[IC] Fire Emblem: Weight of the World

[Tala Avana]

(HERP DERP I had the same window open twice and replied to both of them, please ignore this!)

[LordVoldemort]

_{E L I E S T A L I}

@Aquanthe@Redneckatron@Mistiel

---

As soon as the signal was given by Maize to leave, Eli had hopped off of his chair quickly. He stretched his arms out, preparing himself for the journey as quickly as he could. He watched the others leave and noticed Arin bow to him. He give her a wide smile and bowed his head in return. Of course, what he didn't know was that royalty weren't necessarily meant to boy in any fashion to another person, especially if they weren't noble themselves. Of course, Eli didn't care much for that, and took to doing so as a showing of kindness. After everyone was gone, Eli took his back and began to make his way outside. He was stopped when the arms of his father came upon him and embraced him. At first, he almost panicked, but as soon as he realized who it was that held him, he calmed down. "I'll see you soon, son." Eli laughed slightly, turning around, and returning the hug. "I'll be home before you even know it, dad." With that, Eli walked outside to join the others.

The first thing he noticed was Jauna practicing with her sword. He had always thought it strange that a handmaid would learn how to fight, but he never did question in. He enjoyed watching the displays of skill she exhibited, even if they weren't all that great compared to those who had been out in real combat. "Walls don't count, Jauna!" He called out to her teasingly, before turning around to head for a horse. Without even realizing it, he was in front of Rhea and Icarus. His smile remained on his face, but the boy grew extremely pale, and seemed to shake. Without another word, he turned in the other direction, and hopped onto a horse, riding it forward to get away as far as possible from the wyvern. On the outside, he appeared almost calm from the beasts presence, but deep down inside, he felt his heart sink like a rock into his stomach. No matter how many times he'd see Icarus, the thought of being burnt and eaten alive always warped his mind, giving him a terrible fear of wyverns and dragons. At least dragons weren't real....hopefully? The thought was broken when he noticed the Bard greeting him.

Eli thought the man was an unorthodox pick for a party. He heard stories of heroes and what-not going on grand journeys with warriors of old, but never had he heard of a musician joining in on the fight. He rode alongside him as he followed Maize from a distance. Noticing that the man wanted to talk, he grinned, and extended his hand out to shake. "I think you're an excellent musician. It's very nice to meet you...uhm...what was your name?" Eli was slightly embarrassed that he didn't remember the man's name, but he couldn't recall if he had said it or not. Hopefully he hadn't. As he waited for the man to respond, he looked about at the other members, his blue eyes gazing at each and every one of them for a short while.

[Marlowe]

Rhea Duvalier

Interacting with: @Zeroth @Kazemitsu

Her inner thoughts were interrupted when two of the volunteers, the masked man and the thick-armed knight that sat next to her, had approached. Just when she thought that she was going to get some peace and quiet for a few moments, people had to come running up to her to ask questions. She didn't blame them for having such inquiries-- they were going on a journey they almost knew nothing about. Turning away from Icarus' saddle, Rhea faced the two men. The red-haired man that she studied intensively was at the very least polite. So was the knight, who had introduced himself quickly. She crossed her arms instinctively, hearing Maize call out from somewhere in the distance. "From what I could gather, we'll be traveling on horseback to Port Sesta and then taking to the seas. As for the question of how long it'll take to get back, I'm not so sure. We are carrying light supplies, so maybe for not too long," she gave them a shrug, her eyes remaining on the face of the masked man for a little while before continuing to speak. "I'm sure that Sir Maize will tell everyone when he has the chance. He's not the type of person to leave people in the dark for long."

For a moment, she remained standing there, her arms crossed as she watched Gorou with a cautious gaze. She was no longer aggressive, not in the least; Rhea just wanted to make sure that this man had no devious reason to hide his face. Even if he swore he didn't have vile intentions, she would still keep a close eye on him from afar. She didn't know what King Erigan was thinking, allowing so many strange people to join their unit. "If I may, can I question your purpose and reason for being here? It is quite strange that you're offering your blade to aid us in our travels," she spoke again, acting as if she was directing the question towards both the men. But in reality, she was more interested in Gorou's reply. If he gave her some information, she could force herself to relax, and that way she wouldn't be riding on his back instead of her wyvern's.

"Besides that, I am offering the second seat on Icarus' saddle to those who prefer not to travel on horseback for whatever reason," Rhea notified the two, glancing between Gaivred and Gorou. She hoped that it was the latter-- if the swordsman rode with her, she might get more information from him, along with keeping him far from Eli until she fully trusted him.

[Zeroth]

_{G O R O U}

Greymont Castle - Main Gates

---

As the others spilled out around them, the courtyard became somewhat bustling. Without taking his eyes off Rhea--though again, who could tell where he was actually looking behind the mask--Gorou adjusted his scabbard just in time for the little healer to dash past them. Round the stable she went, into a hedge, then the unpleasant sound of retching told them that something hadn't agreed with her at breakfast. Gorou wrinkled his nose at the smell, but his head never turned, not even when the little boy dressed as a girl came round the other side and nearly ran into Rhea's wyvern. As he stumbled back from the beast, Gorou took one half step to the side to avoid the boy falling into him, again without looking. His mouth started to move to say something this time, but the child ran away and Gorou stayed silent after all.

Maize was shouting over the murmur of other voices, again pushing them to hurry it up. Had something urgent changed the nature of their mission?

Rhea's answers were just as disappointing as the Prince's had been. Gorou began to feel exasperated, but maintained his composure. At this point he might as well let it go. In the end, perhaps it didn't matter. War or not, all a warrior had to worry about was the next battle ahead of him. When Gaivred introduced himself, Gorou finally turned away from Rhea and replied as directly as he'd been addressed.

@Kazemitsu"A pleasure, Sir Gaivred. I look forward to working with you." A slight bow of the head, much as he'd addressed Jauna, and then he returned to the conversation with Rhea. She had relaxed somewhat, but still seemed wary--a wise policy.

@Ambra"My reason for being here is simply that Captain Aiden happened to see me fight against some few raiders. I'd been pirate hunting, so to speak, and I'm well-traveled within Estala's borders, so he thought I would be a good recommendation for this operation. Everyone knows the Crown pays well, and the fewer pirates around the better, so I had little reason to refuse. As for my purpose..." he pulled his scabbard a few inches from where it had been thrust through the folds of his belt-sash, turning somewhat to display the weapon's features. The quality of his voice changed somewhat, as if he were a priest speaking of the scriptures.

"No matter where I go or what work I take, my only purpose lies in this. I have dueled many schools of the blade, but knights are not the only ones to wield them. Pirates. Bandits. No matter who they be...if they hold a sword in their hands, I wish to surpass them. My purpose...is to find what lies at the pinnacle of that path--and then cut a new one beyond it."

He returned the sheath to its proper place at his side, and was quiet for a moment. When Rhea offered to share her Wyvern, he looked at Icarus's great scaly head and then back at the dame.

"It would certainly be something, to ride upon wings. If you're certain it wouldn't trouble you or the proud steed, I'll take you up on that offer." And perhaps, in the process, ease your mind.

[Kazemitsu]

Gaivred

Greymont Castle

The large man listened as Rhea answers Gorou's questions. She didn't do much better than Eli had but there was still more information provided. While she talked his eyes drifted the the white wyvern that she stood next to. He eyed the muzzle upon its jaws, was it not fully tamed? Was it a nipper like some of his horses? He'd ask later since he didn't plan to be flying on the reptilian beast. A fine tremor ran up his spine, how he hated heights. Hearing his name his eyes snapped to Gorou who gave a slight bow of his head.

"I'm no longer a Sir, Gorou..." He said, letting out he was no longer an official knight. "But it's a pleasure to meet you all the same." He continued, giving the man his own respectful head nod. The only indication that he was unhappy that his station had been taken from him was the slight tightening around his eyes. A movement that only the sharpest eyes would find thanks to his helm. At Rhea's question his helmed head turned towards her. She mentioned blade, which was another word for sword. Axes were considered to be bludgeons due to the lack of a cutting blade.

Gorou gave her his answer, what it boiled down to in Gaivred's mind was that he was always into self improvement. Only a little more flowery and long winded. Gaivred gave a slight shrug of his shoulders. "I go where I feel I'm needed to do as much good as I can." He stated as he shifted a little in his saddle to find a more comfortable position. When the armored woman mentioned riding the wyvern he paled. His hands squeezed on the reins in his grip, making the leather creak audibly. "No thank you..." He ground out, his voice a little hoarse. It was obvious he wasn't a fan of even the notion of flying.

Gorou seemed interested so he let the man have the 'honor' of flying, and potentially falling to his doom. Shaking his head Gaivred leaned a bit and stroked the jaw of his mare. "I'll stick to horses, thanks." He said, forcing himself to regain his composure. With that he righted himself and looked at the rest of the group, waiting for them to saddle up.

[Mistiel]

_{J A U N A | K A R Y S T A N E}

@LordVoldemort

Jauna heard Eli's familiar voice call out, "Walls don't count, Jauna!" Keeping the sword pointed at the wall, Jauna casually peered at him over her right shoulder, half her face hidden behind a velvet red curtain. "Is that a challenge?" she called back concealing half of a grin. She observed Eli hop on a horse. "No way! I thought we couldn't have horses on this journey!"

With that, Jauna sheathed her sword and raced across the castle courtyard to the stables. Spying a smaller, sturdy mare with a gray coat speckled with black spots and a mane of purest white, the lady accepted a nearby stable boy's offer of a wooden step stool which he placed beside the horse. He offered her a hand up as well but Jauna immediately plum forgot his existence as she happily mounted the horse in two fell bounds. She did, however, still remember to sit side-saddle. It simply wasn't befitting for a woman of her up-and-coming status at court to debase herself riding like a man. That was one of the few perks of marriage that Jauna idly looked forward to, being able to ride how she pleased when she chose. As she watched the rest of the assemblage seemingly gravitating toward Maize and Rhea, Jauna felt a small twang of jealousy that nobody had any reason to look to her for authority.

She sighed audibly. Of course it was stupid for her to want that now; her experience outside the castle was truly optimistically minimal and pessimistically nonexistent. The only reason she was here was because....well frankly she didn't know other than Eli seemed pleased to have her along. And why shouldn't he? That's right! She would protect Eli with her own life if need be. That....was a disturbing thought. What if they ran into danger? Surely with a party this size, the two of them would probably never come to any real harm right? These thoughts gnawed at her insides as she walked her horse, whom she absently heard the stable boy call Jessie, up next to Eli's mount.

[Lord Orgasmo]

Albus

Walking out with the rest, he listened in on the travel plan. Sailing and horse riding? He'd never been horse riding before, and he was pretty inexperienced with boats. Most rivers he'd crossed were shallow, or he found a way around. The ocean was a new experience for him as well. From what he's been told, it gets pretty boring out there. Nothing but water for miles and miles, an endless blue plain would be his only surroundings for a few days. How fun. Maybe he'd see some big 'ol fish? Or, maybe it'd be a relaxing slow ride there. Guess he'd be finding out soon.

Soon enough, they'd reached the the courtyard, where several horses and a large red winged beast resided. A wyvern. Cool.

Then someone said something about a spare spot on said wyvern. He'd never ridden a wyvern before. And he wasn't afraid of heights, he quite liked them. He hadn't even seen many wyverns before this one, but hey, practice makes perfect, right?

But, it looked like someone had already taken him up on that offer. Looking closer, it looked like that offer wasn't just for anybody. Whoops. Guess he'd have to ride a horse. Couldn't be that hard, right? Question was, which horse? How about... this one? A glorious solid Chesnut mount stood among the rest. This'd do. It wasn't quite time to leave, so Albus wandered in circles a bit, gravitating around his horse of choice.

[Tenma Tendo]

✾Fei Sima✾

Fei sighed in relief as the other didn't seem to mind having him accompany her on her horse. With the two of them appearing and being rather light in both in weight and belongings, the horse shouldn't have a problem carrying the both of them. As the sharp eyed girl brought a hand down towards him, Fei took it gratefully, hopping up and, with a bit of struggle, managing to straddle the horse behind the girl.

Once he was fully situated, the bluenette shook his head quickly.
"These horses are too big for me...and I'm scared of falling off." He answered truthfully, a hint of embarrassment clearly evident in his voice. "Thank you for l-letting me share with you..." He mumbled much quieter as he reached into his small bag and retrieved what looked like a piece of caramel wrapped in a plastic wrapper, handing the sweet to the woman in front of her. "You can have this. It's candy."

Once he handed off the candy, Fei looked down at the ground. In comparison, they were so much high up than expected. The butterflies in his stomach began to flutter as he looked back up and at the cloaked back that was...huh... Fei furrowed his brows and thought back to when he was writing down everyone's names. Did she say who she was? Realizing that he hasn't introduced himself either, Fei tapped the girl's shoulder to get her attention again. "U-Uh, my name is Fei...it's nice to meet you, Miss...uh..."

[Mercurial]

Siran Vahramyan Arshakuni

"Kept you waiting, huh?" Siran spoke softly to Karabakh as she approached her horse. "Well, we're finally going to do something more than practise. Time to do what you were bred for." As she saddled up, she felt someone else's eyes on her. It was the bard, and it seemed as though he wanted to say something. However, instead of saying his piece, he just smiled and winked at her and awkwardly left. It was somewhat strange to behold. Was he painfully shy, or was it some bizarre attempt at flirting? Either way, Siran was just going to write that encounter off as a brief oddity. Hopefully the bard wouldn't be like that the entire journey.

Moving to join the others, as she heard they would be leaving soon, Siran briefly noted that the girl that seemed to stick to the prince like glue was riding side saddle. Siran had to stifle a giggle; the customs of the nobility were truly absurd. She really hoped the girl wasn't planning to ride into battle like that. Her attention was then caught by the man whom she had pegged as being another nomad earlier; he did not seem all that natural around horses, however. "Did they not use horses in your clan?" She spoke to him, shuffling her horse closer. She could tell he had Ibionese features, and she could guess he belonged to one of the other nomad tribes, but she couldn't say which. Perhaps there were some that didn't rely on horses like the Arshakuni or others like them.

@Lord Orgasmo

[Lord Orgasmo]

Albus

After enough time wandering, Albus was approached by a young woman. She wore no armor, and seemed very in-tune with her horse. She asked him if they hadn't used horses in his tribe. Thinking back on it, they really didn't. They had a few, but were mostly used to trade around with the other nomads.

@Mercurial-"Not really, no. We lived near hills and mountains, horses weren't exactly good at climbing mountains. Doesn't mean we didn't have any though. We had... I think four, in total, but nobody knew how to ride them. They were mostly used to carry supplies as we went to trade."

He couldn't think of anybody off of the top of his head who would ride them. Seeing as they had little use outside of carriers, it was to be expected.

"This'll be my first time riding. Here's hoping it's easier than it sounds."

He had been told by some of his tribesmen that riding was easier said than done. Apparently you needed this "Saddle" thing, and you had to put your feet in these metal footholds, and to top it off there were these rope-things you had to hold on to. Presumably it was used to hold on, but he had also heard it was used for steering. How do you steer a horse anyways? Do you just tilt the ropes or..? Hm. Guess he'd have to find out.

[Marlowe]

Rhea Duvalier

Interacting with: @Zeroth @Kazemitsu

With utmost politeness, Rhea listened to what Gorou had to tell her. He gave her a longer answer than she expected, which surprised her entirely. It was strange to see that a masked man would be willing to speak about his purpose and goals so openly. She remained silent, shifting on her heel, as she glanced down at his sword. The blade was certainly unique, beautiful and glimmering in the sunlight. So he seeks to hone his skill at his sword. Not shocking, as many swordsmen wish to improve their ability, she thought, bobbing her head slightly at his words. Her features did not show any sign of interest, but she was listening intently to what said; the expression she wore could be compared to one who was paying heed to orders that were spoken to her. What made her eyebrows raise slightly in surprise was when he agreed to ride on Icarus with her. He even praised the wyvern. For a moment, she wondered if she was just trying to get on her good side, but she shook the thought away.

"Very well, Gaivred, Gorou," she nodded again at Gaivred's words, seeing that there was almost nothing to worry about him. He was more or less a knight, but she did not know exactly under which banner his heart laid. Rhea decided that it was best that she thought of such things at another time, and the woman turned towards Icarus and mounted his saddle in a graceful swoop. She was lucky that the beast knew how to duck down so she could get on his back, after all. Her eyes turned to Gorou, and gave him a hand as she helped him climb onto Icarus with hardly a second glance.

Icarus' shoulders shifted as he stood straight again, his powerful neck sweeping over the surrounding men and women that joined their ranks. She kept a firm hold on his reigns, making sure to keep control of the beast. It was obvious that he already longed to fly, and so did Rhea. "Make sure to hold on tight. The beginning of the flight is always a bit rough," she warned, but did not even make an effort to look back at Gorou. Instead, her eyes remained planted on Maize, hoping that he would tell them that they could set out soon.

[Tala Avana]

Tiu Feir

"Tiu Feir, and don't worry about using any titles like 'Miss', I'm as far from a lady as I can get, not to mention it just makes me feel old." She replied with a small chuckle, pocketing the sweet. Odd, but it's a lot better than many of the things she'd seen people do on their first meeting. She let him settle down before speaking again.

"As long as you hold on, you shouldn't have any issue with falling off. I doubt we'll be traveling too fast, so consider this practice for future rides. In any case, we still need to wait for a few ofhers, so get yourself comfortable for the trip ahead." She said as she took her own advice and let herself relax, shoulders drooping a little as she let go of the tension that had been building up over the last few hours. Her mind idly went to the task ahead, a small flame at her core flickering.

@Tenma Tendo

[Mercurial]

Siran Vahramyan Arshakuni

His response was just about exactly as she had expected. It was hard for her to imagine nomads that didn't ride their horses, but the world was a big place, and she had left Ibion when she was small, so it was to be expected she would be ignorant of this. Of more concern was the fact that this man was about to try and ride a horse without even a smidgen of prior instruction. These Estalians really should have considered getting a cart to take some of these people in. With little time left before their departure, Siran decided she was going to have to give him a crash course. "Controlling the horse is, on a basic level, as simple as moving the reins where to want them to go." She began. "In practise, you'll probably find it a little harder than that, but we can't help that now. You can use body language to help the horse know where you want to go; look in the direction you want to turn if you need to do so, and let your hips move with your gaze. You can also use your legs to indicate direction, but since I don't know how these Estalians train their horses, I wouldn't recommend it, as the wrong signals will just confuse the horse. Keep your back straight and keep your shoulders positioned directly over your hips. Don't slouch or lean forward. Whatever happens, try to remain calm, as the horse can sense your anxiety." Those were about all the tips she planned to tell for now. There was more she could say, but they didn't have all the time in the world, and overloading him with information would probably be counterproductive. She would just have to hope he could get into it easily, and really hope the horse wasn't of an ill temperament.

"I'm Siran, by the way. You?" Given he clearly wasn't of any high birth, she felt confident that he didn't need or want to hear her whole formal name.

@Lord Orgasmo

[Redneckatron]

The bard saw the prince finally come done from the building down to where the others were. It took a bit longer than the bard had expected, but maybe the boy was saying goodbyes and Zachary couldn’t judge him for that in the slightest. The prince’s quip towards the handmaid named Jauna made Zachary chuckle a bit. The boy has a sense of humor in him, a skill sometimes more powerful than any healing ability.

It took time for the prince to get mounted before he could truly approach the boy, so Zachary took the time to observe the others around him for a moment. The one true wonder that caught his eye was the whit wyvern that the knightly woman Rhea had mounted. It was truly a magnificent beast that Zachary hoped to befriend with his musical ways just as he did his bird friend atop his hat. He wished he had gone up to inspect the beast before finding a horse yet the bard knew there wasn’t much time for that now anyways. Zachary looked back to the Ibionese girl he failed to flirt with and saw her speaking to another Ibionese nomad in the group. Zachary could not here eithers’ exchanges, but the male nomad seemed a fine man from here and Zachary looked forward to exchanging conversations with him in the future.

Before the bard could continue his observations the prince was upon him. Zachary skillfully guided his horse to ride next to the prince’s as Eli was mounting. @LordVoldemort Prince Eli’s warm expression and greeting pleased the bard. Zachary met the boy’s hand and shook firmly, releasing before speaking himself. ”Mi príncipe, it is an honor to be able to serve under you for this journey. My name is Zachary Nyrid, descendant of ancient bards that once served as I will here. I humbly hope you will accept mis servicios.” The bard took a small bow as he spoke, the little bird atop his hat tweeting when it was close to the prince. Zachary then sat upright on his steed for the prince to respond.

[Solace]

Renvall "Ren" Protego

@LordVoldemort @Aquanthe @Ambra @Zeroth @Mercurial @Redneckatron @Lord Orgasmo @Kazemitsu @Tala Avana @Tenma Tendo @Mistiel

Ren drew an impatient sigh as five minutes could not have gone any faster, inadvertently exposing his ears to the conversations between the pairs of group members. His hands laid on the crest of Snowball, the pauldrons on his shoulders rising and falling with a restless breath. There was no question that they would see combat with the pirate factions, much to the squire's elation; he had the royal blacksmith fashion him a sword for the specific occasion, and he had ensured that he brushed up on his swordplay. Unlike all of the lessons and spars, his life now depended on it.

The squire did find the varying selections of their caravan to be one of mismatch, though Ren was sure that their band was more than enough to take on a bunch of sea dogs, with the backing of the Rozelian Kingdom. Setting himself beside Maize's mount, he watched as the Dauntless climbed to the back of his horse, one hand resting atop of the other. "Time's up!" the knight made the announcement for the wary and unwary, his mount letting out a whine as it began to trot away from the stable grounds.

With the group in tow, Ren kept his steed alongside the knight as they rode across the Walk of the Magi. Waterfalls poured into the Estalan waterfront that stretched below the bridge and beyond, ripples of sunlight warming the surface of their land. The Walk of the Magi was an ancient construction, embedded with the footsteps from Estalan kings and queens of yore. There was a powerful energy that resided within the cobblestone at their feet, almost as if the very air in their atmosphere was one of magical construct.

"After we steer through Greymont and go beyond the gate of the capital city," Maize said, his gaze trailing to the side. "I'll speak of our route and approach."

Beyond the bridge, the Capital City of Greymont stood, a beacon of the nation's profound diversity and magical influence. The streets teemed with bustling activity, the dense population experiencing something different with each passing day. Of course, no establishment could exist with impoverishment, and crime such as petty theft did come and go within the poorer districts. Unlike other nations, Estala was one which prided in its diverse population, embracing any and all kinds of cultures.

For Ren, accepting the laguz was the defeating clause of Estala; they were only prone to causing trouble for the nation. It was one of the reasons why other countries looked down upon them and refused certain agreements such as trade, and in addition, the sub-humans were the main cut of the population that committed the most crime within their borders. "Nothing but savages," he cursed under his breath, recoiling in disgust as their party rode past a trading post filled with laguz.

Everything else within Greymont was a pleasantry to behold, for the most part. Ren paid no mind to the crowds of ordinary people that began to form around the central street, where their mounts traveled on. Word began to spread of their convoy with the Crown Prince in tow, and the many faces of youth and old age began to flock towards them, excited for the opportunity to lay eyes on Eli Estali himself. The very thought of these people almost worshiping the prince aggravated him; with zero accolades to Eli's credit besides his family name, how was it that these people could deem these nobles as something greater than themselves?

As the city watch stepped into the crowds to regulate their traffic towards the gates, a moment of relief washed over Ren as they finally reached the entrance. "Send word to His Majesty that we've departed," Maize relayed the message to one of the watchmen, turning back to look upon the faces of the group members. "The less time spent on horseback, the better. Hope you've enjoyed Greymont and done everything while you can! Let's move."

[Zeroth]

_{G O R O U}

Leaving Greymont City

---

Gorou mounted wordlessly behind Rhea, his long arms reaching around her--and his hands taking hold of the saddle horn, rather than her waist. She probably wouldn't care, or even feel it through her armor, but best not to try the patience of a woman who would now hold his very life in her hands. He checked, then double checked, then triple checked to make sure his sword was secure as the Wyvern began to trot behind the horses...then, as they passed through the castle gates and began to spread out along the Walk of Magi, Icarus's pace rose. The wings rose and fell with a languid flow, scales and muscle rippling. Then they beat faster, harder, the air thrumming under their power. Once, twice, thrice--

The dragon leaped, and they were airborne, and for a moment Gorou felt weightless. Then it felt as if Icarus had struck the ground, but no, it was only his wings giving that last, full extension before they reached true flight. They rose up, certainly not soaring above the clouds or anything that the swordsman had imagined in his head, but far enough that the streets of the city lay below them as if painted upon the world's largest canvas. The drake's wings now flapped in a steady rhythm as he circled the rest of the group down below, rising in a spiral before leveling out. Gorou's body tensed without his conscious will, as he used his core to adjust his balance and keep the nausea at bay. He swallowed to pop his ears, and the equalized pressure helped his inner ear stabilize as well. Once he had a feel for the rise and fall of Icarus's body, it wasn't that bad--not even as bad as being on the ocean.

The capital of Estala was revealed to them in all its glory--and its shadows. As they crossed the Walk into the city streets proper, the city watch lined the roads and kept the citizenry at bay. These people were simply happy to catch a glimpse of their beloved prince, and of the proud knights--and a few mercenaries--who would accompany him to rid their land of those dastardly pirates. Others, whom were only now visible to Gorou because of his newly attained height, were not so elated. Gorou's mouth dipped slightly at the corners as he watched the diversity of the city at work. Estala prided itself on the multitude of cultures that had begun to mingle within its borders; some had come because other countries were at war, others had come to seek opportunity...and some had come because they heard that Estala prided itself on its diversity, which meant it was all too eager to bend over backwards to accommodate them.

It was one thing for the old clans like Gorou's to mix and mingle with the "modern day" Estalans--they were also Estalan, they just happened to still have traditions that were very old. They still followed the same laws, believed in the same interpretations of religion, spoke the same language. And in a similar way, the modern day Estalan culture was not altogether removed from the old ways--Lady Jauna's court fashions, and the styles of woven tapestry or of painted artworks, their old legends. All of these things still bore the mark of the old ways, though subdued and often re-purposed. That was one thing, for customs to change, to grow, to be used in different ways. That was simply the mark of Time.

But for Estala to throw open its arms to any and everyone was another thing entirely. Tourism, mercantilism, these things were good. Gorou didn't begrudge the few Ibionese he had seen among this gathering--they were mercenaries, and a minstrel, and they would be gone when they had done their part and earned their coin. But the Ibionese were of Ibion, not of Estala. The Anarcans were not of Estala. Cessians, Mirivans, the Laguz, none of them were Estalan. If they wanted to come from those places, and make Estala their home--and speak Estalan, and wear Estalan garments, and act like Estalans--then fine.

But Gorou did not want them to make Estala like those other places, and if they "took pride" in their diversity too far, that was what would happen. A nation could not claim to be "multi-cultural" and still be a united people. And Gorou suspected that the immigrants also knew that.

So the corners of his mouth dipped slightly as they passed through the city, and the Laguz at their trading post cast suspicious glares all around them--strange that they would come to a place full of Beorc, if they mistrusted Beorc so, but of course Estala pitied them because they had it so hard in other places, so no doubt some of them came here because it was easy to find helping hands--and gullible ones--in Estala. And the Ibionese traders, in their bright silks and carrying many goods on the backs of their horses, spoke in the fast-paced Ibionese language that no Estalan could understand--but if you were here to trade with Estalans, why not speak Estalan, unless perhaps it was easier to exasperate a customer into buying something at an inflated price if he couldn't understand you. And so on and so forth.

But now they were out of the city, out onto the roads that began as perfectly aligned bricks, then turned to cobblestone placed wherever it would stay, then finally to gravel and dirt. Plains stretched from the city walls off into the distance, gentle hills swelling up here and there and the occasional tree breaking the line of sight. Off in the far distance, turned blue and blurry by the air between there and here, a great forest stretched on until the human eye could see no further. Beyond that would be other sights just as fine...and, further still, the ocean with its restless waves and salty breeze--and the pirates they hunted.

For the moment, the midmorning sun was warm but the air was cool, and no clouds broke the endless expanse of the sky. Gorou lost track of time simply taking in the view from atop a wyvern's back, but at some point he remembered the dame and finally spoke to her.

@Ambra"So...is there anything else you wish to know, that would assuage lingering doubts?" he said, trying not to raise his voice too much even though the beating of Icarus's wings made it necessary. "I assure you, there's nothing to worry about--even if you didn't have me at your complete mercy up here." He smiled a bit, to indicate that was a joke--then he remembered that of course she couldn't see him, being sat in front of him, and now he just felt awkward.

[Mistiel]

_{J A U N A}

Leavimg Greymont Castle

---

As the party began to make its way out the gates, it finally came to Jauna's attention that the other, enticingly exotic swordsman had boarded the drake right behind the Lady Rhea. For a couple of girlish seconds, jealousy rose in her throat at Rhea but then she noticed that, as the wyvern strutted along, his hands were not at her waist but well out in front of her. Oddly satisfied, Jauna turned back her attention to avoid having her mare, Jessie, bump her nose playfully into the rump in front of her which she seemed to love to do like it was some kind of game.

As they left the castle and Jauna finally got tired of staring at the wyvern now in flight, she took one last look at the city of Estalia and savored one last glance of home. A cold shiver blew straight through her kimono as the wind picked up, making her face forward and hunker down in the saddle for the long haul. Just hours of staring at the two butts in front of her; though if she had to stare at a butt for hours on end, Eli's certainly wasn't a bad choice. This thought was next to immediately disrupted as suddenly Eli's horse's tale lifted and Jessie dodged out of the way just in time to avoid a clump of the stinkiest substance Jauna had ever smelt that promptly had her holding her nose for the next five minutes. Yep, butt staring had definitely been tarnished.

[Lord Orgasmo]

Albus

Before he knew it, the woman had started spitting out horseriding tips left and right! Trying his best to memorize everything, he nodded as a signal of thanks. She said her name. Siran, huh? Shouldn't be that hard to remember. "My name's Albus. Here's to a good time, eh?"

"Time's up!" He heard.

"Looks like that's our cue. Here goes!" With one effortless leap, Albus was on the saddle of the horse, reins in hand. He looked to the others as they headed out the main gate. He pointed the reins towards the rest.

"Uh... go that way!" he said to the horse. Either by sheer luck, or being easier than he thought, the horse began trotting off towards the rest. This wasn't so bad. Though he could do without the constant bumping. The constant jingling of his armor made him feel loud and out of place, he still wasn't quite used to it yet. Then the wyvern took off, and before he knew it, it was in the air. An aerial view would probably be useful, they would likely be able to see a little farther than the rest. But now, it was time for his journey to start.

He followed the rest through the streets, and it seemed like people were starting to gather in the streets. It felt... strange. There were many eyes on him, and it kind of made him uncomfortable. Just keep looking forward. Don't make eye contact. And before he knew it, they were at the edge of the city. Then to the roads. He felt more at ease on the road. He was used to them. And with all these others, it was like he was back home again. Minus the horses, of course.

[Kazemitsu]

Gaivred

Greymont Castle

After Gaivred moved off the two mounted the wyvern while Maize told the group to move out. Shouldn't the prince be dictating this? He asked in his mind while his horse trotted along with the others. Although the voice of a male talking to a horse made him turn his head to look at Albus. Raising an eyebrow he reined his horse back a little so he could talk comfortably without having to raise his voice. "Have you never ridden a horse before?" He asked while moving with his mare. Albus clinked along while Gaivred rode nearly silently.

The large mans movements on horseback were strangely fluid given his build and equipment. "Don't talk to the horse to get it to go where you want. Reins for controlling the head which controls the whole horse and do not flick them." He stated before growling at the end. "Squeeze with your legs to get them to go faster, not to hard. If I see you kick one to go faster I'll kick you. That does nothing but hurt them and makes them not trust you." He continued on, explaining what he knew of horses. He did grow up around them and used them often given his profession. It was also something to pass the time as they rode to the port.

[LordVoldemort]

_{E L I E S T A L I}

@Redneckatron@Mistiel@Ambra@Solace

---

For the most part the, horse riding wasn't a difficult task for Eli. Of course, he was always sore on the rump after riding for too long, but this was to be expected of someone who didn't show talent in physical prowess. Either way, he seemed the steer the horse with refined and noble motions, as instructed by his father and many of the knights that served his family. As he spoke with the bard, Eli seemed to relax into his saddle, his tone as casual as can be. "A Bard, you say? I've never quite heard of any before, at least not on adventures. Most of the musicians that come to the palace play more 'refined' music. From what I have heard, I do enjoy that instrument of yours. It's not quite what I'm used to, but...it sounds amazing." He gave the older boy a smile and small chuckle, before putting his attention ahead of him. The sound of people crowding about had drawn his attention easily, knowing full well that the reason there were so many was because of his own arrival.

He waved to the people as they gathered, giving them a bright smile that left little to the imagination of his personality. It seemed like the sun itself beamed off of his face as he greeted everyone that had come to see him. The boy always did seem to act kindly to those who wished to speak or cheer to him, but this was something else. As they finally cleared the area, Eli gave a sigh of relief, turning back towards the Bard. "As much as I love them, it can be a little bothersome to have to wave to all of them....I will miss them, though. They're my people..." The smile that Eli remained, but something behind his eyes hinted to a sorrowful youth that was leaving the only home he ever knew. Eli, no matter how excited he was or how much he dreamed of exploring the world, was still struck with a feeling of depression. Secretly, he wished to return as soon as possible after their journey was over. He would give his father as many hugs as he could before talking about his fantastic trip. The thought brightened him up and he looked back at the road ahead, his eyes set on the journey ahead.

When he saw the wyvern flying above him, he felt a little afraid and hoped that it wouldn't swoop down and take him off to Nilone knows where. Of course, he calmed down after spotting Rhea, and gave her a big wave, hoping that she would see him and return it. He always looked up to her and thought of her as his hero. Of course, he had never seen her in battle....'nor did he really wish to. The wyvern was all he needed to know to push the thought of what she could do out of his mind. He shook his head, shaking the fear off of him, and looked back at Jauna, smiling at her as she looked forward. Of course, with the small incident afterwards, he laughed and stuck his tongue out at her, mocking her for riding behind someone so closely. With that, he looked back forward once more, stood up slightly on the stirrups that his feet rested in, and set the horse to gallop off in front of everyone. Looking back, he called out towards Maiz with a loud voice. "I'll keep close by, don't worry!" He enjoyed the wind that blew on him as he rode around in front of the party, keeping close to them in chance of an emergency. After a few seconds of riding, he decided to let the horse walk at a slow enough pace for the others to catch up with. He reached forward, laying his head sideways on the back of the horse where it's mane was, and began to pet it gently as he waited for the others, a large smile growing on his face. "You're a pretty horse, aren't you? I wonder what the stable master called you? You seem like a Chester to me."