Kassandra's fingertips rolled gently across the strings of her guitar in a strumming motion and a soft tune was emitted from the instrument as her other hand struck different chords and notes. She sat at the top of a stone wall, a structure which accompanied a singular dirt path on an otherwise untainted field of luscious green. She played the instrument rather quietly, most of the song's details still in her head, as she practiced different strumming patterns. With a pack next resting on the wall next to her, any passer - by would be able to note that she was one of those travelling folk, living off the land and the kindness of others, as she was dirty and carried very little with her.
The young woman had been walking for hours and grew somewhat tired, opting to make a small stop on the way to her destination and rest momentarily. Even still, she couldn't let her mind wander too freely for even a moment, as the instrument before her was put to use in the practice of a song which she had been working on. It was a song that flowed freely, not too structured or harsh in any sense, smooth rhythmic tones dancing back and forth. One could imagine an accompanying band playing a waltz to the leading guitar would be magnificent, to say the least. When it started to get more complicated, her fingers began to trip. Even playing the guitar had started to lose it's allure in this moment of rest.
Kassandra sighed and placed the guitar on the ground, leaning against the wall, and removed an already packed wooden pipe from her pocket. With the sharp pain of a needle being jammed into her chest and a snap of her fingers, Kassandra produced a spark from thin air which created flame within the bowl of the pipe. She inhaled the bitter smoke happily, gripping the mouth of the pipe between her teeth as she geared up to continue forward. Sharp exhales like that of a dragon shot out of her nostrils while she began walking again.
The traveller popped either thumb between the straps of her pack and her body, moving her elbows in such a way that allowed more space for the guitar that rested against her back and to the pack's side. The pipe was still held by her gritted teeth, occasionally shifting in between massive puffs of stale tobacco smoke. The pain of the stab to her chest had yet to dissipate but she knew that it soon would, considering that she had only cast such a small spell. Still, her mind journeyed to the notes of the song that she had just been working on as an attempt to ignore the searing sensation as she walked down the path.
Her day went on like this for the next couple of hours, her thoughts drifting aimlessly around as she trudged forward, noticeably coming upon more civilization when homes and other buildings appeared with less and less intervals between them. She stopped at one point to repack her pipe and to eat an apple. At one point, a beggar boy her was just a few years her minor tried to offer some sensual words, to which she replied with a quick motion to her own short sword (though she would not have used it if her life depended on it).
It was another hour or so before the bard happened upon the city. Grander than anything she could have imagined but still managing to be just as mundane as she had seen before. The young woman made her way through the streets and to the the noble district in which the imperial castle was located. Kassandra walked up to the front gate, noticing a pack of regal looking folk, both armored and not. A curt grin wrapped around the girl's lips.
"Ya' folks here for some perilous journey inta' plague infested and monster haunted territories in an effort to save an empire or...?", Kassandra toyed before offering a small giggle, "I kid, I kid! Looks like I'm at your lordships' royal knighting ceremony, aye?". The girl dropped her pack and guitar, offering a warm smile to the company that she had come across. Kassandra grabbed at the flask hooked to her belt, flicking her pierced tongue and reeling a bit at the smell of strong liquor before quickly downing a bit of it and throwing a curt nod to the emperor, empress, and knight. She hooked the flask back onto her belt before collapsing onto the ground and leaning against her pack, soon swooping up her guitar and playing.
"Looks like this is where I lay", the young girl said as she swept a few notes and descended into a song. Kassandra played a song of the travelling Isk'bet people, whom she had spent some time with in her first year on the road, those who moved from place to place as their nomadic ancestors once did in caravans. It was fast paced and heartwarming, demanding attention and cheerful. Without using words, the song spoke of a joyous folk who proudly lived every day as if it were a wake.
Although Kassandra didn't have many skills, she knew that this adventure would be one for the storybooks and that they would need a great artist to transcribe the tale into both music and literature. The bard hoped that the lord and ladies in front of her would be impressed and agree to take her upon this supposed suicide mission, despite her age and demeanor.
The young woman had been walking for hours and grew somewhat tired, opting to make a small stop on the way to her destination and rest momentarily. Even still, she couldn't let her mind wander too freely for even a moment, as the instrument before her was put to use in the practice of a song which she had been working on. It was a song that flowed freely, not too structured or harsh in any sense, smooth rhythmic tones dancing back and forth. One could imagine an accompanying band playing a waltz to the leading guitar would be magnificent, to say the least. When it started to get more complicated, her fingers began to trip. Even playing the guitar had started to lose it's allure in this moment of rest.
Kassandra sighed and placed the guitar on the ground, leaning against the wall, and removed an already packed wooden pipe from her pocket. With the sharp pain of a needle being jammed into her chest and a snap of her fingers, Kassandra produced a spark from thin air which created flame within the bowl of the pipe. She inhaled the bitter smoke happily, gripping the mouth of the pipe between her teeth as she geared up to continue forward. Sharp exhales like that of a dragon shot out of her nostrils while she began walking again.
The traveller popped either thumb between the straps of her pack and her body, moving her elbows in such a way that allowed more space for the guitar that rested against her back and to the pack's side. The pipe was still held by her gritted teeth, occasionally shifting in between massive puffs of stale tobacco smoke. The pain of the stab to her chest had yet to dissipate but she knew that it soon would, considering that she had only cast such a small spell. Still, her mind journeyed to the notes of the song that she had just been working on as an attempt to ignore the searing sensation as she walked down the path.
Her day went on like this for the next couple of hours, her thoughts drifting aimlessly around as she trudged forward, noticeably coming upon more civilization when homes and other buildings appeared with less and less intervals between them. She stopped at one point to repack her pipe and to eat an apple. At one point, a beggar boy her was just a few years her minor tried to offer some sensual words, to which she replied with a quick motion to her own short sword (though she would not have used it if her life depended on it).
It was another hour or so before the bard happened upon the city. Grander than anything she could have imagined but still managing to be just as mundane as she had seen before. The young woman made her way through the streets and to the the noble district in which the imperial castle was located. Kassandra walked up to the front gate, noticing a pack of regal looking folk, both armored and not. A curt grin wrapped around the girl's lips.
"Ya' folks here for some perilous journey inta' plague infested and monster haunted territories in an effort to save an empire or...?", Kassandra toyed before offering a small giggle, "I kid, I kid! Looks like I'm at your lordships' royal knighting ceremony, aye?". The girl dropped her pack and guitar, offering a warm smile to the company that she had come across. Kassandra grabbed at the flask hooked to her belt, flicking her pierced tongue and reeling a bit at the smell of strong liquor before quickly downing a bit of it and throwing a curt nod to the emperor, empress, and knight. She hooked the flask back onto her belt before collapsing onto the ground and leaning against her pack, soon swooping up her guitar and playing.
"Looks like this is where I lay", the young girl said as she swept a few notes and descended into a song. Kassandra played a song of the travelling Isk'bet people, whom she had spent some time with in her first year on the road, those who moved from place to place as their nomadic ancestors once did in caravans. It was fast paced and heartwarming, demanding attention and cheerful. Without using words, the song spoke of a joyous folk who proudly lived every day as if it were a wake.
Although Kassandra didn't have many skills, she knew that this adventure would be one for the storybooks and that they would need a great artist to transcribe the tale into both music and literature. The bard hoped that the lord and ladies in front of her would be impressed and agree to take her upon this supposed suicide mission, despite her age and demeanor.
