly as she shuffled away from them and back towards her bed, "Aye, he owned a cozy little apartment by the main bridge where a little park sat across the way. Still there I reckon.... Ye know the way out, just close the door behind ye. I bid ye both a good night and good huntin'."

[To be continued...]

#IC happenings #short stories #deoku #olivette

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