[♪] "Ha!" she let out, despite the slightest of blushes crossing her cheeks. "Well, for one, I don't use spears.." she teased with her quirky type of humor, "but more importantly.. I'm rather picky about men, so I think they can sense that. Not to say some don't try, I suppose." Nanami left out a slight sigh and relaxed against the small wall provided for the window space, still fiddling with the amulet Alm had gotten her. "I truly appreciate the compliment on my skills, though it's not fair to compare me. My talents are more due to... hmm..." She paused, in deep thought for a moment while she attempted to find the words. "I have a unique preception that gives me an edge, but by no means am I experienced as you are, certainly."

Though now that Yui had actually tried to pry into Nanami's life and reasonings, it seemed the woman was more than happy to share, when normally she seemed to shy about such things. "How - hm. I convinced my father to let me come.. convinced him I was able and willing.. and stubborn enough to find a way without his approval if need be - so he let me. It was a hard argument after what happened to Riou." She pursed her lips at the thought of her siblings having died during one of the Rose's missions. Though at the end, as if sensing Yui's urge, Nanami brushed her lock of hair from her face, giving a cute smile. "And what is a handsome mercenary such as yourself doing here? Since we're asking."

---

---

Even among the men and women of the guild, the tavern felt lonesome. The sounds of distant chatter fulled the emptiness, like how the wind blows through the cracks on a hollow valley, noise as such worked merely to rid itself of total silence. The giant had reluctantly allowed the Serim to slip through his fingers, although with only a warning at his behest. Nothing to show for it, but mead in his hand and a few bruises from treadling through a desert wasteland. He took a final glance at the hand which had been damaged, he felt all joints were working properly, the bones did not ache at the grip his hand formed whilst holding an imaginary axe in his grip. Yes, this would do... Though this silent mountain of a man, bringing once again the savoring taste of liquor to his lips. Naught to do but to wait, this is what this thought burning at him, but much to think about. Much to ponder and reach. Hafrbjǫrn had fallen back to his silence after last nights exchange, much had happened and all remained fresh in thought. To band together with strangers was one aspect, something temporary bound by contract, if any died at the miles of travel then the giant could rest surely that all he would feel would be an emptiness at his pockets. Yet this rule changed extensively when in groups, guilds were a mass of men and woman banding together under a similar banner to venture to unknowns. This thought did not please the giant, it only rose warnings of future struggles. if on the ruins he would've spoken abruptly and with earnest, then perhaps they would've saved themselves the need to fight against unnecessary of great potency, to be honest, they survived by the inch of their hairs.

Stroking his beard which stretched far enough that it would hide neck, the giant began to entertain the thought of joining the Irregulars. The thought was truly just one halved with skepticism. The Witch Doctor truly was the only one whom had any decency as to approach him, all shared equaled amount of animosity and fear towards his size. It not something he is proud of, it is merely how he was born. It was clear in their baited breath and distinctive seam of the eyes. They were intimidated to some degree, and not due mere size, but to the perceived notion that he was violent. And to be fair, he supposed it was fair to think that way. But nevertheless, it was not in his intentions to interact with something of passing nature. What could be an ally today, could certainly be a target tomorrow. Such was the certainty of being a sword-for-hire. It paid well enough, but faces were but paintings drawn upon stone, they would wither and cleans itself with passing. It was not eternal if another hand decided to meddle with it. And people of the sword were of similar nature, of similar hues. Their colors oh so different, but they were still colors. And predictable, when the nature of survival, jealousy, anger and or sadness is involved. People lose their sense of self, replace it with a sense of power, and reason is tossed out the window. Passion is indeed, a powerful weapon. Hafrbjǫrn knew this almost spiritually, after the loss of his son, he could almost sense the moment when he shifts between a smith and a warrior.

And so now, presented with a choice, Hafrbjǫrn only has a thought and some time. He began to gather the names he could remember and the impressions he had gathered. Firstly, there were more females than males on this guild, this speak highly of the Guild Master, but not in the means which he would gratify, in fact he questioned it rather dismissively at first. Why? the giant, thought but the answer always lead to the same conclusion. And so he decided to end it, before his would gather a sense of understanding that was merely an extension of disgust and extended embarrassment. He began to ponder, more and more, until his mind rose into a blank spot and as if his eyes were finding the answers in the Tavern, his eyes trailed towards the new blood. Three females, all of which held particular uniqueness to each. To be frank, their youth was something the giant noted immediately. Their bodies, although honed upon the veils of training and combat like finely tempered steel under a seething flame, youth's faculties of the mien remained strong and steady. Their eyes and flesh void from the wrinkles of age, softness of lip and flush of cheek with delivered the sympathy of youth's embrace. The softness of the brow which marked innocence to a degree of but a glistening shred of limited experience. There was another in the guild who shared the same, the Song Rogue, daughter of the head. She bared resemblance to stories of all, another victor of the spoils. Perhaps he could confront her, for the mere sense of conversation. As someone who was born on this atmosphere... Hafrbjǫrn was curious on her perspective on the world.

Next, the silver haired knight. Her eyes were a brilliant as her locks. Dancing around with soft motion at the behest of the air. Her name was Alleria, if the giant hear right. Her stature was large, woman of the size were hard to see in most cases. She stood above the rest of the girls by mere extension of stature. Her eyes did not speak of much, as though honed in an art of battle even this humble giant was foreign to. Perhaps instinct dictate that she would be no mere liability in the front line, if he joins as well, then this would surely be one of the people who would stand beside him in the front.

The other was blonde of gray iris's. Strange in a way, but it resembled a uniqueness in her self. Selova was her name, and she radiated a meek kindness in her stare. Hafrbjǫrn could not pinpoint the reasoning behind it, but there in her neutral state he could tell something about her was benevolent. Or perhaps this is merely an extension of witnessing the manner of which she uses her hair. It was different, it adorned her cheeks and flush in the lighting of the tavern's candles which gave her an aura of soothing calmness. Nevertheless, he moved the final and most interesting of the bunch.

This one was called Ehri. Although all held a particularity to them, he found this one to be of course one of the most peculiar, because she held with her two beast whom if found in the wild, the giant would've cleaved them in half already. A wolf and hawk that did not give themselves to their primal urges, instead, they toyed with the other as if they were siblings to a motherly figure. Of course, this huntress was master and commander, someone potent enough to win their respect and admiration. the Alpha in their odd creed. Indeed, she swelled of potency, but similarly of youth. And youth was dangerous, youth entailed many things, and not much good when inexperience is involved. Nevertheless, the giant finished his mead. And merely continued to be joined by lonesome and silence. He will not do what must be done, not until he has decided on whether to join or not.

Selova Ajes
@Sync

"Uhh, Morning..." Selova's foot creaked on the stairs upon stopping for a moment to see a figure that made her look short in comparison. Her late father have met burly guys like him, and she'd trained with people with two, or even three times her height as a child. But seeing a person with a large build on her third day of her new job was something different to her. Its been more than half a decade since she'd felt short for once. Perhaps she'd really lived a sheltered life after all this while, Is the Blood Rose Irregulars full of people like this...?

She walked towards the tavern table in glideful steps, taking a seat near Hafrbjorn as she grabbed a loaf of bread. She was on her linen dress, without her armour or even her sword by her side, and calluses are showed throughout her hands and forearms. She took a couple of bites on her breakfast, not being sure what to do in such a situation. She was new to the mercenary's band, and the presence of him felt like it filled the entire tavern itself. Got to finish my breakfast, before setting out.

Alm Listened to Ehri's response, but it wasn't really an answer to any of his questions and ultimately didn't help him towards his goal at all. And before she could even continue possibly giving him the information he wanted another new member came to join the conversation Isbeil the mage girl with what seemed like a withered arm. "Its no interruption at all miss Isbeil," he said with a smile to her as she came up. He decided to let his topic go for now moving inside the barn to sit down on a hay bail after being told he could by Ehri. After sitting Alm took a bit to study Isa She was a big strong specimen of her species, a little bigger than what Alm remembered the Frost Dire Wolf being. But still a normal wolf Alm studied it noticing the differences between the species and taking a few mental notes before moving on. "So what brings you out here Isbeil? I doubt it was to see me so please feel free to ask Miss Ehri what you wish, our little chat can wait." he offered, although his past wasn't really a secret something in the back of his mind nagged him not to speak of his tribes ritual in front of this particular woman.

”The Gods gave you a talent, and it would be a waste if you weren’t using it to its full potential.” Yui said between sips of tea. ”Sometimes skill can out match experience.” She added. She liked to think of herself as a capable swordswoman, able to hold her own against most anyone; but after watching Nanami fight, she was less confident at the thought of a bout between her and the younger woman. She knew she was a bit more of a ‘strength over finesse‘ fighter, and she was pretty sure Nanami would simply run her ragged until an opening presented itself.

Yui found herself intrigued at the thought of an all-out sparring session, and got a bit lost in her own thoughts for a moment, but came back just as Nanami mentioned someone named ‘Riou’. Damn… From the pursed lips and momentary flicker in her eyes, whatever had happened hadn’t been good. Part of her was a little bit curious and wanted to ask what’d happened, but she thought better of it.

”Handsome, eh?” She chuckled, raising her right eyebrow in a completely over-dramatic fashion. ”Now, do you mean ‘here’ as is how did I end up selling my service for sovern and Stone, or ‘here’ as in the Irregulars?” She asked with an amused air about her.

”Well the second part is easy…”Setting her cup down, she shifted slightly and in a flash took Nanami’s free hand in hers and clasped it tight. ”Why for you my dear! I heard such tails of you beauty that I just had to come and see for myself!” She spoke with all the over-dramatic earnestness of the ‘Hero’ in a poorly written romance play, and moments later, released Nanami’s hand as she sat back and laughed. ”Sorry, couldn’t resist.” She replied after a moment.

”Your name does have something to do with it though, well your last name at least. Your father, and by extension his Irregulars have a reputation of being a fair and honourable Company, and that was something I wanted to be party to. There’s plenty of Companies out there, but too many of them are little more than bandits and raiders with a veneer of legitimacy.” Closing her eyes for a moment, she sighed; old memories best left forgotten.

”As for the first part? I’ll spare you the dull bits, but a long story short, I wasn’t interested in being married off for the sake family status, so I took matters into my own hands; best decision I’ve made to date.” Despite the light tone of voice, there was a flicker of something dark in her eyes, old pain briefly resurfacing.

---

---

”Thank you…both of you.” Stepping into the barn as Alm sat, she approached Ehri. ”To answer your question, yes I did hear what you two were discussing. In fact, that is why I sought you out.”

As she spoke, her attention turned to Ehri’s companions. ”Such beautiful creatures,” Part of her really wanted to try and pet Misha but, given the wary eye the wolf was giving her, she knew that would not be the best idea. ”Aside from the talents I have offered in service to Master Sanada, I am also something of a scholar; I study forgotten or obscure forms of magic, and Miss Khan, your ‘Skinchanger’ powers are a bit of both.”

Turning her focus back to the young huntress, she bowed slightly. ”What I wish is to study both you and your companions. There is very little written on powers like yours, and sadly what is written is mostly full of suppositions, guesses or down right lies. All I would requires is a few minutes of your time, your permission to ‘mark’ you with a few spells to observe your power in use…and a bit of blood.”

[♪] Though meant in jest, Nanami still gave a blush, if just at the gentle thought of being treated like a princess by this dashing mercenary. Still, she chuckled softly at the small act and continued to listen with an obvious focus. After Yui's story was over, Nanami bit her lip for a moment in thought. "We have that in common to say the least, a measure of pains..." she spoke carefully as if choosing her words selectively.

"At least you are right to a very large degree - that this company is honorable. Though I can't imagine what it must feel like to feel trapped in a situation like that." She shook her head adamently. "I doubt I'd be suited for many people - I have a particular method to my thinking and a particular taste for the world. I'm rather interested in the old stories, after all." Nanami stretched out her legs toward Yui, showing her level of comfort while she changed subjects, her eyes flicking as if watching the woman's body language closely. "Mayhaps you're right about my talents though - truer than you may have suspected. I found my 'flow' as it were within ruins in the desert. By some miracle.. I survived, by myself.. and came back with my songs."

Pausing, there was a sense of a heaviness in the air around them before she bit her lip again and slowly releashed her small knife from her belt. Though she wasn't dressed in her more traditional battle gear and it was not the blade she used in battle, it was still well-kept. Gently, exchanging looks with Yui, she ran her fingers across the surface of the blade. As if by ancient magic, the small dagger seemed to come to life, whistling an angelic tune. The blade almost sounded... happy... and Nanami broke out in a gentle smile as the song echoed from the metal confines of the blade. Before long, her finger reached the end of the knife and the song faded away. Curiously, Nanami watched Yui's reaction to the close up magic.

@Noodles

---

---

And much like a spell, the thought metastasized into real form, the youth had approached the Tavern towards where the giant sat and even directed her greetings towards him. Upon closer inspection, the lass was indeed young, yet her hands and arms were battle-ridden in scars and bruises. Her finger, absent from delicacy and were like those of farmers yet the intricacies of the wound would show they were not gifted through the tending of the fields. Hafrbjǫrn had those due to wood working, field care and the smith. Her aura did not speak of that, the gentleness of her speak demonstrated air of nobility and her poise as she tread through the Tavern was refined and tempered, almost like a calculated machine or the hammer after clanging against ebony. She did not share the same origins as this mountain of a man by mere extension of sight, instead, these were the scars of a woman honing the blade. Did her gauntlet lack any sort of padding? Did the hilt lack any sort of leather? Did the pommel lack any sort of stability? The possibilities ran across his thoughts smudging his features into a lifted brow. His mead still dancing on the innards of his jug, while the sweat of condensation drip through its glass and stained the table underneath. Hafrbjǫrn took another swing before realizing that the bar's noise began to lessen, perhaps this is due to his mind trailing along so far into thought. It mattered not, thought the giant. Perhaps this could be seen as an opportunity, if so, he would take it. "Only bread, young knight?"

The thunder of his tone reverberated into words directed at the youth known as Selova. Her dress spoke too intricately of a sort of lifestyle which the giant thought of, yet her eating habits seemed mild and humble. Something he did not seem to understand in correlation. Perhaps her aura was that of nobility, but discipline of a warrior. "Perhaps a bit of meat would garner some strength for the journey ahead. I do not wish to impose, but if there is anything more dangerous than a man with a sword, is one with a hole in their stomach." He spoke absent-minded like. Almost as if he was regurgitating something he spoke many times, before, though the jade of his iris locked onto her's, she did not follow suit as of yet and focused entirely on her food. "I am called Hafrbjǫrn, young knight. I have also been offered the position as a guild mate, though I have yet to come to terms if I would join in or not."

Selova Ajes
@Sync

"I don't eat so much for my breakfast," Selova replied. She'd thought she'd adjusted with her new life well enough, but some of her inherent habits never change. "Usually I would have a bigger portion if I woke up in an earlier timing, its pretty late in the morning to be frank..."

The voice from the hulkish figure sounded more like a roar to her, especially in a place like a quiet tavern, but her usual tall composure was maintained as naturally as breathing.

"I'm not really a Knight actually," She took a few remaining bites on her food, her grey eyes glancing upon the giant's. "Father passed on months before my knighting, and so I moved on to the mercenary's line of work."

"Name's Selova Ajes," She gave away her usual smile. It was rather surprising to know that that Hafrbjorn wasn't part of the guild yet, because he looked like someone who had been here for a long time.

---

^{@Athol@Arthanus}

---

Ehri couldn't help but to notice that the second Isbeil came in, Alm quickly gave up on asking her about her abilities, even though he seemed to be so interested a few moments before. That surely wasn't just curiosity about her... She didn't know exactly what he wanted but she couldn't help but think that he in fact had some other motives to be interested about her... The way he looked at her, how he seemed to almost study Isa with his eyes before continuing. He was asking too much about her, about the Old Blood clan, it's rituals, it's secrets... but said nothing about himself nor about his abilities...

Isbeil on the other hand was much more direct about what she wanted, maybe even a little too much. Describing herself as a 'scholar' she mentioned she studied obscure forms of magic and even asked if she could 'mark' Ehri with spells and surprisingly enough, a bit of her blood in order to better understand her powers. Ehri knew how powerful magic could be and above everything else, she knew very well the power of blood. Why did she want her blood? Why both of them wanted so bad to know about a forgotten clan who lived far away from civilization?

Sharing not only her discomfort, but also her thoughts, Isa, who was sitting down near Ehri, stood up, looking at Alm and Isbeil with wary eyes and Misha had his eyes fixed on them, carefully watching every movement they made. Even though Isa wasn't being hostile, as she wasn't showing her fangs and Misha didn't even opened his wings in a hostile posture, both Alm and Isbeil were almost able to physically feel Ehri and the animals' cautious stares towards them, trying to judge their true intentions.

"You two ask too much about my clan's rituals and secrets, but tell nothing about yourselves..." Ehri said, with a clearly annoyed expression.

"But if we are going to work together, it is unavoidable for you to know more about me." Ehri said, conforming herself to the fact that sooner or later they would find out more about her powers, causing both Misha and Isa to become a little less wary.

"To be a 'skinchanger' means to share not just one's mind, but body and soul with your companion. It means to embrace your animal side. To accept you are not just a human, but a beast as well. Borrow their strengths, their senses, their instincts, making them part of you. While hunting, we feel what our companions feel, we hear what they hear, we know their movements and they know ours. While hunting, the boundaries between what is human and what is animal are almost inexistent. We taste the warm blood of the prey we hunt, we feel the thrill, the excitement of the chase exactly as our companions do." Ehri said, carefully studying both Alm's and Isbeil's reactions as she said that.

"Our powers, our abilities aren't something that can be acquired, trained or stolen. They come from our blood and from how we lived all these years. They are not flashy and fantastical like other types of magics. Living so closely with wild animals, we learned with them, just like they did with us. We became faster, stronger, we learned how to move ourselves like they do, we learned how to hunt like they hunt, we learned to not ignore our instincts, to remember what you who call yourselves 'civilized' have forgotten." Ehri continued.
Even though both animals still were looking cautiously towards Alm and, to some extent, Isbeil, a few small changes could be noted.
Misha was puffing it's feathers and Isa standing in an imposing posture, almost like if they were proud of what Ehri said.

"Although I'm not that comfortable with the idea of giving you my blood, if you want, you can create a temporal link with my mind if it will help you to better understand the skinchangers." Ehri completed, looking to both Isbeil and Alm.

@Lyla

Nanami’s little blush was exactly the response Yui’d been hoping for. ”Your father is an honourable man, and one who is brave enough to let his daughter find her own place in the world; treasure that.” She spoke softly, her words tinged with a bit of old regret; but with a sigh and a small shake of her head, she pushed all that aside. That’s enough old memories for one day.

She’d works with those that used ‘bardic’ magics of various types before, but this, this was something different. As Nanami drew her dagger and began to run her finger along the blade, Yui could ‘feel’ the song as much, or possibly even more so, than she could hear it. Sitting forward once more, she stared at the blade in muted wonder as the song washed over her; on instinct she began to sing in harmony with the melody. Her eyes were transfixed on the blade as she sung, and as the music drew to a close she looked up at Nanami in quiet awe.

”That…wow…” Normally Yui not one to be at a loss for words, especially when it came to charming a pretty woman; but this, this threw her completely off her stride. It was so unlike anything she’d yet experienced, and her mind was having a time trying to process. ”Father and His Children…” She muttered, trying again to restart her thoughts. ”You have an amazing gift, thank you for sharing that with me.”

The more impulsive side of her wanted nothing more than to kiss Nanami, preferably extremely thoroughly; on instinct, she licked her lips in anticipation. Fortunately, probably for a whole host of reasons, Yui’s more rational side kept its iron grip on her self-control. You barely know this woman you idiot. Sure you’ve had a bit of a dry spell but COME ON!

---

---

@13org

Isbeil flinched slightly at Ehri’s expression, and bowed deeply to the Huntress. ”I apologise for my actions.” Casting her gaze to the barn floor. ”I’ve found that being direct greatly reduces the risk of having my wishes misconstrued, but I can understand your objection Miss Khan.”

Standing back upright, she listened as Ehri explained briefly what it meant to be a ‘skinchanger’, all the while watching the eagle and the wolf. As she spoke, both beast responded, both to the words themselves, but also to what they implied. I assumed the works that said a skinchangers beasts also took on more ‘human’ characteristics to be merely fantasy, but perhaps there is some truth to that as well.

After Ehri had finished, Isbeil made a point of acknowledging her companions more fully. ”I would also like to express an apology to your companions.” She said with a nod. ”As you spoke I watched them react to what you were saying, and how you were saying it. Before that, I had assumed, like others that have written on abilities like yours, they were simply beast that your powers had let you exert your will over; but I see that is far from true.”

Reaching into her robes, she pulled out her grimoire and small pen and ink set and began taking notes in a strange script. After making a few notes and inscribing one page with a complex array, marked by the same script, she tucked it all away. ”To hopefully allay some of your concerns Miss Khan, I will say, that I have no desire to try and duplicate your power. I seek knowledge simply for the sake of knowing and a power forgotten by the world at large is something eminently worth studying, if I can. As for the blood? I know the power blood can wield, and I accept your refusal and ask not more about it. I only asked because it makes the spell I use able to ‘read’ whom I am watching more clearly; but I can use the spell just as easily without it.”

Raising her left hand, she spoke so softly her words were drowned out by noises outside; her lips moved in a steady rhythm, repeating the same phrase several times before a soft light grew from her finger tips. Slowly stepping toward Ehri, Isbeil placed her index and middle finger between Ehri’s brow and then in the center of her chest. At each point, after Isbeil lifted her hand away, the glow remained for a moment before fading, as well as appearing in roughly the same spots on both Isa and Misha. ”Thank you.” She said, stepping back before once more bowing to all three. ”If you have any questions you wish to ask of me, I will answer.”

Alm listened as Isbeil explained her studies of magics which almost put up a bit of a wall he didn't want to be studied almost as much as he thought Ehri wouldn't want to. But for the moment he remained silent and listened. Ehri opened up a bit explaining a bit more about her powers and what she could do. It was all fascinating but it didn't hold the key Alm needed to further his own growth. Furthermore it seemed that his prying into her skills seemed to upset her more than he had wished it to. Isbeil would speak again and take some notes showing she did not mean any real harm so Alm decided he would speak up himself, it wasn't like his abilities were going to be a secret to the two for long.

"As I said earlier your Clan and my own have similar methods, and I thank you for the bit of incite, But their is one major dividing point in our philosophies." Alm started off, "While your clan melds with your partners on a mental lever my clan does it in a more literal sense," He said while closing his eyes. As he did the room itself started to chill a bit, subtle things like Alm's breathing pattern and even stance started to change, and even his sent would start to change. When Alm opened his eyes the color had changed from brown to a silverish color. "My clan fuses our soulstones with a creature we hunt and deem worthy to be our partner, taking on the properties of the creature as its soul lives on inside our bodies. I personally fused with a Dire Frost Wolf who wasn't much smaller than Isa there." He started explaining for a bit before his eyes faded back to brown and the temperature normalized. "I didn't mean to pry into your Clan to much and I do apologize, but I have seemed to hit a wall in my progression. And being exiled from my Clan I have no one to turn to in this matter, so I had hoped some of the knowledge from your clan could help me past this wall. But I don't think you will have my key, we walk much different paths on our travels." He finished his little explanation. "Although that doesn't mean I don't want to hear more about your Clan. Your methods are much different than my own, but it is still worth hearing, If you want to talk about them that is." Alm added before getting up from the hay bail and starting walking to the barn's exit. "And yes miss Isbeil, I'll be happy to answer your questions as well, but not at this moment, If you will excuse me ladies I have something else to take care of. This was an interesting talk." He said before leaving.

Alm would quickly make his way back to the Tavern and to his room. Once inside his room he fell to his knees and his eyes started to turn silver again. But he fought it, "Why did I willingly let it out?" He thought to himself as he tried to remain in control of his body. It had been quite a while since Alm had tapped directly into the Wolf's power within his own Soulstone but even in it's repressed state it had grown stronger. And although it had once submitted to Alm it now wanted out, it wanted to be free once more. Alm would spend most of the remainder of the day in his room battling his own inner "demons" before emerging a bit before dinner in control of his inner self once more, although he would look a bit drained.

---Later that Night---

The rest of the day passed by peacefully allowing most of the irregulars to have a needed relaxing day after the last few weeks of desert heat. But late that night after the Irregulars had settled down for bed that peace would be broken. Bells started sounding at the outer gates which would lead to alarms throughout the entirety of the gatehouse city. Alm woke up as the first bell rang in the distance quickly preparing himself and heading down and out to scout the situation. As the others would come down Jing would gather them in the tavern to give out his orders once Alm returned. It wouldn't take long before Alm would return. "Orcs," Alm opened up with as soon as he returned. "A lot of them, multiple tribes in a coordinated assault." He continued giving his report, "Looks like the Guards are being deployed to the front gate in order to buy time for civilians to evacuate, but I saw some fires starting in the Western Residential District. I don't know how many if any guards are being dispatched to that location. The Eastern Market District is clear for now from what I gathered." Alm finished reporting and Jing took a moment to think the situation over.

"The guards lines won't hold, this outer city is expendable to the Citadel and only a light force would be sent in its defense. We will supplement the defense for as long as we can hold and let as many civilians escape as possible." Jing answered after a bit of thought. "Pox, Selova, Isbeil, and Octavia head to the Eastern Market District, I know there doesn't seem to be anything right now but I have a feeling that there might be something coming, go there and help the evacuation but be on your guard." He said giving the first group their orders, "Nanami, Yui, and Ehri, Head to the West, your goal will be to fight back whatever started that fire. Hafrbjǫrn If you are joining us now is the time and I want you to go with them, Please take point your experience will serve them well in the coming battle. As for Myself, Shion, Gwen, Jenramo, and Alm we shall head to the main gate and act as reinforcements to the guard." He concluded giving out deployment orders before moving on to a bit of a speech. "I want you all to come out of this safely, do what you can to hold until we give the retreat signal but if you as a collective group feel that you need to fall back before hand. You are all capable, but if this is multiple orc tribes this is not a battle our group can defeat. Survival and holding the Orcs back as long as possible is victory in this battle. Fight hard, but remain safe. Upon your retreat do not get diverted into the citadel every team is to make their way to Blackrock Village, you will have no way of knowing who retreated first and I will not have us waiting in a dangerous area to regroup." Jing said tying to comfort his team a bit. "If there aren't any complaints time is short so its time to move out." He concluded dismissing the Irregulars and started to make his preparations for battle. The Strike team headed to the main gate would be ready in the next few minutes and be on their way.

---

^{@Athol@Arthanus@Sync@Lyla}

---

Just as Isbeil replied to what Ehri had said, her suspicions about the girl were immediately proven to be wrong. She was incredibly observant as she noticed that her companions were different from other animals due to their link with Ehri, reaching to a grimoire and a set of pen and ink and writing down some notes together with some weird markings before tucking it away. As she started explaining her objectives and issuing some of Ehri's doubts, she realized how much of a 'scholar' she was. What she had said previously to her appeared to be true, she was really only interested in studying and understanding the forgotten arts from her clan and her explanation couldn't make things even clearer.

As Isbeil approached Ehri, ready to cast the spell, Ehri looked directly inside her eyes as she did so. Even though Ehri trusted Isbeil to some extent after her explanations, she was still wary of magic in general. She knew how powerful magic could be. Raising her hands, Isbeil chanted a mantra as she activated the spell, making a small light appear on her fingertips. Approaching Ehri, she touched her forehead and the middle of her chest for a few seconds. The light from her fingers left a marking on said spots, before disappearing, it appeared on the same locations on both Misha and Isa.

"I'm sorry for being so wary of you, Isbeil, but I hope you understand my reasons." Ehri said, looking directly to her eyes. Albeit her stare was of respect and acknowledgement, it also carried a certain weight to Isbeil, Ehri decided to trust her and she wouldn't tolerate betrayal.

"Just be careful when 'reading' the data that your spell sends you. Humans' instincts are dormant, not even a shadow of what they used to be and the animals' instincts are far more intense and powerful than our own. Even though you don't have the ancient blood I do, you will experience those when reading your spell. If you want some help, I can teach you how to better deal with all this." Ehri said, with a smile towards Isbeil.

After the procedure was over Alm started explaining more about his own clan, but just as he said, there was a major difference between their clan. While Ehri's clan saw the animals as companions, as separate individuals, Alm's clan fused their souls with themselves. It was undeniable that their clans were very different. As he did a small demonstration of his power, it became clearer that their abilities were fundamentally different. His scent changed and even the room became a bit colder, making Isa start growling and Misha open his wings in a threatening posture before everything went back to normal. As he continued explaining a bit about his story and his clan, Ehri could sympathize a bit with him after he apologized for prying too much into her clan and explaining his own circumstances. She didn't know what he had done to be exiled from his clan, but in a way, her situation wasn't much different from his. After all, her own clan was spread out through the Grand Empire after what happened to the mountain they lived on...

"I see..." Ehri said after he finished talking.

"Being away from one's clan surely is difficult. Believe-me, I know this feeling..." She said, with distant eyes.

"But I'm afraid that one thing you got wrong about being a skinchanger. It's not only mental, but emotional and physical as well. We are different living beings if you take the soul into consideration, but if you don't, then we aren't... It is... difficult to elaborate it since it's as natural as breathing for me and for Misha and Isa as well... Especially when comparing to another type of ability I don't understand fully well myself." Ehri completed.

After bidding them farewell, Alm left before Isbeil, which continued talking a bit with Ehri before she also went to do her things, leaving Ehri with Isa and Misha.

---

Later that night...

---

Just as Ehri laid down on her bed, bells started ringing and alarms sounding through the entire gatehouse city. Immediately going down the stairs, already prepared, she waited for the others as she mentally sent Misha to fly through the city, with Ehri seeing exactly what Misha was seeing. The second she realized what happened, she was genuinely surprised. Orcs? In a coordinated attack with other tribes? That was... highly unlikely seeing how violent and tense the relations orcs had with other tribes of their own.

"It's ok Misha. Come back." Ehri said mentally. After returning, Misha would stay on top of the inn, watching the surroundings.

When everybody was already reunited, Alm appeared to report the situation. Everything that he said, Ehri already knew, but still, she couldn't shake off the feeling that it was more than just an orc attack... Something was going on. Without any information other than what she could see, it was still just her instincts telling that, but she learned very well to never ignore her own instincts.

Immediately after Alm reported the situation, Jing would separate them in groups, sending each one of them to a different district. Her group was Nanami, Yui and Hafrbjǫrn. Their objective was fight back against whatever it was that started the fire Alm said. Jing's warnings weren't ignored by Ehri. She knew that orcs, especially when in a group, could surprise even the most seasoned hunter. They weren't an opponent anyone would want to play with.

"To survive and hold them as much as we can..." Ehri thought to herself, repeating what Jing said. Both Misha and Isa too were already aware of that fact due to their bonding. They were to meet on Blackroot Village when they received the signal to fall back.

Ehri could feel Isa and Misha's excitement and unquietness on her mind after hearing that they would finally do something other than stay trapped on the stable together with the other animals.

"Yes, we're going hunting. But be careful." Ehri mentally said to both animals, immediately feeling how thrilled and excited they were.

Her group, a mysterious woman with black hair and blue eyes, Nanami, a woman as tall as Ehri herself with obvious elfish features wielding a musket, Yui and a man whom Ehri could only describe as a half giant. Towering even over Ehri and Yui, he had a tribal feeling to him, making Ehri feel that they could be similar on how they saw the world.

Going outside first, they would meet her with Misha standing on Ehri's shoulder and Isa besides her, unquiet, moving and sniffing the air, almost if she was excited with the hunt.

"I'm Ehri, this is Isa and that one, Misha." Ehri said, ready to go whenever they wanted.

"A member of the pack." Ehri said looking to them. She didn't know if they would understand what Ehri meant by that, as it was something the people from her clan used to say when hunting with someone. That five words, for someone of the Old Blood Clan had much more meaning that it probably had for any other.

Immediately after Ehri said that, Isa howled, a blood chilling sound echoed through the night, thrilled for the hunt as Misha opened it's wings starting to fly.

@Noodles@Lyla@13org@Athol@Arthanus

---

---

Her response was quaint, straight to the point. This man giant couldn't help but nod, his mind began to ravel on the thought that this team was certainly an oddity. No matter, the circumstances had been placed in a way that would benefit him. And yet it all felt so surreal, so empty and lacking any substance. Why? Had the giant forgotten what joy brought when in heat of battle? Had that been robbed out of him as well in what transpired so many years ago? The thought loomed at the corners of his consciousness. Bringing the giant once more into full blown silence. It was sad, to be fair. He did not trust anyone, he couldn't trust even this youth who seemed to have lived by and for the sword. He could not trust the guild-mates, the guild-master of any of the people he was around. Yet a swelling sense of curiosity built up from the annals of his thoughts. Something he wasn't foreign to, but he couldn't depict. Looking into those eyes, the shimmering flame with danced at its reflection. This girl was... in her own form, innocent to what the world had in store. Though she understood pain, the pain was secluded in fractals of her personal life, fractals which later took form an built her future. Yet, so insanely privy, so intensely small. How many heads had this giant claimed? How many lives had he taken, as he took one final swing of his mead.

Silence beget the room, and nothing more spoke out of this man.

---

---

Time had finally run out, and the giant stood with arms crossed listening to what had transpired. A grunt followed at Jing's request. What utter nonsense, as if an able bodied warrior would stay still when there are obvious threats claiming a city he stayed in. This was not a means of battle for the sake of guild-presence, this was but survival at its finest. The merriment and peace had been placed to a halt and so many question began to rise. Why? A full on scale attack of this caliber to a city is beyond insane. This is not chaos for the sake of chaos, no of course it's not. Deliberately attacking human settlements, especially of great statures like this one would require more than your average sword and shields, it would require strategy and cunning. So why would they do this? For what purpose? A myriad of question arose at Hafrbjǫrn's behest. But it mattered little now. He was with three others. The new-blood Ehri, none other than the daughter of the guild-master herself, Nanami and the one who has been teaching Archery to the winner of the spoils of the last quest, Yui. "Take point, huh?" He spoke to himself absent-mindedly. This would not be much trouble, if he was the one to follow, but would the guild-mates deliberately follow his command? Hafrbjǫrn didn't have much hope, after all, he was merely a stranger among strangers. Nanami and Yui knew each other, that was a fact. Ehri was a new-blood, meaning that she would just follow regardless of circumstance due to willingness of contract and station. However, Hafrbjǫrn has traveled before with these people and have found himself beyond distant from them all. Exchanging glances with each, it was evident. They did not have the slightest sense of trust towards him.

Of course, trust is something that is gained. But they couldn't simply follow a man, whom they have witnessed show little, to no remorse when it comes to the seams of battle. And much less to someone who has not found it in any interest to speak or made bonds with them. And so, he pulls out his mighty axe, held upon in one hand, and rests it atop his shoulder. Like a lumberjack that he is, imposingly standing before his... comrades, he spoke with resolve. "I hope I have not given you a sense to be alarmed. I was merely minding of my own devices, before. But tonight we find ourselves in the midst of combat once more. And alas, against creatures that have cognitive awareness." He continued forward, Ehri stood brightly, he spirit certainty displayed itself among that trio, an odd combination, Hafrbjǫrn had thought this before, but one of benefit indeed. "I have aught thought of a time where I'd be responsible of human lives once again, not in a form where I'd be given currency, not as a service. But as comrades of the same home. And the thought frightens me, it clutches me and heralds dread onto the center of my chest. But, tonight I have been given the task and my honor would not stand intact if I were to break such by merely expediting your lives onto death. No that is not what I want, nor the indulgence I crave." He turned to his team, speaking one last time before they part. "I humbly speak from the experience of a man who's steel had stained far too many man who deserved it, and far too many man that didn't. Tonight, by these axe, I will brighten our path towards victory. So I ask, with humbleness and truth, lend my your strengths and follow me into combat. And allow me to live through the incoming struggle, as I will allow the same for you."

..."Onwards."

Selova Ajes

The place has abruptly turned silent like a graveyard. Did he drink too much...? Selova stood up as she cleared away her stray thoughts. "I'll be off for my trainings, later ~"

---

Orcs? Selova was about to have a good night's rest in her quarters before the bells rang. Strapping on her armour, she hastily tied her ponytail, rushing down the stairs and heard the report. More than one tribe of orcs, when just one is quite a headache to deal with. She doesn't need to know that they're coming in sheer numbers.

"Right ahead, Captain." Selova straddled in brisk steps towards the Eastern Market district, her left hand has rested on the sword hilt, ready to be drawn at any time necessary. The cover of the night is a discomforting fact, especially in a raid like this one. Her quick draw is good enough to fend off ambushes, but her grey eyes stared towards the streets uneasily. She's not sure whether her sword will chip away from their pesky armour, but time will tell.

The group she'll be working alongside with will be a familiar bunch, Isbeil who was also one of the 3 newcomers, and the eyepatch girl Octavia from the tavern the previous night. Except for Pox, whom she hasn't met or heard about.

---

---

There was venom in the giant's voice as he spoke of the Serim Knight. Octavia only kept her silence as she pondered the reason behind his ill feelings towards Garrett. Despite what the knight might have done to earn his disapproval, the giant didn't go out of his way to destroy his reputation, and it spoke volumes about his character.

There was a short silence before he rose from his seat and sat across her, his heavy footfalls masked by the carpeted floor. Even as they sat, his giant figure towered over hers, and Octavia had to look upwards to meet his gaze. She unconsciously stiffened as she studied his features. He was massive and well-built. From this distance, Hafrbjǫrn looked even more intimidating. The scars and callouses on his skin were telltale signs of his rough lifestyle.

"You said this was you first journey," His voice boomed, breaking the silence between them. His deep and thunderous voice was a stark contrast to Octavia's soft and gentle tone. The two must have looked like an odd pair; they had nothing in common with each other. Haf boasted a strong and impressive physique, whilst Octavia looked small and delicate - maybe even fragile. He possessed tremendous strength which Octavia lacked, and that is why it came as a surprise to her when the giant gave her praise. However, she couldn't bring herself to agree with his kind words.

Octavia grew sullen upon the realization that she may not have been suited for the battlefield. She was never built to become a warrior who fights with swords and fists. Octavia was born to become a mage, just like the generations that came before her. Magic was Octavia's calling, and her curiosity and desire to learn only grew day by day.

Her father had already warned her of the consequences of using magic. Due to the Crestkeep's curse, the use of magic would significantly shorten Octavia's lifespan. According to common conjectures, the curse worked to keep the vast amounts of power (that they've harvested from human souls stones) in check. Using their powers came with a price: their life. After all, breaking magical taboos always came with a price.

Octavia's heart sank at the thought of her breaking the promise she had made to her father. The life of a Crestkeep mage was already quite short, even without using their magic. Her father would be disappointed if he found out she was getting involved in the magical arts. Still, using a magical bow shouldn't hurt - or so she convinced herself. At least she wasn't trying to shoot fireballs out of her hands.

Octavia fell quiet in her seat, the corners of her mouth twisting into a small frown. She rested her cheek on the palm of her hand and took another sip from her wine. Everything her father knew about the curse were mere speculations of men, and Octavia still had hope that the actual truth could be different. She believed there was more to learn about the curse, and she was on this journey to find it. Unfortunately, she was yet to find a single clue.

With a small sigh, Octavia finally managed to push her thoughts aside, bringing her attention back to the giant's words. He seemed to be curious about the inner workings of the guild, and Octavia could see his hesitations about joining.

"Jing is an honorable man, as far as I can tell. He cares for the safety and well-being of his comrades," Octavia replied. Jing was a good father to Nanami, and Octavia couldn't imagine him doing something that would make Nanami lose her respect for him. He has also been generous enough to provide them with meals and give them shelter at his estate.

When asked if she enjoyed her time with the Irregulars, it took Octavia a moment to answer him. She couldn't recall the last time she had enjoyed something without worries plaguing the back of her mind. Whilst she was still capable of enjoying things, a dark cloud has always been hanging over her head.

"Hmm..," Octavia began, squinting her eyes as she searched her memories for answers. "Joy is a big word," she finally answered with a small laugh. Octavia wasn't sure how to put her feelings into words, because she didn't quite understand how she felt. She did enjoy their company, but a huge part of her still felt empty - and it wasn't their fault.

"They genuinely care about each other," she told him with a distant look in her eyes as she recalled past events. "The guild is like a second family. Everyone's got eachother's backs," Octavia declared.

"Though I'm pretty new myself, and I haven't grabbed the chance to talk to any of them on a personal level, much less form close relationships with them," Octavia added, slumping her shoulders forward and lowering her gaze. "It's difficult for me to converse with others who are around my age. I think I'm better at socializing with older men, since I grew up with my father and his faithful comrades."

Octavia was embarrassed to admit it, but she was actually quite shy around younger adults. She worried too much about saying the right things. Thinking back, Octavia never really had any friends. Forming close bonds would be difficult; she had too many secrets.

Octavia tried not to let her drunken state of mind stray too far from the topic at hand. She inhaled sharply and straightened her back, . "But if you'd really like to learn more about the guild, I think the best way would be to experience it for yourself," Octavia concluded.

It was strange, but the giant's presence somehow reminded her of her father. He was nowhere as big as Hafrborn, but they both wore calmness and strength like an armor. Her father may have been a person of few words, but he was always the smartest man in the room.

The night continued on with good food and good conversations until the Irregulars finally retreated back into their rooms. It had been a long time since Octavia got to lay on a bed, and she fell asleep moments after her back hit the mattress. For the first time in so long, it was a peaceful and dreamless sleep.

---

---

The moon rose, and the streets were once again filled with music and light. Octavia awoke from her heavy slumber, her eyes fluttering open. She first noticed the coolness of the air, and her gaze shifted to the open window by her bedside. She continued to lay on her bed, allowing the cool breeze to fan her face.

There was a lonely feeling of detachment that filled her, along with an empty void of emotions. She felt detached from herself - and from reality - and she had to wonder if she was still dreaming.


A small sigh escaped her lips.

Slowly and reluctantly, Octavia pushed herself out of bed, letting her feet hit the wooden floor. She walked towards the window and closed it shut, the absence of the wind accentuating the silence of her room.

Octavia then proceeded to the washbasin, splashing cool water against her face in an attempt to rid herself of lethargy. She wasn't physically tired per se, but her mind felt heavy. All she wanted to do was sleep.

Octavia grabbed a brush from her bedside,  brushing her raven hair and tying it into the usual braid. She gave herself a quick look-over in the mirror before heading out of the door to meet the others downstairs, but judging by how late it was, they were probably off to bed.

The smell of cooked food greeted her olfactory senses, and her stomach grumbled in protest. Octavia realized she hadn't had a single meal today, as she made a beeline for her room as soon as Shion dismissed her from morning practice.  She then slumped against her mattress and ended up sleeping the day away.

As she took a seat in one of the nearby tables, the waitress approached Octavia with a smile - and some complementary bread, much to her delight. The bread was still warm, and she didn't wait another second to grab one and take a bite. "What would you like to order,?" The lady asked her with a courteous smile.

Octavia swallowed the bread in her mouth before replying, "Umm, meat would be nice. Perhaps you can choose which meal would be best." She took another bite from her bread as she simultaneously grabbed another one from the basket.

"Lamb would be our specialty for today. Please wait a bit while we cook your meal," the server replied with a small bow and left. She returned later with a glass of water, and Octavia muttered a small thank you.

Octavia's eyes scanned the room. The atmosphere was just as lively as yesterday, a bit less without the presence of the Irregulars. Her eyes searched for familiar faces, but the others weren't around to be found, so she continued munching on her bread quietly.

Before Octavia could enjoy her meal, the tolling of bells could be heard across the city, signaling an attack. Even without any piece of information, Octavia immediately grabbed the sword resting on her hip. She quickly realized she had the opportunity to test out her new weapon, so she ran upstairs and grabbed the bow from her room.

As Octavia made her way downstairs, so did the other Irregulars. They gathered just in time for Alm to return with news of the attack. "Orcs," he announced. People inside the tavern were already evacuating, and a few other adventurers like themselves gathered. There was panic in the faces of normal civilians as they quickly locked themselves in their houses.

As soon as Jing finished barking out his orders, Octavia immediately headed for the Eastern Market District along with her group. She was assigned with two new recruits and Pox, who was nowhere to be seen. Now that she thought about it, she hadn't seen him since they arrived at the city. He seemed to be busy with apothecary-related stuff. Octavia couldn't really ever tell what he was up to. The man had many secrets.

The Eastern Market District was quiet. There were only a few people left; the ones who refused to leave their shops without packing their valuables first. There were no signs of Orcs, but Octavia stayed alert of her surroundings.

"I'm Octavia," she broke the silence and formally introduced herself to the new members. It was a good idea to build some trust, since they were bound to fight together. "Octavia Starforge." She reached her hand out for them to shake.

Jing and his group would waste no time while they made their way to the main gate. And it seemed for good reason, when they arrived things were already bleak as the Guardsmen's moral was already wavering against unfathomable odds. Jing immediately sprung into action the old general in him coming out for a bit. "Everyone hold your ground! remember your job here is to hold this gate until the civilians can escape, we are not here to push back this horde just yet. So do your best and when the men at the Gatehouse ring that bell you run for your life. As long as we can hold out till then that will be our victory." he yelled out. Sure the men might have already known what their job was but it was a bit reassuring to hear that they weren't expected to turn back the tide and the moral stabled for the moment. Then the Irregulars got to work. Jing, Jenramo, and Alm threw themselves at the Gate itself helping to keep the structure closed as long as possible While Shion and Gwen made their way up to the ramparts to help how they could. It was there that they saw just what they were up against, an unending tide of orcs stood beyond the gates trying to force their way through. Shion put himself to work drawing his bow and taking shots at any orc he saw caring ladders to the front, while Gwen took a moment to chant a spell to soften up the front line.

@HowlsOfWinter@Noodles@Athol

As the group approached the Market District things were relatively quiet for the moment as the civilians made their preparations to evacuate. But that quiet was quickly broken as a scream rang out from two blocks down and a woman could be seen running into the main street soon followed by a group of four Spider Mounted Goblin Calvary wielding spears who quickly caught up to the woman and ran her through. The Goblins then dispersed a bit starting to target any human they saw as those who were packing their things gave up on the effort grabbing what they could and making a run for the Gatehouse.

@Sync@13org@Lyla@Athol

Things in the West were not calm at all when the group arrived. Fires were already beginning to spread and Orcs had already bad it through the walls. There was a detachment of Guards and a few Adventurers already engaged with the Orcs but things were not looking good. As the Irregulars would move to join the battle and help the guardsmen their path would be cut off as a group of 8 orcs would break off and make their way to the small party.

@Sync@Lyla

Yui chatted with Nanami a bit longer while the day began; a few small jokes, another bout of over the top flirting and flattery that got some more laughter and blushing from Nanami. Eventually though, they said their goodbyes and went about their day.

Heading out, Yui made her way to the market district in search of a few things; lead for more bullets, ingredients to make more black powder, and a few other odds and ends. Once she’d gotten her ‘essentials’, she did a bit of browsing amongst the blacksmiths stall, before returning to the inn for lunch and starting work on making another small batch of powder and bullets.


She woke almost immediately as the bells began to toll, rolling out of bed and piling on her gear almost by instinct. She saw Alm disappear out the door to find out what was going on, so while she waited she tweaked her armour and double checked her weapons; she could hear cries on the night air, things were going to get bad for them soon.
--
Alm’s statement about the approaching threat did little for her mood. Normal bandits were bad enough, but they were in it for the coin, hit ‘em hard enough and they’d leave. Orcs…orcs liked things to get bloody. As Jing divvied up everyone into teams, she looked over her ‘team’ and was a tad concerned; going into a fight like this with two unknowns was not something she was looking forward to.

As they set out, Half spoke up. ”Well there’s a rarity,” She quipped, trying to settle her nerves with a bit of humor. ”It’s not often you meet a guy built like you that speaks so well, and like you said, it’s all our asses on the line.”

As they hustled towards the fires and sounds of fighting, Yui began to scan for the best vantage points to shoot from. Rounding on the main fighting, she saw a party of orcs appear out of a side street, between them and their goal. ”Fuck me running.” She muttered. The orcs were still a bit out as she finally spotted the perch she wanted, a small balcony that over looked the street. ”Half,” She called out, pointing to said balcony. ”Gimmie a boost.”

The big man cast a wary eye on the advancing threat, before nodding and positioning himself, cupping his hands to act as a step. As she stepped up, Half lifted Yui rapidly, almost tossing her up to her spot. ”Thanks,” She called out as she made ready. ”I’ll be down shortly.”

Glancing through the glass door that lead inside, she guessed this was the home of the owner of the business below; she hoped they were already long gone. There was no time for any further thoughts in that direction though, the orcs were almost on top of them. Cocking her rifle, she took aim and fired; the gun bucked and a half inch diameter chunk of lead slammed into the chest of an orc moments later. The one Yui hit simply pitched forward, dead before it even began to fall; however it was carrying a torch, a simple affair made of a branch wrapped in cloth and dipped in pitch. When the first orc died and went over, its arm flailed out and smacked the orc beside it with the mass of flaming pitch. As Yui reloaded, she say one orc down and another peeling away from its group, screaming, as the pitch clung to it.

---

---

@13org@HowlsOfWinter

”I do understand,” She replied to Ehri. ”If for no reason more than the fact that we do not really know one another, your caution would be warranted.” As Ehri spoke of the potential dangers of her powers to the unprepared, Isbeil regarded her gravely. ”I assure you I will take your warnings to heart, and I would welcome your assistance. When I was a young girl one of the first lessons Mistress Thalia taught me about magic was that it was like a finely honed blade. A useful tool in the hands of a skilled user, but liable to cause harm if handled poorly…”
--
Standing back while Alm spoke, she watched his own display with open, and muted, interest. Another beastmaster of sorts? How fascinating…though perhaps I shall wait a while more before I ask the same as I did of Miss Kahn. Perhaps my own talents may have the answers Master Saito seeks. That of course would add a whole new layer of complications to things, because as far as she could figure there would be no way for her to broach the subject without revealing what her true skills were.

She gave a polite nod as Alm left, though her eyes followed him intensely; even though he’d seemed to return to normal, something still seemed to be dragging at him. Two beastmasters of sorts, and that young one-eyed woman with the dark aura; this is a MOST interesting Company.


Ever since her transformation in the desert all those years ago, Isbeil had found she required far less sleep than she’d once did; so while the rest of the Irregulars settled in for the night, she’d gotten herself a pot of tea and sat in her room with her grimoire, watching at a most basic level, the interplay of Ehri’s magic between her life-force and the life-force of her companions even as they rested. Her observations however were cut short by the clangor of bells and a sudden prickling in the back of her mind.

When she’d first arrived in the city, before she’d even made contact with the Irregular’s recruiter, she’d taken a day or two to set up and cast ’Greater Life Leech’ over the place. In its original form such a spell would have wiped out much of the life in the city, but such action were barbaric and a grotesque abuse of power; instead, she had modified her version of the spell to be much weaker, but also much longer lasting.

Instead of killing anyone it came in contact with, it instead just siphoned off a small part of the life-force of a recently deceased and channelled it to Isbeil. Every chicken or hog killed by a butcher, every rat caught by a cat; a tiny amount of every death was sent her way. Now she could actually feel the surge in power flowing to her as the Orcs slaughtered their wat into the city. Through me the dead will have their retribution. She thought as she hurried down stairs, her bright red hair spilled out behind her; she’d removed her head scarf when she’d sat to relax and in her haste, she’d forgotten to re-wrap it. While Jing gave them what little information they had and began to issue orders, she quickly got herself ready.

Soon she found herself in the company of one of the young female warriors that had signed on when Isbeil herself had, and the one-eyed woman; Jing mentioned that they were to be accompanied by another, but so far they’d yet to appear. She hoped that whoever ‘Pox’ was, they’d not gotten caught in the attack. ”Come,” She said, heading for the door. ”Let us see what we can do to help.”
-
It was calm so far, but Isbeil had little hope that it would stay that way. ”Isbeil Camshron.” he replied as Octavia broke the group’s silence. ”Forgive me, but I prefer to no shake hands.” She added with a bow; raising her right arm, she briefly showed her ‘withered’ gloved right hand. ”The result of an illness as a child.” She explained, the lie an old and easy one. ”It moves well enough, and I can still hold a pen or the like, but it lacks much strength.”

The tense quiet evaporated into panicked screams as four goblins on spiderback came into view, one of them running down a civilian and impaling her with its spear. Isbeil felt the woman’s death as her previously prepared and implemented spell, functioned true to her design, and channelled a small portion of the victim’s life force to her.

The power tickled almost imperceptibly at her nerves as Isbeil’s lips moved with a silent ease as she invoked her native born magics. A flick of her left hand in a short slashing motion, sent a nigh invisible ‘blade’ of force against the rider’s mount. It lacked the raw strength to cut right through the spider’s carapace, but it did score it heavily; more damaging though was the fact that her attack got through enough to reach the spider’s eyes. Suddenly blind, the creature seemed to panic, tossing its rider and turning to run; which let it to slam hard into an abandoned fruit seller’s cart.

Cursing the goblin staggered to its feet, and enraged by being thrown, stabbed its mount while it lay dazed on the street. Turning to fix its glare on Isbeil, it hollered a war cry and charged at her, but sadly for it, she had not been idle. Reaching into one of the many pockets in her robes, she came out with the same small stone that she’d shown Jing when they’d first met. Now with another invocation it flicked from her hand like a sharpshooter’s bullet.

The stone was a rough pieced of granite no larger than a peach pit, and with the speed Isbeil accelerated it to, it hit with spectacular result. There was a sharp crack as it punched through the shield, followed shortly by a high pitched howl from the goblin as the stone continued on its way, through its midsection and out its back, shattering its spine on the way. The goblin slammed into the street and skidded to a halt writhing in agony still well short of the small band of Irregulars.

"I'm Selovia" Selovia shook hands with Octavia as a sign of formality. She was unfazed from the sight of Isbeil's decaying arm, especially after seeing the girl of wolves the previous night and a large figure this morning.

---

Mounted goblins, charging right upon her. Seizing a glance towards the cavalry, Selovia tightened her grasp on her scabbard. The Mountain parts the Wind. Her sword flashed out in an whirling arc, slicing the snare of spiderweb into two. The spider's carapace shattered like glass upon the blade's landing, ripping through the head as the force from her brute strength leaves behind a large 'bite mark' off the spider.

Selova went ahead to finish off the dismounted goblin with a downwards stab on its throat. Her blade nicked, and she knew that its just the beginning, a horde of them right outside and waiting, she pondered on how long her weapon could last.

---

^{@Athol@Arthanus@Sync@Lyla}

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Ehri was honestly surprised when Hafrbjǫrn started talking. His words were firm and serious, but he spoke no half truths. Their enemies were dangerous, but also so were them. Albeit he was serious about that warning, his words were also encouraging, strong. Ehri could feel that he wasn't talking all that vainly. His words carried his honor, his pride, his heart.
Even though Ehri had only met that man, she somehow knew she could trust that man even in life threatening situations. Yui Ren, one of the other members that was in the same group as Ehri, also seemed to think the same way as she did.

When they arrived at the western residential district, they quickly realized that the situation wasn't good. The fire was already spreading and even though there were a few adventurers and guards fighting against the orcs, things were obviously not going as they planned. Yui was the first one to move, asking Hafrbjǫrn to help her to climb on a balcony and dropping an orc with a shot of her weapon and making him throw his torch on a second one, sending him running. Although too loud for Ehri's tastes, that gun she was wielding was definitely effective.

Since it was the first time Ehri was working with a group like that, instead of hunting like she usually did with Isa and Misha, she instead decided to hold back a bit. She knew she had to adapt to the fighting style the group had, otherwise things would get confusing for both sides. Besides... They weren't in a forest... Ehri was out of her element inside a city.

With agile and silent movements, Isa went to the sides of the street they were, disappearing under the shadows made by the burning buildings, walls and alleys, stalking the orc group, maintaining a safe distance while watching them and moving in a way she would attack them by surprise. Misha on the other hand was already flying over the orc group, hidden in the dark sky, waiting Ehri's orders.

"I will move when you do." Ehri said, nodding towards Hafrbjǫrn and the rest of the group, going to the opposite side Isa went.

Her movements, even though Isa was a wolf and she was a human, were strangely alike. The way she moved and even her controlled breath as she slowly moved always maintaining her aim on them and a safe distance as she watched every movement the orcs made. The orcs would most probably be focused on the group in front of them and wouldn't notice Ehri positioning herself to ambush them together with Isa. Once in position, Ehri stood motionless in an alley as the orcs approached Hafrbjǫrn and the others, passing by Ehri and Isa without noticing them.