The waves broke against the prow of the Verrus-Mund as it continued it westward trajectory. The ship gently rocked on favorable tides as the cloud piercing mountains of Ialdia's coast became visible in the hazy distance. A whistle broke the relative silence as the crewman in the crows nest signaled the arrival of the distant land.
"peaks ahead captain!" Came the excited cry from the crows nest. Deckhands scrambled at the news, swinging on shipborne ropes to various locations on the multiple decks. Large-armed men tied off ropes and pulled lines all with the singular purpose of making landfall. From the helm at the aft of the vessel, captain Vrund Sapphrene oversaw the trajectory of the ship, which was controlled by helmsman Vhire Reck, a human in his mid-forties with ruffled gold-brown hair and a sun-scarred complexion. He yelled orders in every direction, his booming voice carrying out over his massive ship and down through the decks. The smaller vessels that accompanied the Verrus Mund stirred with motion as well as the captain's voice carried over the crash of waves against oaken hull. He started his way down the steps on either side of the helmsman's platform toward the main deck. His long braided ebony beard swaying in the oceanic winds. His presence was undeniable regardless of his Dwarven stature. Although most of the crew stood at least two heads higher than him, they all gave their respect as he passed with curt expressions of "Captain" or "Ironhull". He made his way to the crew deck just before the prow and opened the main door.

Inside was a Scael dressed in fitted leather with a cobalt robe tossed over his shoulders. The Scael was sprawled out over a desk, shifting through parchments amidst a teetering rise of tomes on either side. One would fall as the ship swayed to either side, but the Scael would pick it up and place it back upon the stack without ever looking away from the scrawled runes that so entranced him.
"Shri-Rah." Vrund called in his deep booming voice. The Scael did not respond, still shifting through his parchments. "Shri-Rah" Vrund snapped, barely raising his voice a fraction, but still managing to fill the room with his indomitable presence. The Scael made a queer half-yelp-half-screech noise as he was startled from his reverie.
"Captain!" The Scael croaked suddenly as he turned to face Vrund. "Why must you sneak up on me while I work." Shri-Rah took the moment to bundle up the discarded parchments and place them back upon the desk.
"I've been standing here for a time, watching you shamble across your damnable scripts with no regard for the turning of the waters." Vrund crossed the room with caution, managing to avoid nearly all the tomes strewn across the carpeted ground, although he could not avoid them all. His boot came down upon a large, red-leather bound book with a crunch that sent a hissing up from Shri-Rah.
"Careful you stoneskull!" He screeched as he swept the tome up and placed it on the desk with his parchments. "This is a account of the ancient's expansion across the eastern re-"
"I do not care what it is" Vrund interrupted. "we are preparing to make landfall. Have the passengers been made ready for departure?" Vrund nudged the tomes in his way to the sides of the room, clearing a path back to the door.
"Well uhg- no-" Shri-Rah began before being cut-off once again.
"See to it then, I want the lot of you ready no more than half a hand-span after we moor. I have no intention of succumbing to this land's curse. Remember, we don't have immunity like your lot." Shri-Rah picked up his lot of bundled parchment and turned to catch Vrund before he left the room.
"Can't you have one of the others do it? Terram, perhaps, or Mord?" The Scael shifted uncomfortably, the scales down the back of his neck click-clacked as he shook a fly off.
"No, because Terram and Mord are making themselves usefull bringing my ships into dock with the rest of the crew. Do something productive and go see the colonists are ready before we hit the dock." Vrund opened the door back onto the deck and slammed it hard behind him. The boom of the heavy wooden door smacking shut nearly made Shri-Rah drop his bundle. He hissed disappointedly, sounding nearly like a human sigh, before turning back to the desk and opening the top drawer. He withdrew a golden parchment with a broken blue-wax seal of a crossed sword and goldberry branch, and laid it flat on the desktop. The list held the names of all those sanctioned to embark to the lands of Ialdia along with a short description for each of them. There were nearly sixty names or so, his and Vriis-Nar's included among them. The Verrus Mund held fourteen of the colonists, while the rest were spread amongst the smaller ships. The first on the list was his name.


followed by

He felt that the description was rather vague considering his vast range of knowledge outside simply decrepit civilizations, but it held a sturdy title none the less. Below his name was his partner's


He felt like perhaps that title was more descriptive than his, but then again there was more to say.. His mind trailed off as he thought of Vriis-Nar and her flowing blue robes and shining, imbued leather-breastplate. His Cal-bonded, or his wife in the human tongue. He wasn't sure where she was now, most likely she was off questioning the passengers about dialects and magical ability, as she was aught to do. Shri-Rah skimmed his way down the list, finding the twelve other colonists that were aboard the Verrus Mund. The names he was looking for were marked to the left with a deep blue ink.



The list was interesting. There were a number of hybrids aboard, and also a number of names he recognized. Men and women of both positive and negative repute. And a wide variety of races and mixes. individually they seemed interesting enough, but all on the same vessel they seemed a vastly different group of people. Shri-Rah found that odd. He tapped the parchment on each name, his claw clacking against the desk underneath as he memorized each one. Then he tucked it into a pocket in his shoulder robe and opened the door to the lower deck stairs, which was to the left of the main deck door. Then he went down to meet with the crew that he would be living with for as long as he still lived.
--------

Luch coughed over the bin, the smell of sweat and the sea breeze mixing with the rising cyan fumes rising like steam from his skin; the sky moved like the waters below, churning and swirling like a fluid painting, adding nausea to his exhaustion. He collapsed against the side of the bound crate to keep from falling to the ground. Thankfully, everyone else was busy with the sight of land and so didn't notice him among the crates that hid him from most of the deck's view during this episode.
We're nearly there.Thank the gods, he thought. I can't keep hiding this on this tiny little boat.
And he didn't know how much time he had now. He inhaled deeply, rasping, willing the cyan-colored vapor to cease. As far as anyone else knew, he had just been seasick. Best to keep it that way.

A whistle made Yvaine start, sharply pulling her away from dazed thoughts of their future endeavors in the ancient lands. There was a giddy sort of excitement that filled her from head to toe as she took in the sound of the captain's booming voice and peered into the distance. For a moment, she wondered whether there was a limit to one's excitement. She had yet to recover from her elation over first stepping foot on the Verrus-Mund (ships were so much larger than she thought), or the sheer delight from seeing the ocean in person (it was not at all like how it seemed in her books!), and now thoughts of endless possibilities stirred an even stronger sense of yearning and eagerness in her. If there was indeed a limit, then she must be nearing the end of hers!

A wide smile broke across her face as she returned to where Luch was. He hadn't been in the best of moods since boarding the ship, and she hoped the sight of Ialdia would help remedy that.
"Lu," she called out happily. "Come see, we've almost reached the coast! Lu--"
The sight of Luched, sallow and devoid of the usual litheness with which he carried himself, made her gasp. Her brows furrowed in worry as she hurriedly approached him, reaching out a hand to check for signs of malady. She thought he had been merely uncomfortable with the uneven swaying of the ship against the tides, but his symptoms seemed a bit severe for seasickness... or so she read. Not knowing how else to help, Yvaine turned to her magic.

"Shall I do Revivifier?" she asked, referring to the soothing spell she so oft-sang for him when they were children. It had a slow and gentle melody, like a lullaby a mother would sing, and although it did not heal injuries, it relieved pain and soothed body, mind, and spirit.
Luch swallowed and shook his head. If the last times were any indication, the spell would only incite it further, it did feed on magic, after all. While the spell didn't bother him outside of his episodes, during them he gravely needed to avoid contact with any magical energy as much as possible.
"No. Thank you, though," he said, grimacing before looking at her. Damn those pretty blue eyes gaping at him like a child; he wasn't sure whether he despised her noble look or found her demeanor cute. In either case, they were boring far too much into him, his mind instinctively muddled itself under her feminine gaze.
"I'm fine now," he half-lied, standing up and breathing deeply. "Just another seasickness episode." He turned his head to the side, looking at the hazy shape edging closer from the horizon. "We're in sight."

Yvaine cast one last worried glance, noting the relative unsteadiness of his bearing, but said nothing more about it. If Luched said he was feeling better, then there was no point in her incessantly worrying. Instead, she smiled at him as she followed his gaze to the side, regaining the giddiness she had moment before. "Yes, we are! Isn't it exciting?"
She stepped closer to the railings and leaned against them, enjoying the sea breeze that whipped at her hair as she watched the once endless expanse of sparkling blue waters reach an end. Wistfully, she thought of how the ocean connected many of Veruulis' lands together. These waters had even traversed Ialdia, and had done so since the time of the Ancients. It was amazing and-- Yvaine caught herself before she completely drifted away into another bout of her distracted daydreaming.

She turned back to Luch. "Have you any questions before we disembark? The kind sir Shri-Rah is open for any, or so the lady Vriis-Nar says." Yvaine chuckled, remembering her infectious energy when they spoke earlier about her brand of magic.
"Yeah," Luch replied, still looking at the ever-closening landmass. "Do you know where he is?"
"I believe he just came down to the deck," Yvaine said, beckoning to where she saw him last before leading him there. The Scael archeologist was just stepping off the last step onto the deck when the pair approached him. The sudden sight of people made him fidget a moment before he remembered his position of authority and managed to calm his nerves.
"Ah, you must be Yvaine Rinaldi." Shri-Rah said as he fidgeted with the parchment in his claws. "Vriis-Nar and I met your mother when we stopped by Khloris for the flower festival a couple cycles back. It is nice to finally put a face to all the fame your mother gives you."
The mention of her mother made Yvaine flinch noticeably. "It is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, sir Shri-Rah," she said with a slightly shaky smile, lowering her head a beat longer than required in a curtsy to blink away the sudden stinging sensation in her eyes. "M-mother spoke very fondly of you and lady Vriis-Nar."
Shri-Rah smiled and gave a shallow bow to show his respect. Then he turned to the rather sick looking gentlemen being led along by Yvaine. "And you, Yvaine's bonded, I presume? Luched, was it? You don't look very well."

"Seasick," Luched sighed, turning to him. Great, someone else who knew Yvaine. He prayed he wouldn't catch on to Yvaine having fled. "And, yes, Luch."
"Nice to make your acquaintance Luch." Shri-Rah said as he extended his hand out to the man.
Luch took it and shook it in a grip far more gentle and soft than his demeanor and attire would suggest, not squeezing at all, actually. "You as well. You're Shri-Rah, then? Our... researcher?" he guessed, looking for the right term.
"That is correct.." Shri-Rah trailed off, appearently thinking about something. "I will be leading any expeditions that involve the discovery or exploration of any Ancient ruins or derelict cities." He looked the man over again. "Are you sure you're alright? You look as if you're about to collapse. Would you like me to fetch a physician?"
Yvaine had to stop herself from acquiescing on Luch's behalf. She peered up at him diffidently, half a mind ready to say 'yes' to Shri-Rah, but held her tongue in the end. Luch would certainly get cross with her.
"No, I've already seen someone about it. We're near the end of our boat trip, anyways," Luch said, leaning against a crate with his arm and glaring venomously down at the boat. And with any luck, I'll find a cure soon after we arrive. "So, what sort of things should be we aware of before stepping off of the boat?"

Shri-Rah hmm'd at that question. "Be aware that the floor will no longer be swaying." he gave a throaty chuckle at his dry humor. "But in the way of people you may encounter, be wary of Thul-tak. He is the dwarf in charge of the mining opperations, and he will take any opportunity to bribe you into long mining expeditions, which tend to be mostly uneventful." Shri-rah clicked his right handed claws against the scales on his left forearm. "The Skarves as well. I have heard they have been raiding the outlying farms and taking the farmers off somewhere."
"I've read about the Skarves," Yvaine intoned distractedly, remembering the horror story wherein a horde of the fearsome reptilian beings stole children at night and took them to their cave. It still sent chills down her spine every time she thought about it, but even so, a part of her wanted to see them in person at least once. "Do you think we would actually see--"

The door banged open at the top of the stairs and a vibrant Scael with pearlescent blue-purple scales and a blue flowing robe began walking down toward the deck. Yvaine jumped and held onto Luch's free arm reflexively, regaining her composure only after she realized it was the vivacious Scael.
"Ah! Vriis-Nar! Meet some of our passangers, Luched and Yvaine." A warmness entered Shri-Rah's voice as he adressed his beloved.
The vibrant female Scael gave both the passengers both a cheerful, yet predatory look as she took in their postures and other various body language.
"Charmed." Vriis-Nar hissed in a low feminine voice. Then she gave a smile to Yvaine, whom she'd had a lengthy conversation with earlier about the nature of the girl's magical abilities. To the sickly looking man she gave a concerned look. The man smelled odd. The faint, and she realized, magical smell, reminded her of a pot of water left to boil too long over a campfire. The finned spines down the back of her neck clicked together lightly as she shivered briefly at the stimulus, as if somebody had drawn nails down a chalkboard.
"Do you require a physician, Luched?" She said as she narrowed her eyes in a curious fashion.
"He's already seen one, darling." Shri-Rah croaked softly. He clicked the scales on his arms against one another as he felt the confusing displeasure of something unknown through his bond with Vriis-Nar.
"No. I'm just seasick, and we're almost there," Luched lamented. "Besides, this episode is clearing up now, anyways." And, indeed, his breath was less ragged and his skin wasn't quite so pale.

"Mmmm.." Vriis-Nar hummed. She stared at him for a few heartbeats with a puzzled expression. "Come, Shri, we must prepare the other passengers." She turned back to Luched and Yvaine. "Have your possessions ready for off-loading within the next half hand-span, the captain wants us landside as quickly as possible." Each of the Scael shook hands with Luched and Yvaine and proceeded toward the back of the ship into the crew quarters.

"Are you well, Vriis? I felt something strange from you a moment ago." Shri-Rah whispered to her.
"There's something queer about that man, a scent I can't quite place." Vriis-Nar whispered back in a low voice. "We shall have to talk with him more.." She gave a cursory glance back in the direction of Luch and Yvaine before opening up the large oaken door to the crew quarters. Shri-Rah trailed after her into the gloomy lamplit interior of the ship.

"Peaks ahead captain!"

The cry from the crow's nest pierced several feet of wood, reaching the ears of a man well belowdeck. Roland's ears pricked at the call; for too long now he had been confined in this wooden coffin, without the space to train, without the steadiness to practise the kithan, and without the serenity needed for meditation.

All in all, Roland decided, a ship was perhaps the worst place for him to be.

Still, at least it was nearly over. Laying one broad hand on top of a barrel to steady himself, he leaned over to his companion.

"Hear that, lass?" His voice was calm and low, at a volume which he was sure would not reach the rest of their companions. "We're almost out of this infernal contraption."

Devika smiled faintly, showing a hint of her sharp orcish teeth. "As ships go, this one was not that bad. I've been in worse vessels before, ones where I couldn't sleep for the tossing and turning. Others where I wouldn't sleep because of my safety." Sometimes being a lone woman traveler was troublesome.

She could feel Roland's tension and agitation, hanging around him like a cloud made out of lead. The rest of the ship's emotions ranged from mild anger, to sheer joy, and the cacaphony made her ill. Hopefully no one knew it, though. She had been sure to keep to herself as much as possible, and make sure she made as little physical contact as she could on a ship full of people. Like Roland, she hadn't had the peace required to truly calm her mind, and by now she'd read through all of her books, finished a notebook and started a fresh one, made dozens of sketches, and was beginning to get downright bored.

The thought made her smile a bit. "I am actually bored, Roland. My father would have my head. We could read, we could write, practice languages, or even swords. If one of us dared complain of boredom, he would make us clean." She muffled a giggle with her hand, showing small dimples in her dark olive cheeks. "I think I agree with you. Dry land and space will be an improvement."

Roland's austere face subtly changed as a few crinkles appeared around his eyes - as close to a smile as the man would normally come. "If he'd have your head, I don't even want to think of what he'd do to me. I'd thought you were keeping yourself entertained."

In truth, there had been little other to watch: his fellow explorers only gave away so much information at a glance, and a man could only look at a heaving grey-green sea for so long before he felt the need to turn away. Devika's intennse reading, scribbling and sketching had been a form - albeit a small one - of entertainment.

"If you were bored, I must have been mind-numbingly so."

At the sound of another conversation, Roland turned his head. Conversation at a volume below a low murmur had been few and far between the whole trip, and actually being able to listen in on one could prove to be both a valuable source of information on his fellow passengers and the ordeals they could very well be about to face.

The honest man inside him scolded that there would be no need for the first type of information, that he could trust his soon-to-be-associates, but the cynic told him otherwise, and he knew which side of him was right more often.

"Looks like we aren't the only ones eager to get off this boat," he muttered, tilting his head in the direction of the pale-looking hybrid behind him. "It seems some can handle the swell better than others."

"I was keeping myself entertained until I ran out of charcoal sticks. The rest are packed away with my belongings." She adjusted the dark glasses on her nose and looked in the direction of the other conversation. "Traveling by sea is not for everyone."

"Indeed." Roland's fingers drummed a slow rhythm into the crate upon which they were resting. It was as close to an impatient gesture as the large man would ever have; it was not like him to fidget at all, but then again this had been a long journey.

He inhaled deeply through his nose, smelling the sweaty bodies and sharp scent of the sea, before exhaling at an even slower rate. Soon these smells would be gone, replaced with scents the likes of which he had no doubt never encountered. His feet would trample earth that hadn't been trodden on for centuries, if not millenia.

Crinkles appeared at the corners of Roland's eyes as he stood up straight, easing the ache out of his back. "I must say, Devika, I am rather looking forward to this."

"I am too, my friend." She stood up as well, with a chorus of popping joints. She pounded one fist into her open palm, a gesture of joy rather than a threat. Showing a rare, fangy smile, she looked toward land. "Knowledge awaits!"

The tiny cabin swayed rhythmically as the boat was rocked by waves. Linara lay back on her bed, her head resting on her arms glaring up at the ceiling. This whole journey was nothing like she had expected. Usually she would be travelling on some magnificent vessel in high comfort with everything she could ask for. This trip however... she moved her gaze from the ceiling and instead set it upon the wooden wall, not even a window. That wasn't all either! The food was stale and dry, the crew were ignorant, the bed rock solid, itchy and had they ever even considered cleaning down here!

She groaned and rolled over. They couldn't arrive in Ialdia soon enough.
Oh and that was another thing! She didn't even want to go to Ialdia! Her parents had practically forced her to go. Well… her and Vultog… the annoying half orc they paid to follow her around when she was more than capable of looking after herself.

If she didn't know any better she might think they had planned this. It was obvious the two of them didn't want to go themselves because of the curse. Instead, they had sent her and some mercenary to set up trade with the colonies. Like they didn't make enough money as it was! She imagined them now, sat in some fine manor somewhere, sipping wine in luxury.

“How do you think Linara is doing dear?”
“Oh I imagine she’s halfway to Ialdia by now, probably going stir crazy in the tiny cabin of some awful boat”
“Haha, how unfortunate for her”
“Quite”
“More wine?”
“Of course”

Linara imitated the voices of her parents into the pillow, though she knew she was lying to herself. If anything, her parents would be on some important business deal of their own, likely trying to sell more gems or buying another mine. Wherever they were though, it was probably a lot nicer than here!

Vultog tapped on Linara's door lightly. In his right hand was his sword, wrapped in cloth, encased in a leather bag.

"Ahem. Miss Samachi, there is commotion on the top deck. It seems as though we reached land finally. Would you like to go to the top, it seems as it would be the nice thing to do. Get to know our neighbours and such. Can you hear me?"

Vultog lightly knocked on the door again, and garnered no response. He slowly opened the door again, as to make sure not to walk in on her changing or anything of the sort.

In the room Linara was laying on her bed, facing the wall. Vultog removed the hood from his head and repeated again for emphasis.
"Miss samachi, we have neared land. Would you like to journey to the top of the ship, and meet the others that are here? It seems better than laying in this dank room all day until we hit shore."

Linara sighed in annoyance.

"I know, I heard you the first time" she huffed rolling off the bed and straightening her dress. She picked up the rapier from its place beside the bed and secured it around her waist.

"I can't wait to get off this wreck they call a ship and onto dry land again, I only hope the return journey is better"

Shouldering her small bag of belongings as well as a smaller bag of gem samples for possible customers she stepped past the half-orc and into the corridor.

"Come on then, I suppose we should meet the other colonists. I could use some fresh air anyway."

While the Verrus-Mund could by no means be considered a small vessel, Shani found the quarters and, indeed, virtually any below-deck portion of the ship to be only slightly less claustrophobic than one might imagine of a tomb. Sensing her apprehension at any mention of going below deck, a few among the crew had questioned her about it over the course of the voyage; however, she'd found it difficult to express. It was one thing to voluntarily keep ones extremities close and immobile, but quite another to have no choice. If the distinction seemed elusive to some, it was lost entirely on the Dwarves who'd engaged her on topic. To the contrary, and not surprisingly, they found comfort in the cramped under-deck. For Shani, however, any moment of bearable climate found her on deck, including some nights where the weather cooperated and she'd found herself unable to sleep otherwise.

If there was anything more unbearable than the tight quarters, it was the monotony of life aboard a ship. Sure, there were jobs to be done, but for Shani that largely consisted of flying in circles around the ship to watch for potential dangers. Sometimes she was asked to fly in large circles, and other times small ones, but it was repetitive and there was literally nothing but an endless expanse of sea. She'd already preened and dyed every feather worth bothering about at least twice, and where she'd normally have found sport toying with the affections of young men, even that had virtually no thrill at sea. After a couple days with relatively few women aboard wrung any bit of challenge from it. So, there she sat, re-braiding a strand of copper bangles and garnet crystals for the umpteenth time since breakfast, hoping upon hope that something would happen. The ship could catch fire, a sea monster could swallow them whole, or the gods themselves could return to smite them. It really didn't matter, though just running aground on a deserted island would at least give her a chance to stand on something stationary and different.

Sitting casually against a wall in the lower decks, rested a tall elven figure. One leg was completely outstretched, the other bent so that his foot was planted on the floor for support. His right arm draped lazily atop his knee while with his left hand he fed himself from a clump of stale rubbish the cook assured him was bread. His golden eyes drifted slowly around the room, staring intently at each individual gathered there, almost to the point of being rude. Instead of trying to interact with them, he merely watched from a distance. At the start of their journey, this type of behavior had caused him some backlash from part of the crew but by now the others had come to accept his withdrawn attitude. His face could have been made of stone, as there was no emotion to be recognized from it, successfully keeping his feelings a mystery. Unlike some of the others, the rocking of the sea did not upset him, in fact he found it soothing. He wondered if it was appropriate to compare it to being held in the gentle arms of a loved one. And then there were times where the sea was rough and rocky and he wondered if that too was what love felt like.

He decided to wear his armor, as it was expected they were to make landfall any day now. The red and gold plating was a little flashy and overdone for his tastes but he was Na'milon and it was tradition for him to don this armor. It was meant to be a tribute to the sun and the abundance of life afforded to the world because of it, but he was more impressed by its ease and lightness. He was certain there existed none who could match the skill of the elven smiths of his kingdom.

Closing his eyes, he finished off the piece of bread he had been nursing for an hour, wishing he had some water left to choke it down. When he opened his eyes, he saw a female figure standing over him. Surprised by her presence, he choked a bit on the remaining crumbs of bread he was devouring and pounded gently on his chest. "Forgive me, I didn't mean to startle you." The female Scael said with a light chuckle. Aerathanis quickly got to his feet and gave a small yet gracious bow. ‘No no, I should not have been daydreaming as I was Lady Scal-Varris." "Vriis-Nar." She said correcting him. "There's no need to be so formal, at least not with me. My husband should be wandering about the ship, looking to speak to the rest of you but I wanted to gather some information of my own first." Pulling out a scroll from her robes, she unfurled it and quickly scanned its contents.

"It says here that you are proficient in light magic, and by utilizing aetheric transference, you can manipulate your inherent abilities to promote healing in others, is that correct?" Aerathanis was visibly confused, a sight probably comical to behold but eventually he sighed gently "I suppose…but proficient might not be the…" Vriis-Nar cut him off again. "Now isn't the time for modesty Aerathanis. In the days ahead we may come to rely on your specific type of abilities. I need to know if you'll be able to perform to the standards I've set for you." Aerathanis appreciated the woman's candor, it reminded him of his mentor Baelora and he found that to be somewhat refreshing. "Yes, I understand. Please know that my style of magic can be used to temporarily harness the power of light or provide exceptional levels of protection. Creatures who thrive in darkness seem to have a particular aversion to my skills and I am also capable of treating non-life threatening injuries. Is that satisfactory?" Vriis-Nar smiled. "It is. Welcome to Ialdia….Aerathanis." Aerathanis offered a light bow of his head in response. "Thank you, Lady Scael-Varris." The Scael woman smiled and moved towards the main deck but not before calling out to him. "You may want to find your partner and have a briefing with my husband before we make landfall. And if you happen to find him before I do, please tell him that I'm looking for him." Aerathanis nodded. "Of course." He responded, however he was sure she was out of earshot by then.

Aerathanis scaled the narrow staircase and stepped out onto the main deck. The scent of dank wood and sea air overwhelmed his senses, however the musky odor had an almost invigorating smell to it. It wasn't long before eyes the color of dawn homed in on a female figure, toying with a piece of jewelry. Shifting pieces of metal and leather announced his arrival before Shani could even see him. Approaching the young Raevan, he offered no greeting but instead stood beside her. "Though I admit I do appreciate this more subdued version of you, it lacks a certain…purpose." He said in a deep voice that matched his outward appearance.

Shani continued her braiding without acknowledging the Elf, who it seemed made even less sense than usual. Of course she had purpose - do anything and everything to get off the damned boat before she went numb from the boredom! Finishing up what had turned into an anklet this time, the young Raevan laced it around her calf, weaving it neatly around her feathers, and fastened it securely. Springing to her feet, she stamped her foot against the deck a few times, measuring the quality of the jingling before giving a sideways nod that, in her present mood, was as satisfied an expression as she was likely to give. Finally, she looked at Aerathanis and stepped up across a stack of crates, careful to avoid snagging her feet in the netting that held them in place, to a precarious perch atop the ship's railing. "I can't take it any more, Aerathanis. I don't think I can swim. At least I hope I can't. Goodbye." With that, she stepped off the edge, falling instantly toward the waiting sea.

Aerathanis rushed to the railing, as his young companion literally stepped right off the ship and plummeted towards an unpredictable sea. He gripped the railing with large armored hands and leaned forward, dangerously close to tipping over himself. Breathless, he called out to her as if his horrified voice would somehow be enough to yank her back onto the deck. "Shani! No!" His grip on the railing tightened to the point where it might splinter beneath his hands. How could he have been so blind? All this time he mistook her melancholy mood for simple boredom. Still overcome by the initial shock of Shani throwing herself overboard, all he could do was stand and watch. His golden eyes never leaving the ebony-skinned girl's descent towards the unruly waters below.

Whether she could swim or not, Shani's aquatic prowess went untested as her wings fanned out, taking advantage of the undercurrent, to bring her to a glide just as her toes grazed the water's surface. Aloft above the water's surface, but still dangerously close to its tussling waves, the occasional wave lapped at her knees as she glided alongside the ship toward the bow so low that one would need to lean against the bulwark to spy more than a wing. With a heavy flap, she shot skyward through a mist of sea spray, climbing higher and farther ahead of the Verrus-Mund until she looked the size of a gull in the distance. Aerathanis exhaled, finally taking a breath and slowly, he loosened his grip on the railing, which left a numbing impression in his armored hands. His concern from earlier, along with the moment of shock had quickly drained from his face and was easily replaced by frustration. Here he thought she had thrown herself to the sea, but instead, once again, she was toying with fate. Perhaps it was his own fault for hastily jumping to conclusions but in his mind, he was certain anyone would have behaved the way.

Shani's faint silhouette soared gracefully for several moments, changing only in altitude as she'd apparently caught a draft to ride. Trying to keep an eye on her from where he stood, Aerathanis had to position himself so that he was able to maintain a glimpse, but a glimpse was all he was afforded. Soon his companion had disappeared from sight completely and once again his heart began to race. Roaming the sea mist, he caught the sight of a dark figure, breaking through the haze in a poof of smoke. The figure was distant but it was indeed Shani, of that much he was sure. While he wanted to scold her right then and there, he held back. First, he was far too distant and second she had finally seemed to recover some of her spark, even if by doing so she had taken years off of his life. Suddenly, Shani's form descended sharply and grew larger on the horizon, wings beating furiously as it edged ever closer to the ship.

"Peaks ahead captain!" Came the excited cry from the crows nest.

When it was announced that the vessel was nearing land, Aerathanis looked up towards the crow's nest, then back out to sea. There was something barely visible in the distance and they were indeed headed straight for it. A sudden commotion on board brought his attention back to the ship. Amidst the flurry of activity on deck as crew members made ready with whatever it was they did, or at least put on the appearance of doing so for the captain, hardly anyone noticed the approaching Raevan until she nearly clipped a pair of sailors with her wings in an abrupt landing. "Land! We're there! We're there!" The exclamations held such elation that Shani practically sung themas she danced across the deck in flurry of feathers and jingling. "We're theeere, we're theeere, land, land, land, land, land!" A strapping, young deckhand was nearly toppled when her reel caught him off guard - only his solid stature kept him upright as Shani bounded into his chest. Throwing her arms around his neck wildly, she planted a solid, smacking smooch on lips. That his eyes bulged in surprise hinted that a tongue might have been involved as well, but in an instant it was over and she'd flitted off to continue her reverie, even attempting to pull the stodgy old Elf, Aerathanis, into the merriment.

The flutter of dark feathers and girlish glee assured him that Shani was somehow involved and he immediately marched over. He was met halfway by his partner's joyful stride but his stolid mood remained as it always had and he cracked no smile. When they were finally in each others presence, he lowered his head with a strained look on his face and continuously massaged his forehead. "By the gods, your wild behavior will be the death of us both!"

Undeterred by Aerathanis' lack of excitement, or at least his lacking the appearance of it, Shani continued dancing, circling around him and adding random new verses to her song. Finally, she paused in front of him with a challenging smirk, "I think you like it!" Poking a knuckle into his chest, for doing so with a finger tip would have subjected the poor man to the wrath of her finger nails, she continued, "And I know I'm right! If you didn't like taking a risk, why'd you come? Huh? Answer me that!"

Blinking as she gently rapped at his chest, he exhaled and took a few steps past her, seemingly unphased by her teasing and attempt at prying. "What I'd like, is for you to behave like a proper young lady. And the reason I came is because....welll...there are several reasons."

As Aerathanis passed by, Shani quickly stepped in behind him with her hands on her hips and started moving her mouth to mime his chastising. Nearly as soon as she started, however, she burst into laughter and shoved at him playfully. "Adventure? Shinies? Those have to be the reasons, Those are great reasons!"

Caught off guard by the girl's humorous push, he stumbled forward but not clumsily so. Exhaling again, he erected himself to his normally regal stature then cleared his throat to hide his embarrassment. "Now is not the time for fun and games Shani. We have a responsibility to our fellow colonists." Clasping his wrists behind his back, he slowly circled her as he spoke. "When you are older, you will come to realize that life is full of responsibilities. Responsibilities that you are expected to shoulder, whether they are given to you or are acquired on your own. I came on this journey because the lady of my kingdom gave me this responsibility and now I have a responsibility to you as well. I hope one day you can understand this with better clarity." He said as he came to a stop beside her.

Aerathanis' lecture was met much eye-rolling, as the Raevan shifted to one foot and folded her arms across her chest. Land was within sight and she managed to ground herself with another of his insufferable lectures. By the gods, he could drone on about the most mundane topics in that authoritative tone. In that moment, it came to her and she began pointing at the horizon excitedly. "Look! Another ship!" Once the Elf's attention had been drawn from her, Shani padded off quickly and leaped into the air, again catching the salty breeze. She surged upwards toward the bow and beyond, hoping to get a better look at the new land.

Once again he fell for Shani's antics, turning his attentions toward an imaginary ship in the distance. "What?! Another ship? Impossible!" He even went as far as moving closer to the railing to try and get a better look. "I don't see anything. What ship are you…" But when he looked behind him and saw that she was gone, he immediately knew he had been duped. He was never before exposed to such wily behavior but everyday he spent with Shani was becoming a lesson in gullibility. Roaming the skies, he eventually caught sight of her, soaring high above the Verrus-Mund . He wondered if anything he said had gotten through to her and with a sigh, he eventually wandered off on his own. They would make landfall soon and he wanted to be prepared.

Ialdia was already proving miserable, yet they were still on the ship. Between the rolling waves to rock the boat all day and night, the lack of anything in sight besides the rest of the fleet and more water, and the lack of any true company besides the thirteen year old Emmeric called his bonding partner, the tanned man of the desert was driving his deprived self insane.

At the moment, he was arguing with himself. Debating as to whether he should be talking with anyone else besides Youn. On one hand, he told himself, not many were willing to associate with a former criminal like him. On the other hand, he told himself still, he had come to this cursed land to turn over a new leaf, so this was perhaps the perfect opportunity to introduce himself to new people… It still just didn’t feel right to Emmeric; he hardly knew Youn, so in essence, it was as if he was alone out here. It was a strange fit of bashfulness he had never expected to come with a new place and brand new people.

In the end, he, on wobbly legs, went to go bother his partner once more.

___

The sea, even after all this days passed she still couldn't believe how much water there was in just one area. Though, after Emmeric explained to her what the difference between salt- and Drinkwater was, the sea was a lot less amazing; but still enough to keep her above the deck for the majority of their time on the Verrus-Mund.

However, was this entire situation really what she wished for? She was just a little girl after all, not to mention that the lack of contemporary companions made her feel uncomfortable, but feelings of regret were just a waste of time. Youn had to look forward, forward to all those riches and the better life she would build herself.

Lost in her thought, the pink hair nearly failed to notice her approaching fuel source: Emmeric, a guy she once thought of as a fool, now her closest ally. Giving him a look of expectancy, she waited, as he surely didn't seek her out without any reason.

___

“Ah,” he said, standing there. To think, I had thought this had become easier. “Nice weather we’re having?”

Demonstratively taking a look up into the sky, Youn responded. "Nice weather? I hoped I would see one of those storms the sailors were talking about! But most of the time it isn't even that different than back home."

Emmeric chuckled. The girl was right; the weather had been fair their entire way to Ialdia, despite any sort of foreboding symbolism that the man would have much rather preferred. He moved over to the rail where Youn was looking over at the waters, leaning his back against it. He was staying out of everyone’s way while being able to watch every person on deck, an old habit it seemed. “True,” he finally said to her. “None of those fantastical maelstroms from the sailors’ tales we’ve been told have been seen, hm?”

Youn nodded multiple times in quick succession. "Mhm, mhm, pirates, Giant Sea Serpents, beautiful woman of the sea whose songs are supposed to lure you into the dangerous waters, ghost-ships, a gigantic Octopus, or whatever that thing was called, able to black out the sun and so on. They told all those amazing things, yet I haven't witnessed a single one! They are probably bigger liars than me, those sailors!"

Emmeric gave his best effort to laugh again, but found himself simply sighing instead. “Ready for danger already?” The tone of the question was serious and flat; nothing jovial about it like the last one. That’s right… The reason he had come up here was because they were already so close to their destination. “Youn, are you ready? Ready for Ialdia? We-” He found his voice wavering. How do you tell a child that she might die? “We need to be, if we- when we face whatever this continent has to throw at us…”

Hm? It seemed like she made her partner-in-crime worry. Right, Youn had no right to be surprised about that, even if partners, they were still strangers to each other. But did she really see him as a partner? Sure they made the contract and all, but first and foremost she saw in him something akin to a resource. Maybe that was also the reason she was pretty okay conversing with him, he was a man after all. Lost in her own thoughts she followed his example with a sigh before proceeding in a way more serious manner than before. "It's not a question about being ready or not, we ARE ready, simple as that." Making a small pause she also added. "And if a giant octopus would have been all that it takes to destroy the fleet, we would suck anyways. The only real threat would have been those singing women, boys only think with their dicks after all." What might have been a bad joke was actually in a dead serious tone.

Emmeric chuckled in earnest again this time. This little girl was as couth as many of his former associates, which was really not at all. At first, the vulgar language she used surprised him and made him feel uncomfortable, but the days that followed their initial meeting had left him adjusted and fine around the language she used. He wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing.

“True,” he joked, “but perhaps you should experience more of life -- the finer points, that is -- before passing judgment, hm?”

Youn looked at Emmeric in slight surprise. Finer points? The girl wasn't exactly sure what he meant with finer points, so she could only guess. Maybe he took offense in her vulgar remarks? But even then, the only thing coming to her mind was yet another stereotypical trait. "Finer points? Like what? Alcohol? I swear that stuff makes those dumb idiots even dumber, though I won't complain, it makes it really easy to fool them after all... Guess how I got the information that allowed me to take that gem without any trouble from you in the first place."

“...Not exactly what I meant, but you’ll find out when you’ve put a few more years behind you.” He smiled at her, even though the girl had brought up a miserable time for him. “Here’s a bit of advice though,” he stretched his arm while speaking, “don’t go through life always so negative. You’re a lot less likely to make it if you feel life is only full of the bad stuff.” He flashed her a smirk. “With that said, please don’t die on me.”

Always so negative? He was the one who got all serious in the first place! Before the genius magician could nag about that however, he put the conversation into pretty much the opposite direction. A moment speechless, she abused the relatively smooth movement of the ship and jumped on the railing, keeping her balance wasn't much of a problem for the agile girl after all. "Listen Fool! I am deemed immortal as long as there are still riches to be found on this cursed land we call now our home!" While she failed to sound ominous she was at least pretty loud, adding quietly. "So don't say such awkward stuff."

Air escaped his clenched lips before transforming into a small fit of laughter. “Aye, my merciful, and all-powerful goddess; I shall refrain from such slanderous use of words whenever you are in my presence.” Emmeric let his laughter settle down. Still, were she to die…

With a self-satisfactorily nod Youn jumped from the railing onto the ground. "Good, good, if you speak about such stuff again you must serve as my pet for a day, meaning I can experiment as much magic as I'd like to!" Speaking about magic, Youn gazed at the ocean: she just had a genius idea! "If we get sick of all this, couldn't I just turn the sea into ice and we make a run for it?!"

“Only if you think you can carry my collapsed body while running over a trail of ice,” he said, only half serious. “But come on, we’ll be making landfall soon. We still have to prepare what little stuff we have for that moment.”

"Hmm, or maybe I can split the water and...Oh? Prepare what little stuff we have? But I have everything with me!" She pointed towards a brown bag-like thing safely stuffed between two barrels. While she wore her poor-woman's clothing the rich stuff was all packed away in that 'bag', which also happened to be her blanket. Not to mention she didn't make a secret out of her weaponry attached to her belt.

“Well fine; come help me pack my stuff then, partner.”

"Eeeehhh? But I don't wanna, 10 bucks and I am in!" That said Youn was already moving towards her self-made bag before tagging alongside her partner.

Landfall(2)

A bell rang hard over the top of the crashing waves against the hull. Voices shouted from above deck while Shri-Rah and Vriis-Nar packed their belongings in the study. With studied efficiency they packed as much as they could into the knapsacks that they proceeded to fling over their shoulders.
"Ready, love?" Vriis-Nar hummed. "Back home already. It felt so much longer this time". Shri-Rah hummed in return.
"Yes, it did. But at least we are back." Vriis-Nar could see the rare moment that was upon her husband. A calm settled over him and if only briefly, he was no longer afraid. "Come, let us lead our new neighbors to land" His voice was cool, not filled with his usual apprehension. Vriis-Nar smiled he sharp toothed smile, he was far more than the blubbering archaeologist some people thought he was. The swung out the heavy wood door onto the main deck where burly sailors were running back and forth and pulling ropes, making small adjustments for a quick and perfect landing. Captain Vrund's voice boomed heavy in the background, like the steady drum that held the symphony of movement together. The colonists must have heard the commotion, because they were all on the upper deck now, packed and ready to disembark.

Shri-Rah gave them each a cursory inspection to gauge their moods. He saw fear, excitement, uncertainty, apprehension, wonder, and many more things on their colorful faces. He took a moment to smile inwardly before he walked out to address them all. Clad in his full combat gear, Shri-Rah was a sight to behold. The iron rings holding dozens of blue-tinted throwing knives clinked together softly, while his leather boots clacked against the deck, seeming to bring everybody's attention forward. Maybe he simply imagined it, but for a brief moment it seemed the ship went quiet, waiting to hear what he had to say. "Fellow neighbors," he began "You would not be here without knowing how dangerous this land is." The skyward peaks loomed high overhead in the backdrop. The beautiful sandy beach gave way to a slow moving river where sparsely placed cabins lined along the riverbank, smoke rising from chimneys. The faint sounds of hammers and other tools ringing against stone and metal could be heard.
"But even though you may think you understand, this land is far more dangerous than any of you realize." Shri-Rah stopped his pacing at one end of the line of colonists and turned back toward the other side. "This land has been cursed by powers far beyond our understanding. We are not meant to be here. The beasts of Ialdia are the most powerful in Veruulis. Skarves, the cavern dwellers frequently raid the colony, we see trolls taller than five men high stalking on the horizon, hoping they stay away." He stopped for a moment, letting the eyes of the colonists fall upon him and see he was in fact serious.
"Dragon's of unimaginable sizes are seen flying through the skies high above us, while unknowable tremors wrack the ground beneath our feet. So much of this is a mystery to us, and we have come to chart and understand it." He cleared his throat. "To have a chance of survival, we must remember that we are all on the same side. No, I am not asking you to get along with every individual you meet, but I am asking you to remember that the death of one could very well lead to the death of us all." He paced back down the line again. The ship was slowing, pulling into port.
"You will meet some of the toughest people I have ever met in the days to come. They have seen what this land can do, and they will never be fully prepared. Learn from them, and for the love of the Ancients, do not leave the camp unless you are with a party of others."
As if on queue the ship slid to a halt and a deckhand immediately threw down a gangplank to the dock below.

"Now off with ye, ya madmen!" Shri-Rah heard Vrund yell in the background. His booming laughter seemed to overpower even the crash of the ocean. Vriis-Nar whistled off to the left of the colonists.
"Forward, neighbors! Onward to Ialdia!" She shouted. Shri-Rah took the head of the line, while Vriis-Nar brought up the rear. The gangplank whined under the strain of over a dozen disembarking individuals. They moved quickly and efficiently, keeping the colonists in a straight line as they hit the docks. As soon as Shri-Rah set foot upon the soil of Ialdia, he stopped a moment. The line wedged at his sudden stop. Then he felt it, as he knew all of them would. The palpable air of the curse seeped into his bones once more. He could feel it scrambling for purchase and finding none where his bond with Vriis-Nar had filled the gap. Like worms crawling through his bloodstream at a breakneck pace. And then it was gone, unable to find purchase, it planted the seed of the curse as it always did, so that if his bond were ever to break, no matter where in Veruulis he was, he would die. He started up again quickly, feeling the shiver of fear and disgust from the colonists behind him.
"We make for the Inn." Shri pointed straight down the dirt path to the three-story building Along the western side of the dusty square that was the center of the town. The smell of fresh bread and smoked meat seemed to emanate from it. "Your rooms will be there. I will give you all some time to settle in and get your bearings before we begin in earnest."

The skyward peaks to either side of the colony loomed over them. Massive trees dotting their sides. This land was green beyond imagination. Colorful flowers and robust plant life was everywhere except where it needed to be cleared for work and travel. Various colorful birds flew in small flocks overhead, while just across the river a heard of dear drank from the waters. Shri-Rah smiled. Dispite the danger, he could never forget how beautiful this land was. Finally coming to the door of the inn, he opened it wide for the line of colonists behind him.

"Oh, and welcome to Iadia, colonists." He smiled big once more, before he and Vriis-Nar made off toward a cabin across the clearing.

Vultog Stepped off the boat and followed the rest of the travelers, staying silent as they walked through the settlement and straight to the inn. "Oh, and welcome to Iadia, colonists." Shri-Rah said, walking off. Before he could get far, Vultog stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.The Scael archaeologist turned quizzically.

"I have a question." Vultog said, "I didn't notice any form of guards or such. Are there any here? it seems like it would be a good idea to start one or upgrade if there is one. I would like to volunteer for it if there is, because I prefer to protect everyone rather than just one person," Vultog said, motioning towards Linara.

Shri-Rah blinked at the all the incoming information. "Your first question.." He trailed off, trying to recall what it was. "Yes, there is a guard unit. They spend the majority of their time patrolling the parameter." Shri-Rah gestured with one clawed finger to the top of a nearby hill where a squat watchtower stood. There were several like it headed off eastward. From where they were standing, the Inn hid more towers that headed toward the bank on the southern side of the town. "They inhabit those towers usually. We have a small barracks near the dock. If you wish to join the guards, I would speak with Rynald Nekt, he is the captain of the guard here." Shri-Rah shifted the bag on his shoulder. "I would claim a room before you go, however. There are few enough as it is before we build new housing for all the newcomers."

Vultog bowed down as a butler would. "Thank you sir. I appreciate your help. If you would like, I am inviting you for a drink tonight in the inn. Goodbye now, I am going to claim a room." Vultog turned and walked up to Linara. "Miss Samachi, if you would allow, let's claim a room."

"Just a moment Vultog" Linara said before she could be led away. She stepped up to Shri-Rah and extended a hand.
"Linara Samachi of the Samachi Mining Company, you've probably heard of us"

"Indeed I have" Shri-Rah said, taking Linara's hand. "Quite a surprise to see the daughter of such an esteemed man in such a dangerous place." He clacked his scales together on his arms in a ruffling noise. "Keep a vigilant watch, Miss Samachi." He turned back to the odd-eyed Vultog. "I may take you up on your offer tonight. It would be nice to know more of the guards that accompany me on my expeditions. Shri-Rah gave a knowing smile. "But for now, Vriis-Nar and I have business that needs attending to. You see, we run the alchemic studies here as well, and our facility has been vacant for some time. We must see that everything is in order."

Linara nodded "Of course, I understand... There's just one thing" She turned towards the Inn with a silight grimace. "Seeing as you know of our high standing reputation, I was wondering if you might be able to find us some accommodation a little more suitable?" She smiled politely. "Maybe a nice hotel or a private house?"

Shri-Rah gave Linara a narrowed look.

"Miss Samachi, your wealth means nothing here." His tone was dead and practised, as if he'd spoken of this many times. "You will take what room is given to you and be happy there is any room at all. Our colony is not a place of luxury. Nor is anyone not immediately useful-" He gave a sidelong look at Vultog "provided with extra space. Everything here is functional." As soon as he finished his resolve seemed to tumble out. He grumbled slightly under his breath and gripped his bundle of scrolls tightly before coughing.
"But...I..." Linara paused for a moment to collect herself. No one ever spoke to her like that! Who did this oversized lizard think he was?
Thankfully, she came to her senses seconds before giving the Scael a piece of her mind. While she may not like it, she really was a long way from home. Insulting Shri-Rah would likely make things worse and almost certainly wouldn't make things any better.

Folding her arms and suppressing her anger into a derisive 'Hmph' she nodded.
"I understand" she mummbled at last.

Vultog smirked at Linara being knocked down a notch, and although it was funny, he would still have to share a room with her now. "Well now Miss Samachi, I guess we should be on our way. Time to make sure we still have a room now." Vultog turned to Shri-Rah once again. "Forgive me for her behavior, she seems to not be exactly used to this kind of thing. Thank you for answering our questions, no matter how silly they sounded. We will be on our way now if you don't mind."

Shri-Rah nodded to Vultog and the pair opened the big oaken door into the inn and disappeared from sight. He coughed once more, feeling rather apprehensive at the idea of the tense situation that could have turned into. As if on queue Vriis-Nar appeared to his right and placed a hand on Shri-Rah's shoulder.
"Is everything alright love?" She said in a low voice. "I felt your tension."
"Yes.." Shri-Rah trailed off. "We may need to keep an eye on miss Samachi. I fear she may have problems.." He searched for the right expression, "fitting in." He finally finished. Vriis-Nar hmmmed at that.
"Come, Shri, it was a long journey, we should attend to our lab. Who knows what changes have occured since our last experiments. Vriis-Nar began walking across the dirt square that could hardly be called a plaza toward a two-story cabin with an odd square tower on the corner. Shri-Rah stood for a moment, fidgeting with his scrolls and clicking the scales on his forearms against one another. His nose twitched and he sneezed hard. Then he narrowed his eyes as if that were curious.
"Interesting." He whispered, before walking out after Vriis-Nar.

Emmeric couldn't help but sigh. The day had been long, and in his mind, it still had yet to be half over. He had taken a vacant seat in front of the inn's fireplace, musing about the various people he had seen get off the ship with him. Half-breeds, eh... Having grown up in a city almost entirely of humans, these people stood out the most to him, and couldn't help but wonder why there was such a comparatively large number of them out of the rest of the colonists...

He began to eat some of the food he had bought with what little coin he had left; a day old loaf of bread, and a quarter of a cheese wheel (only slightly covered in inedible mold). The man figured he eat half and give the rest to Youn when he finished his retreat from her. It was not as if Emmeric found her company bothersome in any way, but every he had to have some alone time in one way or another, otherwise he started to become agitated a great deal.

But before his idle thoughts could continue any further, he noticed someone approach out of the corner of his eye.

Devika had all but run off of the ship once it was time. Despite doing all she could to not absorb the feelings of the other new citizens, everyone had been so full of emotion during the disembark that she had found her head spinning within ten minutes of being on the ground. She had traveled by ship before, and more than once. Regaining her legs was easy, but getting rid of the excess emotion was not. She made her apologies to Roland and then took her leave, making a beeline for where she figured there would be not many people, and yet safety. The inn was no different than any other she'd seen. Maybe quieter, maybe less foreboding. The fire was low, and she took first available seat without even noticing that anyone was there.

With shaking hands, she smoothed her sweat damp hair from her face. Years of practice kicked in, and she inhaled slowly, through her nose. She counted up to eight while she took in breath, then let it out with the same slow count. Doing that again and again, she felt the fortress of her mind rebuild the walls that had been worn down with the long days of travel. The sweat on her palms ceased, and soon she exhaled a sigh of relief. After removing a pair of dark glasses from her face, she settled back against the chair.

Only then did she realize she wasn't alone. A momentary look of disappointment crossed her face- she wanted peace and isolation. Reflexively she smoothed her face, the emotion dropping away. To the human, she smiled without showing her teeth, and nodded politely.

"Ah." It was a simple remark of surprise. Surprise that his new sitting companion was one of the half-breeds that made up most of the colonists. It was an innocent enough noise, not enough to divulge his inner curiosity about the orcish woman's heritage and up-bringing.
"So," he finally started in a conversational tone, "feeling blue? Must be the curse; I felt its inky roots trying to snuff out my being when I set my first foot down on this continent's soil... But that must not be it. You're surely bonded as I am, so there's no way for your sickness to be caused by such a thing, that is, if my gracious sponsor is to be believed about the bond keeping away the curse and my own current well-being... hm." He slouched further into his chair, deep in thought (if it could be called as much).

"Oh, I'm sorry," he perked back up. "My name is Emmeric Marcure, a man here to start anew in life with his child accomplice," he chuckled at the thought of Youn being his partner in actual crime, "And you are, my good lady?"

Devika maintained her polite smile, even though this man-- Emmeric- seemed to be prattling on without much direction. She really didn't know what to say to all that he'd told her, so she latched on to the one thing she could answer.

"I am Dev'ika Ah'sur. It is a pleasure to meet you." She inclined her head politely, but didn't know what else to offer beyond that. Emmeric had given her a lot to work with. A child accomplice? Accomplice was an odd word, wasn't it? Perhaps he meant 'acquaintance' instead?
"My..." She realized she had no idea how to refer to Roland. Business partner was far too informal, despite it being correct. Friends, she wasn't sure, but she hoped so. "The man I have bonded with, Roland, I think he is outside. He doesn't do well with cramped spaces." A slightly broader smile hinted at dimples in her cheeks. "It is wonderful to be off of that ship, isn't it?"

"A pleasure to me as well," he smiled. The girl was rather reserved -- perhaps due to her less obvious heritage? -- nothing like the one orc he had known back in the city; it was she who had set the unquestioned precedent of orc hostility for him and his fellows. But, it was nice to be proven wrong.

"My partner, Youn," he continued, noticing her larger mention of the man she was bonded with. "She's a girl who has seen half as many summers as I. She's... peculiar for someone her age. She actually wanted to be attacked by -- oh, what was it called? -- right, a kraken while we were on the ship. Could you imagine?! A thirteen year old girl looking for excitement in a creature that the sailors' tales described as being able to cleave a vessle in half with the mere swipe of its tentacle!" He laughed at his own tale.

"But, to be truthful while the little one isn't around and to answer your question, I am glad. I had a hard time walking most days, and most meals I ate were simply given overboard to the ocean."

"Oh, you're not used to the ship's rocking." Her brown eyes were sympathetic, but she wasn't looking directly at him. Her gaze was deliberately off to the side, around his ear. "Well, we're on solid ground, so the feeling that the earth moves will wear off soon. I find tea, something with a sharp flavor, will ease your stomach." She gestured to the cheese in his hand. "You may want to get some food that's more... fresh, as well."

Her lips stretched into a smile, and yet it wasn't a full one. She refused to show her teeth, not after scaring a whole inn full of patrons when she had a touch too much wine and had a laughing fit. "As for your young partner, well... what young lady doesn't wish for some kind of adventure, something to take her out of the life she knows? I wasn't much different at thirteen myself. I wished to see dragons." A giggle escaped her, and she quickly put her hand over her mouth lest her fangs show. "I think this will be my grandest adventure... I can't wait to start exploring and making sketches! This whole place is just astoundingly beautiful!"

Emmeric simply shrugged with Devika's suggestion of better food. "All I can afford, and I am paying for two. But, if you can get some of this tea you speak of, I'd be in your debt; favor for a favor, but nothing unkempt of course." As for her comment on young Youn, he simply shivered. While the girl in front of him no doubt wanted to see dragons because of their described brilliance, Emmeric felt that the younger of the two wished to see a kraken so that she could no doubt kill it with a flashy display, and with him right in the heat of it with her.

He smiled solemnly. An adventure? Yeah, it was definitely one for her and probably many of the people here, including Youn, but for him, this was a chance of escape to something better. Something preferably with less crime. "Just remember pretty lady, the most beautiful flowers are also some of the most deadly in bloom. Don't let your guard down to draw a strange, new creature just for it to chomp on you. It would be a shame to lose someone as optimistic as you, not too many sun-shining people from my experiences." He may have been lecturing her, but his tone was gentle and with his intentions only being the best in mind.

"Speaking of which, would you mind showing me some? Your drawings, I mean. You must have some on you from the boat ride over here."

Devika felt herself blushing, and fought it down. No one had ever called her pretty before- at least not in a way that was genuine. But Mr. Emmeric had thrown it out with such casualness that she couldn't help but believe him. She honestly didn't know what to say to such a thing, and so she said nothing, and only listened.

She was about to respond to his kind advice, when he asked to see her drawings. The blush she'd pushed away so valiantly came rushing back, and she averted her gaze to the ground, studying her shoes. "Well, I..." Although she had a few folded sketches in her pockets, she was always nervous about showing strangers. Especially these particular sketches.

"Oh, fine." Standing, she pulled the paper from her pocket and crossed the room. "Don't laugh." She unfolded them and handed them over, looking in the opposite direction.

The first sketches seemed to be of parts of the ship. The navigator's wheel, the crow's nest, even the figure on the front bow of the ship. The next few, however, were profiles of a male. Although these charcoal sketches were less detailed than the ship parts, there was a boldness to the lines that gave the male a sharp, mysterious sort of look. There was one sketch that seemed to detail his eyes, and with a few dark lines and careful shading, a piercing gaze shone from the paper.

If Emmeric had been paying enough attention during the journey, he might recognize Devika's partner, Roland.

The man leaned forward with an appraising squint and smile on his face. He was in no way a critic of art, but the drawings were realistic enough for Emmeric to recognize what they were meant to represent. It was probably because they were so good that Emmeric was unable to place the face of the man among any of the people he saw on the ship, but that may have been because of utter fascination with all the other races in comparison to the boring humans he's interacted with all his life.

"Well, well; it looks as if we have ourselves a talent here on this cursed land." He smiled at her. "These are very good, but I have to ask: who is the model of this one picture?" Emmeric held up the delicate drawing of the man. "Don't get me wrong, I'm sure this is accurate to what he looks like, but to me, he's like every other man I'm likely to see from where I come from. Or is it possible that you drew this without reference?"

Devika felt herself silently exhale the breath she'd subconsciously held, her shoulders relaxing. "He is... no one in particular." No one to Emmeric, perhaps. She took the drawings back from him with care, her polite smile firmly back in place. "Thank you for your compliments. I wish you well, and I will see about that tea for you. I am sure there will be some herb that should serve your purpose here." She inclined her head politely.

"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Marcure." She made her exit, to try and find another unoccupied space.

"Ah," he remarked, unprepared for her sudden departure. So naturally, he hollered after her. "Well, it was nice to meet you too, Ms. Ah'sur!" With that, he slumped back into his seat, grimaced at the meal he had left to eat, and simply sat there without touching the food.

Finally they had made landfall and Aerathanis found it difficult to take his eyes off the beauty of this new world they were in. A cool wind lapped at his face, the two ponytails tied to the back of his head swaying casually in the breeze. He had set eyes on a legendary place, a place that most had only ever heard of in stories. The magnificent landscape was far more inviting than what he had envisioned, he felt like he could get lost in its wonders forever. Before they actually set foot on Ialdia, the new colonists were gathered on the main deck. Aerathanis stood among them, matched only in height by one other, a man who's name he couldn't remember. His stance was proud and disciplined, with his hands behind his back and his legs slightly apart. The look on his face was an unfriendly one but only because he was paying close attention to Shri-Rah who was preparing to speak.

Quickly glancing from left to right, his golden eyes captured the faces of the motley group of colonists he was supposed to rely on in the days to come. Shri-Rah gave everyone a preparatory speech, sprinkled with one or two warnings to prevent any unnecessary casualties. He did not flinch at the mention of Skarve raiders nor the threat of rampaging Trolls, for protecting others is what he had trained for most of his life, however the thought of possibly seeing a dragon did stir some emotion in him. It was more rare than a shooting star or a lunar eclipse. How many could be fortunate enough to behold such a majestic creature? Aerathanis tore away from his own thoughts and glanced briefly at Shani, hoping the girl was paying attention and would heed some of Shri-Rah’s advice. Perhaps having it come from someone else for a change would help it sink in. The other part of him wondered just how long it would be before Shani disobeyed the words of caution and inevitably did something foolish.

For the young Raevan, "Blah blah, blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah," was al that registered as the Shri-Rah issued his welcome and warnings. The sights and smells were intoxicating - majestic peaks and lush landscape ablaze with color - such that Shani was literally beside herself with indecision. The very core of her wanted to take flight instantly and survey Ialdia from above, venturing inland as far a she dare, and maybe even then some. However, another nagging at her conscience warned against the dangers of doing so. Shaking her head furiously to drive the demon out, unsuccessfully, she finally shot a sour glance at Aerathanis, as if it were his doing. Maybe it was? Maybe his incessant droning about responsibility and caution were sinking in! She shuffled her feet impatiently as Shri-Rah finished, eager to take flight and prove otherwise.

With no time for the gangway, Shani gave an assertive flap and thrust herself over the ship's side, gliding to the awaiting shore. As her bare toes dug into the sand, she felt its warmth and the cool wetness of the surf. However, what followed was wholly unexpected, as if something else had bored through the soles of her feet at that instant and forced its way upward. In her surprise, she lurched skyward and kicked her feet to shake it, whatever it was, free. And it released her, not by any action of her own, but apparently by its own will. In that instant the fabled curse became a very real, palpable thing. Also in that moment, Aerathanis appreciated in value from amusing plaything to necessity, as Shani began to understand the true magnitude of Ialdia and the weight of its dangers.

As they prepared to leave the ship behind, he wondered if he was the only one who would miss being at sea. He found it to be a soothing experience, the gentle rocking of the ship, the push and pull of the waves, its peaceful lull, all put his mind at ease. It felt like something he could get used to… if only he had been born to a different life.

Falling in line behind one of his fellow colonists, Aerathanis grimaced as Shani impatiently flew from the ship. He was foolish to think that her impetuousness would wait until they actually had a chance to get settled and he called out to scold her. “Incorrigible child! Have you heard nothing!?” Trying to push his way past the others, he ambled down the plank, just in time to catch sight of her being infected by the curse. His steadfast pace was halted though, when he finally placed a booted foot on the shifting sand. In that moment, something took hold of him as well and he hunched forward, paralyzed as the breath was forced from his lungs.

He felt it, though it was difficult to explain. Ethereal tendrils working their way into him. He tried fighting it, but it was no use, the eerie feeling scathed his insides, searching for something, something it almost didn’t find but then slowly it began to recede, like the ebbing tide, leaving behind something that felt almost sinister. He took a moment to catch his breath then looked down at his partner. “It appears our bond was strong enough to endure the curse, which means we are now and forever bound. Perhaps now you will understand the gravity of our circumstance.” He added in the know-it-all tone that he had a habit of using with her. Heading back towards the group who were already making their way for the Inn, he spoke again, this time in a more forgiving tone. “Come along then, or we’ll be left behind.”

Within a few steps, the jingling of Shani's bangles grew fainter and, had the others not been preoccupied with their own first impressions of Ialdia, they might have noticed the young Raevan's subtle deviation from the group. She'd made her way along the river some distance behind the others, following her own meandering route that featured stops to admire the lush, brilliantly-colored flora and even to pluck a few of the more exotic varieties. She briefly considered that they might be poisonous, but quickly dismissed the thought as Aerathanis' bad influence. Curiosity being among her most pronounced attributes, Shani paused at each clearing and path to make sure she wasn't missing anything worth seeing. Sadly, or fortunately depending on one's perspective, nothing drew her further in than a few steps so her path toward the inn was less circuitous than it might otherwise have been. Still, it was anything but direct.

Aerathanis entered the Inn promptly behind the others but moved off to the side to wait for Shani. When the last of the colonists entered and she was not among them, his brow wrinkled. Glancing out of a nearby window, he saw her wandering off towards the river. Surprisingly, her small act of disobedience didn’t appear to vex him and he decided to let her sate her curiosity for once. He may have been giving her too much credit but he was sure she couldn't endanger herself while in the safety of their new community. He was also sensitive to the fact that they had just spent a decent amount of time at sea. As such, he wasn’t that much of a tyrant to give her grief about getting accustomed to their new surroundings.

While some of the others settled into the main room of the Inn and engaged in conversation, Aerathanis immediately went to the Inn’s proprietor. After a brief conversation, he was able to secure a room, a room he hoped would accommodate them comfortably. As he waited for the room to be prepared, he took a look around as the Inn hummed to life. It was probably a good opportunity for him to get to know some of his fellow colonists but he was not well versed in making friends, so instead he kept his distance and merely observed. To his delight, it didn’t take very long for the proprietor to inform him that the room was ready. By now, he figured he had left his partner to her own devices long enough and moved to collect her, however he didn’t get very far before bumping into her. “There you are…I’ve taken the liberty of having our room prepared. We should go and get settled.” He said as he turned to lead the way.

An entire room just for herself, was this reality? Right now it didn’t even bother her that Emmeric kinda ditched her, then again they were stuck together since they saved each others life; so being alone like old times was actually quite nice for a change. Now, she just had to decide what to do, Youn already considered just resting on this wonderful bed (she wasn’t used to anything better in the first place) the room provided, but there was still some business left unfinished. This was her new home now after all, not to mention she was hungry and, even being from the slums, cared about her body odor. Leaving her legally acquired stolen rich clothes in the small room she could at least take the brown blanket with her.

Closing the door from the inside with a key Youn could call her own, she simply opened the window. “Mhm…” Being on the first floor, it didn’t look that hard to get down. Back in the ship, the girl wasn’t able nor allowed to move much, and she loved to move around, and now that they were on firm ground no one would stop her!

The young thief first considered climbing down, but instead, simply jumped. “Freedom!” Letting out a small cry of happiness she simply started to stroll around. There weren’t really much people around, nor did she care, right now she simply enjoyed letting her body go wild.

While she primarily was running around just for the sake of fun, Youn also mapped out the colony. Not just the layout but also places where she could hide, steal or climb. The colony wasn’t really big and was rather well zoned by the sea, mountains and an excuse of a fortification that made clear why they apparently hoped the trolls would just pass by. There was a lot of grass and flowers though, something Youn had mostly known through gossip. The grass was totally opposite of the warm sand she was used to, but pleasant in their own way. And the flowers, while rich in color and quantity, they couldn’t compare to what she had seen at the exotic bazaars; unlike those however, these flowers had no price on em.

Finished with her tour, Youn let her body fall on the soft grassy ground and watched the clouds moving, losing herself in thoughts. By now, a few of those strange birds she had seen before settled down near her. As beautiful as they were, they could probably be eaten, and cursed or not, they couldn’t be worse than rats. Making her Slingshot ready, Youn aimed at one of the birds, taking her sweet time to make sure not to miss, the genius released it and hit bullseye!

Obviously, every bird except the injured one flew away. Closing the distance now, Youn saw that the bird was still alive, twitching on the ground. Taking the soon-to-be-food out of its misery via her knife, she used the very same blade to gut it before finally plucking its feathers, which she kept.

Next was a simple shower, taking off the clothes behind one of the buildings where no one would see her, it just took a simple clap of her hands aimed over the head to make a small wave of water pour over Youn. Not much of a real shower, but a humble start. Still wet, the thief dressed herself up again and was finally about to end her tour at the inn, where she was also planning to eat her caught prey.

It was a strange sensation, being cursed.

As the colonists trailed after Shri-Rah, scattering once they've reached the three-story building that was to be their new home, Yvaine lagged behind, so consumed by her thoughts that she all but stopped paying heed to her surroundings. When she officially stepped foot on Ialdia, she felt the land's curse seep into her every being, as she was sure it did everyone else. She braced herelf for pain--it was a curse, after all, and she thought it was only appropriate to expect the worst--but it proved to be a fruitless effort. It lasted all of a second, painless and fleeting, like a shiver that runs down one's spine and nothing more. There were no tangible manifestations, just a strange sensation unlike she had ever felt before.

The others seemed to take things in stride, and so Yvaine forced herself to brush away any lingering thoughts about it. There were more important matters at hand now. She turned to her side to look for Luch, and only then realized how far she had strayed from the group. Most of the colonists were already settling in the inn, yet here she was, standing idly by the riverbank. Gathering her skirts, Yvaine made her way to the building, hastening her pace as she recalled Shri-Rah's earlier warnings.

"Luch?" she called out as she reached the inn, looking around her for childhood friend.

On the contrary, though, Luch was actually behind them, at the very edge of the cursed land where water lapped at his boots. He stood there, stricken and mute, staring at the land before them and his chest rising and falling rapidly, heaving.

What he surmised to be the effects of the curse itself on him were neglible at most. That had not concerned him. What transfixed him so was the sensation of an 'episode' mingling with it, being both bolstered, triggered and eased in a swirling mixture. Just the land itself was effecting it, and he had no idea in what way as it grew worse and better by turns, slowly milding to a common middle-ground.

Luched stood there for several minutes before sharpening the focus of his vision again. He finally truly took his surroundings in and not merely the feeling before him. Yet, to the eyes, it seemed a plain beach, albeit empty save for the inn in sight.

And, on that note, he had best set up there already. Yvaine had already raced off after him, thinking he was ahead of her, he thought as he began carrying his light baggage towards the encampment. It was unkind of him to have let her do that, yet the feelings had beckoned him too strongly. He supposed he'd have to perform something for her to make up for it.

Luched sighed.

"Oh!"

Yvaine let out a barely audible gasp when she nearly bumped into Luched, who seemingly manifested right behind her. After she had twice circled the perimeter of the inn and saw no trace of him, she had admittedly begun to fret, unable to quell thoughts of dragons and skarves from surfacing despite realizing its absurdity. Luckily, it would seem that Luch was graced with impeccable timing. He always appeared when she needed him.

"There you are," she said after she had regained her composure, her surprised gasp seamlessly transitioning into a sigh of relief. Her lips quirked into a small smile as she looked him over--absurd or not, she still thought it wise to check if he was unharmed--and noticed his skin no longer bore a sickly pallor. "Looking much better."

"Shall we get settled, then?" Yvaine beckoned toward the inn, subtly readjusting the strap of the satchel slung over her shoulders in an attempt to shift its weight from one side to the other. She brought with her few possessions, perhaps even too few, as she was beginning to realize, yet she still felt burdened by its heft. Yvaine bristled inwardly, shamed by her display of feebleness, and made a quiet vow to strengthen herself in the coming days. Luch needn't a bond who would only serve as a liability.

"Aye," he nodded, hefting his own leather bag. He paused for a moment, sucking his lower lip at her blatant display of idolization; useful as it may be, it also showed some lack of maturity and realism, and he didn't like manipulating her, besides. And then there was just the simple uncomfortableness he felt about being on her pedestal. Damn, he wished she'd grow up. Then again, being with him might lead to exactly that-and, hopefully, a noble with some integrity.

"First things first; we're going to be living here for at least a while, and in this land even longer. Best to get settled and prepared. Besides," he said, managing a small, if somewhat irked smile, "I'm really hungry."

"Ah, yes, I'm famished, as well." Yvaine smiled in return, wide and sincere. It had been far too long since she had last seen him crack even a ghost of smile, perhaps even before they'd gone their separate ways as children; it was a welcome sight.

As she pushed through the oaken door and entered the inn, Yvaine found herself stealing glances at her bond, her brief reminiscing setting off even deeper contemplation. It occurred to her that only days have passed since she ran away from home, days one can count on fingers. In truth, so much has happened in so little time that she had yet to properly register anything. Up until now, her sense of curiosity and longing for adventure (even her utter excitement over reuniting with Luch, if she were being completely honest) have been driving her thoughts and actions. Her mind was only now beginning to catch up.

A million and one questions surfaced in her thoughts then--about Luch, Ialdia, the curse, their bond. "What have we for a meal?" she asked instead.

Luch gaped at her as if she had just asked what her own name was. "It's an inn," he said flatly. "Food and bed in one place, usually-and certainly both when there's no restaurants nearby, as there likely aren't here. I was in as much of a rush as you when we left, I told you that. I don't have any food on me, nor do I imagine do you. I was going to buy something here."

Yvaine nodded distractedly, forcibly pushing her barrage of questions away. There would be time for that later; she best focus on their present predicaments and that only. She nodded again, this time resolutely, and looked about the room, noting the other colonists that were already there with passing curiosity. So this was an inn. She certainly knew what an inn was, although as with everything else, this would be her first time lodging in one. There would be no servants to prepare her meals here, nor handmaidens to rouse and help her in the mornings. Strangely, the thought both thrilled and intimidated her.

"Where can we purchase our meals?"

Luched closed his eyes and sighed. "At the bar, or tables if there's waiters and/or waitresses, which I'm betting there aren't. Let's go put our bags away first, though."

He approached the man attending the bar. "Pryhwn da," he said. The barkeeper looked at him blankly. "Good afternoon."

"Ah, yes, good afternoon. You'll be wanting the key to your room, right?: he said. Without waiting for an answer, he pulled out a pair of keys on a ring. "You'll be in the room on the second floor, last on the left."

"Thank you. What about her, though?" Luch asked, nodding his head to Yvaine. "She's staying here as well."

"Your rooms are in pairs. You'll have to share one."

Luch blanched. "Can I not rent another room at an additional fee?"

"No, that's the last available one we had. It's that or sleep outside on the ground."

Luch looked at him weakly, then sighed. "Alright. Thanks." He turned to Yvaine, dreading the conversation already. "Let's go put our things away."

Yvaine opened her mouth to speak, but as she turned to look at Luch, the words died on her lips. She tilted her head downward, eyes darting to the ground, and for a moment, she did nothing but stare intensely at where dirt clung to the side of her left boot. They were sharing a room, it seemed. Yvaine chewed on her lower lip, embarrassed at the giddy smile threatening to creep on her face despite her attempts to suppress it. Such unbecoming behavior she was displaying--she could practically see her governess scowling at the notion--and the inanity of it all was even worse. Here she was, in a cursed land with perils and wonders aplenty, and yet she was still concerned over something as trivial as sharing a room. If Luch knew what she was thinking about, he would certainly roll his eyes at her.

She waited until she regained her composure, pressing both hands to cool her still slightly burning cheeks, before heading toward the room they were allotted, pointedly not making eye contact with her bond or anyone else.

"Let's."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------Act 2: Half way mark----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The tick-tick-tick of the scribe tapping his inkwell was all that could be heard in the hall. Ryuun Hisari ran a callused hand through his auburn hair and gave an irritated glace at the scribe, who gave a nervous glace back at him before clearing his pen and readying himself to write. As if on queue a man opened the oaken door at the far end of the hall. A broad shouldered dwarf stepped into the room and shut the door behind him. He crossed the hall at a measured pace, looking forward all the while, before stopping at the foot of the stairs that lead up to Ryuun's chair.
"What is it, Thul-tak." Ryuun said. His voice was deep and weary, as if he'd done this dozens of times before.
"I require that you draft some of the new blood into the mines. We need fresh bodies. The boys are exhausted." Thul-Tak coughed deeply and wiped what looked like coal dust from his otherwise brown beard.
Ryuun looked at him intently, eyes gleaming gold down at the dwarf before him. "The new blood are to be assigned to their roles before tomorrow's sunrise." Ryuun said. "Although I doubt any of them will be accompanying you." Thul-Tak hmphed at that.
"We can't keep this up, Ryuun." Thul-Tak's previously tightened fists eased. Ryuun shot a look at the scribe, who made wide-eyes back at him before picking up his parchment and quill and making a hasty retreat. The left-hand servant's door shut with a quiet clack.
"It's too deep. The heat is as likely to kill us as the skarves now. The Ancients used magic far beyond our understanding, there's no way we can reach it." Thul-Tak's voice was low to keep prying ears at bay.

"I am working on that. For now, make what progress you can without endangering the men overly much. They don't know we're on to them yet, Thul, Let's keep it that way."

The brown haired dwarf nodded his had solemnly and turned toward the oaken doors. "Anything we do is like to result in somebody dying, Ryuun." He coughed again.

"Then stay put, but I only want to see your crew when you should be topside, or when somebody makes a supply run. We have to do this delicately or more people will die."

"Aye, M'lord." Thul-Tak said. "Not too much of us, see you in a moon's turn." With that he left the hall and closed the big doors. The silence was deafening. Ryuun sighed before picking himself up off his chair and exiting through the entrance on his right, to his personal tower.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Begin Act 2, Part 2----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Apart from the Inn seeming to be a nice and cozy place to eat a freshly hunted bird, there was also the fact that Youn was still wet … and too poor for a towel. That she’d actually discover her partner-in-crime was pure luck, did he laze the entire time around here?! Well, she couldn’t really blame him, as he took the travel on sea far worse than she did. But could Youn just forgive him?! After all, he did the kind of thing only rich people without a single worry in their life did! Considering her options for a moment and the fact that he wasn’t alone she pulled out the dead animal she had prepared beforehand and made, with a fake smile full of joy, her presence clear. “Hey hey Papa, look what I found! Food!”

“Papa?” Emmeric held an inquisitive look on his face for a moment as he looked at Youn before shaking his head in disregard. “Oh, Youn… It looks as if you’ve been having a time. Enjoying these cursed lands?” He chuckled before taking a serious look at the kill in her hand. Meat. Given, it was game, and he would have much rather preferred something a little redder, but meat was meat, and it was better than what he had managed to haggle with the last of his money.

He sighed. This little girl had out-bested him at providing for the two. But, putting such notions behind him, he spoke again, playing along to her little charade. “So, daughter of mine, are you planning on sharing that with your dear old father?” A coy smile played on his face.

Huh? What was this?! The genius expected her father to go all embarrassed or feel awkward or something! But no, instead he played along! Furthermore, he actually had the backbone to even ask for a piece of the food SHE had caught for HERSELF? Not to mention he did practically nothing but laze around. Wow. BUT at the same time there was finally a chance! A chance she could actually hook up on him and use magic! After all, the bird was still raw, and she had enough experience with toasting rats (and hopefully the bird would taste better). With that out of the way, there was still the problem of him playing along in an unexpected way, continuing the façade the thief replied. "Uhm...sure, but not for free! I need your help to roast it...and I want a smoooch full of love!" Sure, luckily for her there wasn't much in her stomach, else there would have been a chance of throwing up.

“A smooch?” Emmeric had been alright with playing along before; her actions a tad out of character, but believable to be a part of some childish game. Now, well now she was being outright bizarre. “Youn, are you feeling alright? I’m guessing you’re hungry if your hunt is to be of any indication, so here.” He handed her what was left of the bread and cheese before standing up and stretching. “I’ll go try to find a large stick of some sorts and we can cook it over the fire here; I doubt anyone here at the inn will care.

“Now sit right here and eat until I’m back… or you could come along, I suppose. I really have no place in telling you what to do, huh?” The rogue chuckled while scratching the back of his head.

He did it again! This goddamn Scoundrel, why couldn't he behave like Youn wanted him to for one second?! And now he even dared to deny her needy craving for magic with simple logic! Curses! "I'd rather swim and walk BACK to Tevelesen and give my excuse of a mother a kiss before I kiss anything male!" If he dropped the farce she could just do the same. Taking the piece of cheese and bread she continued. "And there is no need for a stick or me sitting if I can use fucking magic." Yes, she was a bit mad, and the 'fucking' was part of that. Why was she supposed to share with him if she had nothing to gain from it? They were already bound by destiny after all. And anyways, the worst that could happen was setting the Inn on fire.

“Ah, magic.” Emmeric was smiling, but he was far from pleased with the girl. “You seem to have a nasty reliance on it, as well as a foul tongue, so let me tell you something. You’re a little girl, and speaking like that to someone like me, or almost anyone else here, will likely end with your tongue cut out.” He flicked his blade in front of her face, making sure just the tip was pressing against her nose. “Now, how about we work out a deal, hm? I shared my food, you share yours. We go find a stick and do this cooking normally and-” he hesitated with a sigh, relenting before withdrawing his weapon “-and we can go slightly outside the colony’s boundaries before you work any form of fire.”

Youn wasn't quite sure if she was supposed to be happy or more angry at Emmeric, she was a child, a boon she was able to abuse quite effectively in the past, but this guy was apparently not giving a single fuck about her age. "As if I would be so stupid to speak to anyone like that who is not 'someone like you', you think I am THAT stupid? Now get that thing out of my eyes." He was her partner after all, which also implied they should probably get along, that was also the reason she actually didn't feel the least bit threatened by him...she had experienced worse after all. "A deal? Well, you can take them back then." Freshly hunted strange-bird meat was surely more tasty than moulding cheese and bread. "Or..." Right, while he did not entirely comply to her demands, there was still some sort of progress, and she was just about to throw it all away? No way! "Alright, you can have half of it BUT you have to pinky swear me that, as soon as we get the chance, you finally let me practice magic! That toothpick of yours won't do good against those huge badass monsters!" And just with that, the small bit of tension that had build up was gone, at least from the brat's side.

“Hm, look,” he let out a puff of air through his nostrils, “I’m just trying to establish a boundary; I’m not your toy to play with whenever you want in any way shape or form, and if you treat me like that again, I’ll-” He was trying to come up with some threat so that this girl would take him seriously. “I’ll make sure you can’t touch and use my, well, whatever it is that let’s you cast fancy magic like you have been, and I’m very good at not getting caught, yes?

“Plus, I’m not ‘pinky swearing’ you anything; after your most recent stunt right now, I’ll know better than to trust you when you act your age. But, for now, you have my solemn, verbal vow that I’ll let you cast as many spells as you want until I’m unable to stand, whenever we’re in no way a threat to the colony, agreed?”

Urgh, there she tried to be friendly and stuff and he came with all this mean parent -> child talk, he even put the "act your age" stuff in it. Did he ever raise a child? No? Right. But what he suggested was pretty much what she wanted...and it wasn't a secret that what made her accept the bond was him as a fuel-source at first, and a person as second, as vile as it may be. "But why no pinky swear? I can't trust your "verbal vow" then, if you have so much experience raising children as you imply, then you should know how important the pinky swear is!"

Emmeric smirked. “I implied nothing of the sort. And what child am I raising? All I’ve seen here in the colony are men and women of varying size and description and the despicable wench in front of me. Now, you take my deal, or leave it. If I absolutely must, I’ll beg for food, and how would it make you feel to be the bonded of a beggar, eh? And trust me, I’ll make sure everyone who sees me knows you’re my partner. Not many little girls around here...” He crossed his arms in satisfaction with his statement.

This guy, seriously, was he really that knight in shining armor that enabled her to survive? Fuck, she even considered telling him the truth about the few people that actually lost their life back then, just to have a 'clean start' with him, but now she had to think twice about that. "How it would make me feel having one of those weaklings that blame everything but themselves for their misery in life as my partner? If my life wouldn't depend on it I wouldn't care but since it does..." Right, as much as she knew he wouldn't hurt her it was also the other way around, why didn't she think about that earlier? They didn't just have some sort of bond that enabled them to survive in this cursed land, no, the bond also meant they shared their body, soul and mind in one way or another. "Fine, take part of the stupid bird, now play your part and fetch a goddamn branch, I am really curious if it tastes better than rat."

The rogue was surprised for a moment -- a reaction that was clearly displayed on his face -- before grinning widely. “I knew you’d come around!” He ruffled Youn’s hair briefly before making a straight line toward the door. “I’ll ask around, see if there are any herbs or spices growing around here that we could cook it with! It’ll certainly be a meal to remember after we’re back to gruel and what I found earlier.” He snickered slightly like a child. “I’ll see you in a bit, daughter o’mine!” Then, Emmeric made his exit, practically slamming the door behind him.

...? Really? Really!? Was he a bloody child? All he wanted was forcing through his will? Youn was supposed to be the 13 year old! "Whatever." The thief murmured annoyed to herself. With him gone she could now concentrate on more important things, like the big fire that was the reason for her visit in the first place, after all, the young girl was still wet from the small improvised shower she took.

Exploration(5):
thin clouds were rolling over the mountains to the west of the colony. With the sun narry over the horizon the colonists were already busy preparing for various expeditions, clad in hiking leathers or combat equipment, they went about their tasks, eager to be away before the sun was fully risen and the midday heat began to seep into Ialdia's tropical bones. As if unwary of the commotion going on out in the square, Ryuun Hisari sat in his big wooden chair on the dias at the end of the great hall, listening to his scribe transferring recordings of previous meetings from one parchment to another. The humidity could be a nightmare for documentation, and until the archive tomb was fully excavated the scribes had to transfer all the documents on quite a regular basis.

Ryuun cleared his throat. He would be instructing the new colonists today, and sending them out on their first expeditions. From the reports they were quite a rag-tag group of individuals with not much in common besides some locational preference, which was odd in groups so large. Their bonds seemed to vary in strength as well, but risking your life with a partner would strengthen that bond immensely. He remembered when he and Thul-Tak first set foot on the cursed ground and felt the tentacles of tainted energy writhe through them for purchase. They were afraid, of course, any sane man would be afraid of imminent death, but as they worked their way into the dense foliage they would soon call home they forgot about air of malevolence that hung over the land like an invisible fog.

They eked the resources from the land, carving out flat foundations for buildings and plowing roads into the fertile soil. All the seeds they had brought for crops had died the moment they had been brought onto land. After much research from Shri-Rah and Vriis-Nar, it was concluded that the only things that could grow at all were the plant types that had been present when the curse was issued. And as it turned out, ninety percent of those plants were unheard of anywhere else in Veruulis. Shri-Rah had taken some guards out to find edible plants that could be cultivated and returned with several interesting fruits that they harvested for seeds, as well as what appeared to be some offshoot of barley that they had planted, and made bread of. It wasn't as good as proper cultivated wheat, but it was still food, and it that was something they had desperately needed at the time.

Ryuun could feel his partner, sitting around a worn wooden table with his men, drinking ale by torchlight in the shadow of a monumental structure that exuded an aura of mystery. He could remember when he couldn't even tell where Thul-Tak was, and it was odd to think he was alone before, as he could not imagine having only his thoughts to occupy himself with. Thul-Tak was tired, and slightly irritated. The torchlight would never bother him, as he had spent the majority of his life beneath hundreds of tons of rock. What did irritate him, however, was not being able to do anything. Ryuun smirked at that and felt a returned tinge of irritation when Thul-Tak felt his minor amusement through their bond. Communicating with feeling was an odd thing to explain to anyone who was not bonded. If you were clever enough with it, you could have an entire conversation without saying a word. But since he and Thul-Tak had been bonded so long, they could sometimes feel and see through one another's hands and eyes , if the conditions were right. It was as if they were tethered together by some sort of spiritual anchor. Sometimes Ryuun would even reflexively duck as Thul-Tak passed narrowly below the ceiling in the mines. Ryuun had no doubt Thul-Tak sometimes had similar occurrences of his own.

The Scribe cleared his throat to get Ryuun's attention. He couldn't remember the boy's name, something starting with Vi, he thought. Ryuun looked up, welcomed back to the realm of the physical by a tall, thin man with bluish hair and piercing ocean blue eyes. His hands were clasped behind his back and he wore the same sapphire blue robes as Vriis-Nar, with the circle and teardrop insignia that denoted him as one of the Blue Circle, Ialdia's small order of mages that resided in the Magician's Circle off the main road. His hair caught Ryuun's attention a second time. It was dyed, and therefore looked more bluish-black than the qualified blue the man was obviously going for. The man held himself as if he were bigger than the entirety of Veruulis. His chest was puffed and his head angled back in a show of undeniable arrogance.

"M'lord Ryuun." The man said with a slight bow that seemed to grate his pride. He had a western marsh accent that denoted him as being from the western coast of Aega. "I had collected the newly arrived colonists as requested of me by lady Vriis-Nar." He bowed again, not realizing that he wasn't addressing a duke or other similar royalty. "They await your leisure."
Ryuun stood and brushed himself off, feeling like he had been collecting dust sitting on his chair for so long. His auburn hair was combed back, with a warrior's braid coming down over the front of his left shoulder. Two golden rings were knotted into the end of his braid; a symbol of status from the lands he had been raised in. He wore a worn red cloak over a set of finely crafted combat leathers. A sheathed dao hung from a sword belt embroidered with silver thread on his right hip, where he could easily draw it with his left hand if danger presented itself. He placed his hand on the pommel of his dao.

"Bring them in." He intoned. The blue haired mage bowed again and crossed back across the hall to the big oaken door. Ryuun walked down the stairs leading up to his chair and clasped his hands behind his back. He did cut an imposing figure, a large man with broad shoulders, but the most unsettling aspect of him was his glittering golden eyes. The right door swung open and Shri-Rah was the first to walk in at the head of the line of new colonists. Vriis-Nar stood behind him, and behind her trailed the rather haphazard group of colonists. Not one of them was of the same heritage. Their were Humans, a variety of halflings of varying crosses, a Raevan, even a child. That made Ryuun narrow his eyes. If there was a child here, she obviously wasn't any simple child. One man looked rather drawn in his dark red vest and black long-shirt, while another, an orcish halfling by the look of her, hid her eyes behind odd dark-tinted glasses. Some looked nervous or irritated at being ordered around. The blue haired mage came and stood to Ryuun's left as the colonists formed a line across the hall.

"What's your name, mage." Ryuun addressed the blue haired man.
he glanced at Ryuun quickly and looked forward again, nervous with Ryuun's golden eyes upon him. "Rigitas, m'lord. Hailing from the-"
"Western Marshes, yes, i can tell by your accent." Ryuun finished. Rigitas nodded and crossed his hands in front of him, clasping his left wrist with his right hand. The colonists stood rather quietly. There was a few heartbeats of silence before Ryuun turned to Rigitas. "You are dismissed, magus." Ryuun used the formal address for magician to soften the blow. Rigitas reddened, obviously offended, but bowed and swiftly retreated from the hall. Whispers followed him out, and Ryuun then formally observed the line of colonists. The scibe tick-ticked his inkpen, signaling that he was ready to record what was to be said.
Ryuun started down the line of colonists.
"I will keep this relatively short, as I know our honored Shri-Rah has already given you the initial warnings and welcomings. But regardless, I welcome you again myself. I am Ryuun Hisari, the expedition head of our colony. You will see me frequently, as I resolve all matters that need resolving, and am the final say for projects that require approval. Ryuun shot shri-Rah a glance, who's eyes widened nervously for a moment."
"We have been sent here to unravel the mysteries of this land. And while we have made significant progress on this front, their is still volumes upon volumes of material to be recorded and understood." Ryuun stopped at the end of the line and turned back. "I have taken into account each of your.. skills, and have assigned you all into groups of varying sizes, and have written up the expedition details and perimeters each of you are required to reach." Ryuun gestured to his scribe, who stepped forward and handed him a parchment bound by a leather clasp. He didn't unroll it, but instead walked forward and handed it to Vriis-Nar, who excepted it with an assured air and a slight inclination of the head, Ryuun returned the gesture.

"You will gather the materials needed for your expeditions at the main hall of the Blue Circle, located in the Magician's Circle. While the list of perimeters and party members will be posted on the message board outside that same hall." Ryuun gave each one of the Colonists another look over before finishing up.
"You may think yourselves ready for the dangers of this land. You may think you are prepared." He paused. "I could tell you the stories of those who died thinking the same, but I will spare you the bloody thoughts. Instead I will say this. I have lived in this land for nearly two decades. I have seen unexplainable feats and unknowable forces. I have seen things no mortal should see. And I will never be ready for this land." He turned back toward the steps to his chair. "After all, how can you be ready when nothing is ever the same. When there are no patterns." Silence reigned for a short time.

"Now go, you have preparations to make, I expect all of you to be on your way by dawn tomorrow. Speak with Vriis-Nar or Shri-Rah if you find yourself in need of equipment or materials, or have questions." He waved his hand, and the hall emptied, the door shutting behind them with a dull boom. Ryuun looked at his scribe. Who bowed and dried his inkpen, then retreated from the hall. Ryuun sat on the bottom step and watched the light of the rising sun slowly fill the room through the large window over the main door.