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- [spoiler=Certification]“N-Norbert…?” sputtered Valter upon spotting the pegasus rider, and the confirmation of his status by the cleric. To say the horseman was surprised was an understatement. The gears had begun turning, and he quickly realized that if his friend was coming to get certified, that meant he hadn’t been certified… Oh Mercy, that could’ve been a problem had the authorities found out the weeks they’d been in Ursium. Valter wasn’t completely aware of how to deal with the situation, but was pretty sure asking Bert about it directly was a bad idea at the moment. The clerics about didn’t need to know that the man was essentially a criminal under Ursian law.
- As it was, Bert appeared to be preparing himself for questioning and Valter was happy to oblige. “Hey, Bert. How are you?” he asked, walking towards him. The smile on his face was genuine, as he hadn’t seen Bert last night, though he had heard he was alright from others. “I’m glad to see you’re still alive after last night." Though it looked like he hadn't stayed out of trouble entirely. "Nice scar, by the way,” the horseman stated offhandedly.
- Joanna stood silently for a moment while the cleric looked over the various prayer groups. As much as she wanted to ask about Norbert's backward order of doing things, Valter was already having a much more ... appropriate conversation with him, and she didn't want to butt in, especially since Norbert was probably here now to correct his mistake. If she brought it up now, well, at best, he would get some dirty looks from some in the area. At worst, he'd probably get arrested before they could even start the ceremony ....
- He was a little surprised -- though pleasantly so -- to hear Valter's reaction and he managed to calm down a bit, smiling himself. At the scar comment, he was a little surprised.Forgot I had that. "Thanks. Glad to see you two are alive, too," he answered, "And I'm fine."
- Frowning, he went on, "You two weren't caught up in the fighting, too, were you?" his brow furrowed deeper into a bitter glare "It was a mess..."
- Valter was silently thankful nothing incriminating had been said. Bert wasn’t getting off scot free though, as the horseman was certainly asking him about the pegasus issue later. For now he was content to answer the rider’s questions, however. “Unfortunately yes. Demons surrounded the cathedral, and we left to find help from the military. Instead we ran into Raquel and one of the… beasts’ commanders,” he replied, attempting to monitor his word choice. They weren’t the only ones here, and it might not be a good idea to mention that last night was a fallen attack.
- “’Mess’ is an accurate description, though probably an understatement,” he continued. “Enough about that though. You were here for your pegasus certification, correct? I’d rather take up your time afterward than before.” Joanna hadn’t gotten a chance to eat yet, after all.
- Now Norbert was sure of it: Valter was being a good friend and trying to not get him thrown in jail, but he had some explaining to do later. He'd seen what remained of the evidence of the battle around the cathedral himself, though it was still a little shocking to actually hear. He was also surprised that they found one of the Fallen commanding the demons, but decided to drop the subject. Talking about anything in more detail was probably bad for everyone involved, and he figured Valter was thinking the same thing.
- "Yeah, we should get to that," he agreed. Looking over to Joanna, he asked, "So, do you now what I'm supposed to do?"
- "For the most part," Joanna answered truthfully. She'd seen group ceremonies, at least ... this would obviously be a little different. She looked to the cleric wondering if she would have to do this alone, but two acolytes had shown up in her place.
- "We're here to help," one of them greeted with a smile. Then, looking to Bert, the young man said, "I'm glad you've decided to undergo this ceremony. Right now the realm needs all the able fighters it can get, and flying without the blessing or certification would have been a detriment to us all. You're doing the right thing."
- Joanna coughed. "Ahem, could you get everything we need, please?"
- "Of course," the other acolyte replied before jogging off to do just that.
- Right, cause I'm definitely joining the military. Not fighting for your cause, thanks. were his thoughts when the acolyte mentioned that Ursium could use all the fighters it could get. Norbert cocked a brow in confusion at something else the acolyte said, though, and so asked the other as the first left, "What did he mean 'a detriment to us all'?"
- "Those with the utter indecency to drag an unblessed pegasus into battle fully demonstrate the kind of blatant disregard for the gods that has landed Ursium in so many a crisis," he explained while motioning everyone away from the mouth of the hallway. He frowned partway through his explanation but reclaimed his smile by the end of it. "The path to unity may begin with the weightier matters, but I assure you that what we're about to do here today will reaffirm that there will always be people willing to do the right thing. Again, friend, we're glad you've come here today."
- Joanna was trying her hardest now not to say anything, even though she wanted to at least ask the acolyte to talk about something else. Still, if she did that, she had nothing to follow up with and would just look odd or even suspicious. Hopefully the other acolyte would return soon and they could begin.
- "I'm back," came the acolyte's voice from almost directly behind her, causing her to flinch. The wing flutter ended up making him flinch right back. "Whoa, sorry about that, heheh." He handed off two rather tall candle stands to the other acolyte while keeping two and a large tome for himself.
- "Umm, before we begin, Norbert, I need to know what kind of temperament your pegasus has, for safety reasons," Joanna asked and quickly explained.
- Norbert didn't respond much to the acolyte's answer. The first few adjectives made him wince somewhat internally, wondering what might come up next as the actual reason, but when it was all just about disregarding the gods, he relaxed. He didn't particularly care about the gods and they seemed largely indifferent about what people did or didn't do, so he doubted calamity actually resulted from taking pegasi into battle without a certificate. Sure, there was Wrath, but it sounded like he was going to do what he wanted regardless of what they did anyway, so it was more or less the same thing, just with a more violent outcome.
- What with all this talk about getting Rizen blessed or whatever being the right thing, Norbert was tempted to just tell it to their faces that he'd been in battle with Rizen many times already and was only there because a judge told him to. He had that document signed by the judge protecting him, after all, and it was right in Rizen's saddlebags, so he would be safe in taunting the acolytes anyway. Still, as he followed the acolyte, he thought better of it. At first, it was just a gut reaction, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized that if he had, it would reflect badly on Joanna and Valter. That was...kind of close.
- There was something else, though. Something about how the acolyte finished his answer...it was just a little unsettling. He figured, at first, that the acolytes were just being friendly, but the way he spoke...it was really similar to the other acolyte. Then, the other one spoke up again, having returned...and standing right behind Joanna. The Dark Avian seemed to be a little frazzled; Norbert could relate. That was when it hit him and his face shifted some at the horror of it. They're...like Weyland's maids! Oh Mercy... And they're doing my ceremony? Well that more or less guaranteed he wouldn't be relaxed throughout the rest of these proceedings.
- He did calm down a little when he was asked about Rizen, though. The acolytes seemed more or less normal again, for one, and he also was able to put his mind on arguably more important issues. He also had to wonder what the book and candles were for...and if the ceremony would be done right then and there or if there was a special hall or something for it. But first, to answer Joanna.
- "Rizen's protective," he began, more or less of casual temperament again, "She's also basically a wild pegasus. I never tamed her. But she knows Valter and me, so things should be okay, especially if she doesn't think I'm being hurt or someone's trying to take our stuff. I'll try to make it clear I'm not under attack and as long as no one makes like they're going to take anything," he let himself smile broadly and cheerfully, shifting from trying to be helpful and informative to fighting the creepiness of the acolytes the best way he knew how second to physical brawling: intimidation "then we should be able to get through this without any casualties!"
- The irony of the acolyte’s words was not lost on Valter, and he had to try very hard not to laugh at the situation. Oh, if only they knew what Bert had done. Of course it would probably get him thrown in jail too, which was a very good reason to not dwell on their reactions.
- After Norbert’s explanation of his pegasus’s temperament, the horseman figured he could chuckle without it seeming completely out of place. “If you were trying to abate people’s fears, you really could’ve done without that last line,” he said, looking amused, then added more seriously, “However, if his pegasus does become anxious, I can help calm her down.”
- "Hmm, doesn't sound like this will be easy," the first acolyte frowned. "Perhaps we should stick with the group ceremony style even though it's for a single pegasus."
- Joanna frowned too, wishing Bert wasn't so cheerful about this; if anything happened to any of them due to Rizen's behavior, he'd be held responsible, after all. "It's absolutely essential that she stays calm. The ceremony isn't meant for pegasi that haven't undergone training ..." she warned, not sure if this was such a good idea now.
- "True ... it can get quite flashy," the second acolyte said as he placed down one of the candle stands off to Rizen's two and four o'clock. He then waited to see if they were going to go any further with this before bothering to light them.
- That backfired a little, but Norbert just wound up shrugging and reassuring, "Like I said, she'll be fine as long as she doesn't think you're trying to steal anything or attack either of us...unless wyverns are a part of this ceremony or something."
- "Norbert, are you absolutely certain she won't try anything?" Joanna worriedly inquired. As far as she was concerned, this was a life and death (or jail time) situation.
- "If you're that worried, Valter or I can keep a hold of her reins," he replied, seeming primarily disinterested and unconcerned at this point, though he was ever so slightly annoyed, too. "She won't be so on-edge that way. ... Still, don't take my stuff. Using weapons against me will probably garner a bad reaction from both of us, too." Yeah, the irritation became more clear with that last bit.
- "Easy there, you'll be able to direct that aggression toward Ursium's enemies in due time," the first acolyte assured him while placing down his candlesticks at Rizen's eight and ten o'clock. Since the first was still preparing, the second acolyte figured it was okay to continue and easily lit all four candles in rapid succession with his light magic.
- Joanna was handed the tome but was reluctant to begin, still. "Mmph ..."
- "It's okay, Joanna, we're right here with you," said the first acolyte. He nodded in unison with the second.
- Correction: I'll direct that aggression towards my enemies...once my debt's paid... Norbert thought, a little frustrated at the self-inflicted reminder that he wasn't his own master at the moment. When the candles suddenly lit, Rizen's ears swiveled about and she glanced around curiously, but that was the extent of her reaction. Norbert, likewise, was mildly startled, but to such a minuscule effect that it hardly registered outwardly.
- It looked like the ceremony would be performed right there and he wouldn't have to let go of Rizen's reins or anything, so Norbert mentioned, "If I can keep a hold of Rizen's reins and stay by her like it looks like I can, then we're good to go, I guess." He was a little unsure, though, since he really didn't know what to expect.
- Joanna was still worried; there were other parts of the ceremony that required a laying on of hands which Rizen might not be cooperative for. "I suppose I'll begi-" "Oh wait, I nearly forgot," the first acolyte interrupted. "Hm?"
- "The ceremony does require a small fee, but we almost never do single pairings so a unit commander typically handles that," the acolyte explained with a slightly nervous smile and an outstretched hand. "Ten gold ought to cover it. A mere drop in the bucket compared to the lifetime blessing of the goddess, no?"
- There's a...fee...? I thought this was supposed to be the Hall of Mercy! You know, the charity order?! Norbert sighed irritably before, grumbling, he walked over to Rizen's side and rummaged through a saddlebag. He had a little bit of money...that he counted a couple times. Then, with it in-hand, he looked through another saddlebag. Then he rechecked the first one. Urgh, blast it, Anna...! Stupid Zero-One forcing me to open that dumb bank account that I'll never actually use and taking my money and...
- "Er...I only have four..." Norbert admitted. He also did have that sun coin, but he was planning on selling that to a collector or something so he could get more for it than the ten gold he'd spent on it. "You're Mercites, right? Can't you do this for four gold?"
- Valter remained silent as the conversation about Rizen continued on. That pegasus really needed to be trained, but he doubted Bert would be particularly receptive to that idea. The horseman didn’t see a need to get involved again until a fee was mentioned and it appeared Norbert didn’t have the coin. Valter wasn’t surprised about either, really. He dug around in a pouch for a moment before counting out ten gold and walking over to place it in the acolyte’s hand. “That should cover it,” he said simply.
- That did indeed cover it. "Oh giving random discounts is hardly 'merciful'," the acolyte noted, clearly amused by Bert's question. "Fortunately for you this fellow was willing to cover the expense, otherwise we'd have set all this up for nothing, heheh. Imagine that," he said to Bert as he accepted the gold. "Thank you."
- Looking around, Joanna didn't see much going into it. A few candle stands and a tome plus everyone involved, but that was it. Not that she didn't understand the fee issue even if Bert didn't. After all, the various Orders didn't tax their followers to stay afloat like the government did. Every important service had to have some sort of profit.
- When Valter paid for the ceremony, Norbert's first impulse was to insist that he didn't have to -- that everything was fine and that he could handle it. The issue there was that, indeed, he did need the help. There was nothing for it but to wrestle with his own discomfort, though, and so he put what little money he had back into Rizen's saddlebags.
- The acolyte's reply, though, ignited the Crusher's ire. How is giving discounts when someone seriously can't afford something not merciful? And what's he implying by "imagine that?" He still held his tongue, though, regarding that, though it didn't help that he was embarrassed that he had to rely on someone else for the payment. Still, there was nothing for it, so he just went back to standing where he had been, Rizen's reins in hand, and told Valter, "Thanks."
- "I'll begin, then," Joanna spoke up, with worry and doubt in her tone and expression. The acolytes meanwhile took their places, one between each of the candle stands flanking Bert and Rizen. They put their hands together and bowed their heads. Joanna looked expectantly at Bert, though she doubted he would go so far as to actually join in the prayer. She'd heard some mercenaries weren't big on the prayer aspect of the ceremony, either, but most of these ceremonies were for military pegasus riders, anyway, and most of them were religious.
- Because of that, one of the acolytes spoke up next, saying, "Bow your head too, please~"
- The ceremony seemed about to begin. Still not entirely certain of what -- if anything -- he was supposed to do, Norbert figured he'd just be instructed as they went along. The first instruction came a little sooner than expected. I guess we're praying or something now. Mercy, it's been a long time... As Norbert bowed his head, he thought back to when Father Nigel would lead group prayers. A bit more close to him, he also remembered those humbling times when Norbert would be complaining about this or that and Nigel would start to pray for him aloud and invite him to join in. He'd always felt pretty awkward when he had to pray aloud as a child. It was easier when he just had to take up the posture and choose whether he wanted to listen to the whole thing or just for when the prayer ended.
- Valter nodded in response to Bert’s expression of gratitude. He knew the rider didn’t like having to rely on others, but the ceremony being postponed due to lack of payment would not have been an ideal outcome. Especially since he now knew his friend had broken Ursian law several times over.
- The ceremony was about to begin, so the horseman moved out of the way to not be a bother. Joanna was looking a bit worried, he noticed, though if it was due to Rizen or her own doubts about performing the rites, he couldn’t tell. Regardless, he figured it would be acceptable to follow the acolyte’s example, and also bowed his head for the prayer.
- Joanna slowly opened the tome and began carefully turning pages to find the passage she was looking for. This was one big prayer book, but finding the right prayer for the occasion wasn't always easy. She had a few memorized but not the one they needed. Throwing her a bone, one of the acolytes quietly said, "Page ninety."
- "Oh-t-thank you," she replied, hurrying up to that page. She didn't need anymore instruction after that, as the very start of that page was the beginning of blessing ceremony's ritual prayer. Now to hope that the two things she was most worried about going wrong didn't. "Ahem," she bowed her head but kept her eyes on the lines in front of her, "Lady of Mercy, Bestower of light, and Patroness of life, once again, we offer our deepest gratitude. Your healing light has saved countless lives, and your counsel has guided many toward the path of peace. Today, we now beseech you for the sake of those who-" Joanna cut herself off for a moment, realizing she would have to tailor some of this as she went along. "Today, we beseech you for the sake of one whom must go to war, whom must see battle, and whom must do so at the side of a strong and loyal pegasus ..."
- The first acolyte nodded his head slightly here and there as they went along, pleased with Joanna's handling of the ceremony thus far.
- "Today, we beseech you for the sake of one whom must go to war, whom must see battle, and whom must do so for the sake of a brave and noble warrior. Together, let them fight as one, and offer them your blessing so that they never lose their way. Life ... and Peace." That was how most special prayers ended ... 'life and peace', but exactly how it applied here, she wasn't sure. Bert obviously wasn't getting this blessing to go off and become a pacifist, hardly anyone not going to battle ever bothered with this ceremony since it wasn't a legal issue for them. Perhaps there was more to this than what she understood at the moment.
- And now for the part she was worried about, or at least the lead-in ... "Norbert?" she tried to gently get his attention. "Pray with your pegasus. Pray for the Goddess' aid and guidance in every battle to come." It wasn't strictly necessary that one be a follower of Mercy for this to work, in fact, a great deal of pegasus knights were minor wrathites, however, the ceremony did require the goddess' approval to become valid, so regardless of their preferred deity--if any--this part was necessary for the ceremony to proceed.
- From the sounds of things, either Joanna was nervous -- probably due to her knowledge of his fighting with Rizen in the past -- or wasn't used to this particular ceremony. Regardless, she did well with the actual prayer, so far as Norbert could tell. As he pondered the war bit, he remembered that even though he wasn't joining the war effort against Neviskotia, he was entering a war of sorts. Just what sort of war he wasn't sure yet. Wrath's coming and Lilith's planning on fighting him, the Fallen are planning on attacking us even more than they did last night and then there's whatever the organization's up to... Not to mention whoever Weyland sends me after. And that's all just what's going on right now... I guess, looking at it like that, we're all off to some sort of messed up war.
- It was weird; thinking about it that way made him feel a little less like this was just some empty or mismatched ceremony. That was a thought he pushed aside, though, as he pondered why Joanna seemed to repeat what she'd just said in the prayer. It took a bit of puzzling and at first he thought that maybe she'd made a mistake, but then he realized that she was talking about Rizen. She was the one who "must do so for the sake of a brave and noble warrior." Though Norbert recognized Rizen as a loyal companion and indeed, a good and faithful friend, it was a little strange hearing her talked about as though she was a human...or an Avian, he supposed.
- So, naturally, when Joanna asked him to "pray with his pegasus," he grimaced. He'd raised his head and opened his eyes when she'd said his name, but now he was a little frozen. He had no idea what he was supposed to say. It'd been a long time since he'd been asked to send up a prayer to Mercy and he'd never prayed with Rizen before...let alone any other animal. The rider was just glad that Joanna had at least specified a topic. So, awkwardly, he turned to frown at the pegasus. Rizen herself was vaguely wondering why everyone was acting so strangely, but then again, humans did weird things all the time.
- He glanced back over his shoulder with an uncomfortable frown at Joanna, wondering if what steps he was taking was at all correct, but he quickly returned his attention to Rizen. The pegasus was looking at him expectantly, but that was because he usually had something to say or give when he looked at her face-on like this. Norbert himself just felt silly. Mer-- He stopped, figuring that using that particular term just before sending up a prayer might be in poor form. Urgh, gods, this is embarrassing... Somehow, that term seemed less offensive.
- With the stretch of silence just making the situation even more awkward, he bowed his head and closed his eyes. Facing the pegasus while still holding tightly to her reins while his face began to take on a bit of extra color, he began. "Mother Mercy..." Well, it was a start. "I...know it's been a while." Oh Mer-- blast it -- sheesh, I must be making a fool of myself! His blush increased somewhat as his eyebrows came closer together and lowered in irritation. "I guess I should start off by thanking you... So...thanks for looking out for us, I guess." Not sure if it was Mercy or just dumb luck.
- Suddenly, he paused. Well, for a bit longer than he had been already. Something that Nigel had told him a long time ago returned to his memory. "According to Nigel, you give special protection to orphans. I don't know if that's true, but...I guess it wouldn't...not make sense with what we've been through." Realizing he was wandering a little aimlessly in his prayer, Norbert hurried up to finish it off. "So, we'd appreciate it if you looked out for us in the future. And even if I don't come out of a fight alive, that you'd at least protect Rizen. She's been a great friend, so...she really deserves it. Not that I wouldn't like to survive our fights, too, though."
- He wasn't entirely sure how to finish the prayer, so he just concluded it with "I...guess that's it." raised his head, opened his eyes and turned around to face Joanna again, though his gaze was on the floor. He looked and felt extremely awkward and uncomfortable.
- The moment of truth--or rather the moment of Mercy in this case--turned out to be a long one, but soon they would see whether or not Norbert and Rizen received the goddess' blessing. It was hardly a few prayers followed by a certificate handout. Legitimate blessings were always established and confirmed by a holy, inexplicable light, which is what Joanna was waiting for and worrying about. She doubted Rizen would spook and attack just anyone, but if the light came and it did spook her, things could get dangerous just the same. She'd never heard of any pegasi being spooked during these ceremonies, but this was ... special pair.
- Joanna's fear of something going wrong was also keeping her at bay even though she had another job to perform next. Once she remembered, and once Norbert's prayer was actually finished, she slowly approached them, carefully and gently placing a hand on Norbert's shoulder and Rizen's snout despite the former's reluctance. This was it ... Please ... Finally, it happened. She slowly tensed as a faint glow began to engulf Norbert and Rizen individually and soon let go of them and stepped away. The acolytes raised their heads and smiled as the glow became brighter and brighter.
- When Joanna approached, it confused Norbert for a moment and when she reached her hands out, he leaned away uncertainly at first, wondering what this was about. That was when he recalled that there was a laying-on of hands and so he relaxed. He was a lot more comfortable with Joanna being the one to do this than someone he didn't know, after all. Rizen was a little uncertain as her snout was touched, but Norbert was right there and letting it happen, so she made no move against it.
- Oddly enough, it wasn't the pegasus who spooked when the glowing started, though Norbert was more just unsure of just what was happening to him. Urgh, weird magic again... Why does it always have to be weird magic? I hope this isn't permanent. Sure would be inconvenient... Then, he noticed Rizen, too, was glowing brighter and brighter. The pegasus herself looked a little confused, but that was the extent of any negative reaction from her. She did partially unfurl her wings and fan them a little, though. She was enjoying this light, though fanning wings that were less than half spread looked a little silly. At least any effect the weird magic was having on her, it was a positive one, from what he could tell.
- The light slowly began to fade, but the ceremony had gone off perfectly. Joanna was relieved, both that the goddess had seen fit to bless the pair, and that the blessing itself didn't scare them. In hindsight, she supposed she could have just warned them about the light instead of quietly fretting over it, but what was done was done, and what wasn't done was of little consequence now. "Congratulations," she said, the relief she felt weakening her voice.
- "The ceremony is now complete," the first acolyte nodded.
- The second acolyte held out his hand urging Norbert to stay put for a moment, though he didn't mind him moving as long as he didn't leave the area. The ceremony meant nothing in the Ursian legal system without documentation. "I'll return shortly with your certificate. You'll just have to sign a couple of things with us and then you can be on your way."
- Joanna frowned. She knew what he was off to do was her job during this ceremony, not an acolyte's, but she supposed she wasn't going to complain about him taking over from there. She likely wouldn't be doing this again.
- When the light began to fade, Norbert was somewhat relieved but still a little skeptical about it. He'd been through too much weird magic not to wonder if there was something it did to him and/or Rizen. The pegasus at least seemed to be normal as ever and he didn't feel any pressure in his chest or suddenly forgot his first language and he wasn't looking at a sleeping, larger version of himself. He was also still in Sardius, which was nice, especially since this part of Sardius was the same part he started off in. So no warping to purgatory or the desert or some other unhospitable wasteland.
- Joanna congratulated them and one of the acolytes announced that the ceremony was done. Joanna sounded kind of tired to him. What exactly did she do to us? Was it just making us glow? Does that really take that much energy? He supposed it did. The other acolyte motioned for him not to move -- it seemed like people around there did that a lot -- and told him he'd be back with the certificate. He was just a couple signatures away from finally being out of legal trouble...or at least legal trouble the authorities actually knew about. Joanna frowned about something, but Bert decided not to ask about it. It could have just been that she was tired or it could have had to do with his fighting uncertified before.
- Both Joanna and Bert had been nervous during the proceedings, but Valter thought they both did fine. Granted, he hadn’t seen another ceremony to compare it to… but that was besides the point. He was grateful it had gone well. After all the troubles of the last day, it was good to have a positive event for once. And now that the ceremony was over, he felt he could speak without interrupting anything. “You did well, Joanna,” he said, smiling. His expression softened a bit as he added, “Don’t doubt yourself so much.”
- He then turned to Bert to congratulate him, though Valter had a better grasp on the significance of what had just transpired. He hadn’t expected Mercy herself to take part in the ceremony. To have the deity’s blessing in that way was an honor he’d probably never experience. He was slightly jealous of Bert at the moment, for more than one reason. “Congratulations,” he told the pair of pegasus and rider. “So, how does it feel to be touched by a goddess?”
- While the acolyte was off retrieving the certificate, Valter came over and encouraged Joanna before congratulating him. What he said next, however, was...strange, to say the least. Norbert's face contorted in confusion, with a furrowed brow, tilted head, squinting eyes and a slightly up-curled lip. He...really wasn't sure how to reply to that. He didn't want to embarrass Joanna, especially if Valter was trying to reassure her with his question. Er... Joanna's a nice lady, but I wouldn't call her a "goddess." Besides, she's a priestess, so isn't that a little blasphemous?
- Just in case it was blasphemous, he couldn't call Valter out on this, especially after the horseman had refrained from mentioning his lawbreaking. Then again, he'd more or less just kind of...put it out there. Joanna was kind of delicate so he had to choose his words carefully here, no matter how he was going to respond. That was something he was never entirely good at. "Uh... Wow, Valter. I didn't know you felt that strongly about Joanna. I mean, not that there's anything wrong with that -- you could do a lot worse." Well, this was rapidly falling apart. "Not to say you're undesirable yourself or anything -- not that I'd know, I guess -- but she doesn't seem to be the kind who'd take advantage of you or anything. Cause, you know, she's a kind and gentle sort -- not that I'm interested. So...go for it, I guess?" Urgh, this is why I don't talk about things like this.
- He was aware that at this point he'd completely ignored Joanna and how she might feel about all this, but he just didn't have the patience to deal with that just then. He couldn't just leave it like that, though, so, slightly irritated, he added to Joanna, "Your feelings on this matter too, of course."
- Joanna swiftly turned around as the realization sank in. She wasn't blushing nearly as much as she thought she was, but she honestly couldn't face either of them after that, not until she got her bearings. "H-he was talking about 'the goddess', not me," she clarified, her voice shaking. Deciding to ride the momentum and try to compose along the way, she turned around, keeping her head down, and continued. "All I did was lead the prayer and mark the two of you."
- "The divine light," the remaining acolyte spoke up, looking serene, inspired even, "it has only one source, friend, the Lady of Mercy herself." He kept a gently closed fist to his chest as he spoke.
- Valter’s face was quickly turning scarlet. Somewhere in the back of his mind he was pretty sure he should tell Bert to stop speaking, but his mouth apparently stopped working because nothing he wanted to say was coming out. So for the duration of it he stood there looking increasingly uncomfortable and quite obviously embarrassed. Having given up on trying to speak, the horseman covered his face with a hand, silently wishing he could melt into the floor or some such thing that would excuse him from having to deal with this situation.
- Joanna seemed to have taken the whole thing slightly better, though he wasn't looking to check. At least someone had corrected Bert's misunderstanding... The blame for it in the first place, Valter was attributing to his own lack of thought. The first thing he managed to say was, "Curse my wording," muttered at himself.
- "'Mark?'" Norbert echoed, a little less awkward and embarrassed and a little more confused now. Is that what the light was about? Apparently not. The rider looked over to the acolyte when the man spoke up. "The divine light," huh? They're saying that light came from Mercy herself, but...how is that possible?
- Norbert was a little skeptical. Sure he believed Mercy existed, but he believed she existed somewhere far-off and largely uninvolved in the lives of mortals like him. He wanted to ask how they knew it was Mercy and not something Joanna maybe accidentally did, but seeing as he was talking to Mercy devouts, he figured that was a stupid question that would garner a stupid answer. Still, Joanna sure didn't seem the sort who'd lie, even about something like this. He didn't understand much how magic worked, but he was pretty sure that you had to be trying to do something with it in order to accidentally cast a spell. Maybe Joanna's marking had to do with magic? If nothing else, this was definitely food for thought.
- "Right, the marking--rather the laying on of hands is the lead's role in the ceremony that must take place before the goddess will offer her blessing. Only a few individuals are qualified to perform such a role," the acolyte explained to Norbert, taking a second at the end to smile at Joanna. He was talking about her, alright. "Naturally, our own 'Mercy in the flesh' would be worthy of such a role."
- "I'm not sure why some people say such things about me," Joanna sheepishly noted.
- Before he could give any sort of answer to that, the other acolyte got his attention by waving to their group. He had what looked like more than one certificate in hand, as well as a thick tome and writing utensils. As he returned to the group, he explained the next step of the procedure. "This next part is simple; we'll all sign these two forms. One is for you to keep, and the other is for our records." Looking to Valter, he added, "You can sign as well. Staff signatures aren't just for keeping track of who was involved but who witnessed the ceremony in person." Then, he after a short pause and handing off his load to the other acolyte, he finished by holding up a small metal insignia, an easily misplaced, yet elegant wing shape. "You also get this."
- "That's for showing to anyone who doubts you had this blessing ceremony, but obviously, due to the occasionally stolen ones, or those taken from the battlefield, you may still need your certificate. Best not to lose either, honestly," the second acolyte chimed in.
- Norbert didn't have a whole lot of time to mull over what was being said between the acolyte and Joanna before the other acolyte returned. He hadn't known about the little emblem before now and was a little worried about losing it. It had a little ring at the top, so he could potentially turn it into a necklace if he wanted to, but he decided he'd figure out what to do with it after he'd signed what he needed to. The talk about people stealing the symbols on and off the field of battle was a little grim and unfortunately brought to mind what had possibly become of some of his sisters. He nodded at the advice not to lose either certificate or insignia, but he was a little worried about losing both.
- These were strange times they lived in and he was thinking about all the ways a piece of paper with important information could become illegible: getting torn up in some wind attack, getting soaked, incinerated, punctured... Even just getting ink spilled on it. Good thing there's another copy... Even in Rizen's saddlebags, you never know what could happen. It was strange that travelling with Raquel was becoming so normal. So much so that he forgot that he wouldn't be on the road so much anymore. Oh, right. Well, I guess if I just keep it in my room at Weyland's it'll be a lot safer than...who knows what Raquel'll be doing? The thought was almost amusing in a sort of familiar, endearing way -- like a warm memory.
- Unfortunately, with that came the reminder of why he was even doing this in the first place. The minor amusement was completely evaporated with the reminder of his debt and so, having returned to a sort of neutral with irritated undertones, the rider took up a copy of the certificate and began reading it over. He wasn't about to sign until he knew what he was signing, after all, required by law or no. This form verifies that...blessing of the Goddess of Mercy...approval... Hm. There wasn't much to it and there didn't seem to be any harm in signing it, so Norbert picked up the pen and wrote his name in the first blank and Rizen's in the second one. He then handed that off so he could sign the other copy with their names.
- Joanna took the first form and waited for Norbert to sign the other. In the meantime, she wondered about how the acolytes might have reacted if they learned of his past battles now that he received the blessing. In her mind, they weren't as 'bad' as she first expected, since despite all those previous battles, the goddess still saw fit to bless him. If she hadn't, he wouldn't have ever been allowed to bring his pegasus into fights ... not that this would have stopped him initially, she realized. Thankfully, Norbert was doing the right thing going forward. Perhaps handling things in a better way going forward was why the goddess saw fit to bless him and Rizen, though she still had to wonder what essentially changed his mind.
- When he was done with the second form he handed that one off to Joanna, too. At this point, there wasn't much else to do besides wait for the signing to be done.
- It wasn't long before Joanna and the acolytes had signed both certificates themselves. That just left Valter's if he so chose and then it was all over. Still, there wasn't much of a reason to wait until then to say what he wanted to say, thought the first acolyte. "Congratulations. We're all happy that you chose to seek out the Goddess' favor in this matter. Like we explained before, that certificate is for you, and we'll be keeping this copy. Be sure not to lose it."
- Valter had remained silent during the rest of the discussion, only taking the certificates to sign after the others were through with them. He didn’t have anything to add, as anything he wanted to ask Bert would be better done once the acolytes were gone (and after earlier he couldn’t bring himself to speak to Joanna.)
- With everything signed, the first acolyte gave both certificates a good once over to make sure everything was in order and then nodded when he was satisfied. He then handed off Norbert's copy of the certificate to him along with the insignia. "I'm sure you already saw but my name is Jeremiah," he said, bowing slightly. "It's been a pleasure meeting you, Norbert. It was also good to see you more heavily involved in a ceremony, Joanna."
- "Mm," she barely managed that much of a reply.
- "And I'm Michel," the second acolyte followed suit. "I suppose we should return to our duties now ..." He quickly set about putting out the candles and gathering up the stands they sat on. Once he was done with that, the two acolytes were on their way, leaving the trio and pegasus to their own devices.
- Joanna gave Norbert a long glance, not saying anything, just wondering what was going on. Like always though, she tuned out people's thoughts, not feeling she had any right to interpret them.
- Norbert only flippantly sighed "yeah, yeah" when the acolyte reminded him of how important it was not to lose the certificate. Soon, though, the ceremony was entirely and completely finished and he was given a certificate and insignia. Then the acolyte who handed those off to him introduced himself as Jeremiah. The rider actually wasn't expecting to learn the two's names and hadn't really thought to look at the certificate for them. This was primarily because he didn't particularly care what their names were. It was also apparently a pleasure meeting him. Norbert chalked that one up to just something the guy was expected to say.
- The other's name was apparently Michel. After that introduction, the two cleaned up and left. Feeling like he owed some sort of farewell, Norbert just sent them a small wave. Then, he walked over to Rizen's saddlebag and put the certificate into it. The insignia he was still trying to figure out what to do with, so he kept that in his hand. It was so small, he could easily lose it and he wasn't about to mix it with what few coin he had. It was roughly the same size, after all, and that was just too much hassle to bother with if he needed it quickly. As he looked at it, turning it around in his hand, his eyes caught Joanna looking at him. That prompted a grimace. Right, they probably want answers now that it's over. His gaze went back down to the little metal wing. I still need to figure out what to do with this, though.
- Good, the acolytes were gone. That meant the interrogation could begin. Or, it would’ve, if Valter hadn’t remembered the reason he’d still been at the Cathedral in the first place. The horseman had mostly regained his composure after his earlier embarrassment, but was still feeling quite uncomfortable when he turned to address the winged cleric. “Joanna, do you mind if I meet up with you after you’ve eaten? I need to discuss something with Norbert,” he said, and stared pointedly at the rider for a moment before looking back for her answer.
- "Oh ... um, alright," Joanna reluctantly agreed. Valter had already eaten as she recalled, and she really didn't need to be here for what she suspected was an interrogation, but she hoped the two of them would be alright without a mediator. She left them there with a quiet, "I'll meet you just outside the dining area if that's alright."
- “Thank you,” Valter replied. Once Joanna had left, he turned to face Bert. “I’m going to cut straight to the point, here. How long have you been fighting with Rizen unblessed, and why did you decide to rectify that now?” He was attempting not to sound angry, but pegasus certifications were a pretty big deal in Ursium. Fighting uncertified not only reflected poorly on Bert, but on those who associated with him. Valter cursed himself for not thinking to ask about it earlier.
- Yep, knew this was coming. Norbert thought as Valter asked Joanna if he could meet up with her later. He was a little bothered that she wasn't getting answers right away -- she knew about his illegal activity, too -- and though normally he would've been suspicious of someone asking a healer to leave himself and him alone, not even an inkling of worry entered into the pegasus rider's mind. It took a moment for him to notice this, but by then Joanna was on her way, so Bert just uttered after her, "See you later, Joanna."
- Then, Valter jumped right to the point. Really, Norbert wouldn't have had it any other way and though he didn't show it, it was one thing he did appreciate about the horseman. Instead of answering Valter's question right away, Norbert wordlessly slipped the insignia into his saddlebag -- figuring he could just fish it out later -- and pulled out the judge's notice. He then walked the couple paces over to Valter and handed it over, crossing his arms disinterestedly once the bowman held it. Calm and serious, he answered, "I didn't even know it was a law until one of my sisters hauled me off to Fort Dailey. I've been relying on Rizen's help since I left the orphanage about three years ago. That includes combat."
- Valter received the paper from Bert and began looking it over. He was rather alarmed at what he’d pieced together of the situation. “This is… You were arrested, Bert?” It certainly seemed so. There was no other reason to be carried off to the fort. Sighing, the horseman offered back the judge’s notice. “You really didn’t know, did you?” he asked, pinching the bridge of his nose. “For my part, I’m sorry for not thinking to inform you of it. I just assumed… Well, we can be thankful they exercised leniency in this case I suppose.” That assumption was based entirely on the fact that Bert was here rather than in prison somewhere.
- Norbert took back the document and put it back into his saddlebag as he listened to Valter's reply. He couldn't help but give a short, bitter laugh at Valter's talk about the judge's "leniency." "'Leniency?' If Anna hadn't been there when I faced the judge," his contemptuous grin rapidly fell "I..." a frown set in and his glare intensified at Rizen's tack "They would've sold off Rizen. Even if I was ever released, I probably wouldn't have seen her again. They took my maces, my pegasus, my money, and my freedom, Valter."
- He sighed, the gravity leaving his voice as he turned and leaned against Rizen's side. He was still a bit bitter, though. "Anna thought I was still working for Raquel when she came to help get me out of that mess. Sure, I may not be in prison and yeah, Riz and I are still together, but I have a twenty-thousand gold debt to pay off to Weyland now. I already paid the five-thousand with what I'd earned while working for Raquel."
- “…Oh. Well then.” The situation had been much more serious than Valter had speculated. He wasn’t sure how to deal with this information, but acknowledged that his previous response had been inappropriate. “I apologize. I didn’t realize the gravity of the situation. ”
- The horseman grimaced before continuing. “That is a rather large fine. Exorbitant, actually, for lack of pegasus certification. Was that the only infraction? And how on Sardius does Weyland expect you to pay that off?” He had a pretty good guess for the answers to both questions, but assuming hadn’t gotten him very far earlier so he was loathe to do so now.
- Norbert shook his head, glaring at the ground. "I was going to deposit what I'd earned from Raquel into a bank and I ran into Cecelia of all people. She's the sister I mentioned earlier. Of course she'd find a way to get me in trouble... Accused me of stealing the gold I'd rightfully earned and got me to admit to fighting with a pegasus without certification before letting me know that was a crime. Then she goaded me into attacking her. There were witnesses and she's a captain in the military. Just by reputation and bias alone, I didn't have a chance at escaping whatever punishment was coming for me...on my own, that is, I guess. I'm still indentured, but at least I don't have to worry about someone trying to break Rizen's spirit."
- Truth be told, Valter had no idea how to deal with the situation, and it showed on his face. “I… I’m glad you’re alright, at least. Rizen as well.” The horseman sighed. He was frustrated that he couldn’t have been there, but also that if he were he probably wouldn’t have been able to help regardless. What was done was done, though, and there wasn’t any use worrying about it after the fact. “So what are you planning to do now?”
- Norbert sighed and shrugged, settling into a mix between indifference and annoyance. "I'm an unwilling Weyland employee now. So I guess I'll be following whatever orders come my way until that debt's paid off. Honestly, I haven't even been assigned a specific station yet. I just hope I can go off on missions or something. Maybe if it's dangerous, I'll pay off that debt before I'm too old to do anything else with my life."
- Well, this topic was getting pretty glum pretty fast. So, Norbert changed the conversation. "What about you? Back to church work?"
- It sounded like Bert would be busy for a while. A long while. Valter honored the topic change though, and replied with an uncertain, “Probably.” He hadn’t decided yet if he was going to return home or continue traveling with Raquel’s group, but was leaning towards the former. “I was going to find out the details of the current situation before deciding whether or not to leave. To be honest, I don’t have much reason to follow that group around anymore.”
- That was an interesting answer and begged a particular question that Norbert hadn't thought of until now. "Why were you sticking with Raquel in the first place, anyway?" I guess I just assumed he was being paid like most everyone else.
- Valter mulled over the question a moment, pondering how to best answer that. “Well originally I was following Synthia.” That didn’t sound nearly as weird in his head, but he pressed on regardless. “I wasn’t needed back home, and had nothing better to do with my time. After spending some time around the group I learned about what had happened to Raquel’s father and I thought I could help. Once we ended up in Sanctuary I really had no choice, but none of those reasons apply now. Everything we’ve been dealing with the last few weeks is far beyond my scope.” When talking to vasili and fighting Fallen became normal occurrences, he was pretty sure he was in over his head. Best to find some room to breathe.
- The horseman sight briefly, remembering his current errand. He was pretty sure he’d be able to speak with Bert later in the day, especially since the man was bound to Weyland Enterprises. “Do you mind if I cut this short? I should probably catch up with Joanna. I should return to the estate by afternoon if you would like to resume our conversation then?”
- Norbert nodded. "Yeah, there's no urgency. And you should probably tell Jo about what happened to me if she asks. She knows I fought uncertified, too, after all. No reason to worry her -- she seems the sort to get worked up over nothing." Well, that was handled. "See you later."
- With that, the two men went their separate ways.[/spoiler]
- [spoiler=A Brief Reunition]Gytha and Synthia left the dining hall and began their search for Amon. At first, they didn't have much luck, but thanks to some asking around, the pair was directed in the general direction the Rexian had gone in. Somewhere between where the Sancturan had gotten lost and the dining hall, they happened across him. He was being led in their direction by a maid. Though in the back of her mind, Gytha figured Amon had gotten lost, her focus wasn't on that bit of musing. She just grinned at him and approached, glad that they found him relatively quickly.
- "Ahoy!" she greeted, "Glad we found ye." Her grin faded as she asked, "Ye feelin' ana better? Ye looked pretta upset..." Bringing it up probably wasn't the best move, but she wanted to make sure he was okay and asking was the only way she really could.
- "Mmph, not really, no," Amon shook his head after a short delay. He wasn't sure if he needed the maid's help from here but wasn't going to shoo her away, either. If she wanted to leave now, she could.
- Carola stood by silently for the moment. It was true, Amon likely didn't need her help anymore if these two weren't lost, but he'd asked her to take him to the dining hall, so that was the plan until he said otherwise. For now, there was a conversation to idle through.
- “…Did you want to talk about it?” Synthia offered. It struck her that he might be more comfortable talking to Gytha than to the both of them, since the two were closer. She amended her statement, “I think you should, even if not with me.”
- "Maybe later," Amon quietly replied. "Hmm ... is something going on right now? Are you just wandering around like I was?"
- Gytha gave the Rexian a sorry smile. "Raquel n' th' others're gettin' reada t' go t' th' cathedral. N', well, didn't want t' miss th' chance t' talk t' ye b'fore we had t' part ways again."
- Casual as she was trying to be about it, the mariner was legitimately sad to have to separate from Amon again. They'd only just started traveling together again and she'd gotten her hopes up that they would travel together again. She was also beginning to wonder if something like what happened at the fort would happen again, but her primary sorrow was having to say goodbye to her friend so soon.
- "Oh ..." Amon looked a little less distracted and downtrodden for the moment. "I guess I should meet them once they're ready to go. Even if the emblem piece is for Raquel, we can still get a lot of information from those archives," he reasoned once again. "That aside, though, was there something specific you wanted to talk about?" Frankly, he was at a loss for subjects with such important matters plaguing him.
- "Well," Gytha began. The important thing was talking to him while she had the chance; the subject didn't matter much. But Synthia and he were right there, so she figured she could go into her tale about the ball. "There's somethin' I left in me room I wanted t' show the both o' ye as part o' me tale, so if we could walk o'er there while I tell it, that'd be th' best use o' th' time, I think. Don't want t' cut anathin' short, harr." She was less exuberant than normal, but that was just because she couldn't fully shake the glumness she felt knowing that they'd be splitting off, soon.
- "Alright then, lead the way," Amon shrugged and smiled. He then looked to Carola, who was still standing there and likely to follow if they started off. Of course, he wouldn't have to bring it up himself since she noticed him looking at her.
- "If you'll be fine on your own, I'll be going now, otherwise, I still intend to show you back to the dining hall," she explained with a wide smile.
- "Maybe next time," Amon respectfully and nervously declined.
- "Very well then."
- "What he said," Synthia said to Gytha.
- "A'right," she agreed before starting off in that direction. "So, as ye both know, Raquel n' those with'er were invited t' go t' the ball. I decided t' go since I'd never been t' one b'fore n' didn't know when th' opportunita t' go t' one'd come up again."
- She frowned thoughtfully. "Ye know, I had no idea just how much work it was gettin' reada fer a ball. Not quite sure why it's called a 'ball' anaway. There's no ball games 'r anathin' there -- that 'r we ne'er got t' it. Anaway, it's so hard t' get properla reada fer a ball that I had t' have help from two o' Weyland's servant girls! I realla don't know just what all they did, either, past washin' up. Lotions, powder, some other weird stuff they smeared all o'er me face... Not sure what was makeup n' what wasn't n' what th' stuff that wasn't was for! Right confusin', that. There was also some perfume they used on me n' maybe some other scented things -- I don't know; it's all sorta one, big blur... N' then there was th' clothes! Just plain strange, that. Lot more layersn' normal, that's fer sure. Some squeezin' tight, some pushin' 'r pullin' -- don't know just what most o' it was fer. Same with me hair. It was pulled n' twisted n' pinned... By th' end o' it, though, I apparentla looked like th' ladies at th' ball, so I guess th' maids did a good job. Didn't want t' accidentalla offend anaone 'r somethin'. They also told me t' talk without me accent. Did me best; hope I did a'right."
- The prep work for the ball had been an interesting experience in and of its self, but it was far from the meat of the story. She smiled again as she continued. "So, anaway, I rode t' th' ball with Haythem n' Nadya in one o' Weyland's land ships. We actualla got t' the ball b'fore we were let out, though. There was a lot o' backed-up ships. N' then, there was a line we had t' wait in b'fore we were let inta th' buildin'." She lit up a little. "But once we were inside... Sure were a lot o' people! They were all dressed up fanca like us, n' there was an artist paintin' pictures o' people. That's what I wanted t' go get: me picture. Th' painter was paintin' portraits fer free, so I got one done as a souvenir -- I love souvenirs, ye see. Ye wouldn't guess how it turned out either!"
- She was downright excited at this point. "He actualla guessed I use a sword n' a pistol n' that I fight pirates fer a livin'! Hehaharr, isn't that somethin'?! Ye know, th' painter was weird, though. I think somethin' hit 'im hard in th' head 'r somethin'. He talked realla strangela, n' even Nadya couldn't heal 'im. Oh, and then th' princess showed up in a dress that changed color on its own. I didn't know somethin' like that was possible. Can ye imagine what a ship would look like if its sails did that? Wouldn't know what t' make o' it mseself. Anaway, this was actualla a ball fer th' princess n' th' man she's goin' t' marry. No actual weddin' happened, though. Oh, n' th' music there... Can't realla call it music. More like...just a lot o' overlappin', long sounds. Well, some were short, too, but that wasn't music... Still, th' princess n' 'er boyfriend danced slowla t' it n' everaone was watchin'. Even if it was a little borin', it was pretty n' kinda silla. Knew someone who danced like that once. Sang while 'e did it, too, heheharr!"
- As they walked, she did a couple rough steps from it and giggled some before continuing with her story. "Kind o' hard t' dance that way by yerself. Tried. Anaway, ev'ryone started dancin' like that once those two were done. Got bored with it, so I talked t' th' shantymen about it. Th' one I talked to doesn't like jigs, I think. Anaway, turns out I was supposed t' ask the princess about th' music, not th' shantymen, so I asked her."
- Remembering a detail, she added, "Ah, n' apparentla, th' shantyman I was talkin' to is called a 'conductor.' Anaway, I talked t' th' princess n' she decided we should have a dancin' competition! Haythem n' Nadya were alreada dancin' somethin I haven't seen b'fore when she decided that. I love dancin'. Jigs're what I'm used to, but I like learnin' different kinds o' dances, too, so I asked 'em if they'd show me how. They did, but it wasn't until we all signed up fer th' competition. I signed up separatela, too. Oh, turns out there was someone at th' signup table who owned a ship -- The Savantia. The captain n' crew o' th' ship works fer 'im since he doesn't want t' sail 'er 'imself."
- "Anaway, Zach n' Faatina wound up joinin' Haythem, Nadya n' me group fer th' competition. It wasn't hard t' learn, but it was a little strange movin' me hips like that. Haythem said th' dance was called th' 'Buzzed Bachelors' in Common. Anaway, I was th' third t' dance. Just a sailor's jig, but I tried t' make it fun fer ev'ryone. Got th' whole room clappin' at least, heharr! That was so much fun!" She took a moment to bask in the memory. "Right after that was th' group dance. I was a little tired from me own jig, but I've had t' endure a lot more tirein' tasks b'fore. It was fun dancin' somethin' new like that. Shadrak was a jusge fer th' competition, by th' way -- so was Steinn. There were a few other dances -- a group o' women, a couple doin' th' same dances e'reyone else was doin' b'fore, a sword dance -- that was done by th' prince n' a girl -- a lively dance by a man who looked like he was tryin' t' impress one o' th' judges, n' some other form o' jiggin' performed by th' princess n' another woman. While we were waitin' fer th' judges t' give their answer, I asked th' princess if she'd teach me how t' do that dance later. She agreed, but we never got th' time fer it. Turns out hers was th' winnin' act. When it came t' judgin', it was Shadrak who commented on me dance. He actually had some nice things t' say. Guess he's not as bad as I thought 'e was. Called me clever, which I can't say I hear too often, especialla not on land, heheharr!"
- She blushed some as she went on, becoming a strange blend of bashful and exuberant, still hearing the crowd's applause. "Th' whole room got t' clappin' fer me. That dance is an old, familiar one, so I'm so happy ev'ryone liked it so much! Nothin' makes me happier n' ev'ryone just havin' a good, merry time t'gether!"
- Gathering her thoughts, she continued, "Steinn commented on th' group dance. Says he liked it, n' I think th' crowd did, too."
- She frowned, finishing, "Th' prince's dance was bein' judged when th' king showed up n' told ev'ryone about th' attack on th' city. Ne'er got t' try ana o' th' food at th' ball, ne'er got t' learn th' dance from th' princess n' th' ball just sort o' fell away from there. We got back t' th' estate after that. N' I think ye know th' rest o' th' story."
- By that time, they'd reached Gytha's room and the mariner found her smile again. She opened the door and walked inside, leaving the door open so the two could follow her in. It only took a moment for her to bring out the portrait and show it to Synthia and Amon. "This is what th' painter made."
- Well, as long as she found it an interesting experience, Amon supposed the dressing up part wasn't the worst of it. As he continued to listen Gytha went over more details that he already knew about, so it became easy for him to get distracted by the issues currently bothering him, like his duty to Aisha and his semblance of a friendship with Raquel and the emblem piece that was complicating both.
- This didn't last long, however, as Gytha soon got around to the ball itself, their trip to it and wait in a line of carriages from the sound of things. He wasn't sure who this painter was she was going on about, but if Nadya couldn't heal him, he must have had one hell of an injury ... or maybe that was another way of saying he was beyond help or something. The latter definitely seemed more likely at any rate. At least he could paint well, apparently. Maybe that was the price for whatever his other shortcomings were.
- A dress that changed colors ... that wasn't something he hadn't heard of before, though he'd seen something similar when Lilith first appeared. She certainly had a flashy way of changing outfits. He figured that with royalty, something like this shouldn't be terribly surprising, though it was still quite impressive for magic that didn't involve the emblem. In that way, it surpassed Lilith's wardrobe change.
- Amon made a mental note that Gytha didn't like slow music ... and didn't even consider it music, really. That brought a frown to his face for a moment; he felt as though that was a bit harsh even though he didn't have a taste for waltzing music either. Still, she managed to solve the issue without causing a scene from the sound of it ... well, without causing a negative or destructive scene, at least. A dancing competition certainly wasn't what Amon was expecting to hear about after they returned.
- She soon went into the parts about the dances and the judges. The sword dance sounded the most interesting to him and almost like something Amon would want to try. He didn't have a sword, but he was getting rather good with wielding his knife. With another one he could probably pull off some impressive dance of his own. He wasn't sure about this partner of the prince's, though, or what her role in the performance was.
- Apparently Gytha's dance, though a bit standard fare in some parts of the world, managed to get a good reaction from the crowd. Amon wasn't sure how that was even possible at first, but perhaps there was something more to it. He was also surprised that Shadrak was giving it a positive review. That guy was full of surprises. Being a dance competition judge with nice things to say one hour, draining allies of their life force the next. Soon though, the fun times were over and Gytha's story took a bit of a dive toward last night's main event, the Fallen attack on Europa. Fortunately, that was where Gytha concluded the story. There wasn't really any need to rehash anything else, he agreed with a nod.
- Once they reached her room, about the time her story ended, she ventured into her room to retrieve what turned out to be the painting she'd mentioned before. It was a lot better than he expected and certainly refreshed his memory of Gytha in her ball attire. Frankly he was surprised anyone would do this for free ... which he said aloud. "He did this for free? That's ... wow." 'Crazy' is what Amon wanted to say but figured it best not to spoil the moment.
- Listening to the beginning of Gytha’s story, there was much Synthia could relate to. The horrors of preparing for such an event were much of the reason the mage hadn’t gone in the first place, but she was glad to hear that Gytha managed to enjoy herself anyway. It was a bit sad to hear that the maids tried to alter the mariner’s accent. It felt like suppressing part of who she was. The mariner continued, mentioning a painter doing free portraits and how a painting was what she wanted to show them. Apparently the man was either psychic or really good at guessing, as he’d managed to portray Gytha’s line of work with surprising accuracy. At that Synthia raised an eyebrow. The artist sounded like a creep, either way.
- The story continued with Gytha’s descriptions of the princess’s gown, ballroom music, and dances. Considering that Synthia knew most of the things the mariner was talking about, it was amusing to hear the way she portrayed them. The mage nearly tripped over herself, however, when Gytha said she asked the princess to change the music, and the princess started a dance competition. She knew the other woman wasn’t joking, but it certainly wasn’t something she expected to hear. Wrathdammit, that competition was something she would’ve liked to see. She could kick herself for not going. Assuming the ball to be the usual stuffy, stuck up affair had apparently backfired.
- The end of the ball was to be expected, considering what happened last night, but the mage thought it unfortunate all the same. At least Gytha had been able to enjoy it up till then, she reasoned. When they reached the mariner’s room and she brought out the portrait, Synthia was surprised by the quality of the work. It wasn’t what she expected from such a short time to work on it, but the artist must’ve had considerable talent to pull that off. “That’s actually really good. Makes me wish I had gotten one done,” she said, smiling. “Was that the dress you wore last night, too? It looks nice.” She hadn’t seen the group off, so… Synthia had missed out on seeing any of their outfits. A shame.
- "Aye," Gytha cheerily answered both Amon and Synthia. Then, more specifically to the latter, she added, "Ye know, th' painter came back with us. I don't know if he's still around -- his name's Alex, as I r'call -- but if 'e is, ye could probabla get yer own portrait."
- She then put the painting away. Before returning to her friends, though, the mariner paused, then heaved a sigh. Then, she turned back around and returned, a bit of a sorry smile on her face. "I don't like thinkin' about havin' t' part ways again," she commented to the two, "Yer th' best friends I've had, n' I trust ye both with me life. Heheharr, that's not realla vera common, ye know."
- For a beat, she pondered something, then with a nod, she walked over to the door to her room and closed it before turning to face her friends again. "So, I'm willin' t' tell th' two o' ye me biggest secret. I'd like t' know about how ye both grew up, too, though, if ye don't mind it. I'm sure it's realla different from me own stora, heheharr!"
- "How we grew up?" Amon partly echoed. From the sound of things, her biggest secret was at least closely related to how she grew up. Amon didn't have such secrets, he felt, only questions of his own that even Aisha couldn't answer for him.
- "Aye," Gytha affirmed lightheartedly, "A'course, I'm curious about how yer travels've been since we parted ways last time, too. Meetin' interestin' people, seein' new things... N' a'course, talkin' about what ye've both thought about our time with Raquel. So mana strange things've happened travellin' with 'er -- no mistake. But first, I'm curious about what it was like fer ye two growin' up. Fair trade, unless ye don't want t' hear me secret."
- Synthia blanched slightly after hearing the painter’s name; she remembered seeing him around and remembered how odd he was. There was no reason to pursue that topic further. Gytha put the painting away and came back, though she looked less cheery than she had been. It was understandable, though, once she told what was on her mind. The mage returned a sad smile. She hadn’t known the mariner valued them so highly.
- Gytha’s request, however, was a bit unexpected. Appearing slightly bemused, Synthia replied, “I don’t mind, but I’m afraid my story will be dreadfully dull. You sure you want to hear about something boring like that?”
- Gytha gave Synthia a happy nod. "I'm always curious about what things're like fer people from places I've ne'er been to. I don't know what it was like t' grow up where ye grew up, so it'd be fun t' hear."
- Synthia glanced briefly at Amon, then turned back to Gytha and shrugged. If she wanted to hear about this, then so be it. “Well, you two have been through Ursaea twice with Raquel. I was born and spent most of my life there. I’m the oldest of five siblings, my father’s former military, and my mom stayed home to raise us. We were pretty well off, wealth wise. I didn’t know what it was like to worry about money until I was on my own. I... wouldn't say I had the worst relationship with my family, but I haven't been home in years.” She looked thoughtful for a moment, deciding what else to share.
- “I had a fairly standard education; reading, math, religion. When my grandmother was still living she taught me the basics of anima, but I never had formal training. My parents didn’t find it appropriate.” That wasn’t a decision that particularly pleased her, and it showed in her expression. “I began learning staves when I was fourteen. Later on I trained with the Order of Mercy as a healer, but they, ah... dismissed me. It was never what I wanted to do with my life anyway.” Her tone was unaffected, but by this point she wasn’t maintaining eye contact with Amon or Gytha anymore. There were a few things she purposefully did not cover, but rather out of not wanting to bring it up herself than unwillingness to share.
- “If there’s anything else you want to know you’re going to have to ask, specifically,” Synthia stated.
- "Wow, ye sure had a lot o' siblin's! I'm sorra I ne'er asked ye for a tour o' yer home either! We're goin' t' have t' go back t' Ursaea sometime! Heharr! N' I'm surprised ye didn't have formal trainin' in magic. Yer so good at it!" Gytha laughed, grinning widely. She was really enjoying learning more about her friends, and they'd only just begun talking! Eyes shining, Gytha asked, "What's it like growin' up with other kids?"
- Gytha’s cheerful response pulled Synthia out of some of her less cheerful reminiscing. She wasn’t expecting the praise regarding her magic, but it did cause her to relax a bit before answering the next question. “Infuriating,” she answered, though with a smile. “They were always getting in my things and ratting me out. And if we ever fought, I was always the one in trouble. Being eldest comes with that right, apparently. On the other hand, I never had to worry about being alone or forgotten. I don’t know how they feel towards me now, but I definitely do miss them…”
- Gytha gave Synthia a sympathetic smile. That shifted to a cheerier one. "Well, I'd love t' meet 'em. Ne'er had ana brothers 'r sisters o' me own." Then, to Amon, she asked, "What about ye? Did ye ever have ana siblin's?"
- She knew a little about his life already and he knew some about hers. They'd talked about it before, but she had cut the story short and really, she only had a vague idea of what things had been like for Amon.
- "Mm ... not quite," Amon answered thoughtfully. "I spent some years in the low quarters and had some neighbors around my age, but I was an orphan so ..." So no true siblings as far as he was concerned. Shaking his head to get rid of the thought, he continued on.
- "Everyone was a little surprised when I was brought into the city itself. I never thought for a second I would ever be living in the palace. It never even my crossed my mind. I guess I was just content up until then. I had been running messages around for people along with some others. We weren't as fast as messenger birds but the people in our area still preferred us. I guess we were better for conversation than the birds," he shrugged. "I'm still not sure why I was singled out to do the same thing around the palace, but I never complained before and I'm not going to start now." There was more ... life in the palace, but his life in the low quarters wasn't something he'd touched on before, so he figured there might be a question or two about it before he moved on. Either way ....
- It was odd, but Gytha hadn't known Amon was an orphan until now. It sounded like he still had a pretty good life, even before the palace, though. "D' ye know what happened t' yer parents?"
- If she was picturing things right, he was talking about that area right outside of the city proper. It was still supposedly protected by Aisha, so it was a little strange to her that there would be orphans around there.
- Amon shook his head negatively. "All I can even guess about them is that they wanted me to have a good life. That's the only way I could have wound up in a place like Sanctuary while I was still a baby," he frowned. Going on a journey through the desert with the burden of an infant ... that had to be a nightmare. "I don't even know who exactly brought me to the city. By the time I was old enough to ask about it, no one I knew could even remember."
- Well, Amon's story certainly had an interesting beginning. He arrived in Sanctuary as a baby and no one knew who his parents were. "Maybe someday ye'll find 'em," Gytha offered with a shrug. Really, though, she doubted it. There wasn't much to go on. His parents might not even be alive anymore.
- Well, she felt that she'd asked enough questions. It was her turn to give some backstory. "Amon, ye alreada know some o' this, but as fer me, I grew up in an inn me mother runs called Th' Salty Brine Inn in Stubbsgrit. Since neither o' ye're seafarers, ye probabla don't know th' significance o' that name. Ye see, Stubbsgrit's a pirate port city. It gets pretta dangerous there, so me mother taught me how t' shoot when I was old enough t' hold a pistol. Wasn't allowed t' go help buy supplies n' groceries until I was proficient, n' ne'er alone. Brawls, theft, murder... All sorts o' things happened there. But not at ol' Salt. If anaone was causin' trouble, me mother 'r th' staff'd stop it, guns blazin' if it came t' it. N' though she's stern, me mother's fair. Protects 'er own, she does. S'long as ye don't threaten anaone n' yer a friend 'r a payin' guest, yer safer n' anawhere else in port. It's a nice inn too -- o'erlooks th' docks."
- Gytha smiled as she reminisced about her childhood. "Used t' watch th' docks nearla all day when I wasn't workin'. Me father's th' captain o' a ship called th' Saltstraumen. Fine vessel, fine crew. Me father's name is Captain Reese Thirdgem. Kind n' jolly, one fer a good tale, too, though he likes t' sleep, too. Mother doesn't let 'im laze about, though, heheharr. Always planned on joinin' th' Saltstraumen crew when I was old enough. Sailin' th' seas with me father, goin' on adventure after adventure... That was me dream."
- “Eh, you may not want to meet some of them…” Synthia said with a half-hearted laugh. The story telling shifted to Amon, and the mage listened curiously. She hadn’t heard much about his life in Sanctuary. Though he was an orphan, his story was heartwarming, in a way. Someone had cared enough about him to brave the desert to bring him somewhere with a better life.
- Synthia had heard about Gytha’s mother before, but never anything so in depth about her background. …Quite a few things made more sense, now. There was one thing she caught that was worth asking about, though. “Was your dream? Did something happen to him?” she asked. Stubbsgrit sounded like a pretty dangerous place to begin with…
- "Oh, he's still out there sailin' th' seas," Gytha replied with a sort of distant, distracted smile, "Most feared pirate o' our age. It's why I don't go around tellin' ev'ryone me full name." He smile disappeared. "I'd be more likela t' hang than t' land a job if people heard me name was 'Thirdgem.'"
- “Wait, so… You’re the daughter of a pirate?” Synthia asked. She didn’t bother trying to hide her surprise. Gytha had always reacted rather strongly to mention of or insinuation of herself being a pirate, but here she appeared to respect her father despite his profession. Was there a story here? “I can understand why you wouldn’t want prospective employers to know that, but… Why did you decide to become a mariner in the first place?”
- Indeed, there was a story there. Gytha grimaced at Synthia's first question, but didn't answer until she was finished talking. "Aye... That I am." She sighed before her gaze went distant and she began the tale. "As I told ye, I'd always dreamed o' sailin' at me father's side. I helped me mother with 'er business most o' me life, but when I was old enough, I finalla got th' chance t' b'come a pirate meself. It wasn't aboard th' Saltstraumen, though... Me father arranged fer me t' start out smaller. Called in a favor with an old crewman -- a pirate named Miles Grater who'd been given a ship th' Saltstraumen had captured. That ship's name is th' Deadlock, n' it was th' first ship I'd ever sailed on. I didn't realize it at th' time, but th' rest o' th' crew was leery o' me from th' beginnin'. I was th' onla woman aboard, too."
- Gytha's expression darkened and she paused a moment. Then, the continued gravely. "We were out at sea. I'd been learnin' me seamanship n' practicin' what I alreada knew o' fightin'. We hadn't come across anathin' 'r anaone yet. Th' wind suddenla died. Stayed dead fer quite a while, too. That coupled with not seein' sail fer s'long... Well, I found out that th' crew was superstitious. There's an old myth that women're bad luck aboard a ship -- that Lord Leviathan won't grant favor t' those who carra women on their vessels. A'course, it's a ridiculous myth -- me father has women crewmen aboard th' Saltstraumen n' he's th' most successful pirate o' this age! Th' pirates o' th' Deadlock took th' weather n' lack o' ships as reason enough t' start a shipwide battle, though. Th' captain n' about half th' crew defended that I shouldn't be tossed overboard. Th' others were sure gettin' rid o' me would turn th' Deadlock's luck around. We won th' battle, but we lost a lot o' men in th' infightin'. Th' wind eventualla r'turned."
- She paused again, then shook her head sorrily. "We needed n' restock on supplies. Still no sail. So, we harbored in a safe, little cove near Fairgale Port. I was among those sent off t' gather supplies." Again, Gytha paused. This stretch was a little longer than last time. Her sorry look turned into a glare that bored into the floor. "When I r'turned t' ship, they were gone. I'd been abandoned, likela b'cause o' that dumb ol' myth. I was so angry that I b'gan lookin' fer work in Fairgale Port as a mariner..."
- Her expression suddenly softened. "...But I stayed a mariner b'cause I finalla saw what piracy did t' people. Th' people who worked hard n' had it all stolen from 'em... Sometimes, people couldn't r'cover their businesses b'cause o' pirate attacks. Not t' mention th' deaths..."
- Gytha raised her eyes to look at her freinds again, expression full of solemn strength. "That's why I hate pirates. Though me father n' mana old friends're pirates, who's goin' t' d'fend those people who can't fight fer themselves? N' though I was technicalla a pirate fer a time, I ne'er actualla committed ana acts o' piracy -- somethin' I'm vera grateful fer. So I don't tolerate bein' called a pirate. Just as offensive e' me as it is t' ana other mariner."
- She glanced away, a worried look coming into her eyes. "But...I can't let anaone know all that. Not onla would I ne'er be hired again, I could be hanged 'r used t' get me father t' turn himself in. I...realla don't want ana o' that t' happen..."
- The explanation started out simple enough, but by midstory Synthia was rather angry on Gytha’s behalf. Seriously? The crew fights to keep her alive, and then abandons her anyway? What a bunch of recreants. Well, they were pirates, after all, she reasoned. The story continued, and Synthia was a little surprised to hear Gytha’s work as a mariner began as something of a revenge plot. Though that was certainly not the reason she continued to work as one later on.
- The mage smiled slightly, now that she understood her friend a little better. “I promise I won’t tell anyone, though thank you for sharing it with me.”
- Gytha smiled at Synthia's reply. "I know ye won't. I may be friendla t' people easila enough, but me trust?" She chuckled lightly as she shook her head. "That's not an easy thing t' earn. N' I wouldn't tell ye these things unless I trusted ye 'r if it was absolutela necessara."
- Amon had indeed heard some of this before, but he still listened intently, as if it were only the first time. He hoped they had left her behind for her sake more than their own, but that seemed doubtful, and even if by some miracle they had been thinking of her in that way, there was no convincing her from the sound of things. It was obviously for the best, though. She didn't have to atone for a pirate's past and lifestyle.
- "Well you know my lips are sealed," he shrugged helplessly with a weak smile on his face.
- Gytha gave a sincerely grateful smile to her Rexian friend and nodded. "Aye. Like I said back in Sanctuara, I trust ye. N' ye've no idea how grateful I am fer ye. After bein' left b'hind my be crew, I ne'er trusted anaone 'r considered 'em me friends. Not until you."
- The somewhat serious topic was dropped, however, as Gytha let loose a hearty laugh. "N' what a voyage it's been! Can't count how mana scrapes we've gotten ourselves outa! I know I can always r'ly on ye two! Goin' t' be sad when we have t' part ways."
- She nodded to herself at that before continuing on. "R'member that scurvy dog we took down when all this b'gan? Heheharr, what a thrillin' fight! At th' time, I was just angry at 'im fer attackin' me friends, but thinkin' back on it, there was some good teamwork r'gardin' it. Grayish-blue-haired fella, as I r'call... 'Course, doesn't matter what color hair ye have when yer head's rollin' away from yer neck..." She winced at that. "Hmm. Guess I got a little carried away..."
- Amon couldn't remember the poor guy's name either. When people fell by the sword, though, the end result was always the same, so it didn't seem to matter much whether or not he was decapitated. Gytha's response might have been a little harsh, but that was what battle did to people sometimes. "It can be really tough to stay calm in a fight, especially without any formal training," Amon shrugged slightly. He'd had some formal training himself, but nothing that would keep him calm if one of his friends was seriously hurt in battle. Or worse.
- Their talk continued, reflecting on the times when they had fought alongside one another among other, good memories until the time finally came for Synthia and Amon go go with the others to the cathedral. After she had farewelled her trusted friends and allies, Gytha went off about her own business.[/spoiler]
- [spoiler=An Interrupted Break]<Wait... Do they...?> A Dark Avian was flying over the plains of Ursium when he thought he saw a group of fellow Dark Avians resting nearby. As he got closer, though, he could hardly believe his eyes: these winged beings had tails. <Could... Could it be?!> He could hardly believe it. In his excitement, the Dark Avian rushed over to the group, eyes shining in fascination.
- "Hello!" he cheerily greeted. He was talking about a mile a minute. "This may be abrupt of me, but I couldn't help but notice your tails! Are you Fallen Ones? Oh, you might call yourselves by a different name, actually... Really, though, I wasn't expecting to meet Fallen Ones, especially not out here on the plains of Ursiu--"[/spoiler]
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