Hidden 9 yrs ago 9 yrs ago Post by Rune_Alchemist
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~Randall Durant~

Expedition Lead


It was a calm, pleasant day. The skies of Themis were clear of any clouds, and a warm spring sun shined its light over the region. It was around midday, and at this rate they would reach the edge of the forest by nightfall. A good place to make camp and send a few people scouting into the forest to see what exactly they could be up against in terms of how difficult it would be to travel for the wagons, horses, and themselves.

At least the rocky plains that surrounded Themis' land offered little in the way of obstacles as they traveled. After all, they were still in known land. There may not have been any official roads to Crux, but it was mapped and they had planned a route where they would meet as little resistance from the land as possible. It helped that there weren't many large creatures that called the area home. Every once in awhile something came from the forest or the northern mountains, but the guards were able to handle them if they did. Or that holy woman from the church.

Either way, the country side was more or less safe, which made the first part of their journey all the much easier. Randall was thankful for that at least. He wasn't looking forward to fighting something, and he knew sooner or later that was going to be an inevitability no matter how much he disliked it. He was getting too old for this, after all. He had a wife and kids to think about, after all. Sarah had been quite displeased that he'd even accepted the offer, but when his old friend asked...well, he couldn't say no. At least the bunch that had been gathered looked like a capable bunch.

He took a look behind him from where he sat on the wagon at the front. Aside from a few guards Alena had sent with them, there were about four wagons full of supplies - mostly food, tools to repair the wagons with if they broke, and some extra armaments if they should ever need them. He didn't know much about how long this was going to take, and neither did the crowns. They would likely having to end up hunting a bit if they didn't reach their destination in time.

It was a round trip, after all, and there was no guarantee that their food would last. Just another worry he had to add to the list of things that could go horribly wrong. At least their chances of dying at the hands of some beast were low at the moment. They had some of Themis' best with them, from what he saw.

Two saints from the church. He knew they were a reliable sort at least, though he didn't like the look of the kid. She looked much to green to be out here, not to mention the fact she looked like she barely knew how to handle that sword of hers. Randall felt a little concerned that she was going to be one of the first to go if something went awry. He'd never be able to clear his conscience if something happened to her.

Same could be said for everyone on this expedition, even if he didn't necessarily like all of them, like that Soyala girl. He turned his head to the noble kid who was sitting in the back of the wagon they were currently sharing. He had run ins with her father before. A quite ruthless and shrewd businessman indeed, and one that he had lost a lot of money to as far as the merchant business went before he became the royal smith. At least he was certain her magic talents would come in handy.

Then there was Amelia that...scholar. Randall wasn't sure she was entirely all there, but at least she probably knew some things about the outside world, and could be quite helpful...if he could get her to focus on something other than the rocks under her feet for more than five seconds. Not to mention Katherine Lindall. The secretary to the headmistress of the Academy. He could guess why she was here. Probably at the request of the Headmistress. It wasn't hard to imagine why the head of the Academy had an interest in this supposed relic, after all.

With a sigh, the older man turned his head back towards the path in front of them. The massive trees of the forest loomed in the distance. Only an hour or two away at this rate.

A small shiver ran down his spine. An ill omen, or just anxiety he wasn't sure which.

Whatever it was, he couldn't turn back.




Eirwen Soyala


Yawn~

A tired yawn came from Eirwen as the group trudged forwards. She had never been one for crowds, loud noises, or the incessant chattering of the commoners. In this case, it was more of a hushed murmur between a few people as they neared the completion of the first part of their journey. There wasn't enough people to raise the volume of talking to levels that made her angry, but it still annoyed her. She'd be grateful when night came and the talking would hopefully die down and she could get some peace and quiet, and maybe finally a few hours of much needed sleep.

She of course wasn't walking all the way there - that wouldn't be fitting for someone like her. Instead, she had taken up a seat on the wagon at the front with the expedition leader. A Randall Durant, she believed. She didn't know him personally, but she knew her father had a rather high opinion of the royal smith, so that was enough for her to tolerate him to an extent. The rest though?...she could honestly care less about them. Except maybe Tamia. The slave was...well, her presence was welcomed, as long as she didn't disobey her and didn't try anything out of line.

She'd tolerate all of their presences, though. After all, it would be rather...bad to make enemies of those she was traveling with.

Tools were tools after all, and an abused tool broke when you needed it the most.

Honestly speaking though, she didn't want to be out here, but sending someone else would have been just an altogether bad decision. She couldn't trust anyone but herself, after all, and she wanted that relic for herself. She'd get it...and be able to gain the crown for herself if its power was what it was supposed to be from the rumors.

For now though, she remained quiet, eager to simply reach their first destination. Perhaps she should attempt to get to know some of the others though...keeping a good relation with her tools was also a good idea to keep them from breaking.

but doing that would require a bit of energy she didn't have at the moment.

"Curse this cursed Insomnia" She grumbled, another loud, long yawn escaping her lips. Maybe there was an off chance she'd find a cure for this...whatever it was on this journey. A bit of a dream, but if there was a chance she could...well, she'd take it no matter the consequences. Meh. For now though, she was feeling a bit hungry as she usually did, so she reached into a nearby supply barrel and retrieved an apple, not caring if anyone even said anything to her.




~Amelia Xylander~


This.

was.

so.

much.

FUN!

She almost wanted to squeal like a little girl, and she hadn't even seen any new or interesting sediments, rocks, or anything else of the nature yet! No, she had thoroughly explored the plains around Themis in her thirty odd years already! Nothing new or interesting here, but the anticipation of finding something in Crux? It was almost too much for her to take. She wanted to hurry up and arrive at the forest, but such a thing would be rather difficult. Teleporting wasn't her forte, and such magic was difficult to use anyways, at least that's what she had been told.

"Sable!~ This is so exciting! Finally we're getting out of Themis. Ahh, the anticipation is killing meeeeee~" The older woman giggled in a way that may have been inappropriate for her age, but it didn't seem she cared too much.

She was walking along the road in front of everyone else, if a bit off to the side of the makeshift path they were following. She may have already thoroughly explored the area, but she wasn't going to overlook anything. She may have missed something the first time around, and she would be completely crushed if she missed something important thanks to her own oversight.
Hidden 9 yrs ago 9 yrs ago Post by Roleplayer001
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The girl felt her skin ache as she walked next to the wagon, feet trudging along with each step. However, the long journey was not the source of her discomfort. Despite an initial attempt to put on a more cheerful visage for the journey, the ears and tail that marked her as a beast soon laid flat on her head and partially between her legs respectively, small lips curled into a frown.

The previous two days had been hectic for the slave.

The cat eared girl had been ordered into the master bedroom by the head of Soyala. This was typical. Things started warming up between the lord of the manor and herself. This was also typical. Bruises new and old ran up and down her back, signs of an abusive life. This was occurring recently. The slave was acting resistant towards her master's advances despite years of loyally offering service of all types. This was rare.

The source of reluctance soon entered the room in the form of the master's wife. The two began to argue as the cat girl sat silently on the bed, eyes downcast and legs pulled up to a naked chest. Their marriage was dysfunctional at best, and today the mistress had decided to have a loud chat with her husband. It wasn't her place to comment, despite the fact that the yelling match certainly involved her.

The servant waited and did everything she could to comfort herself that something bad wasn't about to happen, which was nothing. The wife decided to push her husband's boundaries at that moment, pulling the wheat colored hair into her hand and dragging the seventeen year old to the floor. If he didn't love the slave, then he wouldn't mind watching the disobedient wench be beaten.

Despite a lifetime of experience with the sensation known as pain, the girl passed out because of it after twenty minutes. The next day the master comforted her with a few private words, said that the two of them had come to a compromise, and that as a reward for her loyalty the slave would be sent out as the youngest daughter's new attendant into the wilderness where she would most likely die.
The slave looked to her left at the noblewoman who rode in the wagon. Eirwen. According to her own observations and the discussions of the other slaves, her new mistress was a little grump who tossed her authority around and would generally be satisfied so long as her orders were obeyed promptly and would be furious if they were not. Thankfully for them, her new mistress had spent most of the days within her suite shut off from the world.

Due to those rumors however, Megstamia was eager to obey orders since she knew punishment was avoidable, unlike the matriarchs beatings. When Miss Soyala had told her new attendant to stay close by, the kitten had obediently walked to the side of the wagon close enough to be called on but far enough to offer some privacy.

Well, at least far enough so most humans would think she was offering privacy. Most beast people had enhanced hearing, so truly offering the her mistress a private conversation would require her owner to speak in whispers and for her slave to be a hundred feet away. A long time ago they had learned that tended to anger their masters despite obeying orders, and what they really meant was 'be far enough away so that I feel like I have privacy'.

The reality was that no one cared if a slave overheard something. Eyes downcast, the slave hadn't gotten much of an impression of any of the others aside from what they discussed and brief glances towards them.
Hidden 9 yrs ago Post by Savo
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-"Sable"/Okori : Over the River and Through the Woods-


It had been so long since he set foot outside of Themis, so this was quite the venture! Seventy-five years! Oh this whole journey was going to be great! While it was dangerous to get here solo, Okori was fairly certain they would fare well over the course of the journey! As the Kitsune bounced gleefully beside his partner, she found her just as giddy over traversing somewhere else. The duo both had a dopey smile on their faces that could possibly rival a Cheshire cats. As they walked, the younger woman giggled in delight, prompting a chuckle from the fox.

"Yeah, isn't it great?! I can't wait to experience anything! Maybe we might encounter a frog, a new shadow, a granite golem maybe? Ooooooh," Okori exclaimed excitedly as he nudged his head to the side, looking down at the lady. "Maybe a granite golem that shape-shifts into a shadow frog, or the other way around! That would be great, right?!" Okori shook his fists near his body, almost dreaming of the wonders the group would encounter! As he looked at the lady, he turned to looking at the others, almost pondering on their disposition. They looked like an entertaining group, but he felt the need to stay by her side for personal and cultural reasons.

Okori stared along the beaten path they were following, his ears twitching from time to time at the rickety sound of the caravan. His nose sniffed throughout the air and he wafted any scent he could get a hold of. While he couldn't catch anything right now, in the near future he might take note of something delicious taking hold! A handsome Kitsune such as himself was an excellent hunter and decent cook! Maybe he could search for a stray deer for the group just so they could have an extra meal! Tasty! "Hey, wait, have we seen this rock before Amelia?" Okori quickly scooped up the small chunk, lifting up an identifying it.

Sniffing it, he was certain that this wasn't feces as the smell would definitely be a lot different. There was a bit of a leafy tinge there and it was brown. "I believe this is a Lignite from what you explained; brown and made up of peat." Okori held it up to the woman, getting up real close to the point where it almost looked like they were hugging. Do we have one of these? Should we keep it? I'll keep it just in case," he chattered rather swiftly as he stopped violating his friends personal space, plopping it down into the bag of his.

Amelia was an avid rock collector; heck, she had a huge collection of em where they lived, detailing every little aspect and makeup... along with having a huge boulder outside their house. The eccentricity and excitement of something others found mundane was so exhilarating and that's what Okori liked about her. She found enjoyment in not garnering power, but her line of work, her hobbies. That and she was cute when explaining things about things ranging from metals to gems to the stone itself; kept himself hooked hours on end because this information was so engrossing!

Erm, anyways...

Taking a brisk glimpse behind him, Okori took note of the myriads of travelers. He alternated between the faces; from the head of this group who the others named "Randall." Didn't know much about the guy other than he was chosen as their de facto leader. There was also a grumpy, sleep deprived looking lady on the cart to the side of him... maybe he would tease the lady later. Along with that, there were two heaping slices of metal bulwarks. It was uncomfortable to stand around with those who claimed to be of faith, especially since their kind mistress always implored them to do things that benefited her and only her from what he denoted.

Okori and the kitsunes god had no power here...

Next, came one woman who was dressed such as a scholar, similar to Amelia's wardrobe, and a cute cat lady trudging close to the side of the wagon. His tail stopped swinging lethargically from side to side, his perked up ears steadily began to flatten themselves. It was almost stifling to say the least and he felt the need to halt for a moment and almost give the girl a great big furry hug!... But, of course, he really wanted to stay by Amelia's side. Later, possibly in the eve, he could interact with the cute girl, but for now... the kitsune beamed widely at the girl before turning his head forward once more.

Okori's gaze came back to wherever his lady was searching; he was to be her extra eyes through and through as he thoroughly sought out where her spectacles aligned with the ground. Okori began to look ahead, giddily smiling as he cast himself at the ground. His tail began swaying briskly, his ears were a bit perked up, and he himself, felt ready. Hopefully the journey through the forest wouldn't be as difficult as last time for him...

Especially with the tales that were woven; while adrenaline was shot, Okori couldn't help but shudder - he didn't know about the others, but he knew Amelia wasn't much of a fighter... but he would be her blade in hand, ready to safeguard her if anything befell the group. It was rare for him to truly trust any one, and he wasn't going to lose her over some silly artifact.

"Oh, right! What else do you think we'll discover? Huh? Huh? The anticipation is killing me! Think about all the amazing creatures we will learn about!... And possibly find some rocks! Maybe add obsidian to your collection, eh?~"
Hidden 9 yrs ago Post by Pyromania99
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Katherine really hadn't bothered to learn the names of the others yet. There was the Caravan Leader, Roland Durant but aside from him there were little in the rememberence of names. What she could tell though. . . Plenty of those divine bigots. She thought those people were just wanting the artifact to just force their religion. Probably. Everyone was here for their own nefarious purposes. Some had more of an idea than others. Katherine, well. . .









. . . She needed to destroy it. Or at the least kill everyone.

"Well, Livia's not around. For now." Katherine mentioned to herself with a slight blush remembering what happened. She still wasn't wholly sure how it got to the point it was at now but it was what it was. Now though, she just needed to complete this modest request from her Master. It was a test of skill. . . And maybe other things, but that was beside the point now. She needed to steel herself, prepare for the worst.

The Puppeteer found with a quick look that there were quite a few people in this group. A few mages herself included, holy fighters, a fox-eared(?) man, a Cat-Eared girl. . . Cat-Eared Girl? Now, Katherine could only think that she was one of the most precious things she had ever seen. The downtrodden look with the lack of self-confidence in her step. A meek, no, frail being that needed protecting that reminded Katherine of a small child. Rather than having her head down like that, she needed to look happy. Cats were suppose to be carefree and in succeeding that, being the most adorable things they could be. So she did the only thing she logically could, and walked over to the girl.

Yes, this was the right course of action. So very much so. She scratched behind the cat-girl's ears while giving off stereotypical noises one would voice while petting a little kitty cat. "Who's a good kitty?" She asked while she gave gentle, yet firm scratches behind the girl's ears. Soft and warm as she had thought, easily this was worth whatever risk she would have taken.
Hidden 9 yrs ago Post by Rune_Alchemist
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~Eirwen Soyala~


Eirwen bit into the apple she had pilfered, taking a small glance over at Tamia. She seemed rather...down. Hmm...that was no good. She couldn't have her things not be working as best as they could. She should try cheering Tamia up a bit, then, but later. She was mildly surprised to find it tasted fairly good. Must have been something grown in a well off farm. If all of their provisions were like this, then she might actually find this trip somewhat enjoyable. she eagerly bit into the apple again, perhaps getting a little carried away, but she couldn't help it sometimes. This...thing, this curse ensured that she was hungry more often than not. But well, it was something she had been living with since she was a little girl. Nothing she couldn't handle.

Before she knew it, she had already eaten most of the apple. A slight frown formed on her lips as she tossed the core of it off of the cart. She made a move to grab another apple from the barrel, but her actions were interrupted by someone talking.

"Who's a good kitty?"

She turned her head towards the sound of the voice, and saw something that made her just a tad bit angry. A woman, was petting her slave. Her little toy. Without her permission. A scowl formed on her face as she watched the unknown woman meddle. Tamia was hers, and she definitely didn't like it when someone touched her things without permission. Last time someone tried something like that, they ended up frozen to the floor in her room for whole day, and they were lucky her sister convinced her to release them, otherwise they'd probably still be there.

"...tolerate them, Eirwen." She told herself, hands tightening around a second apple. "She will be useful as a decoy..." Collecting composure, she looked at the woman with a neutral expression.

"I suggest you stop touching my slave before I do something everyone here will regret." Eirwen commanded coldly.

~Amelia Xylander~


"Maybe a granite golem that shape-shifts into a shadow frog, or the other way around! That would be great, right?!"

"Oh don't be silly Sable! A granite golem would never want to become something so squishy!" Amelia replied with a light chuckle. At the mention of a rock though, she quickly hopped over to her fox friend, quickly taking a look at the rock. It was indeed lignite from what she could tell at a glance, but who knows! It might be something different. She couldn't fault Sable for wanting to keep it. It might be the key to some ancient long-lost device or something!~

As Sable went and observed the others, Amelia did the opposite. She observed the landscape around them, namely casting her eyes towards the forest. She had taken several trips to the edge of it, and had so far not befallen any misfortune at the hands of some beasts, but she wasn't a complete fool. She knew it was dangerous, she just didn't care! As long as someone took the proper safety precautions they would be fine.

Traversing the forest was a different story, though. She had attempted to go in every now and then, but found it quite difficult. Aside from the wildlife, the deeper you went in the thicker the trees grew together. It got so bad it almost looked like evening. She wasn't sure if there was any way they would be able to get the wagons through....not without making a path.

But they'd see later, she supposed. Instead, she turned her attention back to Okori.

"OOh, who knows! Maybe some long-lost civilization! Maybe an ancient sentient golem! Some rock I haven't seen before! Ooh, some obsidian would be lovely!"
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Hidden 9 yrs ago 9 yrs ago Post by Roleplayer001
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The beast girl heard a small series of footsteps moving nearby, but the slave continued her gaze towards the ground. A hand in her hair made her 'jump' slightly for a moment in surprise, but a satisfied purr left the girls lips soon afterwards.

For the short time the hand remained on her head, Megstamia's concern, confusion, and pain disappeared into nothing as a sudden warmth filled her body. The wheat colored ears twitched happily as the kitten pressed her head back into the woman's hand, tail instinctively going behind the stranger and pulling them closer.

It wasn't that she forgot what had occurred, but that it didn't matter now. She felt herself suddenly trusting the stranger. "Who's a good kitty?"

The kitten wasn't sure why, but she felt like the best kitty. Had she pleased someone? An extended word quietly left her lips as she tried to speak coherently but ... "Mmmmmeeeeeeeeeeewwww" ... but failed.

Another voice interrupted, the cold tone indicating that her mistress was not pleased with what was occurring. Hearing her new mistress speak like that made the cat girl jump slightly as she pulled away from the new woman, yellow eyes viewing her curiously.

A slender robed woman, with strangely colored hair. A ring dotted each finger, the cat finding herself questioning the occupation of this woman. A mage perhaps? But the kitten realized that there were more important matters to attend to than the curiosity of a stranger.

The kitten obediently walked towards the wagon to within arm's reach of her mistress, ears and tail returning to their previous position as she waited to be punished. The beatings tended to be more lenient if one approached before being asked to. An apology left her lips nervously. "Mistress ... your property apologizes for allowing this ... Please be merciful in your ... just punishments to this creature."

The beast's eyes watered as she prepared to be hit, looking towards the floor of the wagon, downwards but not away from her mistress.. Having nearly no experience with this woman, she didn't know if a plea for mercy made her more kind or cruel ...

... after the previous day the kitten wasn't sure if she was becoming more tolerant of punishment or approaching the breaking point. Some of the other slaves had simply snapped after a certain point, eyes emptily wondering the house as they obeyed orders seemingly without thought.
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Hidden 9 yrs ago Post by Pyromania99
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This girl was likely royalty or something of the like, slave this, slave that. These people were always bores when they spouted off that nonsense. If a cat, or person with the qualities of a cat are so obviously enjoying the attention given to them. . . Wouldn't the owner typically be there with a face of content watching as the cute thing looks happy? Obviously, this girl needed to know her place. "Well, I would suggest you not "do something everyone here would regret" as it would ruin whatever help you might recieve later. Besides, you should be proud about "owning" such a cute little pet." She couldn't help but scoff in the girl's direction.

She was going to end it there, but she could think of one more thing. "Oh, and when you say "do something everyone here will regret. . ." well, just by looking you over, the only thing I could think of that would fit the bill would be if you were to strip here. In front of everyone." A slight smirk crossed the woman's face. Admittedly the girl wasn't horrible looking, but her sleepy look was not the most enthralling aspect she could have. If she could at least chip this girl's emotional armor that would be enough for Katherine.
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~Eirwen Soyala~


Eirwen seemed entirely unfazed by what most would probably consider cute. The girl simply gave a silent yawn as the kitten mewed and walked over. It was probably difficult to tell what she was thinking, aside from being obviously tired.

"Mistress ... your property apologizes for allowing this ... Please be merciful in your ... just punishments to this creature."

She had no intentions of 'punishing' Tamia. That would require energy she didn't have at the moment, not to mention she hadn't done anything much that wrong. If anything, she was going to tell this woman that she shouldn't touch others property so carelessly. Not everyone would be as merciful as she would be. Her mom, for example, would have already given this woman an up close and personal lesson of what 'hypothermia' was.

She would have to talk with Tamia about what she could and couldn't do though. The only one that would be allowed to tell her to do anything, or do anything to the cat, was her.

"Sit." Eirwen said, pointing to a spot next to her on the wagon as the woman began speaking.

"Well, I would suggest you not "do something everyone here would regret" as it would ruin whatever help you might receive later. Besides, you should be proud about "owning" such a cute little pet."

Hmph. Like this woman had a right to tell her what to do. If she wanted to freeze the woman into a chunk of ice, she'd do it. Still, she didn't feel much anything other than a small bubble of annoyance. This woman was beneath her, after all, and she had no reason to get worked up. Too much energy she didn't have didn't need to be wasted on her.

"Oh, and when you say "do something everyone here will regret. . ." well, just by looking you over, the only thing I could think of that would fit the bill would be if you were to strip here. In front of everyone."

....what?

Strip? in front of...out here? In the middle of...why would...she...

The mostly apathetic girls face turned a shade of bright red, easily visible on her pale skin as her imagination went places that it probably shouldn't. That small bubble of annoyance soon turned to a cold anger and no small amount of embarrassment.

"I-i would never do something so i-indecent!" She shouted, perhaps a little too loudly. "I-if anything you s-stripping would blind everyone from how hideous you are!" Eirwen stuttered out. She couldn't believe she was doing this. Arguing that she wouldn't be stripping in front of people. What sort of sane person even suggested something like that to begin with? No one, that's who.
Hidden 9 yrs ago 9 yrs ago Post by Ogo
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Lucca the Redeemer
featuring:
Roland the Oathkeeper


A symphony of caws rang out from above as an unkindness of ravens flew overhead, soaring onwards into the horizon. Lucca brought a gauntleted hand to her brow, shielding her eyes from the harsh sun. To soar the skies with the grace of the raven, to fly true to wherever the wind happened to blow...such was true freedom, one which the young saint would sadly never experience. Not in this life, at least.

“Good luck, those ravens. A sign that The Lady Serafina Herself blesses our quest.” came a booming voice from behind. The girl startled, which in turn caused her steed to rear. She tightened her thighs around the beast and held on for dear life as it took to it’s back legs. She was ready to bail, should it come to it, but the horse soon returned to its natural balance. It was a good beast, well-trained, experienced, and practically a gift from the heavens to a newer rider such as Lucca. But as calm as it was, even it couldn’t help but be spooked by Lucca’s nervousness.

A deep laugh bellowed out as the source, an older looking man atop an older looking mount came trotting up beside her. “Hehe...spooked her, didja? Just relax.” he called to her, taking the chance to exaggerate deep breathing. “We’re still hours out from the forest. So enjoy all of this while you can…” he started, staring longingly out into the distance before turning to look at the girl. “It may be the last of the sun we see for quite some time.”

A chill ran down Lucca’s spine and she visibly shuddered, stirring up yet another laugh from the old saint.

The two rode in silence for some time after he calmed down. They trailed behind the wagons some distance. Lucca hadn’t asked why. She had been forming a question though.

“Permission to speak, ser? the nervous girl called out.

Roland gave her a curious glance. “Permission to- bwhahahah!” bellowed the older man, causing Lucca to raise an inquisitive eyebrow. “Speak freely, Lady Lucca.

The girl nodded.

“What did you mean earlier? About the ravens? How are they good luck?”

To that, Roland grinned. “Ahh...sounds as if somebody needs to spend more time reading from the Teachings. he croaked, causing the girl’s cheeks to catch fire. He wasn’t wrong. As of late, she seemed to find more and more to interfere with her lessons, and quite honestly, she wasn’t all that torn up over the matter. Still, she was curious.

“Hmm...I could tell you...but...I won’t. Instead, you will tell me. By the the last flame of tonight’s camp, you will share with me the tale of the ravens. If you can do this, you’ll get to skip tomorrow’s lessons. If not...then it’s scripture from dawn ‘til dusk.” he playfully offered. Lucca turned and studied him closely...before cracking the faintest shadow of what might have been a smile.

“This is fair. This one accepts the wager.” Lucca answered. To this, Roland frowned...but he held his tongue. The older saint glanced around once more before urging his mount to speed up.

“Come. I’ve a mind to speak with this Randall Durant. It’s been much too long. And...well...it wouldn’t hurt you to learn of your fellows. Once we go beyond the trees, they very well may be all that stand between you and certain doom. Never forget that.” he ordered. After a moment, he added, “Oh! And...do be mindful of the Beasts. Filled with anger and hatred, those ones are. They curse The Lady’s name for their place in the world. Don’t let it bother you. Treat them with the kindness and respect that The Lady speaks of.” before speeding off. Lucca uttered an affirmative before begging her steed to do the same. It obliged.

As Roland approached the respected blacksmith, Lucca lagged behind slightly. Something had caught her attention.

"I-i would never do something so i-indecent! I-if anything you s-stripping would blind everyone from how hideous you are!"

The sudden outburst had caught Lucca completely off-guard. She flinched again, yet luckily her steed held her nerve better than the saint. Lucca tried not to look but...curiosity had gotten the best of her. Odd...even a year ago, the girl would rather claw her own eyes out than look at the Master during an outbreak. To look at the Master during an outbreak would mean Punishment, of course. Perhaps freedom really WAS changing her…



Lucca shifted her eyes from straight ahead to her left. The woman who had shouted was...eccentric-looking, to say the least. Though the one she had been yelling at was just as oddly dressed. If she had to wager, she’d place the two of them as Magi of Themis. Magic...it was an odd thing, truly. Lucca was one of the unlucky few who felt no calling to the arcane arts. Unless one counted the blessing of Serafina, which Roland and the church adamantly did not. Those were miracles of the Lady…

Lucca shrugged. It didn’t matter. What good would come of dreaming of such a thing? Naught but disappointment, truly.

The girl then shifted her gaze to the third. A Beast. Where they truly as angry as Roland warned? She had been around them her entire life and...well...they seemed no different than her, honestly. This one in particular didn't seem to be...angry. If anything, she seemed...broken.

Huh...

Lucca’s eyes fixated on the cat-girl’s neck. At the leather collar. Unconsciously, Lucca rose a hand to her own collar, rubbing her fingers against the white symbols cut into it. A slave then...even as far as they had gone, the Masters still held their chains tightly. No matter where one would go, the phantoms of the past would be ever close behind. Why, Lucca could practically feel her own Master...creeping up from behind, eager to hand down His Righteous Punishment. It was absurd, really. He had been smote by the holy wrath of The Lady but…

Lucca shuddered once more. She knew the truth, yet still she had many sleepless nights, just waiting for the Master to crash into her lodgings, laughing, no, screaming that everything had been a simple joke, and for being such a stupid slave, she would be punished.



Oh. She had been staring at the cat-girl. Lucca’s face heated up as she returned her gaze forward. She felt rather uncomfortable...she glanced over towards Roland, hoping that perhaps he would come to save her, but alas, the roaring laughter coming from the two dashed any hopes she had of that.

Oh well.

Face front, eyes down, and move. That was her task for now.
Hidden 9 yrs ago 9 yrs ago Post by Roleplayer001
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"Sit." Tamia looked up from the wagon's floor, seeing that mistress was pointing to an empty spot to her right. After blinking a few times in surprise at the generous offer, the servant obediently hopped into it, lowering herself into a comfortable position with her tail lazily hanging off the side of her cart, her legs relieving themselves of the constant pressure of the march.

She heard a few hooves speed up to their cart, something about the anger of beasts, but something FAR more interesting occurred.

"Well, I would suggest you not "do something everyone here would regret" as it would ruin whatever help you might receive later. Besides, you should be proud about "owning" such a cute little pet."

Tamia's ears perked up slightly at the compliment, but otherwise the cat didn't think anything about it. The cat was the property of Eirwen, but it wasn't her place to comment.

The Knights in the back had arrived to the left of the cart, the senior one and the blacksmith enjoying a pleasant conversation ...

"Oh, and when you say "do something everyone here will regret. . ." well, just by looking you over, the only thing I could think of that would fit the bill would be if you were to strip here. In front of everyone."

Megstamia smiled at the ridiculous comment and looked to her left to see how her mistress would respond, holding anything in resembling laughter by pressing both hands against her mouth. Her owner had started to turn the color of an apple, which forced Tamia to hold back her laughter more fiercely.

"I-i would never do something so i-indecent! I-if anything you s-stripping would blind everyone from how hideous you are!"

The noblewoman shouted out two awkward sentences, clearly uncomfortable with the whole situation. It was the sort of immature reply that only a self-confident young noble girl could manage, and it was quite the sight to see the icy cold woman suddenly turn the color of fire.

The kitten couldn't resist it any longer. The seventeen year old's lips forced a second of laughter out before she panicked enough for it to stop. Feline green eyes going wide with terror as she looked upwards at her mistress and then down towards the floorboards of the cart, ears instantly flattening on her head as she waited for her owner to respond ...
Hidden 9 yrs ago Post by Pyromania99
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Katherine could only laugh. . . Aloud. Hell, this woman's pet was even laughing at her and now this girl was going to attempt to ridicule her? Hah! She was ten years too early if she thought she could infuriate Katherine that way! The puppeteer had spent years under the tutelage of a sly woman that said many things to various people. If she hadn't picked up much, then her years of study under said woman would have been worthless. Unless you were clearly in the wrong, there was always a comeback. "If I stripped down, it would blind them I agree. Though not with what you might be referencing, girl." This exhausted one was obviously younger, so Katherine found no fault calling her a girl. Especially with how naive she seemed. "I have quite beautiful skin, if I say so myself."

This girl wasn't going to phase her verbally. Not at the rate she was going. Oddly vicious as nobles get, they tended to be innocent in their upbringing as well. This one specifically. "Sorry, I didn't catch your name. My name's Katherine. Katherine Lindall." Katherine was practically thinking, Etch into your mind, the woman that made a fool of you. Now she wanted to add a last blow. "If you want me to prove it, I can show you and the cute little kitten over there later." This girl would likely not agree to it, fine by Katherine and if she did, fine by Katherine as well.

In the background, by Tamia and inside the cart two cute little dolls worked together to reach the top of a barrel to reach for two apples. Katherine had only given them the order for one, but the dolls felt like their master would enjoy them giving one to the cat she seemed to adore at the moment. After they finished their challenge, one dropped off the cart and made its way over to Katherine with an apple in hand and the other placed an apple in the cats hand. There were many dolls scattered throughout the caravan with the temporary orders to help others out if they needed it and they were more than happy to help.
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~Eirwen Soyala~


Laughter. There was laughter...from both this woman and her pet. How utterly humiliating. How utterly infuriating. She could handle this unknown woman laughing at her. After all, she was beneath her. But her pet? Tamia? One who should be loyal to her? Toys that were broken...were thrown out. Toys that didn't please their owner? Trashed. Toys that hurt or injured their owner? disciplined. Even if the cat hadn't done anything too wrong at the moment, since she had yet to lay down any ground rules, this woman....

"If I stripped down, it would blind them I agree. Though not with what you might be referencing, girl. I have quite beautiful skin, if I say so myself. Sorry, I didn't catch your name. My name's Katherine. Katherine Lindall. If you want me to prove it, I can show you and the cute little kitten over there later."

Embarrassment only stalled the Soyala girl for so long. Now, there was nothing but a smoldering anger. She barely heard that last little quip, as her face distorted into a scowl, eyes glaring at this Katherine Lindall as her teeth ground together. Her hand gripped the edge of the wagon hard enough for her fingernails to scratch it. A cold wind blew past the group, and judging from the way Eirwen looked, she was visibly restraining herself from doing something.

A low growl echoed from her throat. Her blood boiled. Anger, hate, and hunger filled her thoughts. She wanted to teach this whelp a lesson that she wasn't to be disobeyed, but from the looks of things that would be a bad idea.

"No...no...this isn't good...calm down...need a distraction." Tamia should provide an ample distraction. She still needed to go over the rules, here, after all. Some nice, calm, quiet talking would do her some good. Maybe munch on another...apple...

...did that woman just give Tamia and apple when she wasn't looking? Or rather...those things did?

...

Eirwen turned her back to Katherine.

"Leave." she commanded. Any further attempts by the woman to speak would be met with nothing bu cold silence. Instead, Eirwen turned and swiped the apple from the cats hand before the cat could even do anything. She retook her seat next to her slave, still trying to banish those less than morally correct thoughts from her head. There was a time and place for everything, and losing her cool here wasn't going to be a good idea. So, instead, she took out her frustrations on the apple and hungrily devoured it. The poor apple never stood a chance, and within a minute Eirwen had already tossed the core of it out of the wagon and onto the ground.

After she was done, she turned to Tamia. Eirwen appeared much calmer, her scowl replaced with a look of obvious disapproval.

"And just what do you think YOU were doing, laughing at ME?" Her voice was surprisingly calm and even now, though her anger was obvious. Perhaps she was simply taking out what frustrations were left on the cat. Without warning, she reached for the Cat's collar, and pulled the kitten close, her face mere inches from hers. "Laughing at ME? Perhaps you'd like it better if I sent you back home?" She released the collar from her grasp, and gave the cat a few moments to catch her breath and process her words.

"Or maybe you'd like me to feed you to whatever wants to eat us first in that forest, hmm? Use you as a living distraction?" At the end of that sentence, Eirwen did what she did to show displeasure to all of her slaves.

She delivered a hard smack to the back of the cats head. It wasn't enough to actually harm the cat, but it was definitely enough to get her attention and possibly listen better. After that, Eirwen fell silent, crossing her legs and folding her arms against her chest.

Anger was so tiring...

After a few more seconds of silence passed, Eirwen sighed before speaking again, her voice losing much of the anger it had, instead, replaced by a tired sounding voice. It seemed that little outburst had tired her out more than she intended.

"...Sit." She said, pointing to the spot next to her. "We should discuss some ground rules, Tamia. It is my fault for not doing so before we left, but I was too tired, and retraining slaves is tiring. Rule number one. You. are. mine. You are not to attend anyone else, or let anyone else touch you in any fashion, but me. And if they do, you are free to break their hands or tell me so I can deal with them. Understand?"

As she spoke, she took an apple from the cart...and offered it to Tamia. A bit of an apology, maybe, or maybe just something to placate her slave and make her feel better. Either way, Eirwen didn't show much emotion behind it.

At this rate, the apples might just not make it through the night.
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Katherine continued her clever remarks, but Tamia didn't pay them any attention. An apple was placed into her hands by a strange doll, and for a moment the slave stared at it in place of the floorboards but didn't take a bite. A cool wind blew past the group, the thinly clothed cat shivering slightly in response.

The slave had messed up. Mistress was angry. There were stories about what occurred when anger filled the heart of a member of her master's household. Those rumors were terrifying. A disobedient slave would be where that anger was going to be directed.

As if to confirm her fears, the red fruit was soon stolen straight from her hands by her owner, and the sound of ravenous biting tearing through the fruit with astonishing speed as if a starving lion had come across it's prey went through her ears.

"And just what do you think YOU were doing, laughing at ME?" A calm voice spoke, issuing a surprisingly soft lecture given the infraction.

The slave's green eyes looked up for a second at the face of her mistress. A look of disapproval was coming from her eyebrows, and it took a second for Tamia to realize that those words weren't calm and without anger. Rather, they were lifeless words like the hail of a blizzard.

Suddenly the slave's collar was grabbed and the air left her lungs, breathing difficult as the mark of her servitude choked her fragile neck, only allowing the shallowest of breaths to pass through. Only a few inches away from the visage of her infuriated visage, the kitten's terror spread from her eyes to the rest of her face.

The cat's arms remained limp. A lifetime of servitude had taught her not to resist, and the horror that was the anger of her mistress would have made even the most free spirit freeze in fright.

"And just what do you think YOU were doing, laughing at ME?"

The collar was released, Tamia naturally taking a few desperate breaths in response to refill her emptied lungs.

"Or maybe you'd like me to feed you to whatever wants to eat us first in that forest, hmm? Use you as a living distraction?" Tamia felt pain flood her skull as it was sent forward with a punishing slap to the back of her head, and that in combination with the harsh realization that her mistress was more than willing to dispose of her for a convenience sent a few drops of water falling from her eyes.

The slave waited obediently for the next hit, but a lecture followed instead.

The slave known as Tamia was Eirwen Soyala's property.
The slave known as Tamia was only to attend her owner.
The slave known as Tamia was not to allow the touch of another, and inform her mistress if they did.

A few more tears fell from her eyes as she noticed Eirwen offering her property an apple, to which Tamia grabbed cautiously with both hands.. One did not reject the gifts of their owners ...

... but her mistress' emotionless gaze gave no indication of her feelings. Tamia took a nervous bite from the fruit, pulling her exposed legs to her chest and wrapping her tail around them as if to lock them in place. The cat was curled into a small ball, nibbling away at a fruit she was too scared to reject but had no appetite to eat.

"Yes Mistress. This slave is grateful for owner's discipline, and only wishes to become properly obedient. Miss Eirwen's property apologizes for ignorance and seeks to know if owner has any other rules or if there is a way for to make up that failure to mistress."

From another, these words could sound sarcastic or not genuine. From the lips of Tamia though, they sounded utterly genuine even though they were inspired by fear. Beatings were bad, and death was worse.

Although the kitten tried to hold them back, tears continued to fall from the cat's two green orbs as Tamia's face fell against her upright legs, the half eaten apple held by two hands in her lap. The kitten was shivering slightly although it was not cold outside.
Hidden 9 yrs ago Post by Savo
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-"Sable"/Okori : Mayhem and Mischief-


"What about an ancient civilization that predated the world, displaying sentient stonemen who created obsidian golems that differ from the ones recorded in this era?" Looks like their imagination was going to run wild as much as Okori giddily walked with a bounce to his step. They were like children walking into a pastry shop and getting the hugest slice of chocolate cake... he enjoyed something more preferable, like Manjū or some Monaka! Mmm...

...

While somewhat remorseful, Okori still had another home not too far from the kingdom of Themis, so there wasn't any need to be sad. Casting his eyes towards the forest, Okori began tracing where the trees started from the top down to the earthen below. The duo had taken a few expeditions here and there, never delving too deep into the forest. While they both exhibited some caution, they always kept to the shadows whenever the Kitsune sniffed, heard, or just sensed a few beasts. The murky blackness was fun to relax in since it was reminiscent of the sea, but there were more important items in attendance.

Now that he thought about it... they never really examined the forest further...

... which caused Okori to leap forth with a new idea.

"Ooh, ooh, what if," the excited Kitsune paused, adding to the suspense as he shook his finger in a discerning matter. Okori was smiling mischievously as his eyes glinted with a certain fiery aspect. Counting down the seconds, down, two by three by four, the mental stopwatch eventually came to a complete halt. "What if we discover that lost civilization is truly in the depths of the forest! Maybe there might be a tale or two carved into the trees! Spriggans, sprites, who knows?" His grin was widening for a moment, before being swiftly replaced by a more devilish, catlike one.

"Though, if I could be quite frank, I would prefer it to be somewhere regarding stone, as I know that you would go into a frenzy over the place, explaining every detail about the place!~" Okori chuckled as he looked forward at the imposing forest. Clinging onto his thoughts, the Kitsune decided to keep going on end, giving Amelia some praise. "After all, that's what I love about you; it's something I could never get tired of!" Putting a finger to his lip, the foxy guy looked at the lady coyly, creeping up on her personal space once more and whispered something into her ear.

"Plus we might be able to procure for you that golem you have been dreaming to get, eheh.~"

Backing away, the youkai gave the lady her space, but not before mumbling one more thing. "I still think a golem that could shape-shift into a shadow frog would be beneficial." He grinned, rolling his eyes as they all made their way down the path. He progressively glanced around the area encompassing the edge of the forest, just in case there was anything worthwhile to note, like an outpost camped out near the border to the forest or some highwaymen attempting to plunder their wagon.

Gotta take note of a few plausible scenarios that could transpire, though it would be unusual to be ambushed by some random bandits. Safeguarding lives that were walking into the maw of a dragon from mites, joy.

Okori's left ear twitched to the sound of the others talking; a voice that appeared rather ill-tempered shot out against one of the wanderers. Okori frowned as she condescendingly approached the topic of... touching her slave. Was it that lovely cat girl he noticed back there? He thought he heard so mewling a few moments ago, but didn't think much of it as he overheard the conversation. That smile he had on his faces was slowly transfiguring into a scowl, albeit sedately at the mention of the girl asking for a twisted sense of compassion. It irked him to no end, and at this point, he wanted to make a shadow hand appear out from the recesses of the wagon just to mess with this prattling girl.

Slightly tilting his head to the side, he eyed the inside of the wagon and all its glory circulating within the shadowy recesses. Focusing on a spot, Okori began conceiving a slim, dark hand that was hiding atop the interiors roof. His eyelids contracted, completely concentrating... before the arm limply swung from the top, almost ready to tear after a few minutes. His ears twitched to the sound of a suggestion made by the woman with the scholarly robes, eliciting a minor snigger from the Kitsune who was partially smiling.

The next part solidified the smile and amplified his giggle, turning it into a full course chuckle at the scenery. This was honestly too perfect, considering her abhorrent attitude and the scholarly ones fool-like activity. This was just glorious; he wanted to intervene and just interject right there; add more fuel to the flustered fire of the black and white gal. "We sure have interesting companions, aye? Haven't even reached the forest and they are already quarreling; entertaining bunch, no," he whispered softly, still laughing under his breath, forcing himself to stop laughing, as difficult as it was.

Noticing the brisk laughter emanating from the kit, resulting in his gaze softening somewhat as he continued his thorough analysis of the group. Locking on to the scholarly woman playing the jester, it seems she remained unfazed after the other girls comment over them all being blinded by her "repulsiveness." "The more and more the blackened eyed girl speaks and stumbles, the more she kindles the fires about... even that woman capitalized on the chance to use her words to insult and flirt. Silver tongue." Memorizing the name, the kitsune turned his attention back to Amelia, who he intended to deliver the new info to, just in case the other would wish to learn a thing or two from his friend.

"Say, Ame-" a cold wind blew past, causing the Kitsune to unnoticeably shiver for a mere moment. Rotating his head completely back, his ears listened to the harshness of the sleepy looking girls voice. Noticing the apple in the kits hand, he saw as it was instantaneously snatched by that... "noble." Grimacing, his smile faded once more, an array of emotions tumbling up and down, over and through the mountains as she devoured it with her ravenous teeth all of those "blue bloods" had.

And then was the crowning point of the series of events.

Baring his teeth, he watched in anger over how the kitten was met with a resonating slap that he could easily hear from over there. The brats calm voice correspond with the titillating anger from within - the one that reminded him of those whiny manchildren who did not receive what they wanted and instead threw a tantrum. Balling his fists, Okori let out a deep sigh before looking at Amelia. "Apologies, but I need to handle something that is irking me; I'll return to your side momentarily Amelia." Giving the younger woman a genuine smile, though it did harbor some tinges of being forced.

Pivoting around, Okori slowed down his movement as he trudged towards the cart, his tail wagging furiously, his ears perked straight up as he traversed, getting closer and closer... before spinning around and walking along side the caravan. He had a wide smile plastered on his face, and he seemed rather exciteable at the time, contrasting the child's manner. "Heya, hiya there," Okori exclaimed in a rather exuberantly noisy voice as he addressed the girl with a rather crude and icy demeanor.

"You seem rather harsh, no? Can't handle a good jest? I mean, trying to lighten up the party isn't so horrible; I mean, if I could be frank, it seems you two got off on the wrong foot!~" A mischievous glint crossed his eyes with a devilish smile forming on his face. "You both should kiss an make up!... So whadaya waiting for you two, get to kissing and put some make up on!" Okori pointed at her and Katherine, though glossing over the black and white brat immensely before putting a quizzical finger to his lip.

"Or is that not how the saying functions," he spoke, somewhat absentmindedly as the Kitsune eyed the girl who called herself the property of Eirwen. For a brief moment, one might notice him almost cringing for the way she spoke, almost as if he pitied the broken girl. "Either way, aren't you being somewhat too harsh with your," the Kitsune coughed for a moment for emphasis, "disciplinary actions? Poor girl seems traumatized." The Kitsunes ears flattened somewhat, his smile being much more awkward than before.

Considering what he heard, talking to the tortured cat girl would prove to be difficult, especially with how controlling this Eirwen brat was... maybe he could somehow trick and persuade the girl with a simple illusion? After all, gold gleams to people who enjoy power, and in a human society he understood how corrupt and defunct it was. The more money you had, the more you could get things your way, especially if it was morally inhibited.

...

No, this girl would probably try to weasel her way through... maybe direct contact through using the shadows at night? After all, it would prove difficult for humans to notice anything sticking out, especially in the shadows. Maybe create a small ball of shadow yarn for her to play with? Some hands that might dissipate rather swiftly after they pet the cat? The possibilities were endless...

Though, that could serve to make her more closed and anxious like she already is.

Hum...

"But really, why do you have such cruel tendencies? Wouldn't it be wiser to stay friendly to garner more allies versus creating more enemies?" Food for thought, he suppose... too bad it was lost to deaf ears most likely, considering that most humans never thought in the first place, unless it involved useless, material goods.
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~Eirwen Soyala~


Sigh...

Looking at Tamia...maybe she had just overdone it a bit.

So tiring...

She hadn't meant to make the slave cry. Most of her other slaves back at home had been...well, witch her since she was little. As far as she knew, most weren't...that scared of her, were they? Certainly she had to discipline a few if they did something obviously against what she told them, but for the most part she liked to think she got along relatively well with her slaves. A level of fear was appropriate of course, but it didn't inspire loyalty in slaves. One had to take good care of their tools, after all, and a tool that was sad or crying wasn't going to be working as well as it should.

Yawn....so troublesome...

She looked at her slave, unsure of what she should do. Giving her a small pat on the head seemed appropriate. She seemed to enjoy that, but she wasn't going to do the same as that insufferable other woman. So she simply sighed, and continued to speak.

"First of all, while you are my property, your name is Tamia." A little bit of Independence wasn't bad. In fact, it was good for a slave to be able to think for themselves at times instead of being a mindless drone, only able to act when commanded. That and she was too tired more often than not to command them as such.

"I have very few rules, Tamia, and I like to think myself as merciful. Two, what I expect from you, is to follow my orders and stay close to me at all times. Three, you are free to do whatever else you wish as long as you don't stray to far from me without my permission. Four, you're not to do anything else for anyone other than me without my permission." Her words were interrupted by a yawn, covering her mouth with her free hand, seeming to space out for a moment before continuing.

"Hmm...and you have nothing to make up for..." Her words seemed a little less vigorous than before, almost sleepy sounding and her eyes were half closed. It was clear she was probably actually going to fall asleep soon, though she was making an effort to stay awake just a bit longer. She'd like to avoid any more incidents like this in the future. "I was...careless in not telling you the rules of being...mine earlier. Be a good...little kitten from here on out...and that will be enough for me..."

Another loud, long yawn.

"That...said...I am tired...and am lacking in pillows..."

Unfortunately, before she could actually sleep now that she felt like it...something else happened.

"Heya, hiya there,"

His loud, over excitable voice was grating on her ears.

"You seem rather harsh, no? Can't handle a good jest? I mean, trying to lighten up the party isn't so horrible; I mean, if I could be frank, it seems you two got off on the wrong foot!~ You both should kiss an make up!... So whadaya waiting for you two, get to kissing and put some make up on!"

...

"Annoying mongrel...." she grumbled tiredly as he continued to speak.

"But really, why do you have such cruel tendencies? Wouldn't it be wiser to stay friendly to garner more allies versus creating more enemies?"

Eirwen sighed. Today wasn't just going well at all, was it? First that...Katherine girl and now this Fox thing. He was lucky she could barely keep her eyes open at the moment or she'd have dealt with him.

"I don't know you....familiar..." Her words were interrupted by another yawn. "But if you are trying to take the moral high ground here, perhaps you need to gain a better perspective than your own selfish holier-than-thou one you currently have."

With that, her head drooped, coming to a rest on Tamia's shoulder as she couldn't keep her eyes open any longer. She didn't seem to acknowledge his presence any longer.

"Hmm...one...last rule...if I am asleep...do not wake me unless...good reason..." Soon, sleep had taken the noble, she was snoring ever so softly.

~Amelia Xylander~


"Ooh, ooh, what if, What if we discover that lost civilization is truly in the depths of the forest! Maybe there might be a tale or two carved into the trees! Spriggans, sprites, who knows?"

"Oh, an ancient ruin in the middle of the forest!~" She giggled. She was honestly getting a little excited at the thoughts that the Kitsune was suggesting. "That would be just the best! I do hope we'd be able to stop if there was one!" After all, who knew? No one had ever thoroughly explored the forest on account of the danger involved.

"Though, if I could be quite frank, I would prefer it to be somewhere regarding stone, as I know that you would go into a frenzy over the place, explaining every detail about the place!~ After all, that's what I love about you; it's something I could never get tired of! Plus we might be able to procure for you that golem you have been dreaming to get, eheh.~"

Amelia visibly blushed a bit at that. She was certain that Okori was just talking as he always did, but...well, hearing him say that always made her a bit happy. He had been the only one she had ever met that had simply shared her love of knowledge in general.

"I still think a golem that could shape-shift into a shadow frog would be beneficial."

And then he made her laugh like a little schoolgirl.

"Sable! I told you no golem would want to turn into something so squishy you silly little fox~" She said with a loud bout of laughter. She continued to listen to the fox. Interesting companions? Perhaps...she wasn't really looking forward to spending time with them. She wasn't really looking forward to talking with that noble looking woman or the mage, either. She had noticed the conflict that was going on and would have rather not gotten involved.

"Apologies, but I need to handle something that is irking me; I'll return to your side momentarily Amelia."

Oh no.

"O-okori! Wait!" She used his actual name, something she wouldn't have normally done. It had slipped out, just a bit to be honest. She would have attempted to stop him, but he left before she could, and physically speaking he was faster than she was. A small twinge of worry formed in her stomach. This wasn't good. If he angered the noblewoman further, it'd only serve to make things worse, for him and the slave most likely.

She quickly followed after, but unfortunately by the time she arrived he had already seemed to have finished...thankfully the Noble didn't seem to be paying much attention to him. For once, a nobles arrogance may have saved them some trouble.

"S-sable, please."
She said, giving him a look of worry. "You're...not helping things at the moment."

Hidden 9 yrs ago 9 yrs ago Post by Ogo
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Lucca the Redeemer


Well...Lucca felt uncomfortable.

Between the two women arguing, the creepy apple thief doll moving on its own, the beast’s punishment, the other beast’s sudden criticism of the monochrome haired girl’s behavior…

Lucca shook her head. This was...not exactly what she had imagined when Roland pitched the expedition to her. She glanced over her shoulder at a number of Royal Guardsmen marching in step. Disciplined soldiers...well...they made up the majority here. That, at least, seemed normal. But these others - these contractors...were they truly suited for such a task?



She had strong doubts about the Master, the fox-beast, and the slave. Too arrogant, too impulsive, and too...reliant. Roland had gone into length about his ideal warrior time and time again. Calm-minded. Patient. Aggressive. Could any of them be a reliable asset in battle…? Though, to be fair, they could likely ask the same about her. And could she? She liked to think of herself as rather composed...but she was untested. She hadn’t seen real combat. And to be honest, she wasn’t even the best in her combat lessons. Had she improved since the start? Certainly. But how could she apply those lessons into actual combat? She desperately needed experience.

But enough with that. Roland wouldn’t have accepted the mission if he didn’t think the crew competent. Lucca would do well to learn from the others. Such was her task, as assigned by the Oathkeeper himself. She would not disappoint.

Alright then...if those three were uhm...off the table for now, how’s about...

Ah. Yes. Now, the other two seemed a bit more promising. The newcomer, an older looking woman that had been quite a ways off ahead of the group, had come to retrieve her familiar before he got himself injured. Smart woman. She at least had some the foresight to know when things could go bad. That could prove useful in a life/death situation. She also seemed a bit...scattered, from the little Lucca had seen about her. The other older looking woman had something of an aura about her...Odd. Lucca couldn’t quite place it. It intrigued her though.

Yet not more than what the girl represented. That confidence...she had to develop her own. If she wanted to be useful, she had to develop confidence...but that was easier said than done.



Wait...perhaps...perhaps Roland knew of this?

Perhaps Roland knew this...what did she say her name was? Katherine Lindall? If he did know her...then perhaps it was his goal for Lucca to study the woman and...perhaps...learn a thing or two?



Hmm… no. Her senior was a brilliant man, sure, but uh...truth be told, this whole deal sort of stunk of trademarked Roland improvisation.



Ahh. She was overthinking things again. All she had to do was go have a little conversation. Whatever happened from there, happened. Start with hello…

Lucca gave the order to her mount, who slowed her trot. Lucca brought herself in-line with the confident woman and matched her pace. She took a very brief moment to compose herself, breathing deeply, before looking over at the other girl.

“Pardon! Would you happen to have a moment to speak?” she called out, her voice shaking from her trembling nerves. A beat passed before Lucca’s eyes opened a bit wider and her cheeks filled with color once more. “Oh...terribly sorry. Where are our manners? Introductions are in order, no? This one is known as...uhm...Lucca. A pleasure.”

The saint turned her attention forward immediately after speaking, checking the road...well...in truth, she was feeling accomplished. Stiff it may have been, but Lucca had at least attempted to chat with...well...anybody outside of the church. The witnesses would be so proud of her. Still...it felt...weird. Wrong even. She was half-expecting to be attacked for addressing a Master without their permission.



Well...technically that COULD still happen, she supposed. Anything could happen so long as it was the will of The Lady Serafina.
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Katherine picked up her doll before continuing along the path, taking the apple from the doll, smiling at the thing. "Bringing food to mother because of the trouble she went through? Thank you~." She felt like a mother with these dolls. She brought them (back) into this world with her own power, so she felt she needed to take a role as a mother. She had annoyed someone, so she felt pleased with herself at the moment. With pleasure of her conquest, she took a bite out of the apple. Delicious as she had thought. She was just sad the cat didn't get to eat her apple before her "master" stole it from her. Property or not, she could think too. Sentient thinking. Much like the dolls.

Still, there were other people to worry about. Like young girls riding horses. Ones with a wholly unconfident quality to their voice. Katherine could sense the nervousness from about two miles away, figuratively at least.

“Pardon! Would you happen to have a moment to speak?” The young girl called out. She was outfitted in some lighter looking armor, not what the typical guard wore at the least. “Oh...terribly sorry. Where are our manners? Introductions are in order, no? This one is known as...uhm...Lucca. A pleasure.” Not only did she just radiate nervousness, she looked it and sounded it as well.

"Lucca?" Katherine mumbled questioningly. She had, of course, never heard that name before. Then again, she could be someone wholly too important to the kingdom and Katherine'd never know it due to her years of study and work inside the Academy and hardly listening to news. "A pleasure, Lucca. My name is Katherine Lindall. This is Number 13." She introduced both herself and the doll in her arms. She was going to be a bit cautious around this girl. . . But she was no danger. She looked like she lacked the experience she really should have for this journey. . . But that wasn't for Katherine to judge anyhow. "Did you need something girl?" She asked, almost friendly sounding.

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"First of all, while you are my property, your name is Tamia."

"I have very few rules, Tamia, and I like to think myself as merciful. Two, what I expect from you, is to follow my orders and stay close to me at all times. Three, you are free to do whatever else you wish as long as you don't stray to far from me without my permission. Four, you're not to do anything else for anyone other than me without my permission."

Tamia remained curled up as her mistress laid down the base rules, which the slave kept track of carefully in her head in order to not displease her owner in the future. The slave did question why her mistress found it necessary to state her name, a little surprised that Eirwen even bothered to know such a useless fact. The servant knew most masters tried to think themselves of being kind and merciful, but those who usually thought that the most turned out to be the most cruel in the end as they constantly believed their punishments lenient.

However the orders themselves seemed to largely amount to 'stay close, do what your supposed to, don't interact with others'. Tamia questioned the last part for a few moments before dismissing such thoughts. It wasn't her place to ponder such things, only to obey.

A loud yawn followed her speech, and any emotion that could be taken as hostile anger or a freezing calm seemed to leave the voice of her owner, replaced by ... the innocent tone of exhaustion? The following few sentences were constantly interrupted by yawns, but the words that made their way through were ... nice? ... sweet? ... maybe even a little apologetic?

No. A master never apologizes. Mistress simply believed a slave to be more obedient than the way her property acted.

Still, the tears stopped and her body gradually began to still, the energy of fear no longer forcing its way out. A ... tall fox eared boy walked up, and began to lecture mistress on proper behavior. Thankfully, her owner seemed too exhausted to care at the moment, and simply ignored the somewhat cheerful voice of the snow-colored kitsune and ...

... a soft impact landed on Tamia's shoulder. The kitten shivered with fear for another moment, afraid that her mistress was grabbing her in order to take out her frustrations with this new creature on someone who wouldn't be able to resist.

After a few seconds of nothing happening, the wheat haired girl looked at her left shoulder to see what was going on, half expecting to be punished for looking on the visage of her mistress, and instead finding the sleeping face of her owner. Instead of beatings, the one using Tamia as an impromptu pillow gave a quick final order about not waking her up except in the most dire of circumstances, and soon was gone into the land of dreams.

For a few seconds, the slave didn't dare move, afraid of waking her mistress. But as another approached and tried to reclaim her familiar without her owner stirring, Tamia realized that she was fast asleep.

The kitten contemplated hopping away quietly to escape, but the slave had been ordered to sit there. Moving was not an option ... and Eirwen looked surprisingly peaceful. Even the most terrifying person had to escape to the innocence of sleep for a few hours a day.

Despite the violence and threats that occurred less than ten minutes beforehand, the pet found herself enjoying the contact of another. Away from the manor and master, she hadn't expected much intimacy ... yet, here she was.

The slave reached into the cart, and after a short one handed struggle with the supplies managed to find a reasonably thick blanket and pillow. After placing the pillow into her lap and draping the blanket from the shoulders of her mistress, Tamia lowered the sleeping head onto the pillow. After a few moments, she began to even out the messy strands of black and white hair. It was simply the natural thing to do when another was in that position.

A nervous voice joined the conversation in front of her, bright eyes downcast for a moment. The fox eared one had only meant well. "This slave ... agrees with your lady. As her property ... this body is to be used however mistress pleases." The back of her head still hurt, but the words left her lips without malice and were instead spoken with a combination of nervousness and acceptance.

Was she allowed to speak to others? Did that count as a form of contact? The slave was uncertain, and nervously ended what she spoke. Yellow eyes returned to gaze at the peaceful visage of her owner.
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Lucca the Redeemer


Well...she hadn’t been attacked. That was a plus. Lucca breathed a sigh of relief hearing Katherine introduce herself...and…Lucca turned her head. Number...thirteen? What was she…



Lucca simply gazed at the doll in the girl’s arms. The doll thing that had been moving...that was rather unsettling. Mages were known to be rather eccentric in their ways, and magic itself was said to be fantastical, but Lucca hadn’t much experience around either. Seeing one up close was...odd. She seemed to be no different than any other person on the streets, but there was an underlying discomfort that Lucca felt urging her to perhaps keep her distance. Or at the very least, she’d try not to cross the woman.



Alright, to be honest, that had nothing to do with the woman or her status as a mage. Magic didn’t quite bother the young Saint. The dolls on the other hand...creepy. Just...creepy. Lucca had noticed them throughout the caravan, but she hadn’t thought much of them. She dismissed them as some mage’s tools but... for something to move like that, something with no life of its own...it was unnatural. And actually placing a face to the dolls’ master somehow changed things. In some way, she was more of a Master than any whom Lucca had met before: her control over her slaves was absolute. Perhaps it had something to do with the appearance of the dolls. Were they faceless golems or shapeless elementals, Lucca could probably shake it off a bit easier but these...things...they resembled people. In a way.

...oh. Lucca shook her head and shifted her eyes from the doll to Katherine. Did she...oh. Oh no. Lucca had been so preoccupied with the dolls that she had forgotten what she was going to say. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She had completely blanked. Danger. Danger danger. She had nothing and she was just wasting Katherine’s time. Great. She floundered for a bit before finally words came together.

“Err...well…uh...n-no. Terribly s-sorry, ma’am. This one seems to h-have forgotten her place. Apologies.” she stuttered nervously. Her steed had picked up one her discomfort and was getting a bit antsy herself. Lucca had caught that and worried that should the horse lose its footing, she could potentially injure both herself and the puppetmaster. Lucca offered the woman an uneasy grin and a dismissive nod as she urged her mount to break away from the main wagon. She needed to compose herself and regain control over the beast.

Well...it hadn’t turned out even remotely like she had hoped, and she might have learned that she was significantly less smooth than she had originally thought, but she had taken baby steps towards her goal. That was at least something, right?

So why did she feel so embarrassed?



Lucca soothed the horse as best she could and continued forward. Hopefully they would reach the edge of the forest soon. She would give anything to just build camp and throw herself into her studies right about now...
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-"Sable"/Okori : Fragile Peace-


The Kitsune looked at the girl with pleading eyes, only to be returned with sheer mockery and a comment noting him as a mongrel. Really, this girl lacked manners and the ability to have a heart! Fitting, he supposed. Okori's nervous appealing act seemed to falter as the girl scorned him, calling his methods self-righteous. Coming from a close minded brat who sought to abuse the kitten until her mind was shattered thrice over, her practice was wrong in his eyes. In human society, justice would always remain an illusion.

In that case, maybe for the rest of the trip, he might "prank" the girl. Presenting her with gold looking like a stack of leaves would probably suffice.

Okori's tail came to a low waggle, his ears twitching as they lie flat on his head. This lady was going to learn some manners on this trip... starting off with a simplistic retort that would call her out one such brazen actions. Adopting a small, rigid smile, the fox put a finger up before taking note of a voice comparable to a songstresses calling out to him. Okori's ears twitched to where it came, his head slightly turning to the woman with beautiful knowledge - Amelia.

As the woman approached, she spoke softly over how he should back down, noting that what steps he was taking was further damaging the cats safety and increasing the chance she would further be abused. Okori stared at the woman with shock, before sighing with a frown. He wasn't one to deny that she was right. Flattening his ears, he started to back down, looking at the woman with a sullen look, recalling some of his earlier actions during his life.

Nodding, Okori stared apologetically at his friend, leaning in and whispering his regrets. "My condolences, Amelia... I'll keep better control on this expedition, promise." Moving away, Okori transitioned into a more affable, but somewhat out of place smile as his ears perked up. Rubbing the back of his head, the Kitsune presented himself as somewhat awkward, keeping his other arm near to his body.

"Uh, miss," Okori spoke with lowness in his voice, dampened down somewhat by his actions. "I... er, just want to apologize for my inordinate steps; I will make sure not to cause any more distur... bance?" Okori stared absentmindedly at the slumbering body after noting the first snore. That was certainly arbitrary... but there were myriads of things that pointed to this. Sleep deprivation, insomnia, narcolepsy, etc. Blinking for a few moments, Okori was somewhat irked that he apologized... but eh.

With a huff, Okori dropped the act of being sorry for annoying the ignoble, but still had some doubts on his mind. His own missteps almost caused more agony for this kit. Shrugging, Okori glanced at the cat before tapping his chin for a moment. "I wonder if you can you ever truly own someone..." That small comment whipped into the wind, hushed to the point where only Amelia and a few (or one) with a certain speculative abilities could pickup.

Some basic ideas to ponder on for now, of course whether she chose to diverge into them was her own choice.

"Also, missy, you can choose not to acknowledge us due to the directive she has enforced, but," Okori looked up, a weak smile in hand with eyes that looked like they might unleash a flood soon after all this. "I just want to tell you I'm sorry for almost inflicting some pain on you indirectly... I'll restrain myself from causing any mischief for the noble for your sake, ok?" As the width of his smile grew, as did its warmth, his focus on the cat girl shifted to his friend. "And yours too for various reasons..."

... there was a catlike grin forming on his lips; his cheeks falling prey to the alternating actions after him delivering his complete and genuine apology. Taking one last gander at the chestnut hair, Okori gave the cat a wink before addressing his companion entirely. "After all, what would happen if you couldn't give any belly rubs when I'm in my gargantuan form? Oh the humanity!" In truth, it was more than that to him. Taking a brisk look at Amelia's feet, Okori returned his eyes to his lady before asking one final question.

"Say, Amelia, you want to take a break from all the walking? I wouldn't mind carrying you until we set up camp."
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